Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: Rottino returns, but not as Star Ex-Huntsville player watches Stars win from Suns' dugout By Skip Vaughn, For The Huntsville Times Vinny Rottino was a fan favorite when he played for the Huntsville Stars last year and in 2005. Now the Huntsville faithful root against him. He's a catcher/outfielder for the Jacksonville Suns, who completed their five-game series Sunday at Joe Davis Stadium. Rottino joined the Suns on Friday, played Saturday and sat out Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Stars. "It's baseball," he said when asked how it feels to return in another uniform. "Baseball is a game where you never know who's watching you. You never know what uniform you'll have on. What's it like now: I'm grateful. I'm grateful I've found a team. Right now I'm grateful. That's what it's like. Grateful to continue to have a job, to continue to have a chance to get back to the big leagues. Grateful to continue to be on a team that has an opportunity to win every day." Relaxing in the empty stands more than an hour before Sunday's game, Rottino said he didn't know how the fans felt about him when he played for the Stars. "I continue to play this game as hard as I can every day," he said. "And if the fans respond to that, how hard I play the game, then great. I just love the game so much." After a year and a half with the Stars, he was traded to the Florida Marlins organization, which he calls a class outfit with quality people. He was demoted Friday from Triple-A New Orleans to Jacksonville. "I loved it (with the Stars)," Rottino said. "Playing for Don Money in 2005 and last year for Bob Miscik. I loved everything about the Brewers organization, a class organization. I'm from (Racine, Wis.) just south of Milwaukee, grew up being a fan of the Brewers. Everything about it was class. "It's a nice town, nice city," he said of Huntsville. "It could use more fans coming to the games. But everything else - the fans, it's a great league. I loved everything about it." Rottino, who was the starting catcher for Team Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, turned 30 years old on April 7. He was an undrafted free agent in 2003. He made it to major leagues for three Septembers in a row from 2006-08 as a late season call-up with the Brewers. "Just an incredible experience, playing for my hometown team," he said of his big league time. "I was an undrafted free agent in 2003, so chances of me making it to the big leagues were slim. It was amazing, a dream come true." Now his goal is to get back there. "Obviously I have my goals," he said. "Every single day I'm playing this game as hard as I can play. That's what I'm focused on. And I love it. "My goals are to play in the big leagues. I mean you don't play this game to play in the minor leagues. You work to get better. My ultimate goal is to play in the big leagues and stay in the big leagues. If that's not your goal you shouldn't be playing anyway." Stars relief pitcher Mike McClendon, among Rottino's teammates last year in Huntsville, had nothing but praise for him. "He was a leader, one of our leaders last year," McClendon said. "He was very helpful, especially to me in my first year in Double-A. He taught us about the game, how it should be played. I can't say a bad thing about him. He kept the clubhouse fun, that's for sure."

PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes (Available an hour or so before game time) Huntsville Media Notes (If to be posted today, it'd be at this link) Rattler Radio Blog (You'll find all the morning updates and game notes and such here shortly before game time) *** Enjoy your baseball day -- it's too bad there's not any affiliate evening audio with the Brewers' own Sunday game as the Crew fights to get back on track. Between battlekow and myself, we'll have your updates by this evening -- Sunday schedules will almost always take into account our own comings and goings as we close out and enjoy our weekends. Thanks for your patience.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 8 2 .800 - 1-1 7-1 W1 Iowa 4 6 .400 4.0 3-5 1-1 L1 Memphis 4 6 .400 4.0 0-2 4-4 L4 Omaha 4 6 .400 4.0 2-6 2-0 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 7 2 .778 - 3-1 4-1 W1 Carolina 5 4 .556 2.0 1-3 4-1 L1 Huntsville 5 4 .556 2.0 2-2 3-2 W1 West Tenn 4 5 .444 3.0 1-3 3-2 L1 Chattanooga 3 6 .333 4.0 2-3 1-3 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearwater 7 3 .700 - 6-1 1-2 W2 Dunedin 5 5 .500 2.0 1-1 4-4 W1 Lakeland 5 5 .500 2.0 2-1 3-4 L2 Tampa 5 5 .500 2.0 3-2 2-3 L1 Brevard County 4 6 .400 3.0 3-5 1-1 L1 Daytona 4 6 .400 3.0 1-4 3-2 W1

