Jim Goulart

OF Adam Stern (oblique) comes off the seven-day DL at Nashville.

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com Kids go free... Stars grounded Bussed-in kids make up strongest crowd of season My friends Debra and Jerry Straneiro, season-ticket holders in the past for many years, now looking for a job, victims of Bush-era economic bungling and deregulation, made it to their first game of the season. They love baseball and they love their kids to death, but if they thought they could get away from the noise and aggravation, they were so wrong. A season-high crowd of over 5,000 invaded Joe Davis Stadium at 10:30 in the morning, mostly in busses. They were school children from all over the Huntsville area....... It's become an annual escapade -- Kids Day at the Joe -- screaming, buzzed, inattentive, hot-dog grazing little animals, and their teacher-chaperone-babysitters filled the seats, whether they belonged to season-ticket holders' or not, to see the Stars close out this series on a losing note. The Stars, without #8 prospect Lorenzo Cain, have lost five of their last seven. Jesus Castillo, now 4th among Southern League ERA leaders, kept the Stars grounded (seven strikeouts, seven ground outs in seven innings). Martin Maldonado hit his 1st home run as a Huntsville Star, a 380' shot over the middle wall in left-center to bring the boys within one, 2-1, but rallies and outfield hits were few off Castillo. Only twice did they get a real rally going, and they were frustrated both times. With one out in the 4th, Caleb Gindl, a .344 hitter with two previous doubles off Chattanooga pitching, hit a drive deep to right center, just short of the track for a double. Hot-hitting Zealous Wheeler, on a 3-2 pitch, singled, but his soft liner to left could not get Gindl past third. Wheels tried to take 2nd on Andrew Lambo's throw to the plate, but 2nd-string catcher Jessie Mier nailed Wheeler trying to take 2nd on the throw.......... The out was costly, as Taylor Green struck out on four pitches to end the inning......... Castillo sailed through the game after that, allowing only a two-out single to right by Green in the 7th. The Stars had one last chance in the 9th, and tried to make the most of it after closer Javy Guerra was removed from the game after throwing eight of his 12 pitches outside the strike zone. It became apparent that Guerra had injured his arm or shoulder somehow, because no one was warming up in the bullpen when Harvey Garcia was brought in. Garcia spent about 10 minutes, it seemed, warming up before pitching to Gindl with no one out, and Lee Haydel on 2nd and Brett Lawrie on 1st. Gindl fouled off a pitch, then hit into a 4-6 force play, beating out the throw to first to break up the double play......... With runners now on the corners, Wheeler came up representing the tying run........ Wheels, who hit two home runs on consecutive days in this series, drove one deep to left field on a 2-2 pitch, but Lambo caught it just short of the track. That sent Haydel home to make it a 4-2 game........ Green worked Garcia to an eight-pitch walk, giving slumping Steffan Wilson a chance to win this game the same way he won the first game of last year's Northern Division playoffs vs. Tennessee -- a three-run homer, but Wilson struck out swinging....... Steffan now has struck out 24 times in 64 at-bats (.375). After the first few games of the season, there was some concern over Wheeler's defense, but there were a couple of fine defensive plays turned in by Wheeler, particularly in the 4th, when he made a nice backhand short-hop play on a hard hit ball to his opposite side. He made a nice flip to Lawrie, who turned a double-play on Jaime Pedroza........ Wheeler also made a nice play in the 5th on a medium-hit grounder that was headed into the hole. Wheeler, who really has a nice, strong arm, beat speedy Dee Gordon to first with his throw. The Stars now head south on I-65 to Birmingham, at 5-14, the league's cellar-dwellers this year......... Chris Cody (2-1) is scheduled to start against Johnnie Lowe (0-0, 6.30), but Cody was shellacked for seven runs in 1 2/3 in his last start on April 23 at Pringles Park. He was skipped in the Chattanooga series, and it makes me question if Cody suffered an arm injury........ Lowe has not gone past five innings in his two previous starts, giving up three runs to Carolina and four to Mobile. Birmingham received a shot of confidence, however, when they won their first series of the year, beating Tennessee (15-5), no less, in three of five......... The ten runs given up by Mark Rogers in Tuesday's game was the first time in ten years a Huntsville starter gave up 10+ runs in a ballgame. Travis Smith gave up 10 in a 14-5 loss to the Diamond Jaxx, July 27, 2000. Earlier that year, Doug Johnston gave up 11 runs as the starter in a 12-3 loss to the Lookouts in the 2nd game of that season. The record is 12 by Russ Cormier (Athletics' organization) in a May 22, 1991 loss to Greenville, 14-5........ Mark Willinsky, who came off the disabled list (Casey Baron went on the DL with a sore lower back, making room) this week, and pitched three innings, has 13 Ks in 9 1/3 innings......... Lee Haydel is 2-for-12 in the leadoff role since Lorenzo Cain's been out of the lineup. He went on the disabled list retroactively, Wednesday. The Stars acquired shortstop Brett Dowdy from Nashville to fill the roster spot. (Nashville, by the way, has the best record right now in the PCL at 14-6). Dowdy leaves Nashville with a 1-for-7 stick. Although he's an infielder, he started one game in left field for the Sounds....... Dowdy is an eight-year minor league vet. He played for the Jacksonville Suns in 2004 and the Mobile Bay Bears in 2006. He came into this season a .263 hitter........... Zealous Wheeler's 4th inning single stretched his hit streak to ten games. After eight games, he was hitting .167. He's now raised his average to .304. I know I spell his first name wrong, but I think he's the one misspelling his name.

