Jim Goulart

Nashville Site: Lindsay Gulin Named PCL Pitcher Of The Week

Nice Joe Thatcher (Padres) feature article

Nice Joe Thatcher (Padres) feature article

Nashville's Cole Gillespie out after the HBP departure on Sunday.

Timber Rattler Photos -- camo jerseys, Star wars, Brewer-themed -- hat tip to BCB....

The Sounds enjoy an unusually long break until Thursday evening after Monday afternoon's game.

Getting To Know Your Sounds: Chris Cody

Rattler Radio Blog: June 8, 2009: Game Notes June 8, 2009: Today's Starting Pitcher (Trey Watten) June 8, 2009: Lineups (John Delaney, not Jose Duran to second base in Brett Lawrie's DL absence -- Edgar Trejo back to action at third base)

Rattler Radio Blog -- June 8, 2009: Transactions (Brett Lawrie to the DL -- nose, Steven Braun up from extended spring)

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 33 26 .559 - 17-14 16-12 W2 Memphis 30 27 .526 2.0 18-11 12-16 W2 Iowa 28 30 .483 4.5 13-13 15-17 L1 Omaha 24 34 .414 8.5 11-20 13-14 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 33 23 .589 - 12-13 21-10 W1 Carolina 32 25 .561 1.5 18-12 14-13 W2 Tennessee 24 34 .414 10.0 13-18 11-16 W3 Chattanooga 23 34 .404 10.5 13-17 10-17 L3 West Tenn 23 35 .397 11.0 12-16 11-19 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 34 15 .694 - 14-8 20-7 W1 Clearwater 25 27 .481 10.5 11-13 14-14 L4 Daytona 24 26 .480 10.5 11-10 13-16 L1 Tampa 24 29 .453 12.0 13-16 11-13 W3 Lakeland 22 27 .449 12.0 12-16 10-11 L3 Dunedin 22 30 .423 13.5 10-19 12-11 L1

Midwest 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. *** AAA All-Star voting is here with your MiLB.com online account.

Follow Monday'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_06_08_nasaaa_omaaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_06_08_hunaax_wtdaax_1 Brevard County Game One: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_06_08_chaafa_breafa_1 Brevard County Game Two: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_06_08_chaafa_breafa_2 Wisconsin: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_06_08_belafx_wisafx_1&did=t572&sid=t572 Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&gid=2009_06_08_dobrok_ddrrok_1&cid=3130&t=g_box

Realized as I put together today's menu, it screamed out for a "Facts of Life" Mrs. Garrett photo -- You'll get it, give the menu a glance again. http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/brotherb13/charlotte_rae.jpg

Monday's Daily Menu -- All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Link here for the live audio choices - audio will no longer archive. For this Brevard County series, you can pick up the Stone Crabs' audio via this link. Nashville: LHP Chase Wright at Omaha (Royals), 11:50 AM pre-game; 12:05 PM gametime Huntsville: LHP Bobby Bramhall at West Tenn (Mariners), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Brevard County: RHP Evan Anundsen and TBD (probably RHP Jeremy Jeffress) in a double-dip at home vs. Charlotte (Rays), 4:00 PM gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Wisconsin: RHP Trey Watten at home vs. Beloit (Twins), 11:50 AM pre-game, 12:05 PM gametime Dominican Summer League Brewers / Orioles: at the DSL Rays squad (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...

