Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/01/11/sports/00lead.txt Former Central pitcher Seidel already has stories to tell as a Brewers minor leaguer By JOEL BADZINSKI / La Crosse Tribune R.J. Seidel didn't get a chance to finish his no-hitter last summer, but he got a pretty good story out of it; one he enjoyed retelling Thursday as the Milwaukee Brewers' winter tour stopped in La Crosse. Seidel, a former Central High School star who was selected by the Brewers in the 16th round of the 2006 draft, made his third pro start for the club's Helena, Mont., rookie team on June 30, 2007. The game unfolded almost perfectly for Seidel, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, and he had a no-hitter through six innings with a pitch count around 85. Meanwhile, the team's entire coaching staff was sending text messages to Brewers Minor League pitching coordinator Jim Rooney. What should we do? They asked. Let the kid keep going or shut him down? After all, most minor league pitching coaches would rather ride through Antarctica on a bus with no heat than spoil a young pitcher's arm. So with no word back from Rooney, Helena manager Jeff Isom sent out a reliever to pitch the seventh. Seidel's night was over. "That's when he texted back and he said I could keep going," Seidel said. Regardless, the summer of '07 was a successful one for Seidel, who has started to generate buzz in the Brewers organization as one of its top prospects in the low minors. Seidel, 20, went 4-0 with a 3.07 ERA in 12 games, including eight starts, and opponents batted .207 against him. Seidel struck out 36 batters with 16 walks in 41 innings. "I was kind of keeping an open mind the first couple of months, learning how things work," Seidel said. "The season is a real grind and you have to condition your body, especially your arm. Overall, I felt I had a pretty good year." Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash, who headlined the team's visit to La Crosse, said young pitchers like Seidel have to show they can rise above the grind of the minor leagues. "It's about consistency and it's about learning how to prepare yourself," Ash said. "It's a long season, a daily grind. (Seidel) made a lot of headway last year and pitched a lot of good games. He has all of the tools and in the brief encounters I've had with him, he has the intelligence and is coachable, which are determining factors for making it to the next level." Seidel, who turned down a full scholarship offer from Arkansas and accepted a $415,000 signing bonus from the Brewers in August, 2006, said he never expected to go into professional baseball and blow the ball past hitters the way he did in high school. That mindset came from his father, Dick Seidel, a who was a Yankees farmhand in 1982-83. "Everybody pitches in the 90s here," Seidel said. "It's about changing speeds and moving it around and I've started to learn that. I know I'm not going to overpower guys anymore. I have to learn to pitch and not just to throw." According to Baseball America, Seidel is doing well in that respect. The publication recently singled him out as having the best changeup in the Brewers farm system. "I didn't throw the changeup a lot in high school," Seidel said. "My first time in instructional league (in 2006), I started working on it a lot. The key is just to keep the same arm speed. It's seemed to really work for me well." Seidel had one setback during his first pro season, a bout with tendinitis in his right biceps. It kept him out for about three weeks in June and July. "I had never been injured before and I was pretty down in the dumps there for a while," Seidel said. "I was able to come back and pitch well and my confidence went back up from there." Seidel pitched in the fall instructional league in Phoenix again this fall. He said the Brewers haven't indicated where he'll start next season, but he believes he's earned a promotion to the Low Class A team in West Virginia. "That's what I'm hoping for," Seidel said. "I am real excited. The first year is the toughest thing to do and now I know what to expect and hopefully I can keep doing what I've been doing. I'm looking forward to it." Click here to hear Seidel talk about his six-inning no-hitter last June.

Mike DeJean, who pitched briefly for the Rockies' minor league system last season, has signed a minor league deal with Houston.

From Brevard County: The Brevard County Manatees would like to welcome Nick Miller to the Manatees Coaching Staff. Nick will replace Jake Marx as the 'Tees' Strength and Conditioning Coach this season. Jake was promoted to handle Extended Spring Training and the Helena Brewers teams this year.

RHP Matt Yeatman (Matt Kinney trade, plus a later re-acquisition by the Brewers) was released by Shreveport (LA) of the independent American Association today. His 2007 numbers can be found here -- secondary numbers down, also did not overcome weak defensive play behind him. For those who follow independent league baseball a bit, here's a press release about a new venture dealing with player acquisition: http://www.frontierleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1199825327 Still new: http://www.fivetoolprospects.com/

Catcher Robinson Cancel, whose only big league time came with the Brewers in '99, has re-signed with the Mets on another minor league deal. LHP Brian Logan, who pitched in Maryvale and Helena in 2006, will get a second chance with an affiliated club as the White Sox have purchased his contract from the independent Frontier League. Jackson Melian turned 27 years old today; he re-signed with the Tigers' minor league system. The Brewers' waiver claim on the outfielder back in 2002 seems like so long ago (because it was).

