Jim Goulart

Steve Hammond's latest journal: Steve is in the midst of buying a house, definitely keeping busy, remember to drop him an email via the link -- http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071102&content_id=319551&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp Speaking of Steve, his outing on Friday (the game is still in progress, we'll update the bats later on): 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR -- the two scoreless innings included walks, so a ragged day overall for Steve -- Surprise Top 1st - Chris Dickerson pops out to third baseman Adam Heether. - Marc Maddox walks. - German Duran walks. Marc Maddox to 2nd. - Kila Kaaihue pops out to third baseman Adam Heether in foul territory. - Coaching visit to mound. - John Mayberry flies out to center fielder Sam Fuld. Surprise Top 2nd - Michael Aubrey walks. - Ben Johnson grounds out, shortstop Tommy Manzella to first baseman Mark Hamilton. Michael Aubrey to 2nd. - Chris Lubanski lines out to first baseman Mark Hamilton. - Sean Rodriguez lines out to right fielder Amaury Marti. Surprise Top 3rd - Chris Dickerson singles on a soft line drive to right fielder Amaury Marti. - Marc Maddox singles on a line drive to right fielder Amaury Marti. Chris Dickerson to 3rd. - German Duran out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Amaury Marti. Chris Dickerson scores. - Kila Kaaihue flies out to center fielder Sam Fuld. - John Mayberry homers (4) on a fly ball to left field. Marc Maddox scores. - Michael Aubrey singles on a line drive to right fielder Amaury Marti. - Ben Johnson strikes out swinging.

Nashville Site: Kremblas, Coaching Staff To Return In 2008

Creatively speaking, you folks are going to have to put a kibosh on road signs soon.

Mitch Stetter strikes out a lefty with the bases loaded as he strands three inherited runners in the 6th. In the 7th, he strikes out a lefty and righty to open the inning before an error, double (unearned run) and groundout. Lefty hitters are 0-for-14 against Stetter this fall with one walk and 11K's. He's setting himself up for a nice 12-year big league career as a LOOGY. Tim Dillard pitches a scoreless 9th for the save in Mesa's 5-3 win. Two singles to open the frame, but a GIDP always helps. Matt LaPorta walks two more times, Lou Palmisano (DH today) 0-for-3 with a walk. http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_11_01_perwin_msswin_1

Mesa loses 10-7, but... Matt LaPorta (his 4th, a two-run shot to left) and Adam Heether (his 1st, solo to left) each homer. LaPorta also doubles and walks, scoring three runs. He committed his first error in left field. Heether also walked. Dave Johnson was touched up in his one inning, allowing four singles and three runs, two earned. EDIT: Steve Sollmann 1-for-5 with a SB... http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_31_msswin_perwin_1

Mesa slugged by Team USA, 10-2 Matt LaPorta on base twice, Lou Palmisano 0-for-4, and Tim Dillard roughed up for three extra-base hits in his one inning -- http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_log&gid=2007_10_30_usawin_msswin_1

Thanks; closing this thread (thought I had previously), a more recent alumni thread had been pinned to the top of the forum.

Trailing 7-2 after seven innings, and 12-6 heading to the bottom of the 9th, Mesa scores seven to win 13-12 -- Adam Heether with a triple and a walk, Mitch Stetter another scoreless inning (12 K's in 6.2 IP). Matt LaPorta the day off. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_29_peswin_msswin_1

Midway through the 2003 season, Jason Shelley put together a stretch of six consecutive starts in which he allowed a total of one earned run for Rockford, prompting the Milwaukee Brewers to purchase Shelley's contract. In his first game in the Brewers' organization, Shelley tossed a complete game shutout for Double-A Huntsville, striking out 10 and walking no one in what was one of his most memorable moments. "I remember making that start. I had not played Double-A baseball before and when they signed me, they sent me straight to Double-A. I remember pitching well enough that summer that I knew if the opportunity had been there, I could have pitched in Triple-A or maybe the big leagues." Jason Shelley Calls It A Career

Latest update from Nashville's site indicates Vinny Rottino and Hernan Iribarren are doing particularly well in their small-sample starts to the season: http://www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2566

