Jim Goulart

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 72 54 .571 - - 35-29 37-25 5-5 W2 Memphis 70 57 .551 2.5 16 40-25 30-32 7-3 W3 Omaha 70 57 .551 2.5 16 32-27 38-30 7-3 L1 Nashville 66 60 .524 6.0 13 35-30 31-30 5-5 W2 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Tennessee 34 20 .630 - - 20-9 14-11 6-4 L1 Huntsville 28 26 .519 6.0 11 17-11 11-15 4-6 L2 Chattanooga 25 28 .472 8.5 9 12-15 13-13 7-3 W4 Carolina 24 30 .444 10.0 7 11-15 13-15 3-7 W1 West Tenn 24 30 .444 10.0 7 11-12 13-18 3-7 L4 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 33 19 .635 - - 17-9 16-10 5-5 L1 Daytona 33 21 .611 1.0 16 18-8 15-13 5-5 W1 Brevard County 31 24 .564 3.5 14 16-12 15-12 4-6 L1 Lakeland 27 26 .509 6.5 12 14-10 13-16 7-3 W1 Clearwater 24 31 .436 10.5 7 15-13 9-18 5-5 W1 * Dunedin 23 32 .418 11.5 6 12-15 11-17 4-6 L1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 32 19 .627 - - 11-14 21-5 7-3 L1 * Cedar Rapids 29 23 .558 3.5 - 15-12 14-11 5-5 L2 Kane County 29 23 .558 3.5 - 16-9 13-14 4-6 W2 Clinton 28 23 .549 4.0 19 14-11 14-12 5-5 W1 Beloit 26 24 .520 5.5 15 14-11 12-13 5-5 L1 Peoria 24 25 .490 7.0 15 12-13 12-12 5-5 L1 Wisconsin 25 28 .472 8.0 14 15-13 10-15 6-4 W1 Burlington 17 33 .340 14.5 6 11-13 6-20 2-8 W1 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Helena 10 8 .556 - - 6-4 4-4 6-4 W2 * Great Falls 9 10 .474 1.5 19 5-3 4-7 3-7 W1 Missoula 9 10 .474 1.5 19 5-6 4-4 5-5 L1 Billings 8 10 .444 2.0 19 4-4 4-6 4-6 L1 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 31 16 .660 - - 10-9 12-7 7-3 W4 AZL Dodgers 25 22 .532 6.0 3 10-9 10-7 7-3 L2 AZL Reds 25 23 .521 6.5 2 9-7 11-9 6-4 L1 AZL Indians 20 28 .417 11.5 E 7-12 10-8 1-9 W1 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 43 27 .614 - - 23-12 20-15 7-3 W3 DSL Cardinals 39 31 .557 4.0 E 24-11 15-20 6-4 L1 DSL Athletics 31 39 .443 12.0 E 17-19 14-20 5-5 W1 DSL Brewers 27 43 .386 16.0 E 16-18 11-25 2-8 L3

Follow Saturday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Tab or New Window". Choose "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) Game One Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) Game Two DSL Brewers

Saturday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at Iowa (Cubs), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Andre Lamontagne at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:15 PM pre-game; 6:30 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: LHP Dan Merklinger at Daytona (Cubs), 5:55 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime Live Audio Link (Cubs' Feed) Wisconsin: LHP Del Howell at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 6:15 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: LHP Evan Frederickson at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home in a doubleheader vs. the Dodgers' tykes; 7:00 PM; never audio for games in this league; makeup of a July 31st postponement, each contest slated for seven innings DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM; this concludes the inaugural season for the Brewers' non-shared DSL club

The Yankees have promoted LHP Josh Romanski to high-A Tampa. Tampa is scheduled to play at Brevard on Tuesday thru Thursday in a big series this coming week (Stephen C. Smith has audio for the Wednesday game the 25th). However, it appears as though Romanski will be needed by the Yankees as part of a doubleheader on his normal pitching day Monday. If he's pushed by a day, he'd face the Manatees to open the series Tuesday, which would be fun.