After digging in to the project some, I've decided not to document all the 2007 alumni independent leaguers, but will track them as of the start of the 2008 independent seasons, along with any offseason signings in those ranks over the next few months.

Other minor league signings: RHP Kane Davis with Toronto, INF Johnny Raburn with Tampa Bay, RHP Elmer Dessens and UT Jose Macias with Pittsburgh, RHP Roberto Giron with Kansas City, RHP Max St. Pierre with Detroit, LHP Chris Michalak and 1B Kevin Barker with Cincinnati, C J.C. Boscan signs with Atlanta, where he spent many years in their system, and RHP Gerry Oakes gets yet another chance, this one in the Orioles' organization. 27 of the 30 organizations made at least one transaction between December 15th and January 4th, according to Baseball America. The Brewers were one of the three teams who did not.

Longtime Brewer farmhand Chris Barnwell signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, which certainly seems to be a wise choice for the infielder. Barnwell also gets a spring training invite to the big league camp. LHP Adam Pettyjohn, who pitched well for Huntsville and Nashville last season, gets a non-roster big league invite to camp with Cincinnati. Catcher Bernie Dennis, who saw rookie ball action with the Brewers in Maryvale in 2005 and 2006, signed with Wichita of the independent American Association. And as noted in an Off-Topic Forum thread, former Brewer Jaime Navarro is the new pitching coach of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Mariners' Midwest league club in Appleton.

Reliever Mike Marksbury, who was signed late last season from the independent ranks, struggled in a small sample at Brevard County and then was released after the season, is rejoining Rockford (Ill.) of the Frontier League: http://www.frontierleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1199304015

Nashville's site with a thorough update of current Brewer farmhands, and Brewers and Sounds of the past. The most significant update in terms of sample size and success is that former Cardinal highly-regarded LHP prospect Chris Narveson has done well in eight starts. http://www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2573

OK, our 2007 Alumni List is now complete (first post in thread). Technically Ray King finished this season with the Brewers, but we listed him as an alumnus. This list will provide a base heading into next season, when obviously many of these players will have new homes. And of course we'll add all the former 2007 Brewers, major and minor league, who left after this season to new organizations. If you know of another Brewer alum who played affiliated ball this season that we missed, no matter how obscure, let us know in this thread, thanks. Next up will be a list of those former Brewers who saw action in the independent league ranks this past season, to be posted sometime in January.

Just added the Marlins in the opening post, going to try and finish the National League tonight, so you'll see various updates the next couple of hours... Update: Cardinals, Giants, and Nationals remain, probably Saturday...

Second baseman Ralph Santana, who spent some time on the back half of the Power 50 back in '02 and '03, is moving on to the coaching phase of his career at age 27. Link: http://www.frontierleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1198077643 Hardly a day goes by when one of the nine (yes, nine) current independent leagues doesn't have a blurb about a former Brewer farmhand. Can get pretty obscure at times -- remember Todd Gelatka's three games in Helena in '03? He was the Golden Baseball League's Pitcher of the Year this past season. Stuff like that. I still owe you all a summary during these winter months.

Ben Hendrickson re-signs with the Royals, a minor league deal. 1992 Rookie of the Year Pat Listach will be managing the Cubs' AAA team in Iowa this year (managed at AA this past season).

Also posted on our Draft Forum, with any comments / discussion taking place there: Seriously, colbyjack, the way you roll out articles for Perfect Game, it's just a matter of time before you're on Baseball Tonight, or conducting chats at ESPN.com. If you're not a key player for ESPN next May and June, I'd be shocked. ESPN Names Perfect Game ESPN's Leading Authority on Amateur Baseball Just keep that Brewerfan reference in your Perfect Game and ESPN signature. We sure are proud of the work you do now and what is yet to come. Now I just need to patent the Link Report and modify it 29 times over...

