Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: No time to go flat Power falls, needs to win two at Lake County By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Other than a sixth-inning uprising that proved inadequate, West Virginia Power hitters did not deliver the big hits and gaudy totals that made them the South Atlantic League's best-hitting team. But it was the opening night of the postseason, a time when numbers mean little and baseball is at its most fickle. The Lake County Captains, a sub-.500 team in the second half and one not noted for offense, bludgeoned Power pitching in the early innings and continued the assault en route to a 10-4 victory over the Power Wednesday night at Appalachian Power Park. In attendance was a lively crowd of 1,783 that perhaps feared it would be the season's final home game and did not allow the Captains' dominance to dampen their spirits. The victory gives Lake County a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Northern Division series. The second game and third, if necessary, are set for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) Friday and Saturday at Eastlake, Ohio. The winner advances to the best-of-five league championship series next week. In the game's first three innings, the Captains built a 6-0 lead on eight hits, helped by four walks, an error and a passed ball. For the game, they totaled 14 hits, including two home runs, and Power pitchers contributed to the cause by walking nine. "That's a lot of base-runners,'' said Power manager Jeff Isom. The Power, meanwhile, struggled to produce base-runners, other than a four-run sixth inning in which it bunched six hits and threatened to make a game of it, cutting the Captains' lead to 7-4. "I liked the way we battled back offensively,'' Isom added. "We had a chance to really cut into their lead. We got four runs; we could have done a little bit more.'' Indeed, after scoring the four runs, the Power still had the bases loaded with one out, but the rally died and no more threats were forthcoming. The Captains, who qualified for the playoffs by winning the first-half division title, responded to the Power's four-run inning by adding a run in the top of the seventh and scoring two more in the ninth on Karexon Sanchez's home run to right-center. In the third inning, Lake County's Juan Valdez, the No. 9 hitter who entered the game with a .241 average, stroked a three-run homer to give the Captains a 6-0 lead. "We played excellent defense,'' said Isom. "We just have to get the pitching up to where it needs to be. I've said all season long, we're as good as our pitching.'' POWER POINTS: Right-hander Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28) will try to extend the Power's season in Friday's game. ... The Captains, 34-46 in the second half and 75-65 in the regular season, ranked 12th in league batting with a .254 average and were seventh in runs with 647. The Power led the league with a .276 average and led in runs, outscoring the Captains during the season by exactly 100. ... Power starter R.J. Seidel, pitching on his 21st birthday, allowed five hits and three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings to take the defeat. The Power used seven pitchers. ... A group of Lake County fans, attired in Captains gear, attended the game. ... In the playoffs, the SAL goes with four umpires instead of its usual two.

Final: Lake County (Indians) 10, West Virginia 4 West Virginia Site Game Summary: CAPTAINS CRUSH POWER The Lake County Captains scored early and often in game one of the first round of the South Atlantic League playoffs at Appalachian Power Park on Wednesday night, and they came away with a 10-4 victory over the Power to take a 1-0 lead in the best of three series. The Captains plated their first two runs in the top of the first. A wild pitch plated Mark Thompson and Dustin Realini's two-out RBI single scored the second run. An errant relay throw from Matt Cline on a potential double play ball in the second inning allowed Ron Rivas to score. The Captains delivered a crushing blow in the third when Juan Valdes hit a three-run homer. Valdes struck again with an RBI double in the fifth inning to give the Captains their largest lead of the night. The Power offense plated four runs on six hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Steffan Wilson, Curt Rindal and Cline contributed with run-scoring singles and Zelous Wheeler delivered an RBI double. The Power had the bases loaded with one out in the inning, but Jonathan Holt worked his way out of the jam. Matt McBride added to the Captains' lead on a run-scoring double in the seventh inning. Karexon Sanchez pounded the final nail in the coffin on a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning. Joey Mahalic (1-0) shut the Power down over five scoreless innings. He held the Power to just four base hits and struck out three batters in a winning victory. R.J. Seidel (0-1) was the first of seven pitchers used by West Virginia. He allowed three runs on five hits over an inning and a third and was tagged with the loss. The Captains now have a 1-0 lead in the series, and are a victory away from their second appearance in the South Atlantic League Championship Series. Four Power players turned in multi-hit games, including Lee Haydel who paced the Power with a 3-for-4 performance. The 4-5-6 hitters, Wilson, Caleb Gindl and Wheeler combined to go 6-for-13. West Virginia left nine men on base, while the Captains stranded 11. The Power will continue their best of three game series in the first round of the playoffs against the Lake County Captains at Classic Park on Friday night. The Power will start right hander Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28) and the Captains will counter with right hander Chris Archer (4-8, 4.29). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score Eric Fryer drew the Power's only walk; West Virginia pitchers walked eight in the first five and a third; seven Power pitchers saw action, and all four inherited runners were stranded, but obviously that wasn't enough; this team's going to have to mash its way to wins in Lake County, there's just no ace (or dual aces) to toss in the early games of a postseason matchup... West Virginia Game Log

