Jim Goulart

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Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...207_01.txt The bat with the good By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Helena Independent Record Sports Writer Kneeling in the dirt with a bucket nearby, nearly a dozen boys crawled along the baselines at Kindrick Legion field Monday, picking up the smallest of pebbles. It?s painstakingly slow, monotonous and not fun at all. It?s also one of the many jobs a batboy has to perform, jobs that baseball fans rarely see. ?Who knows, that could save a game,? points out Steve Wendt, director of broadcasting and media relations for the Helena Brewers. ?They could stop a bad bounce.? They?re usually remembered as the little guys who race from the dugout after every hitter to pick up bats and bring the umpire balls. From the stands, batboys might appear as merely a nostalgic presence, a tradition that doesn?t always seem as much necessary as simply part of the way things are done. But wearing the uniforms of the teams they represent, batboys are considered as much a part of the game as hits, runs and errors. And they?ll be as much Friday night when the Brewers host Great Falls in the home opener. Game time is at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). ?Fans obviously see them go run and get the bats and the balls, but they?re out here as early as we are helping us set up. It?s huge, it?s another pair of hands out here,? said Helena Brewers catcher Jordan Swaydan. ?They?re integral in the whole game and pretty much every game they?re here,? said Brewers clubhouse manager Jack Genadek. ?They save the team a lot of money and time.? When they?re not running to the mound during games they?re shagging home run balls from behind the outfield walls in practice. They carry water jugs, rake the infield dirt, and make very little money ? $15 per game and a few dollars for each practice. But they have one main reason for participating. ?It?s kind of nice to be able to make money, but it?s just fun to be around the game of baseball,? said 13-year-old Christian Collins. ?I heard it was fun from a couple of friends and I thought it would be a good idea,? said Will Poell, 13. ?I?d already gone to a couple of the games that season and I just thought it would be fun to do it. I like it now.? Collins and Poell are ?seasoned veterans? in their fourth year as Brewers batboys. They?ve learned the rules of the profession, as well as its benefits and downfalls. ?I play baseball, and you get to learn how to play your position right,? Collins said. The pitcher and catcher for his Babe Ruth baseball team Cochrane Insurance ? which won the city championship this year ? Collins said he uses the opportunity to learn from the older players. He gets a glimpse of the strategy in front of and behind home plate. The job is also a chance to be closer to favorite players. ?Some of the players are fun to watch. My favorite, he?s gone now, but he?s Fredy De La Cruz,? said 12-year-old Hans Harris, who is beginning his first year as a batboy. ?He was a first baseman like me and he?s a good hitter and an all-around good guy.? ?We house Brewers and it?s just kind of fun to be around the Brewers for the summer,? Collins said. ?When you don?t get to be the batboy, you don?t really get to talk to them until they get home. And when they do get home, they?re usually pretty tired and they just go to bed.? At the ballpark, the players respond differently to the boys. Clubhouse manager Genadek said there is no doubt the players watch their language and get some pep in their step around the youngsters. ?They?ll kind of perk up a little when they see them,? he said. ?They?ll kind of shape up a little bit, but they treat them really well and they respect them.? There?s a professional relationship for the batboy, one that relies on reciprocal respect. If the baseball player wants food brought to him in the clubhouse, he knows he?ll have to be nice to the batboy to get it quickly. Then there?s the personal relationship, one that is often described as ?a big brother? situation. ?I used to be a batboy back in the day when I was about 12, and I remember how much it meant to me when guys would talk to you and make you feel like you?re part of the team,? said Swaydan, who worked for his local team, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League. Of course, with every big brother, there is some teasing. Swaydan has seen teams he played on ask the batboys to bring signed baseballs to cute girls in the stands. They would have the player?s signature, and his phone number. Swaydan said he hasn?t seen that happen so much in Helena, but the batboys have had their share of interesting duties. Collins admits he fell for the old ?find the key to the batter?s box? joke. He?s even participated in an opposing team?s tradition. When the team began putting baby powder in the players? hands and patting their cheeks, leaving a white handprint, Collins joined in. ?I?m kind of a ?go-with-the-flow? kind of guy so I just went with it,? he said. ?They treat you pretty good.? Poell, meanwhile, had a public prank pulled on him. ?One time they put gum on my head, on top of my helmet, and put a cup on top. I didn?t know about it and I went to go to get a bat and saw a shadow and pulled the cup off,? Poell said. ?Will had that on for a good couple of innings,? Wendt remembered with a chuckle. Said Poell: ?It was kind of funny, kind of not funny. Kind of embarassing.? But, Wendt contended, it was all in good jest. If the batboys need to, they can always find comfort in each other. Most can point to the rest of the gang and tell how they?ve either gone to school with the other batboy, played on a team with them or been friends for years. They find time to enjoy their occupation, often throwing the balls they?ve shagged back and forth or joking around. But they know to never let their fun get in the way of their safety. ?One rule you?ve always got to remember is you?ve got to hustle and got to pay attention,? Collins said. ?You?ve just always got to be aware of baseballs. ?You don?t mess with the players or give equipment out to friends in the stands.? Unless, maybe, it?s a baseball with a phone number on it. Eliza Wiley, Helena Independent Record Staff Photographer - Cooper Lynch, left, and Jordan Barrows, two of the ten batboys for the 2007 Helena Brewers, jockey for postition while fielding fly balls during Monday's batting practice at Kindrick Legion Field. The Brewers will play their opening home game tonight against Great Falls. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2007/06/22/helena/a01062207_01.jpg

From Wednesday night (go the audio links by "selecting date" June 20th), Helena KCAP pre-game interview with Asst. Scouting Director Tony Blengino (7:15 minute mark): web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp I will remind Helena staff that the audio quality of the pre-game interviews needs quite a bit of improvement. Play-by-play audio quality is fine.

Listen to Steve Wendt's call of Lee Haydel's game-ending catch here -- go to the KCAP audio's at the 2 hour, 52 minute mark - be sure you're on the June 21st date archives: web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp Helena KCAP Pre-Game Audio Chat with Brewer Minor League Pitching Coordinator Jim Rooney is available at the same link (5:30 minute mark).

