Jim Goulart

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 4, Nashville 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for new Steve Hammond photo, text follows -- Hammond's Debut Spoiled By Redbirds Win NASHVILLE - The Memphis Redbirds defeated the Nashville Sounds by a 4-1 count on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium, evening the teams' series at one game apiece. Left-hander Steve Hammond (0-1) took a hard-luck loss after he worked a quality start in his Triple-A debut for the Sounds. He allowed one run on seven hits while striking out four batters and walking none over six innings of work. The Sounds missed a chance to break a scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the fifth but failed to capitalize after loading the bases with only one out. Ex-Sound John Wasdin came on in relief of Memphis starter P.J. Walters and induced a fielder's choice groundout from Vinny Rottino that forced Hernan Iribarren at home before fanning Brendan Katin to escape the jam unscathed. Memphis third baseman David Freese spotted the visitors a 1-0 lead when he slugged a one-out solo homer to center in the top of the sixth inning off Hammond. The blast was his 11th of the year. The Redbirds extended the lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Josh Phelps delivered a two-out, two-run single to center off Nashville reliever Steve Bray. Mark Johnson and Shane Robinson, who had each drawn a walk earlier in the frame, scored on the knock. Brad Nelson put the Sounds on the board in the home half of the seventh with an opposite-field RBI double to left-center off Wasdin. The slugger's team-leading 19th two-bagger of the year plated Tony Gwynn, who had singled earlier in the frame. AUDIO: Brad Nelson RBI Double Memphis got that run back in the top of the eighth against Bray to make it a 4-1 contest. Robinson delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right to plate D'Angelo Jimenez and record his first career Triple-A RBI. Wasdin (5-6) picked up the win after allowing one run on two hits over 2 2/3 relief innings. Kelvin Jimenez recorded the final five outs in hitless fashion to notch his second save of the year. Nashville shortstop Chris Woodward doubled in the fourth inning to extend his season-best hitting streak to seven games. Iribarren singled in the fifth to run his Nashville hitting streak to eight contests; he had hit safely in his final seven games with the Sounds in early June prior to his call-up to Milwaukee. Third baseman Adam Heether went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks for the Sounds to snap his season-best hit streak at seven games. The teams continue the series with a 7 p.m. meeting on Monday night at Greer. Right-hander Derrick Turnbow (1-1, 10.95) will man the bump for the Sounds and is scheduled to face Memphis right-hander Clayton Mortensen (1-1, 5.06). Nashville Box Score Steve Hammond helped his cause by picking two men off first base; Vinny Rottino threw out two other baserunners trying to steal, so Memphis won despite a hideous day on the basepaths for the Redbirds; Tony Gwynn has two doubles and 34 singles this year at Nashville -- if you include Milwaukee, it's three doubles and 40 singles; Ozzie Chavez role has really diminshed with Chris Woodward's arrival -- Ozzie has had a long run in the system, but production just hasn't been there as of late; Steve Bray had been on a nice roll, but his disastrous recent spot start was followed up by this sub-par effort... Nashville Game Log

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Tim Dillard

Look for all the updates to be posted throughout the mid-morning. Thanks for your patience.

Another very rough outing for 2007 6th round LHP Dan Merklinger with the Power. The offense (and a big assist to LH reliever Curtis Pasma) has taken him off the hook for the night. 6-5 Power in the 4th...

RHP Dave Johnson has been activated from the Huntsville disabled list. To make room, RHP Josh Wahpepah has been returned to high-A Brevard County. Thought Josh was finally past that point in his career with the recent AA promotion, but the numbers game looms large in this business. By our count, Brevard County will need to make a correpsonding move prior to this evening's game, but we've miscalculated before, and will again.

