Jim Goulart

This MEET THE 2010 HELENA BREWERS article lists Adrian Rosario, not LSU's Austin Ross. So swap one "AR" for another, for now.

Link while active, text follows: New-look Brewers welcome fresh start By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record The Helena Brewers begin their quest for their first Pioneer League title since 1996 on Monday, and as is the case most years, the Rookie League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers begins with a clean slate. Just six players on the opening 27-man roster spent any time in the Capital City last season, and a dozen of the players are fresh out of this month’s amateur draft. While weather has meant practice time has been sparse, the crew was able to get some workouts and game simulations in Thursday and Friday, and so far, new manager Joe Ayrault and the rest of his staff likes what they see. “I couldn’t ask for more from the first practices,” Ayrault said. “Good pitching, and the guys are swinging the bats real well.” For new players, it’s been a whirlwind, being drafted and immediately sent out to a place they’ve never been before. “It’s definitely different from where I came from,” said third baseman Mike Walker, who hails from California. “It’s beautiful though ... it’s weird to still see snow on the mountains in June, but it’s really nice. I’ve got great teammates so I’m having a blast so far.” Ayrault has emphasized team chemistry all week and reliever Rob Currie, who spent most of the 2009 season in Helena, already sees a difference from last year’s club, which finished 32-44 and had just five wins in its final 12 games. “This year’s team seems to be meshing a lot better than last year’s,” said Currie, who played college ball with Helena first baseman Cody Hawn’s buddies. “The better you know someone, the better you know their tendencies.” Ayrault said he had the players stand up and say a bit about themselves in the clubhouse on one of the rain-soaked days. “I’m big on team chemistry. The more you know about each other and can relate to one another, to me it’s just a better team concept,” he said. “My dad always said you join a baseball team and you form an instant bond with 25 of power, and I like his attitude. All these new guys that came in have good leadership qualities.” Outfielder John Bivens has also impressed, not just his coaches but teammates as well. “He’s a big guy, fast guy, real strong and just flies around the bases,” Walker said. “I think we’re going to have a solid club, we’ve got a lot of guys here passionate about the game.” “He can run, hit...just an athlete,” Ayrault said of the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bivens, who also played linebacker in college. Pitching The team simulated a game Thursday evening, the first day the guys donned baseball uniforms. Hiram Burgos, Tyler Cravy, Currie and Chad Robinson all saw some action on the mound. “I wasn’t happy with how I threw. I wasn’t locating like I can,” Currie said. “But it doesn’t count now. Once the season gets here then it counts.” Currie said the pitching staff made a handful of goals, which included minimizing walks and holding the running game. “Last year we weren’t successful with holding runners, especially as a relief staff,” he said. “We take pride in the goals that we set. As long as we achieve them, we’ll be happy.” Burgos pitched well Thursday, and Currie believes the team may have found their replacement for last year’s workhorse, Nick Bucci, who was 6-3 with a 4.41 ERA and led the team with 66 strikeouts. “His command seems to be back, which he said he struggled with early on,” Currie said of Burgos. “He’s going to be our workhorse, I think.” Pitching coach Elvin Nina said there is still any number of guys who could step up and be the team’s ace, with a ton of talent on the roster. “They all look pretty good,” he said. “We’ve got some good arms, good size...I think they’ll separate themselves once games get going. All guys are capable of being a workhorse here. “From the guys that came up with me from Arizona, Tyler Cravy, he continues to impress me every time out. He continues to improve every time he gets on the mound. His pitches are starting to be sharper, he’s having