First, a link to the prior coaching thread which covered the 2006 and 2007 seasons: 2006-2007 Coaching Thread Archive Now the 2008 thread begins with this, link while active, text follows: http://www.dailymail.com/...4/Power-manager-promoted/ Power manager promotedJack BogaczykCharleston Daily Mail Sports Editor Mike Guerrero, who managed the West Virginia Power to the South Atlantic League Championship Series this past baseball season, is advancing a level in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system. Guerrero, who spent the last two seasons as Power manager, said he is moving in 2008 to Brevard County in the high Class A Florida State League. Also climbing in the Brewer chain is Power hitting coach Corey Hart, who will join Guerrero with the Manatees. "The environment here, the people who run the ballclub, the fans, the people in the city, they make you feel great; it's going to be hard to leave Charleston," Guerrero said. "My family moved here and we had a great time, people were so nice. We built some great relationships. "Then, it's just like it is with the players. You want to move up. To be promoted is just part of the job. If I didn't get promoted, I wouldn't be sad, but it's nice to know the Brewers really appreciate what we've done here." Guerrero, 39, said the new Power manager will be Jeff Isom, who managed Helena (Mont.) to the playoffs in the short-season Pioneer League this past season. At a step below West Virginia in the Brewers' farm system, it was Isom's first year with Milwaukee after six-plus seasons managing in independent leagues. Guerrero said veteran pitching coach John Curtis is scheduled return to Charleston for a third straight season with the Power. Guerrero said he was uncertain who would be named the new Power hitting coach. Brewers minor league administrators did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment on the West Virginia managerial and coaching moves. In two West Virginia seasons, Guerrero posted a 156-116 record (.574), and became the first manager in Charleston's 21 SAL seasons to turn in four straight half-seasons of at least .500 ball. In those 21 years, only Dave Miley, who guided the 1991 Charleston Wheelers to a 92-50 record (.648), had a better winning percentage as a manager than Guerrero. Miley worked here only that one season, when the club also fell in the SAL finals. "The main thing is to work with players to help them get better," Guerrero said. "You want to win; that's part of it, but mainly, you want to teach people to play the right way. I think we did that. We had a great year." The Power won the first-half Northern Division title with a 48-20 record before finishing 34-34 in the second half. West Virginia reached the SAL Championship Series by topping Hickory 2-1 in the best-of-three Northern pennant series, then fell in three straight games to Columbus for the title. Guerrero's two half seasons in 2006 produced second-place Northern Division finishes, at 39-30 and 35-32. Guerrero, a Dominican Republic native who reached as high as Class AAA as an infielder, is 553-394 (.584) in 13 seasons as a minor league manager. Hart, who played for the 1999 Charleston Alley Cats, returned to the capital city to help the Power to a franchise-record and league-leading .281 team batting average. Hart worked with not only the franchise's first SAL batting champ in first baseman Andrew LeFave (.345), but also outfielder Stephen Chapman, who set a club record for homers in a season (24). Third baseman Taylor Green (.327) ranked fourth in the SAL in hitting and was the Power's lone SAL postseason All-Star Team selection. Isom, 35, managed Helena to a 48-28 overall record last summer, second in the Pioneer League. Helena won the North Division first half, and then fell in the playoffs first round. Isom got the Brewers' job late, being hired last Feb. 26 after Helena Manager Johnny Narron -- a former Power hitting coach -- moved to Cincinnati to work on the Reds' staff with his brother, Manager Jerry Narron (who was fired at midseason). Isom, a Pullman, Wash., native, was an All-Big Ten Conference pitcher at Purdue in 1993, and the left-hander was an 18th-round draft pick by Pittsburgh. He pitched three seasons in the Pirates' and San Diego systems in Class A ball (10-13, 3.45 ERA, mostly in relief). Included in those years was 13 games at Augusta in the SAL in 1994. He moved to the independent leagues, eventually becoming a player-coach in 2000 at Fargo-Moorhead in the Northern League for Manager Doug Simunic, a Charleston native and resident and former Charlies' catcher. Isom became a manager at midseason 2000 at Canton (Ohio) in the Frontier League, then moved with the club to Washington (Pa.). He was FL Manager of the Year in 2002 with the Wild Things. After another season there, Isom moved to the Northern League, spending two seasons at Joliet. He returned to the Frontier League, in 2006 at Traverse City. His career managerial record is 367-293 (.556). *** Note from Jim (Mass Haas): No word on the status of John Tamargo and other 2007 Manatees' staff, or whether this is all tied in to the possible re-assignments of Don Money and/or Frank Kremblas. We do know the Brewers are traditionally quiet on these individual assignments, and prefer to publish a system-wide press release later in the off-season when all spots are finalized. The Brewers (at least in the past) have been among the last of all organizations to issue such a release each off-season.

No LaPorta audio after all, miscommunications or technical issues, etc...oh well.

Matt LaPorta will be interviewed at noon Sunday via this link at Baseball Digest Daily: http://bdd.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/10/28/3317698.html The show will archive for listening later on at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/baseballdigestdaily This week on BDD Talk Radio... Milwaukee Brewers 2007 #1 draft pick and super-prospect Matt LaPorta updates us on his progress from the Arizona Fall League. Plus...World Series updates and special guests JC Bradbury of Sabernomics.com and Ben of River Ave. Blues join us to talk about everything from HGH to the New York Yankees managerial search. Click on the link below to listen to the show live at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.

