Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: Montana moundsman Garman excels By JOE MENDEN For the Wapakoneta (OH) Daily News HELENA, Mont. — Standing on the mound with his Helena Brewers’ postseason in the balance and his team holding a slim 3-2 lead over the Missoula Osprey, there was one thing running through pitcher Brian Garman’s mind. It wasn’t the pressure of the situation. Pressure, the Wapakoneta High School graduate says, is something he welcomes. Instead, it was the steady rain falling as the Brewers were attempting to clinch a Pioneer League baseball playoff appearance. “I need to get out of this inning before I hurt myself,” the 22-year-old Garman said he remembers thinking that Sept. 8 night in Helena. Years earlier, he hurt his leg while pitching for the Wapakoneta Redskins on a field wet from rain. This time, Garman successfully blocked out both the pressure and the rain, retiring the side in order to earn the save and send the Brewers to the playoffs. It wasn’t until the final out was recorded that Garman let what he had accomplished sink in a little. “Once the game was over, and I saw all my teammates running onto the field, reality set in,” Garman said. The Brewers eventually went on to win their first Pioneer League title since 1996, beating the Great Falls Voyagers 2-1 in a best-of-three series and sweeping the Ogden (Utah) Raptors in another best-of-three series that ended Thursday. By any measure, Garman’s first season as a professional was a success. The Milwaukee Brewers’ 17th pick in the 2010 draft finished the rookie league short season with a 3-1 record, nine saves and a 0.90 ERA, best on the team. He also notched 42 strikeouts in 30 innings. Those are the type of numbers that can establish a pitcher as one of the brightest prospects in a team’s farm system. Amazingly, those stats got even better for the 5-foot-10, 180-pound left-hander when the postseason rolled along. Garman made three playoff appearances, pitching three perfect innings and striking out six of the nine batters he faced. He earned a save in the championship series opener and recorded the final three outs of a 14-3 win over Ogden in the series clincher. Even after an up-and-down college career at the University of Cincinnati, during which Garman himself acknowledges he wasn’t exactly a standout, he said he wasn’t surprised about how quickly success as a pro came. His goal as far back as he can remember — probably even further, he said — has been to be a professional baseball player. Expecting that you are going to achieve the goals you set for yourself, he feels, is a big part of making them happen. “I watch a lot of interviews with Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Will Smith,” Garman said. Those three stars of their respective fields all say the same thing — you have to expect greatness to achieve it. One of his favorite quotes is from Will Smith, who said “you don’t need to have a Plan B, because that just distracts from your Plan A.” Garman knew he wasn’t the biggest or the most physically gifted athlete at any stop he’s made after high school. Because of that, he said, preparation and hard work are even more important to him than they are for many other players with big dreams. His coaches and people around the team tell Garman, it is his work ethic that sets him apart from his teammates. Pitching coach Elvin Nina said that before the season started, he knew nothing about Garman and had no expectations for him. That quickly changed. “He has one of the best work ethics, not just on this team, but that I’ve seen in a long time.” Another thing that set himself apart, Nina said, was his outstanding command of all three of his top pitches: fastball, curveball and slider. The fastball, Nina said, is nothing special, coming in at 90-92 mph. But the way he can place it makes it very tough to hit. His tight curveball is a nice change-of-pace pitch, again impeccably placed. But it’s the slider that makes him special. “It disappears on (batters),” Nina said. At the beginning of rookie league ball, Nina said, the bullpen features a closer-by-committee system with multiple players getting their chances in save situations. “(Garman) took to it and ran away with it,” Nina said. Garman has no idea where he’ll end up playing next year, but he knows he’s not satisfied yet. He won’t be until he achieves his ultimate goal – making the big leagues and staying there. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Garman said. “I’m going to take advantage of it as much as possible.” Joe Menden is a former Wapakoneta Daily News sports editor. He currently is a copy editor with the Independent Record in Helena. *** Well, that's a small world, those newspaper connections -- pretty sure this is our first link ever to the Wapakoneta (OH) Daily News.