Helena Pre-Game Audio Interview (from Tuesday) with Pitching Coach Aris Tirado Click on the KCAP archive of September 2nd, then browse to the 06:30 minute mark; detailed conversation about Cody Adams, Trey Watten, Cody Scarpetta, Brandon Rapoza and Efrain Nieves...

Link while active, text follows: The Power and the glory? Rejuvenated West Virginia meets Lake County tonight at home in playoff opener By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Jeff Isom's first summer in West Virginia has combined a nice blend of rapidly improving baseball at Appalachian Power Park with some delightful fishing trips to Kanawha Falls. From time to time this season, the Power manager would grab his gear and head out U.S. Route 60 to sample the fishing options and scenic splendors of Fayette County. "Like the song says, almost heaven, West Virginia,'' said Isom, an Indiana native. "Boy, it's beautiful up there. I love the outdoors, and this is definitely a very nice area to do that.'' Isom probably needed an escape early in the season. The Power played sub-.500 baseball in the first half and, despite credentials as a strong offensive club, spent parts of April below the Mendoza Line. But at midseason, the team emerged as an offensive force, posted a 45-25 second-half record and, as winner of the Northern Division's second-half title, will open the South Atlantic League playoffs against the Lake County Captains at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) at APP. The best-of-three Northern Division series will move to Eastlake, Ohio, for the second and third game, if necessary, on Friday and Saturday. The winner will then face the Southern Division champion in a best-of-five league championship series. For the second straight year, the Power enters the playoffs as the best hitting and highest-scoring club in the 16-team South Atlantic League. The team ended the regular season Monday with a .276 team average - 11 points better than runner-up Charleston - and 747 runs - 42 more than the second-place RiverDogs. Outfielder-catcher Eric Fryer led the league with a .335 average, and first baseman-third baseman Steffan Wilson finished second in RBIs with 100. Such lofty numbers and a playoff berth seemed preposterous five months ago. "We didn't know what was going on,'' recalled center fielder Lee Haydel. "We couldn't hit, couldn't pitch. It looked like the season was going to be over. But we got hot, turned it around and here we are.'' At the time, Isom was just hoping to reach .500. "In May,'' he said, "when we were struggling a little bit and not getting wins - I think we lost seven in a row - the last thing on your mind is playoffs. We were just trying to find a way to possibly get to .500. But that's the beauty of the minor leagues. You've got the halves. You're able to make adjustments, which our players did, and then come out with a clean slate in the second half. And when that clean slate hit, our guys just took off.'' The postseason is an obvious reward for the players but, more than anything, it's an important part of the development process, a chance for players to perform under the heightened pressures that will escalate for those who move up the professional baseball ladder. "From a player development standpoint, we're teaching these guys to be winners,'' said Isom. "You get to see what guys are going to do in pressure situations. That's part of how we evaluate a player. We see what he does when the game is on the line. How's he going to react? This gives us a good read. There's no question.'' POWER POINTS: The Power won the first round of last year's playoffs, defeating Hickory in three games, but lost three straight to Columbus in the championship series. It was the Charleston's franchise's first appearance in the championship series since 1992. The last Charleston team to win the league title was the 1990 club, which was managed by Winfield native Jim Lett, the team's current hitting coach. That team, known as the Charleston Wheelers, had six future big-leaguers - shortstop Trevor Hoffman, pitchers Tim Pugh, Bobby Ayala and Jerry Spradlin, catcher Dan Wilson and center fielder Scott Pose. Reds pitcher Danny Jackson made one rehab start for the Wheelers that year. Fryer is the second straight Power player to win the league batting title. Last year, Andrew Lefave won it with a .345 mark. Including Fryer, the Power has five starters hitting .289 or better - Caleb Gindl .307, Haydel .295, Eric Farris .293 and Wilson .289. Zelous Wheeler is hitting .258 but is second on the team with 87 RBIs, which is tied for sixth in the league. Tonight's Power starter will be right-hander R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51), and Friday's will be right-hander Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28). Power pitchers ranked ninth in the league with a 4.18 ERA. Jason Parsons in 1997 had 102 RBIs, the most by a Charleston player since the team joined the South Atlantic League in 1987. Parsons played for what was then known as the Charleston Alley Cats.

