Jim Goulart

Huntsville blew past Birmingham, 15-8. Chris Errecart, Johnny Raburn (what a spring he's having), and Yohannis Perez all homered for the Stars. J. R. Hopf was 3-for-3, and Vinny Rottino (3-for-5) joined Hopf in singling three times. Starter Bobby Bramhall allowed five runs in four innings, and Mike McClendon worked three innings of scoreless relief. R H E Huntsville 15 14 1 Birmingham 8 10 5 HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI Stern 5 2 1 1 Justis 5 1 1 2 Errecart 4 2 1 3 Rottino 5 1 3 0 Lucroy 4 1 1 0 Raburn 4 2 1 1 Fermaint 5 1 0 0 Perez 5 2 2 3 Hopf 3 2 3 1 Bramhall 2 0 0 0 Caufield 2 1 1 1 2B: Perez 3B: Caufield HR: Perez, Errecart, Raburn IP H R ER BB SO TP Bramhall 4 6 5 5 2 4 74 McClendon 3 1 0 0 0 4 42 Ellison 2 3 3 3 1 4 43

Thursday's Games: Nashville squeaked by Charlotte, 7-6, thanks to a late rally. Mat Gamel collected three hits, including a double and a three-run home run, and knocked in four runs. Cole Gillespie, apparently over any minor elbow issues, added a two-run shot. Chris Narveson picked up the win in relief and Ryan Houston got the save. Chase Wright allowed five runs (four earned) in his 5 2/3 innings start. R H E Nashville 7 8 2 Charlotte 6 10 0 NASHVILLE AB R H BI Tyner 2 1 0 0 McPhearson 1 0 0 0 Escobar 3 2 1 1 Gamel 4 2 3 4 Gillespie 4 1 2 2 Thorman 4 0 0 0 Salome 2 0 0 0 Maldonado 2 0 0 0 Iribarren 3 0 1 0 Ash 1 0 0 0 Bourgeois 3 0 0 0 WrightC 2 0 0 0 Parejo 3 1 1 0 2B: Iribarren, Gamel 3B: Escobar Bitmap Bitmap Bitmap HR: Gamel, Gillespie IP H R ER BB SO TP WrightC 5.2 8 5 4 3 4 94 Narveson 2.1 1 1 1 1 2 32 Houston 1 1 0 0 0 0 7

Yeah, I tried to correct myself in the follow-up post. Farris may have underperformed very early on in '08, but rebounded pretty darn well. 24 walks in 454 AB's won't work, however.

Gwynn clears waivers, is headed to Nashville.

Also in the same Adam McCalvy entry, Adam notes Tony Gwynn cleared waivers, and is headed to Nashville.

Adam McCalvy's MLB Blog post includes this: The team also claimed first baseman Joe Koshansky off waivers from the Rangers and optioned him to Nashville, where the Sounds already had a first baseman in former Brave Scott Thorman. Ash said the Brewers could have some further news regarding Thorman later today. Koshanski, who turns 27 in May, has spent brief stints in the big leagues in each of the last two seasons but spent most of 2008 at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he batted .300 with 31 home runs and 121 RBIs in just 122 games. He also struck out 158 times. The Rangers claimed him off waivers from the Rockies on March 29 but then needed the 40-man roster spot for a non-roster invitee, according to Ash. The slugger's career numbers (impressive even in hitter-friendly parks) Rotoworld comments when the Rangers claimed him earlier.

Adam McCalvy's MLB Blog post includes this: The team also claimed first baseman Joe Koshansky off waivers from the Rangers and optioned him to Nashville, where the Sounds already had a first baseman in former Brave Scott Thorman. Ash said the Brewers could have some further news regarding Thorman later today. Koshanski, who turns 27 in May, has spent brief stints in the big leagues in each of the last two seasons but spent most of 2008 at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he batted .300 with 31 home runs and 121 RBIs in just 122 games. He also struck out 158 times. The Rangers claimed him off waivers from the Rockies on March 29 but then needed the 40-man roster spot for a non-roster invitee, according to Ash. The slugger's career numbers (impressive even in hitter-friendly parks) Rotoworld comments when the Rangers claimed him earlier. Discuss the Koshansky acquisition specifically in this linked thread.