MARK ROGERS PITCH-BY-PITCH FIRST INNING Cameron Maybin 93 mph fastball strike 94 mph fastball, hit batter Ozzie Martinez 93 mph fastball, ball 94 mph fastball, ball 94 mph fastball, ball 94 mph fastball, strike 94 mph fastball, strike 94 mph fastball, foul 95 mph fastball, ball Logan Morrison 94 mph fastball, strike 81 mph curve, ball in dirt 94 mph fastball, ball 93 mph fastball, foul 96 mph fastball, ball 94 mph fastball, called strike three Dan Uggla 83 mph curve, strike 94 mph fastball, swinging strike 79 mph curve, ball 96 mph fastball, ball 95 mph fastball, foul 86 mph slider, ball 96 mph fastball, ball Gaby Sanchez 85 mph slider, strike 83 mph curve, ball 95 mph fastball, foul 86 mph slider, ball 95 mph fastball, swinging strike three Chad Tracy 89 mph split-finger fastball, strike 96 mph fastball, foul 97 mph fastball, swinging strike three 30 pitches – 16 strikes, 14 balls SECOND INNING Mike Stanton Fastball, ball, 95 mph Curve ball, called strike, 83 mph Fastball, ball, 95 mph Fastball, swinging strike, 94 mph Fastball, high and inside, 96 mph, hits off knob of bat and rolls to Rogers, who throws to first for the out. Brad Davis Fastball, ball, 94 mph Fastball, strike, 94 mph Fastball, 93 mph, soft liner back to Rogers for the out Andrew Miller Fastball, ball, 93 mph Fastball, ball, 94 mph Fastball, strike, 92 mph Fastball, 93 mph, grounded to first, with Rogers covering for the out 12 pitches – 5 balls, 7 strikes 42 total pitches THIRD INNING Cameron Maybin 95 mph fastball, ball 84 mph curve, swinging strike 95 mph fastball, strike 83 mph curve, ball 94 mph fastball, ball, 94 mph fastball, swinging strike Ozzie Martinez 95 mph fastball, strike 86 mph slider, lined to second baseman Logan Morrison 94 mph fastball, foul 96 mph fastball, ball 95 mph fastball, ball 94 mph fastball, foul 94 mph fastball, ball 90 mph split-finger fastball, grounded to shortstop for third out

More discussion about Rogers' prep for tonight.

Cory's doing a nice job catching up with the younger kids in the pre-game; in the "did any one of us know this category", Mike McClendon and Jonathan Lucroy were high school opponents, that's a very cool connection -- 9/22 Cory Provus Pre-Game Interview w/Mike McClendon