Link while active, text follows: Baseball is in Huntsville manager's Mike Guerrero's blood By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Mike Guerrero is baseball royalty. Thus, it's more than a game. It's a sacred trust. Said Guerrero, the Huntsville Stars' manager, "Baseball is a way of life for me." He is the second son of Epy Guerrero, a king of baseball in a country - the Dominican Republic - where the sport rules. When Mike calls his father "the greatest scout ever," it's not boasting or hyperbole. The Dominican Republic's greatest export has been baseball talent, and the elder Guerrero has found and signed more players than anyone in the barrios of Santo Domingo, the sandlots of San Pedro de Macoris and the rutted fields in villages on the small, lively Caribbean island. If Dominican Republic baseball were to have its Mount Rushmore, Epy Guerrero's face would be one of the first ones carved. "I know a lot of people (through his father) but from my point of view, it hasn't made anything easier," Guerrero said. "Actually at times, it makes it way tougher. Your responsibility, the family you're representing, is different." Mike is the second son of Epy Guerrero to have worn a Stars uniform. Older brother (by 21 months) Sandy, who makes his off-season home in Huntsville, was the team's hitting coach for six seasons and is now with Milwaukee's Triple-A farm club in Nashville. Sandy is the more jovial and feisty, Mike the more serious and low-key of the two. They still talk daily, they "share the same passion for the game," Mike said. Growing up in the game, there has been one indelible lesson learned by all five Guerrero sons, all of whom are involved in pro ball. "Play the game the right way. Play the game with all you have," the 42-year-old Mike Guerrero said. "I only know one way to play the game, and it's 100 percent." Which is why, Wednesday afternoon, as school buses chugged away with most of the school-day crowd of 5,191, the Stars were collectively being taken to the principal's office. Guerrero held an extended team meeting. "Don't ask me about what I talk to them about. That's a private meeting," he said, still a bit miffed after a pair of losses where the way the Stars played "was unacceptable." Guerrero's approach in dealing with his team varies, with paternal measures. As a father of teenagers - he and wife of 20 years Larissa have sons Michael, 16, and Daniel, 13 - he knows that "sometimes you have to talk to them, sometimes you have to spank them." "He's a good guy, a good manager to play for," said shortstop Zelous Wheeler. "He wants us to play the game the right way and play hard." "There's really three parts to Mike," said Dan O'Brien, special assistant to Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. "One is work ethic and daily preparation. Number two is his interpersonal skills with the athletes and the coaching staff. And, thirdly, his game management." As O'Brien has followed Guerrero, he has seen an evolution in each of those areas, where he has "refined a little bit more each and every step, to a point now to where it's just part of his daily routine." It may be private what was said Wednesday afternoon as players sat silent in front of their lockers. But somewhere in the message was surely the same sentiment Guerrero shared when three weeks earlier as he settled into his new office. "You take care of the game," this product of baseball royalty said, "the game is going to take care of you." Photos by Michael Mercier/Huntsville Times http://media.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/photo/guerrero-3jpg-d467afae5018e971_medium.jpg http://media.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/photo/guerrero-4jpg-2427aa100050d2c3_large.jpg