MID Western (click column headers to sort) Club W L PCT GB Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 8 2 .800 - 4-0 4-2 8-2 W1 Beloit 5 5 .500 3.0 2-2 3-3 5-5 W2 Cedar Rapids 5 5 .500 3.0 4-2 1-3 5-5 W1 Clinton 5 5 .500 3.0 3-3 2-2 5-5 L1 Kane County 5 5 .500 3.0 4-3 1-2 5-5 L2 Peoria 5 5 .500 3.0 1-0 4-5 5-5 W2 Wisconsin 4 6 .400 4.0 3-3 1-3 4-6 L1 Burlington 3 7 .300 5.0 3-3 0-4 3-7 L2

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: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Kameron Loe at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 1:50 PM pre-game; 2:05 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: LHP Chris Cody at home vs. Jacksonville (Marlins), 12:45 PM pre-game; 1:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Michael Fiers at Lakeland (Tigers), 12:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... Wisconsin: RHP Kyle Heckathorn at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 12:45 PM pre-game; 1:00 gametime; expect RHP Maverick Lasker to tandem Live Audio Link

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Where Melvin missed the boat was not claiming Nelson Cruz off waivers when the Rangers exposed him in '08. Of course, every team in the majors is kicking itself over that one.

A nice post from the LetsGoRattlers blog on Friday's near no-hitter

With Kentrail Davis in Brevard, maybe we can look forward to lots of Ke. Davis Kh. Davis in Milwaukee box score outfields in a couple of years....

