Jim Goulart

Happy 26th Birthday, Payton Henry!

Seminaris, Chirinos, and Yeager, arms who have joined Knarr on the AA IL? Joseph Hernandez and Justin King with Wisconsin? Nate Peterson and Tayden Hall at Carolina?

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Saturday, lineup updates, etc.Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

Pardon the musical pun in the subject header, but we shined the focus there on the two victories that stood out on a 2-6 Friday for the Brewers farm. Hopefully we're singing a brighter tune Sunday AM - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, don't you know! Here we go with your daily update: Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic TRANSACTIONS: - RHP Matt Bush's rehab stint has ended at AAA Nashville, activated with the MLB Brewers - RHP Aidan Maldonado has been placed on the 7-Day IL (retroactive to 6/21) at A-Ball Carolina Final: Nashville 10, Norfolk (Orioles) 3 Via the Sounds' site, we encourage readers to review each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine: Sounds Thump Tides With 10 Run Bombardment - Josh VanMeter homers twice, Alex Jackson adds three RBI in 10-3 win Pre-Game Media Notes Box Score / Game Log First, we'll acknowledge the huge sigh of relief from the Brewers masses -- Starting RHP Janson Junk is doing his best to win us over, even without the flash. Taken from the game summary above, this may have been alluded to at the time of the Hunter Renfroe trade, but Junk had made an impression on the Milwaukee organization previously: Janson Junk allowed just one hit through his first six innings of work. The last time he allowed one hit or fewer through six innings was August 27, 2021 at Biloxi with Double-A Rocket City. In that contest, Junk tossed 8.0 innings before surrendering his first hit in the ninth. The Nashville production crew was all over this one, with five video highlights of note via their Twitter media feed. So, Brice Turang has ten hits total during his ten-game hitting streak. See, that would be a fun record to learn about, what is the longest hitting streak of exactly one hit each in MLB (or MiLB) history. Clearly, Brice is hoping for a multi-hit game in his near future. It's not often Manager Rick Sweet has ample player position depth available, even though all the MLB rehabs are complete. Not seeing action here: Catchers Payton Henry, Brian Navarreto and Brent Diaz, INF/OF Cam Devanney, OF Michael Reed, and perhaps just for this day, Sal Frelick. There are 14 pitchers total available. Final, Game One: Chattanooga (Reds) 4, Biloxi 2, seven innings as scheduled Final, Game Two: Chattanooga 4, Biloxi 3, eight innings (scheduled for seven) Via the Shuckers' site: Shuckers Fall to Lookouts Twice in Doubleheader Sweep - Jackson Chourio smashes his 10th home run, tallies 20th stolen base in sweep Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Box Score / Game Log Game Two Box Score / Game Log Well, good news is that for the Shuckers, the first half of the AA season doesn't end until after Sunday's game, so this double defeat won't impact second-half postseason chances. (The two A-Ball teams began second-half play on Friday, as their regular seasons are a few games shorter.) The three position players who sat out Game Two (Tyler Black, Jeferson Quero, Ethan Murray) all played in Game One. Brendan Samson of MLB Pipeline had overnight duties and his article provides the Ronald Acuna, Jr. comps that always brighten our mornings: Elsewhere in the media world, Biloxi news station WXXV has a video highlight package. RHP Justin Jarvis and OF Carlos Rodriguez made the cut in the Shuckers' Twitter Media feed. Quite the feast for the eyes considering the results of the evening at MGM Park. Biloxi managed only seven base hits over 15 innings Friday, though four went for extra bases. The Shuckers drew eight walks but were a combined 1-for-12 with RISP on the night. Two of the four runs allowed by RH Game One starter Justin Jarvis were unearned, and there's no quibbling with a 9-to-1 K-to-BB ratio over six innings. This was only the 3rd start in 73 affiliated ball appearances for RHP James Meeker. The 28-year-old has been