Jim Goulart

Monday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Sam Narron at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: Idle -- the Southern League All-Star Game is Tuesday night Brevard County: RHP Adrian Rosario at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Dunedin feed from the MiLB main audio page Wisconsin: Idle -- the Midwest League All-Star Game is Tuesday night Helena: RHP Eric Arnett at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 7:50 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link -- Select the Helena feed from the MiLB main audio page DSL Brewers: at the DSL Mariners, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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This photo of Helena catcher Brent Dean (Dean will turn 25 years old next month) graces the cover page of MiLB.com's Pioneer League preview article -- Brent Dean vies for his second consecutive Pioneer League title with Helena. (Bodhi Hill/MiLB.com) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2011/06/20/tJZkH3zj.jpg

Sounds pitcher feels hit's effect two months later by Austin Gwin, The Tennessean It's been nearly two months since Sounds pitcher Josh Butler was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of former Sound Vinny Rottino. Even though Butler missed just one start, things still aren't quite back to normal. "As soon as I throw a pitch that a hitter can hit up the middle, I kind of flinch, kind of duck out of the way," Butler said. Butler has a 4-4 record with a 5.89 ERA after this past Saturday's start at Memphis. Butler and the Sounds were trailing New Orleans 3-1 on April 19 when Rottino, who played in Nashville from 2005-08, led off the fourth. "It was a two-seamer right down the middle at the knees," Butler said. "Rottino hit a line drive back at me. Luckily I got a little bit of my glove on it before it nicked me in the temple." Butler was hit by the come-backer and immediately went down. He looked around for the ball, but Rottino had made it safely to first. Only after the play ended did Butler realize he had been struck in the head. "I felt OK; I never got knocked out," Butler said. "I wasn't seeing stars or anything like that. I was just hoping that it was nothing serious." The result was a mild concussion and only one missed start. Line drives hit back to the pitcher, like the one by Rottino, are common in baseball. In most cases, the pitcher is able to duck or deflect the ball with his glove. Butler has had his share of pitches hit back at him. "I've gotten hit with tons of come-backers through the years," Butler said. "I think I have a magnet on me for it, but nothing ever in the face." One of Butler's Sounds teammates wasn't quite so lucky back in 2003. Sam Narron was in his first full season with the Texas Rangers' organization, playing for the Stockton Ports. "I threw a changeup ... and (the batter) laced it back to me," Narron said. "I saw it about halfway and then lost it. It hit me in my upper jaw and crushed that bone." Narron missed six weeks. He said he was fortunate not to be seriously injured. "I didn't lose any sight. I didn't die," Narron said. "As a pitcher you have to put it out of your mind. It happens; it's part of the game." Sounds pitcher Josh Butler was hit by a line drive during a game nearly two months ago. / Samuel M. Simpkins / Tennessean File Photo http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20110618&Category=SPORTS04&ArtNo=106180301&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0

Nashville Audio Archives -- June 18 - Chat with outfielder Jordan Brown June 19 - Chat with infielder Taylor Green Green enjoys his playing time at second base, actually more comfortable there than third base for now... *** Recent video highlights -- RHP Frankie De La Cruz Jordan Brown with Saturday night's pinch-hit two-run HR that was apparently actually a foul ball

Rattler Radio Post-Game Thoughts

We'll transfer all the text for archiving tonight, but here's your link for a Sunday AM -- Timber Rattlers profile: No. 40 Stosh Wawrzasek, pitcher Stosh Wawrzasek is 1-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 19 games so far this season for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. / William Glasheen/The Post-Crescent http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20110619&Category=APC020602&ArtNo=106190553&Ref=AR&MaxW=300&Border=0

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 38 31 .551 - - 21-15 17-16 5-5 L1 Memphis 36 32 .529 1.5 75 22-15 14-17 8-2 W6 Nashville 30 38 .441 7.5 69 19-15 11-23 4-6 L2 Iowa 30 39 .435 8.0 68 14-17 16-22 3-7 L3 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tennessee 43 26 .623 - - 22-12 21-14 6-4 L1 Jackson 38 32 .543 5.5 E 18-15 20-17 2-8 L2 Huntsville 37 32 .536 6.0 E 23-11 14-21 8-2 W2 Chattanooga 34 35 .493 9.0 E 15-20 19-15 7-3 W1 Carolina 23 47 .329 20.5 E 12-23 11-24 5-5 W2 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Daytona 46 21 .687 - - 25-10 21-11 5-5 L2 Clearwater 39 28 .582 7.0 E 20-12 19-16 3-7 L2 Dunedin 37 30 .552 9.0 E 16-17 21-13 6-4 W2 Tampa 35 32 .522 11.0 E 16-17 19-15 7-3 W3 Lakeland 34 33 .507 12.0 E 19-16 15-17 4-6 L3 Brevard County 26 41 .388 20.0 E 14-21 12-20 5-5 W2 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Burlington 45 24 .652 - - 24-10 21-14 5-5 L1 Quad Cities 39 29 .574 5.5 - 18-14 21-15 7-3 W2 Beloit 37 32 .536 8.0 E 19-16 18-16 8-2 W1 Wisconsin 37 32 .536 8.0 E 20-15 17-17 6-4 L2 Peoria 33 36 .478 12.0 E 21-15 12-21 3-7 L6 Cedar Rapids 32 37 .464 13.0 E 19-15 13-22 4-6 W2 Kane County 28 40 .412 16.5 E 15-19 13-21 2-8 L1 Clinton 23 46 .333 22.0 E 9-26 14-20 3-7 W1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Brewers 13 5 .722 - - 5-3 8-2 6-4 W3 DSL Mariners 12 5 .706 0.5 55 6-3 6-2 9-1 W8 DSL Athletics 6 11 .353 6.5 49 3-4 3-7 2-8 L1 DSL Cardinals 4 13 .235 8.5 47 3-7 1-6 4-6 L2

