Jim Goulart

RHP Damon Krestalude with a quote at an event in his home of Port St. Lucie -- About 20 former Port St. Lucie High baseball players braved blustery 40-degree weather in Under Armour and knit caps Sunday to take cuts at the school's annual alumni game. Even a couple foul balls off the handle in the cold couldn't spoil the 1990s versus 2000s alumni showdown for the group that features seven players with professional experience. "It says something about the type of players we have, they all come back," said coach Tony Malizia. "During the course of the season at home games, it seems like three or four come back and sit in the dugout. It's very enjoyable, especially being a coach and having the older guys come back after they've been out of school since '93, '94." Milwaukee Brewers prospect Damon Krestalude, a 2008 graduate who pitched the Jaguars into the state championship in 2007, threw an inning before he heads to Arizona on Saturday for the second session of the Brewers' winter program. A 17th round pick in the 2008 draft, Krestalude had a 3-4 record in nine starts and a 5.35 ERA for the Helena (Mont.) Brewers last season. He expects to start the upcoming season with the organization's low-A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and hopes he'll make it to Brevard County to play for the high-A Florida State League club in the near future. "Playing here (for Port St. Lucie), we were always in the hunt and in the postseason," Krestalude said. "Playing in big situations definitely helped me prepare for pro ball and keep my nerves in check."

The Beest is best -- Top 100 Canadians in baseball Numbers in parentheses represent 2008 and 2007 ranking, respectively: 4. Doug Melvin, GM, Milwaukee Brewers (7, 3) 23. Gord Ash, assistant GM, Brewers (27, 20) 32. Brett Lawrie, second baseman, Milwaukee Brewers (9, -) 58. Jay Lapp, amateur scout, Brewers (66, 42) 76. Marty Lehn, scout, Brewers (63, -)

Reliever Brian Wolfe (Corey Koskie trade), surprisingly effective for Toronto in 2008, is off to Japan.

Reliever Brian Wolfe (Corey Koskie trade), surprisingly effective for Toronto in 2008, is off to Japan.

From Benjamin Hill, the "Business of Baseball" blogger at MiLB.com: I am not particularly well-versed on why we no longer provide the game archives, but essentially what it comes down to is that the demand for them was not sufficient enough to justify the cost and time expenditure. I, too, miss the archives. Hopefully it's something that we'll be able to provide in the future. Ben

An informative Q&A session with Rattlers' Manager Jeff Isom conducted by Chris Mehring at the Wisonsin site. Nice work, Chris (and Jeff)!