Link while active, text follows: Chiefs’ streak reaches eight Outfielders’ arms help team extend home winning streak By KEVIN CAPIE OF THE JOURNAL STAR PEORIA — Through the first month of the season, the Peoria Chiefs have found different ingredients on the way to an eight-game winning streak at O’Brien Field. There have been equal amounts of speed, pitching and defense. Along the way, the Chiefs have mixed in a pinch of power, and on Wednesday night they added some garnish. Peoria outfielders threw two runners out on the basepaths — including one at third base in the ninth inning. The runners made the difference in the Chiefs’ 4-2 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Center fielder Jose Valdez threw a 265-foot peg in the ninth to complete a double play and help the Chiefs escape the inning after Wisconsin got the first two runners aboard against closer Jordan Latham. “(Valdez has) speed and a good arm, and he used both right there,” left fielder Richard Jones said. “I thought I was going to be catching it, but he called me off since the center fielder has priority. From my view, it was the prettiest throw I’ve ever seen.” With no outs and runners at first and second, Wisconsin’s D’Vontrey Richardson lofted a fly just shy of the warning track in the gap in left-center that Valdez tracked down. Joey Paciorek tried to tag and advance from second, but Valdez gunned him down. “Ideally, we want him to throw to second base to keep the double play in order,” Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke said. “It’s like the 30-foot jump shot, you go, ‘No, no, no, no.’ But it goes in, so it works.” In the second inning, right fielder Francisco Guzman saved a run when Chris Dennis tried to score from second on Paciorek’s one-out single. Guzman’s throw was on target to catcher Mario Mercedes, who absorbed the collision but left the game after the third inning. “(Mario did a) nice job blocking the plate and held onto the ball,” Kopitzke said. “The guy hit him pretty good. (Guzman) made a nice throw to give him a good chance to make a play.” The victory matches the franchise record of eight straight home wins to begin a season, originally held by the 2003 Chiefs. “We know we have the support of being the home team with our fans and having the last at-bat,” first baseman Justin Bour said. Bour singled to start off the three-run Peoria sixth inning and scored on Jones’ two-run double. “It’s been a comfort level we’ve had at home,” Bour said. “We go out with the same approach every day.” INSIDE PITCHES: The two Wisconsin runs off Su-Min Jung were the first earned runs the Peoria starter has allowed this season. His ERA is now 1.00 after he pitched four innings.

Slight variant on Chris' Rattler gut check

MID Western (click column headers to sort) Club W L PCT GB Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 14 5 .737 - 8-1 6-4 7-3 L1 Beloit 11 8 .579 3.0 5-4 6-4 7-3 L1 Peoria 11 8 .579 3.0 7-0 4-8 7-3 W1 Clinton 9 10 .474 5.0 6-6 3-4 4-6 W1 Kane County 9 10 .474 5.0 6-4 3-6 4-6 W2 Cedar Rapids 8 11 .421 6.0 4-3 4-8 4-6 L1 Wisconsin 7 11 .389 6.5 5-6 2-5 4-6 L3 Burlington 7 13 .350 7.5 6-5 1-8 4-6 W1

Follow Wednesday'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. Huntsville (Gameday also available) Brevard County Wisconsin

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Idle Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at home vs. Chattanooga (Dodgers), 10:15 AM pre-game; 10:30 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Cody Scarpetta at Clearwater (Phillies), 12:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... Wisconsin: LHP Efrain Nieves at Peoria (Cubs), 6:15 PM pre-game; 6:30 gametime; RHP Jake Odorizzi is on the back end of the tandem tonight Live Audio Link

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As you plan your office day today, a reminder the Huntsville audio begins at 10:15 AM Central. Wednesday's Link Report up shortly before that...

