Jim Goulart

Only because Adam McCalvy gave Brewerfan a "shout-out" with our last Joe Winkelsas update and just in case you're planning a road trip to see him -- The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball agree to transfer the rights to Joseph Winklesas to the Newark Bears for future considerations.

Only because Adam McCalvy gave Brewerfan a "shout-out" with our last Joe Winkelsas update and just in case you're planning a road trip to see him -- The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball agree to transfer the rights to Joseph Winklesas to the Newark Bears for future considerations.

You must add our own colbyjack's fantastic site www.5tooltalk.com, to your favorites. Also read his Crack of the Bat columns at at pgcrosschecker.com A little early for specific Brewer rumors, but any links or news will be posted on our 2010 Draft Forum.

CHAT ROOM, CHAT ROOM, CHAT ROOM Box score here It's a WTMJ game. Subscribers to the MLB.TV online video package can also choose to watch the Dodger TV feed of the game. Online link for MLB subscribers Gameday, which is pretty much functioning normally now, can be found here. ON THE MOUND: Also scheduled to pitch today (subject to change) is LHP Manny Parra. MINOR DETAILS: In uniform from minor-league camp is INF Anderson Machado (#93), LHP Casey Baron (#97) and RHP Juan Sandoval (#94). Weeks 2b Gomez cf Braun lf Fielder 1b McGehee 3b Zaun c Hart rf Counsell ss Suppan rhp

Baseball America: The Diamondbacks optioned RHP Roque Mercedes (Felipe Lopez deal) to AA Mobile (Southern League). The Cubs released one-time Brewer 40-man roster member RHP Vince Perkins. The White Sox released IF Keith Ginter. The Nationals released LHP Ron Villone.

Baseball America: The Diamondbacks optioned RHP Roque Mercedes (Felipe Lopez deal) to AA Mobile (Southern League). The Cubs released one-time Brewer 40-man roster member RHP Vince Perkins. The White Sox released IF Keith Ginter. The Nationals released LHP Ron Villone.

Wisconsin beat Kannapolis, 4-1. The Timber Rattlers received strong pitching performances from LHP Del Howell (3 IP, 0 ER) and RHP Nick Bucci (4 IP, 0 ER). D'Vontrey Richardson hit a two-run home run and Franklin Romero chipped in with two singles to pace the offense. *** Following the young pitching at Wisconsin, Brevard, and Huntsville is going to be a hoot this season, night after night. Did Steven Braun depart early? Again, tough to say with the boxes in the format we get (and don't get us wrong, we're thankful). R H E Wisconsin 4 8 1 Kannapolis 1 7 1 WISCONSIN AB R H BI Richardson 4 1 1 2 George 4 0 1 0 Garfield 4 0 1 0 Halton 3 1 1 0 Paciorek 4 0 1 1 Dhanani 4 0 0 0 Braun 0 1 0 0 Roberts, M 3 0 0 0 Krieger 2 0 1 0 Fatse 2 0 0 0 Romero 3 1 2 0 2B: Halton, Krieger HR: Richardson SB: Braun, Halton 2 CS: Garfield IP H R ER BB SO TP Howell 3 3 1 0 2 2 49 Bucci 4 3 0 0 0 2 49 Currie 1 1 0 0 1 0 13 Lintz 1 0 0 0 0 0 12

Brevard County lost to Winston-Salem, 6-4. Cody Scarpetta and Nick Tyson were touched for three runs apiece during their appearances. Rob Garvey scored a run and drove in one on the offensive side. *** Is Kentrail Davis slated to make his pro debut at high-A? We'll see... Scarpetta struck out six for his bright spot, anyway. R H E Brevard County 4 7 1 Winston-Salem 6 14 0 BREVARD CO AB R H BI DavisKe 4 0 1 1 Sanchez 4 0 0 0 Miller 4 0 0 0 Kjeldgaard 4 1 1 0 Miranda 2 0 0 0 Lind 2 0 0 0 Garvey 4 1 1 1 Stockfisch 2 0 0 0 Alfonso 2 0 1 1 Marseco 2 1 1 0 Gennett 2 1 1 0 Stang 1 0 0 0 Sizemore 1 0 1 1 2B: Sizemore, Gennett, Alfonso 3B: DavisKe Bitmap SB: Kjeldgaard, Stang, Sizemore, Marseco Bitmap IP H R ER BB SO TP Bitmap Scarpetta 4 6 3 3 2 6 66 Tyson 2 7 3 3 1 1 33 Rapoza 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 Ritchie 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 Willinsky 1 1 0 0 1 1 15

