Jim Goulart

Covered here, thanks...

Sounds, Brewers Extend Affiliation Milwaukee Prospects To Play In Nashville Through 2014 Nashville Sounds

VIDEO: Brewers' site has video from interviews with Greg Hopkins, Yadiel Rivera and Carlos George at last night's game in Milwaukee (h/t BrewCrewBall).

It'll be the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Padres), managed by longtime Brewer Jose Valentin. Chris will have all the preview stuff today and Wednesday, I'm sure.

Even with a day off in the series Friday, this also allows for a head start on travel. Both Fort Wayne and Cleveland are 7 to 7.5 hours away. But it would be interesting to know if the Packers game time was a factor.

High praise for Clint Coulter from one Baseball Prospectus writer...

Fox Sports Wisconsin: Arizona Fall League presents opportunity

The thread on the major league forum about the Brewers waiver acquisition of LHP Miguel De Los Santos of the Rangers.

Actually, Miguel De Los Santos was added to the 40-man roster just prior to the Rule 5 draft in December 2010 (Baseball America link). So he was optioned in both 2011 and 2012, making 2013 his final option year. Still a very nice get -- 40-man roster flexibility is always a very good thing.

Timber Rattlers advance to Midwest League finals by Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ pitching staff has undergone an unexpected but welcome transformation in the postseason. It has gone from solid to sensational. The Rattlers received yet another superb performance from their revitalized mound staff Sunday night to win the Midwest League’s Western Division finals with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Clinton LumberKings. The Rattlers advance to the Midwest League finals for the fourth time in franchise history. Wisconsin will host the first two games Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium against the Lake County-Fort Wayne winner. That series is tied at 1-1. Wednesday’s home opener is set for a 6:35 p.m. start, while Game 2 on Thursday will be at 12:05 p.m. “This feels amazing,” said Wisconsin pitcher Mark Williams. “With guys moving up and down all year, it’s hard to put a season like this together. We struggled a bit during the second half, but we put it together at the right time. My old college coach used to tell us that it’s not how you start, but how you finish and it’s amazing the way this team came together at the end.” Amazing might be the best word to describe Wisconsin’s pitching in the playoffs. The Rattlers have allowed just three runs and only two earned runs in their last four playoff games. It was Williams’ turn to shine Sunday night. The right-hander from Division III Marietta College allowed just one earned run (two overall) on five hits in eight strong innings. Williams struck out five and didn’t walk a hitter. In celebration, Williams was given a shaving-cream pie in the face following the game — just like fellow pitchers Chad Pierce and David Goforth in previous nights. “I think it’s easier to go out when someone has been successful before you because you see what he’s being doing right,” said Williams. “I think good pitching is contagious. It kind of gets you in a groove because you don’t want to let those other guys down.” Williams threw 105 pitches before reliever Santo Manzanillo pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up a save. “Everything was basically working for me,” said Williams. “It’s the best everything has worked all year. I was having mechanical problems early and getting the ball up, but (Rafael) Neda did a heck of a job working with me and I settled down and was able to pound the strike zone. “That was the best my slider has worked all year, and my change-up and sinker were good.” After spotting Clinton both of its runs in the first, the Rattlers quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first on a long two-run homer to dead center by cleanup hitter Nick Ramirez. “He (Clinton starter Seon-Gi Kim) kind of pitched me different than I thought he would pitch me,” said Ramirez. “I missed two fastballs away and then he painted a fastball and I was just trying to hit something hard. It had enough back spin on it to get over.” The Rattlers scored the go-ahead run in the fourth on an RBI single by Adrian Williams and added a final run in the seventh on Brandon Macias’ run-scoring single. “Our pitching has just been unreal the last four games,” said Ramirez. “If we keep that going, we’re going to be in good shape in the finals. “This has been a lot of fun. We’re a confident team that’s having a lot of fun.” Mark Williams Video Interview at the lead link in this post.