Link while active, text follows: Backup plan works Reserves provide big hits as Stars edge West Tenn By BRAD SHEPARD For The Huntsville Times As the innings passed and the raindrops fell on a massive crowd of 6,302 fans, a thought crossed Cole Gillespie's mind. "I did think about this being another extra-inning game," the Huntsville Stars left fielder said, "but instead, we found a way to win." After losing 11-inning and 13-inning games the past two nights to West Tenn, Huntsville rallied from four runs down Saturday to beat their Southern League North Division nemesis 7-6. Reserve catcher Carlos Corporan delivered an RBI double down the third-base line for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Another backup - infielder Guilder Rodriguez - went 3-for-4 with a seventh-inning double that led to a run. "Neither one of them play much, but they came through," Stars manager Don Money said. "Guilder is the type of player who always has a knack to help you win, and Corp is just known for being a throw-and-catch guy who calls a good game. "Every night, it seems like it's down to the last hitter, the last swing." It was again Saturday. Following Corporan's RBI double, Huntsville called on Juan Sandoval to close the game. The reliever delivered another adventure. "Same ol' Sandoval - here we go," Money said. "Walks the first batter, wild pitch, runner on second and no out, and I'm thinking, 'Here we go again.' But he battled back." Sandoval rallied to strike out Mike Wilson, coaxed a ground out from Adam Moore and fanned Jon Nelson to end it. He pumped his fist violently after Nelson's swing and miss. It may only be one win, but the way the Jaxx have beaten up on the Stars lately, it felt big. It also ended a long day for the Stars (2-3), who arrived at 1 p.m. for bunting practice after some shoddy fundamentals the past couple of nights. "A win is a win, but that team beat us in an important game," said Sandoval, recalling Tuesday's playoff loss to West Tenn that decided the first-half pennant race. "So it's good to beat them." Huntsville, which came from five runs behind Friday only to lose in 13 innings, rallied from four back after starter Donovan Hand gave up three no-doubt home runs in the first four innings to trail 5-1. It stayed that way until the sixth when the Stars ripped Anderson Garcia with a four-run inning of their own. The big blow came on a two-triple by Gillespie, who scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. In the seventh, Rodriguez's hustle turned a bloop hit into a double, and he took third on a throwing error before scoring to put the Stars up 6-5. "I've stayed here four years, and I know I don't play every day, but I'll play wherever and whenever the manager needs me," Rodriguez said. "I work hard everyday to stay ready for when my team needs me." Stars reliever Josh Wahpepah gave the lead right back in the top of the eighth, but Corporan's big hit broke the 6-6 tie in the bottom half. "They've got a pretty good club," Corporan said. "But tonight, we got the big hits and did the little things, and good things happened."

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime. Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 43 33 .566 - 25-14 18-19 L2 Memphis 38 38 .500 5.0 17-18 21-20 L2 Omaha 36 38 .486 6.0 15-19 21-19 W3 Nashville 30 46 .395 13.0 17-19 13-27 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 3 2 .600 - 0-0 3-2 L2 Tennessee 3 2 .600 - 3-2 0-0 W1 West Tenn 3 2 .600 - 0-0 3-2 L1 Chattanooga 2 3 .400 1.0 2-3 0-0 W2 Huntsville 2 3 .400 1.0 2-3 0-0 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jupiter 2 0 1.000 - 1-0 1-0 W2 Daytona 2 1 .667 0.5 1-1 1-0 W2 St. Lucie 2 1 .667 0.5 0-0 2-1 L1 Brevard County 1 2 .333 1.5 0-1 1-1 L2 Vero Beach 1 2 .333 1.5 1-2 0-0 W1 Palm Beach 0 2 .000 2.0 0-1 0-1 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greensboro 3 0 1.000 - 0-0 3-0 W3 Hagerstown 2 1 .667 1.0 0-0 2-1 L1 Lakewood 2 1 .667 1.0 2-1 0-0 L1 Delmarva 1 2 .333 2.0 1-2 0-0 W1 Hickory 1 2 .333 2.0 0-0 1-2 W1 Lake County 1 2 .333 2.0 0-0 1-2 W1 West Virginia 1 2 .333 2.0 0-0 1-2 L2 Lexington 0 3 .000 3.0 0-3 0-0 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 4 1 .800 - 0-0 4-1 L1 Great Falls 4 1 .800 - 1-1 3-0 W1 Helena 1 4 .200 3.0 1-4 0-0 L1 Missoula 1 4 .200 3.0 0-3 1-1 W1

Follow Sunday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log" or "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. Nashville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_22_mrbaaa_nasaaa_1 Huntsville: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_22_wtdaax_hunaax_1 Brevard County: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_22_dunafa_breafa_1 West Virginia: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_22_wvaafx_kanafx_1 Helena: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_06_22_misrok_helrok_1