Link while active, text follows: http://dailymail.com/Sports/200712120190 Isom moving up managerial ladder New West Virginia Power manager excited about opportunity by Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor Jeff Isom doesn't know much about Charleston, although his baseball managerial philosophy is rooted in the Kanawha Valley. Isom, the new West Virginia Power skipper, morphed from player to coach under Charleston resident Doug Simunic, a three-time Northern League Manager of the Year who will begin his 13th season at Fargo-Moorhead in the independent league this spring. "I learned an awful lot about coaching and managing from Doug," Isom said in a phone interview Tuesday from his Lafayette, Ind., home. "I played for him, and then he allowed me to become a player-coach (in 2000). "That's where I learned most of what I know about being a manager. Doug taught me how to deal with certain situations. There's no doubt he put me in position to have success, because I learned so much about managing from him." The Milwaukee Brewers officially named Isom as the Power manager on Tuesday, although the move was first reported in the Daily Mail six weeks ago when Mike Guerrero, the Power manager the past two seasons, revealed he was moving up to Brevard County in the high Class A Florida State League. Isom, a 1993 All-Big Ten Conference pitcher at Purdue, managed Helena in the short-season Pioneer League to a 48-28 record and playoff berth last season. It was his first year in the Brewers' system and in Major League-affiliated baseball after success in the independent leagues. "Jeff has moved up very quickly in the Milwaukee system," said Simunic, a former catcher for the last Charleston Charlies' teams (1982 and '83), from his South Hills home Tuesday. "He played and coached for me, and then not long after he became a coach he went off to manage (at Canton, Ohio) in the Frontier League." Simunic said that in the time he and Isom worked together at Fargo-Moorhead, "I just tried to teach Jeff how to treat people, how to approach the game level-headed. "You can't go out on the field hot-headed and be able to teach. If you've got to reprimand a player, you do it in the office. You treat players with respect, and you in turn expect them to treat you with respect." Isom, 35, said working in the affiliated minor leagues is different than in the independent leagues because the manager doesn't spend time procuring players. That's done by Major League clubs' farm administrators. "In independent ball, you win any way you can," said Isom, who has a seven-year career managerial record of 367-293 (.556) at five stops. "You turn over the roster a lot, and you're always looking for the best players to help win games. "Going to Helena (and a first experience managing in a farm system), I had to tweak a lot. There are two things you want to do in affiliated baseball. Of course you want to win, but you want to develop players, too. "That's why you're there. You want a player to be better by the end of the season than he was at the start. In independent ball, it's what you can do for me now. In affiliated ball, it's what can you do for me in four or five years." Isom was an 18th-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in '93, and pitched three years in the Pirates' and San Diego systems, mostly in Class A ball. The left-hander went 10-13 with a 3.45 ERA (mostly in relief) for his affiliated-league career. Then, when released, he went to independent ball, where he eventually landed with Simunic's club. In the Power, he takes over a club that posted four South Atlantic League half-seasons of at least .500 ball under Guerrero, a first for the 21-year old SAL franchise under one manager. The 2007 Power reached the SAL championship series, losing to Columbus (Ga.) in a three-game sweep. "I would imagine a high number of players will be making the transition from Helena to West Virginia with me," Isom said. "We had pretty good success in Helena, and there's no reason we can't continue the success in West Virginia."