Birmingham edged Huntsville, 2-1. Matt Cline was the highlight offensively, posting a 3-for-3 day. Anderson Machado's solo home run was all the scoring the Stars could muster, however. Amaury Rivas started and allowed a run over three innings. Chuck Lofgren followed with three perfect innings in relief, striking out two. *** Do we read much into Chuck Lofgren making a AA (relief) appearance in what is billed to be an "all-prospect AA rotation"? Probably not. We don't know anything about Brett Lawrie's brief day. He must have been the DH, because the left-handed throwing Max Walla took over his spot, certainly not at second base. Sorry, all we have is the raw numbers from the box, we'll have to look for Lawrie's next appearance... R H E Birmingham 2 5 0 Huntsville 1 8 1 HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI Haydel 4 0 0 0 Machado 3 1 1 1 Lawrie 1 0 1 0 Walla 2 0 1 0 Wilson 4 0 0 0 Caufield 4 0 1 0 Errecart 4 0 1 0 Cline 4 0 3 0 Hopf 4 0 0 0 Brewer 4 0 0 0 2B: Errecart HR: Machado IP H R ER BB SO TP Rivas 3 3 1 1 2 5 54 Lofgren 3 0 0 0 0 2 32 Lluberes 1.1 1 1 0 1 1 34 Hinton 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 6 Henderson 1 0 0 0 0 0 8

All four of these games from Wednesday were vs. the White Sox farmhands -- PHOENIX - The Nashville Sounds won their third straight spring contest on Wednesday afternoon, beating the Charlotte Knights (AAA-White Sox) of the International League, 7-3, at Maryvale Baseball Park. Nashville collected 10 hits on the afternoon, as outfielders Norris Hopper and Brendan Katin had two hits each. Right-handed starter Kameron Loe allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts over three innings.Left-hander Chris Waters was strong in relief, tossing four innings of shutout ball with four strikeouts. R H E Charlotte 3 8 0 Nashville 7 10 0 NASHVILLE AB R H BI Hopper 3 1 2 0 Redman 1 0 1 1 Oeltjen 5 0 1 1 Cain 4 0 0 0 Almonte 3 1 1 0 Katin 3 1 2 1 Heether 4 1 1 1 Farris 3 1 1 0 Justis 1 0 0 0 Olmedo 3 1 1 0 Raburn 1 0 0 0 Maldonado 1 1 0 1 Salome 1 0 1 2 2B: Olmedo, Heether SF: Maldonado Bitmap Bitmap Bitmap CS: Oeltjen IP H R ER BB SO TP Loe 3 4 1 1 0 3 39 Waters 4 2 0 0 1 4 44 Murray 1 1 1 1 0 0 28 Braddock 1 1 1 1 0 0 8