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Steve Hammond in his AAA debut at home vs. Memphis (Cardinals), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 PM gametime Audio link via WNSR, 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=t556 Huntsville: RHP Mike Jones at home vs. West Tenn (Mariners), 4:50 PM pre-game; 5:05 gametime Audio link via WUMP, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link): http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559 Brevard County: LHP Chris Cody at home vs. Dunedin (Blue Jays), 5:00 gametime Sorry, no audio for this series... West Virginia: LHP Dan Merklinger at Kannapolis (White Sox), 3:50 PM pre-game, 4:05 gametime 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 Helena: 19-year-old Dominican RHP Santo Manzanillo at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime Audio link via KCAP, 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=t433 Arizona: Season begins Monday, June 23rd

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

Still quite-raw RHP Santo Manzanillo gets the start for Helena Sunday evening. Here's hoping he helps stem the tide for the boys.

Link while active, text follows: Gagne may pitch at Greer By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer The stars could be out Tuesday night at Greer Stadium. Following a successful simulated game Saturday in Milwaukee, Brewers reliever Eric Gagne is expected to make a couple of rehab starts for the Sounds later this week. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Gagne - who was placed on the disabled list May 23 with a shoulder injury -likely will start Tuesday against the Memphis Redbirds. Meanwhile, St. Louis left-hander Mark Mulder has made three rehab starts for the Redbirds as he attempts to come back from a shoulder injury he suffered during spring training. Mulder's last start was Thursday, which in a five-man rotation would line him up to go again Tuesday. More movement anticipated: Former Sounds second baseman Rickie Weeks is expected to be activated today by the Brewers, meaning Hernan Iribarren will be optioned back to Nashville. Weeks has been out since June 7 with a sprained left knee. Arrested: Sounds outfielder Laynce Nix claimed his innocence late Saturday night after being arrested earlier in the day. Nix was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on James Robertson Parkway, WTVF-5 reported. "I was charged with this, but everything is pending," said Nix, who did not play in Saturday's game. "I passed the field sobriety tests and no way was I impaired." Growing pains: The game-tying passed ball charged to Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino in the seventh inning Saturday was his 13th of the season, bringing the team total to 16. Tacoma's 12 passed balls are the second-most in the PCL. Although he was the PCL's starting catcher in last year's Triple-A All-Star game, this is the first season Rottino has focused solely on catching. A former third baseman, Rottino caught 56 games for Nashville last year in a backup role, while playing 30 in the outfield, 10 at first base and seven at third base. This season, he has made 65 of his 66 starts behind the plate. Staying hot: Memphis pitcher Jaime Garcia, who tripled during his May 19 start at Greer, doubled and scored in the third inning. His run was the first for the Redbirds. Rush to judgement: Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas sprinted from the dugout to discuss a questionable call with third-base umpire Jake Uhlenhopp during the seventh inning. With runners at first and second, D'Angelo Jimenez hit a ball to shallow left field that Mel Stocker fielded and appeared to throw to third in time to retire Joe Mather - who was called safe. Kremblas argued briefly, then returned to the dugout. Moments later, Mather scored on the passed ball by Rottino.

Link while active, text follows: Sounds get rare series-opening win By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer A solid series start hasn't been common for the Sounds. After dropping the first game in each of their previous four series, the Sounds opened their four-game set against Memphis with an 8-5 victory Saturday night at Greer Stadium. Chris Woodward's two-run single in the seventh inning broke a 4-4 tie and sparked a four-run rally, as Nashville improved to 6-14 in series openers this season. It was the Sounds' third win in their past 15 games. "We've been playing all right, but for some reason, you sometimes play a team where you score some runs and they come right back and score; that happened a lot to us," Woodward said. "We've just got to come up with the big hits when we can. "We're going to get the breaks, but right now, we've got to make our own. That's sometimes hard to do." Just as Woodward described, the Sounds took a 2-0 second-inning lead before Memphis answered with two in the third. Nashville's 4-2 lead after five innings evaporated as the Redbirds scored a run off starter Lindsay Gulin in the sixth and one off reliever Tim Dillard in the seventh. The Memphis seventh could have been more painful, but Dillard managed to work out of a one-out, bases-loaded situation by getting a foul out and a line out. "We did a good job of damage control there," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. Dillard, in his first appearance since returning from the Milwaukee Brewers, stranded a pair of runners in the eighth, and the Redbirds managed a run in the ninth off Ben Howard. What they said: "From top to bottom, everybody put good wood on it; the pitcher doesn't get a break." - Adam Heether. Photo by SHELLEY MAYS / THE TENNESSEAN The Sounds' Vinny Rottino scores the first run of an 8-5 victory Saturday in front of Memphis' Jaime Garcia. http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080622&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=806220409&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