more command of the zone.” Milwaukee made it no secret what its focus is on at the big-league level, going heavy on pitchers and catchers in the June amateur draft. Ayrault said that trickles down through the minor leagues, and that defense is something he’ll stress. “Pitching and defense is what wins games,” he said, adding that the team will play to its own strengths. He hasn’t had the chance to do much scouting of the other Pioneer League teams, including the Brewers’ first opponent, Missoula. Last year, Helena’s pitching staff struggled, especially toward the end of the season. Brewers pitchers had a 4.79 ERA, sixth in the league. They gave up the most hits (730) and most homers (62) of any team. Nina said that had to do with the fact that a lot of them were coming right out of high school. “It was a grind for them, a learning experience,” he said. “They toughed it out, but got a bit tired. This year we should be in a little bit better shape, we’ve got an older, more experienced group. “We have a lot of blue-collar workers, that seems to the be the overall feel for the pitching staff here. It’s a very good thing. We should be excited about what we’ve got.” Batting What Helena doesn’t have is a lot of it’s plate production from last season, missing power-slugging first baseman Sean Halton, whose .354 batting average led players who appeared in at least five games. Scott Krieger, who led the team in homers and RBIs with 13 and 53, respectively, is also gone, as is Chris Ellington, a 10-homer hitter. That doesn’t concern hitting coach Ned Yost IV. “You hope these new guys can come in and fill those roles,” said Yost, adding that he sees Walker and Hawn as guys likely to step up. “(Turnover) is common at this level. You get used to somebody, you get to know them and before you know it they’re gone. That’s the way it is down here.” The Brewers were second-to-last in the Pioneer League batting average at the end of last season (.260 as a team), only slightly better than last-place Billings (.250). Still, they were third in the Pioneer League in homers with 46, but well behind Missoula, who pounded 80 long balls. And while the Brewers tied with Great Falls for the league lead in stolen bases, Helena batters also struck out more than any team other than Ogden. Fielding Last year’s team was also a bit error-prone, but Ayrault said that comes with the territory. “Errors are going to happen,” he said. “We go out and do our early work, defensive fundamentals, and make sure they know how we’re running our bunt plays, we’ll be fine.” Orem is the league’s defending champion, having won the title four times since 2004. No one knows for sure how good the Owlz will be this year, but it’s safe to say they always find a way to win games. “They always play well,” Yost said. “But honestly, I have no idea what the other teams are looking like.” Several of the teams around the league were just handed their rosters toward the end of the week, so only time will tell what the season holds. But the Brewers are happy with what they’ve seen so far and right now are focused on getting enough practice time in but also preventing injuries. “We’ve just got to stay healthy,” Yost said. Brewers' Hiram Burgos signals a play during a specialized pitcher practice session Friday at Kindrick Legion Field. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/4/01/e22/401e22a8-7c15-11df-8d89-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c1d7fbc23019.image.jpg Brewers' Tyler Thornburg scoops up a ground ball during a signaling practice scenario Friday at Kindrick Legion Field. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/8/f8/418/8f84183e-7c15-11df-a29a-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c1d804130737.image.jpg Brewers' Michael Melillo catches high speed curve balls during Friday's practice. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/d/81/f0f/d81f0f18-7c15-11df-aed1-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c1d80baf2607.image.jpg John Bivens practices bunting Friday at Kindrick Legion Field. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/d/87/986/d879860e-7c16-11df-9e7b-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c1d8268ea736.image.jpg