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Thanks to Chris Mehring for the heads-up --Link, text follows: By Bob Brainerd, foxsportswisconsin.com (July 27th) MILWAUKEE -- Butchering Jake Odorizzi’s name over the public address speakers has become commonplace anytime he takes to the bump. “A regular occurrence,” said Odorizzi, who no longer bothers to politely redirect and reel someone in with the proper pronunciation: Oh-duh-RIZZ-ee. “Some people pronounce letters that aren’t even in my last name. I just go along with it. It’s better to have your name announced wrong than not at all.” Two summers ago, Jake was antsy for any major league team to call his name, phonetics aside, during the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. With the Illinois State Tournament set to open a day after the draft, the 18-year-old senior pitcher and shortstop didn’t have the option of relaxing at home. “We drove out to Joliet and sat in the hotel for about four hours watching the draft going on,” recalls Odorizzi. “The hotel didn’t have any air conditioning in the lobby. So we were sitting there sweating it out, literally.” The Milwaukee Brewers ceased the drama, and the perspiration, by selecting the Highland, Illinois product right out of high school with a supplemental pick, the 32nd overall. “Once my name got called it was a relieving feeling and then I had to get ready and concentrate on the game for the next day,” said Odorizzi. The celebration was short and sweet, but Jake’s coming out party was just underway. After notching that Class 3A Illinois State Championship, he got his first taste of professional baseball with the Brewers rookie team in Arizona. In 2009, he pitched in Montana for the Helena Brewers, remaining on target and on track by continuing to punch out more batters than he walked. (Note: "Punch out more than you walk?" Yeah, that's pretty important, but a modest goal, Bob. OK, enough quibbling, thanks for the article...) “That’s what anybody wants to do at any level,” said Odorizzi, who compiled an astounding 146 K’s and only six walks during his senior season of prep baseball with the Bulldogs. “I’m blessed enough right now being able to do that. But if I didn’t strike out a single person in a game and we won, it’s still a win for me because I’m trying to do everything in my power to help the team win.” His current team, the Brewers Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, put Jake on a stage less than 100 miles from Miller Park, where top brass like General Manager Doug Melvin and Assistant GM Gord Ash have made the occasional quick trip to sneak a peek at this 20-year-old sensation. “He’s a very focused guy,” said Timber Rattlers Pitching Coach Chris Hook. “I think he has a very good idea what he wants to do out there, I think he’s got a game plan. For such a young guy, he doesn’t really think about his delivery, it’s kind of innate.” “He’s getting better with, if things don’t go his way, not to get too caught up in the negative and stick to his game plan. And that’s his biggest focus right now.” “You have to be mentally ready,” echoes Odorizzi. “If not, you’re going to have a bad outing and something’s going to go wrong. You can’t let other things effect what you are trying to do out there. You concentrate on just one pitch at a time. Don’t focus on the next hitter, focus on the next pitch you are about to throw. And throw with a lot of conviction.” Odorizzi mimics a coach giving a clinic, but his dialed in approach on the mound tells you he’s not just dispensing hollow advice. And he’s got the numbers in the Midwest League to back up his speech. “Concentrate, zone in. And then when that pitch is over, you forget about it and move onto the next one,” said Odorizzi. “You’re only doing this once every five days; you can be pretty concentrated for one day.” Radar locked on the hill, but easy going off the diamond, Odorizzi tries to tinker with his repertoire, even though he is “comfortable” throwing four pitches effectively. His pitching coach admits there are indeed four bullets in Jake’s chamber, but the crafting is far from finished. “I think he’s got four above average pitches,” confirmed Hook. “Does he need to improve his changeup? Yeah. But I think, and I hate to put a name with him, he’s like a Zack Greinke to me. That type of pitcher that can command the strike zone.” Like the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, the fast track may seem like the obvious option for Odorizzi. But the Brewers have been careful to drive this luxury vehicle with one foot on the brake. “They told me they’re going to take me along slow because I threw a lot in high school,” said Odorizzi. “They’re going to bring me along as they feel. I can’t say anything against it. They say follow the plan, and that’s all I can do.” “I think I’m doing everything they want me to do and if they feel I’m ready to move up, then they’ll move me. But until then, I just have to concentrate on my team and what I need to do.” There are anxious tones in Odorizzi’s voice, listed as the Brewers ninth-best prospect by Baseball America and projected to be a starter in Milwaukee by 2013. But this Midwest League All Star has the proper frame of mind on his timetable to the big leagues. “Everybody wants to be moved quickly and you have a couple good outings in a row and you feel like you’re ready to go,” said Odorizzi. “And then you might have a not so great one and it humbles you a little bit. It tells you there are still some things to work on.” “Everybody wants to go quick, I’m no different. I’d like to get moved quickly too, but they have a plan for me and that’s all I can ask for. Some people don’t even get this opportunity so I guess I have to take it in stride. I’m happy with what I’m doing.” The Brewers, no different than any other team, are desperate to cultivate a commodity like a quality starting pitcher. That means any highly touted prospect with promise like Odorizzi gets the microscope treatment. Fair game, says the confidant right-hander. “Ever since my senior year in high school I’ve been examined…everyone’s looking at me and followed me,” said Odorizzi. “I don’t pay too much attention to it, to tell you the truth. You can’t worry about what other people think, and there’s always going to be people watching you no matter where you’re at. “Just go about your business and do what you normally do…keep on keeping on, I guess.” “He’s young, he’s got a good idea, he’s athletic, he’s a smart kid too …all these things are going his way, but it’s a matter of him taking each step and seeing how he progresses,” said Hook. “I don’t want to be too overly amped about him, which I am. But I think he’s got all of the things that you need to have to be a big leaguer.”The business of baseball rolls on, but there is still room for fun. The fans in Appleton voted Jake as this season’s Bobblehead-du-jour. Heady stuff, you might say. “It’s pretty cool to pick me out of everyone else, kind of honored by that,” laughed Odorizzi. “Hopefully it comes out good and doesn’t make me look too dumb.” The way he’s pitching, the Odorizzi mantel back home might get congested with Bobbleheads baring his likeness. As long as there’s one sporting a Brewers uniform some day, bobble away! “I have to work every day to keep doing this because there is always somebody waiting to come and take your spot,” said Odorizzi. “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so I want to align myself with the greatest opportunity to accomplish my goal. So if that means working harder than someone else or doing something with just a little bit extra, I’m going to do it.” http://www.foxsportswisconsin.com/gallery_images/3416_65234.jpg