Recent story on Erick Almonte looking back at his 2003 time in the Yankee spotlight

This is from a Scout.com Mets article, November 2008 -- Sean McCraw entered the season atop the Mets system's depth chart at catcher and hoped to take the necessary strides to move forward, but his season did not progress as hoped and now he is working his way back. Coming off a fine year in 2007 in which he hit .268 with five home runs and 36 RBI in 76 combined games with St. Lucie and Savannah, Sean McCraw aimed to take the next steps. Heading into the 2008 season, McCraw was the leading catching prospect on the farm and returned to St. Lucie [after five weeks in 2007] where he was offered the starting job on Opening Day. However, he struggled through the first weeks as he never found a rhythm at the plate and ultimately relinquished his starting role. Over the 28 games he spent in the Florida State League this season, he hit just .143 with minimal production, driving in just two runs in 77 at-bats. For McCraw, it was not the start he envisioned. "I definitely really wasn't feeling good about my hitting coming out of camp and that carried into the season. I wasn't trying to do too much, but I was trying to see the ball as much as possible," he said. "I was just trying to move my contact point back a little bit and let the ball travel as much as it can," he continued. "I tried closing my stance up a little bit more and it feels a little weird, but I'm going to struggle some now to get more success in the end. I'm willing to listen and try anything that the coaches recommend." McCraw's struggles eventually led to a drop down the depth chart. St. Lucie hitting coach Mike Hart knew his catcher was having trouble at the plate, but with a talented collection of catchers in St. Lucie, he admitted McCraw had to perform his way into out of a slump to regain his playing time. "McCraw [had] some mechanical issues that caused him some grief. He's was coming around the ball and not staying through the ball. The though thing was that we had three catchers so "Mac" was fighting for playing time. In order to get out of a slump, you need at-bats," Hart explained. To help crack that slump, McCraw was reassigned to Savannah where was often slotted as the designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup every day. The results were better as he hit .290 though his first 28 games back in the South Atlantic League, but the production once again limited as he drove in just 12 runs with eight doubles and a triple. He closed out the season with a 7-for-35 stretch over his last ten games, but kept a positive attitude and will not get down on himself for any disappointment he may feel. "I think it started to come together and even though I had some terrible games, I can't afford to come home after games and worry about the things I feel I'm not doing right. I have to keep looking forward and not harp on what happens every night," McCraw explained. The sudden drop in production was rather alarming, but the system is hungry for continued growth of catching prospects and certainly nothing is quite yet assured of any of the prospects who currently hold spots in the Top 50 rankings. However, the onus is on McCraw to undertake the challenge of rebounding next season and show he can leave the shortcomings of 2008 behind him. Batting and Power: A leg injury sapped McCraw's power in 2007, but the lack of power continued into this past season. That is not to say McCraw naturally lacks the ability to drive the ball or hit home runs. He has a quick, compact stroke with good bat speed that makes him able to drive the ball to both gaps with authority. "Loud outs" have plagued him, but McCraw's opposite field approach should help him reestablish his offense once he overcomes the struggles he battled all year long. Base Running and Speed: As a catcher, McCraw will not fool anyone with his speed but he moves well for someone in his position. He is not a risky baserunner but is not a station-to-station runner either. He boasts good natural athleticism which helps his mobility. Defense: As for now, McCraw's sound defense is unquestionably the best and most consistent part of his game as it is his defense that keeps him ranked so high while working out his offensive woes. His mobility allows him to block balls cleanly and quickly get out of his crouch. He owns the strongest throwing arm of any catchers on the list and is accurate throwing to all bases. His communication with the pitching staff always has room for improvement, but McCraw is a reliable presence who is skilled at receiving and framing pitches. Projection: The disappointing season definitely put a wrench in McCraw's plans to be the first off the farm to claim a big league spot behind the plate. 2009 will be a pivotal season for him when he must display growth at the plate that keeps him a logical option for the Mets to pursue. The power production will come, but first he must at least hit for a better average to create a compliment to his strong defensive skills. If he can offer that, he could find a spot as a trusted back up on the big league stage. ETA: 2010. As noted, McCraw's defense is very steady though it could use refinement like any catcher at this level. Another season and a half of work on the farm coupled with a needed offensive resurgence should put him in line to at least form a platoon sometime during the 2010 season.

