Jim Goulart

Yellow highlight represents a just-announced minor league free agent (2010 season's end) Baltimore: Corey Patterson, MLB Dennis Sarfate, AAA Boston: Mike Cameron, MLB Bill Hall, MLB Scott Schoeneweis, MLB (since released) Marco Scutaro, MLB Chad Paronto, AAA Mark Holliman, High-A Patrick Ryan, High-A Chicago White Sox: Scott Linebrink, MLB Greg Aquino, AAA Cleveland: Michael Brantley, MLB Matt LaPorta, MLB Saul Rivera, AAA Omar Aguilar, AA Rob Bryson, AA Detroit: Max St. Pierre, MLB Andy Bouchie, AAA Ruddy Lugo, AAA (since released) Kansas City: Jason Kendall, MLB Scott Podsednik, MLB Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Luis Figueroa, AAA Ryan Houston, AAA Minnesota: J.J. Hardy, MLB New York Yankees: CC Sabathia, MLB Chad Moeller, MLB Steve Garrison, AA Josh Romanski, High-A Oakland: Craig Breslow, MLB Gabe Gross, MLB Ben Sheets, MLB Adam Heether, AAA San Francisco: Chuck Lofgren, AAA Seattle: Russell Branyan, MLB Chris Woodward, MLB Jamey Wright, MLB Eliezer Alfonzo, AAA Brad Nelson, AAA Wes Littleton, AA Steve Bray, AA Steve Palazzolo, AA (since released) Tom Wilhelmsen, Low-A Tampa Bay: Grant Balfour, MLB Randy Choate, MLB Gabe Kapler, MLB Joe Dillon, AAA Joe Bateman, AAA Brian Shouse, AAA R.J. Swindle, AAA Dane De La Rosa, AA Texas: Nelson Cruz, MLB Matt Treanor, MLB Jesus Colome, AAA Hernan Iribarren, AAA Guilder Rodriguez, AA Toronto: Lyle Overbay, MLB Zach Jackson, AAA Callix Crabbe, AAA Arizona: Cole Gillespie, MLB Carlos Corporan, AAA Roque Mercedes, AA Atlanta: J.C. Boscan, MLB Josh Anderson, AAA (since released) Alejandro Machado, AA (since released) Ryan Barba, High-A (since released) Chicago Cubs: Mark Johnson, AAA Cincinnati: Francisco Cordero, MLB Laynce Nix, MLB Justin Lehr, AAA Mark James, Low-A (since released) Colorado: Jorge De La Rosa, MLB Florida: Wes Helms, MLB Jorge Sosa, MLB Mike Lamb, AAA Mike Rivera, MLB Nic Ungs, AAA Vinny Rottino, AA Houston: Jason Bourgeois, MLB Nelson Figueroa, MLB Carlos Lee, MLB Michael Garciaparra, AAA (since released) Freddy Parejo, AA Edwin Walker, High-A Kristian Bueno, Rookie Los Angeles Dodgers: Ronnie Belliard, MLB (since DFA'd) Jay Gibbons, MLB Trent Oeltjen, MLB Jeff Weaver, MLB J.D. Closser, AAA Claudio Vargas, AAA New York Mets: Henry Blanco, MLB Frank Catalanotto, MLB (since released) Elmer Dessens, MLB R.A. Dickey, MLB Brian Bruney, AAA Adam Pettyjohn, AAA Derrick Ellison, AA Philadelphia: Ozzie Chavez, AAA Chris Duffy, AAA (since released) Brian Mazone, AAA Ty Taubenheim, AAA Pittsburgh: Dana Eveland, AAA Kevin Melillo, AAA Eric Fryer, High-A San Diego: Mike Adams, MLB Tony Gwynn, MLB Matt Stairs, MLB Joe Thatcher, MLB Jody Gerut, AAA (since released) Will Inman, AAA Eric Munson, AAA (since released) Kyle Phillips, AAA San Francisco: Darren Ford, MLB Guillermo Mota, MLB Matt Kinney, AAA St. Louis: Felipe Lopez, MLB Jeff Suppan, MLB Washington: Chris Coste, MLB (injured, yet to play in 2010) Kevin Mench, MLB Ron Villone, AAA (since released) Francisco Plasencia, High-A (since released)