Whoo-hoo, big Pete Ladd sighting -- Rogers ready for 1st big-league start Mt. Ararat graduate gets his 1st chance 6 years after draft BY PAUL BETIT Portland Press Herald Peter Ladd has a good idea of what Mark Rogers will feel when he starts on the mound for the first time in a Major League Baseball game Friday night. "Excitement," said Ladd, who played Little League baseball in his native Portland before his family moved to Georgia. "I'm so excited for him because it's just an unbelievable feeling." Rogers, a hard-throwing right-hander from Orr's Island, is scheduled to make his first start in a major league uniform against the Florida Marlins at Miller Park. "He's gotten to what his dream has always been, to make it to the major leagues," said Ladd, who spent four of his six major league seasons with the Brewers as a relief pitcher. Rogers' first start for Milwaukee comes more than six years after the Brewers made him their first pick in the 2004 amateur baseball draft. His arrival to the major leagues was delayed by shoulder surgeries, which forced him to miss more than two minor league seasons. "A lot of kids would have given up and said, 'The heck with this,' but he continued on," said Ladd, who lives in New Gloucester and works for Hancock Lumber. "I've followed what he's been doing, and I'm just very happy for him. He's come through a lot." When the 24-year-old Rogers takes the mound Friday night he will join a pretty exclusive club. Only 13 other Maine-born pitchers have started a Major League Baseball game since the end of World War II. Billy Swift, who spent 13 years in the major leagues after starring at South Portland High and the University of Maine, knows exactly what Rogers is going through. "As a reliever, you don't have time to think because you don't know when you're going to pitch," said Swift, who now lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz. "As a starter, you do have time to think because you know exactly when you're going to pitch. It gets nerve-wracking. You definitely get nervous." Since Rogers was added to the Milwaukee roster on Sept. 10, he has pitched two innings of perfect relief. "It's nice his first start is at home," Swift said. "He's gotten use to the mound. He's in familiar territory. He can study some game tapes and watch guys hit. If he does his job, he'll be fine." Jim Beattie, a Virginia native who grew up in South Portland, said Rogers is probably better prepared for his first start than he was when he made his first start with the New York Yankees on April 25, 1978. "He's probably got his mechanics in better shape then when I was 23 coming up," said Beattie, who now works as a professional scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. "I was a big tall guy who threw hard and had no idea where the ball was going." Ladd, who was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year, made only one start for the Brewers. It was in 1984 against the Baltimore Orioles at old Memorial Stadium. During his four innings on the mound, Eddie Murphy and Cal Ripken Jr. hit long home runs off him, Ladd recalled. "I don't know of anybody who started the game from the stretch, but I did," he said. "I didn't know how to wind up. I hadn't done that since college." Beattie's first start in the major leagues also came against the Orioles. "I pitched against Baltimore in Memorial Stadium and I beat Jim Palmer, which I never let him forget," said Beattie, who served as the Baltimore general manager for two years. "I remember the first pitch I threw was a double down the left-field line by Al Bumbry, but he didn't score. I can't remember how far I went, but I think we won 6-4." Swift, who went 21-8 for the San Francisco Giants in 1993, doesn't remember much about his first start with the Seattle Mariners on June 7, 1985. "It was in Cleveland, and I came up from Double-A," he said. "I was really scared. It was one of those things where I got thrown into a game. It was raining. It was cold. And it was in Cleveland, and there was nobody there." Rogers won't be alone when he pitches Friday night. A contingent from Maine will be at Miller Park to cheer him on. "There are a lot of people from Maine who are going out," said Stephanie Rogers, his mother. "Different people. People he went to school with, coaches. Aunts and uncles. His grandmother." Two weeks ago, Stephanie Rogers saw her son pitch in relief in a 4-0 loss against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park. "I was there for that one inning," she said. "I was very happy and very excited because he's worked very, very hard to get here."

Reminder about Friday's deadline, the 24th. On a related note -- I've read this blogger before, pretty dedicated, like a Project Runway (big fan, guilty pleasure) for sports. Also moved this thread from our Trading Post to the Minor League Forum.

You're welcome, all! Since the last few updates on this forum have echoed the "thank you" comments (which are all appreciated), we'll close the thread now, and hope for "real" minor league updates soon and throughout the offseason.

Cory Provus' Pre-game Interview from Monday with Brandon Kintzler -- excellent detailed conversation, nice job by both...