Standings through Sunday's action (Arizona League standings represent entire season): Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 83 59 .585 - 48-24 35-35 L2 Memphis 75 67 .528 8.0 37-33 38-34 W1 Omaha 63 81 .438 21.0 30-42 33-39 W2 Nashville 59 81 .421 23.0 29-42 30-39 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 42 28 .600 - 23-12 19-16 W2 Tennessee 35 34 .507 6.5 15-19 20-15 L2 Huntsville 32 38 .457 10.0 17-18 15-20 L1 Chattanooga 30 39 .435 11.5 16-19 14-20 W1 West Tenn 29 39 .426 12.0 14-20 15-19 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 38 24 .613 - 24-9 14-15 L1 Jupiter 41 28 .594 0.5 21-16 20-12 W1 St. Lucie 34 31 .523 5.5 15-16 19-15 W2 Palm Beach 33 34 .493 7.5 18-15 15-19 W1 Brevard County 31 38 .449 10.5 14-19 17-19 L2 Vero Beach 20 46 .303 20.0 8-23 12-23 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 45 25 .643 - 23-12 22-13 W1 Lakewood 42 28 .600 3.0 20-15 22-13 L1 Delmarva 40 30 .571 5.0 19-16 21-14 W1 Lake County 34 36 .486 11.0 18-17 16-19 W1 Greensboro 28 40 .412 16.0 15-20 13-20 W2 Hagerstown 27 43 .386 18.0 14-21 13-22 L1 Lexington 24 45 .348 20.5 12-23 12-22 L2 Hickory 22 47 .319 22.5 9-25 13-22 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 18 15 .545 - 14-6 4-9 W1 Great Falls 18 17 .514 1.0 9-7 9-10 L1 Helena 13 22 .371 6.0 5-13 8-9 W1 Missoula 11 23 .324 7.5 8-7 3-16 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 39 17 .696 - 21-7 18-10 W7 AZL Giants 36 20 .643 3.0 19-9 17-11 W2 AZL Rangers 34 22 .607 5.0 18-10 16-12 W4 AZL Padres 33 23 .589 6.0 18-10 15-13 L2 AZL Cubs 31 24 .564 7.5 20-8 11-16 L5 AZL Royals 23 33 .411 16.0 13-15 10-18 W1 AZL Athletics 21 35 .375 18.0 11-17 10-18 W1 AZL Mariners 21 35 .375 18.0 11-17 10-18 L2 AZL Brewers 13 42 .236 25.5 9-18 4-24 L2

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 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. West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_09_03_lcoafx_wvaafx_1 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_09_03_helrok_bilrok_1

Wednesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Season complete Huntsville: Season complete Brevard County: Season complete West Virginia: RHP R.J. Seidel at home vs. Lake County (Indians), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 PM gametime; Game One of a Best-of-Three and the only game scheduled for Charleston Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t525 Normally you can click on the link above and check out Andy Barch's "Bull on Baseball" show as early as 5:05 Central (home games). Helena: LHP Brandon Ritchie at Billings (Reds), 7:55 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime; H-Crew playing out the string through Friday Audio link via KCAP, be sure to select the proper date (games will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t433 Arizona: Season complete