Final: Helena 2, Missoula (Diamondbacks) 1 Link while active, text follows: www.missoulian.com/articl...orts01.txt Brewers take series: Diving grab by Haydel preserves win for Helena By NICK LOCKRIDGE of the Missoulian It took another spectacular ninth-inning finish to decide the series finale between the Missoula Osprey and the visiting Helena Brewers on Thursday. Helena's Lee Haydel made an over-the-shoulder diving catch in deep centerfield to rob Missoula's Houston Summers of a potential game-winning hit as the Brewers held on to win 2-1 and take two out of three from the Osprey in their season-opening Pioneer League series at Ogren-Allegiance Park. Missoula (1-2) put the tying run in scoring position when Chance Wheeless led of the bottom of the ninth with a double and later moved to third on Derrick Walker's ground out to second base. Following a hit Osprey batter and a strikeout, Summers jumped on a pitch from Helena's Mathew Kretzschmar and sent it over the head of Haydel. Haydel raced after the deep fly ball and made a tough diving stop, crash landing included. ?I can appreciate it, but as far as I'm concerned he could have dropped it,? said Walker, who roams Missoula's outfield. ?I like to see good plays, but not by the other team.? After two straight nights with game-winning rallies in the ninth, the Osprey and Brewers did not disappoint in the third time around, producing another one-run thriller. Helena won Tuesday's season opener 4-3 with a two-run rally in the ninth, while Missoula won Wednesday's game 6-5 on a two-out walk-off solo home run by Sean Coughlin. ?We had a chance to win every game this series,? said first-year Osprey manager Damon Mashore. ?I have no complaints. It took a diving play to win this game. If he doesn't catch that ball we probably win.? Ariel Urena was the Missoula batter that got hit by Kretzschmar, who earned his second save in as many nights. Eli Rumler pinch ran for Urena, who limped back to the dugout. Rumler would have scored easily had the ball gotten by Haydel. Summers' shot was only the fifth ball to leave the infield all night. The O's finished with just five hits after finishing with 14 and 12 hits, respectively, in the first two games. ?As an offense sometimes it's just not there,? Walker said. ?It's a long season, though. We just have to go out there and compete.? Helena starter Jose Garcia cruised through the Missoula lineup, allowing just three hits in seven full innings. Walker, who went 3-for-4, was the only thorn in Garcia's side. All three of Waker's hits came off Garcia, including a solo home run in the seventh to cut the Brewers' lead to 2-1. Garcia coaxed 11 groundouts through six innings and was aided by a pair of double plays in the third and fourth inning. ?That guy threw well for them,? Mashore said. ?He spotted up and worked both sides of the plate.? Garcia (1-0) finished with five strikeouts, while Corey Frerichs added three whiffs in a scoreless eighth. The Brewers built a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings. Steffan Wilson hit an RBI grounder past a diving Summers at third base in the later frame and Eric Farris' fielder's choice RBI broke a scoreless tie in the third. Missoula starter Jason Durst allowed just three hits in five innings of work, marking the second straight night an O's starter made it to through the fifth but didn't get the decision. Josh Blake pitched three scoreless innings, with three strikeouts, in relief of Durst and Josh Ellis, Arizona's 11th round draft choice, didn't allow a hit in one inning of work. The Brewers host the Great Falls White Sox this weekend, beginning Friday at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central). Helena Box Score: Well, well, well -- what do the Brewers have in just-turned 19-year-old RHP Jose Garcia? Seven brilliant innings, yikes! Young buck Caleb Gindl on base three times... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_misrok_1 Helena Game Log: What an amazingly well-played series by both squads considering these kids only met their teammates within the past ten days... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_misrok_1

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2007062145 Power starts out second half just as hot By Jim Workman For The Charleston Gazette Charlie Fermaint stepped right into the West Virginia Power lineup a little over a week ago and immediately started producing. Thursday night he continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs to pace the Power to a 9-0 win over the Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators in the first game of the second half of the South Atlantic League season. An announced season-record crowd of 7,458 attended the game at Appalachian Power Park. ?I?m seeing the ball real well and hitting it,? Fermaint said. ?I like playing here in front of a good crowd. We?re playing with a lot of confidence.? In just nine games with the Power, the 5-foot-9, 195-pound center fielder is hitting over .360 with 12 RBIs from the leadoff position. The Power (49-20 overall, 1-0 second half) has been red-hot all season ? but especially on Thursday nights. With the victory, West Virginia is 6-0 at home and 12-1 overall on Thursdays in 2007. ?We had some nice pitching and good defense,? said Power manager Mike Guerrero. ?And clutch hitting played a big part.? West Virginia plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. Chuckie Caufield reached on an error, scoring Fermaint, and Taylor Green popped a sacrifice fly to center to score Brent Brewer. Fermaint ripped an RBI single to center in the second to score Andy Bouchie and increase the Power advantage to 3-0. The Power added another run in the third inning as John Alonso bounced a single into left field that scored Andrew Lafave. West Virginia put the game out of reach by scoring five runs in the seventh inning ? all with two outs. Bouchie stroked a bases-loaded two-run single, Kenny Holmberg blooped a two-run double to center and Fermaint pounded a ground-rule RBI double to left to give the Power a 9-0 advantage. Holmberg went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Alonso went 2-for-5 with a run driven in for the Power. Power pitchers held Kannapolis to just three hits while striking out 11. The Power clinched a playoff spot and set a franchise record for victories during the first half of the season, going 48-20 and winning the Sally League Northern Division by 11 games.