Link while active, text follows: BREWIN WITH KUEHN: Team chemistry was key to Helena's Pioneer League championship By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record The Helena Brewers are Pioneer League Champions, but not because they had the best team ERA or best batting average. They didn’t. A large reason the Brewers were able to bring the trophy back to the Capital City for the first time in 14 years was because of an immeasurable factor—something that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, something often forgotten in a sport that places so much emphasis on individual performance. Team chemistry. First-year Helena manager Joe Ayrault talked about it from the first day he set foot on Kindrick Legion Field, stressing the importance of camaraderie and coming together for a common goal. He’d mention it after almost every game, especially wins. Occasionally, I’d throw a quote in my story about the team’s chemistry, but more often than not I’d toss it aside as cliche. It wasn’t until talking to Cody Hawn after Thursday’s victory over Ogden in the Pioneer League Championship Series clincher, that I truly understood. Something he said jogged a memory that I had long since forgotten. “I knew there was something special about this group at camp, our chemistry was just amazing from day one,” Hawn told me over the phone. It reminded me of a rainy day in June, one of the first scheduled practices, and players were still just becoming acquainted with one another. I went out to the ballpark hoping to talk to Ayrault about what pitchers had stood out so far, and who was swinging the bat well. But because of the weather, the skipper hadn’t gotten to evaluate his new club much at all. Instead, that day’s work out had consisted of sitting in the clubhouse, as each player went around the room and told his teammates something about himself. Ayrault stressed to the group of young 20-somethings that this would be their family for the next few months. He told them of how he still kept in touch with many of the guys he played ball with. Even before knowing the kind of talent this team possessed, the Brewers’ new leader knew it would be important that this was a tight-knit group. ### Before long, it was obvious this was a special group of kids. Helena came from behind to win its first three games against Missoula, showing heart and grit and never giving up when the deficit seemed insurmountably large. As the Brewers won eight of their first nine games, you got the feeling they were playing this hard so as not to let their teammates down. Even more than that, you got the feeling they didn’t want to disappoint their manager. After all, he had their backs during every game — even if it meant being ejected. It wasn’t long before, like any team, the Brewers would hit a skid. They had fallen out of first place, and seemed to be stuck hovering right around .500, and one began to think maybe that’s all they were — a mediocre team in a Pioneer League full of parity. Ayrault would say that’s just baseball, that every team is bound to have its ups and downs. Even through the toughest of times — a six-game losing streak comes to mind — Ayrault never lost confidence in his team, and it became clear through interviews that his players hadn’t lost confidence, either. Even as the Brewers took their time clinching the final postseason spot—falling out of first place and missing a shot at the second-half North Division title to settle for a wild card berth — it was like they knew they were destined to win a ring. They’d have a handful of new players to help them. As five guys — Charly Bashara, Kenny Allison, Nick Shaw, Tyler Roberts and Jose Sanchez — were promoted to Helena after winning the Arizona League Championship, a player who had been with Helena all year was asked if that changed the dynamic in the clubhouse. After all, this was a close group of guys, many of whom carpooled together to practices or dined out with one another after games. Like any player thinking of the good of the team, this one told me that the new guys only made things better. The competitive fire increased, he said, because these guys talked about how great it felt to win a championship. Now, 30 other athletes were hungry to experience that same feeling of being the best. ### Upon first meeting Ayrault, it was almost impossible not to like the guy. The outdoors enthusiast was fired up to be in Montana, and ecstatic to start teaching young players the ins and outs of baseball. He had a smile that never seemed to leave his face, and an attitude that made you want him to succeed. His players bought into his team-first mentality. His staff bought into it as well. Seeing the end result—they won the Bob Wilson Trophy by beating Great Falls and Ogden, teams with the top overall records—it’s hard to imagine Helena buying into anything else.