Rattler Radio Blog: Worth your while... Late Night, Early Morning, & D'Vo's 11 Think back a couple of Sundays... Love the Spiderman and Swimming Pig photos, too... A couple from Jeff Johnson That last link reminds me of my favorite Caleb Gindl photo -- sly smile for a 19-year-old at the time: http://cdn3.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/12008/cr_0_0_0_09309309_1_0_951952.jpg

Final: @Wisconsin 14, Beloit (Twins) 11 Wisconsin wins a wild one By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI - A late start turned into a late night, but the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers didn't mind. They picked up a 14-11 win over the Beloit Snappers on Friday at Time Warner Cable Field. Kentrail Davis drove in three runs for Wisconsin. D'Vontrey Richardson reached base six times and scored three times for the Rattlers. Wisconsin almost let a pair of big leads get away, but they held on to beat their in-state rivals. The teams waited out a rain delay of just over 100 minutes before starting play. When the game finally started, the Rattlers (51-70 overall, 25-28 second half) scored first. Beloit starting pitcher Martire Garcia walked the first two batters and threw a wild pitch. Khris Davis plated the first run with an RBI grounder. But Beloit (63-56, 26-24) answered in the top of the second against Wisconsin starter Maverick Lasker. Reggie Williams singled in a pair of runs with two outs and the Snappers were up 2-1. The Rattlers roared back with two runs in the second and five in the third to take control. Richardson put the Rattlers up 3-2 with a two-out, two-run single of his own in the second. Chris Dennis knocked in the first run of the third inning with a double. Cameron Garfield doubled in a pair of runs and later scored on an RBI grounder by Joey Paciorek. Wisconsin loaded the bases with two outs and Khris Davis drew a walk to foce in the fifth run of the inning for an 8-2 lead. Beloit chipped away with a pair of runs in the fourth (on an error and a run scoring double by James Beresford) and two more in the fifth (on an RBI double by Lance Ray and a sacrifice fly by Michael Gonzales) to make the score 8-6. Wisconsin's bats got going again in the bottom of the fifth. Kentrail Davis doubled in a pair of runs to put the Rattlers into double digits in runs. Later in the inning, Hunter Morris drove in a run with a groundout. Then, Dennis made it 12-6 with an RBI single. Kentrail Davis delivered one more time with an RBI single in the sixth inning and Wisconsin went up 13-6. Reliever Adrian Rosario, who entered in the top of the fifth inning, was solid until the eighth inning when three of the first four batters of the inning reached to load the bases. Matt Costello came out of the bullpen and walked Aaron Hicks to force in a run. Steven Liddle was next and he sent a sinking line drive to center. Richardson charged in and tried to make a diving catch. But, he missed and the ball rolled to the wall. Liddle raced around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam to cut the Rattlers lead to 13-11. Richardson got a bit of redemption by tripling in the bottom of the eighth. A throwing error on the play sent Richardson home for a 14-11 lead. Costello shut the door with a 1-2-3 ninth and the Rattlers sealed the win. Wisconsin starts a seven game road trip on Saturday night with a game in Cedar Rapids. Del Howell (3-5, 4.46) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. The Kernels have Ariel Pena (6-5, 4.24) as their scheduled starter. Game time at Perfect Game Field is 6:35 PM. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15 PM. Wisconsin Box Score Outside of a big-time talent like RHP Wily Peralta, you don't see the Brewers advance their very young Dominican kids along quickly, but 6'4" RHP Adrian Rosario is still just 20 and has really shown flashes of promise -- here, he and LHP Matt Costello were vitimized by the inside-the-park-grand-slam (wow), but Rosario remains one to keep an eye on; RHP Maverick Lasker with his 3rd shaky outing in his last four appearances, yet it's a good time to visit his numbers as he just reached the 100 inning mark -- there's stuff to like there, although with low ground ball and strikeout rates, it's a wonder he's only surrendered two home runs all season... Catcher Cameron Garfield is taking up colbyjack on his Power 50 comment plea -- in his last seven games, Garfield is hitting .448 (13-for-29) with three doubles and three walks; let's see, as Chris noted, D'Vontrey Richardson with a triple, two singles, and three walks; behind him, Kentrail Davis was on base five times (double, two singles, walk, and of course, an HBP -- OBP of .445 with the Rattlers, insane, what would he be doing with perfect hamstrings)... Wisconsin Game Log Looks like the Snappers had some umpire disagreements in the 5th -- Wisconsin Bottom 5th Michael Marseco singles on a ground ball to third baseman Yorby Martinez. D' Vontrey Richardson singles on a ground ball to right fielder Lance Ray. Michael Marseco to 3rd. With Kentrail Davis batting, wild pitch by Sam Spangler, D' Vontrey Richardson to 2nd. Kentrail Davis doubles (20) on a ground ball to left fielder Wang-Wei Lin. Michael Marseco scores. D' Vontrey Richardson scores. Pitcher Change: Eliecer Cardenas replaces Sam Spangler. With Khristopher Davis batting, wild pitch by Eliecer Cardenas, Kentrail Davis to 3rd. Khristopher Davis walks. Hunter Morris grounds out, second baseman Reggie Williams to first baseman Michael Gonzales. Kentrail Davis scores. Khristopher Davis to 2nd. Chris Dennis singles on a line drive to center fielder Steven Liddle. Khristopher Davis scores. Chris Dennis to 2nd on the throw. Defensive Substitution: Daniel Santana replaces shortstop James Beresford, batting 2nd, playing shortstop. Defensive Substitution: Josmil Pinto replaces catcher Daniel Rams, batting 5th, playing catcher. Beloit Snappers catcher Daniel Rams ejected by HP umpire Matt Deane. Beloit Snappers shortstop James Beresford ejected by 1B umpire Rocky Craig. Cameron Garfield pops out to second baseman Reggie Williams. Connor Lind flies out to right fielder Lance Ray.