unreal - a 0.88 WHIP over 37.1 IP in 17 2023 AA appearances, 47 K's, four BB's. Let me bold that for you: 47 K's, four BB's Oh yeah, there was that 0.00 ERA in 21 Australia innings this winter (not even an unearned run). Even as an older prospect, Meeker is exactly the type of talent that could be molded into a deadline deal if the Crew is indeed, as we hope, in acquiring mode. The Sounds' Rick Sweet would make room if so, Curt: Final: Lansing (Athletics) 4, Wisconsin 2 Via the Timber Rattlers' site: Lansing Tops Rattlers in Second Half Opener - Wisconsin held to two runs on eight hits Pre-Game Media Notes (Download Link) via the team's Virtual Press Box Box Score / Game Log Keep an eye on your Udder Tuggers weekend jersey auction, folks. Surprising that Jacob Misiorowski's isn't currently the highest bid, but then again, not many bidders are 6'7". A bit sour to kick off the second half with a loss, because this group had played well coming down the first-half stretch, and night-and day in terms of quality of play from April/most of May. This might catch you off-guard, but I have referred this season to this collection of Rattlers as a "veteran" group. They have an unusually high number of players who will qualify for minor league free agency at season's end, seven years of pro ball (and yes, the lost 2020 counts): LHP Luis Amaya, RHP Max Lazar, 1B Ernesto Martinez, LHP Karlos Morales, RHP Michele Vassalotti, and OF Je'Von Ward. All but Amaya (first year with MKE) have spent all their careers with the organization. The Brewers have been known to invite players back for an 8th year, of course the player needs to be receptive to that as well. By the way, Vassalotti tweeted out a new article link from Venezuela that focused on his early life baseball journey and his WBC Team Italy adventure, and I took the liberty of utilizing translate to post that for you here. Oh yes, this game: Bummer losing any time RHP Tyler Woessner gets the start (another quality effort here). Though this was only the second time in 2023 that Tyler K'd only one (April 28th, six three-run IP in a home loss to Beloit, so very reminiscent here). Woessner has fanned 60 in 66.2 frames this season, and yes, we focus too often on the K factor overall in these lines. Congrats to 6'7" RHP Nick Merkel on his High-A debut (3 IP, one unearned run, 0 BB, 3 K). Final: Carolina 11, Lynchburg (Indians) 5 Mudcats Start Second Half With 11-5 Victory - Jadher Areinamo matched a career-high with four RBI in Friday's victory versus Lynchburg Pre-Game Media Notes Box Score / Game Log Now that's fun! The top of the order led the way, none older than 20 years old as we list June OPS figures vs. their full-season OPS: Gregory Barrios (.844/.626), Luis Lara (1.047/.833), Hedbert Perez (.806/.615), Luke Adams (.952/.859), Jadher Areinamo (.721/.634). In other words, trending properly... Some online have debated whether 6'4" 20-year-old LH bat / RH arm Quinton Low should be playing both ways, rather than focusing on his mound work. So far in 2023, it's been 23 AB's and 13.1 IP. Low is scheduled to start Saturday's Mudcats game (on the mound). 6'5" RHP Miguel Guerrero turns 23 in July and has had a nice season in Carolina (2.86 ERA, 1.06 WHIP). Very under the radar in low-pressure this season (no holds, 0-for-1 in save chances). Most of us forget he was with the Timber Rattlers for 19 relief appearances in 2022 (7.22 ERA, that's why we've forgotten). Congratulations to 20-year-old RHP Jose Chavez on making his full-season debut, he walked two in a scoreless 9th, but also fanned two. Final: ACL Guardians 6, ACL Brewers 5 Box Score / Game Log If the organization was to lose a game to the Guardians Friday, we'd all choose this one (well, maybe not Maryvale families of players). Love a linescore that makes for an entertaining game. There were non-zero numbers for runs scored in the final five half-innings. As mentioned last week, given the lack of a true game summary, review the final three innings in the game log and learn how the A-Crew came up one short in this one. Heads up: you'll see the work "walks" a lot, both sides. And yes, that's Jackson's 18-year-old brother Jaison Chourio sporting a .351/.489/.867 line for the Guardians. How did the Brewers not sign him as well? SS Dylan O'Rae has 11 walks, just four strikeouts, and is 12-for-12 in SB's in ten games this season (just his first error here, 9th game in the field). Throw strikes while on the island, young arms! In his age 16 season, RHP Manuel Rodriguez walked only nine in 35.2 IP last summer in the DSL. Despite a nominal K rate and a 4.54 2022 ERA, the native of Mexico got the rare bump to Maryvale for his age 17 season and is cruising thus far (0.84 WHIP). Final: DSL Dodgers Mega 8, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 3Box Score / Game LogCerveceros Uno, now with a 9-5 record, scored single runs in three of the first four innings, but the "Mega-Dodgers" (cue the WWE music given that moniker) broke free from a 3-3 deadlock, including three in the top of the 9th to seal things away. The contest came in two minutes under four hours. There were a combined ten walks in the game, but that pace seems snail-like.Among the arms, 19-year-old rookie Venezuelan RHP Yeferson Tales ably handled the bulk of the middle innings, stranding an inherited runner and working 3.2 innings of one-run ball (5 H, 1 BB, 3 K).Switch-hitting rookie 17-year-old infielder Luiyin Alastre has seen action in four games apiece at 2B, SS, and 3B. He committed his 5th error here, spread across the diamond while at SS. Keep the head high, young Luiyin, you'll benefit from the variety of assignments. And congrats on the two base hits and one RBI here.We don't know when we'll see or get an update on top SS prospect Kevin Ereu, who last played on June 12th.It's the cynic in me, but when I see a player replaced on defense in the top of the 7th, after popping out in the 6th inning, my mind wanders to coaching and did the player run it out. 17-year-old rookie second baseman Joan Gutierrez probably did hustle, but if the coaches needed to make a statement, we've seen suspected incidences of that in the complex league before. Final: DSL Dodgers Bautista 8, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 7, ten inningsBox Score / Game Log The now 7-7 Cerveceros Dos came oh-so-close to being the first team to defeat the 14-0 Dodgers club, apparently named because its players rake like in-his-prime Jose Bautista, probably with the bat flips as well. This game had drama for the SRO crowd. Team Dos tied it at 7-7 with a single run in the top of the 9th. 19-year-old third-year RHP Dikember Sanchez would then load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, then a K (looking), line out to RF, and another backwards K sent the game to extras. But the Crew couldn't build on that momentum and went meekly stranding the ghost runner in the top of the 10th - kicking things off with a strikeout isn't ideal. The walk-off loss was just that, following a bases-loaded walk with no outs. Yet this high-scoring extra-inning game was played in an hour and 41 minutes. What type of alternate universes are on the island right now? Here's another box score research tip that's rarely fruitful. Check the HBP's, and was the Brewer batter immediately pinch-run for? Does the game log indicate an injury delay? Nope, though plunked earlier in the game, DH Luis Lameda left after singling in the 9th. The pinch-runner, Demetrio Nadal, is now 8-for-8 in SB attempts in 2023 (17-for-20 last summer). We give these complex league box scores way too much thought! All but the 9-hole spot in the lineup contributed a base knock, with 2nd-year first baseman Roman La Torre singling three times for the lone multi-hit game. The mound work here was non-descript as we await larger samples to establish better patterns. Here's to Saturday AM when the two Brewers island teams face off! As such, there are six games today instead of the standard seven. Carolina kicks things off for the full-season affiliates at 4:00 Central, and the other outposts, also enjoying home cooking as well, all have evening start times. Here's to a sweet start to the weekend, enjoy. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scoresCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and DepthCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