Link while active, text follows: http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/200712110153 Winfield's Lett returns home to coach baseball Former Dodger, Pirate assistant named to Power staff by Tom Aluise Daily Mail sportswriter Jim Lett is coming home to coach baseball ... again. Winfield's Lett returns home to coach baseball http://www.dailymail.com/images/thumbs/jimlett1_D69123165959.jpg http://www.dailymail.com/images/graphics/zoom.gif .. The 56-year-old Winfield native, who has enjoyed a long and successful career in professional baseball, is the Class A West Virginia Power's new hitting coach. The Power's parent organization, Milwaukee, planned to announce Lett's hiring today, along with all of its other minor league assignments for the 2008 season. Lett will work in Charleston for new Power Manager Jeff Isom, who managed Helena (Mont.) to the playoffs in the short-season Pioneer League this past season. John Curtis will remain as the Power's pitching coach. "This will be my 35th year in pro ball and my second one at home," said Lett, who has maintained a residence in Winfield during the offseason for his entire baseball career. Area baseball fans probably remember Lett's previous stop in the Kanawha Valley. As manager of the 1990 Charleston Wheelers, Lett guided the Cincinnati Reds' farm team to an 83-66 record and the South Atlantic League title. It was the city's first professional baseball crown since the 1977 Charleston Charlies' Class AAA International League championship and remains the only title won since baseball returned to the city in 1987 following a three-year absence. Among Lett's players in 1990 was current San Diego Padre closer Trevor Hoffman, a future Hall of Famer. Hoffman is Major League baseball's all-time saves leader with 524. As a Wheeler, Hoffman played shortstop. The Reds converted him to a pitcher following the season after Lett suggested the move. "You have a guy who's an everyday shortstop and he becomes a Hall of Fame pitcher. What are the chances of that happening?" Lett said. Lett, who was a star athlete at Winfield High and later played football and baseball at the University of Kentucky, returns home after spending the past two seasons as a bench coach for since-fired Pittsburgh Pirate manager Jim Tracy. Before that, Lett was a Los Angeles Dodgers coach for five seasons. Lett also has coached at the Major League level with the Reds and Blue Jays. He has a total of 15 years experience on Major League staffs but never has and never will look down on the minor leagues. Lett said jumping back down to the minors wouldn't be a problem. "It's never been a big adjustment for me," Lett said. "I know where I started and where I came from." Before starting his coaching career, Lett played in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system from 1973-75, advancing to Class AA. His managerial career began in 1977 in the Sally League where he coached the Reds' Class A team at Shelby, N.C. Lett said Milwaukee contacted him two weeks ago about the opening in Charleston. He had been looking for work since the Pirates cut ties with Tracy. "This just seemed like a better fit for me at this time," Lett said. "I've known a few people in the (Brewers) organization. They have a good minor league system." Returning home, of course, was a factor, too. "That was a big part of the decision," Lett said. "There were a few offers from other organizations but that meant I would have had to go quite a distance from home. I decided I would come back to my home turf." Lett said he hasn't changed much as a coach in the 17 years he's been away from Charleston. "I'm the same guy," he said. "I'm probably a little less vocal now. You have to understand, too, there's a difference between being a coach and being a manager." While Lett maybe hasn't changed much, baseball certainly has a new look since he last managed here. The team plays in a new stadium on city's east end. Lett grew up watching baseball at Watt Powell Park before he eventually managed there. "I've driven by it a couple of times," Lett said of Appalachian Power Park. "It looks like a really nice place." As for a timetable for his career, Lett said he's not ready to move into his Winfield home year-round quite yet. "At this point in my career I'm just going to take it year by year," Lett said. "I'm fortunate. I'm in good health and I enjoy what I'm doing. As long as I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I'll stay with it. When I'm not enthused about going to the ball park, then it will be time to shut 'er down."