Tom H. on Joe Koshansky

Link while active, text follows: Giants' Ford runs fast, also can stand his ground By Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants already knew Darren Ford could run. Anything he hits to the gap is a stand-up triple. But as they're discovering this spring, Ford can stand his ground, too. In an exhibition game Monday, Ford was buzzed and knocked to the dirt by a 94 mph fastball from live-armed Texas Rangers prospect Tanner Scheppers. The next pitch was a curveball that would have compelled some hitters to bail out of the batter's box. Not Ford. He kept his nose in there, took an aggressive swing and put the ball in the gap. For a triple, of course. "I got mad," said the 24-year-old center fielder, the Giants' breakout star of the spring. "When I get mad, I get locked in. But I try not to play that way, because this is a game when you fail seven times out of 10." When to run and when to stand your ground? Ford has the experience to know the difference — and it extends far beyond the chalk lines. He was a robbery victim in November, held up at gunpoint while making a bank deposit from his offseason job at a car dealership in his hometown of Vineland, N.J. Staring down a double-barreled shotgun, Ford didn't think twice. He handed over the deposit bag, his cell phone and the cash in his wallet. Compared with that, a knockdown pitch doesn't seem like much. Without going into details, Ford said it wasn't the first time a gun has been pointed at him. "Wrong place at the wrong time," he said, shaking his head. The robbery was the final straw. Ford packed up, kissed his mother and two sisters goodbye and moved to Arizona, where he began working out for spring training. The Giants had added him to their 40-man roster, so Ford knew he would be in big league camp for the first time. Nobody was happier than his mother. "I don't want to see Darren home, ever," said Carla Nelson, taking a break from her nursing shift at a state home for the developmentally disabled. "I'll come where he is." Vineland sounds idyllic. Located about halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, it's the birthplace of Welch's Grape Juice and has the only operating drive-in movie theater in the state. But gang activity, drugs and violence have become part of downtown life. And even though Nelson said her son never became involved in the gang scene, the town is small enough that they will find you. "You don't want to be around people who are jealous or want to do wrong by you," Nelson said. "So if he can stay out there, stay out there." Ford had the athletic gifts to go places. He played running back and wide receiver in high school. His senior year, he ran track for fun and became the state champion in the 55-meter dash. He chose baseball when a Milwaukee Brewers scout offered to draft him and arrange a place to play at Chipola College in Florida. The Brewers eventually signed him, and he came to the Giants in the July 2008 trade that sent Ray Durham to Milwaukee. The trade knocked Ford for a loop — and it was about to get tougher. The Giants asked him to try switch hitting during instructional league and saw enough progress to believe it might work. It didn't. Ford was miserable at Single-A San Jose last year. He had a .207 average at the All-Star break, and every at-bat from the left side seemed hopeless. Did he jump for joy when coaches told him to stop hitting left-handed? "No," Ford said. "Because I'm the one who told them. I wasn't doing it anymore. That was something I prayed about for a long time. I thank God I was able to overcome it." The failed experiment wasn't a total waste. During his struggles, Ford began to understand how pitchers were attacking him. With his newfound knowledge, and liberated from his left-handed slap swing, he became arguably the best player in the California League over the final two months. His final average was .300, an amazing recovery. Ford hit for power, too. He had seven home runs in the second half — more than teammate Roger Kieschnick, who led all Giants minor leaguers with 23. And he kept hitting this spring. Another single Wednesday lifted his average to .500 in 20 at-bats along with four stolen bases. He probably will win the franchise's Harry S. Jordan award as the most impressive player in his first big league camp. If his bat holds up against upper-level minor league pitching, he could find himself in San Francisco soon. But no matter how fast Ford might be, the important people in his life always will keep up with him. "Wherever Darren is, we'll go," his mother said. "We're at every game to support him. He would do anything for us. He is truly a wonderful son — a gift from God." Ford wears his loyalties where everyone can see them. He has N.J. tattooed on one side of his neck. On the other side are the initials F.O.E. "Family over everything," he explained. Photo link

