Jim Goulart

Stars' Komatsu off to slam-bam encore to his 'Player of the Year' season By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Give the kid credit. He knows how to make a comeback. Most of the summer of 2009 was a wasted season for Erik Komatsu. It started with a knee to the noggin in a third-base collision, causing a concussion, and was followed by a broken wrist and torn hamstring. Komatsu, in early March of 2010, was given a quick audition by the Milwaukee Brewers in a major league exhibition game and hit a home run. "That kind of set things up for the whole season," Komatsu said. He merely went from there to become the organization's Minor League Player of the Year. Komatsu started 2011 on the Huntsville Stars' disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. But in the eighth game he started he socked a game-winning grand slam, then followed up two nights later by going 4-for-5. That sets things up for another good season for the 5-foot-10, 175-pound 23-year-old outfielder from Camarillo, Calif. (Despite the Japanese surname, he's American born and bred; one of his grandmothers was born in Japan.) "He's got a little power," Stars hitting coach Al LeBoeuf said. "He's not a 50-home-run guy by any stretch. But if he gets pitches to hit, he'll run into a few." Komatsu, an eighth-round draft pick out of Cal State-Fullerton, is batting .372, tops on the team among players with 40 or more at-bats; he's fourth in the Southern League in average among such players. He has an on-base percentage of .471 and he's scored a run in nine of the 12 games he's started. While the grand slam "was definitely good to get the monkey off my back and hit a homer," Komatsu said, it wasn't any special signature moment. "That gave him a boost of confidence, but that kid doesn't have any lack of confidence," said manager Mike Guerrero. "He's 'Cool Breeze' -- that's what his teammates call him --and he knows he can hit." With the cats vs. dogs rivalry of pitchers and hitters, LeBoeuf joked that he didn't want to mention the skills of hitting and pitching in the same sentence, saying, "This is the only time I'll do it." Both skills require what he called "command of the strike zone." "(Komatsu) commands the strike zone and gets good pitches to hit," LeBoeuf said. "When he swings at pitches he can handle, he's pretty effective. That's the reason he's going to be a good hitter, because of his command." That, and a swing Guerrero called "one of the best I've seen for a little guy." Last year, Komatsu played in 130 games at Class A Brevard County, batting .323 with five home runs and 63 RBIs. He had a .413 on-base percentage, aided by that discerning command of the strike zone that led to 68 walks (compared to 61 strikeouts). He was a Florida State League All-Star. It was the sort of season that vaulted him onto the top-prospect lists, rescuing himself from near-oblivion after the woes of '09. "My main focus last year was staying healthy and performing," Komatsu said, admitting the travails of 2009 had left him feeling almost jinxed. "The biggest thing with a baseball it's a long season and you can't put up any kind of numbers if you're not playing." It's been a short season so far. But big numbers already for a little guy with a sweet swing.

We'll have all the normal Thursday Link Report components up later this afternoon, but this is your reminder that Thursday evening's Wisconsin game is being televised on Time Warner Cable Sports 32. There is no Brewer big league game Thursday, so this is another "DVR reminder / clear your schedule" tip (we had also provided a reminder yesterday, so no excuses. Of course, you can always try and synchronize Chris' WNAM or web broadcast to the video http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. RHP Matt Miller toes the rubber.

