Jim Goulart

WSSP -- Mon. 01/31 Hot Stove Weekly Show (Doug Melvin interview kicks off the show) Wasted opportunity to ask insightful questions, the whole interview loses all integrity when (once again) someone asks about buying out a year or two of Prince's free agency. And they're paid to do this stuff. Nobody asks about Rickie. The only moment of interest in the interview was when Doug offered that he's on his way to the Dominican camp to check things out and watch additional tryouts there.

Pretty cool article on former 16-year MLB pitcher Dennis Lamp

Sounds site with an Eric Farris Q&A. Also, so far #'s 8, 9 and 10 have been posted from the season's best moments.

City, Stars revise lease agreement for "The Joe" By Steve Doyle, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, AL -- City-owned Joe Davis Stadium is getting about $100,000 worth of upgrades before the Huntsville Stars' first home game in April. The city was originally under contract to replace the playing field grass this winter, but General Services Director Jeff Easter said it's still in decent shape. So the Stars have asked the city to make other needed fixes to the 26-year-old stadium instead. The City Council approved the revised stadium lease agreement with the Stars on Thursday night. Easter said the city will aim the ballpark's lights to better illuminate the field, install lights in the Stars' batting practice hitting tunnel, and place grinder pumps in the dugouts. Grinder pumps chew up trash that would otherwise clog the dugout storm drains and cause flooding. Gord Ash, the Milwaukee Brewers' vice president and assistant general manager, has identified improper lighting as one of the parent club's biggest beefs about "The Joe." The Brewers are the major league affiliate of the Stars. The oldest ballpark in the Southern League, Joe Davis Stadium has also long been plagued by poor field drainage. A handful of games last season had to be canceled because of standing water. Under the revised lease, the city will give the Stars $30,000 to laser-level the field, add more drains and redo both the pitcher's mound and warning track. Easter said it would have cost more to replace the sod than to make the new improvements requested by the Stars. "It works out better for both parties," he said. Despite his frustrations with the stadium, Stars owner Miles Prentice in September renewed the team's lease through the fall of 2015. The Stars open the upcoming season on the road in Jacksonville before returning home on April 13 to face the Carolina Mudcats. Photo by Dave Dieter/Huntsville Times Huntsville's Joe Davis Stadium http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/8829759-large.jpg

Detailed Axford interview with Baseball Prospectus -- quite the good read. As always, thanks to BrewCrewBall and others who linked to it, always appreciate all the Brewer-related sites, especially when one takes a rare breather and is out of the loop a bit for a few days...

WTMJ - Brewers Weekly 01/27/11 Dan talks with Ryan Braun, plus fan's phone calls, also an ambitious list of audio interviews are planned for this weekend's event, and hopefully they will all be archived. If you'd prefer just the link to the Braun interview, here you go.

Erick Almonte added -- McCalvy with the big league camp update

LH reliever Caleb Thielbar, who was a bit of a surprise release after the 2010 season, has signed with perhaps the most infamous of indy league teams, the St. Paul Saints of the American Association.

WSSP -- Mon. 01/24 Hot Stove Weekly Show (this full show audio includes Randy Wolf and Ryan Braun interviews) If you prefer the individual interview links -- Wolf Braun

Saito sets sights on 60 appearances in 2011 KAWASAKI — Japanese right-handed reliever Takashi Saito has one immediate goal as he braces for the 2011 season with his new team the Milwaukee Brewers: He wants to pitch in at least 60 games this year. ‘‘I haven’t pitched in 60 games in a while,’’ Saito said Tuesday. He signed a one-year free agent deal with the Brewers this offseason. ‘‘As I get older, it gets more difficult to do this, but I want to at least make this my goal,’’ Saito, who turns 41 next month, said. The last time Saito pitched in 60 games was in 2007, when he had 63 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched in 72 games in his rookie season in the majors in 2006. Last season, Saito struggled with a right shoulder injury and hurt his left hamstring as a result of overcompensating for his injured shoulder. He went 2-3 with a save and a 2.83 ERA in 56 appearances for the Atlanta Braves in 2010. ‘‘If I can work on solidifying my footing, I think I can contribute to the team,’’ said Saito, who did some light running after working on his pitches in practice. The Brewers, who have been busy this winter bolstering their team with several offseason transactions, including Shaun Marcum from the Toronto Blue Jays and Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals, will be Saito’s fourth major league team. ‘‘As far as the potential of our team is concerned, there is a lot to look forward to, and I will enjoy playing baseball for a team like this one,’’ he said.