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

Link while active, text follows: Meadows, Henderson pitch in for Timber Rattlers By Brett Christopherson Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE - Daniel Meadows took a few extra seconds to ponder the question. And then the left-hander grinned and offered what he felt was the perfect answer. "I'm a pitcher, how about that?" he said when asked of the role he fills as part of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' staff. "Wherever they throw me out there, I'll be ready. Starter, reliever, middle reliever - anything. Wherever they put me, I'm going to go out there and try to help my team win." Which is what Meadows did - again - on Sunday, scattering three hits, whiffing five and surrendering one earned run over a five-inning start as he pitched the Rattlers to a 2-1 Midwest League victory over Beloit in the opener of a doubleheader at Fox Cities Stadium. The win was Meadows' league-leading ninth of the season, a total that trails only Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay for the most in professional baseball. Halladay, the 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner, improved to 10-1 on Sunday. Not bad for a player who was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 49th round of last June's draft. "I wouldn't say (this is) coming out of nowhere," said Meadows, who has made four starts in 15 appearances, has just one loss and has a 3.40 ERA in 42 1/3 innings. "I showed what I can do last year, and I'm showing what I can do this year. It feels good. I just have to go out there and perform. I'm trying to keep my team in games and help us win." The 21-year-old spent last season at the rookie level, appearing in a combined 15 games with Arizona and Helena (Mont.) and producing a 2-3 mark with 42 strikeouts and a 4.53 ERA. This year, Meadows finds himself atop a staff that includes some of the more promising young arms in the Brewers' system. He has 40 strikeouts and a solid walks-plus-hits-per-inning-pitched ratio of 1.16. According to Rattlers pitching coach Chris Hook, Meadows' success is linked with his ability to command his fastball - though he struggled at times against Beloit with five walks - while adding what he called "an average major league changeup." "And when you start mixing in fastball command with an average major league changeup, good things are going to happen," Hook said. "He doesn't throw extra hard, but he throws the ball where he wants to. He came in (to spring training), and we really didn't know what we had. "But the one thing we did see in spring training was a guy with some 'pitchability.' He seemed to have a feel for getting out of jams. … I'm real pleased with what he has been able to do. He has opened some eyes up for sure." So has closer Jim Henderson, a right-hander who pitched a scoreless seventh for his 14th save in 14 tries and inch him closer of tying the single-season club record of 19 saves set in 1995 by John Thompson. The 26-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Brewers this spring and is trying to bounce back from the shoulder surgery he underwent nearly a year ago. Henderson, who lowered his ERA to 1.33 and has 18 strikeouts and only eight walks in 20 1/3 innings, pitched as high as the Triple-A level the past two seasons in the Chicago Cubs system. He was originally plucked by the Montreal Expos in the 26th round of the 2003 draft and is in his seventh professional season. "I'm just trying to help these younger guys get their wins in the back end of the bullpen and get my work in," said Henderson, who joins Meadows as part of a group of five players selected to represent the Rattlers in this month's Midwest League All-Star Game. "I just came off of surgery, so I'm trying to get my strength back and get back out there and contribute to the team. "I'm trying to look at it as a rehab and get stronger again. And hopefully get back to the higher levels." Hook said having Henderson in the bullpen has proven to be an invaluable addition to the staff because of the approach he brings and the wisdom he can impart. "He's an ultimate professional," he said. "He goes about his job and does everything like he would in a Triple-A type of situation. And he's a strike thrower. Those guys see an aggressive guy with a good sinker, and he knows if he goes after people, he's going to get people out." Meadows noted Henderson's influence to his own success. "Just learning how to manage a game when you're out there," Meadows said. "Not putting everything into each inning. I try to sit next to him (in the bullpen) and learn. In this game, you've got to keep learning from guys who have been up to the Double-A, Triple-A levels and have had a shot at the big leagues. "You can't help but listen and learn from those guys."