Final: West Virginia 9, Kannapolis (White Sox) 0 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER OPEN SECOND HALF WITH SHUTOUT VICTORY Jeremy Jeffress, D.J. Lidyard and Omar Aguilar combined to toss a three-hit shutout on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park as the West Virginia Power opened up the second half with a 9-0 victory over the Kannapolis Intimidators. The Power plated their first two runs in the first inning. Charlie Fermaint scored on Chris Carter?s fielding error and Brent Brewer scored later in the inning on Taylor Green?s sacrifice fly. Fermaint ripped an RBI single in the second and John Alonso belted a run-scoring base hit in the third. The Power pulled a way with a five-run rally in the seventh inning, scoring all five runs with two outs. Andy Bouchie drove in the first two on a bases loaded single, Kenny Holmberg singled in the next two runs and scored on Fermaint?s double. Jeremy Jeffress (5-1) pitched five scoreless frames of two-hit ball, struck out five, walked two and got the victory while Jose Zazueta (1-7) was tagged with the loss. Lidyard provided three scoreless innings out of the bullpen with four strikeouts and Aguilar tossed a scoreless ninth inning to complete the shutout. The Power improve to 49-20 overall and 1-0 in the second half, and the Intimidators fell to 32-39 overall and 0-1 in the second half with the loss. The shutout was the fourth of the season for the Power. Jeffress hasn?t allowed an earned run since May 29th against Kannapolis. Charlie Fermaint paced the Power with three hits while Kenny Holmberg and John Alonso both chipped in with two. The Power will continue the four game series against the Intimidators Friday night. Left hander Brae Wright (5-4, 6.59) will start for the Power and Kannapolis will counter with left hander Justin Edwards (4-4, 3.90). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Charlie Fermaint certainly has responded to his demotion... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Fireballing Omar Aguilar works around his two opening walks in the 9th... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Brevard County 6, Daytona (Cubs) 2 MiLB.com: Manatees best Cubs Yohannis Perez doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Brevard County defeated Daytona, 6-2, on Thursday. Perez opened the eighth with a double and crossed home plate when Cubs reliever Tim Layden made a throwing error on Darren Ford's sacrifice. Lorenzo Cain doubled and scored on Mat Gamel's triple in the fourth and cracked an RBI double in the sixth for the Manatees (1-0). Ford went 2-for-3 and scored three times. Gamel extended his hitting streak to 19 games and is batting .449 over that period. Brevard County reliever Ben Stanczyk (3-1) yielded one run on a hit and two walks with a strikeout in two innings for the win. Starter Steve Garrison allowed one run on six hits while striking out six and walking one over five frames. Daytona starter Joel Santo (4-4) gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in seven innings. Jake Muyco and Nate Spears lined RBI singles for the Cubs (0-1). -- Shane Figueroa/MLB.com ***Link while active, text follows: www.news-journalonline.co...062207.htm Manatees begin 2nd half with win over Cubs By JERRY SCHAEFFER Daytona News-Journal Correspondent DAYTONA BEACH -- One pennant is not enough. The Brevard County Manatees want two. They jumped on the Daytona Cubs for three runs in the eighth inning and started the second-half of Florida State League competition with a 6-2 triumph Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. "We had a good first half -- winning it all. Now we just gotta keep going," said Manatee center fielder Darren Ford, who collected two of his club's nine hits and scored three times. "This is a good start to winning it all again -- and that's our team goal. We're not letting up." Winning pitcher Steve Garrison and three relievers limited Daytona bats to eight hits--all singles. The Cubs, who left eight runners stranded, just couldn't get the needed hit. "We are playing well right now," Brevard County manager John Tamargo said. "Like (Thursday night), whenever there was an opportunity for something, we capitalized in some way. Daytona made a couple of errors together, and we cashed in. "Plus, our bullpen was extra sharp, backing up a solid start by Garrison." Daytona, loser of three straight, fueled the three-run eighth for the Manatees by committing two errors, leading to two unearned runs and making the possibility of a Daytona comeback more difficult. "Our defense took us out of it tonight," Daytona manager Jody Davis said. "We set the table for them (the Manatees), and they feasted. You just can't give away outs in this game, especially when the game is on the line." Yohannis Perez started the eighth for Brevard with a double down the right-field line. Tim Layden, who had relieved Daytona starter Joel Santo, threw errantly toward first base a sacrifice bunt off Ford's bat. Lorenzo Cain, who also had two doubles, slapped a fielder's choice grounder which scored Perez, and another fielder's choice off Mat Gamel's bat sent Ford home. With two outs, Gamel, who had tripled in the first run of the game in the fourth, scored on Mike Bell's single to right. That pretty well settled the outcome. Brevard County Box Score: Three double plays turned; you know Lorenzo Cain and Darren Ford are psyched to be reunited... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_dbcafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: Ford creating havoc and forcing errors on the basepaths all evening long; groundball demon E.J. Shanks doing his thing in the 9th to end it... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_dbcafa_1 Daytona News-Journal Photo by Nigel Cook Brevard County catcher Nestor Corredor tags Daytona's Alberto Garcia out at the plate in the fourth inning Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. http://www.news-journalonline.com/downloads/Sptcubs1062207.jpg