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Link while active, text follows: Power's Gindl shows maturity beyond his years West Virginia opens SAL playoffs tonight by Michael Dailey Charleston Daily Mail sports writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Power outfielder Caleb Gindl is just three days removed from his 20th birthday. Age is relative. The left-handed Milwaukee Brewer prospect is already playing with a confidence and baseball maturity that's normally reserved for more seasoned professionals. Gindl displayed great plate discipline as a first year player at rookie league Helena (Mont.) last season, where he led the Pioneer League with a .372 batting average. This season, Gindl relied on his deep self-confidence to help overcome a sluggish start. Batting just .260 in mid-June, Gindl heated up at the plate by hitting safely in 32 of his last 40 games, while raising his batting average to a regular season ending .307. "He came here as a 19-year old and held his own in the first half, but he just knew he was going to hit .300," said Power Manager Jeff Isom, who managed Gindl last season. "He's said that to the coaching staff numerous times throughout the season. He just believes in himself and knows he's going to hit .300, and by gosh, he sits here and he's hitting over .300 this season. "He's got unbelievable hand-eye coordination, and just has a knack for putting the barrel of the bat on the ball. "He's just a very mature 20-year old kid and he has a little bit of an idea about what he's doing at the plate. He's only going to get better as time goes by." Gindl will try to continue his torrid hitting tonight when the Power squares off against the Lake County Captains in Game 1 of the South Atlantic League Northern Division best-of-three playoffs at Appalachian Power Park. The first pitch is slated for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central), with West Virginia right-hander R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51 ERA) taking the mound against the Captains' Joey Mahalic (7-6, 4.19). Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) are scheduled Friday and Saturday at Lake County. For Gindl, the key is sticking with a batting approach that, despite some hard times, is already a proven winner. "I just hung there and kept doing the same things that I've been doing all year," Gindl said. "Finally, things just switched for me. It took a long time and a lot of hard work in the cage, but I really didn't do anything different. "Every baseball player goes through spells where you're hot, or you're cold. I just kept waiting all year for my time to come around. I knew there would be a time where I would just get hot and locked in at the plate. I waited all year and finally in the last month, I started to really get locked in." And Gindl has been locked in on both right handed and left handed pitching. Gindl finished the season with a .294 average against right-handers, and a stunning .343 average against southpaws. "If there's any time I'd like to get hot, it's in the last month of the season, said Gindl. "It's not how you start. It's how you finish. I just wanted to finish strong."

Final, Game One: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 5, Helena 0 Final: Game Two: Helena 3, Missoula 2 Link while active, text follows: Brewers split, hit the road By Cliff Pfenning - Helena Independent Record A summer of hot and cold weather and playing streaks ended for Helena Brewers fans as they bid farewell to their Pioneer League players during a doubleheader Tuesday at Kindrick Legion Field. The Brewers split a doubleheader with Missoula and were officially eliminated from the league playoff race. Missoula won the first game, 5-0. Helena won the second game 3-2. The Brewers were set to travel to Billings for a three-game series today and then disappear into the professional baseball world as soon as the team bus arrives in Helena Saturday. "They get us out of here pretty quickly," said first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard. "Once the season's over, there's no reason for the big club to keep paying for us to stay here." Kjeldgaard has fond memories of Kindrick Field, having spent three summers in Helena. He started his career with the Brewers as a pitcher, then switched to first base. This summer, Kjeldgaard, a native of London, Ontario, hit well enough to be among the league leaders in home runs, doubles and RBI, and earned a spot on the all-league team. "I've loved playing in Helena," he said. "The fans are great here and supportive whether you win or lose. I love the scenery." The Brewers finished the first half of the league schedule at 20-18, three games behind Billings. In the second half, though, they've struggled to a 13-22 record. "It's been an up-and-down season," pitcher Adam Arnold said. "We're all learning a lot about pro ball, how to play through our mistakes and get better." The Brewers showed off their resolve Tuesday. The team commited five errors and managed just two hits in the first game, but rallied in the second game behind a two-run homer from Chris Dennis to win. The Brewers finished their home schedule at just 14-24, although players said that didn't reflect the level of enjoyment they experienced here, especially after playing in the Arizona Instructional League. "Arizona is a very hot, frustrating place to play," Arnold said. "It made me want to play hard to get out of there. "Helena is a great place to play. It's made me want to work hard to get better and move up to Class A ball." With the home season over and the regular season coming to an end in three days, players will head for winter prepared for spring training in hopes of making the move from Rookie League to Class A. "I don't have any idea what the organization will do with me, but that's my goal, to move up," Kjeldgaard said. "I've had a great time in Helena and want people to know I loved playing here." Helena Game One Box Score The Missoula Osprey had two chances to pick up something that has been rare this season - a win on the road - here on a cool Tuesday at Kindrick Legion Field. They managed a split of a doubleheader, winning game one, 5-0, before dropping a 3-2 decision to the Brewers in the nightcap. The Osprey took a 4-0 lead in game one after the first inning. Alberto Diaz reached on an error and Jake Elmore stroked a single to right-center. The ball was bobbled by right fielder Erik Komatsu, allowed Diaz to get to third and Elmore to second. Kyle Greene then hit a single off of first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard's glove, scoring Diaz with the game's first run. Isaias Ascencio then grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Elmore to make it 2-0 Osprey. Bobby Stone followed with his seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot, to cap the four-run Osprey opening outburst. The Osprey added a run in the fourth on an error to make for the 5-0 final. Missoula (11-23, 20-52) ended the lidlifter with eight hits, with Stone and Rafael Hilario getting two hits each. Elmore, Nelson Gomez and Rossmel Perez added base hits for the Osprey. Trevor Harden (1-3) picked up his first win for the Osprey, going five innings, allowing two hits and struck out five batters. He combined with Randy Rodriguez on the two-hit shutout - MiLB.com Helena Game One Game LogAll five runs unearned as Brock Kjeldgaard committed three errors at first base... Helena Game Two Box Score Game two started off well for the Osprey, as they scored twice in their opening inning to take a 2-0 lead. Diaz singled off pitcher Cody Scarpetta's glove. Diaz then stole second, and scored after Jake Elmore bunted his way on, and Scarpetta's throw sailed wide of first. Elmore then stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaias Ascencio to make it 2-0 Osprey. Helena (13-22, 33-40) would finally end a stretch of 30 2/3 scoreless innings(!) against the Osprey with a two-run home run by Chris Dennis with two out in the bottom of the fourth inning. A sacrifice fly in the fifth - set up by a throwing error by catcher Jorge Corniel - hit by Erik Miller in the fifth gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead, their first lead of the doubleheader, and the difference in the nightcap.-- MiLB.com Helena Game Two Game Log Nice work by LH reliever Daniel Meadows... Photo by Eliza Wiley IR Photo Editor - Helena Brewers catcher Mike Roberts chases after a wild throw as a Missoula baserunner slides home for a first-inning run in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader. The teams split the two games. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/09/03/sports/top/50spl_080903_brewers.jpg