PDF document: Nashville Media Notes

MID Western (click column headers to sort) Club W L PCT GB Home Away L 10 Streak Beloit 22 15 .595 - 10-8 12-7 5-5 L1 Quad Cities 22 15 .595 - 12-6 10-9 6-4 W1 Peoria 22 16 .579 0.5 14-5 8-11 4-6 W1 Cedar Rapids 20 17 .541 2.0 11-4 9-13 7-3 L3 Kane County 19 18 .514 3.0 12-7 7-11 6-4 L1 Clinton 19 19 .500 3.5 10-9 9-10 7-3 W3 Burlington 13 24 .351 9.0 7-12 6-12 3-7 L1 Wisconsin 12 25 .324 10.0 8-14 4-11 3-7 W1

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 22 13 .629 - 8-7 14-6 W1 Iowa 18 18 .500 4.5 7-10 11-8 L1 Memphis 18 18 .500 4.5 11-7 7-11 W2 Omaha 17 18 .486 5.0 6-12 11-6 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 22 14 .611 - 9-11 13-3 W1 West Tenn 20 16 .556 2.0 7-12 13-4 W5 Huntsville 18 18 .500 4.0 6-10 12-8 L1 Carolina 17 20 .459 5.5 8-9 9-11 W5 Chattanooga 15 21 .417 7.0 10-10 5-11 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearwater 24 13 .649 - 14-6 10-7 W1 Dunedin 21 16 .568 3.0 7-10 14-6 L1 Lakeland 19 17 .528 4.5 10-9 9-8 W1 Tampa 18 18 .500 5.5 9-11 9-7 W1 Brevard County 14 22 .389 9.5 7-13 7-9 L1 Daytona 14 23 .378 10.0 4-12 10-11 L2

Follow Monday'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 Game One (Gameday also available) Nashville Game Two (Gameday also available) Huntsville Game One (Gameday also available) Huntsville Game Two (Gameday also available) Brevard County

Not just a day off for Wisconsin, but a rare day off in the middle of a homestand. Hopefully, everyone involved in on-field activities with the club is enjoying a day away from baseball. *** Also a note to friends and family of Manatee players, Palm Beach is among the very few Florida State League clubs that provide all-season audio, so enjoy, if even from the Cardinals' perspective.

Monday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Kameron Loe and LHP Chris Waters in a doubleheader at home vs. Portland (Padres), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Mark Rogers and LHP Chris Cody in a doubleheader at home vs. Tennessee (Cubs), 4:45 PM pre-game; 5:00 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Live Audio Link Brevard County: LHP Dan Merklinger at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link (Cardinals' feed) Wisconsin: Idle

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All Rattlers, all the time: More from Brett's blog post, including below, click link for Stat Pack notes on iron man D'Vontrey Richardson and such -- Rattlers starter Kyle Heckathorn also impressed, allowing five hits and an unearned run through six strong innings in no-decision. Six of the first nine outs he recorded were groundouts as the right-hander showed excellent command in lowering his ERA to 3.91. “The key with him, we’re just trying to get him to throw the ball downhill,” Rattlers pitching coach Chris Hook said. “The first three innings, he really buried the ball down and they couldn’t do much when you’re throwing 94 miles an hour with sink. … Overall, an outstanding job. “The slider came along a little bit today. He only had three Ks, but it showed some life and explosion, and we really hadn’t seen that yet.” *** Post-Crescent photo gallery with several nice shots Kyle Heckathorn is one big dude... *** Brad rocks us again with his first-hand report and photos as the boys display the Brewer powder blues... *** Link Report Bonus: Twins GM Smith cherishes his Appleton years