Here's another well-written analysis -- to be sure, "oddly-constructed" does seem to apply here as well, meaning Reid Nichols also has work to do, but we as fans (especially local Helena fans) have to remember the reasons behind it -- Link while active, text follows: Flexibility essential in minor leagues By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Independent Record Oh, the work of a minor league manager. Every year it's a new crop of ballplayers, sometimes great and abundant, other times hardly enough to fill the roster. The players can turn into superstars like former Helena Brewer Ryan Braun, last year's National League Rookie of the Year. Or, they can fade away beneath the bright evening lights. At the beginning of every summer season, the Helena Brewers manager has the unenviable task of fielding a team with those players hand-picked by the Milwaukee organization. Complications often arise. Two years ago, former manager Ed Sedar, now a first-base coach for Milwaukee, was dealt a team loaded with five catchers and not enough outfielders. It was sometimes easy to tell who fit in the field and who was a newborn "utility" player that had switched from crouching behind the plate to staring into the sun. On one occasion, a center fielder ran up to catch a pop fly before realizing he had misjudged it, backtracking as fast as he could. When it came down, the ball flew about an inch above the players' glove and nearly grazed his head. He was charged with an error and the opposing team was able to score. This year, new manager Rene Gonzales ran into a dilemma similar to his predecessors. On opening night, Helena had just 25 players, 14 of them pitchers. That's 10 players short of what they're allowed on the roster and five short of the players they can have listed as active for the game. It also left just three outfielders to play in three positions and five infielders for four. Again, there was depth at catcher with three of them, but players have since been shuffled around the diamond. In their 6-5 loss to the Great Falls Voyagers on Thursday, their third in a row, the Brewers' lack of depth nearly caught up with them. Third baseman Edgar Trejo chased down Voyagers' pinch hitter Doug Thennis, keeping him from scoring. But, in the process, Trejo sprained his knee and fell right on top of the baseline. He was able to make a smart play, tossing the ball up to catcher Derrick Alfonso, who threw out the batter headed toward first, but a hush quickly came over the crowd. Not only to see if Trejo was all right, but how Gonzales would troubleshoot the situation. Earlier in the game, starting catcher Brett Whiteside skipped the final few feet to second base, obviously having pulled a muscle. That meant Gonzales would need to dig deeper into the roster and make changes more commonly seen in Legion ball. Gonzales moved Cutter Dykstra from left field to second base and John Delaney from second to third. Meanwhile, Logan Schafer, who had literally been introduced to the team early that afternoon, came in for the first time to play in the outfield. "It was a move, but we weren't that out of synch. Cutter could play second base, he was drafted solely as a second baseman, but we thought just with his athleticism ... center field was more new to him than the infield," Gonzales said after the game. "Schafer came in, it was his first at-bat and in a key situation, he had a decent at-bat." That's true. Schafer had an RBI ground out and Alfonso brought in a runner in the ninth as the Brewers nearly rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game. It turns out, Gonzales made the right move, even though it meant bringing in a player that wasn't in tune with the rest of the team to do it. While it was an unlucky turn of events, Gonzales was at least lucky that he could substitute the players that had previous experience at the position. One day earlier and Schafer wouldn't have been an option. It's important for fans to remember that as an affiliate of the Milwaukee organization, the Helena team is subject to the needs of the major leagues. It's their goal to develop players that might be able to make it to The Show, and if that means loading a team with players used to the same position, so be it. It's also one of the reasons why the best players on Helena's squad are often gone within a few weeks, and why former manager Jeff Isom's team went from the top team in the Pioneer League Northern Division the first half of last season to fighting for wins by the end of summer. Right now, the Brewers still have some players lying in wait to sign contracts, others that were sidelined in the College World Series. Until then, utility players will be key, which can be a positive note on their careers. Versatility is a strength, as Gonzales would know after playing eight different positions in the majors. As the players get used to the change, or the final Brewers arrive, Helena (1-4) will start to improve. While that doesn't necessarily mean more wins, at least Helena fans will be privy to a better brand of baseball. As Gonzales put it with a smile, "Yeah, I'm a little bit strapped for players, and the other manager is going 'Wow, I feel for you,' but what are you going to do? It means more playing time for the guys. They'll get better."