Link while active, text follows: Jeff Isom, Matt Erickson, Chris Hook back as Wisconsin Timber Rattlers coaches in 2010 By Brett Christopherson Post-Crescent staff writer The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 2010 field staff won't look much different than the group that was pegged to assume the reins in 2009. Assigned by the Milwaukee Brewers to return to the Rattlers dugout for a second consecutive season are manager Jeff Isom, hitting coach and Appleton native Matt Erickson and pitching coach Chris Hook. The Brewers revealed on Tuesday their entire 2010 player development staff, which encompassed all six of their minor league affiliates, their Dominican Summer League squad and various roving coordinator positions. Wisconsin is entering the second year of a four-year player development pact that will station Milwaukee's Low-A level talent in Grand Chute through 2012. "I've had the itch (to get the season going) for a while," Isom said when reached at his Attica, Ind., residence. "Once the new year comes around, you really want to get out there. Looking at my backyard now, you've got snow on the ground, and it's hard to imagine the (upcoming) baseball season - it's about three months away. "But I'm excited about getting it going. There's a lot of optimism about the season this year." The 37-year-old Isom is entering his fourth season as a Brewers minor league manager. He skippered the Rattlers to a 58-81 mark a year ago and led the West Virginia Power - the Brewers' previous Low-A affiliate - to a spot in the South Atlantic League Championship Series in 2008. Isom also guided the rookie level Helena (Mont.) Brewers to a Pioneer League playoff berth in 2007. While anxious to eventually ascend his coaching career, Isom said he was pleased to learn his 2010 assignment called for a return visit to the Rattlers, citing an enthusiastic fan base that last season established a single-season home attendance record of 253,240, as well as the promise for a better on-field showing. "With the attendance record and looking at the team we could have this year, it should be exciting," Isom said. "You would like to move up, but within the Brewers organization, there haven't been a whole lot of managerial moves. So if I have to be somewhere, it might as well be Appleton. I enjoyed every minute of last season." Erickson, 34, graduated from Appleton West and went on to play in 11 professional seasons as an infielder. He appeared in four big league games with Milwaukee in 2004 and continues to reside in Appleton. "I'm definitely excited," said Erickson, who made his professional coaching debut with the Rattlers. "Obviously, not only being involved in the game, but being involved with it at home, where it's familiar. … Really, at this time, I don't have a great aspiration of climbing the ladder. I'm enjoying my time here at home and coaching." Erickson agreed that working again with Isom and Hook should bring continuity and stability to a key spot within an organization since the Low-A level is often the first full season rung for a minor leaguer. The three also coached together in last fall's instructional league in Arizona, with Erickson serving as the Brewers manager during league games. Both Isom and Erickson expect many of the players they tutored during those instructional league sessions to begin their 2010 seasons at Wisconsin. "There's familiarity there," Erickson said of the coaches. "We know how each other works and what to expect from each other. Anytime there's consistency in the coaching staff, it will promote consistency with the kids. … As far as from an athletic standpoint, the group we had in the fall instructional league was quite athletic. If we can teach them the game and teach them situations where they can best use their athletic ability, hopefully, it all comes together." Hook, 41, is a former major league hurler who combined to make 55 relief appearances with the San Francisco Giants in 1995 and '96. He'll be entering his third season as a Brewers minor league pitching coach. Also back for a second season with the Rattlers is strength and conditioning coach Jake Marx, a Menasha native who is set to begin his fifth season in the Brewers system. Trainer Jeff Paxson, who has been with Milwaukee since 1994 and served as the trainer at Triple-A Nashville the previous five seasons, completes the Rattlers staff.

Actually completely separate from this thread, but I'll include it here regardless, we've learned tonight that Huntsville's play-by-play man, Brett Pollock, won't be back for a sixth season. Like Chuck in Nashville, Brett was always very helpful to us, and appreciative of our efforts to promote his broadcasts. I'll admit that I migrated to his broadcasts most often among all our choices on those nights when "Link Report listening" was convenient, not only because AA is usually such an intriguing level, but because Brett did an excellent job and was an easy and enjoyable listen. We'll contact Buck Rogers and attempt to learn more about the Stars' plans -- we imagine they'll be continuing the web-only broadcasts with a new voice. For what it's worth, we have also contacted the lead bloggers over at MiLB.com in an attempt to learn more about the status of audio archiving, which was sorely missed in 2009. But most importantly for this post, a big thank you to Brett, and best wishes for success in the future.

Just heard from Stu, who reminded me about current big league play-by-play man Brian Anderson's San Antonio Missions connection -- they actually worked together for a while, pretty big coincidence...