Link while active, text follows: Timber Rattlers Profile: Michael Marseco By Post-Crescent staff writer Mike Woods Michael Marseco file - Age: 23. - Position: Shortstop. - Bats/throws: Switch/right. - Height/weight: 5-10, 155. - Residence: Calera, Ala. - Notes: Selected in the 11th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 June draft. ... Attended Samford University, where he was a three-time, first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference pick. ... Was named OVC player of the year in 2008 after hitting .407, with five home runs and 46 RBI in 54 games. ... Had a 29-game hitting streak, which ranked fifth-best among all Division 1 players in 2008. ... Graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla). High School, where his team won a state championship. Favorites - Former major leaguer: "Ozzie Smith. I just like the way he did everything, from fielding to throwing, his attitude, his approach, his energy he brought to the field everyday." - Current player: "I'd have to go with Khris Davis from the Timber Rattlers, because he has a similar energy and a hard work ethic. But as far as MLB guys, you really can't go wrong with anyone. Everyone who is there has done something right." - Brewers player: "I'd have to go with Craig Counsell. I was a huge Marlins fan (Counsell played for the Marlins from 1997-99) back when they won their first World Series and he has always been one of my favorite players." - Sport other than baseball: "Racquetball. I play a lot in the offseason. It's good hand-eye coordination, good lateral movement stuff. Pretty similar to a lot of things you do in baseball. I actually played racquetball before I started baseball, it's always been a hobby." - Food: "A good slice of pizza is hard to beat. Sal's downtown is great. It's definitely my favorite." - Way to relax: "I just like to go to Barnes and Noble and read books, have a cup of coffee. That's about it for me." - Video game: "Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2." - Thing about Appleton: "I like everything about Appleton. I like the way the town is set up, how everything is in a pretty centralized location. The only thing I could complain about, from a baseball standpoint, is it's pretty windy some days." - Baseball memory: "Probably winning a state title in high school. That's pretty cliche for anyone that's ever won. But still I'd have to say that's my best memory." Q&A Q: You were born and raised in Florida, so are you a fan of the Gators, Seminoles or Hurricanes? A: None of the above. I don't like any of the Florida teams. I cheer for Alabama. Q: Isn't that kind of sacrilegious? A: No, it's not. All the Florida teams, they have enough bandwagon fans. I just never latched on to any of them. Q: Are you into the World Cup? A: I cheer for the USA. Anything the U.S. is involved in, you have to support the home team. Q: Do you have any outside interests? A: I've always wanted to be involved in a community job. Teaching, a fireman, a cop — anything that keeps you around people and not behind a desk. Q: If I were to take something, your glove or your bat, by which would you be most bothered? A: Oh, my glove. It would be like someone trying to steal your kid. I'm with it every day. It gets me through every game. It's my one, cherished baseball possession. Q: You're not the biggest guy in the world. Are you one of those guys who plays with an attitude that you have something to prove? A: You just have to play hard for yourself and the team. And then anyone who notices that you are small and are a good player, it's just an added bonus. But when you're out on the field, you're not thinking about that. Q: You had a little pop in your bat in college. Have you come close to hitting a home run in professional baseball? A: I have 14 career minor-league balls off the wall — not that I'm counting. But, I'm counting. Q: What was having a 29-game hitting streak in college like? A: It was awesome. I was, obviously, in a good spot, as far as my approach to hitting. Every game, I'd just tell myself to have a good approach. You can't control anything other than putting a good swing on each pitch that you commit to. That's really the only approach I had. Q: What's the hardest part of playing minor-league baseball? A: Just staying focused and bringing your best game to the field every single day. There's a lot of downtime in the clubhouse, a lot of downtime at the field. If you're not 100 percent committed to a routine and having checkpoints to get you through every day, mentally, it's going to wear you out. Q: You were able to pitch against Peoria last year and had a one-two-three inning. What was that like? A: I love pitching. I've got two pitches right now and there's a third one in the works. I think it's the most competitive part of baseball. You get to be involved in every play, and the adrenaline I feel on the pitcher's mound, you can't compare many things to it. It's absolutely a rush. I love it. The tool box Timber Rattlers hitting coach Matt Erickson breaks down Michael Marseco's skills: - Fielding and throwing: "He's a defensive-minded kid. He's made some unbelievable plays at shortstop. He's our true staple on this team in the infield. We saw some of it last year in some of the plays he made. I like to nickname him 'Spider Monkey' — he just seems to torque his body in ways and gets to balls you don't think he's going to get to. And he's accurate with his throws. There's no question that his defense will keep him around." - Hitting: "On the offensive side, we have some work to do, obviously. There's been improvement this year. Last year, it was kind of a struggle to get him to understand what kind of hitter he needs to be. Kind of be the control guy, where you move runners, situational-hitting kind of thing. "We tried to spread him out most of last year and he was real uncomfortable with that. He was very narrow, big stride. Coming out of college, that's the way he hits a lot of the time. He really struggled, especially with off-speed pitches, and hit a lot of balls in the air. Obviously, with his size, he's not going to do a lot of damage with balls in the air, especially with the wooden bat. "But he's a joy to work with. Every day, he comes in here and we do some things. We've got him spread out. He believes in that. He believes that he has to be a middle-to-other-way guy to have success. And now it's just a matter of executing that. There have been spurts where he has been pretty good and he has been one of our tougher outs in our lineup. It's a matter of him believing in the work and the process to help him get better." - Speed: "He's got pretty good speed. I'd say he has average speed. He can move a little bit. When he's on the base paths, he can put pressure on the defense."