Link while active, text follows: Rattlers Profile: Khris Davis By Post-Crescent staff writer Brett Christopherson -- No. 5 Khris Davis -- Age: 22. -- Position: Outfielder. -- Bats/throws: Right/right. -- Height, weight: 6-foot, 195. -- Residence: Glendale, Ariz. -- Glove: Rawlings Trapeze. -- Bat: Louisville Slugger, M110; 34 inches. -- Notes: Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 2009 June draft. ... Combined to hit .237 with two homers, a pair of triples and eight RBI in 11 games last season at rookie levels Arizona and Helena (Mont.). Favorites: -- MLB team growing up: Los Angeles Dodgers. -- MLB player(s) growing up: Gary Sheffield and Torii Hunter. -- MLB player today: Derek Jeter. "Just because he plays the game the right way. I like anybody who plays the game the right way and respects the game." -- Baseball movie(s): "Field of Dreams" and "Bull Durham." -- Video game: "MLB 10: The Show." -- Game system: PlayStation 3. -- Food: "I like it all. But nothing goes wrong with a home-cooked meal, no matter what it is." Q&A: Q: Your father, Rodney, is an area scout for the Diamondbacks and played in the Dodgers' minor-league system. How has he helped in your development? A: Definitely with the mental aspect, because he has been through it. He has mentored me throughout my whole life. But who really taught me how to hit was my mom (Sonia). My dad was on the road a lot, and I would go with him on road trips, but when I was at home, my mom would just go and pitch to me in the backyard, or we'd go to the park. She would take me to the baseball games early and throw to me. She was there for it. Q: The Nationals drafted you out of high school in the 29th round, but you decided not to sign. Why? A: I had my mind set on college. I wanted to experience college and grow up a little before I entered the real world. And when I entered the real world, it was definitely a shock. I've never regretted not going to college, because I had a great time and learned a lot. Q: Shocking? How so? A: That you're kind of on your own. You're a man, now. And it's time to grow up and take responsibility. Taxes — you've got money in your life now, which is pretty crazy. So just the money aspect and handling your business the right way. Q: You were a standout on the Cal State Fullerton team that advanced to last year's NCAA College World Series. How sweet was that? A: It would have been better if we had won the whole thing. We never won a game at the World Series, so … But the atmosphere was great. The fans, just getting to play in front of 25-30,000 people was cool. And being on TV and having your friends text you or call you to say, 'Hey, I saw you on TV.' That was pretty cool. Q: Is there anything that impresses you about how the Brewers go about their business? A: The whole organization plays hard. They really encourage us to play hard every day. Whether it's breaking up a double play or running out a hard 90 (feet), I think they appreciate that a lot. Q: What did you think about that ugly blanket of snow that postponed Opening Day? A: Yeah, that was a big shock. I heard the weather was nice the week before (the season was to begin). So I was coming in, maybe thinking it was going to be a little chilly, but not snow chilly. Q: Have you heard horror stories about Wisconsin's weather? A: Yeah, that's all they talked about (in spring training). But whatever. If that's what it takes for me to get to the big leagues, then I'll go through it. You try not to listen to the horror stories and just pick out a positive. Q: Well, since you are here, anything you're interested in checking out? A: I heard about the cheese curds. My host family brought some home, so I'm going to get down with some of those. So definitely the cheese curds — and the brats, of course. Q: What should we know about this Rattlers team? A: These guys like to win, and they like to have fun. It's a good time out here, and I look forward to going to the ballpark and just hanging out with the guys. Q: What should we know about you? A: I'm pretty shy. I like to keep to myself and be quiet. But at the same time, I am friendly, so don't be scared or shy to say hi to me, because I won't give you the cold shoulder. Q: The dream is the big leagues. What's it going to take for you to make it? A: A lot of hard work. But the harder you work, the luckier you get. So a little luck, and a lot of hard work and determination. You've gotta believe in it. Q: Finally, finish this sentence: In five years I'll be … A: I'll be in the big leagues, have a family and just be playing baseball. *** The tool box Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom breaks down Khris Davis' skills: Hitting for average: "He's going to hit for average. He has a good idea at the plate on pitch selection. And when he gets pitches to hit, he puts good swings on it. He's quick to the ball, so I have a feeling he'll hit for a high average." Hitting for power: "Right now, he's a gap-to-gap guy — mostly goes to right-center field. And usually, the last thing that develops for players is power from the offensive side, so I think power will be coming with him. But for us, he'll be a doubles and triples guy, with a handful of home runs. He'll hit more home runs as he gets older." Running speed: "I haven't seen a whole lot because we haven't had a lot of opportunities to run. He's an adequate runner — a major-league average runner. He'll steal some bases." Arm strength: "That's one area he's working on. We've got to change some mechanics with him throwing. As of right now, it's below average." Fielding: "Very good. He runs good routes and gets good jumps on balls." Final thoughts: "He's a very good kid — usually the first one to the clubhouse and the last one to leave. He takes pride in getting game ready. He's off to a good start. He struggled for a day or two and then made some minor changes with his swing. And since then, he has been hitting the ball very well. He's one of those guys with the ability to drive in runs, but he also has a good eye at the plate and will be a guy who can get on base." Timber Rattlers outfielder Khris Davis was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 June draft by the Brewers. (Post-Crescent photo by Patrick Ferron) http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20100418&Category=APC021102&ArtNo=4180619&Ref=AR&Profile=1019&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Rattler Radio: What Chris' gut tells him after last night's loss

We know Chad is doing a nice job on the mike for Huntsville, but we were spoiled by Brett Pollock's post-game detailed game summaries, both home and road, that were online shortly after gametime, similar to what Chris does for the Rattlers and what we see from Nashville. Hopefully that's something we can see again soon, as the Huntsville Times (for home games) tends to focus on player stories (which is also appreciated, but not the same). *** Link while active, text follows: Lucroy stays hot in Stars victory By Skip Vaughn, For The Huntsville Times Huntsville Stars catcher Jonathan Lucroy doesn't mind the demands of the position he's played since he was in youth ball as a 12-year-old. "It's a lot of responsibility," he said before Saturday night's 5-2 win over the Jacksonville Suns. "You've got to be able to go out there, block, catch, throw, take care of the pitcher and you've got to hit at the same time. It's a lot of responsibility but I enjoy it." Lucroy entered the game leading the Southern League in batting with a .433 average (13-for-30). He went 3-for-3, walked, scored and extended his hitting streak to eight games. "I don't think too much of it, it's early," he said. "I'm not worried about my stats right now. I'm just worried about going out and getting better." That's the mindset for the Umatilla, Fla., native: just go out there and give his all. "You've got to give 100 percent and be willing to compete every day," he said. Even when you're 23 and a solid 6-foot, 195 pounds, the physical demands on an everyday catcher can take their toil. "The toughest thing for me is probably just the everyday grind," Lucroy said. "As the everyday catcher you've got to go out there and be willing to squat 150 times a game. That's probably the toughest thing, but you enjoy it. You've got to understand it's a grind, you're going to be worn down. As an everyday catcher you know you're going to catch 150 games a year, so it's going to be tough." His goal for this season is just to try to get better. If he moves up in the organization, that's fine. If he doesn't, he doesn't. It isn't something he can control. "I'm just going to enjoy my time here," Lucroy said, "and try to get better in every aspect of the game." Stars pitcher Michael Bowman (2-0) won before a crowd of 1,029 at Joe Davis Stadium. Brandon Kintzler got his third save. Rottino returns Vinny Rottino, who was with the Stars last year, was in uniform Friday and Saturday for the Jacksonville Suns. The catcher/outfielder was demoted to the Suns from Triple-A New Orleans. Rottino went 1-for-4 with a double Saturday. The Stars also made a roster move with the arrival of right-handed reliever Mike McClendon from Triple-A Nashville. Huntsville put reliever Mark Willinsky on the seven-day disabled list. McClendon pitched a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout Saturday.