Final, Game One: Nashville 8, Omaha (Royals) 6 Final, Game Two: Nashville 3, Omaha 1, ten innings (scheduled for seven) Nashville Site Doubleheader Summary: Link for new Alcides Escobar photo, text follows -- Sounds Sweep Royals In Doubleheader OMAHA, Neb. - The first-place Nashville Sounds swept the division-rival Omaha Royals in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Rosenblatt Stadium. Nashville (33-26) notched a come-from-behind 8-6 victory in the opener before logging a 3-1, 10-inning win in the nightcap. Sounds shortstop Alcides Escobar led Nashville to an 8-6 win in the opener with a 3-for-4 effort that included three run-scoring hits. The Sounds scored seven of its eight runs in the contest and went 6-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Omaha got off to a quick start against Nashville starter Matt Ginter, plating four first-inning runs. The Sounds rallied to knot the contest at 4-4 in the third with a two-out rally against Royals starter Bruce Chen. Escobar, who continued his recent hot hitting with a pair of doubles in the contest, opened the Nashville scoring with an RBI two-bagger. Angel Salome followed with a run-scoring single to right before Joe Koshansky belted a game-tying two-run homer to right off Chen, his 11th roundtripper of the year. Cory Aldridge put Omaha back in front in the fourth with a leadoff homer to right off Ginter, his sixth tater of the season, and Mario Lisson upped the advantage to 6-4 two batters later with a solo shot to left, his fourth on the year. Once again, Nashville rallied to tie the contest in the fifth. Escobar ripped his second RBI double of the afternoon to center to plate Cole Gillespie before Brendan Katin greeted Omaha reliever Victor Marte with a run-scoring single to left that evened things at 6-6. The Sounds grabbed their first lead of the opener in the top of the sixth with a two-run, two-out rally against Marte (0-2), who took the loss for the Royals. Gillespie doubled and scored the go-ahead run when Jason Bourgeois followed with an RBI triple to right. Escobar provided an insurance run for Nashville when he plated Bourgeois with a bloop single to left, bringing the score to its final 8-6 count. R.J. Swindle (1-0) picked up the victory for the Sounds in the opener with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. David Johnson notched his third save of the year by recording the final two outs for Nashville. Nashville Game One Box Score Gee, this Escobar kid seems pretty good; Cole Gillespie doubled and singled to get back to the Mendoza line -- Mario Mendoza still relevant after all these years, what a legacy; the teams combined to pack an awful lot into the box score and game log -- wade away... Nashville Game One Game Log In the nightcap, Jason Bourgeois led off the contest with a triple off Dusty Hughes and scored the game's first run two batters later on an Angel Salome RBI single. Omaha tied it at 1-1 in the fifth with an unearned run stemming from a throwing error by Sounds starting pitcher Lindsay Gulin. Irving Falu led off with a single and moved to third when Gulin misfired to first on Tug Hulett's sacrifice bunt before scoring on a double-play grounder. Neither team scored again until the tenth as the game went three innings beyond the scheduled seven-inning session and the teams combined to bat just 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position in the contest. Sounds left fielder Michael Garciaparra led off the tenth by drilling Greg Atencio's first pitch over the left field wall for his first home run of the season, giving Nashville a 2-1 lead. Salome plated an insurance run later in the frame with a sacrifice fly. Ryan Houston (2-1) worked the final four innings in scoreless fashion to earn the nightcap win for the Sounds, while Atencio (2-5) was saddled with the loss. The division rivals wrap up their four-game series as well as their 16-game season series on Monday afternoon with a 12:05 PM finale. Left-hander Chase Wright (4-5, 4.12) will man the bump for the Sounds to face veteran Omaha right-hander Brandon Duckworth (2-2, 4.75). Nashville Game Two Box Score 29-year-old reliever Ryan Houston remains anonymously very effective; two consecutive outstanding starts for Lindsay Gulin... Nashville Game Two Game Log If you're a fan of non-clutch hitting (or clutch pitching, take your pick), then this game log is for you... Cole Gillespie was hit by a a pitch in the 7th -- he promptly stole second base, but was pulled from the game upon returning to the dugout, which actually then set up the game-winning HR for his replacement, Michael Garciaparra -- something to keep an eye on with the quick turnaround Monday...

Check out the Post-Crescent blog post for more details including these tidbits: Stat pack 0: Total errors committed in Sunday's doubleheader. Beloit entered the day 10th in the league in fielding percentage at .967, while the Rattlers were 12th at .964. 19: Wins this season for Beloit, the lowest total in the league. The Snappers have dropped 36 games for a .345 winning percentage. 20: Victories by the Rattlers when allowing four runs or less. They have 12 losses in such games.

Final, Game Two: Beloit (Twins) 4, Wisconsin 1 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Snappers get split; End streak By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI - Daniel Osterbrock tossed a complete game to lead the Beloit Snappers to a 4-1 win in game two of a doubleheader Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field. The win gave Beloit a split in the twinbill and ended a seven-game losing streak. The Rattlers (26-30) got on the board first. Corey Kemp's two-out RBI single sent John Delaney home from second base for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Osterbrock retired the next eleven batters he faced. Rattler starting pitcher Efrain Nieves gave up a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Alexander Soto tied the game with an RBI double. An RBI grounder by Angel Morales put the Snappers (19-36) in front 2-1. Beloit knocked Nieves out of the game in the top of the third inning. Ramon Santana started the frame with a double. Michael Harrington followed with an RBI double. Ozzie Lews singled to move Harrington to third. Jon Waltenbury's RBI double made the score 4-1. That was more than enough for Osterbrock. The lefty out of the University of Cincinnati struck out six, didn't walk a batter, and allowed four hits for the complete game victory. Game three of the four game series is set for Monday afternoon. Trey Watten (2-6, 4.71) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Bobby Lanigan (5-4, 5.49) is set to start for Beloit. Game time is 12:05 PM. Wisconsin Game Two Box Score Big positives in the game that might go overlooked otherwise -- reliever Nick Tyson maintains his spotless ERA, and Cody Scarpetta gets in three innings of piggyback work, facing the minimum and fanning three; Wisconsin Game Two Game Log Efrain Nieves' start looks just as ugly in the game log as it does in the box score; up to 60 degrees for Game Two; over 4,200 took it all in...