Link while active, text follows: Frustrating year for Stars righty helped out with 15-8 rout John Turner, The Huntsville Times Josh Butler's first big league camp this spring didn't go anything like he'd hoped. What followed hasn't, either. But on Saturday, it all came together for the Huntsville starting pitcher and the rest of the Stars. All it took was pitching against some of his former teammates. Butler did not allow an earned run over his 5 2?3 innings against Montgomery, and Huntsville continued to deny the Biscuits a South Division-clinching win on the back of an 11-run, 10-hit fourth inning that turned into a 15-8 win. Eight consecutive men reached base that inning, and 16 players batted. By that time, Butler's only worry was a sore backside because he'd been sitting so long. "The inning took a long time, but you can't complain when you get that many runs," Butler said. "It makes it easy to pitch." Nothing has gone smoothly for the 6-foot-5, 205-pound pitcher this year. After a banner 2009 where he pitched in every classification - including three games for Milwaukee - Butler (1-3) went to spring training this year expecting to make the Brewers' opening day roster. Instead, he was shelved for the first two months of the season with elbow inflammation. Since returning from the disabled list and being optioned in late May, the 25-year-old started 0-3 record with a 5.68 ERA for the Stars. "It was definitely frustrating," Butler said. "Going into spring training with it being my first big league camp and having a new pitching coach, I didn't really get to showcase what I could do for them. "Today was the first day it felt like the ball was coming out of my hand like it was coming out last year." Butler - who was traded from Tampa Bay for former Auburn two-sport star Gabe Gross - had his entire repertoire working Saturday, mixing a mid-90s fastball with an overhand curve, filthy slider and change-up. He also got a handful of help from his teammates. Brett Lawrie went 5-for-6 with a long homer, three RBIs and four runs scored; Chuckie Caufield went 3-for-4 with three RBIs; and Steffan Wilson was 3-for-6 with four RBIs. Zelous Wheeler, Taylor Green, Dayton Buller and Lee Haydel added two hits apiece. Every Stars starter had a hit except their best hitter, Lorenzo Cain. "It's an awesome feeling seeing everybody do this," said Caufield, who has seven hits and nine RBIs in the past two games. "We're trying to get some momentum for the second half, and maybe we can make a run at it." Huntsville will enjoy Butler for as long as it has him, which may not be long if he continues pitching like this. "I just have had to keep my head high and work my way back," Butler said. "I'm going to do what I can here and just see where they put me."