Final: @Birmingham (White Sox) 11, Huntsville 10 Barons steal one from Stars By Aaron Morse, Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars (28-26, 61-63) smacked a season-high nine doubles but it wasn’t enough as the Birmingham Barons (22-32, 46-78) came back from eight runs down to beat the Stars 11-10 Friday night. The two teams combined for 13 doubles, the most ever in one game in Southern League history. With the loss the Stars stay 2.5 games back of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx for the Wild Card playoff bid. They also remain six games back of the Tennessee Smokies in the North Division. They gave plenty of run support to Amaury Rivas who did not have his A-game. The right-hander gave up five runs (all earned) over his five innings of work. He surrendered nine hits, walked two and struck-out three. The Stars had no problem hitting Barons starter Kyle McCullough. They scored four runs in the first inning. Lee Haydel got things going with a single to right. After Brett Lawrie smacked his team-leading 35th double of the year, Zelous Wheeler drew a walk. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Drew Anderson singled sharply to right field, scoring Haydel and moving everyone else up 90 feet. A Chris Nowak RBI grounder made the score 2-0. Then with two down, Andy Machado continued his recent hot hitting with a two-RBI double to extend the lead to 4-0. The Stars seemingly put the game out of reach when they scored four more runs in the top of the third. With two outs and nobody on, the Stars unleashed an incredible five consecutive doubles to take an 8-0 lead. Birmingham got two runs back in the bottom of the frame on a two-RBI single from Josh Phegley, but the Stars still had a comfortable 8-2 advantage. A Caleb Gindl RBI double in the fifth made the score 9-2. However, the Barons managed to plate three against Rivas in the bottom of the frame. A four run lead became a five run lead in the seventh when Gindl hit his third double of the night to drive in Taylor Green. All seemed well until the bottom of the eighth when the Stars managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Reliever Jim Henderson issued back-to-back walks to start the inning. Tyler Kuhn followed with an RBI double to make the score 10-6 and put runners on second and third with nobody out. An RBI grounder from Eduardo Escobar was the end of Henderson’s outing as Jeremy Jeffress (1-1) came on in relief. He was greeted with an infield single, putting runners at the corners. Jeffress was his own worst enemy as he threw the ball away on a pick-off attempt to first, allowing another Barons’ run to score. He then had control problems, walking Christian Marrero and hitting Phegley with a pitch to load the bases. The Stars’ defense let Jeffress down at that point as a chopper to first base off the bat of Cole Armstrong resulted in a throwing error by Nowak as he attempted to get the runner at the plate. Two runs scored and the game was tied at ten. C.J. Retherford provided the eventual game winning hit as he singled to left to drive in Phegley and give the Barons the 11-10 lead. Anthony Carter worked another 1-2-3 ninth to get his second save in as many days and his 21st of the season. Kyle Bellamy (1-2) picked up the win in relief for the Barons. The Stars will look to even the series Saturday evening as they send Andre Lamontagne to the hill. You can hear all the action beginning at 6:15 PM central time on the Stars Radio Network. Huntsville Box Score Wow, is that ugly. RHP Nick Green did his job, following Amaury Rivas with a scoreless 6th and 7th, but 29-year-old RHP Jim Henderson has had a brutal month, and he and Jeremy Jeffress just can't let that meltdown happen; great to see still-just-21-years-old Caleb Gindl with the three doubles (now with 28 on the season), 52 walks vs. 68 K's on the season, maybe Mike Guerrero can get him out of the 8-hole now... Huntsville Game Log The five consecutive doubles -- they could have tried for six in a row but for a bit of greediness on the part of Lee Haydel: Huntsville Top 3rd Drew T. Anderson grounds out, second baseman C. J. Retherford to first baseman Christian Marrero. Chris Nowak flies out to center fielder John Shelby III. Taylor Green doubles (28) on a line drive to right fielder Jim Gallagher. Anderson Machado doubles (18) on a line drive to left fielder Tyler Kuhn. Taylor Green scores. Caleb Gindl doubles (26) on a fly ball to left fielder Tyler Kuhn. Anderson Machado scores. Coaching visit to mound. Dayton Buller doubles (5) on a ground ball to left fielder Tyler Kuhn. Caleb Gindl scores. Pitcher Change: Angel Garcia replaces Kyle McCulloch. Lee Haydel doubles (16) on a fly ball to right fielder Jim Gallagher. Dayton Buller scores. Lee Haydel out at 3rd, right fielder Jim Gallagher to second baseman C. Retherford to third baseman Dale Mollenhauer.

Two-part Nashville interview with Special Asst. to the GM Dan O'BrienDiscusses the rebuilt Brewer bullpen, courtesy of the Sounds; Mat Gamel, Martin Maldonado, Brendan Katin...

Chukars fall to another Brewers comeback Independent Record The Cardiac Kids were at it again Friday, as the Helena Brewers broke a 3-all tie in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the series opener against Idaho Falls 4-3 at Kindrick Legion Field. How the run scored, however, was one of the wildest plays Helena manager Joe Ayrault has seen. With Greg Hopkins at first base and a 2-2 count to Mike Walker, Idaho Falls reliever Mike Mariot threw a ball low in the dirt. Everyone, including Walker, thought it was ball four and Walker began walking to first base. Hopkins jogged to second, when catcher Travis Jones realized it was only ball three. Jones fired a throw to second, where nobody was covering, and Hopkins went all the way to third on the error. The Chukars got Walker out on the next pitch, a called third strike. Brandon Sizemore then struck an RBI double to score Hopkins for the winning run. “We swung the bats well early, I think we strung five hits in a row together in the second but only got a couple runs on that,” said Ayrault, whose team improves to 29-27, 10-8 in the Pioneer League’s second half. Helena starter Jose Oviedo threw four no-hit innings before giving up three runs in the fifth. Stosh Wawrzasek picked up his first win of the year in what Ayrault called his best outing. Wawrzasek fanned five through 2 1/3 innings, not giving up any runs, hits or walks. Brian Garman worked out of a bases-loaded jam, striking out Travis Jones for his seventh save. Brewers catcher Greg Ogrinc broke his nose on a play at the plate in the fifth inning. “It was the nastiest collision I’ve ever seen,” Ayrault said, adding that Ogrinc is day-to-day.

