Jim Goulart

Thanks to David Weiser and his Huntsville site, he reminds us that C/1B Lance Burkhart was in the Brewer chain for three full seasons (2000-2002). Burkhart has signed on for his 4th season in lovely Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (independent Atlantic League). Of no significance at all, I saw the exterior of the ballpark there during an October visit...

RHP Brandon Harmsen, a former Yanke farmhand who finished the '06 season at Brevard County after his independent league purchase by the Brewers, was released by Fargo-Moorhead of the independent Northern League.

John Sickels chimed in on the draft today as well.

The initial report The Follow-Up And as was pointed out in our recent home page interview with Huntsville play-by-play man Brett Pollock, add Spiezio to the list noted here, along with Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada: Brewerfan: I'll ask you as I did Chuck Valenches in Nashville. Do you think that more and more, even the casual local Huntsville fan is appreciating the litany of blossoming big league Brewers who made their way through Joe Davis Stadium? As impressive (and subsequently big-league performance-enhancingly tainted) as the Oakland A's long-time relationship with Huntsville was, it seems to me the Brewer connection has a chance to surpass that in terms of "Star" power, pun intended. Does the Huntsville front office acknowledge players such as Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun (and others) within the stadium with a wall mural or plaques and such? If not, are there plans to? Brett Pollock: This has been an issue that has been a real sore spot with me since I joined the Stars right before the 2005 season. While I appreciate that the Athletics were the first affiliate here and that they produced a lot of major league players that passed through here, I cannot understand the fascination in Huntsville with guys that were here 22, 23 years ago. I am continually befuddled, and somewhat angered, as to why the local populous is so proud to claim that Jose Canseco, an admitted steroid user and the self-professed originator of the drug culture that has tainted the game, and Mark McGwire, clearly a steroid user and someone who has disavowed any remembrance of ever playing here, were former Stars and that they saw them play!

I'm very pleased to share the next announcer installment with you folks. My chat with the Voice of the West Virginia Power, Andy "Bull" Barch, is now online. I really enjoyed catching up with all five play-by-play men, and as you can tell from their comments thus far, they've all had fun reaching back a few months and reflecting on the 2007 season. But it was this Power squad, which to be honest, seemed a tad lackluster when rosters were first announced (wow, was that a mistake in judgement), that turned out to have so many compelling storylines and made for the interview I was most excited about. Taylor Green, Jeremy Jeffress, Michael Brantley, Zach Braddock, Stephen Chapman -- heck, that's barely scratching the surface of player topics...and Andy Barch is such a dynamic and talented broadcaster. I loved all the Q&A's, but I was stoked to prepare for this one, and Andy certainly did not disappoint, just as Chuck, Brett, Kirk, and Steve all came through. Enjoy the video links off the Power site, which are included in the article. And please do treat yourself to a full Power game with Andy via web audio as early in this upcoming season as possible.

The final interview in our announcer series is now online -- our chat with Helena's Steve Wendt. If you have enjoyed our series, the biggest thank you that you can give to the affiliate play-by-play guys is to tune in to their broadcasts when you have a chance this coming season. Drop them a line during a game, as they all solicit email remarks from their listeners. You don't want to wait until next offseason to get their perspective on a certain player? Send them a note -- I guarantee they'll get back to you right away, either on-air if during a game, or via email for a post-game response. Nice way to get your name mentioned on air as well http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. One thing I took away from these chats is that each of these guys has been very proud to be a part of the Milwaukee Brewer organization. Maybe it was Brett in Huntsville knowing that all the brass was tuning in to listen to get his perspective on a key Ben Sheets rehab start. Or a particular Helena pre-game interview with Steve introducing a top draft pick to the Milwaukee fan base. Or Chuck getting the reaction of a player being called up to the big leagues for the first time just before departing Nashville. Or Andy finding every superlative available to describe Ryan Braun's few weeks in Charleston. And so much more...such as five different celebrations last year for post-season qualifying! OK, Steve, you're up...

We are going to do our very best to keep to a set schedule this year, with a new P50 out within a day or two of the first of every month April through November. See you around April 1st -- no Fool's!

Like Pat Listach a few posts back, Randy Ready in the minor league managing spotlight.

RHP Gerrit Simpson, a trade acquisition from the Rockies who was an effective bullpen workhorse for Huntsville in '05-'06, was just released by Fargo-Moorhead of the independent Northern League, where he pitched (mostly as a starter) in '07. EDIT: Update -- Simpson was claimed on waivers by Gary (Indiana) of the same indepenedent Northern League.

An interesting summary from BA shows that the Huntsville, West Virginia, and Helena agreements all expire after the 2008 season, as we knew. Check out how many of the Florida State League teams are owned by their parent club. Fortunately for the Brewers, the Nationals like having their high-A team in nearby Potomac, freeing up Brevard County for the Crew. Space Coast Stadium has undergone even more upgrades for Nationals' spring training this winter, and the Manatees get to benefit from a first-rate facility, no doubt. Hopefully West Virginia isn't tempted to shop around again, and with Nashville locked in until 2010, it makes too much sense not to extend Huntsville by another two years as well, even if the facilities still leave something to be desired.