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Ross delivers strong performance as Timber Rattlers stop losing skid and split with River Bandits by Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — As a petroleum engineering major, Austin Ross knows oil has considerable worth. Poised professional pitchers like Ross who consistently mow down hitters have a ton of value, too. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were certainly pleased to have his services Wednesday afternoon and may not have them much longer if Ross continues his exceptional mound work. The Louisiana State University product turned in another quality start, delivering a much-needed complete game to give the Timber Rattlers a split of their Midwest League doubleheader against Quad Cities with a 3-1 victory in the finale on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The River Bandits won the opener 7-5 when the Rattlers' struggling bullpen imploded again by surrendering three runs in the final inning of the seven-inning game. However, Ross (2-0) filled the role of stopper in the second game. The composed right-hander with excellent control silenced Quad Cities on four hits and went the full seven innings to end Wisconsin's five-game losing streak. Ross, named Monday as the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week, struck out five and walked two. He has an earned run average of just 1.08 and has fanned 18 with just four walks in 25 innings. Ross throws a fastball that has been clocked around 88-91 mph, along with a sharp breaking ball and an effective change-up. "The maturity level on that kid, especially for this league, is really good," said Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson. "Not a whole lot gets to him. He doesn't get rattled and he's a strike thrower. He doesn't hurt himself." Ross' complete game couldn't have come at a better time, considering the early season failures of the shaky bullpen. "We've had some games lately where we were unable to finish," said Erickson. "Austin did a heck of a job today and was able to finish. We had the right guy on the mound to stop it (the losing streak) — no doubt about it." Ross struggled early, yielding back-to-back doubles to Greg Garcia and Jonathan Rodriquez in the first inning for the River Bandits' only run. But he settled down and quickly found his groove. "I didn't really feel in rhythm early," said Ross, an eighth-round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2010 baseball draft and the organization's 30th-best prospect according to Baseball America. "I just wasn't in sync. I just kind of battled through it and made adjustments. I thought I commanded my fastball well and made pitches when I needed to make them." The Timber Rattlers (6-10) didn't crush the ball in either game before a crowd of 1,540. Still, they finally generated sufficient runs — eight in the two games on a combined 10 hits — after being blanked in their two previous games. In the opener, first baseman Mike Walker slugged a towering two-run homer to right center in the first inning to get Wisconsin off to a fast start. Catcher Tyler Roberts added a two-run homer in the second to stake Wisconsin to an early 4-1 lead. "It was a fastball and I'm a fastball hitter," said Walker. "It carried well and the wind helped it, but I'll take it. I thought our guys had some pretty good swings today and hit the ball pretty well. It's nice to get out of that little drought."

Ex-Florida State QB a hit with Manatees Richardson showing true athleticism by Mark DeCotis, Florida Today Baseball always has been and always will be a game of adjustments, and D'Vontrey Richardson is adjusting to playing at the highest level of Class A for the Brevard County Manatees. Richardson, 22, played baseball (outfielder) and football (quarterback) for Florida State before being selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 166th overall selection in the fifth round of the 2009 amateur draft. He played one season -- 132 games -- of entry-level Class A ball for the Brewers Midwest League affiliate in Appleton, Wis., in 2010 and had seven Florida State League games to his credit heading into Wednesday's matchup with the Dunedin Blue Jays at Space Coast Stadium. Richardson, who began the season on the disabled list with a hip injury, went 0-for-3 with a walk as the Manatees fell 3-0 in their first shutout loss of the season. The Manatees dropped to 8-12 while Dunedin improved to 7-12 before 721 fans. And while he has struggled so far -- he's had four hits for a .138 average before Wednesday -- Manatees hitting coach Dwayne Hosey isn't concerned about his centerfielder. "He's only had (26) at bats, I think he's just feeling it out," Hosey said before Wednesday's game. "The guys (pitchers) find a weak spot and they continue to pound it. He's going to have to continue to make adjustments. "He'll be fine. He's a super athlete. I think with more timing and just being comfortable, you'll start seeing some real good results from him." Richardson acknowledged the challenges -- he had them in 2010 as well -- and is confident he'll be OK. "Last year, I had to learn how to work through my struggles," he said while relaxing in the clubhouse following the usual strenuous pre-game workout. "I always can get better," he said. "I know I've got a long ways to go. I definitely don't feel comfortable with where I should be right now or anytime soon. But, hopefully, by the end of the year at least I'll be better for sure, we'll see." After all, he didn't play a lot of baseball at FSU -- starting 22 of 73 games and appearing in 44 in 2009 after missing the 2008 season to concentrate on academics -- and suddenly found himself facing a full season in Appleton. "Playing every day in Wisconsin was the biggest adjustment," he said. "It's something you've got to deal with in baseball." Richardson hit .243 in 132 games in Appleton, striking out 164 times in 522 at-bats but collecting 127 hits, driving in 51 runs and scoring 78. He stole 17 bases and was thrown out 15 times. Now he's facing better pitchers since opposing FSL teams are stocked with what their organizations believe are their top prospects. Also the ballparks, many used by big league teams in spring training, play bigger and force hitters and fielders to adjust. "If you make a mistake (on defense) that's runs," Richardson said. "This is a big park. Hitting wise it can get in your head sometimes. It can get you to try to swing big to get it out of the park. If you stick to your rules of hitting it can come in your favor also." His defense also has impressed Hosey. "He's doing an amazing job," Hosey said. "He is a great athlete. I think he's going to get to a lot of balls. He makes a lot of plays look easy. I think the best is yet to come for him out there." D'Vontrey Richardson played both baseball and football in college at Florida State. / Photo courtesy of Brevard County Manateeshttp://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20110428&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=104280313&Ref=AR&MaxW=300&Border=0 About D'Vontrey Richardson Bats:[/b] Right Throws:[/b] Right Height:[/b] 6-feet-1 Weight:[/b] 200 Born:[/b] July 30, 1988 High school:[/b] Lee County College:[/b] Florida State Drafted: [/b]By the Washington Nationals in the 35th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft -- he did not sign -- and the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth round in 2009.