Brevard County drops series finale to Blue Jays By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees After taking the first two games of the series, the Brevard County Manatees were unable to complete the sweep of the Dunedin Blue Jays as they fell 10-1 on Saturday night at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. After falling behind 1-0 in the first, Brevard County (4-6) tied the game up in the bottom of the inning with a two-out RBI single from Brock Kjeldgaard that scored Josh Prince. Unfortunately that was the only time that the Manatees would plate a run in the game as Dunedin (5-5) held them to just four hits in the last eight innings. Right fielder Erik Miller had two of the Brevard County's six hits. Trey Watten started on the hill for the Manatees and went just three innings and gave up five runs on six hits. The combination of Daniel Meadows, Evan Frederickson and Nick Tyson did not fare much better for the Manatees as Dunedin pounded out five runs on 11 hits against the trio of relievers. The Manatees will be on the road the next six games and will begin their road trip in Lakeland for a first game of a three-game set against the Flying Tigers (5-5) on Sunday at 1:00 PM (12:00 CT). Brevard County starter Trey Watten allowed five runs on six hits in three innings of work in the Manatees 10-1 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays on Saturday night in Viera. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/04/17/SnsCCWiH.jpg

Odds and ends -- I too was going to comment on the Chuck Lofgren pinch-hitting appearance. Eric Farris didn't see action, as he was the last non-backup catcher on the bench -- let's see if Farris plays Sunday. Michael Bowman for Huntsville -- 10-to-0 GB/FB ratio, that dude continues to fly under (most) people's collective radar. There were reports that Logan Schafer had suffered a setback early in the rehab process, and that his groin injury may have involved a tear, and not just a strain. Brevard County is 10th in the 12-team FSL with a .560 team OPS (.228 AVG / .278 OBP / .281 SLG), drawing just 18 walks in ten games.

Rattler Radio Blog: April 17, 2010: Timber Rattlers Lineup

Stu catches up from last night in Nashville -- On a side note, Sounds' rightfielder, Brendan Katin had to leave the game in the fourth inning. Why? I don't know. I never got the answer, but I will when I get to the ballpark today. Hopefully, it is nothing serious because Katin is one of the best hitters in the Pacific Coast League and he has been off to a very good start this year. *** Well, certainly not one of the best pure hitters, the word "power" may have helped there, but you can't fault Stu for his enthusiasm.

PDF documents: Nashville Media Notes Rattler Radio Blog: April 17, 2010: Game Notes April 17, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher

Link while active, text follows: Rattlers stymie Bees' bats Odorizzi, Krestalude combine for one-hitter as Wisconsin blanks Burlington By SUSAN DENK, thehawkeye.com For two nights, the Burlington Bees beat up on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' pitching. Burlington scored 19 runs in two games while winning the first two games of the series. "There's that old saying good pitching stops good hitting," as Bees manager Jim Gabella said after Friday night's series finale. Jake Odorizzi and Damon Krestalude came within one out of a no-hitter as the Timber Rattlers salvaged a game with a 9-0 Midwest League victory. Hilton Richardson collected the only hit of the night. With two outs in the ninth inning. That double was the only blemish on the scoreboard for the pitching tandem. Odorizzi -- who was a supplemental first round pick, 32nd overall, in the 2008 draft -- came out on fire. The right-hander did not allow a baserunner until the fourth inning when he hit Wil Myers with two outs. The only other runner to reach base was Carlo Testa who walked in the fifth. Testa was then thrown out stealing second. "We had nine runs so it's kind of easy to pitch with a big lead like that," said Odorizzi. "Our defense was doing good so it's pretty easy to pitch when you have all those things going on." Odorizzi left the game after five innings. He struck out eight. Then it was time to sit back and chew his nails while Krestalude finished it off. Or not. "I sat there and watched, laid back, watched what was going on, just kept looking at the scoreboard, watching. Just sat and relaxed," Odorizzi said. "There was no stress at all. Everyone was just kind of chilled out." Except maybe Krestalude, who threw a no-hitter his freshman year of high school and came close on a couple of other occasions. The right-hander picked up where Odorizzi left off. Nine up. Nine down. Then came the ninth inning. Fernando Cruz hit a ground ball to first base. Two outs away. Jose Bonilla hit a soft flare that had a chance. But Franklin Romero Jr. made the play. The Bees' last chance was Richardson, who was hitting .233 with a three-game hitting streak. The center fielder took a 2-0 pitch and fired it down the right-field line for a double. "That was really something special," Krestalude said of the game. "It didn't feel good there that last guy but you know, that happens." "That's something we always want to try to do," said Gabella of breaking up the no-hitter. Richardson was left standing at second base when Deivy Batista fouled out to Joey Paciorek at third base to end the game. While it was a great night for the Timber Rattlers (4-5), it was a disappointing evening for the 3-6 Bees, who take to the road to Peoria and Clinton the next six days. "Most games you go into, you look at things that happen over the course of the game and you say that happens, this happens there might be a difference in the game," Gabella said. "There was no difference in the game. We flat out got beat. "Those guys came out and did a great job. Sometimes you just tip your cap to them and go on to tomorrow. That's what we'll have to do."

MID Western (click column headers to sort) Club W L PCT GB Home Away L 10 Streak Quad Cities 7 2 .778 - 3-0 4-2 7-2 L1 Clinton 5 4 .556 2.0 3-3 2-1 5-4 W1 Kane County 5 4 .556 2.0 4-2 1-2 5-4 L1 Beloit 4 5 .444 3.0 1-2 3-3 4-5 W1 Cedar Rapids 4 5 .444 3.0 4-2 0-3 4-5 L1 Peoria 4 5 .444 3.0 0-0 4-5 4-5 W1 Wisconsin 4 5 .444 3.0 3-3 1-2 4-5 W1 Burlington 3 6 .333 4.0 3-3 0-3 3-6 L1

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 7 2 .778 - 0-1 7-1 L1 Iowa 4 5 .444 3.0 3-5 1-0 W3 Memphis 4 5 .444 3.0 0-1 4-4 L3 Omaha 3 6 .333 4.0 2-6 1-0 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 6 2 .750 - 2-1 4-1 L1 Carolina 5 3 .625 1.0 1-2 4-1 W1 Huntsville 4 4 .500 2.0 1-2 3-2 L2 West Tenn 4 4 .500 2.0 1-2 3-2 W1 Chattanooga 3 5 .375 3.0 2-3 1-2 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearwater 6 3 .667 - 5-1 1-2 W1 Lakeland 5 4 .556 1.0 2-1 3-3 L1 Tampa 5 4 .556 1.0 3-1 2-3 W1 Brevard County 4 5 .444 2.0 3-4 1-1 W2 Dunedin 4 5 .444 2.0 1-1 3-4 L2 Daytona 3 6 .333 3.0 1-4 2-2 L1

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

Saturday's Daily Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at home vs. Iowa (Cubs), 6:20 PM pre-game; 6:35 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Michael Bowman at home vs. Jacksonville (Marlins), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Trey Watten at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 6:05 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this game... Wisconsin: RHP Eric Arnett at Quad Cities (Cardinals), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime Live Audio Link

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Six Nashville photos in the Tennessean's gallery