PDF Document: Huntsville Media Notes

Rattler Radio Blog: August 20, 2010: Game Notes August 20, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher August 20, 2010: Tonight's Lineup No Scooter....

A Timber Rattler "in the team photo" this week -- feel free to discuss.

PDF document: Nashville Media Notes

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Iowa 71 54 .568 - - 35-29 36-25 4-6 W1 Omaha 70 56 .556 1.5 18 32-27 38-29 8-2 W2 Memphis 69 57 .548 2.5 17 39-25 30-32 7-3 W2 Nashville 65 60 .520 6.0 14 34-30 31-30 5-5 W1 SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak * Tennessee 34 19 .642 - - 20-8 14-11 7-3 W1 Huntsville 28 25 .528 6.0 12 17-11 11-14 4-6 L1 Chattanooga 24 28 .462 9.5 9 12-15 12-13 7-3 W3 West Tenn 24 29 .453 10.0 8 11-11 13-18 4-6 L3 Carolina 23 30 .434 11.0 7 10-15 13-15 2-8 L2 FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tampa 33 18 .647 - - 17-8 16-10 6-4 W1 Daytona 32 21 .604 2.0 16 18-8 14-13 4-6 L1 Brevard County 31 23 .574 3.5 15 16-11 15-12 4-6 W1 Lakeland 26 26 .500 7.5 12 14-10 12-16 7-3 L1 Clearwater 23 31 .426 11.5 7 15-13 8-18 4-6 L1 * Dunedin 23 31 .426 11.5 7 12-14 11-17 5-5 W1 MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 32 19 .627 - - 11-14 21-5 7-3 L1 * Cedar Rapids 29 22 .569 3.0 - 15-11 14-11 6-4 L1 Clinton 28 23 .549 4.0 19 14-11 14-12 5-5 W1 Kane County 28 23 .549 4.0 18 16-9 12-14 4-6 W1 Beloit 26 23 .531 5.0 16 14-11 12-12 6-4 W2 Peoria 24 25 .490 7.0 16 12-13 12-12 5-5 L1 Wisconsin 24 28 .462 8.5 14 14-13 10-15 6-4 L3 Burlington 17 33 .340 14.5 7 11-13 6-20 2-8 W1 PIO North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Helena 9 8 .529 - - 5-4 4-4 5-5 W1 Missoula 9 9 .500 0.5 21 5-5 4-4 6-4 W2 Billings 8 9 .471 1.0 21 4-4 4-5 4-6 W1 * Great Falls 8 10 .444 1.5 20 5-3 3-7 3-7 L4 AZL Central Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak AZL Brewers 30 16 .652 - - 9-9 12-7 6-4 W3 AZL Dodgers 25 21 .543 5.0 5 10-9 10-6 7-3 L1 AZL Reds 25 22 .532 5.5 4 9-7 11-8 7-3 W3 AZL Indians 19 28 .404 11.5 E 7-12 9-8 0-10 L10 DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Mariners 42 26 .618 - - 23-11 19-15 6-4 W4 DSL Cardinals 38 30 .559 4.0 1 24-10 14-20 6-3 W2 DSL Athletics 30 39 .435 12.5 E 16-19 14-20 5-5 L3 DSL Brewers 27 42 .391 15.5 E 16-18 11-24 2-8 L2

Follow Friday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Tab or New Window". Choose "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Nashville (Gameday also available) Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Arizona Rookie (Maryvale) DSL Brewers

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Tim Dillard at home vs. Colorado Springs (Rockies), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Amaury Rivas at Birmingham (White Sox), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Cody Scarpetta at home vs. Lakeland (Tigers), 5:55 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime Live Audio Link Wisconsin: RHP Maverick Lasker at home vs. Beloit (Twins), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Jose Oviedo at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the pinkish hue Reds; 9:00 PM; never audio for games in this league DSL Brewers: at the DSL Athletics, 9:30 AM