Be sure to read Chris' updates, lineups and game notes for this afternoon's Rattlers double-dip.

From Huntsville GM Buck Rogers -- Stars fans, today's game has been postponed due to the bad weather conditions in the area. Although we have a break in the rain right now, another strong cell is bearing down on us that will force us to push the start of today's game back a few hours. Once that cell passes thru later this afternoon a strong line of severe weather is projected (north-south) to move directly east directly into the path the Birmingham Barons must travel home. In good conscience and concerned about having a bus on the road with probably tornado warnings, we're calling this thing now and making it up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, June 15th, when the Barons return to Huntsville. Safety is everything. There are still some violent storms in the area. Please be cautious and stay alert. Rock On!

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 12 7 .632 - - 7-1 5-6 9-1 W8 Iowa 10 9 .526 2.0 124 5-2 5-7 5-5 L1 Nashville 8 11 .421 4.0 122 5-6 3-5 3-7 L3 Memphis 7 12 .368 5.0 121 6-6 1-6 4-6 W1 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Huntsville 13 6 .684 - - 8-1 5-5 6-4 W1 Tennessee 13 6 .684 - - 4-1 9-5 6-4 W1 Chattanooga 11 8 .579 2.0 50 5-5 6-3 6-4 W1 Jackson 8 10 .444 4.5 48 2-6 6-4 4-6 L1 Carolina 5 14 .263 8.0 44 5-9 0-5 4-6 L1 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Daytona 13 5 .722 - - 6-1 7-4 7-3 W6 Clearwater 11 8 .579 2.5 50 4-4 7-4 5-5 L1 Lakeland 10 9 .526 3.5 49 7-5 3-4 4-6 L1 Brevard County 8 11 .421 5.5 47 2-6 6-5 5-5 W1 Tampa 8 11 .421 5.5 47 3-8 5-3 3-7 W1 Dunedin 6 12 .333 7.0 46 2-8 4-4 5-5 L2 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Burlington 13 4 .765 - - 5-1 8-3 8-2 L1 Cedar Rapids 12 6 .667 1.5 - 6-3 6-3 8-2 W2 Beloit 9 7 .563 3.5 52 5-3 4-4 5-5 W1 Peoria 10 8 .556 3.5 51 4-3 6-5 7-3 W3 Quad Cities 8 9 .471 5.0 50 3-6 5-3 3-7 W2 Kane County 7 12 .368 7.0 47 4-6 3-6 4-6 L3 Wisconsin 5 9 .357 6.5 50 3-5 2-4 3-7 L4 Clinton 5 14 .263 9.0 45 3-9 2-5 2-8 L2

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens: Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Game One Wisconsin Game Two

Schedule reminders -- While the Rattlers' audio is opposite the Brewer matinee, remember to switch over to Chris afterwards to catch the tail end of the twinbill. *** Thursday evening's Wisconsin game is being televised on Time Warner Cable Sports 32. There is no Brewer big league game Thursday, so this is a "DVR reminder / clear your schedule" tip, with one day's notice.