Nice detailed article, and it's a blast to hear the highlight calls of several of the announcers we've been interviewing in recent weeks. We should have Andy "Bull" Barch's interview from West Virginia up by end-of-day Wednesday.

Turns out Max St. Pierre's story (Ben Hendrickson trade) was pretty compelling after all -- Link, text follows: St. Pierre wages battle against alcoholism By Bob Duff, Windsor Star The lone Canadian in training with the Detroit Tigers, catcher Max St. Pierre of Quebec City, is enjoying a personal resurgence in his second stint with the Tigers' organization. A prospect in the club's farm system from 1997-2006, St. Pierre's 2007 campaign can best be described as a lost season. So lost, in fact, he can't remember where he was. After signing as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals, St. Pierre, 27, was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers March 27, 2007. The Brewers decided his future was throwing rather than catching and began the process of converting St. Pierre to a pitcher. "I spent a month there and they wanted to sign me to a two-year contract," St. Pierre said. "I thought, 'They're going to take their time with me, but I want to know right now what I can do. I don't want to wait two years to just find out I can't pitch at 27.'" St. Pierre remembered he was sent to play in Montana. Where in Montana, he's not certain. A check of the record book shows he was with the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer Rookie League. There's a reason why St. Pierre's mind is foggy about the past. He was in a haze. An alcoholic haze. A haze he knew he must clear if he was to have a future, in both baseball and life. "I had a bunch of problems last year and it just didn't start last year, it started a long time ago and I had to fix some stuff," St. Pierre said. "I had a big drinking problem. I was drinking heavily every day and the next day I would just show up to the field and whatever I did the day before, I couldn't remember what my swing was like or what I was doing right. So I'd just get up there and swing the bat every day with no plan, no nothing. I'd show up at that field and I'd think, 'I can catch, I can play defence.'" Released by the Brewers organization June 22, St. Pierre set out to stop swigging and improve his swinging. He put down the bottle, began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, picked up a bat and resumed catching. "I stopped drinking and it's been seven months now," he said. "At the same time, I've been working on my swing and trying to get better and stronger." "I had to fix my problem and work on my swing." A non-roster invitee to Detroit's big-league camp, St. Pierre was an all-star in the Tigers' farm system at the A and AA levels. "Glenn Ezell (Tigers director of player development) really likes him," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland, himself a former minor-league catcher. "He's a good thrower and a good defensive catcher." After a season in the wilderness, St. Pierre is happy to be sober and once again amidst comfortable surroundings. "I love the Tigers," he said. "There's familiar faces and I like the kids here. They're fun. It makes a big difference. The way the organization works, the way they go through the business, I like it a lot. "I went to Kansas City last year and I thought it was so weird because people would never talk to you. They'd just let you go. They'd never tell you what they think of you or what they expect of you. I never knew where I was situated. 'Am I in your group, or am I an outsider?' It was tough. I didn't know if they liked me or if I was doing things right. I didn't know what my position was within the organization. I went to big-league camp and in my first game, I had a walk and a base hit, so I was one-for-one in hitting and two-for-two in on-base percentage and I threw one guy out. I got cut the first cut and I'm like, 'Why did I get cut the first cut?' (Then Royals manager) Buddy (Bell) told me, 'Well, you know the situation here.' And I said, 'No, actually I don't know, because nobody told me anything.' It was like, 'OK, we'll sign you, you'll be trade bait and we'll go from there.'"