Re: newcomer RHP Jim Henderson, here's a Q&A (keep in mind it's from two years ago) Growing up in Canada, Cubs pitching prospect Jim Henderson says he always knew the odds of being noticed by college scouts (let alone scouts from a major league club) were not as good as they would have been in other areas. Fortunately for Henderson, his family and friends had a plan. Drafted as a 26th-round pick by the Montreal Expos in 2003, the 24-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Cubs last December in the minor league phase of the Rule Five Draft. He spent most of 2006 at Class High-A Potomac in the Carolina League, appearing in 25 games and logging 52 innings. Having spent his 2004 and 2005 season as a starter in the Washington Nationals farm system, Henderson spent 2006 in the bullpen. A noted sinkerballer, he began to see more life on his fastball as the season wore on. We caught up with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies reliever recently and got his thoughts on moving to the bullpen, his increase in velocity, his journey from Canada to the minor leagues, and more. * * * Growing up in Calgary, what can you tell us about your journey so far? We always hear so much about hockey players from Canada, but what is it like for someone just trying to make it in baseball? There's not much support so I was very fortunate. Some of the kids I played with, I guess we all had a bunch of wealthy fathers, so they decided to put together a travel team and spend some money on that because they knew we couldn't really make it with where we were at. They took us into the States and we got to show off in front of some of the college scouts. I was really fortunate because if it weren't for that, I don't know where I'd be. There's not much scouting up there and it's all about hockey. Baseball is probably the fourth or fifth sport as far as priority goes up there. You've done both some starting and relieving in your career to this point and now you're back in the bullpen with the Double-A club. Do you see yourself staying in that role? It doesn't really matter to me. A couple of years ago, I was starting and last year I was in long relief. I was a little skeptical going into last season as a reliever, but it actually turned out all right. It's fun to be in late in the game when it's close. The game is a little more on your shoulders. Charlie Corbell, the Potomac pitching coach last season, told us after you were acquired by the Cubs that you had added about 5-6 mph on your fastball last season. What do you attribute the increased velocity to? I guess I attribute it to relieving and going in knowing I was only going to go two or three innings at most. From there, it was just giving it all I could. I think the harder you throw and the more you practice throwing hard, the more your velocity will jump up. That's what happened in my case. I started the season 90-91 (mph) and by the end of the season I was in the mid-90s. What pitches do you feature in your arsenal? I'm a sinkerball pitcher with a slider and a changeup. My slider is usually pretty good, but I live off of my sinker mostly. The Cubs think there's some room for you to fill out your body. Did you do anything this offseason to try and do that? I tried as hard as I could. I'm a lanky guy - 6-foot-5, 190 pounds - and I try to put on as much weight as I can. I've started to fill up around my waste and my legs a little more; now I'm just trying to get my shoulder and arms a little bigger. I'm sure it will happen eventually, but I'm still a lanky guy. When you try to put on weight per se, do you do it by eating more or working out more and building muscle? I think what needs to happen is just eat more. In the offseason, I worked out almost every day. If I don't work out, I lose the weight really quickly. What has been your No. 1 target this season and throughout Spring Training? Since I was new to the organization, I just wanted to make a good impression and make myself noticed. Now that I'm on this Double-A squad, I think they're looking for someone to go to; someone to be the go-to guy. I'm trying to get that role. I don't think they have a closer set up here or any roles set up, so I just want to grab one of those roles and make an impression that way, too.

Once a year, we dedicate a wrestling thread that's not an R.I.P. tribute. Bring on the silver anniversary edition! Here's a summary and prediction piece from across the pond.

In addition to Jason Tyner, the Brewers have added these minor league veterans (career stats at the link) -- INF Erick Almonte -- 31-year-old longtime Yankee farmhand who worked his way back from independent ball after the 2006 season; toiled in the Tigers' system the past two seasons, here's the breakdown on career games on defense -- SS-755, 2B-100, 3B-98, 1B-8. RHP Jim Henderson -- Oh Canada! The 26-year-old Calgary product spent four years in the Expos / Nationals system, and the last two with the Cubs, but only pitched 9.1 innings in 2008, spending considerable time on the DL with a shoulder issue. C Sean McCraw -- It looks like the Brewers have swapped out Andy Bouchie for the just-turned 23-year-old McCraw, the Mets' 8th round pick in 2005 out of a Texas juco. He wrapped up his 4th year in the Mets' system before his release by New York. Nothing in particular jumps out stat-wise. We'll poke around a bit later for any features or profiles of interest on the new trio.