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds pitcher helps from plate Pettyjohn homers in win over Iowa By TYLER BLANK For The Tennessean Sounds batters hit Iowa hard Thursday night. Heck, even a Sounds pitcher hit Iowa hard. Left-hander Adam Pettyjohn hit his first home run of the year in the fifth inning, and the Sounds rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Cubs in front of 8,649 fans at Greer Stadium. "I hit it well," said Pettyjohn, who joined Yovani Gallardo and Zach Jackson as Sounds pitchers to homer this season. "I just wanted to put a good swing on it and get on base." Much like his teammates did. The Sounds scored two runs in the first inning on a Laynce Nix blooper to right and added two more on Joe Dillon's team-leading 13th home run in the third. "(Ryan O'Malley) got some pitches up for us, and we were able to capitalize on that," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "That's what you're looking for ? pitches up in the zone," Kremblas said. "You just try to put a good swing on it." And let Pettyjohn take care of the rest. Pettyjohn (3-1) allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out six and walking one through six innings. Three hits occurred in the first two innings. "I didn't have great control the first three innings," Pettyjohn said. "The last three innings I actually felt better than the first three." The Sounds now are a game and a half ahead of Iowa in the American Conference's Northern Division in the Pacific Coast League and have the best record in the league. Nashville has won seven of its past eight games. The Sounds have also won 25 of their past 32 games at home. What they said: "I didn't think it had enough to get out. Fortunately, it had enough carry on it and we got another run, which was big at the time." ? Pettyjohn on his solo home run in the fifth inning. ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Sounds manager picked for All-Star Futures game By TYLER BLANK For The Tennessean Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas has been named a coach for the 2007 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures game. Kremblas, who will coach the U.S. team, also served the same role in the 2003 game at Chicago. "It's a nice honor," Kremblas said. Pitching coach Stan Kyles also has been selected to coach in the game. Kyles coached in last year's game for the U.S. team. The game pits U.S. all-stars against the World team at 11 a.m. July 8. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 from San Francisco's AT&T Park and will feature top prospects. The U.S. team's manager will be Dave Winfield. The 25-man rosters were picked by MLB.com and Baseball America. Each major league organization will be represented by at least one member and the World team will feature players from 11 different countries or territories. Players from all full-season minor leagues were eligible. The Brewers ? Nashville's affiliate ? representative is Alcides Escobar, who recently was promoted to Double-A Huntsville after spending the majority of the season at Single-A Brevard County in Florida. The shortstop will play on the World team. Sounds fans might remember Trent Jewett, who also will coach in the game. Jewett is a former manager of the Sounds and is Nashville's leader in wins (320). Jewett managed the Sounds from 1998 to 2000 and again during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Jewett is currently manager of Triple-A Indianapolis (Pittsburgh Pirates) in the International League. Jewett will coach on the World team at the all-star festivities. Men of steal: The Sounds rank fifth in the Pacific Coast League with 66 stolen bases on the year. The Sounds lost their string of nine consecutive steals in the fifth inning when Tony Gwynn Jr. was thrown out at second. Nashville had been successful in their past nine stolen base attempts. The Sounds have 14 stolen bases in 19 attempts in the past seven games. Shortstop Chris Barnwell was thrown out in the seventh inning. Vinny Rottino, Laynce Nix and Mike Rivera each stole a base during the game. Baseball best: The Brewers' farm system has a 172-112 record this season, the best in all of baseball. Nashville has the most victories for the month of June in the PCL this year, with 14. Nashville has the PCL's best home record at 26-11 and the Sounds have won 25 of their last 32 home games. Good pitching: The Sounds 3.64 ERA is the best in the PCL. The pitching staff is even better in home games, compiling a 2.76 ERA. Through Thursday, Nashville is 20-1 when the starter goes at least six innings. The lone loss came Wednesday night against Iowa. "You just have to battle, and keep the ball down," starting pitcher Adam Pettyjohn said after his winning performance Thursday night.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=56832 Everything comes together for Sounds at Greer By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent The scoreboard was working, the weather was perfect, the $1 beer was flowing and the first-place Nashville Sounds downed Iowa 7-4. Life was good for the 8,649 fans at Greer Stadium on Thirsty Thursday. With the win, the Sounds (43-30) maintained the best record in the Pacific Coast League. Unlike the night before when it was completely out of service, the giant guitar-shaped scoreboard in left field was working. The temperamental 14-year-old scoreboard, a favorite among Sounds fans, was down Wednesday night because of an electrical problem, but it was functional on Thursday. As has been the case for the Sounds during their 14-5 month of June, the win was an all-around team effort. Starting pitcher Adam Pettyjohn led way. Pettyjohn (3-1) was as effective on the mound and in the batter?s box. He went six innings and surrendered just two earned runs, while fanning six. At the plate, Pettyjohn hit his first home run as a professional ? an opposite field blast to right-center. Joe Dillon hit a two-run homer and a double, in addition to scoring two runs, to pace the Sounds offense. The win moved the Sounds 1.5 games ahead of the Cubs in the PCL American North Division. ?We got some big hits from Joe with the two-run home run,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said. ?Obviously Pettyjohn?s home run was nice. You?ve got to keep scoring against these guys. They can swing the bat a little bit.? In his second game since being optioned down by Milwaukee, center fielder Tony Gwynn went 3-for-4 with a run. Chris Barnwell (3-for-4, two runs) and Laynce Nix (2-for-4, three RBIs) also had strong days at the plate for Nashville. ?I felt better. My baseball brain was working a little bit better today than it was yesterday,? Gwynn said. ?We executed our gameplan well tonight.? Typically reliable Steve Bray hit a batter and gave up a two-run homer in the seventh in relief for the Sounds. Grant Balfour was perfect in the eighth and Luther Hackman was as well in the ninth en route to save No. 11. KREMBLAS TO COACH FUTURES GAME: Sounds manager Frank Kremblas and pitching coach Stan Kyles will be members of the U.S. Team coaching staff for the July 8 Futures Game in San Francisco during All-Star week. The Futures Game features baseball?s top young minor league prospects. Both Kremblas and Kyles have been on the staff before. Major League Baseball was responsible for selecting the rosters and coaching staffs. No Sounds players were selected.

Final: Nashville 7, Iowa (Cubs) 4 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Joe Dillon photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2402 Sounds Continue Hot Stretch, Tame Cubs 7-4 NASHVILLE ? Nashville belted a pair of home runs, including pitcher Adam Pettyjohn?s first career longball, in posting a 7-4 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs in front of 8,649 fans on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium. The win was the seventh in the last eight games for the division-leading Sounds (43-30), who have taken seven of their 10 meetings with the second-place Cubs this season. Pettyjohn (3-1) earned a win for the third straight start by throwing six innings, allowing two runs, and striking out six. The top of the Nashville order did the bulk of the damage at the dish, combining to go 10-for-16 with six runs scored and five RBIs on the evening. Nashville once again struck early when Tony Gwynn led off the bottom of the first by driving Ryan O?Malley?s opening pitch into right field for his first Sounds hit of the 2007 season. Chris Barnwell then followed with a double to deep center that moved Gwynn to third before Laynce Nix added a two-run single that blooped into shallow center. The Sounds have now scored the first run of the game a league-leading 46 times this season and improved their record to 31-15 in those contests. In the bottom of the third inning, Barnwell hit a one-out single to right and then advanced to second on a wild pitch before moving to third on his seventh stolen base of the year. Joe Dillon would follow with a two-out home run over the right field wall for his team-leading 13th longball of the season. AUDIO: Dillon's Team-Leading 13th HR -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-21.mp3 Pettyjohn helped his own cause in the bottom of the 5th with his opposite-field shot on a 2-2 pitch, which extended the Nashville advantage to 5-0. Cubs starter Ryan O?Malley (3-7) took the loss after throwing five innings, striking out two, and giving up six earned runs. The Sounds improved to 15-4 against left-handed starters on the season. Iowa (41-31) got on the board by tallying a two-run sixth inning that began with a Micah Hoffpauir solo home run, his 14th of the year and second of the series. Cubs centerfielder Buck Coats then had a two-out single to center before scoring on catcher Geovany Soto?s 17th double of the season. Before Hoffpauir?s homer, Pettyjohn had retired 12 straight Iowa batters and thrown 12 1/3 scoreless innings. Nashville added a run back to the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Dillon doubled off the left-center wall and came around to score on a Mike Rivera RBI single two batters later. Iowa countered by pulling with a pair in the top of the 7th. Sounds reliever Steve Bray began the inning by striking out the first two batters he faced before hitting Ronny Cedeno in the back with an inside pitch. Two pitches later, Eric Patterson hit a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for his tenth homer of the season, making the score 6-4 in favor of Nashville. The Sounds tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of that frame on a two-out Nix RBI single, which brought the score to its final 7-4. Luther Hackman earned his team-leading 11th save of the year by striking out two in one perfect inning of relief. Nashville?s Gwynn and Barnwell both went 3-for-4 on the night and combined for four runs, and Nix had three RBIs on two singles. The series finale against the Iowa Cubs will be played Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Greer and will be preceded by a concert by local Christian band Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. Nashville?s starter will be R.A. Dickey (5-4, 5.32), who is making his first start since rejoining the rotation. He will face Iowa southpaw J.R. Mathes (6-4, 5.33). Nashville Box Score: Strikeout machine Grant Balfour keeps cruising in the 'pen... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: Mike Rivera (four steals on the season!) with an eventful 8th inning on the basepaths... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Manager Frank Kremblas & Pitching Coach Stan Kyles: Futures Game talk... www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-21.mp3