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Link while active, text follows: Affiliation options are plenty for Oklahoma City RedHawks Bricktown Ballpark will be attractive for teams looking for partnership By Ryan Aber, newsok.com While the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox are two of the options for the RedHawks to partner with next baseball season, there are plenty of other big league organizations that figure to be available. As of now, 13 teams have player development contracts (PDC) that expire following this season, including Oklahoma City and the Texas Rangers. While some teams that have expiring deals are likely to renew their PDCs before the end of the season, Oklahoma City figures to have plenty of options. The RedHawks are seen as an attractive commodity for several reasons: *AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The park is 12 years old, but it's still among the best in Triple-A. *Oklahoma City is attractive for its central location, which would make it relatively easy to move players back and forth between the city and the big league team. While the Houston Astros were at one time considered a logical choice to move their affiliate to Oklahoma City, it now appears unlikely it will be that easy. Houston is currently affiliated with Round Rock, which is expected to become affiliated with Texas after the season. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan owns the Round Rock franchise and is part of the ownership group that recently purchased the Rangers. Houston was Oklahoma City's Triple-A affiliate from 1962-1972, when the 89ers played at All Sports Stadium. But the Astros' player development has been less than spectacular in recent years. Poor drafts, including 2007, when Houston failed to sign any of its picks before the fifth round, have hurt the organization. Baseball America had Houston last in its organizational rankings before the season. The Arizona Diamondbacks also were ranked low in Baseball America's list (No. 28) but could be a possibility for Oklahoma City if they decided to leave Reno. Arizona's affiliate had been in Tucson for the first 11 seasons of the big league team's existence, but the Tucson franchise moved to Reno last year in the final year of the club's player development contract. So the Diamondbacks figure to at least be open to the possibility of change. Toronto long had a similar cozy relationship with its Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse. But the Jays were left scrambling when Syracuse decided to go with the Washington Nationals two years ago because of Toronto's history of struggling teams at the Triple-A level. The Blue Jays wound up going with Las Vegas, by far the longest distance separating a major league club with its top affiliate. The first day a PDC can be signed with a team is Sept. 16, and deals must be made in two- or four-year increments. AT&T Bricktown Ballpark is one of the things that could be attractive to potential Major League Baseball partners for the RedHawks. PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN http://s3.amazonaws.com/newsok-photos/1102566/medium.jpg

HELENA — The Helena Brewers and Billings Mustangs will make up the two games which were rained out last week in a doubleheader on Tuesday, Aug. 31, at Kindrick Legion Field in Helena. The first game will start at 5:30 PM (6:30 Central). The Brewers and Mustangs were in the fourth inning of a game on Aug. 9 when rain interrupted play. The teams resumed the game the following night and Billings built a 3-0 lead before rain and lightning again halted play. The teams will resume the nine-inning first game at the point it was suspended and then play a full seven-inning game. The two are currently locked in a tight race for the Pioneer League North Division’s second-half title.