Final, Game One: Wisconsin 2, Beloit (Twins) 1 Wisconsin Site Game Summary Cloud nine for Meadows; Rattlers By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers defeated the Beloit Snappers 2-1 in game one of a doubleheader Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field. Daniel Meadows allowed one run over five innings for his ninth win and Jim Henderson inched a bit closer to Timber Rattlers history with his fourteenth save of the season. Beloit (18-36) broke the ice with a run in the second inning. Drew Thompson's two-out RBI single drove in Jon Waltenbury. Meadows would not allow another run. The Rattlers (26-29) answered back with a run in the bottom of the second. Chris Dennis lined a single to left to knock in Corey Kemp from second base. Wisconsin manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. Dennis doubled to start the inning. Jose Duran tried to bunt Dennis over to third and reached when the bunt could not be fielded. One out later, Michael Marseco -- with Dennis charging down the line from third -- dropped a bunt for a well-executed suicide squeeze and a 2-1 lead. Meadows got through the fifth inning despite giving up a single and walking his fifth batter of the game. He escaped a jam by striking out Michael Harrington with runners at the corners for the final out of the frame. That strikeout was the fifth of the game for the Rattler lefty. Meadows is 4-0 in four starts with the Rattlers. His nine wins leads the Midwest League. Brandon Ritchie came on in the sixth and retired the side in order. Then, Henderson worked around a lead-off single in the top of the seventh inning. The All-Star closer for the Timber Rattlers is 14-for-14 in save opportunities this season. He is now tied with Aaron Sheffer for fifth place on the single season saves list. John Thompson is the record holder with 19 saves during the 1995 season. Wisconsin Game One Box Score Chris Dennis double, single, walk, RBI -- perfect in three plate appearances; neither Edgar Trejo nor newcomer Derrick McPhearson saw action in either contest today; the Timber Rattlers are carrying only 12 position players with 13 pitchers, not unusual for this level... Wisconsin Game One Game Log Only 51 degrees? It is June 7th, correct?

Final, Game One: West Tenn (Mariners) 9, Huntsville 6 Final, Game Two: Huntsville 5, West Tenn 1, ten innings (scheduled for seven) Huntsville Site Doubleheader Summary Veterans Come Through in Clutch for Stars Huntsville Homers Way to Doubleheader Split By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars Vinny Rottino and Taylor Green blasted back-to-back home runs in the tenth inning to carry Huntsville to a much needed 5-1 comeback win in game two of a twin bill Sunday afternoon at Pringles Park. The Stars improved to 33-23 but saw their lead in the North Division trimmed to a game and a half after losing the opener 9-6 while Carolina blanked Jacksonville 2-0. The Diamond Jaxx fell to 23-35 on the season after falling to the Stars for an eleventh time in thirteen tries. Adam Stern led off the tenth inning with a single, moved to second base on a Shane Justis sacrifice bunt and stayed put when Jonathan Lucroy lined out to right field. The Jaxx elected to walk Kevin Melillo for a second time in the game with first base open and the strategy backfired when Rottino crushed Aaron Cotter's first offering for a home run to left field to give the visitors their first lead of the game. Green then followed with a home run to make it a 5-1 game, as the Stars went back-to-back for a second time this season and hit three home runs in a game for the first time. Stern's leadoff long ball in the sixth got the game tied at one. Luis Munoz went six innings for the Jaxx, giving up a lone run on five hits, while walking two and fanning four in a no-decision. Robert Hinton retired the Jaxx in a scoreless bottom half of the inning after Derrick Ellison worked two perfect frames in relief to grab his second win of the season. Mike McClendon lasted seven innings in his second start of the season, giving up a run on six hits and striking out six. The only run he allowed came in the first inning when former Huntsville Star Mel Stocker singled, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Marshall Hubbard fly ball. Huntsville Game Two Box Score Ten K's and no walks combined for Mike McClendon, Derrick Ellison, and Robert Hinton -- McClendon was huge after the rough opener for the Stars; Vinny Rottino donned the tools of ignorance in this nightcap; Adam Stern, Kevin Melillo, and Taylor Green each reached three times; Logan Schafer 1-for-his-first-13 at AA, but has walked three times -- he also sacrificed successfully in Game One... Huntsville Game Two Game Log The Jaxx cashed in on leadoff triples in the third and fourth innings in the opener, getting sacrifice flies from Hubbard and Yamid Haad to take a 2-1 after four frames. Lucroy's two-run home run, his third long ball of the season, second off Jaxx' right-hander Kyle Parker and first since he took Parker deep on May 5, in the fifth inning put the visitors back on top at 3-2. Stars' starter Mike Jones gave up a single and issued two walks to load the bases with one out in the bottom half of the frame before Johan Limonta cleared the bases with his second three-base hit of the game to put the Jaxx ahead to stay at 5-3 and knock Jones out of the game. Nick Bucci came on and gave up a two-run home run to Leury Bonilla and a solo shot to Haad that capped off a six-run uprising. Jones suffered the loss to fall to 1-1 after allowing six runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. Bucci was tossed out of the game in the sixth after hitting Brent Johnson after Hubbard had singled and taken off for second base despite not being held on and no throw from Lucroy from behind the plate. Juan Sandoval took over and gave up a run-scoring hit to Limonta that pushed the lead to 9-3. Parker was one out away from a second straight seven inning complete game when he hit Logan Schafer and was ejected. Green belted Ricky Orta's first pitch for a three-run home run to trim the lead to three before J.R. Hopf grounded out to end the game. Parker improved to 3-2 after allowing five runs on nine hits, while walking three and fanning three in his third start against the Stars. The series continues Monday night with left-hander Bobby Bramhall starting for Huntsville against West Tenn southpaw Danny Christensen. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 PM central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Game One Box Score Nick Bucci with two gopher balls after coming in for an ineffective Mike Jones; as was discussed above, fantastic to see productive evenings for Taylor Green and Jonathan Lucroy -- along with Logan Schafer, they are the position players that matter most on this squad... Huntsville Game One Game Log