Given all the effort we make in providing you with broadcast information for the in-season Daily Link Reports, and the promotion we do to invite you to sample and listen in to the minor league broadcasts (particularly when not opposite Brewer big league games), then you know we have a vested interest in learning about and keeping in touch with the affiliate broadcasters. For ten seasons, Chuck Valenches (Sounds site) has been the voice of the Sounds, which includes the full Brewers' run with Nashville. I haven't had a chance to speak with Chuck since September, so I don't know the circumstances, but his run with Nashville has come to an end. I hope to reach out to Chuck to wish him well, ask him about his future endeavors, and sneak in a question or two about the 2009 Sounds. (NOTE: I had confirmations from all four Brewer affiliate announcers back in September to do off-season Q&A's, but circumstances on my end had delayed that until a planned re-visit later this month). The Sounds accepted over 100 applications back in November, and the play-by-play man of the San Antonio Missions (AA Texas League, Padres), Stu Paul, is your new Voice of the Sounds. Stu Paul new play-by-play voice of Nashville Sounds http://www.staatalent.com/Images/Headshots/Paul.jpg (January 6, 2010) It was going to take an outstanding opportunity to lure Stu Paul away from his long-time job as a baseball play-by-play broadcaster for the San Antonio Missions. After nearly ten years, though, an outstanding opportunity has arrived. Paul, an STAA client (Sportscasters Client Agency of America), has been named play-by-play broadcaster and account executive for the Nashville Sounds. The Sounds are the AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The opportunity has been a long-time coming for Paul, who has spent the past nine seasons as the No. 2 voice of the Class AA Missions. “To finally make it to Triple A is great,” Paul says. “Larger ballparks, larger cities and flying everywhere is great. Nashville is a growing city that really has a passion for baseball. Also the opportunity to move up to Triple A and see veterans that are only a phone call away from the Major Leagues is exciting. “The sales part won't be easy and the new owners are hoping to turn things around in Nashville, and I'm happy to be a part of this. More than 100 people applied. Persistence and patience do pay off!” Paul applied for the job when it was posted on the STAA job forum in early November. He was invited to interview in Nashville one month later. To help him prepare, STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik conducted a mock interview with Paul over the telephone. “I went into the interview knowing what to expect and trying not to oversell myself. Keeping it simple helps,” Paul says. “[sTAA] has done great work and you do a tremendous job. Thank you.” Paul has also had his demo and resume packages built by Chelesnik since 2004. “It has been a great benefit for me. I’ve been in the business a long time but I never want to stop improving. I always try to benefit from other peoples opinions on how to market myself. You want to sell yourself without having to overdo it. The quality [of the portfolios] was different, the way everything was presented.” “I’ve had a terrific run [in San Antonio] but when the opportunity comes you have to take advantage of it. It was time to make the leap. I am very thankful for the Sounds (VP of Sales and Marketing) Brad Tammen and (GM) George King for giving me the opportunity.” “It took me awhile to get here but I never lost faith. I told myself to keep plugging along and everything would fall into place.” *** From 2006, this Q&A with Stu will give you plenty of information on his background and baseball broadcast philosophies. *** You get to sample quite a bit of Stu's work by clicking on the audio links in the upper right of this page. *** Stu would certainly know quite about about RHP Will Inman and LHP Steve Garrison. *** Welcome Stu, to the extended Milwaukee Brewer (and Brewerfan.net) family, and we would be remiss in not once agin thanking Chuck Valenches for his work, and his friendship to Brewerfan, over the years. Our best to you, Chuck!

Bob Miscik is heading home to Florida, was out of baseball for a couple of years prior to '09, and is most likely fine with this. The key here appears to be keeping Mike Guerrero with the core of the next wave of top prospects as they move from high-A to AA.

Here's more details from MLB.com, particularly on coordinators Darnell Coles and Reggie Williams. Veteran coaches Mike Lum and Ken Berry are apparently gone from the organization, also don't see Brevard hitting coach Corey D. Hart.

A much more complete update and summary is here from Tom H. at the J-S. New hitting coach for Huntsville Al LeBeouf, will be in a key spot with that group of 2009 Manatees. Old friend Nestor Corredor, who attempted to become a pitcher after several years in the system catching, will manage the new DSL Brewers squad. Two new coordinators as Tom notes as well.

In Arizona (Maryvale), Tony Diggs will manage the rookie Brewers for his third season.