Photos by RON JOHNSON/PEORIA JOURNAL STAR Peoria Chiefs second baseman Logan Watkins is upended by a sliding Franklin Romero Jr. of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at second, but Watkins made the force out on the play in the second inning of Tuesday's game at O'Brien Field. http://www.pjstar.com/photos_graphics/x57972697/042710Chiefs-Rattlers1-JPG/g12c000000000000000266ddc13cc3405c5c22a835dd49d13b8162ad2aa.jpg Jose Valdez of the Chiefs bolts past Carlos George of the Timber Rattlers at second base on his way to third during Tuesday night's game. http://www.pjstar.com/photos_graphics/x57972701/042710Chiefs-Rattlers5-JPG/g12c000000000000000d4e8aa738e0a58262444703b61bf571e0d346003.jpg

Huntsville attendance -- 493. It's too bad that the people of Huntsville who should be shamed by that aren't reading here, and the few who are have to see that. *** Lookouts blitz Stars to even the series By Aaron Morse, Huntsville Stars Dee Gordon tallied three hits, Andrew Lambo went yard, and the Chattanooga Lookouts (9-10) smashed the Huntsville Stars (11-8) by a final score of 12-3 Tuesday night. Stars starting pitcher Mark Rogers (1-2) never found his control as he walked six batters in 2.1 innings of work. But the Stars defense wasn’t much help either, committing four errors in the contest, matching their season high. Gordon got things going in the first inning, singling to left. Back to back walks loaded the bases for Lambo. The clean-up hitter hit a tailor-made double play ball to Taylor Green, but Green’s throw to second sailed high over Brett Lawrie’s head, two runs scored and the Lookouts had runners on 2nd and 3rd with still nobody out. Rogers got the next two batters before catcher Mike Rivera smacked a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 4-0. But that would not be the worst of it for the Stars. The Lookouts delivered the knock-out punch in the top half of the third. With one out, Eduardo Perez drew a walk. A wild pitch put him on second, and a throwing error from Martin Maldonado on a pick-off attempt advanced Perez to third. Giles drew another walk from Rogers to put runners at the corners with only one down. Back to back RBI singles from Rivera and Anthony Hatch made the score 6-0. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance 90 feet. Rogers' control problems continued as he walked the pitcher, Timothy Sexton. Gordon would deliver the final blow to Rogers’ evening as he singled to right to drive in Rivera. Donovan Hand entered the game to replace Rogers, but the onslaught continued. An RBI grounder put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two down. Trayvon Robinson hit a sharp grounder to first that snuck through Chris Errecart’s legs and two more runs crossed the plates. Lambo put the icing on the cake of the huge inning with a two-run shot to right, extending the lead to 12-0. The Stars would show some life in the 6th against Sexton (1-0), who got the spot start thanks to the late scratch of scheduled starter John Koronka. With one out, Caleb Gindl doubled to right. Then Zelous Wheeler continued his hot hitting with a two-run bomb to left-center field. One more run would cross the plate in the ninth for the Stars on a Lee Haydel RBI single. An interesting note from this game, two position players for the Stars got some action on the mound and acquitted themselves quite nicely. Chuck Caufield and Errecart each tossed one inning of shutout ball. With the series even at two the Stars look to win the rubber match Wednesday morning at 10:30 AM Central Time. Join us bright and early at 10:15 AM for the Window World Pre-Game Show. Wednesday’s matinee can only be heard on www.huntsvillestars.com. Michael Bowman (2-1. 4.61 ERA) will be on the mound for the Stars as he’ll match-up against Chattanooga’s Jesus Castillo (1-1, 1.56 ERA).

