Jim Goulart

Wisconsin Media Notes

At Wisconsin, catcher Brent Dean has been activated from the 7-day DL, while RHP Michael White, who threw four near-spotless innings on Monday, is placed on the DL. No word on whether it's playoff roster juggling or an actual issue with White, who joined the Rattlers from Helena on August 8th.

Morris, Burgos named Brewers’ top Minor Leaguers From Adam McCalvy: On Thursday, MLB.com will release an updated Top 20 prospects ranking for each club, and there were some interesting changes on the Brewers’ list. I’ll just tell you that I was particularly surprised by Morris’ move.

AUDIO: Hunter Morris interview (and his kid in the background) via WSSP Would love to hear the interview conducted by those more in tune with the minor league season (he's playing in the AFL, guys), but we take what we get...

Disciples of Uecker: Q&A with Tyler Thornburg

Rattler Radio Blog: Wisconsin v. Burlington 2012 in review

DVR ALERT FOR THURSDAY -- Conveniently the Brewers play a matinee on Thursday... Sports32 will televise Timber Rattlers playoff game on September 6 GRAND CHUTE, WI - Sports32 covered more Wisconsin Timber Rattlers games in 2012 than in any previous season. Now, they are adding at least one Midwest League playoff game to their schedule. Time Warner Cable subscribers in the state of Wisconsin will be able to watch the Timber Rattlers play their first home playoff game since 2005 on September 6th at 6:35 PM. It will be game two of the best-of-three first round series with the Burlington Bees (Oakland Athletics). There is a possibility of two more Sports32 broadcasts of home playoff games. Those broadcasts will depend on if and how far the Timber Rattlers advance in the playoffs.

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter.

STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division (FINAL) AA - Southern League North Division (FINAL) High-A - Florida State League North Division (FINAL) A - Midwest League Western Division (FINAL) Rookie Advanced - Pioneer League North Division Rookie - Arizona Summer League (FINAL) DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris Division (FINAL) *** NOTE: AAA Nashville, Rookie Maryvale and the DSL do not play a split schedule. When you click on a standings link for Huntsville, Brevard County, Wisconsin, and/or Helena, you'll then be able to choose 1st half and/or overall standings in addition to the 2nd half standings.

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Wisconsin Helena

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Times listed are Central Nashville: Season complete; final stats here. ********** Huntsville: Season complete; final stats here. ********** Brevard County: Season complete; final stats here ********** Wisconsin: RHP Jacob Barnes at Burlington (Athletics), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime; first game of the first round best-of-three; remainder of the series shifts to Appleton Thursday Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM ********** Helena: RHP Leonard Lorenzo at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): Season complete; final stats here ********** DSL Brewers: Season complete; final stats and analysis here

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AUDIO: Brewers Pregame Interview with reliever Brandon Kintzler

Brewers race past Mustangs; Win 11-5 Helena Brewers For awhile it appeared that the Brewers would fall in their fourth straight on Tuesday night at Kindrick Legion Field against the Billings Mustangs, but then the offense battled back scoring in the fifth and sixth frames to tie the game at five. It wasn't until the bottom of the eighth that the bats really woke up, as the Brewers plated six to notch the 11-5 victory. Ryan Gibbard started the game for the Brewers and lasted 5.2 innings allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven Mustang hitters. Reliever Taylor Mangum then threw 3.1 innings allowing just one hit. The performance earned Mangum his first victory of the season and dropped his ERA to 5.40. At the plate, the Brewers offense recorded a combined 11 hits and eight walks as they exploded for 11 runs. Four Brewers notched multi-hit games and two others pitched in with one hit a piece. Adam Giacalone was one of those Brewers that only hit safely once, but he did it in a big way in the bottom half of the eighth inning. The Brewers, who had just taken a three run lead thanks to a two run RBI double by Raul Mondesi, Jr. and a RBI single by Paul Eshleman, had two men on when Giacalone hit a three run bomb to the opposite field. The Brewers return home tomorrow night in the first game of a two game set against the Great Falls Voyagers. First pitch is slated for 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). Chris McFarland went 2-for-4 on Tuesday night to raise his batting average to .301. (Sleeping Giant Photography) http://www.milb.com/images/2012/09/05/aiH8eRgU.jpg