You can tell the Brewers believe so adamantly about keeping their "waves" of players together when they really click, thus making this move, and having their manager jump up a level with them -- Link while active, text follows: Brevard Manatees, Huntsville Stars swap managers BY MARK DECOTIS FLORIDA TODAY The Brevard County Manatees and Hunstville Stars have swapped managers. Mike Guerrero, who led the advanced Class A Manatees to the first round of the Florida State League playoffs last season, moves up to the Class AA Hunstville Stars. Bob Miscik, who took the Stars to the postseason, moves to the Manatees. Both teams are affiliates of Major League Baseballs Milwaukee Brewers. Miscik, a baseball lifer, had a nine-year playing career as an infielder in the minor leagues from 1980-1988 and a long and varied career as a coach, minor league coordinator and manager. He began his post-playing career in the Baltimore Orioles organization as a coach in 1990. He managed in the Orioles chain from 1991 to 1996. Miscik also was the Texas Rangers Minor League Field Coordinator from 1997 to 2003 and the Rangers Player Development Coordinator in 2004. He also spent part of 2000 managing the Charlotte Rangers and was then the Cincinnati Reds assistant Minor League Field Coordinator in 2005-2006. He also spent time teaching science in the Venice, Fla., school system. Guerrero, who spent eight years in the minors as a player and has managed since 2004, served two seasons as the Manatees manager. He came to Brevard from the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. The Power lost in the league finals in 2007. Guerrero said he looks back on his time in Brevard, where his teams played an up-tempo brand of baseball and had, statistically, the finest season in franchise history in 2009, fondly. "I think it was one of the best experiences in baseball," he said. "The Florida State League, in my professional opinion, is probably the best league in baseball so far. The majority of the players in this league, they face a really good level of competition. The quantity of prospects you see is pretty good. "As for Huntsville, which represents a step up in the quality of maturity of the players: Baseball as you go higher, players get better, baseball just gets better, its gets a little faster," he said. "Everyone needs to make adjustments." Another new addition to the Manatees is coach Dwayne Hosey. He played 13 professional seasons as an outfielder, including parts of two seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1995-96). Hosey served as hitting coach for Cedar Rapids (Angels) in 2001 before making a comeback with the independent Bridgeport Bluefish in 2002. Pitching coach Fred Dabney (sixth season), athletic trainer Tommy Craig (fourth season) and strength and conditioning specialist Chris Gavranic (second season) return to Brevard County.

And so the Rene Gonzales era ends in Helena, we know some of our season ticket friends in Montana will be anxious to see if the team is more focused and disciplined going forward.

Helena Press Release from Nick Bowsher, Asst, GM with the H-Crew: Milwaukee Brewers Name Coaching Staff for Helena The Milwaukee Brewers have announced their Player Development staff for the 2010 season. The Helena Brewers will have a new manager this upcoming year. Joe Ayrault will take over the helm for his first year in Helena and with the Milwaukee Brewers. "Joe is a solid baseball man that has a heart for the young player," said Reid Nichols, Director of Player Development for the Milwaukee Brewers. "He is a quality person and teacher. We are fortunate to add him to our staff." Ayrault managed in the Reds organization at Class-A Sarasota for the past three seasons (2007-09). Prior to that, he served as Sarasota's hitting coach in 2006 and handled the same duties for the Rookie GCL Reds from 2004-05. He also spent three seasons in the Rangers organization, where he served as a coach with the Rookie GCL Rangers (2001), Class-A Savannah (2002) and Class-A Stockton (2003). The former catcher spent his entire playing career in the Braves organization from 1990-97. He made his only Major League appearances in 1996, also making the postseason roster that year. "I'm really looking forward to coming to Montana," said Ayrault. "I'm a baseball man foremost, but I have a love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors. This coming summer I will be in baseball heaven." In 2007, his first season managing as a professional and in his hometown of Sarasota, he led the SaraReds to the Florida State League playoffs with an 81-59 (.579) record. Only 14 teams in all of minor league baseball had better records that year. Pitching coach Elvin Nina and hitting coach Ned Yost IV will be returning to Helena for another season. Nina enters his second season in the Brewers organization as pitching coach at Helena. Nina spent 10 seasons playing professional baseball as a pitcher with five different organizations, from 1997-2006. He began his playing career in Oakland's minor league system after being drafted by the Athletics in the 17th round of the 1997 First-Year Player Draft. He also played in the minors with the Angels, Dodgers, Royals and Diamondbacks before finishing his career in the independent Atlantic Baseball League. Yost returns as a coach in Helena for his second season after beginning his coaching career as an assistant coach with the club in 2008. Yost played in the Brewers minor league system as an infielder for three seasons (2005-07) and batted .268. He signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2005 and made his professional debut with the Helena Brewers as the starting first baseman. Opening day for the Brewers is Monday, June 21st against the Missoula Osprey.