Kyle from BrewCrewBall with another great job getting quotes from Appleton

Williams, Rattlers reach championship Brewers prospect gives up one earned run over eight innings By Sam Dykstra / Special to MLB.com Mark Williams took the mound Sunday for Class A Wisconsin in what was going to be the first playoff start of his professional career. Since the pitching staff had allowed just one run in its last three games, the Timber Rattlers also had a chance to wrap up their best-of-3 Midwest League Western Division semifinals. But the 23-year-old right-hander didn't think there was any pressure. Well, maybe a little. "The only pressure I really felt was about following up [Chad Thompson, Chad Pierce and David Goforth]," Williams said. "I was thinking, 'Man, I've got to step it up.'" He did just that. Williams gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits in eight innings Sunday as Wisconsin defeated Clinton, 4-2, to advance to the Midwest League Championship Series for the first time since 2005 with a semifinal sweep. "This is exciting for all of us," the Timber Rattlers hurler said. "Anybody who knows this team knows how much we've wanted to get to this point. There was a lot of jumping, hugs, handshakes after the game. It feels good, but we know tomorrow we have to focus on winning another series." Although it had a happy ending, Williams' outing didn't have a stellar beginning. In the first, he allowed a leadoff double to Jamal Austin, and on the very next pitch, Daniel Paolini laid down a bunt that catcher Rafael Neda mishandled, allowing Austin to score. Paolini crossed the plate on Ramon Moria's RBI double to give the LumberKings a 2-0 lead before the Timber Rattlers even had a chance to bat. "I knew I was leaving a lot of fastballs up," Williams said. "Plus we had a couple of things that didn't really go our way. So I kind of sat there in the dugout, tried to collect myself and tried to kind of just relax. It was my first start in the postseason, so I wanted to just enjoy it. I walked up the tunnel after that, and things seemed to work out well." The right-handed Brewers prospect faced the minimum 15 batters to take him to the seventh after the rough first frame. Dillon Hazlett's fifth-inning single was the only misstep, but even that was erased by a double play by Patrick Brady. He also escaped lead-off singles in the seventh and eighth. The eight-inning outing, during which Williams tossed 105 pitches (71 for strikes), was his longest of the season, besting a pair of seven-inning starts in August. Sunday provided the second time in 2012 that the Cincinnati native, who had only pitched in relief in Game 1 of the Midwest League first round, made headlines for a clutch performance. Combining with five innings from Thompson, he threw four frames of a no-hitter against the same Clinton team on May 4. But to Williams, Sunday's win meant a little bit more. "The no-hitter was a great accomplishment," he said. "Chad and I were actually talking about it the other day. But to pitch like this tonight, that means a lot. It holds a little more meaning for me because a win in the playoffs is something everyone can share. A no-hitter is a little bit more of a personal thing." Just to get to the Midwest League playoffs has been a big achievement for the 23-year-old. He went undrafted out of Marietta (Ohio) College in 2011 and signed with the Brewers only after pitching for the Washington Wild Things in the independent Frontier League that same year. In his first full professional season, he was 7-10 with a 3.88 ERA in 27 appearances, 14 starts. Now Williams and the rest of the Timber Rattlers will be fighting for the first Midwest League championship in franchise history since the Appleton Foxes captured the 1984 title. That's a fact not lost on the pitcher. "It's been an awesome road to get here," he said. "I've been surrounded by some great pitching coaches, played with some great guys. It was heartbreaking not to get drafted, but the day I signed, I knew I was going to work hard every day. "Right now, it's working. It's been a blast. But whether it's a hard road, easy road, whether I go up or down, I know I'll continue to enjoy the whole thing." Nick Ramirez homered, doubled and drove in two runs to power the Wisconsin offense.

Rattler Radio Blog: Video Highlights include an extended look at the on-field post-game hugs - sweet! The only bummer is that the Rattlers, should they go on to win the championship, will do so on the road. Wisconsin had a much better overall record than either of their possible series opponents, but the league rotates by division home field advantage, and the East has it in 2012. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers celebrate after the final out of the Western Division Finals. (Ann Mollica/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) http://wisconsin.timberrattlers.milb.com/images/2012/09/10/VmRdH2IF.jpg

A Jorge De La Rosa appearance in a De Los Santos thread!