Knoxville News coverage of the no-hitter: Link, text follows -- www.knoxnews.com/kns/smok...20,00.html On the Mark Holliman no-hits the Stars, 3-0 Smokies win doubleheader against Huntsville By NICK GATES, gates@knews.com SEVIERVILLE - Mark Holliman, who hadn't won a game in more than a month, put all the elements of a pitching masterpiece together Thursday night and became the second Tennessee Smoky to toss a no-hitter at Smokies Park. Holliman, who missed perfection by one - Huntsville's Adam Heether drew a leadoff walk in the third inning - helped his cause with a two-run home run and Tennessee defeated the Stars 3-0 in the first game of a Southern League doubleheader. The win couldn't have come at a better time for the right-hander from Germantown. Holliman (7-5) was winless since beating Mississippi 6-1 on May 19. He had lost four in a row with one no-decision. "I would agree with you, it's been a long time," he said as he smiled and wiped the perspiration off his face. "It's been a long time since I didn't give up any runs let alone hits." Holliman's no-hitter was his first since the 23-year-old signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2005 after being drafted in the third round out of Ole Miss. "To be honest, I know I didn't in college," he said. "I might have had one in high school. I can't remember." Holliman, who lowered his earned-run average to a league-best 2.49, wasn't overpowering - simply effective. Fifty-one of his 81 pitches were for strikes and he used his fastball to set up his off-speed and breaking pitches. "That was biggest the key," he said. Holliman didn't resemble a pitcher who was fighting himself the past month as his confidence dwindled. "I have been," he admitted. "Me and Dennis (pitching coach Lewallyn) have been working on this the past couple of weeks trying to get back to my old form." The 6-footer, whose fastball barely touched the high 80s, finished strong. He retired the last 14 Stars in order for the first complete game by the Smokies' staff this season. Leo Estrella became the first Smoky to pitch a no-hitter since Smokies Park opened in 2000. Estrella beat Orlando 3-0 on May 27, 2000, in a game shortened to 5 1/2 innings because of rain. Tennessee was affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays that year. The closest the North Division first-half champions Stars came to a hit is a matter of conjecture. Diving left fielder Jorge Cortes snared a sinking liner to rob Huntsville's Michael Brantley of a hit in the first. "That could have been a double," Holliman said. Matt Craig ranged far to his right to glove pitcher Corey Thurman's chopper in the third with a Star on second base and one out. If the ball got past the third baseman, Huntsville likely would've tied the score 1-1. Holliman made an athletic play in the fifth. He scooped Hernan Iribarren's squibber near the first base line and threw off-balance in one motion to first baseman Jake Fox without hitting the Star in the back. "Anytime you see a game like that where there aren't many hits, it's usually because you had good defense," Holliman said. "There were tons of good plays." Sam Fuld provided Holliman with all the offensive support he needed. Fuld drove a 2-2 pitch from Thurman (2-4), a former Toronto Blue Jay, over the right field fence for his second home run. Holliman provided wiggle room in the fifth with one swing. Cortes led off with his 13th double but Carlos Rojas popped out attempting to bunt. Tennessee manager Pat Listach gave Holliman the green light with one out. "I talked to Pat before the inning and he said, 'If you've got runners on, go ahead and swing,' " Holliman said. Holliman, who came into the game hitting .143 (2-for-14) and failed to bunt successfully his first at-bat, crushed Thurman's first pitch. The ball sailed 375 feet to left-center for his second home run this season. Holliman had to face the heart of Huntsville's order - 2-3-4 hitters - in the seventh. The left-handed hitting Brantley tapped out. It was no gimme as Holliman covered first and took the throw from second baseman Gary Cates. Steve Sollmann, the brother of former Smoky Scott Sollmann, struck out swinging for the second time. It was Holliman's third strikeout. That left it up to Brendan Katin. By the time the fans rose to their feet and applauded, the game was over. Huntsville's right fielder rolled out on the first pitch and Holliman made history as the first Cubs Class AA farmhand to pitch a no-hitter for the Smokies.