Link while active, text follows: Nashville's future as Triple-A town is going ... going ... Commentary by David Climer, THE TENNESSEAN When a new ownership group bought the Nashville Sounds in 2008, it spent $2.5 million on improvements to Greer Stadium. It was lipstick on a pig. And everybody knew it — the owners, the players, the fans. Greer Stadium opened in 1978. It is one of the oldest stadiums in Triple-A baseball. And even with the multi-million dollar improvements — which co-owner Frank Ward admitted was "a Band-Aid" — it is showing its age. With Greer Stadium far past its prime and with no major movement on construction of a new facility in the downtown area, Nashville baseball is at yet another crossroads. Get ready for change. The Milwaukee Brewers, whose Triple-A affiliate has called Nashville home since 2005, are expected to leave for greener pastures — and a nicer stadium — after this season. Beginning in early September, Major League Baseball has a 30-day window for its franchises to negotiate player-development contracts with affiliates. The likely landing spot for the Brewers' Triple-A team is Oklahoma City. It is unclear which major-league team will step in to align itself with Nashville for its Triple-A team. There are 13 teams whose player development contracts with Triple-A affiliates expire after this season. Branch Rickey, president of the Pacific Coast League of which the Sounds are a member, emphasized that Nashville is not in danger of losing its Triple-A status in the short term. "There is not a single person in his right mind in the Pacific Coast League that thinks Nashville is less than a Triple-A market," he said. "Nashville is one of the most prestigious markets in all of minor league baseball. "Nashville's not losing anything. Nashville is going forward, whether it is retaining the Brewers' affiliate or not." But Rickey acknowledges that aging Greer Stadium is a source of concern. "Is the Pacific Coast League moving out of Nashville? No. That's the furthest thing from our minds," he said before adding: "But we have a challenge." Nobody wants to say it, but there is the distinct possibility that at some point Nashville could lose its Triple-A baseball identity if a new stadium is not constructed. And while slipping back to Double-A ball might not seem like a big deal to many residents, it would be a blow to Nashville's sports credibility. Certainly, a city that serves as host to both NFL and NHL franchises does not pin its sports identity on whether its baseball team plays in Triple-A or Double-A. But since the Sounds moved up to Triple-A in 1985, backsliding to a lower classification would be a loss. Another way of looking at it: The Sounds hit the field at Greer Stadium in 1978 as a Double-A franchise. If Greer Stadium remains home base, the Sounds might eventually revert to Double-A status. Let's face it: Greer Stadium is no longer the premier baseball facility in town. Although its seating capacity is far less, Hawkins Field at Vanderbilt offers far more ambiance, as does Dugan Field at Lipscomb. When the Sounds were an affiliate of the New York Yankees in 1980-84, the late George Steinbrenner occasionally visited town and once referred to Greer Stadium as "quaint" and "a throw-back." Since then, however, quaint has given way to cracked concrete in the concourses. The guitar-shaped scoreboard may be a throw-back, but it lacks many of the bells and whistles of newer models. The solution, of course, is to build a state-of-the-art minor league park on the banks of the Cumberland River. A number of cities have found great success with downtown stadiums, both in terms of attendance and economic impact on nearby restaurants and nightspots. Indeed, there has been talk of a downtown stadium for about 15 years. Last November, the mayor's office confirmed that three sites were under consideration as locations for a new park. Sounds management hired a real estate attorney, a public relations firm and an architectural firm to formulate plans for a stadium. Of course, the devil is in the detail. And the biggest detail is money. In these difficult economic times, a big-ticket item like a new baseball stadium is a tough sell. But how many more layers of lipstick can you put on that pig?