Link while active, text follows: Giants' Ford runs fast, also can stand his ground By Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants already knew Darren Ford could run. Anything he hits to the gap is a stand-up triple. But as they're discovering this spring, Ford can stand his ground, too. In an exhibition game Monday, Ford was buzzed and knocked to the dirt by a 94 mph fastball from live-armed Texas Rangers prospect Tanner Scheppers. The next pitch was a curveball that would have compelled some hitters to bail out of the batter's box. Not Ford. He kept his nose in there, took an aggressive swing and put the ball in the gap. For a triple, of course. "I got mad," said the 24-year-old center fielder, the Giants' breakout star of the spring. "When I get mad, I get locked in. But I try not to play that way, because this is a game when you fail seven times out of 10." When to run and when to stand your ground? Ford has the experience to know the difference — and it extends far beyond the chalk lines. He was a robbery victim in November, held up at gunpoint while making a bank deposit from his offseason job at a car dealership in his hometown of Vineland, N.J. Staring down a double-barreled shotgun, Ford didn't think twice. He handed over the deposit bag, his cell phone and the cash in his wallet. Compared with that, a knockdown pitch doesn't seem like much. Without going into details, Ford said it wasn't the first time a gun has been pointed at him. "Wrong place at the wrong time," he said, shaking his head. The robbery was the final straw. Ford packed up, kissed his mother and two sisters goodbye and moved to Arizona, where he began working out for spring training. The Giants had added him to their 40-man roster, so Ford knew he would be in big league camp for the first time. Nobody was happier than his mother. "I don't want to see Darren home, ever," said Carla Nelson, taking a break from her nursing shift at a state home for the developmentally disabled. "I'll come where he is." Vineland sounds idyllic. Located about halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, it's the birthplace of Welch's Grape Juice and has the only operating drive-in movie theater in the state. But gang activity, drugs and violence have become part of downtown life. And even though Nelson said her son never became involved in the gang scene, the town is small enough that they will find you. "You don't want to be around people who are jealous or want to do wrong by you," Nelson said. "So if he can stay out there, stay out there." Ford had the athletic gifts to go places. He played running back and wide receiver in high school. His senior year, he ran track for fun and became the state champion in the 55-meter dash. He chose baseball when a Milwaukee Brewers scout offered to draft him and arrange a place to play at Chipola College in Florida. The Brewers eventually signed him, and he came to the Giants in the July 2008 trade that sent Ray Durham to Milwaukee. The trade knocked Ford for a loop — and it was about to get tougher. The Giants asked him to try switch hitting during instructional league and saw enough progress to believe it might work. It didn't. Ford was miserable at Single-A San Jose last year. He had a .207 average at the All-Star break, and every at-bat from the left side seemed hopeless. Did he jump for joy when coaches told him to stop hitting left-handed? "No," Ford said. "Because I'm the one who told them. I wasn't doing it anymore. That was something I prayed about for a long time. I thank God I was able to overcome it." The failed experiment wasn't a total waste. During his struggles, Ford began to understand how pitchers were attacking him. With his newfound knowledge, and liberated from his left-handed slap swing, he became arguably the best player in the California League over the final two months. His final average was .300, an amazing recovery. Ford hit for power, too. He had seven home runs in the second half — more than teammate Roger Kieschnick, who led all Giants minor leaguers with 23. And he kept hitting this spring. Another single Wednesday lifted his average to .500 in 20 at-bats along with four stolen bases. He probably will win the franchise's Harry S. Jordan award as the most impressive player in his first big league camp. If his bat holds up against upper-level minor league pitching, he could find himself in San Francisco soon. But no matter how fast Ford might be, the important people in his life always will keep up with him. "Wherever Darren is, we'll go," his mother said. "We're at every game to support him. He would do anything for us. He is truly a wonderful son — a gift from God." Ford wears his loyalties where everyone can see them. He has N.J. tattooed on one side of his neck. On the other side are the initials F.O.E. "Family over everything," he explained. Photo link

It would be puzzling if it were anyone but Jack Z. and Tony Blengino in Seattle, in on this. So much promise for Trejo after his just-turned-18-year-old season in Maryvale in 2007, then the season-ending ACL injury just three Helena games into 2008 was such a bummer at the time. So either the Brewers realized they didn't have a spot for him and contacted Jack Z. to do the kid a favor, or the Mariners realized they needed to fill a specific hole at the lower levels and gave Doug a call. Still just 20 years old until July, good luck to Edgar. Duran, Delaney, Trejo -- that 2009 Wisconsin squad, and particularly its infield, is moving on (or away) quickly.