The Brewers have released their 7th round pick from the 2006 draft, catcher Andy Bouchie. The 23-year-old Oral Roberts product saw his OPS drop significantly as he moved from Helena to West Virginia to Brevard. Stats at link. Good luck to Andy.

Adam McCalvy includes a hamstring update on Lorenzo Cain and an elbow situation with Cole Gillespie (both apparently minor) in this blog post.

The Brewers farm teams face the White Sox in spring training action Thursday. Nashville and Huntsville will travel to Glendale for their final visit of 2009; Brevard County and Wisconsin will host the White Sox clubs in Maryvale. All game times are 1 pm local starts. Still no Lorenzo Cain, we'll try to learn more. I will say sometimes it's worth waiting just an extra day or two before pushing for answers. Sometimes you learn that a player left camp on bereavement leave or something like that (not saying that's the case with Cain).

Clinton defeated the Timber Rattlers, 7-3. Wisconsin managed only five hits against the Lumber Kings. Erik Miller hit a solo shot. Jake Odorizzi struck out the side in his lone inning of work, walking one. R H E Wisconsin 3 5 0 Clinton 7 10 0 WISCONSIN AB R H BI Dykstra 4 0 1 1 Miller 4 1 1 1 Lawrie 3 0 0 0 Kjeldgaard 3 0 0 0 Zarraga 1 0 0 0 Komatsu 1 0 1 0 Alfonso 2 0 0 0 Delaney 2 1 0 0 De La Rosa 3 0 0 0 Dennis 4 0 1 1 Sanchez 2 0 0 0 Trejo 2 1 1 0 2B: Komatsu HR: Miller IP H R ER BB SO TP Dabrowiecki 3.1 6 4 4 2 0 56 Meadows 2.2 4 3 3 1 3 50 Odorizzi 1 0 0 0 1 3 17 Krestalude 1 0 0 0 0 1 11

Brevard County knocked off High Desert, 7-5. Michael Vass provided the fireworks for the Manatees, slugging two home runs and knocking in five. Eric Farris hit leadoff and collected three hits, including a double and triple. 18-year-old Dominican infielder Joan Abreu, a newcomer to the organization, certainly is seeing action throughout many of these games at various levels -- looks like a name to watch come June. Brief but much-needed bounceback outings from RHP's Mark Rogers and John Axford. R H E Brevard County 7 11 0 High Desert 5 9 0 BREVARD CO AB R H BI Farris 5 2 3 0 Duran 5 0 2 1 Abreu 4 0 2 1 Whiteside 4 1 1 0 Haydel 4 0 0 0 Miranda 3 2 1 0 Vass 4 2 2 5 Kemp 4 0 0 0 Arias 4 0 0 0 2B: Farris, Whiteside 3B: Farris HR: Vass 2 Bitmap Bitmap IP H R ER BB SO TP Bitmap Rogers 2 2 1 1 1 1 31 Luetge 4 4 4 4 2 3 69 Willinsky 2 3 0 0 1 1 37 Axford 1 0 0 0 0 2 12

Huntsville edged West Tenn, 6-5. Freddy Parejo, Johnny Raburn, and Johnny Ash had two hits apiece to lead the Stars. Parejo and Raburn each tripled. Vinny Rottino's 2-for-6 line seems odd unless rules were relaxed for pitcher AB's. Casey Baron and Juan Sandoval combined to shut out the Diamond Jaxx over the final three innings. R H E West Tenn 5 9 0 Huntsville 6 10 1 HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI Parejo 4 1 2 1 Justis 2 0 0 0 Ash 4 0 2 1 Errecart 4 0 1 0 Lucroy 1 0 0 0 Caufield 2 1 1 0 Raburn 3 1 2 1 Fermaint 2 1 0 0 Holliman 0 0 0 0 Welch 1 0 0 0 Perez 2 0 0 0 Rottino 6 2 2 0 3B: Parejo, Raburn IP H R ER BB SO TP Holliman 4 4 3 3 0 2 49 Welch 2 4 2 2 1 2 35 Baron 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 Sandoval 2 1 0 0 0 3 24