Thank, MTBrew! Even though you don't have a lot of posts on the forum, we recognize you from prior years as a faithful and knowledgable fan. Too bad the H-Crew play hasn't been as good as the Helena newspaper coverage and photos, always excellent. Your post is sure to garner interest from many in the organization who make the Link Report a daily visit (not bragging, just relaying what I know to be the case). There is always at least one organizational coordinator on site with the club, it seems (last night it was roving infield instructor Garth Iorg). Hopefully he's reporting the same things back to Reid Nichols so they can nip this in the bud. Heck, at the least, the Brewers love the Charleston facilities and would like to renew that affiliation -- a strong Helena class coming in would help. Thanks for the first-hand report, keep us posted.

Link while active, text follows: Osprey crush Brewers By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Helena Independent Record After a quick time out, Helena Brewers catcher Corey Kemp situated himself in the batter's box and took a swing. Kemp crushed the 1-2 pitch over the left field fence and into the upper half of the safety net for the solo home run. After 8 1/2 innings of doldrums, Kemp gave what was left of the 1,004 fans that initially graced the stands at Kindrick Legion Field something to cheer about Saturday night. His was the Brewers' (1-4) lone run of the evening as they lost 13-1 to the Missoula Osprey (1-4). "I hope it's a lift for him. I don't think he's been swinging the bat the way he'd like to, but maybe that gets him on his way," said Brewers manager Rene Gonzales "When it's that kind of game, 13-0, a lopsided score, you've kind of just got to be selfish and get yours." As for the rest of the team? "It was kind of polar opposites from last night," he said. The Brewers defeated Missoula 10-0 on Friday to get their first win of the year. The two teams will return tonight in another tie for last place in the Pioneer League's Northern Division. Helena faltered early as starting pitcher Cody Adams gave up four runs - only one of them earned - in the first inning. With a runner on first, Missoula's Kyle Greene hit a grounder to Brewers' first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard. Kjeldgaard jumped on the ball quickly, but then threw the ball high to second in an effort to pick up the double play. The error allowed Greene on base and the next batter, Alberto Diaz, singled to left to score one before Rafael Hilario grounded to center to score two more. "It's going to go back to the fundamental things, in the first inning we blew open, and throughout the game, even we were down 7-0 we were making mistakes," Gonzales said about the loss. Missoula scored twice more in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Adonys Canelo and Reynaldo Navarro. Ryne White came in on a single by Greene in the seventh and Isaias Ascencio's first at-bat after taking right field in the seventh inning netted a two-run homer that nearly cleared the ballpark. Brewers pitcher Rolando Pascual had to be relieved by Nestor Corredor, who closed out a ninth inning that netted four more runs for the Osprey. Missoula's starter, Rafael Quezada, couldn't fit the ball over the plate to start the game, walking John Delaney and went 3-0 counts on the next two batters before getting them out. Quezada wouldn't allow a hit until the fifth inning when Chris Dennis' infield grounder popped off the mound and just beyond the reach of the pitcher's glove. "He might have been effectively wild at first. He wasn't throwing a whole lot of strikes. To be honest with you, sometimes it's tough to hit a guy like that," Gonzales said, referring to Quezada. Quezada certainly found the strike zone and a little bit of confidence, striking out four and giving up the lone hit in five innings of play. The Brewers finished with just five hits on the game to Missoula's 15. Navarro led the Osprey, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Ascencio also hit a sacrifice fly and Canelo went 2-for-4 with the double and three RBI. Delaney, Logan Schafer and Eric Komatsu added hits for the Brewers. Adams (0-1) finished with the loss, giving up seven hits with one strike out over 3 2/3 innings. Pascual had the roughest night, giving up six earned runs in two innings of work. The Brewers host the Osprey again tonight for their third in a three-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM (5:05 Central). "What do you say to those guys?" Gonzales said. "Not much, be ready to go tomorrow, we have a lot of games to play." Photos by Lisa Kunkel, Helena IR staff photographer - Helena Brewers pitcher Cody Adams throws a fastball during Pioneer League action Saturday night at Kindrick Legion Field. Adams struck out Missoula's Tyrell Worthington on the next pitch. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/22/sports/top/50spl_080621_brewers.jpg Missoula's Rafael Hilario dives head first into second base as Brewer Jose Duran waits for the throw from third during Pioneer League action Saturday night at Kindrick Legion Field. Hilario was safe at the base. http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2008/06/22/sports/top/50spl_080621_brewers-2.jpg