Other than our wrestler "death" threads, we allow ourselves one visit per year to the WWE with our Wrestlemania thread. Hey, Bob Uecker's going to the WWE Hall of Fame! I searched for a blog post or such that broke things down by match, and found the text below. Normally we wouldn't copy and paste text directly from a blog, but I'm hoping the gentleman doesn't mind. The link is just below, but you don't need to click unless you want to explore their site. But I do want to give Joe Mathieson full credit for the thoughts below. http://www.prowrestling.n...WE/article10010972.shtml The text: The following are merely predictions for WrestleMania 26 based on no inside knowledge of the match finishes. They are no potential spoilers, so please don't try to claim as though they are on another website. Chris Jericho vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship: This is a match between two of my favorite performers, so I should be really hyped, right? Well, not really. The build has been pretty weak, and that's probably due to the fact that Edge just isn't a good babyface. I don't think taking the belt off of Jericho at this point would be a wise decision, but that's probably where they're going, so I'll go with Edge to pick up the win and start the long run that has so long eluded him. Batista vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship: People are divided on whether Batista has been a compelling heel or a boring one. I personally think that while he's been better as a heel than as a babyface, he hasn't compelled me all that much and I just don't really care about this match. I don't groan when I think of it like I would normally for a Batista vs. Cena match, which can be attributed to a less overbearing Cena as much as it can to Heeltista, but there's still little that has me particularly excited to see this match. I'll go with Batista to win and retain, as Cena has had his fair share of WrestleMania moments already. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in a Streak vs. Career match: I picked Michaels last year. I know I shouldn't have, but I did anyway, and I turned out to be wrong. This year's match is even more compelling. I don't think they'll end The Streak, and I don't think they'll do a retirement angle with Michaels. I also don't think they'll do a screwy finish. So what do I think? I have no clue. This is by far the most compelling match on the card. I flipped a coin and it came up heads, so I'm going with Taker to win in what will be far and away the best and most exciting match on the show. How's that for hard hitting analysis? Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon: After such a hot start, it's amazing to see how this program has fizzled out. There have been logic gaps (how did Bret know Vince would invite him back?), weak segments (Bret getting his leg "smashed"), and the prospect of a singles match between a non-wrestler and a 52-year old who had a stroke eight years ago doesn't excite me. I'm calling for some outside interference here, perhaps from the Hart Dynasty (whose absence in this program has been mind-boggling), on McMahon's side, and then someone else coming out for Bret, leading to Bret putting on the Sharpshooter and Vince tapping out. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio: Short of HBK-Taker, this is the most interesting match on the card. The last PPV match these two had was a showstealer, and this one has the potential to be as well. Punk is my pick for most entertaining character in wrestling right now, and Mysterio has been great as his foil. The stipulation here is that if Mysterio loses, he has to join the Straight Edge Society, which makes my prediction relatively easy. Punk will win, and mandate that Mysterio has to lose his mask as a member of the Society, and Mysterio will respond by asking why Punk hasn't shaved his own hair when he's shaved everyone else's, leading to the rumored mask vs. hair match somewhere down the road. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Kane vs. Matt Hardy vs. Evan Bourne vs. Kofi Kingston in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Ten people might be too many for this match. Kane, Hardy, Benjamin, and Bourne can be eliminated as winners right off the bat. Swagger, Ziggler, MVP, and Kingston have received pushes recently, but they seem to have stalled. That leaves Christian and McIntyre, who I think will be the two fighting at the top of the ladder at the end of the match. I'll pick Christian to win and potentially have a program with his ex-brother Edge later in the year. Air Bourne off the ladder will be the spot of the night. Big Show and The Miz vs. John Morrison and R-Truth for the Unified Tag Team Championship: The Miz is the most compelling heel on Raw in my opinion. Big Show is a great partner for him. To take the belts off of them, especially for the makeshift duo of Morrison and Truth, seems foolish. ShowMiz will retain. Triple H vs. Sheamus: This match would be so much more compelling if Sheamus had the belt. As it is, it seems like a way to get Triple H on the card and give Sheamus what seems like not too much of a step down from a world title match. I'd like to believe Sheamus could go over here, but unfortunately I doubt that will be the case. Triple H is my pick. Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat match: Orton's babyface turn has been pulled off well, and the tension between DiBiase and Rhodes has kept it from seeming like a handicap match posing as a Triple Threat. Still, I'm guessing that's what it will look like for much of the early part of the match until tension between DiBiase and Rhodes leads to Orton hitting the RKO on one or both and winning the match.