Nashville catcher Martin Maldonado's lone hit Saturday night, a 2nd inning bunt single, snapped his 0-for-24 streak. Combined with catcher Patrick Arlis' current 0-for-16 stretch since Maldonado's last hit on June 5th, Sounds catchers snapped an 0-for-40 drought with that bunt single last night. Guess I don't need to mention Angel Salome here -- oops, just did....

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. - The Stars offense took off for an 11-run inning en route to a 15-8 demolition of the Montgomery Biscuits Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars got on the board early in the game with a leadoff double by designated hitter Brett Lawrie. With Zelous Wheeler at the plate, Lawrie stole third. Wheeler drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Biscuits starter Jake McGee. A fielding error put Steffan Wilson on first and brought Lawrie home. Chuckie Caufield hit a double to left field to score Wheeler. Andy Machado grounded out to end the inning. Lawrie got on base again in the second with a single to center field. A throwing error by McGee sent him to third base. A fielding error, the Biscuits third of the game, scored Lawrie. The Stars blew it open in the fourth, with a leadoff single by Dayton Buller. Lee Haydel and Lawrie hit back-to-back singles, scoring Buller. Lorenzo Cain got on base by fielder's choice, with the Biscuits catcher getting Haydel out at the plate. Wheeler hit a double to right-center field to score Lawrie and Cain. That would be the end of the night for McGee (2-5), who tossed 3.1 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits. He walked one and struck out two. Reliever Heath Rollins was unable to stop the Stars barrage of hits as the first batter he faced, Steffan Wilson, hit a double to left field to score Wheeler. Taylor Green hit a single to get on base. Red-hot Chuckie Caufield hit a triple to score Wilson and Green. Machado drew a walk followed by a RBI-single for Buller, his second at-bat of the inning. A ground out by Lawrie scored Machado and advanced Buller and Haydel. Cain drew a walk to load the bases. Wheeler, who is 0-for-2 with bases loaded, got ball four to score Buller. Rollins was replaced by former Brewer farmhand Dane De La Rosa after just a third of an inning, surrendering seven runs on just five hits. De La Rosa surrendered a single to Wilson, the first batter he faced, to score Haydel and Cain. Taylor Green struck out to finally end the inning, after 10 hits and 11 runs. The Biscuits scored on a fielding error in the sixth and added two more in the seventh on a home run by Emeel Salem. Brett Lawrie hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, his sixth of the year. He was just a triple short of hitting for the cycle. He currently leads the Southern League in triples with nine. The Stars defense had a difficult time getting the final out of the game. With reliever Nick Green on the mound, he gave up a single to De La Cruz followed by a wild pitch and a walk. A ground out scored De La Cruz and advanced Salem to third. Two more runs scored on a single by Matt Sweeny, making it 15-7. One final run scored before Green got Albernaz to ground out to end the game. Stars starter Josh Butler (1-3) threw 5.2 innings, giving up one run (unearned) on three hits. He walked five and struck out three. Relievers Robert Hinton and Green combined for 3.1 innings of relief, allowing seven runs (all three earned runs charged to Hinton) on eight hits. They walked one and struck out three. The Stars and Biscuits face off again tomorrow for game five of the five-game series. The Stars will send southpaw Chris Cody to the mound. Game time is set for 1:00 PM CST.

This intrepid Link Reporter is offline until Sunday morning -- and thank you again to the TheCrew07 who will complete your evening later on, but dare I say that a current glance at the boxes has the organization poised for a clean sweep in a very good way tonight (I have the Brewers game paused at the beginning on DVR -- go, Yo!). Here's hoping....enjoy your evening!

Final: DSL Brewers 9, DSL Cardinals 8 A grand slam walk-off five-run 9th inning win! DSL Brewers Box Score Catcher Orton Rodriguez connects on a pinch-hit two-out walk-off grand slam, and dancing ensued! Managerial genius? It's not like L/R factored into the pinch-hit decision; 6'6" RHP Jairo Mejia gets the win and maintains his 0.00 ERA after four relief outings; speaking of tall, 6'7" LH starter Eliezer Montano managed to get through five uneven innings (including four wild pitches); Brewer pitchers walked 12, Brewer batters fanned 14 times, Brewer fielders committed four errors -- and that spells victory! DSL Brewers Game Log This game log is like a "Man vs. Food" episode -- do you dare devour every morsel? Or, like me, jump to the finish line... DSL Brewers Bottom 9th Defensive Substitution: Luis Perez replaces catcher Fernando Baez, batting 5th, playing catcher. Pitcher Change: Christian Concepcion replaces Delvi Rodriguez. Ruben Sanchez walks. Allixon Cequea walks. Ruben Sanchez to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Arturo Toribio replaces Christian Concepcion. Hitaniel Arias doubles (4) on a fly ball to right fielder Ronard Castillo. Ruben Sanchez scores. Allixon Cequea to 3rd. Juan De Leon pops out to first baseman Jorge Lopez. Jose Pena walks. Pitcher Change: Edouard Estalis replaces Arturo Toribio. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Erickson Salaya replaces Hitaniel Arias. Jose R. Garcia pops out to second baseman Robelys Reyes. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Orton Rodriguez replaces Carlos Pena. Orton Rodriguez hits a grand slam (1) to left center field. Allixon Cequea scores. Erickson Salaya scores. Jose Pena scores.

