Jim Goulart

Follow Thursday'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. MiLB.com now has Gameday available for AA as well as AAA this season. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_nozaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_hunaax_monaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_sarafa_breafa_1 Wisconsin: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_wisafx_ftwafx_1&did=t572&sid=t572 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_grfrok_helrok_1&did=t433&sid=t433 Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_brrrok_athrok_1 Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_30_dryrok_dobrok_1

Thursday's Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at home vs. New Orleans (Marlins), 6:35 PM pre-game; 7:00 gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP Mark Holliman at Montgomery (Rays), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Evan Anundsen at home vs. Sarasota (Reds), 6:05 PM gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... Wisconsin: RHP Trey Watten at Fort Wayne (Padres), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime Live Audio Link Helena: RHP Hiram Burgos at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Summer League: at the Athletics' complex in Phoenix; no more day games -- all games begin at 7:00 local time in the desert; no audio, naturally... Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: at home vs. the DSL Royals (see this thread for some roster background) -- all games are 10:30 local time in the Dominican, and no need to ask about web audio; we usually won't see updated box scores until the overnight...

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Mark McCarter at the Times: Still mulling Prentice and his Stars A week after Huntsville Stars owner Miles Prentice popped in for his brief meeting with Mayor Tommy Battle about a new stadium last week, two quotes still nag me. First, when he was apparently surfing the tsunami caused by Milwaukee Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash's recent observation that Huntsville won't appreciate its baseball team until it's gone, Prentice claimed "I still haven't talked to Gord Ash. I don't know what he said." If so, he is either being disingenuous or is even more out of touch than I believe. Second, there was a misleading comment. He wanted to "emphasize" the point that Midland, Texas, built a new stadium for his Double-A Texas League franchise, the Midland RockHounds. Let me emphasize this: While the city did indeed build a new stadium, it was part of a package deal, a special referendum for a quarter-cent sales tax increase to also construct an adjacent 15,000-seat high school football stadium. Midland High played in a decrepit stadium. The year of the vote, it was ranked No. 1 in the USA Today poll. Conveniently, the week of the vote, Midland was playing its crosstown rival Lee in that run-down stadium. It passed 61 percent to 39 percent. As Stewart Doreen, managing editor of The Midland Reporter-Telegram, told me when I visited there two years ago to report on the subject, "The RockHounds did a nice job riding the coattails of a football project." Ex-Mayor Bobby Burns, who championed the project, acknowledged that the only way the referendum would pass was to have all the various voting blocs - football fans, band parents, soccer parents, baseball fans - united. To his credit, Prentice hasn't tried to blackmail Huntsville with threats of moving the franchise. Ditto, in Midland. Sitting in his office in August 2007, Burns did say this. It's worth emphasizing: "We received no pressure, no threats, no 'we're-going-to-move,' nothing even subtle. That didn't mean I didn't think he'd have to make a business decision one day. I thought five, six, seven years down the road he might be presented with something he couldn't pass up. It was our desire to treat them right, make them feel welcome, make them think we want them for a long time."

Media-wise, one of the bigger disappointments of the season is that the two local papers in Nashville, particularly the Tennessean, have abandoned any semblance of covering the team at all. Obviously you're only going to get coverage on all levels for home games, but the Sounds may as well be the Manatees in terms of ink these days. Virtually nothing, maybe a feature article one or twice a month.

Helena Brewers' Edgar Trejo drives in the first run in the second inning with a single and dives into third safely on the play after a throwing error in front of Great Falls' Jose Vargas. (Photos by Clare Becker, Helena Independent Record) http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2009/07/30/sports/top/50spl_090730_brewers.jpg The Brewers' Adrian Rosario throws a pitch during the Brewers versus Great Falls Voyagers game Wednesday night at Kindrick Legion Field. Rosario started for Helena and finished with five runs, two of them earned, on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts over six innings. http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/07/30/sports/top/50spl_090730_brewers-2.jpg