Keeping the "Maine" part of the thread topic alive, this is indeed a big deal up there -- a bit of perspective. There hasn't been a native Maine pitcher (someone who was born, raised, and pitched through high school there) since former Brewer Matt Kinney last saw big league action in 2005. Before that, the best pitcher from the state ever, Bill Swift (NL ERA leader in 1992, then 21-8 in 1993 while with the Giants), ended his career where it began, with Seattle in 1998, with a 94-78 record. Position players? The last position player who had more than three MLB at-bats was catcher Clyde Sukeforth, who ended his career in 1945. Personally, I'm so pumped for Friday night, and I'd love to figure out a way to sneak to Citi Field next week, but I'll have to hope for a Fenway appearance by Rogers next Fathers' Day weekend. *** Link while active, text follows: Rogers always was special By Travis Lazarczyk, CentralMaine.com These are four of the coolest words in sports, if not the world. "I saw him when ..." On Sept. 10, Mark Rogers made his Major League debut for the Milwaukee Brewers, just over six years after he was drafted fifth overall out of Mt. Ararat High School. Do you remember his first varsity start for Mt. Ararat, on April 30, 2001? It was at Skowhegan, and Rogers offered a glimpse of what was to come. As a freshman, he struck out 12 hitters and gave up just five hits. He still lost the game, however, 3-2, when Mt. Ararat allowed the go-ahead run to score in the bottom of the sixth inning on an error. As of Saturday, Rogers had two innings of perfect relief on his resume, with one strikeout. He's scheduled to make his first start next Friday, against the Florida Marlins. We knew him when, and for a time, we were worried that when was all there would be. Rogers underwent a pair of surgeries on his right shoulder and went almost three years without pitching in a professional game. In the summer of 2006, Rogers injured his shoulder pitching for the Brewers' Class A team, the Brevard County Manatees. In January 2007, Rogers had surgery to repair a labral tear in his shoulder and tighten a loose ligament. In June 2008, he underwent more surgery, this time to clean out scar tissue in his shoulder. Do you remember the beginning of his senior season? In his first start, in Bath against Morse, Rogers struck out 19 of the 22 batters he faced. It was a no-hitter. His next start, this time against Skowhegan, Rogers struck out 20 and gave up one hit. Since Rogers returned to the mound last year, the Brewers have monitored his pitch count. For his part, Rogers worked on his consistency. With millions invested in Rogers, Milwaukee added him to the 40-man roster rather than risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft, in which major league teams can claim a player from another club's minor league system, with the stipulation that the player is kept on the major league roster. Do you remember the game in Waterville, in the rain? If it weren't for all the scouts and the large crowd huddled under umbrellas around Waterville's Gaul Field, the game never would have started. But it did, and when the umpires finally said enough with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Rogers was working on a very soggy perfect game. Do you remember the name of the pitcher who matched Rogers for scoreless inning after scoreless inning? It was Lawrence's Ryan Ackley, who gave up just two hits in 10 innings against Rogers. The soon-to-be first round draft pick went nine innings, struck out 22, and saw his team win 1-0 in 11 innings. These are the four players picked ahead of Rogers in the first round of the 2004 draft: Matthew Bush (San Diego), Justin Verlander (Detroit), Phillip Humber (New York Mets) and Jeff Niemann (Tampa Bay). Bush was a bust who never made it out of the minors. Humber has pitched in 24 major league games for three different teams. Verlander is a star with the Tigers, and Niemann is having a solid season for the Rays. Now we get to see where Rogers will fall. Will he be more of a Verlander, Niemann or Humber? He definitely won't be a Bush. Do you remember his final high school game? The Maine Principals' Association moved the Class A state final between Mt. Ararat and Deering to Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs. In front of 7,000 fans, a week after the Brewers called his name in the opening minutes of the draft, Rogers struck out eight in 4 1/3 innings. He took the loss, though, pitching against a loaded Deering lineup which saw all nine starters go on to play college baseball. When Rogers makes his first start later this week, cheer him on, wish him well, and try to pay attention to what we hope is a long career. And tell all your friends, you saw him when.

Go team -- Saturday night's alright for fightin'... Brewers 2B Rickie Weeks RF Corey Hart LF Ryan Braun 1B Prince Fielder 3B Casey McGehee CF Carlos Gomez SS Alcides Escobar C Jonathan Lucroy RHP Yovani Gallardo Giants 2B Mike Fontenot SS Juan Uribe 1B Aubrey Huff C Buster Posey LF Pat Burrell 3B Pablo Sandoval RF Jose Guillen CF Cody Ross RHP Tim Lincecum