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ HOLLIMAN NO-HITS STARSSTARS SWEPT FOR 2nd TIME IN A WEEK In our history, we've been the victim of a no-hitter more than we've done the victimizing....... For the 4th time in our history -- the 3rd time in a double-header, the Stars are on the wrong end of one....... Tennessee Smokies' pitcher Mark Holliman joins Frank Castillo, Travis Buckley, and Trevor Hutchinson and Kevin Cave's combined effort with a no-hitter........ Adam Heether was the only runner to reach base for the Stars. Holliman walked him to lead off the 3rd. The last perfect game in the Southern League was thrown by Chad Gaudin of Orlando in 2003. All the support Holliman needed in this game came when Nate Fuld led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run to right, but Holliman pulled his own weight, smacking a two-run HR to deep left-center field in the 5th, the 9th given up by Corey Thurman this year........ Ironically, Thurman was part of a Stars tandem that came within one out -- hell, within one strike of a no-hit bid by the Stars on May 11....... Thurman has given up more HRs this year (in 41 1/3 innings) than he did all of last year (eight in 140 innings). Holliman pitched eight scoreless innings on two occasions this year, including a two-hitter against the Mississippi Braves, but this was his first complete game........ Holliman is 2nd among Southern League ERA leaders. Still on top is Manny Parra, now at Nashville....... This was the Smokies' first no-hitter since May 27, 2000 when Leo Estrella no-hit Orlando, 3-0. NOTE: Estella eventually pitched for Milwaukee in 2003, and along with Wayne Franklin, netted the Brewers Carlos Villanueva. - Mass As for the Stars, who lost their 2nd double-header in a week, it's an indication of deeper problems, an eight-game slump in which they've won just three games, managed no more than seven hits in any game, and hit just .165....... How much was luck, rather than skill, that it was in the midst of this slump that they won a first half title by the grace of a wild pitch. For a clearer view of this extra-base hit, RBI, and AVG chart, click on the link above: Last 8 games XBH RBI Avg. Michael Brantley 1 3 .105 Carlos Corporan 1 2 .263 Ryan Crew 0 0 .143 Alcides Esbocar 0 0 .154 Adam Heether 1 1 .263 Hernan Iribarren 1 0 .095 Brendan Katin 1 1 .100 Steve Moss 4 2 .250 Lou Palmisano 0 1 .222 Steve Sollmann 0 1 .174 Mel Stocker 0 1 .000Not on the above list is Yohannis Perez and Guilder Rodriguez, who were a combined 0-for-12 in these eight games. Add Mel Stocker, and it's 0-for-21. But that's just baseball, and streaks of all kinds don't last very long as a rule and it seems the Stars were about to prove that in game two........ Against Matt Avery, a middle reliever making only his first start in 27 appearances this year, split between the Smokies and Class A-Daytona (FSL), the Stars got off to a quick 1st inning start....... After walking Michael Brantley on five pitches, Hernan Iribarren drove a double to right, rolling all the way to the warning track, moving Brantley to 3rd.......The Stars then took a 1-0 lead when Brantley scored on Steve Sollmann's grounder to Joseph Simokaitis....... Lou Palmisano then singled up the middle, scoring Iribarren from 2nd to make it 2-0. For Palmisano, it was the 12th time in 20 games on the road that he has driven in a run......... Palmisano is hitting .274 on the road, and .310 with runners in scoring position -- much improved over last year's .217 average on the road and .248 w/RISP........ With two out, Steve Moss sent Avery's first pitch up the middle to move Palmisano up a base, but the rally ended when Rodriguez forced Moss on a grounder to 2nd baseman Gary Cates. The Smokies, however, neutralized the Stars after Steve Hammond got two of his first three hitters out ......... Hammond entered the game with a woeful record this year of giving up 13 1st inning runs in 14 starts....... After a throwing error by Iribarren, leadoff hitter Jemel Spearman went station-to-station on a ground ball and a great play by Alcides Escobar, and a deep fly ball by Tyler Colvin....... Guilder Rodriguez should have gotten Hammond out of the inning, but he muffed a bouncer by Jake Fox that scored Spearman to make it 2-1....... G. Rod, who made just one error in April and May, has made six in his last nine games....... Casey McGehee, with two hits in his last 16 at-bats, then smacked a 2-0 pitch through the middle, moving Fox to 2nd, and prompting a visit from pitching coach Rich Sauveur........ Hammond then lost control of a slider with Issmael Salas at the plate, and now both runners were in scoring position...... Salas then hit a 2-2 pitch past G. Rod into left for a two-run single, putting the Smokies ahead, 3-2......... A ground ball through the hole by the next hitter, Chris Robinson, got Mark DiFelice working in the bullpen, but he was never called into the game........ Joe Simokaitis swung and missed on a 2-2 pitch to end the inning, but it was too late for the Stars, who wasted a one-out double by Steve Sollmann in the 2nd and a balk putting him on 3rd, and a one-out double by Steve Moss in the 6th.......... They also hit into inning-ending double plays in the 3rd and 4th innings. Friday, southpaw Lindsay Gulin tried to put a stop to the Stars' three-game losing streak as he faces lefty Donnie Veal, who Hammond beat in the 2nd game of a double-header back on April 12........ Veal walked seven in four innings in that game, and hasn't walked more than four since April 29. He is 2-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his last four starts. Huntsville fans have yet to see Alcides Escobar, but he has been a sensation in the field, if you've been listening hard to Brett Pollock's play-by-play on this road trip, and you would have to be listening hard if you're trying to pick up the Stars on the radio....... Escobar's reputation at Brevard has won him a spot in the Futures Game, which will be held at AT&T Park in San Francisco on All-Star Sunday....... He'll join former Southern Leaguers Joey Votto and Geovany Soto, and Jacksonville's Chin-Lung Hu on the World Team. Pitching for the USA will be Montgomery's Evan Longoria and pitcher Jeff Niemann and Mobile's Justin Upton.. The Arizona League won't start till June 22, but the Pioneer League is underway, and Helena is off to a 2-1 start after beating Missoula Thursday night, 2-1....... 3rd round pick, catcher Jonathan Lucroy is 1-for-8 and 4th rounder, 2nd baseman Eric Farris is 0-for-8. The team average, after just three games, is .167....... The Brewers signed right-hander Donovan Hand, who hails from Lawrence County (Alabama) and graduated from Hatton High School. Former Huntsville Star Prince Fielder is poised to become the first Milwaukee Brewer to be voted to start an All-Star game since 1988. Four other Brewers are among the leaders at their positions, including J.J. Hardy........ Hardy and former Star Bill Hall were joined by Chris Capuano and Jeff Suppan last month as they shot a scene for the CBS soaper, "The Young and the Restless". That scene aired Wednesday. Yohannis Perez, playing in his 2nd game for Brevard County Thursday, doubled and scored in the Manatees' 6-2 win over Daytona, who, like the Manatees, won a playoff berth in the Florida State League........ He is 1-for-8 after two games......... How is Jeff Eure? He was placed on the disabled list last Thursday....... Struggling at the plate with the Royals' Class AA-Wichita (Texas) farm club, he's hitting .209 after 24 games with two HRs and 11 RBIs. He was 4-for-34 in his last nine games....... Is it the end of the line for Cristian Guerrero (Stars' 2002-03)? The Washington Nationals released him. He got as far as Class AAA-Columbus (Int.) this year, but hit just .167, mostly as a pinch-hitter, in six games. For Class AA-Harrisburg (Eastern), he hit .248 in 49 games with seven HRs and 24 RBIs and had three hits in his last 21 at-bats. He was hitting .183 with no one on base....... The Texas Rangers have released former Mobile Bay Bear catcher Nick Trzesniak....... Luis Villareal, who started the season with the Stars and got the win in the Stars opening day 4-3 win over the Braves, has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies........ The Can-Am League web site has an interesting story of how former Stars pitcher Tim Bausher came within a double play of making it to the majors. Bausher is 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA for the Nashua Pride. www.canamleague.com/cgi-b...1180708707 Looking at other former Stars in the independent Can-Am League, former Stars pitcher Everett Stull is 1-3, 6.23 in five starts for the Grays and Fernando Rijo has a 6.00 ERA in three appearances for the Susses Skyhawks.