One game from the World Series -- Martin Maldonado behind the plate once again, 0-for-3 with a walk (he was then picked off), but the Dominican club that signed the Barber up after his team did not qualify for Puerto Rico's postseason obviously likes his skills behind the plate. He's their everyday catcher, and now Toros has a 4-0 lead in the best-of-nine (box).

Rogers has grown up before our eyesBy Steve Solloway, Portland Press Herald SOUTH PORTLAND -- Mark Rogers paused to smile for cell phone cameras. He scribbled his name on whatever was handed to him. He acknowledged the applause with an even fresher smile when he was introduced Friday night as an invited guest at the Portland Sea Dogs Hot Stove Dinner. Unintentionally, he reminded his audience what a breath of fresh air should sound like when he spoke. "I'm so blessed to be from Maine. It's such a big world and then you come home and see people who really care about you." Spend any time with Rogers and you know he wasn't playing to the crowd. He understands the difference between being proper and speaking from the heart. He turns 25 next week and it's difficult to call him a kid. It's difficult to realize it was seven long years ago when he pitched Mt. Ararat High to the state championship showdown with Deering. Fans stood in long lines to buy tickets and fill Hadlock Field. Sure, Deering pitcher Ryan Reid and his teammates won the game. But Rogers told the 350 or so listening in the Marriott at Sable Oaks ballroom that he won't erase that memory. Like so much else, that loss helped him succeed. He may be part of the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation when the team leaves spring training in Phoenix. He may start the season with Nashville, the Brewers' Triple-A team. He's not expected to be in Tennessee for more than a month or two. Friday night, he joined new Sea Dogs manager Kevin Boles and outfielder Ryan Kalish, who turned heads when the Red Sox called him up to Boston last summer. Red Sox prospects Will Middlebrooks and Tim Federowicz were also on hand and drew applause. The center of attention was Rogers, the local guy. His September call-up to the Brewers and future was one reason there were smiles all around Friday night. The other reason? Nearly everyone knows Rogers' back story. He lost two years from his fledgling career. Two shoulder surgeries robbed him of the ability to pitch a baseball with his usual eye-popping speed and movement. Two years of wondering if a dream that was about to come true wouldn't happen at all. Rogers fought his fears and won. He blames no one. He asks for no favors. He works for his opportunities, thank you. Before he walked into the ballroom, we spoke. Rogers was only 21 when he lost his first year. What prepared him for the rehab and uncertainty? "I worked at the back of the boat. With my father or with others, doing a job that's not always extremely rewarding. I watched my dad day in and day out for long hours hauling traps. He instilled in me that nothing comes easily. "I thought of him when I was rehabbing. If he could suffer through the bad weather and the hard work of what he did, I could do the same with what I had to do. My dad taught me how to keep things in perspective." Craig Rogers was the baseball coach at Mt. Ararat when Mark pitched and will be the new coach at Lewiston High School this spring. Always, he has set traps for lobsters in the waters off Orrs Island, as much of his family have done. Craig Rogers was in Milwaukee with his family in September when Rogers made his first major league start. In the first inning, Mark got himself into trouble, loading the bases. Craig watched closely from his seat. His son struck out three to get out of the inning with no runs scoring. "I try not to show my emotions, but when I saw Mark pump his fist, I came out of my seat." Yelling and pumping his own fist. And yet, one other game supersedes Rogers' first major league start. "It was his first game back after (two surgeries and two years off)," said Craig Rogers. It was a Florida State League game at the bottom rung of minor league baseball, played in Daytona. Mark pitched well. "I knew then he'd be all right," said Craig Rogers. "It was just going to be a matter of time." Friday night, the lobsterman looked good in a new suit leaving the spotlight to his son. Saturday, they went ice fishing in the Dover-Foxcroft area. The newly-married son then flies to his home in Arizona to continue working out to prepare for the start of spring training next month. "We were on a hunting trip (this fall) and he can still act like he's 15, 16 years old. He told me he wanted to leave early go home and I said, sure, let's go. No dad, home to Arizona. That's when it hit me. He's a man." Who's ready to walk through the next door to his career. HOME AGAIN: Mark Rogers, right, who made his first big league start with the Milwaukee Brewers last season, speaks at the Sea Dogs Hot Stove Dinner on Friday in South Portland. Portland Press Herald Photo by Gregory Rec http://media.timesleader.com/images/mark-rogers.jpg