As noted in recent days, the last time Helena won the Pioneer League championship was 1996, when they defeated Ogden in the finals, back in the days when the Brewers had two Pioneer League entries, and in '96, each reached the finals. Who made it to the big leagues from those two rosters? From Ogden: 1B Kevin Barker, a Mexican leaguer in 2010 -- big league time in '99-'00 with Milwaukee, and then stints in '02, 06, and '09 elsewhere; 3rd round pick in '96 From Helena: RHP Allen Levrault, 18 years old in his first pro season in '96 and LHP Mark Watson, 11 big league relief appearances with three clubs between 2000 and 2003, 10.95 big league ERA, he was a non-drafted signee out of Clemson That's it. Repeat, that's it. 71 players made up the two squads (Ogden roster, Helena roster), a few may have seen action on both squads, I didn't cross-check. Goodness, did the player development reek back then or what? Here's hoping the current crop of Helena Brewers fare better. Guessing they will...

The first two potential minor league free agents have been brought back for 2011.

We will update in blue in the initial post in this thread any potential free agents who the Brewers re-sign. Baseball America indicated that catcher Anderson De La Rosa has signed on for an 8th season in the system. De La Rosa turned 26 yesterday (Thursday). In a bit of a surprise, veteran infielder Anderson Machado, who will turn 30 in January, also was re-signed. He played in Huntsville this past season, appearing in 99 games. Machado also had an ERA of 0.00 in five emergency relief appearances covering four innings, a veteran utility-player must-have ability in the minors.

We will update in blue in the initial post in this thread any potential free agents who the Brewers re-sign. Baseball America indicated that catcher Anderson De La Rosa has signed on for an 8th season in the system. De La Rosa turned 26 yesterday (Thursday). In a bit of a surprise, veteran infielder Anderson Machado, who will turn 30 in January, also was re-signed. He played in Huntsville this past season, appearing in 99 games. Machado also had an ERA of 0.00 in five emergency relief appearances covering four innings, a veteran utility-player must-have ability in the minors.

Here is the link to our transaction thread for the pre-June draft portion of the regular season. And the just-closed thread covering all transactions post-draft through the end of the regular season. On to the off-season -- The first thing all organizations do in a paperwork move is activate all players from minor league disabled lists, regardless of their current state of health. Some of the names below were actually activated in the final week of the regular season and made appearances, such as RHP Nick Bucci, who started Wisconsin's finale. Reinstated from DL: RHP Cody Adams, RHP Evan Anundsen, RHP Jeff Bennett, RHP Nick Bucci, RHP Mark DiFelice, RHP Luis Guerrero, RHP Rob Wooten, LHP Casey Baron, LHP Bobby Bramhall, LHP Jose Ramos, LHP Chris Waters, LHP Brae Wright, C Dayton Buller, C Mike Melillo, C Michael Roberts, C Brett Whiteside, 2B Mike Brownstein, 3B Wayne Dedrick, 3B Steffan Wilson, SS Connor Lind, OF Juan Barrini, OF Reggie Keen, OF Logan Schafer, RHP Alex Periard We will process these activations soon within our Brewerfan transaction archive (within a few days). Notice that as of this current post, when you visit our homepage and click on a team name, there is a breakdown of roster that includes disabled list assignments (and injury when known). For instance, this is Huntsville's page with its three Tommy John pitchers. We'll also note for you at this time that when you click on a player's name on any of our roster pages or our Player Index, one of the things you'll see is the "Article Crawler" section for that player, where links are included to feature articles on that player that we have highlighted on this forum over the years. For instance, take a look at Amaury Rivas' page (keep in mind we stopped posting stats back in '07). Rivas has four articles listed, but the 2009 Florida Today link is no longer valid. Earlier this season, we started linking to our posts on the forum instead of the actual newspaper sites for these types of features. Which means that you won't see dead links in the future when you're revisiting a player's feature articles via this route.

Not sure how many folks were submitting questions, because it appears several of mine ("massbrewer") made it through. So sorry if it seems I monopoloized things, that wasn't the intent. Fired through several questions that were player specific, but had the feeling Nichols and the moderator might shy away from those -- they did for the most part, so followed up with more "generic" inquiries. Log should be out later.