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Idle -- Homestand continues Thursday with lots of rehab assignments sprinkled in Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at home vs. Birmingham (White Sox), 10:43 AM gametime -- rainout is likely Live Audio Link iPad/iPhone: Listen Traditional broadcast via the Barons' feed: Listen Brevard County: TBD (likely RHP Maverick Lasker) at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:05 PM gametime Sorry, no audio available for this contest... Wisconsin: RHP's Tyler Thornburg and Austin Ross in a doubleheader at home vs. Quad City (Cardinals), 11:45 AM pre-game; 12:05 PM gametime; RHP Dan Britt is likely to see action behind Thornburg Live Audio Link

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Post-game audio -- Press pool / locker room interviews: Ron Roenicke Marco Estrada Erick Almonte John Axford WSSP -- Rickie Weeks joins Tim & Sparky ESPN 540 -- Marco Estrada on Extra Innings WTMJ -- John Axford with Cory Provus *** Pre-game audio -- WTMJ -- Randy Wolf with Cory Provus WSSP -- Casey McGehee

Almost a certainty the Stars morning contest for Wednesday will be rained out. From GM Buck Rogers earlier Tuesday night -- - A major storm system is creeping closer tonight. Our staff will tarp the field tonight. We've been told that the system will dump between two-to-four and maybe as much as six inches of rain before it moves through. -Here's your WAAY Storm Force radar link to check for yourself: http://www.waaytv.com/weather/content/maps.aspx -All of tomorrow's planned Education Day activities have been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 4th, when we'll play a 11:03 am game against the Jacksonville Suns. -Wednesday's game is still scheduled for 10:43 am, however if/when we can get the game started is yet to be determined. This spring's storms have wreaked havoc across the country and we're taking all warning's very seriously. Last week the home of the General Manager of the Jackson Generals was all but destroyed when storms moved thru the Jackson, Tennessee area and crushed his home with his family inside. They escaped only after crawling out of what was left of some windows, the home destroyed. -We will send out periodic email updates Wednesday, however, realistically we think it'll be a long day of watching and waiting. -We will set up a live ustream web cam tomorrow so you'll be able to log in and see the field and the weather for yourself. Go to www.ustream.tv/channel/huntsvillestars to follow along. -If the weather breaks tomorrow and the field has drained properly, we will make every effort to get the game started as quickly as possible. Nobody yesterday thought we'd be playing baseball Tuesday night, but here we are. Thank you for your understanding. We'll try to keep you informed on a regular basis Wednesday. The team heads out for Mississippi on Thursday morning and will return to Joe Davis Stadium on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Hart / Almonte discussion thread -- topic includes is Craig Counsell the only backup infielder for the next week?

Craig Counsell now the only backup infielder for the next week without a roster move. Eric Farris is on the 40-man roster, as of course, is "first baseman" Mat Gamel. Somewhere Luis Cruz feels very foolish for walking away from the Brewers. Farris might be a real possibility to cover the gap.

Adam McCalvy with the updates (link, link)

So if McGehee is unavailable tonight -- is the four-man bench now a three-man bench? Boggs, Almonte, Nieves? How can you not activate Hart tonight under these circumstances? This 13-man staff is ridiculous!

Timber Rattlers site: Tuesday's 6:35 game against the Quad Cities River Bandits has been postponed due to weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, with Game One beginning at 12:05 PM.

No word on the nature or severity of any injuries. Rogers left Monday's game after three innings -- he had caught an opponent's sacrifice fly just prior to departing. Marzec walked three and threw a wild pitch in a brief relief stint Monday night, so something was amiss there.

Details from the Sounds...

Nashville Audio Archive -- April 26 - Chat with starting pitcher Frankie De La Cruz Discusses his year in Japan, his new focus on baseball, and working under pitching coach Rich Gale. No word on how "Eulogio" became "Frankie", though.

No Game Tuesday. Probably a doubleheader in late June when the Storm Chasers return. If their new moniker is accurate, Omaha should get rained out just about everywhere they go.

As anticipated, the Sounds are in a pre-game rain delay. Remains to be seen whether they'll play today.