Thanks for the reminder on Luis Guerrero. Yes, out all season. Toby, somewhere in my notes I knew to release Jaime King, can't locate it now. You're thinking of a player named Heri (no "N") Olivo. He never passed the Brewers' signing guidelines. However, he's on a Yankees squad this season. That leaves Linares and Rivero -- earlier this offseason I know Rivero was on a restricted list. For now, both players remain on our DSL Player Index filter. Actually, we're unsure about OF Juan Barrini as well, I believe. Lastly, did we see a formal report of Kankel signing? Yes, he's a college senior, but I imagine he could always look at other career choices. We bolded him on our Draft Signing thread, but the Brewers page lists him as unsigned.

Rattler Radio: June 19, 2010: Game Notes June 19, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher June 19, 2010: Starting Lineup PLAY BALL!

Rattler Radio on Friday night's cancellation -- yikes to these photos! That was a weird night

PDF document: Nashville Media Notes Details on the make-up dates for the rained-out doubleheader this past week...

We discussed many of the Maryvale names above in the "Who's not in Helena?" post. We guess the easiest way for you all to review the Maryvale roster is to click on this link, which is the Maryvale team link that is available from the Brewerfan home page. (You see, we have created all the Player Index pages for the new signees to make this possible.) Notice that you can sort by position, age, etc. So these kids will play in intense daytime heat before crowds smaller than those that watched their J-V high school games five-to-eight years ago. But there are storylines. Will catcher Jhonatan Javier carry over his offensive prowess as one of the first DSL Brewers to transition to stateside ball? Catcher Tyler Roberts (10th round, 2009) impressed as a high school pick in Maryvale last year. LHP Marques Kyles is already 24 years old, but could the 6'9" 48th round pick be more than a curiosity and courtesy pick for Stan Kyles? Hulking first basemen always intrigue -- 250 lb. 32nd round pick Jason Rogers qualifies. That, and the earlier post, pretty much cover the Maryvale storylines. Please excuse any discrepancies that may come up at the last minute. OK, have at it, fans....

Your Helena roster (pitchers): In a bit of a surprise, this is where you'll find 2008 supplemental 1st round LHP Evan Frederickson -- who knows in what mound role, but we wish Evan well, it would be a tremendous story to see real evidence of progress from Evan, who will be 24 in September. The only other mound lefty is 17th round University of Cincinnati product Brian Garman, expected to pitch in relief. Nice to see 2008 2nd round RHP Seth Lintz on the squad -- you'd imagine in one of the rotation spots (tamdem in some form). Returnees from past seasons in the Brewer system are RHP's Hiram Burgos, Tyler Cravy, Robert Currie, Chad Robinson, and Stosh Wawrzasek. This will be the first action for Cravy and Wawrzasek above the Maryvale level. Highlighting the 2010 draft class in Helena will be 3rd round pick Tyler Thornburg (Charleston Southern), 5th round pick Matt Miller (Michigan), and 8th round pick Austin Ross (LSU). You'll also see 6'4", 235 lb. 23rd round pick Ryan Bernal, the Florida Atlantic draftee, and 6'6" 27th round pick Alex Jones, out of Jacksonville (AL) State. That's 13 pitchers for the opening day roster -- don't be surprised to hear about additional names there in the next day or two. Wait for Arizona League roster posts shortly, then feel free to share your initial reactions.