Link while active, text follows: Island ball players eye Olympics Courtenay's Green, Victoria's Saunders aim to help Canada earn trip to Beijing Brian Drewry (Victoria, British Columbia) Times Colonist What do you do for an encore when you're coming off a season in which you were named the top player in the entire Milwaukee Brewers' minor league baseball system? How about representing your country in the Olympic Games. That's what Taylor Green plans to do, and today the Courtenay native takes a big step toward accomplishing that goal. Green, fellow B.C. Premier Baseball League alumnus Mike Saunders of Victoria and the rest of the Canadian men's baseball team begin a one-week training camp in Brisbane, Australia, today. Following five exhibition games this week against the Australian national team, Team Canada will head to Taichung, Taiwan, to take part in the last-chance Olympic Qualifying tournament. The top three teams from the qualifying tournament will earn the final three berths to this summer's Beijing Olympics. "I'm excited, I'm pumped for this," Green said Saturday, over the phone from the Brewers' spring training facility just outside Phoenix. Green, a 2005 draft choice of the Brewers out of the Parksville Royals, was only in Phoenix for a day -- to drop off his car so he would have a set of wheels when he got back -- as he was due to fly out of San Francisco yesterday to meet the rest of Team Canada in Australia. "This will be my second go-around with Team Canada (he wore the Maple Leaf at last fall's World Cup of Baseball) and I had a great time the first time so I'm expecting the same this time around and hopefully we can grab one of those Olympic spots." The Olympic qualifier is just the start of what'll be a busy season for Green, who turned 21 in November. Following the Olympic qualifier, the hard-hitting infielder returns to Arizona March 16 to catch the last two weeks of the Brewers' spring training. From there he heads south and east to suit up for the Brevard County Manatees of the high single-A Florida State League. And coming off a season where he batted .327 with 14 home runs and 86 RBIs to lead the single-A West Virginia Power to the South Atlantic League final, it may not take him long to jump to the Brewers' double-A team in Huntsville, Ala. "High A ball is where they want me now and I'm fine with that," said Green, who played third base for West Virginia but could play third, short or second for Team Canada. "I'm focused on climbing the ladder one year at a time and developing my game as I go along. The rest will take of itself." As for the Olympic qualifier, Green likes Canada's chances. They'll be up against Mexico, Korea, Australia, Spain, South Africa, Germany and the host team. Canada opens against Mexico on March 7. "It's not going to be easy because there's no weak team in this thing, but we can compete with all these teams so it's a matter of putting it all together -- hitting, pitching and defence -- on game day." If Canada does qualify for Beijing, it would mean asking the Brewers for yet another few weeks off. But Green doesn't foresee any problems there. "The Brewers have been great about releasing me for national team duties and when you're talking the Olympic Games, I'm sure they won't have a problem with that," he added. And if he does wear the Maple Leaf in Beijing, Green says, yes, he may be a little nervous. After all, the Olympic Games is a long way from fielding ground balls in Courtenay and Parksville. "It would be a dream come true to play in the Olympics. I mean, when you're playing ball in high school you may dream of playing in Olympics, but you never really think it's going to come true." And he'll have his buddy from Victoria to enjoy the ride with. Saunders, a 2005 draft choice of the Seattle Mariners, made the jump to the double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx midway through last season. The talented outfielder will likely start in double-A this year, but Green says it won't be long before the former Victoria Mariner is playing triple-A or higher. "Mike's a great outfielder and he had good year last year, so hopefully he can keep it up. It'll be great to see him again in Australia." And, if all goes as planned, the two will hook up again in Beijing this August.

I had seen this Matt Wise update, but there are also articles on Padres' Rule 5 pick Callix Crabbe and Geoff Jenkins. Thanks to the guys at Right Field Bleachers, who do a very nice job, for pointing these out.

I haven't whet my Craig Breslow appetite in a while: Camp an opportunity for Breslow, Out of Minor League options, lefty driven by fruitless '07 callup

Rotoworld updates on Mike Kinkade and Jose Capellan.

Thought I'd throw this in here, as if you're in this thread, you're looking for an audio update anyway. Ned Yost was on with Chris Russo of WFAN in New York this morning, and the archive is already available. Ned handles himself well in the national interviews where he's asked to speak in generalities, and he does so again here. For me, the most interesting news was that Ned seems almost sure that Yovani Galardo will in fact be ready for the start of the season, listen in: Archive located here Oh, and I believe Jim Powell is still Wisconsin-bound until next week's show (and game).

Link to last week's thread and archive: http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?t=10853 This week's show is from 3:00 - 5:00 PM Central. Not sure if we'll locate an almost "immediate" archive for you again, but will link to it if we do -- Sports Bubbler's archive has been appearing after a few (sometimes several) days. This week's tentative line-up looks sweet -- Jack Z. scheduled to open the show taking your calls (and your thanks http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif), then Rick Schlesinger, Yo Gallardo - nice!, and Ed Sedar (no doubt discussing Ryan Braun in the outfield). Maybe an additional surprise or two... Listen live here on the 23rd As always, your recaps and comments on the show welcome here...

If zoo's are your thing, the Toronto Zoo is one of the most renowned and respected in the world (also one of the largest).

Veteran minor league LHP Mike Kusiewicz, who last pitched in affiliated ball in 2004 in High Desert for the Brewers as a 27-year-old reliever, has spent the last three seasons as a starter in the independent Northern League. For 2008, the native Canadian just signed with Ottawa of the independent Can-Am League. You're a true Link Report diehard if you remember Kusiewicz' occasional pre-game interviews on Mavericks' audio in which he was thoroughly entertaining. I found in our Link Report archives a link (no longer valid) in which he did his Harry Carey while interviewing himself.

MLB has started to do a better job of draft preview coverage in the last year or two via MiLB.com. They kick off their features today with this.

Infielder Jeff Eure, who was a Brewer farmhand for 6+ years before a stint with the Royals's AA Wichita club last year, has signed on with Fargo-Moorhead (North Dakota) of the independent Northern League.

LHP Kyle Pawelczyk, who had a brief organizational stint with West Virginia in 2006, has re-signed with Evansville of the independent Frontier League for 2008. OF Nate Yoho, a former undrafted farmhand who played in the Brewers' system in '05-'06, also played in the Frontier League in '07. He was recently traded to the Laredo (TX) Broncos of the independent United Baseball League.

Nice Q&A with Pat Listach, with plenty of Brewer references

That speed record is so never going to be broken. Heck, it must have taken 30 seconds just to type the response. That's like the Cy Young victory total for records here. Etched in stone -- never to be broken.