Follow Sunday's action as it happens: Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available)http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2011_06_19_biraax_hunaax_1 Wisconsin

Look for the Nashville and Wisconsin media notes here and here later on, respectively. If Huntsville posts theirs, it will be found by placing your cursor over the "roster" banner at the Stars' home page.

Sunday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at Memphis (Cardinals), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: TBD at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:43 PM gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen Traditional broadcast -- Birmingham feed Brevard County: Idle Wisconsin: RHP Austin Ross at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 1:45 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime Live Audio Link DSL Brewers: Idle

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LINK Missing from the Home Run Derby was Brevard County's Brock Kjeldgaard, the league leader. Kjeldgaard, who wasn't named to the All-Star Game, has 17 homers, one more than winner Justin Bour (Cubs) and two more than runner-up Brad Glenn (Blue Jays). Seven of Kjeldgaard's blasts came after the teams were selected.

Florida State League All-Star Game -- see our Manatees team thread

FSL All-Star Game: North (Manatees' squad) 5, South 3 FSL All-Star Game Box Score Scooter Gennett (0-for-4, one K) and Khris Davis (0-for-3, walk, K) each played a full game at 2B and LF, respectively; former Brewer farmhand Wes Etheridge got the save... FSL All-Star Game Play-by-Play Nick Bucci pitched the 2nd inning, his team already up 2-0 FSL South All-Stars Top of the 2nd Pitcher Change: Nick Bucci replaces Jonathan Pettibone. Kyle Jensen grounds out, shortstop Gustavo Nunez to first baseman Tony Plagman. Aaron Baker walks. Greg Sexton strikes out swinging. Brett Nommensen flies out to right fielder Brad Glenn.

Final: @Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 5 Kernels score late, beat Rattlers for second night in a row By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - A two-out RBI single by Jean Almanzar in the bottom of the eighth inning drove in the go-ahead run for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in a 6-5 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The loss just added insult to injury for Wisconsin. Earlier in the night, Quad Cities defeated Peoria to eliminate the Rattlers from contention in the race for the first half Western Division Wild Card spot. Wisconsin (37-32) scored in the first inning. Reggie Keen reached on an error and stole second. He moved to third on a fly ball to right off the bat of Nick Shaw. Cody Hawn followed with a single to right to score Keen for a 1-0 lead. Cedar Rapids (32-37) tied the game in the bottom of the first. Travis Witherspoon singled, stole second, went to third on a grounder, and scored on a single by Jeremy Cruz. The Rattlers went back in front in the top of the second inning. T.J. Mittelstaedt drew a leadoff walk and went around to third on a pair of wild pitches. Chad Stang drove in Mittelstaedt with a sacrifice fly. But, the Kernels rallied against Wisconsin starter Jameson Dunn in the bottom of the second. Cedar Rapids loaded the bases on a strikeout with a wild pitch to allow the runner to reach, a single, and a walk. Almanzar was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Then, Witherspoon knocked in one more with a sacrifice fly for a 3-2 advantage. Hawn delivered an RBI double in the top of the third to drive in the tying run. The Rattlers first baseman had three hits on the night. Witherspoon reached on a leadoff walk in the fifth inning and stole his 31st base of the season. A grounder to the right side of the infield moved Witherspoon to the plate. A wild pitch with Cruz at the plate let Witherspoon score the go-ahead run. Cruz followed with a long home run to right-center and the Kernels were up 5-3. The Rattlers struggled to get anything going against Kernels reliever Tyler Kehrer. But, Greg Hopkins reached on a hit batsman with one out in the top of the eighth. Mike Walker bunted and the ball appeared to have come back up and hit him on the chin for a foul ball. However, the ball was ruled fair by the plate umpire. Walker was out at first, but Hopkins trucked around to third. Rattlers hitting coach Dusty Rhodes was ejected for arguing the call with the umpire. Chris Dennis was next and he drew a walk. Rattlers manager Matt Erickson called on Franklin Romero to pinch run for Dennis. The move paid off for the Rattlers. Romero broke for second on a pitch to Mittelstaedt, but the throw went to third to try to get Hopkins. The pickoff attempt wound up in left field and Hopkins scored easily. The Kernels outfield was set up in a no doubles defensive alignment and left fielder Justin Bass was playing back near the warning track and well off the line towards left-center. Romero never stopped running. He scored the tying run easily and the Rattlers had tied the game 5-5. However, Rattlers reliever Tyler Cravy issued back-to-back walks with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Eric Marzec came on in relief and got the second out of the inning. But, Almanzar drove a 2-2 pitch back through the middle of the diamond to drive in the go ahead run. The Rattlers went down quietly in the top of the ninth inning against Donn Roach. Quad Cities defeated the Peoria Chiefs at Modern Woodmen Park on Saturday night by a final of 6-1. The River Bandits are 39-29 in the first half. Wisconsin trails the Bandits by 2.5 games with only one game remaining in the first half. The final game of the first half is Sunday afternoon at 2:05 PM at Cedar Rapids. Wisconsin has Austin Ross (6-3, 3.39) as the scheduled starting pitcher. Cedar Rapids will send Brian Diemer (6-4, 3.44) to the hill. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 1:45 PM. Wisconsin Box Score Cody Hawn had three of the Rattlers' four hits; kudos to LHP Tom Keeling for 2.1 innings of scoreless work in middle relief; our thanks to the boys for an entertaining first-half playoff chase... Wisconsin Play-by-Play