9/12 Cory Provus Pre-Game Interview w/Mark Rogers Mark re-traces the long timeline back to 2004...

9/14 Cory Provus Pre-Game Interview w/Tom Flanagan - Director of Baseball Operations Praise for the AA staff, especially Wily Peralta and Michael Fiers, and an explanation of instructional league and what that's about...

You need to log in with an mlb.com account to submit a question -- it does not appear questioning will be open until just before "chat time" at 1:30 central. Brewers Site -- Reid Nichols Chat There will probably be a separate chat afterwards with a transcript, with an updated link then.

Just wanted to post public thank you's to battlekow and TheCrew07. I can honestly say that we had reached the point that without their input and daily efforts, we would have never been able to provide the blanket daily coverage in terms of links, audio, and the "original" commentary that they did this year, which accompanied each and every box score. battlekow's (Eric's) addition to the Brewerfan staff has been a boon for us, and TheCrew07's (Seth's) efforts as a special Brewerfan contributor simply cannot be overstated. I think the separate audio thread made sense and worked out well, and having distinct "Your ____ team" threads dedicated to special newspaper and web features specific to each club has always seemed to be the way to go. One of our main goals beyond providing you with timely information via the links, is to organize it in the cleanest and most convenient way possible. If you have a suggestion on ways we can improve coverage in 2011 and beyond, feel free to post a note. I hope folks in the respective affiliate outposts aren't offended if we don't list everyone by name here (we've already praised them within Link Reports), but thank you's to all the staffers, broadcasters, newspaper writers, and anyone else who contributed to our cause and didn't ignore our occasional emails http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. We've often heard from family members of players who move on from the Brewer minor league system to another organization's, asking us if we know of that team's "Brewerfan.net". Obviously, each and every big league club has someone out there summarizing the daily minor league action, but few, if any, are doing it to the extent and in the organizaed way we do. I'm guessing we may see a couple of thank you's in return in this thread, but that was not my intent. I'll simply repeat what's been posted in the past -- we'd be looking up all these details anyway, so why not spend a couple of extra minutes posting the info for all of Brewer nation to take in if they wish. Thanks for reading, stay tuned here for all the offseason stuff, and see you next April for formal Link Report season 2011. Oh yeah, and thank you, Brewer farmhands. Here's to your dreams and your efforts to make them happen...

Big Congratulations to Arielle, otherwise known as gregmartinezfan50 here on our forum, and martinezfan over at MiLB.com. She won our friendly competition with an 18-game streak. My best was ten, just out-witted myself too often http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif. Thank you for this very nice note I received from our champ, GMF50 -- "Anyway, a prize isn't necessary. To be honest, I've just enjoyed playing along with everyone this season (the whole "spirit of competition" thing). Count me in if we do this again in 2011!" Along the way this year, we learned that unlike the major league streak competition, the minor league side does not punish you and end the streak if you forget to submit your pick for the day. I'm not so sure we had many folks who stuck with things all season long (I bailed out about three weeks ago), but I plan to jump back in reinvigorated in 2011, and hope many of you will as well. The overall winner had a streak of 27 games. Arielle's streak tied for 13th best. So once again, congrats, see everyone next year!