Nothing earth-shattering here, but I enjoyed this article about the Brewers' San Fernando valley connection and the banter between the players.

Yes, but it's only March 24th today http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif It will definitely be mid-April though, not early April. The rosters will be named, and a couple of weeks' worth of games will have been played.

Wisconsin was shut out by Dayton, 2-0. Chris Dennis and Scott Krieger had two hits apiece. Jake Odorizzi had a strong start for the Timber Rattlers. He pitched four innings, allowing just a hit while striking out five. Damon Krestalude followed with four innings of work, permitting just a run despite three walks and three hits allowed. *** Just 58 pitches for Odorizzi in four near-spotless innings, can't wait to follow him all season... R H E Wisconsin 0 6 0 Dayton 2 6 2 WISCONSIN AB R H BI DavisKh 4 0 0 0 Dedrick 3 0 1 0 Garfield 4 0 0 0 Dennis 4 0 2 0 Halton 3 0 1 0 Zarraga 0 0 0 0 Fatse 2 0 0 0 Dhanani 0 0 0 0 Krieger 4 0 2 0 George 4 0 0 0 Romero 3 0 0 0 3B: Krieger CS: Romero, Fatse S: Fatse IP H R ER BB SO TP Odorizzi 4 1 0 0 0 5 58 Krestalude 4 3 1 1 3 4 77 Pascual 1 2 1 1 2 0 22

Brevard County and Lynchburg tied, 2-2. Kentrail Davis went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Mike Marseco collected two hits in his two at-bats. Brae Wright started and tossed a scoreless inning. Trey Watten went three scoreless in relief. Southpaw Jon Pokorny danced around three hits in his inning of work to escape unscathed. *** After graduating 2009's "wave" to Huntsville, Brevard County figures to be a unique mix of 2009 Timber Rattlers plus some players that will bypass Wisconsin altogether. Overall hopes for big on-field success might be guarded, but hopefully they'll surprise. R H E Brevard County 2 7 2 Lynchburg 2 10 2 BREVARD CO AB R H BI DavisKe 3 1 2 1 Garvey 3 0 0 0 Komatsu 3 0 1 1 Kjeldgaard 4 0 0 0 Miranda 4 0 0 0 Alfonso 2 0 0 0 Pechek 2 0 0 0 Lind 3 0 1 0 Stang 3 0 1 0 Marseco 2 1 2 0 Gennett 1 0 0 0 3B: DavisKe SB: Garvey CS: Miranda, Stang, Lind Bitmap Bitmap IP H R ER BB SO TP Bitmap Wright 1 0 0 0 1 1 12 Watten 3 2 0 0 0 2 39 Meadows 2 2 1 1 0 0 28 Etheridge 2 3 1 1 0 1 31 Pokorny 1 3 0 0 0 0 21

Huntsville and Carolina tied, 1-1. The Stars managed just four hits offensively. Evan Anundsen allowed a run in three innings. Brandon Kintzler, Ruben Flores, and Donovan Hand each had scoreless two-inning stints. I think we're seeing some of the very young kids (Max Walla, Jose Garcia) in a AA corner spot because Caleb Gindl is nursing some kind of injury (not confirmed). Gindl did make one quick appearance in a major league spring training game earlier. R H E Carolina 1 6 2 Huntsville 1 4 0 HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI Haydel 3 0 1 0 Brewer 3 1 0 0 Lawrie 3 0 0 0 Wilson 3 0 1 0 Errecart 4 0 0 0 Caufield 4 0 1 0 Machado 3 0 0 0 De La Rosa 2 0 0 0 McCraw 2 0 0 0 Garcia 2 0 1 0 Walla 1 0 0 0 2B: Wilson, Caufield S: Haydel IP H R ER BB SO TP Anundsen 3 3 1 1 0 0 40 Kintzler 2 1 0 0 0 3 22 Flores 2 1 0 0 0 1 24 Hand 2 1 0 0 0 2 25