Write-up from Seedlings to Stars site

AUDIO: Pre-game interview with Helena pitching coach Elvin Nina Nice discussion about the improvements of RHP's Mike Francisco and Joel Pierce, the "smarts" of RHP Ryan Gibbard; RHP Leonard Lorenzo is "like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you're going to get"; RHP Tyler Wagner's stuff...

Brewers to review Sounds stadium talks before renewing Nashville affiliation By Joey Garrison, Nashville City Paper Before its contract with the Nashville Sounds expires this month, Milwaukee Brewers management hopes to see progress on new stadium talks from the team’s triple-A minor league partner to the south. The Brewers two-year player development contract with the Sounds comes to an end Sept. 30. Mayor Karl Dean’s administration last year commissioned a study on potential stadium sites that recommended three locations for a new Sounds ballpark. But since the release of that December 2011 report, talks with the mayor’s office on a new stadium haven’t gained momentum. “We’re interested to hear how things are progressing down there in Nashville as far as the new stadium goes,” Scott Martens, the Brewers’ manager of player development and minor league operations, told The City Paper last week when asked whether the organization would renew its Sounds affiliation. “I know they’ve talked about it for a number of years,” he said. “I know they did a survey this past fall or winter ... to determine some potential sites. But there really hasn’t been a whole lot of discussion that I’ve heard talked about since that survey was done. We’re waiting to get an update from the Sounds ownership as to where those talks may be or where they may not be.” The Sounds season concluded Monday with a home game. According to Martens, Major League Baseball provides a two-week window following the end of the season for teams to declare intent to either extend or discontinue player development contracts with minor league affiliates. At that point, the Brewers could explore other markets. “From a business perspective, the Brewers are very happy with the Sounds current ownership,” Martens said. “We’ve had a great working relationship with them. So, things are very positive from that aspect. It really boils down to the facility. “It’s a great city — a baseball city — from our perspective,” he said. “They’ve got a great fan base. And I think they deserve better from a baseball standpoint.” The Sounds, which a group of investors called MFP Baseball purchased three and a half years ago, has operated as the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate since 2005. Upon taking the reins of the Sounds, MFP has eyed a new downtown stadium to replace 35-year-old Greer Stadium, the oldest in the Pacific Coast League. Sounds owners are hoping for assistance from Dean’s administration to land a private-public partnership for a new ballpark. But in terms of large-scale second-term projects, Dean’s office is currently concentrated on an expensive bus rapid transit project proposed along the Broadway-West End Corridor, extending to Five Points in East Nashville. Given the scope of the massive BRT project, some observers question whether Dean’s administration would be in position to simultaneously lead the way for a new Sounds stadium over the next three years. “Mayor Dean supports having minor league baseball in Nashville, but any sort of future investment must be led by the private sector and must make sense for the city,” Dean’s press secretary Bonna Johnson said. “The contract under discussion now is an arrangement entirely between the Brewers and the Sounds.” According to Doug Scopel, Sounds assistant general manager, attendance at Greer Stadium during the 2012 season was 321,042. That figure (an average of 4,792 per game) marked a small decline from 2011 when 335,143 people attended Sounds games at Greer. The Sounds had a league-high five rainouts this past season. Metro’s 2011 stadium site evaluation study, undertaken by Kansas-City based Populous Inc., suggested three potential locations for a new ballpark: the east bank of the Cumberland River, the north Gulch area and the former Sulpher Dell site north of the state capitol building. Sounds ownership favors the east bank for a new stadium to replace Greer. “The Sounds position has always been very clear,” Sounds lobbyist Tom White said. “There needs to be a new ballpark, and it’s also clear that they need to have the [mayor’s] administration concur with them as to the best site. The Sounds are still hoping that will happen in the very near future.” Asked how long the stadium issue could remain unresolved, White said, “As long as the Sounds and the Brewers have a good relationship, it could go on.” Based on precedent, the Brewers position on a new Sounds stadium should not be interpreted as an ultimatum. Leading up to the renewal of the Brewers-Sounds player development contract two years ago, Martens also made it clear the major league franchise hoped progress would be made on the Sounds stadium front. Stadium discussions were in a similar status then, but the Brewers renewed the contract nonetheless. “I don’t think we’re in a position, the way the process works, to make demands,” Martens told The City Paper last week. “Would we like to be in a new facility? Absolutely.”