Yikes, Helena's offense and defense not exactly appreciating the fans in their home doubleheader finale thus far. For the most part, this group really underperformed this season.

Standings through Sunday's action (Arizona League standings represent entire season): Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 83 59 .585 - 48-24 35-35 L2 Memphis 75 67 .528 8.0 37-33 38-34 W1 Omaha 63 81 .438 21.0 30-42 33-39 W2 Nashville 59 81 .421 23.0 29-42 30-39 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 42 28 .600 - 23-12 19-16 W2 Tennessee 35 34 .507 6.5 15-19 20-15 L2 Huntsville 32 38 .457 10.0 17-18 15-20 L1 Chattanooga 30 39 .435 11.5 16-19 14-20 W1 West Tenn 29 39 .426 12.0 14-20 15-19 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 38 24 .613 - 24-9 14-15 L1 Jupiter 41 28 .594 0.5 21-16 20-12 W1 St. Lucie 34 31 .523 5.5 15-16 19-15 W2 Palm Beach 33 34 .493 7.5 18-15 15-19 W1 Brevard County 31 38 .449 10.5 14-19 17-19 L2 Vero Beach 20 46 .303 20.0 8-23 12-23 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 45 25 .643 - 23-12 22-13 W1 Lakewood 42 28 .600 3.0 20-15 22-13 L1 Delmarva 40 30 .571 5.0 19-16 21-14 W1 Lake County 34 36 .486 11.0 18-17 16-19 W1 Greensboro 28 40 .412 16.0 15-20 13-20 W2 Hagerstown 27 43 .386 18.0 14-21 13-22 L1 Lexington 24 45 .348 20.5 12-23 12-22 L2 Hickory 22 47 .319 22.5 9-25 13-22 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 17 14 .548 - 13-5 4-9 L1 Great Falls 17 16 .515 1.0 9-7 8-9 W1 Helena 12 21 .364 6.0 4-12 8-9 L1 Missoula 10 22 .313 7.5 8-7 2-15 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Angels 39 17 .696 - 21-7 18-10 W7 AZL Giants 36 20 .643 3.0 19-9 17-11 W2 AZL Rangers 34 22 .607 5.0 18-10 16-12 W4 AZL Padres 33 23 .589 6.0 18-10 15-13 L2 AZL Cubs 31 24 .564 7.5 20-8 11-16 L5 AZL Royals 23 33 .411 16.0 13-15 10-18 W1 AZL Athletics 21 35 .375 18.0 11-17 10-18 W1 AZL Mariners 21 35 .375 18.0 11-17 10-18 L2 AZL Brewers 13 42 .236 25.5 9-18 4-24 L2