Tuesday the 23rd boxes follow -- Nashville topped Louisville, 6-4. Tike Redman, Brendan Katin, and Erick Almonte each had two hits for the Sounds. Mike Burns started and allowed a run over two innings. Mike Jones gave up five hits and two runs in his three innings of work. Lefty Casey Baron tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Revisiting prior speculation, it's starting to look more and more like Farris at AAA and Lawrie at AA in the second base derby, isn't it? R H E Louisville 4 9 0 Nashville 6 9 0 NASHVILLE AB R H BI Hopper 4 0 0 0 Redman 4 1 2 0 Cain 4 1 1 1 Katin 3 2 2 1 Almonte 4 1 2 1 Raburn 3 1 1 1 Farris 2 0 1 0 Salome 2 0 0 0 Arlis 0 0 0 1 Olmedo 2 0 0 0 Justis 0 0 0 1 2B: Cain SB: Farris Bitmap Bitmap Bitmap IP H R ER BB SO TP Burns 2 2 1 1 0 3 58 Jones 3 5 2 2 0 1 49 Baron 1 0 0 0 1 0 11 Sandoval 2 2 1 1 0 1 28

Outfielder Chris Ellington, the 32nd round pick out of TCU last year, voluntarily retired earlier this past winter. He posted a .285 / .320 / .465 (.785 OPS) line in 284 Helena at-bats, including ten home runs. 2010 would have been his "age 24" season. Similar to Wisconsin 1B/C Corey Kemp earlier, Ellington did file all the paperwork indicating his retirement. Sometimes, players don't do that, which forces the organization to place the player on a restricted list to retain their rights.

Here's to you, David Welch -- David's participation in the 2005 Helena no-hitter The Link Report from June 2008 -- David's no-hitter all to himself You can hear the final call of the Huntsville birthday no-hitter via this link Great memories from the no-hitter experience Take care, David. Thanks, Brewerfan.net

Adam on John Axford with Melvin, Macha comments Axford's option to AAA leaves him with two remaining options. Many of us hope they'll never be needed, and the next time he's up, it'll be for good.

Stats at links 26-year-old LHP David Welch was a 20th round pick in 2005 out of a Texas community college via Australia. It didn't look good this past fall when he was left exposed for any team to grab in the minor league phase of Rule 5. He's pitched internationally (and quite well) for his homeland. After 116 appearances and 86 starts, his career with the Brewers maxed out with two full seasons at AA Huntsville. Good luck to David. INF Yohannis Perez is 27 years old, wow, when did that happen? He was a fairly prominent $450,000 signing in October of 2006, and debuted with Brevard County in 2007 with a fair .678 OPS. But he never did anything after that, and it became apparent pretty quickly that he didn't have speed, plate discipline, or really anything that warranted excitement on our parts. A 6th round pick in 2008, 2B/3B Jose Duran, 23, never got going after his days at Texas A&M. He seemed to always be battling a nagging injury, and hit .221 in both his Helena debut and at Wisconsin last season. As 6th round college picks go, not one for the history books. Just as we wish all the players here, hopefully Jose gets the chance to continue his career if he so chooses. Farmhands for whom we've linked recent hometown articles haven't had much luck maintaining their roster spot lately. INF John Delaney's story is chronicled at the prior link. There were some very tough-to-look-at offensive numbers on that Timber Rattler squad last season, and it's clear not everyone will be sticking around. RHP Ryan Platt struck out 39 and walked 16 in his 26 rookie league innings last year, but the 27th round pick out of UC-Riverside turned 24 last August. Round plus age like that is a tough combo to overcome. RHP Joel Morales has actually been around for some time, even though he just turned 21 eleven days ago. A 16th round pick out of Puerto Rico in 2007, Morales spent two hot summers in Maryvale, and reached Helena for 27 innings last season (7.67 ERA). LHP Donald Brandt had his contract purchased from independent ball last July and then made his affilaited pro debut, appearing in eight games for Helena. The Santa Clara University alum underwent Tommy John surgery in his freshman year there. He turned 24 years old last December.