Link while active, text follows: Timber Rattlers rally in eighth inning for victory By Brett Christopherson, Post-Crescent staff writer Finally a clutch hit. Michael Marseco ignited the rally with a triple, while Scooter Gennett’s two-out single to right scored the go-ahead run to highlight a three-run eighth inning as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied for a 3-1 Midwest League victory over Beloit on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. The win soothed the sting from Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Snappers – a game that saw the Rattlers strand a season-high 13 runners and collect just one hit in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position. “There wasn’t much offense going into that inning,” Rattlers manager Jeff Isom said. “Marseco’s triple was definitely a spark for us. He got it by the first baseman, who was playing on the line for no doubles and he got it by him. And we got clutch hitting from (Scooter) Gennett. Great timing. He’s been swinging the bat extremely well. “We moved (Gennett) down to the three-hole, hoping he can get some more opportunities for RBIs, and he came through right there.” Marseco’s hit was an opposite field shot that rolled down the first base line with the Snappers leading 1-0. He later scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by D’Vontrey Richardson as Beloit tried to turn a double play on a grounder that Richardson was able to beat out. Cutter Dykstra followed with another single to set up Gennett’s game-winner – a single to right that pushed Richardson in from second. Dykstra would eventually score on a wild pitch to cap the inning as the Rattlers snapped a three-game losing skid. “I was just trying to put the ball in play, trying to make something happen,” said Gennett, who’s hitting a team-best .349. “Fortunately enough for us, it ended up working out.” Not much had worked up until that point. Beloit starter Mike Tonkin faced the minimum through the first five innings and didn’t surrender a hit until Marseco lined a one-out single through the middle in the sixth. The right-hander exited after seven scoreless innings, finishing with three Ks and scattering only three hits. “We know we’re going to hit,” Gennett said. “Really, it’s just timely hitting – getting the big hit when we need it. When Marseco got the no-no taken out, a little bit of pressure was lifted off of us. It was just then getting that run in and getting the big hit.” Rattlers starter Kyle Heckathorn also impressed, allowing five hits and an unearned run through six strong innings in no-decision. Six of the first nine outs he recorded were groundouts as the right-hander showed excellent command in lowering his ERA to 3.91. “The key with him, we’re just trying to get him to throw the ball downhill,” Rattlers pitching coach Chris Hook said. “The first three innings, he really buried the ball down and they couldn’t do much when you’re throwing 94 miles an hour with sink. … Overall, an outstanding job. “The slider came along a little bit today. He only had three Ks, but it showed some life and explosion, and we really hadn’t seen that yet.” The idle Rattlers resume their homestand on Tuesday, when they open a three-game set against Peoria.

Brevard County starting pitcher David Riske, on a rehab assignment from Milwaukee, gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits in two innings of work against Palm Beach on Sunday evening. The Manatees lost 9-2 to the Cardinals. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography) http://indianapolis.indians.milb.com/images/2010/05/16/r9ncWvkI.jpg

The open roster spot in Huntsville is filled by reliever Jim Henderson, off the DL after the minimum seven-day stay.

Sounds site: Getting To Know Pitcher Tim Dillard

Fans, check for updated links shortly before game time for media notes -- PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes Huntsville Media Notes *** Rattler Radio Game notes Today's pitchers Starting lineup Cutter Dykstra getting his first action at 3B today and hitting second.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 22 13 .629 - 8-7 14-6 W1 Iowa 18 17 .514 4.0 7-10 11-7 W6 Omaha 17 17 .500 4.5 6-12 11-5 W2 Memphis 17 18 .486 5.0 10-7 7-11 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 22 14 .611 - 9-11 13-3 W1 West Tenn 19 16 .543 2.5 7-12 12-4 W4 Huntsville 18 18 .500 4.0 6-10 12-8 L1 Carolina 16 20 .444 6.0 7-9 9-11 W4 Chattanooga 15 21 .417 7.0 10-10 5-11 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearwater 23 13 .639 - 14-6 9-7 L2 Dunedin 21 15 .583 2.0 7-9 14-6 W5 Lakeland 18 17 .514 4.5 10-9 8-8 L1 Tampa 18 18 .500 5.0 9-11 9-7 W1 Brevard County 14 21 .400 8.5 7-12 7-9 W1 Daytona 14 22 .389 9.0 4-11 10-11 L1