Your Helena roster (position players): Catchers -- 23-year-old's, undrafted Brent Dean and Tony Pechek, along with 22-year-old 2010 31st round pick Michael Melillo will form an unheralded group while the younger backstops remain in Maryvale Middle Infielders -- Returnees from the Brewer system in 2009 are Brandon Sizemore, Connor Lind, and Carlos George, who already began the season in Wisconsin. Washington State's Shea Vucinich (2010, 20th round) joins the group. Corner Infielders -- 21-year-old 2010 6th round pick Cody Hawn is among three college prospects, along with Pacific's Mike Walker (14th round) and Greg Hopkins out of St. John's (24th round). Technically, each is a third baseman, someone will likely have to transition to first base. Outfielders -- Franklin Romero, Jr. is down from his earlier Timber Rattler stint; he'll join three college signees -- 12th round pick John Bivens, 42nd round selection John Dishon, and non-drafted free agent Reggie Keen. Cody Hawn is the only player in this group who was a top ten pick. Two of the catchers (Pechek and Melillo) are switch-hitters, and Hawn, Walker and Bivens are LH bats. That's a lot more R/L flexibility than we've seen in Helena in recent campaigns -- heck, we've seen all RH teams there. Thankfully, we won't see three catchers manning outfield spots, as was the case in a recent H-Crew season. This appears to be a team that's capable of being pretty sound based on all the Division I college experience, but it's not a group with a lot of lofty press clippings or draft status. But we always get pumped for the Helena season, so bring it on, boys. Make yourselves proud. Pitching staff next...

MiLB.com won't have the Helena and Maryvale rosters online until some time Monday, when their seasons begin, but we can tell you who is on each squad now -- their may be some late adjustments, so let's call this 97% accurate. This first Saturday post will focus on players you may be surprised aren't in Helena -- we'll follow that up with a post on the Helena squad, and then review the Maryvale roster. *** 2008 2nd round pick Southern Illinois University RHP Cody Adams is not in Helena. In mid-July last season, while with Wisconsin, he was suspended for 50 games (the remainder of the season) for amphetamines use. Technically, if he were ready to go, you'd think the suspenion is technically over. Who knows in what manner, if at all, the 23-year-old will show up this season. 2009 1st round RHP Eric Arnett is still in Maryvale. So he'll be refining his game in Arizona, not Montana. 2009 2nd round pick OF Max Walla and 2009 8th round OF Chad Stang are not in Helena. 2008 Alabama high school RHP Blake Billings looks to begin a third campaign in Maryvale. Billings, now 20 years old, has made 20 appearances, half of them starts, in Arizona the last two seasosn. Another youngster, 3B Wayne Dedrick, posted a .622 OPS in 176 Maryvale AB's last season. With a heavy influence of 2010 college draft picks dotting the Helena infield, Dedrick will begin play in Maryvale again. INF Mike Brownstein, RHP Adrian Rosario, and LHP Kristian Bueno all ended 2009 on injured lists, and are not on Helena's Opening Day roster. It may prove difficult to get accurate injury status reports on these players early on. Rosario and Bueno did appear in minor league spring training games. Group Brett Whiteside in this category, it's believed he was making a formal transition from C/1B to pitcher. Whiteside is coming back from 2009 Tommy John surgery. If indeed RHP Luis Guerrero is again with the Crew, he could be a rare player entering a 4th full year in Maryvale. He turns 20 on Sunday (tomorrow the 20th), and his best year remains his age 17 2007 season. If you were hoping to catch 2009 4th round RHP Brooks Hall, the touted South Carolina high school product who turns 20 next week, he looks to make his professional debut in Maryvale. Having just turned 22, RHP Pedro Lambertus, suspended 50 games early in 2009 for performance-enhancing substance use, later to make 16 appearances for the Timber Rattlers, is not on the Helena roster. As we noted this week, 19-year-old Demetrius McKelvie will work on a transition from outfield to first base while on the Maryvale squad. It's important to note that some of the names above could possibly belong in the injury paragraph based on happenings during extended spring training. Please sit tight on comments until after the next two posts.