Final, Game Two: Tennessee (Cubs) 4, Huntsville 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: The Smokies won game two 4-2 behind timely hitting from Issmael Salas and Joe Simokaitis to complete the sweep of the twin bill and improve to 3-1 in the second half and 39-33 overall. The Stars suffered a third straight loss for a fourth time this season to drop to 1-3 in the second half and 38-34 overall. Huntsville has been swept in a doubleheader for the second time in a week after falling in both games at home to Birmingham on Friday night. The Stars jumped on Matt Avery in the first inning in game two for two runs, as Steve Sollmann?s ground ball out scored Michael Brantley and Hernan Iribarren scored on a single by Lou Palmisano. However, the offense was put in neutral and the lead was short-lived, as a fielding error by Guilder Rodriguez on a Jake Fox grounder allowed Jemel Spearman to score and keep the home first inning going. Casey McGehee singled before both runners advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Salas single to give the Smokies a 3-2 lead. Stars? starter Steve Hammond has been scored on in the first inning in nine of his 15 starts, including six of his eight on the road. Tennessee added another run in third on a two-out single by Simokaitis that plated McGehee, as all four Smokies runs came with two outs. Adalberto Mendez tossed scoreless relief in the fourth and fifth innings to earn the win and Jim Henderson blanked the Stars over the last two frames to earn his fifth save. Huntsville has been held to three runs or less in each of the last ten games and to six hits or fewer in 10 of the last 14. The series continues Friday night, as southpaw Lindsay Gulin will take the hill for Huntsville against Smokies? left-hander Donnie Veal. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Game Two Box Score: Big offensive funk right now, and this squad isn't exactly brimming with obvious candidates to break out of it soon... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_2 Huntsville Game Two Game Log: No chance in the final inning... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_2

Let's see: LHP Adam Pettyjohn cranks a HR for the Sounds and is in line for a win. Stars in danger of being swept. Manatees and Cubs tied 2-2 late -- looks like there's no audio for Brevard tonight, but you can pick up Daytona's feed at the same link. Cole Gillespie with a big outfield assist in this one. So my audio choice was the Power for a late tune-in with West Virginia up 4-0. The amazing Power score five more runs with two outs in the 7th to go up 9-0 before a huge crowd in Charleston for the first game of the second half of the season. The Brewers must really like this very young Jose Garcia out of the Dominican to not only invite him to Helena, but to hand him the Game Two start. Looking forward to switching over to Steve Wendt's call after the Power put this now-blowout to bed.

Nashville Site: Getting To Know ... P Zach Jackson Getting To Know ... P Steve Bray If you have a question you'd like your favorite Sounds player to answer, click here to submit it. The answer might be in a future Getting To Know ... update. The Sounds will be updating the site with two new Q&A's each week.

Jeremy Jeffress - nice. Or should we say wow? 5 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K, ERA now 1.14 in his first 23.2 West Virginia innings.

Final, Game One: Tennessee (Cubs) 3, Huntsville 0 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1233 Holliman No-Hits Stars Mark Holliman tossed a seven inning no-hitter and punctuated his effort with a two-run home run in Tennessee?s 3-0 victory in game one of a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Smokies Park. The Smokies have won the last two games of the series to improve to 2-1 in the second half and 38-33 overall, while the Stars were held without a hit for a fourth time in franchise history. Huntsville dropped to 1-2 in the second half and 38-33 overall. Holliman retired the first six batters he faced before walking Adam Heether to open the third inning. Alcides Escobar bounced into a force out at second, moved to second base on a Corey Thurman ground out and was stranded there to end the inning. Escobar was the only Stars? runner to advance to second base, as Holliman retired the last 13 batters he faced and recorded 13 ground ball outs in the game. The Stars have been held to three runs or fewer in each of their last nine games. Huntsville was held hitless by Frank Castillo of Charlotte on July 13, 1990, by Travis Buckley of Chattanooga on June 1, 1996 and by Trevor Hutchinson and Kevin Cave of Carolina on April 14, 2004. All three no-hitters thrown against the Stars took place at Joe Davis Stadium, where the Stars have never thrown a non-hitter. It is also the third time the Stars have been held without a hit in a seven inning contest in the first of a twin bill. Sam Fuld opened the home first with a home run, his second of the season and the sixth lead off long ball allowed by Thurman this season. Holliman belted his second home run of the season with one out in the fifth to close the scoring and mark the third time this year Thurman has allowed two homers in a game. The series continues with game two of the doubleheader on Thursday evening, as southpaw Steve Hammond will take the hill for Huntsville against Smokies? right-hander Matt Avery. Coverage of the game begins at 6:25 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Game One Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Huntsville Game One Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

Folks are fortunate that we allow such freedom of our posters to even start threads. The equivalent portion of Sons of Sam Horn, for instance, forces folks to shoehorn discussions into a limited number of mega-threads, with as few as 3-5 threads being started each day. A running article thread is fine, a moderator can always update the Thread Title to indicate what the latest article is about.

Links to Sounds' and Stars' sites: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2401 www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1232

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...ower+bats/ Milwaukee draft pick will bring pop to Power bats Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Only three South Atlantic League teams hit more home runs in the first half of the season than the West Virginia Power. That number might be zero in the second half, which starts today. Former University of Florida slugger Matt LaPorta, Milwaukee's 2007 first-round draft pick, will report to Charleston soon to join the Brewers' low Class A affiliate, a team executive said this week. However, LaPorta first must go to Arizona. There, he will rest and rehabilitate a minor strain in his right quadriceps. "We don't want him to come in there with a nagging injury," Milwaukee Director of Player Development Reid Nichols said. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has reported that LaPorta is close to signing a $2 million deal with the Brewers, who selected him with the seventh overall pick. LaPorta, 22, hit 74 home runs in his four-year college career. He ranks third in Southeastern Conference history and ninth in NCAA history in career homers. LaPorta hit 14 home runs as a freshman, 26 as a sophomore, 14 as a junior and 20 as a senior. He was the SEC Player of the Year in his sophomore and senior seasons. When asked if LaPorta would arrive in time for West Virginia's game against Kannapolis Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park, Nichols said, "Probably not. But he'll be there soon." LaPorta led the nation in on-base percentage (.582) this season. He also ranked second in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.399), fifth in slugging percentage (.817) and ninth in home runs (20). LaPorta left Florida with a .323 career batting average. "He was the best power hitter available at our spot in the draft," Nichols said. "He is a good hitter, too. He has a nice path to the ball." The 6-foot-1, 215-pound LaPorta was a catcher in high school and a catcher in college. However, he will play left field in the pros, according to Milwaukee Director of Amateur Scouting Jack Zduriencik. "We felt that this, in our estimation, was one of the best hitters in the country and one of the best power hitters in the country," Zduriencik told the Journal Sentinel earlier this month. "So it was intriguing to us, the fact that, where we were picking and where we are as an organization, to bring a guy into your system that may be able to help you at a couple different positions." An injury hindered LaPorta in his junior season, causing his draft stock to drop. The Boston Red Sox selected LaPorta in the 14th round last year, but didn't reach an agreement with him. He decided to return to Florida for his senior season. The Chicago Cubs also drafted LaPorta in the 14th round in 2003, after he graduated from Charlotte (Fla.) High School, but they couldn't sign him, either. "Simply put, LaPorta can flat-out hit. Period," according to a 2007 draft analysis on milb.com. "LaPorta has as much power as any bat, especially from the college ranks, in this draft class. He's got power to all fields and can hit the ball out of any ballpark with any kind of bat." Former Florida Gator Matt LaPorta hit 74 homers in four college seasons. He?ll report to the Power soon. http://www.dailymail.com/images/062107LaPorta%203.jpg