MID Western (click column headers to sort) Club W L PCT GB Home Away L 10 Streak Beloit 22 14 .611 - 10-8 12-6 5-5 W3 Quad Cities 21 15 .583 1.0 12-6 9-9 6-4 L2 Peoria 21 16 .568 1.5 14-5 7-11 3-7 L1 Cedar Rapids 20 16 .556 2.0 11-4 9-12 7-3 L2 Kane County 19 17 .528 3.0 12-6 7-11 7-3 W2 Clinton 18 19 .486 4.5 9-9 9-10 7-3 W2 Burlington 13 23 .361 9.0 7-11 6-12 3-7 W1 Wisconsin 11 25 .306 11.0 7-14 4-11 2-8 L3

Follow Sunday'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

Sunday's Daily Menu: A rare Sunday with no big league game conflict -- a blessing given the Miller Park misery of late! Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Kameron Loe at home vs. Portland (Padres), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Tennessee (Cubs), 12:45 PM pre-game; 1:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Wily Peralta at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 4:50 PM pre-game; 5:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link (Stephen C. Smith with the scheduled broadcast via SpaceCoastBaseball.com) Wisconsin: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at home vs. Beloit (Twins), 12:50 PM pre-game; 1:05 gametime Live Audio Link

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http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_545339.jpg Cameron will turn 19 years old a week from today, May 23rd.Link while active, text follows: Timber Rattlers profile: catcher Cameron Garfield Compiled by Post-Crescent staff writer Brett Christopherson Cameron Garfield file - Age: 18. - Position: Catcher. - Bats/throws: Right/right. - Height, weight: 6-1, 195. - Residence: Murrieta, Calif. - Glove: Rawlings Pro Preferred, 33-inch mitt. - Bat: Rawlings 113 pro model, 34½ inches, 32½ ounces. - Notes: Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2009 June draft. ... Hit .248 with 11 doubles, four homers and 21 RBI in 59 games last season at rookie level Helena (Mont.). ... Played on the U18 Team USA club that won a silver medal in the 2008 International Baseball Federation world summer championships. Favorites - MLB team growing up: Los Angeles Angels. - MLB player(s) growing up: Johnny Bench and Ivan Rodriguez. - MLB player now: Albert Pujols. "Just the plain fact he can hit anything." - Brewers player: Prince Fielder. - Sport other than baseball: Football. - Food: Anything Italian. "I'd have to go with pasta. If I were to die tomorrow, a nice plate of pasta would do me well." - Way to relax: "Go to the beach, eat and hang out with friends and family." Q&A Q: You like football. College or NFL? A: I'm an NFL guy. San Diego Chargers. I'm a diehard. Q: But you're in Packers country. Any chance of getting you to wear some green and gold this summer? A: Let's just say I'll be a San Diego Chargers fan my whole life. If I ever came across some (Packers) tickets, I'll be wearing powder blue there. Q: The media guide says you were born in Frankfurt, Germany. True? A: Yeah, my dad was stationed (in the Army) out there. He met my mom, and my sister was born there — she's four years older than I am. I was only born there, stayed there for six months, moved to San Diego and then moved a little north in southern California to Murrieta. Q: You had just turned 18 when the Brewers drafted you. Would you say the adjustment to pro ball was made more difficult given your young age? A: Playing the game every day is definitely a big step, and it takes a toll on the body. I signed early last year and went to Helena and played a short season there the whole season. And that was actually good for just getting used to the physical demands. So coming into this year, I knew how to get in shape and take the toll better. The mental part is a different story. Learning the difficulties of having to bat every day and going 0-for-four (one game) and then three-for-four (the next). That's going to be a tough situation to handle. Q: Was it difficult to gain the trust and respect from your pitchers, considering how young you are? A: You kind of have to block out the age factor. You have to show them that even though you're 18, you're going to get in their faces if they need motivation. You can't play the age factor in that. You have to buckle down and say, 'Hey, listen up. You need to make this pitch and do it.' When we step on the field, age isn't a factor. We're all baseball players. Q: So you were never afraid or tentative? A: Even if you are afraid, you can't show it. You have to keep that inside and just grind. Q: How did you get into catching? A: My dad was a catcher growing up. When I was little, I was like everyone else. I played shortstop, pitcher, outfield, second base, everything. But I started catching when I was about 8 years old and someone was sick when I was in Pony ball. I said, 'Hey, I'll put the gear on. Why not? I play every other position.' And ever since then, I kind of had a knack for it and stuck with it. Q: What is the toughest aspect