35th round UConn catcher Doug Elliott has signed and is Helena-bound

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 38 30 .559 - - 21-15 17-15 6-4 W2 Memphis 35 32 .522 2.5 75 21-15 14-17 8-2 W5 Nashville 30 37 .448 7.5 70 19-15 11-22 4-6 L1 Iowa 30 38 .441 8.0 69 14-17 16-21 3-7 L2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tennessee 43 25 .632 - - 22-11 21-14 7-3 W1 Jackson 38 30 .559 5.0 E 18-13 20-17 3-7 W1 Huntsville 36 32 .529 7.0 E 22-11 14-21 7-3 W1 Chattanooga 33 35 .485 10.0 E 15-20 18-15 7-3 L1 Carolina 21 47 .309 22.0 E 12-23 9-24 3-7 L1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Daytona 46 21 .687 - - 25-10 21-11 5-5 L2 Clearwater 39 28 .582 7.0 E 20-12 19-16 3-7 L2 Dunedin 37 30 .552 9.0 E 16-17 21-13 6-4 W2 Tampa 35 32 .522 11.0 E 16-17 19-15 7-3 W3 Lakeland 34 33 .507 12.0 E 19-16 15-17 4-6 L3 Brevard County 26 41 .388 20.0 E 14-21 12-20 5-5 W2 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Burlington 45 23 .662 - - 24-9 21-14 6-4 W4 Quad Cities 38 29 .567 6.5 - 17-14 21-15 7-3 W1 Wisconsin 37 31 .544 8.0 2 20-15 17-16 7-3 L1 Beloit 36 32 .529 9.0 1 19-16 17-16 8-2 L1 Peoria 33 35 .485 12.0 E 21-15 12-20 3-7 L5 Cedar Rapids 31 37 .456 14.0 E 18-15 13-22 4-6 W1 Kane County 28 39 .418 16.5 E 15-18 13-21 3-7 W1 Clinton 22 46 .324 23.0 E 9-26 13-20 3-7 L1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Brewers 12 5 .706 - - 4-3 8-2 5-5 W2 DSL Mariners 11 5 .688 0.5 56 5-3 6-2 9-1 W7 DSL Athletics 6 10 .375 5.5 51 3-4 3-6 3-7 W1 DSL Cardinals 4 12 .250 7.5 49 3-7 1-5 4-6 L1

Look for the Nashville and Wisconsin media notes here and here later on, respectively. If Huntsville posts theirs, it will be found by placing your cursor over the "roster" banner at the Stars' home page.

Even if the Rattlers win, a Quad Cities victory ends the Rattlers' first-half playoff chances -- Peoria is at Quad Cities

Follow Saturday's action as it happens: Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) FSL All-Star Game Wisconsin DSL Brewers

Saturday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Josh Butler at Memphis (Cardinals), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen MiLB.TV -- for subscribers Huntsville: RHP Cody Scarpetta at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 6:43 PM gametime Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen Traditional broadcast -- Birmingham feed Brevard County: FSL All-Star game is Saturday night in Clearwater -- Manatees players Nick Bucci, Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett take part; 5:30 gametime Live Audio Link Wisconsin: RHP Jameson Dunn at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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The Sounds were a-hackin' -- from the Memphis Commercial Appeal game story: The game had been a pitcher's duel between Redbirds starter Brandon Dickson and Nashville's Frankie De La Cruz. Midway through the game, Redbirds manager Chris Maloney knew he was headed toward a dilemma he would have no control over. With St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bryan Augenstein joining the team on a medical rehabilitation assignment, Maloney was forced to pitch Augenstein for two innings. That meant taking out Dickson, who had allowed just three hits through seven innings, but more importantly, had only thrown 58 pitches. "That's one of those things where you've got to do what you've got to do," Maloney said. "We had to do it there. He threw seven innings and he threw 58 pitches, which is virtually unheard of. I've never seen such a low pitch count after seven innings myself."

Rattler Radio blog manages to find some positives within an admittedly subdued version of post-game thoughts