Brewer Press Release, with "new" items below, link for full release: http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20071211&content_id=2322758&vkey=pr_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil The Brewers have also made several additional coaching changes throughout the minor league system. Amongst these changes, Ken Berry will serve as the Outfield and Baserunning Coordinator, replacing Mark Little. Berry spent last season as the Hitting Coach at Class High A - Brevard County. Prior to joining the Manatees coaching staff, Berry spent eight seasons coaching in the Mets Minor League system. He owns a career .255 batting average with 58 home runs and 343 RBI in 1,383 Major League games between Chicago-AL, Los Angeles-AL, Cleveland and Milwaukee. In other changes, Mike Guerrero has been promoted to Manager at Class High A - Brevard County after serving the same role with Single A - West Virginia last season. The 2008 season will be his 14th season has a manager in the Brewers organization. His previous managerial positions include four seasons at Rookie - Arizona and seven seasons at the helm of the Dominican Brewers from 1995-02. He has compiled a 500-387 lifetime managerial record. Guerrero replaces former Brevard County Manager John Tamargo, who managed the Manatees for two seasons (2005 and 2007). Corey D. Hart will serve as the hitting instructor at Brevard County, filling the void left by Ken Berry. Hart started his coaching path as the hitting coach for Single-A West Virginia two seasons ago. He spent 11 professional seasons as a player with Kansas City, New York-NL, and Milwaukee. Rene Gonzales will manage the Helena Brewers in 2008. Last season, he was the manager for the Arizona Brewers in his first season in the Brewers organization. Arizona recorded a 19-37 overall record in 2007. Tony Diggs, the Brewers Assistant Director - Player Development/Training Center, will also manage the Rookie - Arizona squad this upcoming season. In other moves, Tom Reynolds has been promoted to Strength & Conditioning Specialist with Triple-A Nashville after spending last season with the Huntsville Stars. Eric McMahon will serve as Huntsville's Strength and Conditioning Specialist after serving the same position with the Helena Brewers a year ago. Jake Marx has been promoted to a full-time Strength & Conditioning Specialist position based in Arizona. In this role, he will handle the daily strength and conditioning duties for all programs conducted at the Brewers Development Center in Maryvale. He will also serve as the Strength & Conditioning Specialist for the Helena Brewers during their short season. Marx spent the 2007 season with the Brevard County Manatees. The 2008 Minor League staff follows: COORDINATORS Field Coord. & Catching Instructor - Charlie Greene Hitting Coordinator - Mike Lum Pitching Coordinator - Jim Rooney Infield Coordinator - Garth Iorg Outfield and Baserunning - Ken Berry Training Coordinator - Frank Neville Physical Therapist - Ken Patterson Strength & Conditioning - Jeff Mester NASHVILLE SOUNDS (AAA) Manager - Frank Kremblas Hitting Coach - Harry Spilman Pitching Coach - Stan Kyles Trainer - Jeff Paxson Strength & Conditioning Specialist - Tom Reynolds HUNTSVILLE STARS (AA) Manager - Don Money Hitting Coach - Sandy Guerrero Pitching Coach - Chris Hook Trainer - Dave Yeager Strength & Conditioning Specialist - Eric McMahon BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES (A) Manager - Mike Guerrero Hitting Coach - Corey Hart Pitching Coach - Fred Dabney Trainer - Tommy Craig Strength & Conditioning Specialist - TBD WEST VIRGINIA POWER (A) Manager - Jeff Isom Hitting Coach - Jim Lett Pitching Coach - John Curtis Trainer - Jeremy Herniman Strength & Conditioning Specialist - TBD HELENA BREWERS ® Manager - Rene Gonzales Hitting Coach - Norberto Martin Pitching Coach - Aris Tirado Trainer - Aaron Hoback Strength & Conditioning Specialist - Jake Marx ARIZONA BREWERS ® Manager - Tony Diggs Hitting Coach - Angel Echevarria Pitching Coach - Jose Nunez Trainer - Jimmy Gentry Strength & Conditioning Specialist - Jake Marx

West Virginia Power Press Release: TO: All Media FROM: Andy Barch, Director of Media Relations West Virginia Power RE: 2008 Coaching Staff ISOM, LETT AND CURTIS TO LEAD POWER IN 2008 Charleston, WV (December 10, 2007) - For the first time since 2005, a new face will lead the Power on the field as Jeff Isom, who led the Helena Brewers to a first half championship in the Pioneer League in 2007 has been named the Power manager for the 2008 season. Isom, 35, takes over for Mike Guerrero who had a very successful two year run with the Power, going 156-116 and managed the franchise to its first appearance in the South Atlantic League Championship since 1992. Last year was Isom's first year in the Brewers system. Under his guidance, the Helena Brewers went 48-28 and captured the first half title in the Pioneer League's Northern Division. Prior to joining the Brewers in 2007, Isom spent six years managing in Independent ball. In 2006 he guided the Traverse City Beach Bums to a 57-39 record. Isom spent three years in the minors as a pitcher in the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations from 1993-95. He was selected by the Pirates in the 13th round of the 1993 draft out of Purdue. He had a record of 10-12 with a 3.45 ERA over his three year career in the minor leagues. West Virginia resident, and manager of the 1990 South Atlantic League Champion Charleston Wheelers Jim Lett will serve as the Power hitting coach. Lett, 56, served as the bench coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the past two seasons (2006-07). Prior to his stint with Pittsburgh, Lett spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, serving as the team's bench coach in 2005 after four seasons as the bullpen coach (2001-04). He was also a part of the Toronto Blue Jays organization from 1997-2000 including three seasons as the bench coach. He spent the 2000 season as Toronto's Assistant Director of Player Development. Lett has worked in professional baseball as a player, coach, manager and front office executive for the last 33 years, having spent 24 of those years within the Cincinnati Reds organization from 1973-1996. He began his career as a player with Bradenton in the Reds minor league system in '73 and batted .256 with six home runs and 110 RBI in three minor league seasons. Following his playing career, he began coaching with the Reds as a Minor League manager from 1977-1985. In two separate stints, he served as Cincinnati's Bench Coach (1986-89, 1996). He managed again in the minors in 1990, coached for the Nashville Sounds (1991-92) and was the organization's Minor League Field Coordinator (1993-95). Lett graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1973 with a degree in Geography. He was selected to the All-Southeastern Conference baseball team in 1971 and also was a quarterback on the Wildcats football team. He and is wife, Diane, reside in Winfield, West Virginia. They have two children, daughter, Meridith and son, James Craig. John Curtis will return for his fourth season as the pitching coach of the Power. Curtis has been the pitching coach for the club since the affiliation change and the move to the new ballpark in 2005. John Curtis enjoyed a 15-year career in Major League Baseball. He pitched for a total of five different teams. His big league career began in 1970 with the Boston Red Sox, the team who drafted him in the first round of the 1968 Supplemental Draft. Curtis was with the Red Sox until 1973. He began a 3-year run with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974 and was primarily a starter with the Cards until he left for San Francisco in 1977. John was with the Giants until the 1980 season when he began his first of two stints with the San Diego Padres. After two years in San Diego, John left for his first go around with the California Angels in 1982. John played in California during the 1982 season and found his way back to San Diego that same year, only to return to California for the final two years of his career. Curtis went 89-97, had a 3.96 ERA, recorded 14 shutouts, 42 complete games and pitched 1,641 innings in his career. He was out of baseball from 1984 until 2000 when he served as the pitching coach for Long Beach, CA in the Western Baseball League until 2002. This will be his sixth season with Milwaukee. Jeremy Herniman will return as the head athletic trainer. Last year was Herniman's first with the Power, and his first in the Brewers' organization. Herniman was the athletic trainers for the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League in 2006.