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in 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. Helena Game One: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_09_02_misrok_helrok_1 Helena Game Two: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&gid=2008_09_02_misrok_helrok_2&cid=433&t=g_box

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Season complete Huntsville: Season complete Brevard County: Season complete West Virginia: Playoffs begin Wednesday in Charleston Helena: RHP's Rico Salmon and Cody Scarpetta in a double-dip at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime; each contest seven innings Audio link via KCAP, be sure to select the proper date (games will also archive at this link): http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t433 Arizona: Season complete

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The Nashville Site the first with the news that we could see: Brewers Announce 2008 Minor League Player And Pitcher Of The Year Awards There was a tie for the Player of the Year Award. Since there will be plenty of discussion within this thread (we hope), only the first few seeing this will get to play along and see if they "guessed" right based on any earlier conversations here (or just click on the link without letting your eyes wander below)..

Captains and Power Playoff Preview MLB.com (Lake County Staff) (Charleston, WV) - The Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians affiliate) open postseason play for the first time since 2003 on Wednesday at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) in Charleston against the West Virginia Power, the Class "A" Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. In game one, the Captains will send RHP Joey Mahalic (7-6, 4.19) to the mound to face the Power's RHP R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51). The series will be a best of three games with game two being played at Classic Park in Eastlake on Friday September 5th at 7:05 PM. Game three, if necessary, will be played on Saturday September 6th also at Classic Park at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central for each). The series will feature two teams with different strengths. The Captains, who won the first half title, are a team that relies on great pitching, good defense and speed and timely hitting. The Power is a club that has outstanding hitting, great speed and good pitching. The Captains won the regular season series winning seven of the twelve meetings. The Captains were 3-0 at Appalachian Power Park but 4-5 at Classic Park in Eastlake. The Captains are among the league leaders in most pitching categories. They finished with the third lowest ERA (3.44), and allowed the fewest hits in the SAL by thirty hits, allowed the second fewest runs and were ranked fourth in the league in strikeouts. The one category they hope to improve on in the playoffs is walks, which is a category that they also led the league in. Offensively the Captains had the fifth lowest batting average but the sixth highest on base percentage due to the fact they drew the second highest amount of walks in the league. The Captains ranked seventh in the league in runs scored and fifth in the league in stolen bases. Individually, the Captains Matt Brown finished ranked sixth in the SAL with a .308 batting average and 11th in the league in hits. Karexon Sanchez led the club in home runs with twelve. The Power led the SAL in most offensive categories in 2008. They were the league leaders in batting average, on base percentage, hits, and runs scored. They were third in stolen bases and fifth highest in home runs. West Virginia had three of the top twelve hitters in the league and had three hitters in the top ten in hits. Eric Fryer won the batting title (.335), led the league in on base percentage (.407) and was second in slugging percentage. Steffan Wilson was second in the league with 100 RBI's, second in runs scored with 91 and tied for fifth in the league with nineteen RBI's. Caleb Gindl was eighth in the league in batting average, third in hits, and fifth in on base percentage. Lee Haydel ended up the season fifth in batting average and eighth in stolen bases. The Power pitching staff was ranked eighth highest in the SAL in ERA and allowed the eighth highest amount of runs. The staff allowed the sixth lowest amount of hits but walked the sixth highest amount of batters. The winner for the series will play the winner of Southern Division Championship series between the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) and Asheville Tourists (Rockies). The SAL Championship series is best of five games with the first two games being played in the Southern Division Champions stadium beginning of Monday September 8th.

Lake County, Bowling Green shifting to MWL, two SAL clubs moving in 2010 to help with travel issues

Lots on Jones in this article we recently linked to here, including velocity. The only thing that makes you think the Brewers are considering re-signing him is that they stuck out each and every bit of 2008 with him.

Threads never die! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Just give the thread a bump. No new word on Hawaii, the AFL list came out, as noted a few posts prior. The whole Gamel / Brantley situation has to work itself out, but it will soon enough.

Joe Bateman perhaps a 40-man spot, moe likely enticed back with a nice AAA deal and a non-roster spring training invite. The others, maybe they'll try and keep Axford and Lluberes. If Guilder Rodriguez wants to continue to be a semi-coach in Huntsville, he might be asked back. Likely goodbye to all the others. Not unusual turnover, especially all the AAA guys.

Nashville RHP Richie Gardner designated for assignment. If he clears waivers, he would have to accept a minor league assignment for 2009 with the Brewers. At least we think so. When you're designated more than once (as Gardner was before by the Reds when the Brewers claimed him), you have the option of choosing minor league free agency. But because he never was actually designated off a 40-man roster with the Brewer waiver claim, this should be considered his first removal, thus no free agent option.