Timber Rattler Press Release from Chris Mehring: FIELD STAFF SET FOR WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS 2010 CAMPAIGN GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Milwaukee Brewers have announced the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers coaches and support staff for the upcoming 2010 season. Manager Jeff Isom returns for his second season at the helm of the Midwest League affiliate of the Brewers. Also returning to the coaching staff are pitching coach Chris Hook and hitting coach Matt Erickson. Isom becomes the fifth Timber Rattlers manager to return for a second consecutive season in the Fox Valley. Wisconsin finished the 2009 season with a record of 58-81. The 2010 season will be the fourth year for Isom in the Milwaukee organization. He is the ninth manager in Rattlers' history. Including seven seasons as a manager in the independent leagues, Isom has a career record of 520-462. Hook, who is in his third season with the Brewers, is a former Major League pitcher with the San Francisco Giants in 1995 and 1996. Last season, the Timber Rattlers pitching staff compiled a 4.34ERA and 1,076 strikeouts. Erickson, who played for the Brewers in 2004, is in his second season as a coach in the Milwaukee organization. The Appleton native retired as a player after the 2008 season. Jeff Paxson will be taking over the duties of athletic trainer Aaron Hoback. Paxson has previous Midwest League experience with a stint as the trainer of the Beloit Snappers from 1994-1997. He has been with the Brewers since 1994, has won the Trainer of the Year Award in three different leagues, and was the trainer for Nashville, the AAA affiliate of Milwaukee, from 2005 through 2009. Strength and conditioning coach Jake Marx, a native of Menasha, returns in that role with the Rattlers for the second straight season. The graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is entering his fifth season with the Brewers' organization. Wisconsin's 2010 season opens on Thursday, April 8 when the Timber Rattlers host the Kane County Cougars at 6:35 PM. Fans may purchase season and holiday ticket packages for 2010 in one of the following ways: Over the phone at (920) 733-4152, through the internet at www.timberrattlers.com, and in person at the Time Warner Cable Field box office.

We must keep our Brewerfan routines, though! The "Your fill-in-the-blank affiliate" threads coincide with the formal naming of rosters in the spring. And Cody Scarpetta, the most recently linked name in this thread, was a member (for 95% of the season) of the 2009 Timber Rattlers, and won't be with the 2010 Rattlers. All makes sense, right?

Casey Kotchman is going to get over $5 million in arbitration, and now serves as a defensive replacement for a (wait) already excellent defender in Kevin Youkilis. Theo has it too easy with that budget.

First John Sickels of minorleagueball.com asked for reader input on the Brewers. Next a preliminary list of prospects he'll be looking at was posted, along with more reader comments and responses from John. When he posts his final list with player grades, we'll link to it here.

Audio Chat with Bullpen Catcher Marcus Hanel There is a "Listen Now" button at the link. Mainly an eight minute discussion about being a Christian at this time of year, but with enough baseball mixed in to perhaps make it worth your while. Don't feel obligated, but if you so wish at an otherwise very dry time of the baseball offseason, enjoy Marcus, a classy guy...

From a prior thread came this -- Colbyjack wrote: I'm up to 29 submissions. See, I knew Josh was off-base http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. colby, it may just be that we should coordinate this fan poll during spring training each year. If Doug Melvin can go overseas for ten days in December, then certainly many fans have checked out of the Brewer minor league scene until the spring. But hopefully this post poking a bit of fun at ourselves will spur others on -- let's see if we can't reach the stated goal within a week or two. It's just 20 last names and a quick email, folks. Use the current Power 50 as a reference, and make it your own Top 20. Thanks.