FYI - The Brewers will be sending out a press release Monday the 10th formally announcing their various minor league coaching staffs -- something to look for...

Yeah, those 192.2 minor league innings allowing only 151 hits, with a Sheets-like 250-to-47 K-to-BB ratio were just maddeningly inconsistent. Say what?

Video link on the improvements: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/VIDEO02/71206001/1328/SPORTS

Link while active, text follows: http://www.tennessean.com...S04/712060379/1328/SPORTS FIXER-UPPER Minor league baseball officials ordered the Sounds to make repairs to Greer Stadium before the 2008 season. Among the fixes: Home clubhouse - new clubhouse being constructed Field manager's office - new clubhouse being constructed Visitors clubhouse - new clubhouse being constructed Visitors training room - new clubhouse being constructed Major league team storage - new clubhouse being constructed Umpire facilities - new facility in clubhouse structure Field dimensions - corrected Playing surface - outfield wall being replaced; drainage grate has been corrected Field lighting - all lamp fixtures were replaced Aug. 8, 2007 Facility maintenance - developing written maintenance plan Sounds say Greer upgrades show commitment $1M investment won't stop talk of new stadium New clubhouses behind center field and a new outfield wall are two of the renovations being made to Greer Stadium. JAE S. LEE / THE TENNESSEAN By MAURICE PATTON Staff Writer Published: Thursday, 12/06/07 Still smarting after the failure of a plan to build a stadium on the banks of the Cumberland River, Sounds officials are pouring more than $1 million into aging Greer Stadium in a move they say proves their desire to keep baseball in Music City. The renovations, scheduled to be completed by the time the team opens the 2008 season, are intended to bring the 31-year-old stadium closer to the standards established by minor league baseball for Class AAA facilities. "I think that shows our commitment to baseball here in Nashville," Sounds General Manager Glenn Yaeger said during baseball's annual Winter Meetings, under way this week at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. "We know Greer Stadium is not the long-term solution to baseball, but the fact we're willing to invest a million dollars in our facility - that we don't want to be in, nor do we think we're going to be in for more than three years - really demonstrates how committed we are to making sure baseball is here in Nashville." The Sounds, entering their 11th season as a member of the Pacific Coast League and their fourth as the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, have campaigned unsuccessfully for more than five years to get a new baseball stadium built on the west bank of the Cumberland River, south of Broadway. A deal for the riverfront park fell apart, leaving relations strained between Sounds management and Nashville government officials. On Wednesday, Mayor Karl Dean declined comment through a spokeswoman about the Sounds' investment in Greer Stadium or the prospects for a new facility. Still, Sounds management and PCL President Branch Rickey III are optimistic about eventually getting a deal done. "We have encountered this kind of difficulty in other markets and finally broken through, which means we are ever hopeful," Rickey said. New clubhouses, wall In the meantime, the Sounds are moving to fix problems that have been left unaddressed during the pursuit of a new home. Among the work that has been done or will be done prior to the start of the '08 season - at the behest of the Brewers and minor league baseball - is the construction of new clubhouses beyond the center-field wall, a new outfield wall and upgrades to field lighting. "The league has cut us a lot of slack the last five years because they felt we were making progress on a new stadium," Yaeger said. "They are now skeptical of us getting a new facility here in Nashville and so the focus now is that we need to make sure people understand that, at a minimum, we're able to provide facilities that do accommodate these Triple-A ballplayers … as we are making progress on a new stadium." The team also is spending more than $100,000 to improve spectator restrooms and concession areas. For the Brewers, whose player development agreement with the Sounds ends at the conclusion of the 2009 season, the situation is a challenging one. "Obviously we'd like to have the (new) stadium built," Milwaukee General Manager Doug Melvin said. "We extended our PDA by four years instead of two (following the 2005 season) because we were led to believe it was going to get done. "It's a shame because Nashville's a good city."