Link while active, text follows: Power close out regular season with a win by Michael Dailey Charleston Daily Mail sports writer CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Power closed out its regular season with a 4-3 win over Kannapolis at sunny Appalachian Power Park on Monday afternoon. The win was one final tune up for the Power as it prepares for its second straight South Atlantic League Northern Division playoff appearance. West Virginia (77-62) will face the Lake County Captains (75-65) at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday at Appalachian Power Park in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. And for the second straight season, the Power will enter postseason play with the league's top hitter in its lineup. Power catcher/outfielder Eric Fryer finished with a league best .335 average, edging out Charleston (S.C.) catcher Jesus Montero, who finished at .326. West Virginia's Andrew LeFave led the league with a .345 average last season. Fryer's unexpected batting performance wasn't too shabby, considering he started the season without a roster spot in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system. When the Brewers broke spring training camp in April, Fryer, whose natural position is catcher, was left in Arizona in the club's extended spring training in hopes of working on his outfield play, while honing his batting skills. That he did. After spending the first month of the season in Arizona, Fryer was sent to West Virginia on May 7, where he collected 129 hits, including a 10 homers and 63 RBI in 385 plate appearances. "It's just a great story," said Power Manager Jeff Isom. "I couldn't be happier for the guy. It just shows you what kind of heart and mindset he has. He was very professional, went about his business and earned the opportunity." Isom, who managed Fryer last season at rookie league Helena (Mont.), was pleasantly surprised with Fryer's hitting and credits his success to subtle changes in his approach at the plate. "He made some mechanical changes to his swing and fixed some things that needed to be fixed in order for him to be a good hitter," said Isom. "He worked his tail off to make those changes and he's made himself into a pretty good hitter. "What impressed me most about Fryer is that when he didn't make a club out of spring training this year, he went about his business in a very professional manner. He didn't complain about anything and just went and got his work in and then when the opportunity arose, he came up here and just took off." In fact, Fryer, a 10th round selection out of Ohio State in the 2007 amateur baseball draft, hit so well upon his arrival in the Mountain State, he more or less forced his way into the lineup. "He wasn't an everyday player when he first got here, but we worked him into the lineup where we could," said Isom, of Fryer, who batted just .209 at Helena last season. "We tried him at DH and he started hitting the ball so well, we had to try to get him into the lineup everyday. We found him a spot in left field and he did an excellent job for us there. "He turned himself into a pretty good outfielder out there. The way he hit the ball just forced us to play him somewhere." For Fryer, a batting title was the last thing on his mind when he joined the club. "It's a huge honor," said Fryer. "I didn't come in here expecting to do anything like that. I just wanted to have a good season and hit around .300. I guess I just got hot at the right time and pretty much stayed hot throughout the year. It's been kind of a dream season for me. "I got my share of breaks like other guys do, but I was able to hit to all fields a lot better this year. I hit the ball to right field more consistently this season, but I was able to still turn and hit the ball inside." Power Notes: West Virginia is 5-7 against Lake County this season ... Power pitcher R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51 ERA) will get the start in game one of the series, with Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28) taking the mound in game two, which is slated for Friday night at Lake County ... September Big League call ups were good for a handful of former Power players as catcher Angel Salome, third baseman Mat Gamel and shortstop Alcides Escobar joined the Brewers' roster from Class AA Huntsville, (Ala.).