Rather than place Nashville affiliation talk in the "Your 2010 Nashville Sounds" thread, we'll start an individual thread here, similar to Huntsville's, as new commentary has been posted -- Mass Haas wrote: This blog post indicates that the Brewers will likely have interest in Oklahoma City as a new AAA home come this fall. *** There is now an Oklahoma City newspaper article with additional speculation -- Nashville's loss could be RedHawks' gain By Ryan Aber, the Oklahoman Negotiations for a new stadium for the Triple-A Sounds have stalled. So the Brewers, currently affiliated with Nashville, could become the RedHawks' new parent club. The guitar-shaped scoreboard remains iconic at Nashville's Greer Stadium. Unfortunately for the Pacific Coast League's Nashville Sounds, the rest of the park is outdated. Opened in 1978, Greer Stadium is one of the oldest in the Pacific Coast League. While the stadium has gone through several renovations, talks about a new stadium for the Triple-A team that has been in the city since 1985 have stalled. That could leave an opening for Oklahoma City. The Sounds' player-development contract with the Milwaukee Brewers expires at the end of the season. Last month, a group including Nolan Ryan bought the Texas Rangers, virtually assuring the Rangers-RedHawks partnership would not be renewed. After nearly 30 years of having their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, the Rangers are expected to pair with Round Rock. Ryan also owns that team. Neither RedHawks officials nor any officials from major league teams can comment on possible affiliation changes until Sept. 2. The Brewers are among 13 teams whose PDCs with their Triple-A affiliates expire after this season. The Mariners extended their agreement with Tacoma through 2014 this week. The end of the regular season begins a one-month window for teams to negotiate PDCs with new clubs. Until then, teams can only renew their current deals. PDCs can be agreed to in either two- or four-year increments. Milwaukee does have some connections to the RedHawks. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin was the GM of the Rangers from 1994-2001. Also, former RedHawks pitching coach Lee Tunnell is now the Brewers' minor league pitching coordinator. If the Brewers were to change their affiliation to the RedHawks, it wouldn't only affect the players on the field but the style of play. Since the RedHawks are currently affiliated with an American League team, pitchers never hit when the RedHawks play. But with a National League affiliate, pitchers would hit when they play another NL team. Currently, the RedHawks are the only team in the American Southern Division that is not affiliated with an NL team, although Round Rock would be next year if it is affiliated with Texas. Seven other PCL teams have NL affiliates. While the Rangers have been stable with their Triple-A affiliate, the Brewers have had five top affiliates since 1987. Milwaukee has been affiliated with Nashville since 2005. Before that, the Brewers were affiliated with Indianapolis (2000-04), Louisville (1998-99), Tucson (1997) and Denver (1987-1996). Current Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, left, was the Texas Rangers' general manager from 1994-2001. Here he talks with former RedHawks manager DeMarlo Hale. Photo by The Oklahoman Archive http://s3.amazonaws.com/newsok-photos/1100355/medium.jpg

Listen to Luis Cruz' walkoff home run here, Stu Paul on the call.

We should all send Amber of the Independent Record a nice bouquet at seasons' end. Just fantastic covergae out of Helena again this year. Thank you Helena (and Appleton), as we're pretty much dry otherwise, newspaper-wise, that is.