Manny no longer has minor league options remaining.

Link while active, text follows: Baseball scout has keen eye for talent Daniel Chalcraft Special to the Peace Arch News (British Columbia, CN) The baseball season may be long since over, with young ballplayers putting away their gloves, bats, and cleats for the winter, in exchange for sticks and pucks, but for one man - longtime pro baseball scout Marty Lehn - the season never really ends. In fact, though there was snow on the ground as recently as a few weeks ago, the Peninsula resident is as focused on baseball as ever - whether it's working as a scout with Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers or running his Big League Experience summer camps, which he's held in Oliver since 1997. For Lehn, a former infielder whose playing career ended after he suffered injuries while attending Southeastern Lousiana University, the chance to still make a career out of the sport he loves makes all the effort worthwhile. "Talent stopped my (playing) dreams," Lehn said, who parlayed his scholarship into a master's degree in exercise science. "It was disappointing, but that disappointment was short-lived as I was able to find another way to stay in the game through coaching." Growing up, soccer was the sport of choice in Lehn's family until, at age 13, Lehn was introduced to Dale Parker, former owner of the Okanagan Major League Baseball camp. "He really took me under his wing, and life in the baseball world began," Lehn said. Since that meeting with Parker, it's been all baseball for Lehn, whether it was playing pickup games with his pals at Burnaby's Springer Park, or putting on the Canadian uniform as a coach at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg or at the Olympic Games in Athens. The Olympics, he said, was an "unbelievable" experience, rivaled only by the Winnipeg games where the team entered the stadium in front of 50,000 screaming Canadian fans. "Putting on the uniform and wearing our country's colours was probably the greatest thrill," said Lehn, a Peninsula resident since 2000. Having worked with the national program since 1991, doors opened for Lehn to get his feet wet at the professional level too - he was a spring training guest coach for both the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays before signing on with Milwaukee as the team's Western scout. His job with the Brewers dovetails nicely with his Big League camps - spending the summers in Oliver gives him an opportunity to watch some of the province's top young players. In addition to holding camps for individual players, Lehn's program also hosts tournaments which routinely attract top all-star squads from B.C. and the United States. Over the past five years, the Brewers have been among the most active Major League teams when it comes to drafting British Columbian talent. In 2006, the team drafted White Rock native Ricky Alvernaz (%0th round, unsigned), and last season they made a much bigger splash, taking Langley's Brett Lawrie in the first round. The team also counts Vancouver Island infielder Taylor Green and former White Rock Triton Kyle Dhanani among its top prospects. It doesn't hurt that two of the Brewers' top front office men - Gord Ash and Doug Melvin - are Canadian. "I am another set of eyes that believes in the talent north of the 49th, who has no problem sitting down in the board room and flaunting our talent," said Lehn. "Being able to... hopefully push some Canadian talent into professional baseball, eventually major league baseball, seems to appeal to me." Lehn's eye for talent is earning him praise outside of the Milwaukee organization, too. In a recent story written for the Toronto Star, Bob Elliott writes that the selection of Lawrie in last year's draft is "a credit to Brewers' scouts Marty Lehn and Jay Lapp." "No one does a better job scouting Canada than the Brewers," he concluded. With baseball off the field - and most sports fans' radar - until the spring, Lehn will spend the rest of the winter preparing for his Big League Experience camps, as well as keeping tabs on what local prospects are up to. Next month, he will again hold his Opening Day Super Clinic at Southridge School, Jan. 30-31. At the skills camp, Lehn will be aided by a bevy of other instructors, including former Major Leaguers Chris Reitsma, Bob Didier and Chris Pritchett. The camp runs each day from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.bigleagueexperience.com. Marty Lehn (left) coaches third base for Canada at the Pan-American Games in 1999. The Peninsula resident counts the '99 Games as a career highlight. Contributed photo http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/400*281/76425whiterockLehn-02.jpg