From Buck Rogers: Here are the final, winning bids from our jersey auction. If you are a winning bidder you will receive an email from us regarding payment and shipping information. Because the team just came off the road and we will be shuttling players to the airport beginning at 4:00 am today and continue into the early evening, jerseys will not be shipped until Wednesday or Thursday once your information is received. ## Size Player Red Gray Blue 1 L Mike Bell $150 $150 2 L Jay Gibbons, Anderson de la Rosa $150 $150 3 L Matt LaPorta $300 AL SOLD 4 L $150 $150 5 XL Mike Bell, # Retired $150 SOLD $150 Treece Page 6 XL $150 $150 7 XL Don Money $150 $150 8 XL Guilder Rodriguez $150 $150 9 XL Cole Gillespie $150 Jonathan Byrd $200 Susan Davis 10 XL Juan Sandoval $150 $150 Jay Saucier 11 XL Michael Garciaparra, Ryan Crew $150 Ralph M. Meza III $150 Ralph M. Meza III 12 XL $150 Tim Harmon $150 13 XL $150 $150 14 XL $150 $150 15 XL Alcides Escobar $325 Louis Kaufman $250 Matt Zook 16 XL Sandy Guerrero $150 $150 17 XL Ozzie Chavez, Mat Gamel $250 Tom Wondra $250 Jonathan Byrd 18 XL Lorenzo Cain, Steve Hammond $150 $150 19 XL Steve Bray, Thomas Atlee $150 $150 20 XL Jeremy Jeffress, Derek Miller $205 Markys Wagner $175 Brad Hart 21 XL Martin Maldonado, Joe Bateman $150 $150 Johnny Phillips 22 XL Chris Errecart $150 $150 23 XL Mike Jones, Rusty Tucker $150 $150 24 XL Michael Brantley $175 Donald Verhesen $150 25 XL Alex Periard, Carlos Corporan $150 $150 26 XL Angel Salome $245 Matt Zook $245 Matt Zook 27 XL Robert Hinton $150 $150 28 XL $150 $150 29 XL Omar Aguilar, EJ Shanks $150 $150 30 XL Brae Wright $150 $150 31 XL Ben Howard $150 $150 32 XL Freddy Parejo $150 $150 33 XL Patrick Ryan $150 Kathleen Wood $150 34 XXL David Johnson $150 $150 35 XXL Yohannis Perez, Troy Cate, JR Hopf $150 $150 36 XXL Nick Ungs, Melqui Torres, Ben Stanczyk $150 $150 37 XXL Chris Hook $150 Billy Lenox $150 38 XXL David Welch $150 Jonathan Byrd $150 Mike Smith 39 XXL Donovan Hand $150 Louis Kaufman $150 40 XXL Brent Krause, Jason Shiell, Sam Narron $150 MG Stein $150 Rock On!

Link while active, text follows: Winter ball and bear-trapping next for Stars Offseason plans new priority for team that failed to make playoffs By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times Out of the Southern League playoff chase the past month, the Huntsville Stars have turned their attention toward the offseason. Some players received Arizona Fall League invitations, and others are off to play winter ball in foreign countries. Some Stars are planning surgical clean-ups and some will head home for part-time jobs. As for second baseman Mike Bell? "I'm going bear hunting," he said. "My uncles are bear hunting guides in the Trinity Alps in Northern California. I go every year. "They use objects to make the bears go up into trees, but most of the time, you just go into a cave with a flashlight and a gun." Apparently, there's nothing in Bell's minor-league contract that forbids him from hunting 6-foot-6, 400-pound creatures with a "Dirty Harry"-style 44-magnum and a prayer. Pitcher Donovan Hand, a Hatton resident called up to Huntsville midseason, is heading home. "Probably just going to work in the hay field some, I guess," he said. Reliever Patrick Ryan and several other Stars are looking at winter jobs, too. Though some minor-leaguers have the luxury of living off of million-dollar signing bonuses, they're more the exception. Others like left fielder Cole Gillespie are looking at weeks of rehabbing injuries. Ever since rookie ball three years ago, Gillespie has been nagged by a toe injury. During spring training this season, he was diagnosed with a broken sesamoid bone, so he's going to have surgery and spend several weeks recovering at the Brewers' complex in Phoenix. "I've had this for a long time," he said, "so even though I'm not looking forward to it, at the same time, I'm glad to get it over with and get healthy." Infielders Alcides Escobar, Guilder Rodriguez and many of the Stars' Latin players are heading to winter leagues in Venezuela to practice their trade with major leaguers such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Guillermo Rodriguez and Ceasar Izturis. Huntsville hitting coach Sandy Guerrero will serve as the hitting coach for a team in Venezuela, too. While some Stars are waiting on their invitations to the prestigious Arizona Fall League, 20-year-old phenom pitcher Jeremy Jeffress knows he's going. The right-hander with the 100-mph fastball plans to spend the next few months improving his change-up and impressing Brewers representatives enough to get an spring training invite with the big-league club. Escobar held out hope of reaching the majors this season as a September call-up for the Brewers' pennant run. "Getting called up would make me the happiest person in the world," he said through a translator. That came to fruition when Escobar was promoted Sunday. Finally, Stars manager Don Money is looking forward to returning to his farm in New Jersey, where he'll spend time with his five grandchildren. "I do a lot around the house," he said. "And outside of the house when the weather is nice."