of catching? A: Even though (the catcher's equipment) is called the tools of ignorance, it's actually learning your pitchers, learning how to take them through the game. Everyone's different. Like (Nick) Bucci (Thursday) night, you kind of have to slow him down because he's so going after it. And then you have some other people who like to take their time and get into a rhythm and you have to speed them up. So it's learning your pitchers, knowing what they can throw; what they're throwing that day. Q: What's tops on the checklist as you strive to improve defensively? A: With (Brewers) catching coordinator Charlie Greene, it's receiving first, blocking and throwing guys out last. But it's the whole package. You have to do all of that well. You have to know your pitchers. You have to make the game go by quick. You have to make them throw strikes. I'd say I have to work pretty much on everything. I have a lot to learn, and I'm willing to put forth the effort. Q: And offensively? A: I'd say cut the strikeouts in half. Putting the ball in play is always better because there's room for error on the (defensive) side. Once you strike out, you can't really do too much. Work the walks and just have smarter at-bats, quality at-bats. If someone's on first base with zero outs and you're not going to bunt, you better hit something on the right side to get him over or hit something hard. Q: You don't wear knee savers. Why? A: I wore them one year when I was little, and I kind of thought they were — I don't want to say for sissies, but it's definitely not my style. You don't see a lot of the old school guys wearing them, so I'm not about to do that. Q: What did you think of Joe Mauer's big contract? That could be you some day. A: (Chuckling) I don't know. Maybe I should start wearing some knee savers. Maybe I'll start hitting like him. … He hits. He takes control of his pitchers. And I think he has a couple of Gold Gloves in his arsenal. He's a great role model and does things the right way. … He'll go down as one of the greatest hitting catchers there was. Q: The Brewers have a couple of catching prospects in the upper-minor-league levels in Jonathan Lucroy and Angel Salome. Do you still see yourself rising quickly through the ranks? A: I definitely do. Lucroy and Salome are great catchers, but I'm just going to put my work in and work as hard as I can. That's extra motivation for me right there. I'm going to do as much as I can to help my pitchers, help my teammates win ballgames. The Tool Box Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom breaks down Cameron Garfield's skills: - Hitting for average: The major league average for a catcher is .259, and I see him being able to hit for higher than that. So I would say in the future, when he figures out the hitting and gets older, he's going to be able to hit higher than .259. He'll be about a .270, .280 guy. … He's got a balanced swing, and he can get that barrel in the zone and stay in the zone for a long time, which enables him a chance to hit. - Hitting for power: Right now, I see him as a gap-to-gap type hitter. Power is usually the last thing that develops. But he's got great core strength. He's got solid legs, a good foundation. As a catcher, 10 home runs is the major league average. I see him probably hitting 15 to 20 home runs and being an offensive-type catcher in the major leagues. - Running speed: He's below average in running, and that's OK at that position. You're not looking for a blazing catcher. And if you are a blazing catcher, like a Craig Biggio, they put you at second because they don't want to ruin your legs. - Arm strength: It's a work in progress. I know, out of high school, he was doing a different throwing technique and it seemed to work for him. He had a major league average arm in high school, and that's 16, 17 years old when they had him graded. Now, he's changed some things with his footwork. It's not as good as what our scouts have seen in the past. It's below average right now. But I think once he works everything out and figures things out, he's going to have a major league average arm. - Fielding: He moves around well and does a great job with receiving. We're looking for guys that can catch the low pitch, stay below it and drop the glove out of the zone. He does a good job. He'll stick that low pitch with not a whole lot of glove moving, which gives the umpire a great look behind him. - Final thoughts: The sky's the limit. He's being challenged right now, and he's doing a good job with what he's got. The focus with him is he wants to be a major league player, and he realizes what it takes to get there. He does whatever it takes for him to be put in a position where he can succeed. Just a heads-up guy. He understands the game, and he does a great job with pitch selection and pitch calling. He's 18 years old and he's out there leading our pitching staff, and I think he's doing a pretty good job thus far.