Well, the school is right now, but apparently he's pitching? He is listed as a SS/RHP on Faulkner's roster, so I guess it's probably right, but it still seems like some sort of conspiracy to confuse us. link Edit: Moved this post to this thread from the Minor League Forum...

Sorry to bring this to everyone's attention, but here's why Laynce Nix wasn't in the lineup Saturday night -- NASHVILLE, Tenn.- An outfielder for the Nashville Sounds baseball team was arrested early Saturday morning for driving under the influence. Laynce Nix was driving on James Robertson Parkway when he made a U Turn and began speeding. When the Metro police officer stopped him, Nix failed a field sobriety test. He admitted to drinking three mixed drinks. Laynce Nix made bond and was out of jail Saturday night.

MLB.com: Energizer bunny: North Carolina has played four games so far in the College World Series, and reliever Rob Wooten has pitched in all of them. Call it tradition. In the 2007 College World Series, Wooten pitched in the Tar Heels' first five games in Omaha, and in total, six of their seven games. In doing so, he tied the College World Series record for most appearances. His appearance on Saturday, in which he threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, was his 10th in Omaha. Wooten, a 13th-round pick in the June Draft to the Milwaukee Brewers, led the Tar Heels with five saves this season, en route to a 1.77 ERA. The sidearmer appeared in 42 games for North Carolina, after appearing in 47 games in the 2007 season.

21-year-old Steve Garrison threw an absolute gem Saturday night for AA San Antonio, striking out 11.

Chris Cody Blog Entry - (June 20) Hello again, I'm writing to you from Viera, Florida, home of the Brevard County Manatees. It's great to be back where I left off last year in High A ball and the Florida State League. I was promoted about five days ago and made my first appearance Tuesday night in relief of Randy Choate, who was making a rehab start in the minors. Choate is a lefty specialist reliever for the Brewers. For those who don't remember, he also pitched for the Yankees during their championship run a few years back. It was neat to be in the same clubhouse with him and to watch how he prepared for the game. I even had a chance to chat with him a little about his time in New York and being in the big leagues. Not surprising to me, he admitted that his time in New York were his fondest years of his career. As for my '08 Manatees debut, it didn't go the way I planned. I had a rough first inning of relief and my night was shortened due to heavy rain -- welcome back to Florida. Actually, we have had rain every day since I've been here. I'm scheduled to start Sunday and I expect to get back on track. These first few days back in Florida have been quite hectic. Getting settled in a new place to live, getting to know my new teammates and getting re-adjusted to the Florida heat definitely takes some time. I'll be sure to keep you all updated as the season goes on. Thanks for reading! See ya, Chris...

Even 49th round draft picks can't escape from battlekow's interview fiesta. Entertaining (and informative) as heck, thanks again!

Thanks ever so much to Jim Powell for touting the Link Report in his latest blog post. Very appreciated, sir. You rock.

Final: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 13, Helena 1 Well, so much for our earlier disclaimer about the Osprey playing with the most raw of Arizona League-level kids... Helena Box Score Well, Corey Kemp hit a home run in the 9th to avoid the shutout; Canadian lefty Adam Arnold had a nice relief stint; Rolando Pascual allowed five hits and six runs in two innings, along with two HBP's and a wild pitch, although Nestor Corredor allowed all three of his inherited Pascual baserunners to score in the 9th -- Pascual had loaded the bases with none out; John Delaney, Logan Schafer, Chris Dennis and Erik Komatsu each had a hit and a walk, with Komatsu's a double, but nothing materialized along the way; in his pro debut, starter Cody Adams was victimized by an error in both the first and fourth innings, so while his ERA didn't take a big hit, he'd probably tell you he wasn't happy with his outing, as he failed to minimize the damage... Helena Game Log