Mesa shut out, 7-0, on Saturday Steve Hammond had his first rough outing of the fall season, allowing six runs (five hits, two HBP's) in three innings. Dave Johnson continues to impress with a 1-2-3 7th. Tim Dillard with a clean 9th, getting a double play grounder after a leadoff walk. Matt LaPorta was on base twice, also K'd twice (.254/.371/.508, .880 OPS in 59 AB's, 11 BB's, 17 K's). Small sample alert, but he's surprisingly only 2-for-15 vs. AFL lefty's thus far. Steve Sollmann was 0-for-3 with a HBP, his 3rd plunking (now 2-for-18, no BB's). http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_27_perwin_msswin_1

Matt LaPorta was 1-for-3 with a walk and two K's in the showcase game Friday night. Mitch Stetter was brought on for a potential save in the 3-2 10-inning win, but went fly out, HBP, walk. He was bailed out to end the game. http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_26_afewin_afwwin_1

Link to MiLB.com, text follows: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071026&content_id=317984&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp By Lisa Winston / MLB.com With the glut of offensive talent in the organization coming into the 2007 season, it's unlikely that anyone in the system would have predicted that third baseman Taylor Green would wind up as the Brewers' Minor League Player of the Year. But special assistant to the general manager and director of amateur scouting Jack Zduriencik would certainly have had him pegged as something special. "Now if you'd asked who would have the Minor League 'Heart of the Year'?" Zduriencik mused. "Yes. He has that kind of heart." Turns out Green was both. The Vancouver-born Green -- the Brewers' 26th-round pick in 2005 who signed as a draft-and-follow pick in 2006 -- was the somewhat surprising winner of the Brewers' annual Robin Yount Performance Award given to their offensive Minor League Player of the Year. He hit .327 with 14 homers and 86 RBIs for the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League, helping lead that team to the Sally League finals. He finished fourth in the league in batting. After hitting just .231 at Short-Season Helena in 2006 coming out of Cypress College in California, the 20-year-old not only weathered a shift in position from second base to third but also kicked his bat into gear in his full-season debut. Green spent a few weeks in instructional league camp in Arizona, not seeing any official game action but rather getting ready for his pending trip to Taiwan, where he would be representing Canada in the International Baseball Federation World Cup tournament. Green's remarkable season not only got him onto the radar of avid Brewers fans, it also caught the attention of the Canadian national team, and Green was thrilled to be added to that roster. He'd already won over the Brewers' brass. A shortstop in junior college who started his pro career at second base, his progress at third this season has been impressive and Zduriencik thinks he can be that type of utility guy who can play all three positions down the line. "He has really good hands and terrific instincts for the game," he said. "He's a phenomenal kid, a hard-working guy." Zduriencik broke down Green's game in more detail, comparing him physically to former Los Angeles Dodgers great Ron Cey. "He's not a physically imposing kid, but he's a left-handed hitter with some power who just knows what he's doing," he said. "He can field everything that's hit to him, has good first-step quickness and good body control." Zduriencik gave a lot of the credit for this impressive late-round sign to scout Bruce Seid. Seid was, in Zduriencik's words, relentless in the "war room" in wanting the club to draft Green. A sore ankle had limited Green during his 2005 college season, but Seid convinced the club of the prospect's amazing heart. "He said 'they don't make them like this,'" Zduriencik said. "And he was right." (MiLB.com Photo by Tom Priddy) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/10/26/fQSJxVkB.jpg

Looks like a bargain or two as Nashville jerseys go up for sale: http://www.nashvillesounds.com/news/news.asp?newsId=2549

Mesa shut down Team China 6-0; Matt LaPorta 0-for-4 but Adam Heether had a good game: http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_25_chnwin_msswin_1

Latest Updates from the Sounds' Site

Mesa wins, 9-8, as Tim Dillard gets the win in relief. Matt LaPorta on base twice, Steve Sollmann doubles: http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_24_scowin_msswin_1

Via brewcrewball.com, this Matt LaPorta link: http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=%22No_One_Has_a_Right_To_Crush_Anyone%27s_Dreams%22

Another nice Player Journal from LHP Steve Hammond, nifty pic in his Solar Sox cap as well: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071024&content_id=317538&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp In three starts thus far, Steve Hammond is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA for Mesa. (MiLB.com Photo by Melissa Wintemute) http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/10/24/3jrvNXQf.jpg

Not much to report from Tuesdaty afternoon, Matt LaPorta 0-for-3 with a walk and two K's: http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_23_msswin_peswin_1

Vinny Rottino gets an MiLB.com article photo as he's 8-for-16 in the Dominican early going. The article notes that RHP Franklin Nunez, who was a late-season independent league signee for Nashville in the final week, is also pitching in the D.R.: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071023&content_id=312121&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

Mesa ties, 3-3 -- ended after 11 innings as per AFL rules Matt LaPorta on base three times, Lou Palmisano two base hits and a sacrifice fly, Adam Heether 0-for-5 with a walk; Dave Johnson (an unearned run), Tim Dillard, and Mitch Stetter all make appearances -- click on "Log" starting in the 7th to follow their efforts. Stetter strands inherited runners with a huge game-saving double play in the 9th and gets out of one-out trouble in the 10th as well -- Stetter has now faced 10 LH batters (0-for-9 with 8 K's, one BB). http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l119&t=g_box&gid=2007_10_22_msswin_pddwin_1