Love Brad's insights as well as his photo work, we're lucky he puts in the effort he does. Be sure to visit this post and agree with me. Thanks, Brad. Meanwhile, Nashville and Huntsville were home and we get...nothing from their press.

Link while active, text follows: Timber Rattlers staying positive despite losses By Cory Jennerjohn, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — May is supposed to be a month of hope and renewal. Don't tell that to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, who are just 4-12 in this month of budding flowers. "We've cut down our mistakes a lot, but they're still happening occasionally," third baseman Michael Marseco said after the Timber Rattlers lost to Beloit 4-3 in a Midwest League game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday. The Timber Rattlers, who have lost three games in a row, left 13 runners on base and were one-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Left fielder and clean-up hitter Pete Fatse had a chance to get Wisconsin off to a good start in the first inning when he came up with the bases loaded and nobody out, but he struck out looking. Fatse took extra swings off a tee by himself in the cage after the game to try to remedy his one-for-15 slump. "It's not one guy. It's everybody," manager Jeff Isom said. "Everybody's got to come together and pick each other up." The mistakes aren't just at the plate. In the fourth, Beloit catcher Danny Rams picked off Marseco at second base after spotting that his lead was too big. "They made a great throw to get me, but I've got to be a smarter baserunner in that situation," Marseco said. The problems were compounded in the field, where shortstop Carlos George misjudged a sharply hit groundball that skipped into left. George has a team-high 14 errors. "We've had a lot of mental errors on the bases and on defense," designated hitter Khris Davis said. "But we're learning and we're getting better day-by-day. I mean, not too many guys are hanging their heads. We're just thinking about getting better as a team." Davis was doubled up at first on Cutter Dykstra's soft liner to shortstop, but that wasn't a mental error because the run-and-hit was on. Despite the recent streak of losses, the Rattlers players know they're professionals now and still have 103 games to get the kinks worked out. "We all enjoy coming here. It's not like we're dreading to get to the field," Davis said. "As long as we realize we're getting paid to play baseball, to me that's the best job in the world." Isom is confident the team will be able to turn things around. "We're seeing improvement, even though the wins aren't there," Isom said. "We're seeing improvement with every player at this time. We're getting better pitching. We're getting better defense. "At one point earlier in this month, we were second (in the Midwest League) in hitting. That's dropped down a bit. We're seeing good things come in different areas. I think they're realizing if I play good defense and we get good pitching, we're going to win ballgames."

Hadn't realized this was the last season for the Portland Beavers, as Stu discusses here... Also, the folks from Tacoma with their take on the status of the Nashvile and Memphis franchises -- still no word on whether the Brewers will renew their convenient 90-miles apart Nashville / Huntsville partnership again. Unlike the recent Brevard renewal, don't expect any news until the fall.

Nashville outfielder Josh Anderson at the May 15th audio link

In Huntsville, at least one bright performance, as Mike Jones saved Michael Bowman's line from further ugliness by stranding two runners, and then went on to toss three scoreless, fanning five. Casey Baron with a balk, wild pitch, and two more runs allowed in his first outing in a week. Something's not right for the southpaw with a clear path and pedigree to be the "next Mitch Stetter".