Sunday's Daily Menu: Time listed is Central Wisconsin: RHP Mark Williams at home vs. Clinton (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime; second game of the second round best-of-three, game three at home Monday night if necessary Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM *** Follow the action as it happens with box score / game log links: Wisconsin *** Check the Rattler Radio blog for the media notes just prior to gametime

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Timber Rattlers' Thompson fans 10 Brewers prospect pitches six strong innings in series opener By Zack Cox / Special to MLB.com If you watch baseball for the hits, runs and homers, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitching staff is probably not for you. Chad Thompson followed up back-to-back complete-game shutouts by recording a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings Saturday as Wisconsin beat Clinton, 9-1, in Game 1 of its Midwest League semifinal series. Thompson (1-0) gave up a run on four hits to send the Timber Rattlers home with a chance to wrap up the best-of-3 series on Sunday night. After giving up a solo homer to Daniel Paolini in the first, the Brewers prospect allowed just one LumberKing to advance past first base. Ramon Morla roped a triple to right in the bottom of the fourth but was stranded at third. "My slider was working very well for me," the second-year pro said. "I was able to slide my fastball to my glove-hand side on the far side of the plate. I got that [to work] pretty well and I was able to get a lot of outside calls." The bullpen did not miss a beat after Thompson departed, with Stosh Wawrzasek and Santo Manzanillo limiting Clinton to a hit and two walks over the final three frames. They combined to fan six, bringing Wisconsin's total to 16 strikeouts on the night. The Timber Rattlers have been almost unhittable in the postseason, yielding just one run over the last 30 innings and five in four playoff games. "There's a lot of good chemistry between the guys," Thompson said, "a lot of good energy coming from this pitching staff." While the Rattlers' three first-round games were relatively low-scoring, Saturday's win was not. Wisconsin did all of its scoring in the fourth and fifth inning. Shortstop Yadiel Rivera proved the catalyst with a three-run homer in the fourth and Michael Garza went back-to-back with a solo shot. Rivera added an RBI single in the fifth. LumberKings starter Rusty Shellhorn (0-1) allowed one hit through three innings before stumbling in the fourth and was charged with eight of the Timber Rattlers' nine runs Chad Thompson has allowed one run or fewer in four consecutive starts. (Paul R. Gierhart/MiLB.com) http://www.milb.com/images/2012/09/09/LL2AuoQX.jpg

AUDIO: Brewers Pre-Game Interview with INF Taylor Green

Via Adam McCalvy: Ron Roenicke spoke Saturday morning with his son, Lance, whose Class A Wisconsin club advanced to the Midwest League semifinals on Friday night. Lance Roenicke has been limited to pinch-running duties because of wrist and shoulder injuries.

We didn't read much about him this year (surprising given all the Rattler media coverage), but this seems to have been an excellent hire this past winter.

As the minor league seasons end, the Brewers run paper transactions to activate players from the disabled list -- names from Baseball America, any info in quotes from us: Reinstated from DL: RHP Mitch Conner (Tommy John surgery), RHP Rodolfo Fernandez (we didn't see the Cuban signee this year), RHP Brooks Hall, RHP Eric Marzec (strep / mono), RHP Andy Moye, RHP Austin Ross (Tommy John surgery), LHP Jed Bradley ("tired arm"), C Shawn Zarraga, SS Orlando Arcia (fractured ankle), SS Hector Gomez, OF Victor Roache (wrist surgery) Frustrating we don't know the specifics on some players, but we'll learn more next spring when the media guide is released. Any injured Timber Rattlers will be activated after their season wraps up (with a championship ).

'Rattler Radio' has a brief look at the regular season series between the Rattlers and the LumberKings

And from the BrewCrewBall link posted above: Goforth got a big boost from his defense in the first inning on a play Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson said was "probably the play of the year." With two men on and none out Goforth got a groundout to short that Yadiel Rivera bobbled, but Carlos George was able to pick up the carom and turn a double play. "We've had a bunch of unique plays but maybe everything was just going right for us there and that was the start of it because Yadi's pretty sure-handed but the ball kicks off him but fortunately he stays in front of it, kicks it right to George and George makes an unbelievably athletic play, the reaction to catch it barehanded and turn the double play," Erickson said. "It was fun to watch, no doubt about it." Thanks for the reminder though! (In those instances we don't copy the text -- normally we don't copy from others' blogs, only from traditional news media -- but in those instances, everyone, click away (that's why it's called the "Link" Report all these years )

Video of the play at the Rattler Radio link a few posts above....

AUDIO: Season-ending interview with Manager Jeff Isom Thank you, Steve Wendt and Helena staff, for arranging the audio archives this year!