Our archives show that when Scooter Gennett signed in August 2009, he signed a 2010 contract. But I must apologize for a big oversight, folks, so sorry. Those same posts indicate that OF Kentrail Davis signed at the same time as Gennett and also signed a 2010 contract (did not play for an affiliate in 2009). I have edited the initial post above. If others want to edit their own posts to remove references to Kentrail, that's fine. Otherwise please overlook them if indicated above. That's one Milwaukee doesn't have to worry about this year. It also illustrates the importance of the new CBA and the earlier signing deadline. You wonder if guys like Scooter and Kentrail are still pleased with their agents that they waited so late in the 2009 signing process, as it just delays everything, including, as we see here, their 40-man roster eligibility.

It'd be one thing if it was a matter of placing Sanchez on the 40-man or hoping he doesn't get claimed so you retain him, but in his case, it's a matter of placing him on the 40-man or watching him walk away from the organization as a free agent. Interesting for sure...

Our prior attempts at this thread did not list Kentrail Davis (well it did, then it didn't, now it does again) or Scooter Gennett. Even though neither played in 2009, and both signed 2010 contracts in August 2009, they do qualify based on the note from above: According to the rules, it's how old a player was on the June 5th immediately preceeding his signing. We imagine things will look like this now in terms of 40-man roster additions -- 2B Scooter Gennett, OF's Kentrail Davis and Khris Davis, RHP's Nick Bucci and Hiram Burgos Now I had also predicted relievers Brandon Kintzler and Jesus Sanchez in the minor league free agent thread. Kintzler obviously was, and Sanchez was before he could break free.

Our prior attempts at this thread did not list Kentrail Davis (well it did, then it didn't, now it does again) or Scooter Gennett. Even though neither played in 2009, and both signed 2010 contracts in August 2009, they do qualify based on the note from above: According to the rules, it's how old a player was on the June 5th immediately preceeding his signing. We imagine things will look like this now in terms of 40-man roster additions -- 2B Scooter Gennett, OF's Kentrail Davis and Khris Davis, RHP's Nick Bucci and Hiram Burgos Now I had also predicted relievers Brandon Kintzler and Jesus Sanchez in the minor league free agent thread. Kintzler obviously was, and Sanchez was before he could break free.

Here's my own personal take on who will be added to the 40-man roster, and we invite you to chime in as well -- OF Khris Davis, RHP's Nick Bucci and Hiram Burgos Now I had also predicted relievers Brandon Kintzler and Jesus Sanchez in the minor league free agent thread. You would think that maybe the Brewers are holding on to the flexibility of adding Sanchez at the last minute to retain him, depending on how other things break. *** Finally, please keep in mind our eligibility list is close to accurate, it probably is 100%, but we don't have official confirmation from the Brewers regarding eligibility up and down the organization.

Brock Kjeldgaard has seven minor league years under his belt, which should make him eligible for minor league free agency at the end of this season. So unless he's already agreed to a 2013 minor league contract with Milwaukee, his placement on an AFL roster makes little sense.

Wow, three in one week! Add Hiram Burgos to the mix...

Adjusted the initial post to reflect that RHP Brandon Kintzler was added (re-added) to the 40-man roster.