Nashville outslugged Tacoma, 12-10. Newly signed outfielder Jason Tyner had three hits including a double and three runs batted in. Brendan Katin hit his fifth home run of the spring and collected four RBIs. Jason Bourgeois added three hits and scored three times for the Sounds. Nice to see Angel Salome in action behind the plate. Matt Ginter started and allowed eight runs in four innings, only two earned, but still a rough day. Joe Bateman (three innings) and Robert Hinton (one inning) had fine scoreless relief efforts. R H E Tacoma 10 11 1 Nashville 12 13 3 NASHVILLE AB R H BI Tyner 4 2 3 3 Iribarren 5 1 1 1 Gamel 3 2 1 0 Katin 2 1 2 4 McPhearson 2 1 0 0 Heether 5 0 2 1 Salome 2 2 1 0 Hopf 2 0 0 0 Thorman 4 0 0 0 Bourgeois 3 3 3 0 Ginter 0 0 0 0 Gillespie 1 0 0 0 2B: Tyner, Iribarren, Katin, Heether, Bourgeois HR: Katin Bitmap Bitmap Bitmap IP H R ER BB SO TP Ginter 4 8 8 2 2 1 68 Bateman 3 1 0 0 0 3 44 Johnson 1 2 2 2 1 1 26 Hinton 1 0 0 0 0 2 20

Soon-to-be 32-year-old OF Jason Tyner has been signed by the Brewers to a minor league deal. Long line of career statistics If Chris Duffy is in Milwaukee and Tony Gwynn is out of the organization, the move makes some sense. If Gwynn clears waivers, isn't traded, and heads for Nashville, then it's duplication. We'll see....

We will likely be your first source for roster announcements, with perhaps the exception of Doug Scopel and the amazing staff in Nashville, who maintain their site outside the MiLB.com umbrella. As in years past, the announcements will kick off the four unique "Your 2009 insert team here" threads we have each year. Those threads won't include game reports, but will be a place where we archive all the player feature articles we locate. Saturday / Sunday sounds about right, maybe a bit earlier...keep an eye out.

Not to be picky, but we really didn't have a "favorites" or "ones to watch" roundtable question. The closest question was "Name three players that you think could establish themselves as legit prospects after underperforming last year." I'm kicking myself a bit for mentioning Eric Farris there only because his final numbers were pretty solid after a tough start. I shouldn't speak for pogokat, but Shawn Zarraga was a stud in Maryvale, and shouldn't have been included in his blurb, either. Sorry, dude. The first Power 50 of the year will be out the weekend of April 11-12. That would be a better indicator of what you're mentioning.

No specific insight, no, sorry. Might be easier to determine once we see the AAA and AA formal rosters.

Daron Sutton made a comment or two that indicated he had read our just-posted home page minor league roundtable. Must have done a bit of pre-game research here like the old days, which is cool. Brent Brewer is now 3-for-3 with an OPS of 3.000 with the big league team this spring. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Clinton downed Wisconsin, 9-7. Brock Kjeldgaard hit a home run and knocked in three in a losing effort for the Timber Rattlers. Brett Lawrie (back in action) and Mike Marseco each had two hits. Exciting LHP Efrain Nieves started and allowed three runs in three innings, but he also struck out seven while walking none. R H E Clinton 9 16 2 Wisconsin 7 9 2 WISCONSIN AB R H BI Dykstra 4 0 0 0 Marseco 4 2 2 0 Lawrie 3 2 2 1 Komatsu 4 1 1 1 Kjeldgaard 4 2 2 3 Trejo 4 0 1 1 Whiteside 2 0 1 0 Kemp 2 0 0 0 Miller 4 0 0 0 Sanchez 4 0 0 0 HR: Kjeldgaard IP H R ER BB SO TP Nieves 3 6 3 3 0 7 57 Watten 1.2 4 3 3 2 0 34 Ohlmann 2.1 3 2 2 1 3 32 Ritchie 2 3 1 1 0 4 38