Charleston Daily Mail: Jeremy Jeffress, a 6-0, 175-pound right-hander, will make his fifth start tonight in the first of a four-game series against the Intimidators. The Brewers selected Jeffress with the 16th overall pick last year. The 19-year-old fireballer has a 3-0 record and 1.45 earned run average. He has allowed 14 hits and five runs (three earned) in 18 2/3 innings, striking out 14 batters and walking nine. Power pitching coach John Curtis said the Brewers have ditched their plan to use an 80-40 pitch count for Jeffress. "We scrapped that, because he has thrown the ball so well," Curtis said. "He's going to get stretched out to 100 (pitches) by mid-July."

Link while active, text follows: www.westlinntidings.com/s...1298144300 Gillespie makes A-league All-Star game By Matthew Sherman The West Linn (Oregon) Tidings It hasn?t been easy for former Oregon State star and West Linn High School graduate Cole Gillespie to keep tabs on his alma mater?s run towards a second consecutive College World Series championship. Gillespie, who played in the event in 2005 and 2006 and helped Oregon State capture the title last season, caught the final few outs of the Beavers? close victory over Cal State Fullerton and saw the last half of their win over Arizona State. But that?s not because of a lack of interest. It?s simply because, as a minor league ball player, there is virtually no time to catch one?s breath. ?You get about one day off a month. You have to adjust and learn how to take care of your body,? Gillespie said. And, in his first full season at A-level baseball, Gillespie didn?t even get the usual All-Star break off. Gillespie was one of three Brevard County Manatees named to his league?s All-Star team and played all nine innings in that contest. His team won 8-4 thanks, in part, to his two-run home run early in the game which tied the score at 2-2. Gillespie finished second in the game?s MVP voting for his efforts. ?It was a really fun event and I was pretty excited to be part of it. I didn?t think I had much of a chance because my numbers are just alright,? Gillespie said. It has been an up and down season for the 2002 West Linn High School graduate. The Manatees recently clinched the first half title in their league, which guarantees them a playoff berth at the season?s end. Gillespie has been a key component to his team?s success, leading Brevard County, located in East Florida, 45 minutes from Orlando, in home runs and walks and sharing the team lead in RBIs. He is also third on the team in runs and fourth in stolen bases. It is that well-rounded ability at the plate that made him one of the Milwaukie Brewers? top picks in 2006, selecting him in the third round. But Gillespie has also run into much tougher pitching than he did last year in Montana where he played Rookie Ball. His team plays in a large park used for spring training games and the league is pitching heavy. That has led to a spike in Gillespie?s strikeouts this year and a much lower than normal batting average. ?I?m working on being consistent and cutting down the strikeouts. Obviously I?d like to be hitting about 40 points higher than I am but, in this league, if you?re batting .250, you?re doing pretty well,? Gillespie said. Still, the left-fielder is considered one of his team?s leaders as evidenced by his All-Star selection and feels that, with some minor improvements, he could start climbing through the Brewers? organization and ultimately achieve his lifelong dream of playing in the major leagues. There is a long way to go still and Gillespie hopes to make the next step soon. That would be a promotion to the team?s AA affiliate in Huntsville, Ala. If he continues his progress, it is possible that the call could come as early as the end of the current season. But there is not much time to think about that right now. Gillespie plays virtually every day and even though all of the teams in Brevard County?s league are also in Florida, the grind can be exhausting. ?There have been days where I feel like I don?t really want to be here but then I tell myself that I?m playing baseball for a living,? Gillespie said. Still, the experience should help prepare Gillespie for the next levels and he knows that, at any given time, a hot streak can put a player on the fast track to the major leagues. ?I?d love to get called up to AA later this year and would hope to start there next season. If I?m lucky to make it to Nashville in the PCL, I?d get a chance to come to Portland and play against the Beavers,? Gillespie said. He has already faced a number of major league caliber pitchers, some who have been sent to A league on rehabilitation assignments. Gillespie is also fortunate that he is a part of one of the more intriguing clubs in baseball right now. Currently the Brewers are on pace to win the National League?s Central Division and have an exciting core of young players, the majority of which have been groomed by the club?s formidable minor league system. ?Those guys are all homegrown products and it?s really a team on the rise right now,? Gillespie said. Gillespie tries to get back to West Linn whenever he can but those opportunities don?t come along often. Last year, during the off-season, he played in an instructional league in Arizona and he expects do be doing something similar this winter. All of that bodes well for Gillespie, who despite the occasional difficulties, is ready to continue progressing towards his ultimate goal. ?It?s all about making the most of your chances and avoiding injuries. It?s been my dream (to make the major leagues) ever since I can remember and I feel I have a strong opportunity,? Gillespie said. 2006 Helena Brewers Photo by Travis Brower Cole Gillespie has been one of his team?s top sluggers as a member of the Brevard County Manatees, a single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The former Lion is leading his team in home runs at the midway point of the season and was rewarded for his efforts with a selection to the league?s All-Star game. http://www.westlinntidings.com/news_graphics/118236705169278400.jpg

Standings through Wednesday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 42 30 .583 - 25-11 17-19 L1 Iowa 41 30 .577 0.5 22-14 19-16 W2 Omaha 34 38 .472 8.0 24-12 10-26 W1 Memphis 32 41 .438 10.5 18-18 14-23 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 3 0 1.000 - 3-0 0-0 W3 Huntsville 1 1 .500 1.5 0-0 1-1 L1 Tennessee 1 1 .500 1.5 1-1 0-0 W1 Carolina 0 1 .000 2.0 0-0 0-1 L1 West Tenn 0 3 .000 3.0 0-3 0-0 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Daytona 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Jupiter 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Palm Beach 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - St. Lucie 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Vero Beach 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Greensboro 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Hagerstown 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Hickory 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Lake County 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Lakewood 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - Lexington 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - West Virginia 0 0 - - 0-0 0-0 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 1 1 .500 - 0-0 1-1 L1 Great Falls 1 1 .500 - 1-1 0-0 W1 Helena 1 1 .500 - 0-0 1-1 L1 Missoula 1 1 .500 - 1-1 0-0 W1