Translated article: Michele Vassalotti, the Italian-Venezuelan who played with the Azzurri in the World Baseball Classic, CARACAS – In sport as in life you start dreaming from an early age: who wants to become a footballer, who "pelotero" in MLB, F1 driver and so on. Then as you grow up some dreams come true, others change with the passing of the years. The important thing is to follow your dreams with passion and motivation as happened to Michele Vassalotti, a young Italian-Venezuelan who first started practicing football, but then after a visit to the José Bernardo Pérez stadium in Valencia decided to change the green rectangle for the baseball diamond. This passion for the sport of bats and gloves led him to defend the blue jersey in the World Baseball Classic. During a conversation via Whatsapp, the champion born on August 2, 2000 in Valencia tells us how the love for this sport blossomed. "It all started between the ages of 8 and 10, when my parents started taking me more frequently to the José Bernardo Pérez stadium, the home of the Navegantes of Magallanes. In that environment, the flame of wanting to become a baseball player was lit in me. When I was younger, I watched Major League Baseball games with my dad. I think that influenced my choice to become a baseball player." Like all the children of Italian-Venezuelans, little Vassalotti started playing football, but the love and passion for baseball was greater than that for the patchy ball. "My parents realized that my passion was not football but baseball, even though I played the two sports simultaneously. When I was 13-14 there was the possibility to enter an academy to become a professional, I took an interview with a company that offered me the opportunity to play and study or train. So I signed the contract and my parents agreed from the beginning." Michele Vassaloti started practicing baseball in the "Club Hogar Hispano" in Valencia where he had a professor called Servando, who helped him to fit in the best way in the world of gloves and diamonds. Vassalotti was a member of the Centro Social Italo Venezolano in Valencia, but baseball was not played there, but softball. "My parents were members of CSIV Valencia, but baseball was not in the Juegos FEDECIV program. In our games there is only softball, for this reason I did not play with our association in the Olympic Games of our collective". In this 2023, the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic was staged and among the protagonists there was the Italian national team that reached the quarterfinals where it surrendered to Japan, which then brought home the cup led by the champion Shohei Ohtani. "In January I received the phone call to be part of the Italian national team, but there was nothing concrete. I was always in contact with the general manager of the Azzurri: we often talked about baseball, my fitness and many other things. He often followed my performances on the diamond" – Vassalotti tells us, adding – "The day they contacted me to tell me that they had put me on the pre-roster I was having lunch with my mom and they asked me if I wanted to participate in the internship to earn a place on the team that was to participate in the World Baseball Classic. I used to go to the Dominican Republic to attend my team's retreat and sort out visa paperwork. Then I went to Arizona to fight for my place on the national team. The day before the delivery of the roster I received the phone call from the blue staff to tell me I was among the called: for me it was a surprise and an immense joy, then when I saw my name on television in the roster of Italy it was the best ". In the World Baseball Classic, Italy beat the Cuban national team 6 – 3 in the opening game, then came the defeats against Chinese Taipei (7 – 11) and Panama (2 – 0). In the match that closed the group stage, the Azzurri overcame (1 – 7) the Netherlands. With this performance the boys coached by the Italian-American Mike Piazza flew to the next stage where they faced Japan. "For me it was an incredible experience, an emotion to have played with the national team of my ancestors. The most important thing in this World Baseball Classic was the lessons I received from my teammates: to see how they prepared the games, how they lived them and all those little details that are in a baseball game" – he tells us during the conversation, adding – "Then we managed to create a group that looked like a family. There are no words to describe this experience and then if we add that there was Mike Piazza as manager. He has a unique form to convey the message of how to face the races on the field, Piazza gave me so much advice that I will always carry with me. He was the manager, but in the dugout he was an extra player, he talked to all of us. That gave us a lot of confidence." Then the Italian-Venezuelan pitcher told us how he and his teammates lived the debut match against Cuba. "At the beginning it seemed like it was one more race, we were all calm. But then, after the first launch, there was a kind of shock in all of us and we entered the reality that we were representing the land of our ancestors. There was an extraordinary feeling in our group" – confesses the champion born in Valencia 22 years ago, adding – "In our races there was always a group of fans to incite us and shout at the top of their lungs: Italy! Italy! This gave us that extra charge. We on the bench lived all the races as if it were a final, all this fruit of the format of the tournament where it is forbidden to make mistakes!" Baseball Italy didn't look like a national team like the others we're used to seeing. The players wore tricolor bandanas tied on their foreheads and grew moustaches and goatees just for the occasion. The cameras insisted on the coffees that were drunk on the bench, or on the portable machine that was hidden in a corner. Some players had lucky croissants tied to their shoelaces, and among them they cheered gesticulating in the way foreigners do to imitate Italians. "The exultation with the gesture was born after one of the friendlies that preceded the World Baseball Classic. We got together and asked ourselves: what could we bring or do for the opening race that would represent us as an Italian national team. And several of the guys suggested to make the classic gesture of the Italians, this initiative was joined by the manager Mike Piazza suggesting that for the debut race we all had to wear a mustache "- tells us the pitcher Vassalotti, adding - "The story with the coffee machine began before the challenge with Cuba. Many of our coaches and players are lovers of this drink and were talking that we did not have a coffee machine during games and I remember Mike sending one of his staff to buy an espresso machine. This gentleman brought it on the pitch and when a player wanted a coffee he had it at hand. It all started as a joke and became a boom, so much so that when we got to the next stage Nespresso provided us with everything to prepare coffee. This company sent a letter to Mike Piazza saying that they were proud to participate in this initiative with the Italian national team". In Venezuela, Michele Vassalotti's card is from Cardenales de Lara, in the 2022-2023 season he was very close to debuting in the winter Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, but he did not receive the OK of the Milwaukee Brewes. But he hopes to be able to play as soon as possible in the Venezuelan "pelota". Michele Vassalotti was able to wear the blue jersey thanks to his Italian origin: his grandparents arrived in the 50s came from the province of Bari: from Capurso the grandfather and from Sannicandro di Bari the grandmother, who then met in Venezuela.