The Manatees have followed up with some statistical updates regarding their All-Stars: (Viera, FL) The Brevard County Manatees are off to a strong start in 2009, and were rewarded for that by placing seven players on the FSL North All-Star team. Pitchers Evan Anundsen, Amaury Rivas, John Axford, and Rob Wooten were selected to the team after leading the Manatees to the best ERA in the league. Position players on the squad are right fielder Caleb Gindl, second baseman Eric Farris, and third baseman Zelous Wheeler. Anundsen is tied for the FSL lead with six wins, posting a record of 6-3, is third in the league with a 1.87 ERA, and fourth in the league with 54 strikeouts. Earlier in the season, he pitched a nine-inning, complete game no-hitter against the Daytona Cubs. Rivas is 4-3 this season with a 3.33 ERA. He has struck out 43 batters in 51.1 innings, while only walking 15. Axford has been arguably the most dominant setup man in the FSL this season. He is 4-1 with a 1.75 ERA out of the Manatees' bullpen. He has 39 strikeouts in just 25.2 innings, and is limiting opponents to a .149 batting average. Wooten leads the FSL with 16 saves. He has an ERA of 1.14, and has blown only one save opportunity this season. He has broken the Manatees' record for saves in a single season. Gindl is hitting .282 with five home runs, 32 RBI, and 27 runs scored. He leads the team in runs batted in, and is tied for the lead in homers and runs scored. He has also stolen eight bases. Farris is hitting .264 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He is second in the FSL with 25 stolen bases, while only being caught twice. Wheeler is hitting .228 with five home runs and 30 RBI. He is tied for the team lead in homers, and second in RBI. He also leads the team with 30 walks, pushing his on-base percentage up to .358. Brevard County pitcher Josh Butler was also selected as an All-Star, but will not be taking place in the game due to his recent promotion to the Nashville Sounds. Tyler L. Stover Director of Media Relations Brevard County Manatees