Adam McCalvy picked up on our injured outfield theme in the transaction thread -- The outfield has been a minefield for Brewers Minor Leaguers, with Adam Stern (oblique) and Brendan Katin (knee) on the disabled list at Triple-A Nashville, Lorenzo Cain (hamstring) slowed at Double-A Huntsville and Logan Schafer (groin) still in extended spring training with a groin injury. Stern is close to returning to action, and Cain's injury, suffered Sunday, is not considered serious. You could add to that Kentrail Davis' one-week ankle sprain absence at Brevard as well. The Huntsville Times indicated that Cain's injury may be a groin as well, apparently nowhere near the tear that Schafer experienced.

Only 81 pitches through seven shutout innings (so far) for Chase Wright. His agent basically called the Brewers in February asking for a job for his client, in this case, a return engagement. It surprised me when Wright made the AAA roster, never mind the rotation. Hey, good for him, he's making the most of his opportunity. When you're pitching well in AAA, you're basically auditioning for 30 teams.

Jonathan Lucroy 4-for-5 (so far) today, no doubt celebrating his Power 50 ascension this week. Awesome...

Stu's latest blog from New Orleans Sounds and Zephyrs doing their best Brewer and Pirate impersonations respectively today, by the way...

Does anybody else find the audio quality from Stu in New Orleans really poor (pretty muffled)? Even the pre-recorded between-inning ads seem to be coming through in poor quality...

PDF document: Nashville Media Notes Closer Chris Smith leads the minors with eight saves and has converted his last 17 save opportunities dating back to last year ... Jonathan Lucroy’s cumulative .410 average on the year ranks 6th in the minors.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 13 6 .684 - 3-5 10-1 W4 Omaha 8 10 .444 4.5 3-7 5-3 W1 Memphis 8 11 .421 5.0 4-4 4-7 L4 Iowa 7 10 .412 5.0 3-6 4-4 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 15 3 .833 - 6-2 9-1 W2 Huntsville 11 7 .611 4.0 5-3 6-4 W1 Chattanooga 8 10 .444 7.0 6-4 2-6 L1 West Tenn 8 10 .444 7.0 3-7 5-3 W1 Carolina 6 12 .333 9.0 2-8 4-4 L8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearwater 11 6 .647 - 7-1 4-5 W3 Tampa 10 8 .556 1.5 6-3 4-5 W1 Dunedin 9 8 .529 2.0 5-4 4-4 L2 Lakeland 9 8 .529 2.0 6-2 3-6 L1 Daytona 7 11 .389 4.5 2-6 5-5 L1 Brevard County 6 11 .353 5.0 4-6 2-5 W1

MID Western (click column headers to sort) Club W L PCT GB Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 14 4 .778 - 8-1 6-3 7-3 W3 Beloit 11 7 .611 3.0 5-4 6-3 8-2 W4 Peoria 10 8 .556 4.0 6-0 4-8 7-3 L3 Cedar Rapids 8 10 .444 6.0 4-2 4-8 4-6 W1 Clinton 8 10 .444 6.0 6-6 2-4 4-6 L1 Kane County 8 10 .444 6.0 5-4 3-6 3-7 W1 Wisconsin 7 10 .412 6.5 5-6 2-4 4-6 L2 Burlington 6 13 .316 8.5 5-5 1-8 3-7 L2

Follow Tuesday'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

Tuesday's Daily Menu: Having at least one game not opposite the big league club, always a good thing... Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at New Orleans (Marlins), 11:15 AM pre-game; 11:30 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Chattanooga (Dodgers), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: LHP Chris Capuano at Clearwater (Phillies), 6:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... Wisconsin: RHP Damon Krestalude at Peoria (Cubs), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link

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Huntsville attendance: 630. Not good...