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Final: Nashville 5, New Orleans (Marlins) 3 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Jason Bourgeois photo, text follows -- NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds beat the New Orleans Zephyrs 5-3 on Wednesday afternoon at historic Greer Stadium. Five Sounds players recorded multi-hit games and accounted for all 10 hits on the afternoon. Nashville (56-49) improved to 18-10 in day games, including a 9-2 mark at home. The Sounds took an early 4-0 lead after the first inning as the entire lineup batted around. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois bunted to reach first and then stole second base. Alcides Escobar walked and then stole second base while Bourgeois swiped third. Adam Heether walked to load the bases, followed by Erick Almonte's two-run RBI single that scored Escobar and Bourgeois. Hernan Iribarren was hit by a pitch to load the bases again, followed by consecutive RBI base hits by Freddy Parejo and Patrick Arlis to give the Sounds an early 4-0 lead. AUDIO: Patrick Arlis RBI Base Hit Jai Miller and Andy Gonzalez led off the fifth inning with singles, followed by Gookie Dawkins being hit and reaching to load the bases. Pinch hitter Dave Matranga brought home Miller and Gonzalez with a base hit to centerfield, and then scored on a ground out that trimmed Nashville's lead to 4-3. The Sounds got a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning as Iribarren recorded a base hit to center, stole second base, and scored on a base hit by Bourgeois that extend the Sounds lead to 5-3. Sounds starter Chris Narveson moved to 4-3 after throwing his first quality start of the season. Narveson allowed three runs on five hits while striking out four in six innings of work. Reliever Jesus Colome picked up his first save of the season after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. For the second straight game, the Zephyrs' starting left the game after one inning of work. Andrew Miller (0-2) got the loss and departed with a right ankle sprain after warming up to start his second frame of action. Iribarren and Bourgeois each extended their hitting streaks to seven games on the afternoon. Bourgeois also reached 30 steals for the fourth time in the last six seasons. The Sounds and Zephyrs continue with the third game of a four-game series on at 7:00 PM CT on Thursday night at historic Greer Stadium. Left-hander Chase Wright (6-5, 3.87) takes the hill for Nashville against New Orleans right-hander Ryan Tucker (0-2, 10.24). Nashville Box Score Watching Jason Bourgeois patrol center field if Mike Cameron is traded might be interesting for a month, but his .301 batting average and 30 steals mask an only barely-average OBP and no power at all; a box score without Mat Gamel and Angel Salome is less than scintillating; reliever Jesus Colome is intriguing, if only it'd be fun to see someone besides Todd Coffey bring heat from the Brewer bullpen -- but hey, you could have said that about Jorge Julio... Nashville Game Log

TheCrew07 will have tonight's action for you during the overnight...

Final: Fort Wayne (Padres) 4, Wisconsin 3 Wisconsin Site Game Summary: TINCAPS TOP RATTLERS By Chris Mehring, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers FORT WAYNE, IN - The Fort Wayne TinCaps squeaked by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with a 4-3 win Wednesday afternoon at Parkview Field. Robert Lara's RBI grounder in the bottom of the eighth inning plated what turned out to the be the winning run for the TinCaps. Timber Rattlers pitchers handed out some crucial walks and Wisconsin hitters left the bases loaded twice while stranding a total of nine runners in the game in their fifth consecutive loss. Michael Marseco gave the Timber Rattlers (13-18 second half, 47-54 overall) a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI double in the top of the second inning. But the TinCaps (26-6, 71-41) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third against Rattlers starting pitcher R.J. Seidel. The right-hander got the first out, but walked the next two batters. Daniel Robertson doubled in the two runners on base and scored himself on a single by Jaff Decker. The Rattlers got back to within a run in the top of the fourth inning against Stiven Osuna. Wisconsin loaded the bases with one out on a single and a pair of walks. A sacrifice fly by Erik Miller got a run home to cut the lead to 3-2. An infield single reloaded the bases with two outs, but Osuna got out of the inning with the lead still intact. In the seventh, Juan Sanchez doubled into the left field corner with one out. Brett Lawrie delivered the game-tying hit with a two-out single. Wisconsin would load the bases again with a single and a walk. But, they could not take the lead as a ground out left the bases loaded. That cost them. In the bottom of the eighth, Efrain Nieves walked the leadoff batter and a single to right put runners at the corners with no outs. Nieves got a strikeout for out number one. But, a slow roller up the third base line off the bat of catcher Robert Lara was enough to get the go-ahead run home from third. The TinCaps called on closer Brad Brach in the top of the ninth inning. Sanchez singled to lead off the inning. But Erik Komatsu grounded into a double play and Lawrie went down looking at strike three to end the game. Brach has 27 saves on the season. The Timber Rattlers will conclude their road trip with a Thursday night game against the TinCaps. Trey Watten (4-10, 4.58) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Fort Wayne counters with Chris Fetter (0-1, 3.48). Game time is 6:05 PM CDT. Wisconsin Box Score Juan Sanchez a double among his three hits; Timber Rattler pitchers have passed out more walks than any of the other 13 clubs in the Midwest League... Wisconsin Game Log