DSL S.D. North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak DSL Cardinals 12 6 .667 - - 9-1 3-5 7-3 W4 DSL Athletics 9 9 .500 3.0 52 5-4 4-5 4-6 W1 DSL Mariners 8 9 .471 3.5 52 5-4 3-5 6-4 L1 DSL Brewers 6 11 .353 5.5 50 4-3 2-8 3-7 L4

MID Western Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Cedar Rapids 41 24 .631 - - 23-7 18-17 5-5 L3 Quad Cities 39 28 .582 3.0 - 23-11 16-17 5-5 L3 Peoria 37 30 .552 5.0 1 22-10 15-20 7-3 W2 Clinton 36 30 .545 5.5 1 21-15 15-15 5-5 W1 Beloit 35 31 .530 6.5 E 17-15 18-16 7-3 W3 Kane County 32 35 .478 10.0 E 18-14 14-21 6-4 W2 Wisconsin 24 42 .364 17.5 E 13-22 11-20 4-6 L1 Burlington 21 45 .318 20.5 E 10-24 11-21 2-8 L1

FSL North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Dunedin 39 27 .591 - - 16-16 23-11 5-5 L1 Tampa 35 29 .547 3.0 1 18-16 17-13 6-4 L1 Lakeland 35 31 .530 4.0 1 18-15 17-16 3-7 L1 Clearwater 34 32 .515 5.0 E 19-15 15-17 4-6 W1 Daytona 32 34 .485 7.0 E 14-21 18-13 7-3 W1 Brevard County 25 40 .385 13.5 E 14-19 11-21 5-5 W1

PCL American North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Omaha 36 30 .545 - - 19-19 17-11 6-4 W2 Iowa 37 31 .544 - - 19-16 18-15 7-3 W1 Memphis 36 31 .537 0.5 77 17-12 19-19 5-5 L3 Nashville 36 31 .537 0.5 77 17-14 19-17 4-6 W3

SOU North Club W L PCT GB *ELIM # Home Away L 10 Streak Tennessee 41 26 .612 - - 18-17 23-9 7-3 W1 West Tenn 39 28 .582 2.0 1 16-17 23-11 5-5 W1 Chattanooga 31 36 .463 10.0 E 16-17 15-19 6-4 L1 Huntsville 31 37 .456 10.5 E 13-20 18-17 4-6 W2 Carolina 30 37 .448 11.0 E 16-17 14-20 5-5 W1

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 DSL Brewers

Saturday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Doug Davis in a rehab start at home vs. Oklahoma City (Rangers), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Josh Butler at home vs. Montgomery (Rays), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: TBD at Lakeland (Tigers), 5:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... Wisconsin: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at Kane County (Athletics), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Cardinals, 9:30 AM

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Another non-drafted free agent signs -- Danville, VA Newspaper report: Reggie Keen signs minor-league deal with Brewers Former George Washington High standout Reggie Keen, who just completed his senior season at Radford University, has signed a free-agent deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Keen will report to the Helena (Mont.) Brewers, Milwaukee’s rookie-level affiliate in the Pioneer League. Helena is scheduled to begin its season June 21. A second-team all-Big South selection, Keen finished the season hitting .353 and had career-highs of six homers, 49 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. He finished his career with a .355 average, the fourth-best in school history. Keen was named Big South Player of the Week on April 26 and was the first player in Radford program history to steal 30 bases in a season. OF Reggie Keen Player Profile Page from the Radford University Site