Brewers list concerns with aging Joe Davis Stadium Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- There are four major concerns on the part of the Milwaukee Brewers as they look to continue the partnership with the Huntsville Stars at 26-year-old Joe W. Davis Stadium. They are "player related issues," according to Gord Ash, Milwaukee's vice president and assistant general manager. -- The quality of the playing field. "At one time, it was pretty good," Ash said. "It isn't now." The Stars led the Southern League in errors this season, many attributable to unpredictable bounces on the field, according to manager Mike Guerrero. -- The clubhouse. Recent renovations enlarged and improved the clubhouse. "It was not kept well. It needs to be a clean and, most important, safe and healthy environment," Ash said. -- A lighted batting "tunnel" for extra practice, for both home and visiting teams. -- Stadium lights. While the foot-candle power of the lights is adequate, they are not properly aimed. "In terms of safety, it's tough to see on some parts of the field," Ash said. "Reasonable demands," Stars general manager Buck Rogers said. A fifth major issue, which should be a greater concern of ownership than even the Brewers, is the drainage problem that led to flooded dugouts this past season. Several games (including the Alabama All-Star Sports Week doubleheader for high school players) were cancelled even when the field and weather made for playable conditions. Because of budget woes, Mayor Tommy Battle said the city will not pour substantial tax dollars into extensive renovation of the stadium. However, the first two issues are merely a matter of staffing and the fourth simply enlisting the service of lighting experts. The batting tunnel would be the only major expense in capital improvement. Team owner Miles Prentice has said in past interviews he would be willing to share in some financial responsibility though he has not been in Huntsville to meet with the team staff or city officials since mid-July. "Let's get the issues fixed and let's get everybody happy and back on the same page," Rogers said.

The post in the beginning of this thread has been updated to reflect the proper box score link for Thursday's Game Two and potential championship clincher for Helena. There's no big league Brewer game tonight, no NFL football, we realize the new prime time TV schedules are kicking in, but Link Report diehards should be able to find time this evening for the H-Crew. Live Audio Link With a 7:40 PM pre-game with Steve Wendt, even if you're not tied to your PC audio for three hours, set up a reminder for yourself for 10:00 or so minimum and check out the last couple of innings -- you may hear a bit of history. From our September 1st transaction thread -- With the AZL season over, the following players were promoted to Helena to finish out the Pioneer League season: LHP Charly Bashara, RHP Jose Sanchez, C Tyler Roberts, IF Nick Shaw, and OF Kenny Allison. For those guys, a rare chance to act crazy and celebrate twice. First-year pros Bashara, Shaw, and Allison must think "so this must be what's it like all the time" in terms of championships. Bring it to Miller Park, guys...

Stars to continue relationship with Brewers as Class AA affiliate Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- The Huntsville Stars will continue as the Class AA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, despite mid-season indications that the Brewers would be looking to place their club elsewhere. All 29 other major league teams and their Class AA partners have announced or agreed to renewal of their working agreements for next season, according to multiple sources. That leaves a Huntsville-Milwaukee pairing as the only possible scenario. "That's the reality, by process of elimination," said Gord Ash, vice president and assistant general manager of the Brewers. However, Ash told The Times Wednesday that "there are a number of things that have to be addressed and we're working through those." An official announcement of the renewal is not immediately planned and the deadline for filing a new player development contract (PDC) with Major League Baseball is Oct. 7. After that date, the PDC automatically rolls over. PDCs are renewed in even-numbered years, for two- or four-year terms. Stars general manager Buck Rogers could not confirm the pending renewal, but said the Stars and Brewers "are talking back and forth trying to finalize some details." Team president and majority owner Miles Prentice did not respond to interview requests. The Brewers and Stars have been partnered since the 1999 season after the Stars ended a 14-year relationship with the Oakland A's. The owners are responsible for travel and other day-to-day operational expenses. According to Rogers, the Stars "never considered" seeking another major league affiliate for the next two-year term and he said "the Brewers are the least demanding organization of any organization I've been affiliated with." However, the Brewers have expressed displeasure through the years with some of the working amenities of Joe Davis Stadium. Requested modifications are all "player-related," Ash said, and include an improved batting practice faility, better playing surface and readjustment of the lighting. "I don't think they're asking for anything any other Double-A team doesn't have," Rogers said. "They're reasonable demands." Photo by Dave Dieter/Huntsville Times Joe Davis Stadium will again host Milwaukee's Class AA affiliate http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/joe-davis-stadiumjpg-787876f01cba3618_large.jpg