While Angel Salome has not been placed on the DL, the Sounds had to activate third catcher Patrick Arlis to back up Carlos Corporan, who has caught a lot lately while Salome sits idle. Arlis was activated from his paper stay on the Helena roster, which is where the Sounds placed LHP Sam Narron to make room. We are efforting to learn what Salome's current situation is.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 55 48 .534 - 30-21 25-27 L3 Memphis 53 50 .515 2.0 32-20 21-30 W1 Iowa 52 51 .505 3.0 30-20 22-31 L3 Omaha 42 60 .412 12.5 19-28 23-32 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 17 15 .531 - 10-6 7-9 L1 West Tenn 16 16 .500 1.0 7-8 9-8 L7 Huntsville 14 17 .452 2.5 6-9 8-8 W2 Tennessee 14 17 .452 2.5 5-10 9-7 W1 Carolina 13 19 .406 4.0 6-11 7-8 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tampa 20 9 .690 - 5-6 15-3 W4 Brevard County 19 10 .655 1.0 11-6 8-4 W1 Clearwater 16 14 .533 4.5 7-6 9-8 W3 Dunedin 16 15 .516 5.0 10-7 6-8 L3 Daytona 15 15 .500 5.5 6-9 9-6 L2 Lakeland 15 16 .484 6.0 7-7 8-9 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Missoula 19 14 .576 - 14-5 5-9 L1 Great Falls 18 15 .545 1.0 10-6 8-9 W1 Helena 17 16 .515 2.0 6-8 11-8 W1 Billings 10 23 .303 9.0 6-11 4-12 L1

Rattler Radio Blog: July 29, 2009: Starting Lineup July 29, 2009: Opposition Research -- Major chuckle here...nice job, Chris July 29, 2009: Today's pitchers -- Seidel / Nieves July 29, 2009: Game Notes

Midwest League Standings Arizona League Standings Dominican Summer League Standings

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated a few hours prior to gametime. Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): *** We're going to include the link to Kraig McNutt's Nashville blog in the same post as the Nashville media notes link going forward.

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. MiLB.com now has Gameday available for AA as well as AAA this season. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_nozaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville Game One: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_hunaax_monaax_1 Huntsville Game Two: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_hunaax_monaax_2 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_breafa_ftmafa_1 Wisconsin: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_wisafx_ftwafx_1&did=t572&sid=t572 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_grfrok_helrok_1&did=t433&sid=t433 Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_cubrok_brrrok_1 Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_07_29_dobrok_ddrrok_1

Wednesday's Menu: Times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Chris Narveson at home vs. New Orleans (Marlins), 11:45 AM pre-game; 12:00 PM gametime Live Audio Link Huntsville: RHP's Donovan Hand and Brandon Kintzler in a doubleheader at Montgomery (Rays), 5:50 PM pre-game; 6:05 gametime; it's the Brewer organization debut for the former Padres farmhand and recent independent league signee; each contest slated for seven innings... Live Audio Link Brevard County: RHP Michael Bowman at Fort Myers (Twins), 6:05 PM gametime Live Audio Link (Miracle's Feed) Wisconsin: RHP R.J. Seidel at Fort Wayne (Padres), 9:50 AM pre-game; 10:05 gametime; LHP Efrain Nieves will also pitch in this game Live Audio Link Helena: TBD at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 7:50 PM pre-game; 8:05 gametime Live Audio Link Arizona Summer League: at home in Maryvale vs. the Cubs' brats; no more day games -- all games begin at 7:00 local time in the desert; no audio, naturally... Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: at the DSL Rays (see this thread for some roster background) -- all games are 10:30 local time in the Dominican, and no need to ask about web audio; we usually won't see updated box scores until the overnight...

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Missoula Osprey David Narodowski, right, eludes the tag of Helena second baseman Mike Brownstein in the bottom of the third inning Tuesday at Ogren-Allegiance Park. Narodowski would later score. Photo by MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian http://www.missoulian.com/content/articles/2009/07/29/sports/sports01.jpg

Montgomery Advertiser: Double Drew Andersons were once teammates By A. Stacy Long Huntsville's Drew T. Anderson and now-former Biscuit Drew M. Anderson first dealt with confusion over their names as minor-league teammates. The Andersons played together in the Cincinnati system and, once in a major-league spring game, hit back-to-back in the lineup. Fans sometimes presented one with the other's card for a signature. "A lot of times, I'd just sign them because it gets old," Drew T. said. Drew T. said he was looking forward to a reunion this week, but the Rays demoted Drew M. from the Biscuits to Class A Charlotte on Monday. With the Reds, coaches and teammates used each Drew's size as an identifier. The 6-foot-2 Drew T. was known as "Big Drew" and 5-foot-9 Drew M. as "Little Drew." Stars manager taught while away from game Stars manager Bob Miscik is back in professional baseball this season after spending the previous two years as a teacher. Miscik, with 26 years of baseball experience, taught science in Florida and helped a friend who was a high school baseball coach. Miscik has a state championship ring to prove it from Venice High's 2007 title. "I helped him as a volunteer for years, before spring training and in the fall after the season, and I already knew all the players," Miscik said. "It was a special time, a happy time." Miscik said he liked teaching, but "baseball was my first choice." He mainly taught seventh- and eighth-grade science. "I have a lot of respect for teachers," he said. "It's an honorable profession, but I didn't feel it was something I wanted to do for the next 15-18 years of my career." Miscik, after a nine-year playing career in the minors, began coaching in 1990. From 1997-2006, he was the minor-league field coordinator for the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds.