Link while active, text follows: Baseball Player of the Year: Prepared for launch Mustangs all-everything catcher looks ahead to Miami, draft By RYAN T. BOYD rboyd@bradenton.com LAKEWOOD RANCH - When the baseball exploded off Michael Ohlman's bat, Phil Olson was convinced. A strong wind was blowing in, and Ohlman, Lakewood Ranch's star catcher, still launched a blast that landed in the bushes behind the left-field fence. Olson, Southeast's skipper, had one thought: WOW! "I said right then, 'This kid has to be the best player in Manatee County,' " Olson said. "The wind was blowing hard, and he still hit it out. The kid is good." The 6-foot-4, 215-pound man-child is the 2009 Herald All-Area Baseball Player of the Year. "I wanted to win player of the year and make the all-star team for the state," said Ohlman, who signed a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Miami last year. "I wanted to do my best, work hard and see what happens." He made it happen. Ohlman batted .550 with three home runs and 28 RBIs to lead a young Mustangs team that came on strong near the end of the season. Even more impressive is that Ohlman stole 23 bases in 24 attempts. "He ran bases like a center fielder," Lakewood Ranch coach Mike Mullen said. "He's, by far, head and shoulders above the rest with his ability to run bases. He was thrown out once, and I believe he was safe. That's just one of his statistics that go unnoticed. He runs from first to third about as well as anybody." Add that to his prowess of throwing out base stealers (64 percent) and his ability to block balls, and you have a bona fide star. "Behind the plate this season, (Ohlman) must have saved us about 15 runs," said Mullen, a former high school catcher. "That makes it a lot easier on any pitcher." More importantly, Ohlman wanted to make his senior season easier on himself. That's why he chose a college before the season started. So he could avoid the plethora of phone calls from college coaches. That's why he visited Sandlot@5Tools, batting cages and a workout facility owned by Manatee High coach Dwayne Strong, as often as possible to improve his batting average, his power and his strength entering this season. And, ultimately, that's why he was the unquestioned leader of the Mustangs. "Last year, I was pressing a lot, because I had nowhere to go," Ohlman said. "Now, there's a lot relief taken off your shoulders, and you can play like you are eight years old again. That made this year a lot more fun for me." This Friday, Ohlman will play in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Game in Sebring, which was his other goal. Besides the high school all-star game and a scholarship in South Florida, there's a good chance Ohlman could be a high pick in June's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He's excited the chance to play professional ball, but Ohlman is guarding himself from getting caught in the hype. "People say stuff, but you actually don't know where you are going until June rolls around," Ohlman said. "But you can never have this opportunity again, so I'm making the best of it." For now, Ohlman elects to relish being regarded as the best baseball player in Manatee County. "I'm just having fun right now and soaking it all in," he said. PAUL VIDELA / pvidela@bradenton.com Lakewood Ranch High School senior Michael Ohlman hit .550 and drove in 28 runs for the Mustangs. He stole 23 bases in 24 attempts and threw out 64 percent of those who tried to steal on him. http://media.bradenton.com/smedia/2009/05/27/23/146-20090527-234340-pic-475525328.standalone.prod_affiliate.69.jpg

colbyjack wrote: The Brewers pre-draft workout was held earlier today. I went and had lunch at Fridays and took in the action for a couple of hours. Out of respect for the Brewers scouting department, I am not going to say which players were there that I recognized, but I will say there's a good chance the team targets college pitching early. *** If it's online, it's fit to print. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Link while active, text follows: Lakewood Ranch's Ohlman enjoys visit to big-league clubs By RYAN T. BOYD rboyd@bradenton.com (Florida) The baseball came across home plate like no other Michael Ohlman had caught before. It wasn't offered from the high school pitchers that the Lakewood Ranch star catcher has backed up the past four seasons. On Friday, the heater zipped across the plate from Tampa Bay Rays All-Star pitcher Scott Kazmir. It was Ohlman's second stop on a three-city workout tour with the Seattle Mariners (Thursday), the Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Those were his final auditions on the eve of the Major League Baseball 2009 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. "Kazmir asked me to catch for him," said Ohlman, the Herald's All-Area Baseball Player of the Year. "So I did it. It was cool. It was the highlight of my day." The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder can add that to his high-point list of talking to Tampa Bay designated hitter Pat Burrell, playing simulated games at Tropicana Field and Safeco Field, the Mariners' home ballpark, and watching Seattle's All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki from a distance. Ohlman's nationwide trip is a result of being considered one of the best high school baseball players in Florida. Ohlman capped his high school career this spring by hitting .550 with three home runs, 28 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. Ohlman, who recently graduated from Lakewood Ranch, even threw out 64 percent of baserunners. He put up these numbers while being pitched around a large amount and with a young, inexperienced Mustangs team. Ohlman is not sure where he will be drafted next week, but it's already been a great start to June following his trip to three big-league parks. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Ohlman said Friday over the phone while sitting in Tampa International Airport waiting for his flight to Milwaukee. "All high school baseball players would die for this opportunity. I am pretty tired, though." In Seattle and St. Petersburg, Ohlman threw, stretched, took batting practice and played in practice games with at least 30 other potential draft picks from around the nation. "I'm ready for it," Ohlman said. "I've been preparing for this my whole life. There's nothing really to stop me from doing it."