Looks like Martin Maldonado is the trusted starting catcher for his Toros club in the Dominican League playoffs. The Barber was 0-for-3 with a walk (box) as his team now has a 3-0 lead in their best-of-nine series. The native of Puerto Rico started his winter ball season playing in his home country, but may end up facing his Puerto Rican friends as a member of the Dominican team in the Caribbean World Series starting February 2nd.

Segovia's teammate is RHP Eulogio "Frankie" De la Cruz, and he actually pitched his Estrellas club into the playoff series on the 17th with a clutch start in a 3-0 win (box) -- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 9-to-4 GB/FB ratio So he'll get another start sometime in this series...

A detailed update on Dylan Covey, how his fall went, etc.

San Juan has been eliminated in Puerto Rico, so no more Miranda, Nieves, and Maysonet updates. *** In the Dominican (our only remaining spot for updates, we believe), the Barber, catcher Martin Maldonado, again was 2-for-3 (one error on a pickoff attempt), as his Toros take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-nine series (box).

from his awards banquet recently, discussing Trevor Hoffman

Despite an error and a passed ball, Martin Maldonado was 2-for-3 with an RBI and his squad has taken a 1-0 lead in the best of nine series for the Dominican League championship (box), with the winning team participating in the Caribbean World Series beginning on 2/2. So the Dominican seasons of Erick Almonte and Roque Mercedes appear to be over. We may see Maldonado's teammate RHP Rigoberto Almonte. Their opposing squad is Estrellas, and we'll probably see RHP Zack Segovia during this long series.

While we can't keep up with the indy league signings of all past alumni, we will mention when a recently released player finds new work in the indy ranks. Reliever Rob Currie, released in December (link shows how oddly similar his two pro seasons were) signed with the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League (Crestwood, IL).

The guys at buckscast have expanded their podcast repertoire to include Brewers podcasts. For those of you who just can't get enough January audio there are two hour-long audio webisodes available -- 1/7/11 -- with Chris Crawford from prospectinsider.com 1/19/11 -- with Larry Granillo of hardballtimes.com

Another nice Axford feature from north of the border. Don't think folks realize just how close Axford was to being out of baseball (again) -- The Brewers put him in high Class-A ball in 2008 with familiar results: many strikeouts, too many walks. By the time he finished spring training in 2009, Axford wondered if he would need to seek other employment. "I just knew that this was kind of it for me," he recalled. "I was 26 years old. I didn't want to go back to A-ball. And I had a terrible spring." But Milwaukee stuck with him. In April, roving pitching instructor Lee Tunnell saw him in the Florida State League and tweaked his delivery. His arm angle dropped and his velocity went up. Most important, he suddenly had control of his pitches. The change, he said, "was almost immediate" and led to a September call-up.

Chris continues to find new ways to honor the Odorizzi / Rosario no-hitter. Cue the American Top 40 capper -- #1

Updating this Darren Ford story from last summer -- Rotoworld: Giants outfield prospect Darren Ford has been accepted into pretrial diversion in New Jersey for felony theft charges. Because he had no prior record, Ford can avoid prison if he avoids trouble and repays the $2,297.93 in auto parts that he stole from a car dealership that employed him. The 25-year-old outfielder posted a strong .849 OPS in 101 games at Single-A in 2009 but his numbers fell off when he was promoted to Double-A last season. The guy doesn't have a very bright future.

New Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson eager to take on latest challengeBy Dan VanderPas, Post-Crescent assistant sports editor APPLETON — Tuesday's Red Smith Banquet marked Matt Erickson's first public appearance since the Appleton native was named manager of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. And the man who will call the shots on the field for the Brewers' Midwest League Class A affiliate handled the moment well and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself. After being introduced, he received an impressive ovation from the 1,400 in attendance. "This is a great place to come to work and a great place to play the game," he said from the podium. Erickson, 35, was the Rattlers hitting coach for the past two seasons. As the first person with local ties to manage the Fox Cities' Midwest League team since Marion native Bert Thiel headed the Appleton Foxes in the 1970s, he understands that he will have to show his skills when the honeymoon is over. He's confident that he can do the job just like he has in all of his sports endeavors. It started with a memorable three-sport career at Appleton West and continued in baseball at the University of Arkansas and at the professional level. He also impressed Brewers brass as a hitting coach since they opted to promote him. You'd think there'd be added pressure for Erickson to succeed as a manager in his own backyard. Expectations are so high because of his winning background in sports as well as that of his retired father, Bruce, who was named to the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame following his success at Appleton West and North. Although Erickson advanced to the big leagues for only a short stint, it certainly wasn't for lack of effort. The polite kid from Appleton always left it on the field, and there's no doubt that he'll do that as the field boss at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Erickson said he doesn't feel any added pressure to do well before his home fans. "Anybody who competes will want to be successful and do all that he can to put kids in the best situation possible," he said. "If anything I am more encouraged because growing up in this area, I am getting a lot of support." Through the years, Erickson has come off as a polite athlete who always appears calm. He's not worried about being too easy going as manager. "There are times when I get excited," he said. "But to me, if you are excited all of the time and barking all of the time, it loses its meaning. There are a lot of ways to motivate in others ways and to challenge so many personalities. What works on one player might not work for another." Erickson thanked everyone for the opportunity to manage the team and for their commitment to the community. He said he has established a lot of relationships with sports fans through the years that are still going on today. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee's general manager, appreciates what Erickson brings to his first managerial position. "It's exciting for the city and for Matt," he said prior to the banquet. "He was always prepared as a player. He saw the game at a lot of different angles. He's a very dedicated individual. He's going to be able to share his experiences with our younger players. He's got a feel for the entire game. He's not a one-dimensional guy." With all of the attention he has received since being promoted to manager, Erickson still comes off as the same likeable, down-to-earth kid that he was when he and his sister, Brett, shot baskets at the Appleton YMCA when they were kids. He appreciated the congratulatory comments he received during the banquet. But he made it clear that his role isn't about him. He sees himself as a teacher — a facilitator. "It's really not about me," he said. "When the season starts, it's about the kids who come up here. They are chasing their dream and I am helping them with that. That's my main priority." Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson speaks at the Red Smith Sports Award Banquet in Appleton on Tuesday. (Post-Crescent photo by Ron Page) http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20110119&Category=APC0206&ArtNo=101190684&Ref=AR&Profile=1016&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Since there is already a thread on the Fielder and Parra agreements, and a separate Rickie Weeks thread focusing on a long-term extension, we'll use this thread to focus on the arbitration figures submitted by Weeks, Shaun Marcum and Cameron Loe. Adam McCalvy summarizes things here, and these comments regarding Loe may have been lost in the shuffle of Tuesday's updates: Loe, who drew a $650,000 salary during his four months in the Majors, developed into a key Brewers reliever, posting a 2.78 ERA in 58 games beginning June 1. Agent Page Odle has been negotiating with Karl Mueller, the Brewers' director of video scouting and baseball research. The Brewers offered Loe a one-year deal with an option for a second season earlier this offseason, but the offer was quickly dismissed, Ash said. "There's a significant difference of opinion," Ash said. "I know the money is less and it's a smaller gap, but it becomes a matter of principle. We're prepared to pay at the market rate, but he has shot by the market rate. That one has a very good chance of proceeding to a hearing."