Hey, can I recruit talent or what? Nice job, TheCrew07. I almost volunteered for the DSL box, that is an unfair assignment. Actually Hitaniel Arias did play, 2-for-4 at first base. Eliezer Montano and Jamie King also pitched, but as TC07 noted, Edwin Linares has been the focal point of this relief staff all season. Thanks again for a job well done. Look for Wednesday's thread to begin fairly early as we have Timber Rattler and Sound action to distract us from thinking about the big league abomination.

Update from Brett: The game scheduled between Huntsville and Montgomery Tuesday night, the second of a five-game set, has been rained out. The teams will make it up as part of a doubleheader, featuring two seven inning games, on Wednesday night beginning at 6:05 PM central time. The Stars will send right-handers Brandon Kintzler and Donovan Hand to the hill against Biscuits' right-handers Heath Rollins and Anuery Rodriguez. Coverage of the twin bill will begin at 5:50 PM central time and can be heard live through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Pleased to report that TheCrew07 has kindly responded to my request to take on an evening of summaries as your guest Link Reporter tonight. He's been a wonderful contributor here this season, and will allow me to kick back a bit this evening and enjoy Carlos Villanueva's upcoming perfect game. Thanks in advance!

Link Report Bonus -- to the Archives! I definitely have a soft spot for the independent leaguers, so I'm looking forward to Brandon Kintzler's debut with the Stars tonight. Whenever we have a game like that, I think back to one of the most unique days in Stars' history -- Sunday, July 20th, 2003. Game One: Huntsville 10, West Tenn (Cubs) 0 Game Two: Huntsville 1, West Tenn 0 Pretty much what will go down as a very special night in Stars' history, as team historian and ultra-fan David Weiser would most certainly agree. Following up LHP Jeff Housman's scintillatingly efficient AA debut, 26-year-old Jason Shelley, fresh from absolutely dominating Frontier League competition for a year and a half now, tosses a complete game, three-hit, ten strikeout, seven-inning shutout as Huntsville wins a squeaker in game two of Sunday's twinbill. Shelly mixed a 90-92 MPH fastball with two out pitches, what he himself deemed a "slurve", and a very effective and seemingly nasty splitter. Even at age 26, it's a wonder that no one plucked Shelley from the independent ranks prior to this. They'll be talking about this evening for a long time in Huntsville. *** It is such a hoot to go back and look at old Link Reports, particularly the one for that day. Prince Fielder nearly killed a catcher in Beloit in a home plate collision (no, not the infamous Chattanooga photograph -- that was later in AA), Corey Hart updates, Chris Saenz, ah yes, all good times.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 55 47 .539 - 30-20 25-27 L2 Iowa 52 50 .510 3.0 30-20 22-30 L2 Memphis 52 50 .510 3.0 31-20 21-30 L2 Omaha 41 60 .406 13.5 18-28 23-32 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 17 14 .548 - 10-6 7-8 W2 West Tenn 16 14 .533 0.5 7-8 9-6 L5 Huntsville 14 17 .452 3.0 6-9 8-8 W2 Tennessee 14 17 .452 3.0 5-10 9-7 W1 Carolina 12 19 .387 5.0 5-11 7-8 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tampa 19 9 .679 - 5-6 14-3 W3 Brevard County 18 10 .643 1.0 11-6 7-4 L1 Dunedin 16 14 .533 4.0 10-7 6-7 L2 Clearwater 15 14 .517 4.5 6-6 9-8 W2 Daytona 15 14 .517 4.5 6-9 9-5 L1 Lakeland 14 16 .467 6.0 6-7 8-9 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Missoula 19 13 .594 - 14-4 5-9 W5 Great Falls 17 15 .531 2.0 10-6 7-9 L1 Helena 16 16 .500 3.0 6-8 10-8 L4 Billings 10 22 .313 9.0 6-10 4-12 W1