Baseball America has listed the Top 10 Padre Prospects: 1. Chase Headley, 3b 2. Matt Antonelli, 2b 3. Matt Latos, rhp 4. Wade LeBlanc, lhp 5. Drew Miller, rhp 6. Steve Garrison, lhp 7. Will Inman, rhp 8. Cedric Hunter, of 9. Nick Schmidt, lhp 10. Kyle Blanks, 1b When bullpen stalwart Scott Linebrink started to slip, Towers shrewdly traded him to the Brewers for lefty Steve Garrison and righty Will Inman, both of whom cracked this Top 10 list, and lefty Joe Thatcher, who had a 1.29 ERA in 22 big league games. Sigh...

Link while active, text follows: http://www.al.com/stars/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/119684979121800.xml&coll=1 Stars owner committed to city 'It's up to us' to attract more fans, Prentice says By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com NASHVILLE - There may be daunting odds against him. Dwindling attendance figures. The oldest stadium in the league. Myriad other entertainment options. However, Miles Prentice, the majority owner of the Huntsville Stars, remains steadfast. "I'm committing to making (baseball) succeed in Huntsville," Prentice said Tuesday at the baseball winter meetings. "Huntsville should be the best Double-A team city in baseball. That's what we want to accomplish." The Stars have not been a profitable venture, Prentice acknowledged. Though offseason sales are up, he said "we've got to get more people into the ballpark." He knows Huntsville has a large market to draw from and "it's up to us" to make sure attendance grows. The Stars' official attendance last season was 164,079, an average of 2,448, ninth in the 10-team Southern League. As with many conversations with Prentice, the subject of a new stadium was mentioned. He stressed the importance of a stadium in a city that wants to attract new businesses and residents. He even endorsed the idea of a major renovation for Joe W. Davis Stadium, built in 1985. Prentice has had architects from the firm HOK, one of the most prestigious stadium design companies, visit Huntsville and offer a plan for renovation. That would include, but not be limited to, revamping the "luxury boxes" with outside seating. Still, he said, "If you just keep patching it up, it's not cost-effective to the city." According to team general manager Tom Van Schaack, one planned offseason project has been tabled. The Stars were planning to build a walk-in souvenir store to replace its concession stand-style operation currently in place. It would be a way to leverage the team's more modern newly revealed logo. However, the team was recently informed that any expansion in the stadium would have to include fire-prevention and sprinkler-system upgrades to meet the city's fire code - a substantial investment more than twice the cost of the store itself. The Stars' player development contract with the Milwaukee Brewers is up for renewal at season's end, but there is little indication on either side that it would not be renewed. The Brewers have expressed concerns about the stadium but were pleased with the construction of the new home clubhouse, built before the 2007 season. Prentice and Van Schaack met with Scott Martens, who handles much of the business operation for the Brewers' minor league system. They discussed what Van Schaack called "a bullet-point list" of items, some as minor as having sufficient electrical outlets. The Brewers have greater stadium concerns in Nashville, where its Triple-A team plays. Plans for a downtown stadium to replace ancient Greer Stadium seem to have fallen through. Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin expressed disappointment that "we were led to believe" a new stadium was all but assured, leading to an extension of the contract with the Nashville club. The Stars and Brewers have been affiliated since 1999, a period resulting in four trips to the Southern League championship series. The nucleus of the Milwaukee lineup - Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, Billy Hall and Corey Hart - came through Huntsville. Said Prentice, "They've told us we've got another bunch of good players coming in this year."