Gee, do you think Sal and Christian will have a conversation topic the next time they are together?

Absolutely a future big-leaguer - defense, versatility, and the emerging bat, as we saw last year:

Will be incorporated into Saturday AM's Link Report:Final: DSL Dodgers Bautista 8, DSL Brewers #2 Squad 7, ten inningsBox Score / Game Log The now 7-7 Cerveceros Dos came oh-so-close to being the first team to defeat the 14-0 Dodgers club, apparently named because its players rake like in-his-prime Jose Bautista, probably with the bat flips as well. This game had drama for the SRO crowd. Team Dos tied it at 7-7 with a single run in the top of the 9th. 19-year-old third-year RHP Dikember Sanchez would then load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, then a K (looking), line out to RF, and another backwards K sent the game to extras. But the Crew couldn't build on that momentum and went meekly stranding the ghost runner in the top of the 10th - kicking things off with a strikeout isn't ideal. The walk-off loss was just that, following a bases-loaded walk with no outs. Yet this high-scoring extra-inning game was played in an hour and 41 minutes. What type of alternate universes are on the island right now? Here's another box score research tip that's rarely fruitful. Check the HBP's, and was the Brewer batter immediately pinch-run for? Does the game log indicate an injury delay? Nope, though plunked earlier in the game, DH Luis Lameda left after singling in the 9th. The pinch-runner, Demetrio Nadal, is now 8-for-8 in SB attempts in 2023 (17-for-20 last summer). We give these complex league box scores way too much thought! All but the 9-hole spot in the lineup contributed a base knock, with 2nd-year first baseman Roman La Torre singling three times for the lone multi-hit game. The mound work here was non-descript as we await larger samples to establish better patterns. Here's to Saturday AM when the two Brewers island teams face off!

Will be incorporated into Saturday AM's Link Report:Final: DSL Dodgers Mega 8, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 3Box Score / Game Log Cerveceros Uno, now with a 9-5 record, scored single runs in three of the first four innings, but the "Mega-Dodgers" (cue the WWE music given that moniker) broke free from a 3-3 deadlock, including three in the top of the 9th to seal things away. The contest came in two minutes under four hours. There were a combined ten walks in the game, but that pace seems snail-like. Among the arms, 19-year-old rookie Venezuelan RHP Yeferson Tales ably handled the bulk of the middle innings, stranding an inherited runner and working 3.2 innings of one-run ball (5 H, 1 BB, 3 K). Switch-hitting rookie 17-year-old infielder Luiyin Alastre has seen action in four games apiece at 2B, SS, and 3B. He committed his 5th error here, spread across the diamond while at SS. Keep the head high, young Luiyin, you'll benefit from the variety of assignments. And congrats on the two base hits and one RBI here. We don't know when we'll see or get an update on top SS prospect Kevin Ereu, who last played on June 12th. It's the cynic in me, but when I see a player replaced on defense in the top of the 7th, after popping out in the 6th inning, my mind wanders to coaching and did the player run it out. 17-year-old rookie second baseman Joan Gutierrez probably did hustle, but if the coaches needed to make a statement, we've seen suspected incidences of that in the complex league before.

Via our Minor League Forum, includes some Jacob Misiorowski references: Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky: Timber Rattlers Vice President of Business Operations Ryan Moede (go to the 13:20 minute mark) Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky: Voice of Timber Rattlers Chris Mehring (go to the 10:45 minute mark)

LH reliever Justin King (currently on the IL) hitting 96-97 this year!

Thursday 6/22Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky: Timber Rattlers Vice President of Business Operations Ryan Moede (go to the 13:20 minute mark) Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky: Voice of Timber Rattlers Chris Mehring (go to the 10:45 minute mark)

Thursday 6/22: Via WSCO's "The Show with Leo and Balky: Matt Carroll from "Reviewing the Brew" (go to the 28:40 minute mark) Via WTMJ: Dom Cotroneo hosts "Brewers Weekly" *** Friday 6/23:Via WTMJ's "Brewers 360" (download link): Adam McCalvy Locked on Brewers with Chuck Freimund - "Former Brewer Erik Kratz Joins Us and a Preview of the Guardians Series" (Interview begins at the 09:30 minute mark)

Voice of the Shuckers Javik Blake confirmed that the first half season for AA ends on Sunday. It's ending later than Wisconsin/Carolina because the AA season extends a few games longer than the High-A levels.

New 'Enhanced Grip' Baseball Raising Concerns, Strikeouts in Double-A Southern League

The Carolina rainout Thursday is not being made up as it completed the first-half schedule. But the Biloxi rainout is? Maybe the Southern League is waiting until after Sunday due to the switchover away from the sticky baseballs? That makes sense, we'll see. Anyway, eight-game slate Friday with two games in Biloxi.

One of the system's 16-year-old's turns 17 on Friday, as Venezuelan OF Pedro Tovar, off to a nice career start through nine game (.784 OPS), celebrates.

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Friday, lineup updates, etc.Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

Nice!

Still tough at seven games, but the Link Report just became the tiniest bit more manageable for @damuelle tonight.

Dave Heller at Bally’s does a nice job with his weekly tracker: