Jim Goulart

Similar to the just-started "Your 2007 Huntsville Stars" thread, this is where all feature non-game stories will be posted throughout the season on the Sounds, and this doesn't include a finalized roster (yet). Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=55395 Rising star Braun to start season in Music City By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent For the second time in three years, the Nashville Sounds will begin the season with a pair of top-flight prospects on their opening day roster. In 2005, the Sounds had one-half of the Milwaukee Brewers? current starting infield in their opening lineup in the form of first baseman Prince Fielder and second baseman Rickie Weeks . Before the 2005 season was finished, both Weeks and Fielder had earned promotions and neither has looked back since. After not seeing any elite prospects in 2006, Nashville will welcome third baseman Ryan Braun and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo. Braun is regarded as the No. 26 overall prospect and Gallardo No. 16 by Baseball America. But if Sounds fans want a chance to see Braun in action, they?d better come to Greer Stadium before June. It would be remarkably unsurprising if Braun had earned a call-up by then, just like Weeks did two years ago. With the possible exception of rejuvenated ace Ben Sheets, Braun has been the talk of the Brewers? spring training. He came within a hair of making the final roster and being named Milwaukee?s opening day third baseman. ?The experience was unbelievable,? Braun said of his stellar spring, in which he?s batted .353 with five homers. ?I?ve had a great time, learned a lot from a lot of great players and great people. Not just from a baseball perspective, but how to carry yourself off the field. For me it was encouraging. I feel like I played well and hopefully I will be able to get back up there shortly.? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas echoed a sentiment held by others in the Brewers organization that Braun needs to primarily work on his defense on the hot corner in order to earn the promotion. ?I?d say he needs to work on consistency defensively, as far as making the routine play, and mental toughness in terms of his plate approach,? Kremblas said. Work isn?t a dirty four-letter word to Braun, who says he likes to show up at the ballpark this spring by 6 a.m. Reached for a 7:30 a.m. phone interview, Braun sounds like he?s in mid-day form. ?This is typical. I?ve already been working out for a couple of hours,? Braun said. How long he stays in Nashville will remain to be seen. The Brewers will open the season with journeymen Tony Graffanino and Craig Counsell holding down the fort at third base. While he?s here, though, Braun described in his own words what Sounds fans can expect from him on the field. ?I show up at the ballpark every day ready to work and help my team win in a lot of ways,? Braun said. ?I can hit for power, hit for average, I can run. I?ll do whatever I can. ?I embrace [being called a top prospect]. I don?t feel like there?s extra pressure more than I put on myself."

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times: Pitcher Joe Valentine, whose relief work was key in the Stars' pennant drive, was sold by the Brewers to a team in Japan. Earlier this offseason, Baseball America noted Valentine as "released", which must have been part of this transaction.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Stars' Iribarren in swing of things Despite corked bat incident, second baseman can hit By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com There have been moments of better timing. Any of us ever caught with a straw to our lips a second after the spitwad hit the teacher in the neck, or caught doing 55 in a 35 know something of the feeling. Hernan Iribarren, who'll be the Huntsville Stars' second baseman this season, was caught last season with a corked bat. Double-whammy: It was while Milwaukee farm director Reid Nichols was at the game in Brevard County, Fla. "It was drilled and corked through. He apologized to his teammates and the staff, but this is inexcusable. It's embarrassing to him and it's embarrassing to the organization," said Nichols at the time. For what it's worth, after the incident took place in late May, Iribarren batted .344. He finished the season with a .319 average - the fourth time in five years he batted above .300 - and drove in 50 runs. "He should hit a little bit here, too," said Stars manager Don Money. According to Money, he's also a capable defensive second baseman. Though the buzz is he became a little lax on defense a year ago, working with Money, a brilliant defensive infielder during his playing days, should pay off. Iribarren is a 23-year-old native of Venezuela who was originally signed by Epy Guerrero, father of Stars coach Sandy Guerrero. He hits from the left side, a slap-hitter style that should take advantage of his speed. Though he had a three-run homer in a spring training game earlier this month, a power hitter he is not: Iribarren hit only two homers last season at Brevard and has only 15 for his career. Not the sort of numbers for a man who has made a habit of corking his bat. Rest of the field: Third baseman Adam Heether, who showed such promise in a late call-up in 2005 after batting .305 at Brevard, will start the season with the Stars. He began 2006 in Huntsville and struggled, batting .213 in 70 games and was leapfrogged on the organizational chart by Ryan Braun. Yohannis Perez, a 24-year-old Cuban defector, is the likely shortstop, though he hasn't played organized ball in two years. First base is still yet to be determined. Steve Sollman, 24, a Notre Dame grad and brother of ex-Star Scott Sollman, was Brevard's utility man last year but is getting extensive work at first base in Maryvale. Jeff Eure, who can play anywhere, and the light-hitting Guilder Rodriguez could be back as utility players. Down the road: Mat Gamel, who has more power-hitting potential than any '07 Star except Brendan Katin, will start at third base in Brevard. He hit 17 homers and drove in 88 runs at West Virginia - and lost in the South Atlantic League home run derby despite 15 homers in the final round. Stars schedule: The Stars' season opener is Thursday, April 5 against Mississippi. They face UAH in an exhibition game on April 3 at 6:05. They're playing Nashville in an intra-camp game today in Maryvale, Ariz. Starbrites: Travis Ezi, the speedster outfielder who seemed a potential returnee, was released. ... Ria Cortesio, the woman umpire who has worked the Southern League the last four seasons, will be on the bases for today's Chicago Cubs-Arizona Diamondbacks exhibition game, the first woman to work a major league game since 1989. Cortesio will be back in the Southern League, where she has not always been a favorite of managers.

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com also noted that: Bibbs injured his knee during the offseason and was expected to miss all of 2007.

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com with the update -- nice! In the Class A game, top catching prospect Angel Salome saw live pitching for the first time and collected three hits. Salome suffered a major ankle injury last August. "He had already caught a few games but was not allowed to hit until [Wednesday]," Brewers farm director Reid Nichols said. "He's about to graduate to full-game status."

Thanks for the reminder! From the prior week: www.bellinghamherald.com/...51802.html Waiting it out in the numbers game Dane Renkert It is now only a matter of time before the inevitable, yet unfortunate player releases begin. The first two weeks of early morning wake-up calls and sharing breakfast with friends and teammates will soon be only a memory for some players. When your routine of showing up at the field is interrupted by a pear-shaped bald man saying, ?Management would like to speak with you,? it?s never good. Without another step taken, without another word spoken you know its over and you have been cut. The flashes of stardom and childhood dreams will come to a crashing halt. Other players pass by for that day?s practice, while you sit cleaning out your locker. There will be those who deserve to be cut and just as many that never saw it coming. Some will be my personal competition and my good friends packing up their gloves and spikes one last time. Although this is only my second spring training, the inevitability of all this happening is right around the corner as the business end of baseball is about to show its rude face. This has to happen based solely on the numbers. All you have to do is sneak a peak during stretching as each group is separated by where the management feels players should go. Class A, AA, AAA, etc. When you have 17 or 18 pitchers in each group, simple mathematics come into play. Each team only will be allowed to carry 12 or 13 pitchers during the season. If only I could be a fly on the wall in the meetings of management to getter a better idea, a better feel on where I stand and solve the mystery of what the lineups will look like in three weeks. ?So what are they going to do with that guy?? ?Is he going to get moved up?? ?You think he will get released?? Just about any player on the playing fields in Florida and Arizona would like to know the answers to those questions. THROWING STRIKES With minor league spring games staring Saturday, players will have the ability to either weed themselves out or help assure themselves a spot on a staff. Throwing strikes is the No. 1 key, but you also need to show you can get people out. At this level, pitching coaches set a priority on those two key goals. As always, conversation turns to who is getting released, and the reality that I, too, fall into that category always makes for a clammy hand conversation. The only thing you can hope for is the decision is based solely on performance and nothing outside of baseball.

Tuesday's Games vs. the A's organization: Looks like Robert Hinton isn't getting stretched out, look for him in the bullpen, it seems... Nashville falls, 8-7 R H E Nashville 7 9 0 Sacramento 8 15 1 NASHVILLE AB R H BI Macias 5 1 2 1 Anderson 5 0 0 0 Braun 3 0 1 1 Abad 1 2 0 0 Dillon 4 1 2 1 Nelson 2 2 2 2 Barnwell 3 0 1 1 McKnight 1 0 0 0 Corredor 3 1 1 1 Crabbe 2 0 0 0 2B: Macias, Barnwell 3B: Dillon HR: Nelson IP H R ER BB SO TP Jackson 2.2 3 3 3 3 2 57 Meyers 2 5 2 2 0 2 30 Zumwalt 2 1 0 0 1 2 29 Stetter 1 2 1 1 0 1 16 Hackman 1 4 2 2 1 1 24Huntsville wins, 11-6 R H E Huntsville 11 17 Midland 6 8 HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI Stocker 5 1 4 2 Sollmann 4 1 2 1 Moss 4 1 0 0 Katin 4 3 2 2 Carlin 4 2 2 3 Eure 5 1 1 2 Palmisano 5 0 1 0 Perez 5 1 2 0 Rodriguez 4 1 3 0 2B: Stocker, Carlin 2, Perez 3B: Stocker HR: Katin 2, Carlin, Eure IP H R ER BB SO TP Narron 4 2 1 0 1 2 50 Hinton 1 1 0 0 1 1 26 Housman 2 1 0 0 1 1 27 Demaria 0.1 4 5 5 1 0 29 DiFelice 1 0 0 0 0 1 11Brevard ties, 10-10 R H E Stockton 10 12 1 Brevard County 10 17 3 BREVARD CO AB R H BI Escobar 3 1 1 1 Sanchez 2 0 0 0 Fermaint 3 1 2 0 Parejo 2 1 1 0 Cain 4 1 2 0 Gillespie 3 1 1 1 Trejo 2 1 1 1 Errecart 5 1 3 3 Hopf 3 1 1 1 Yost 5 1 2 0 McAngus 4 1 2 2 Barba 4 0 1 0 2B: Trejo, Barba HR: Escobar, McAngus IP H R ER BB SO TP Garrison 4.1 4 3 2 3 2 74 Villarreal 1.2 2 1 1 0 2 31 Ryan 1 2 1 1 0 1 16 Roberts 1 1 2 1 0 0 24 Pena 1 3 3 3 1 1 23West Virginia loses, 7-4 R H E Kane County 7 9 1 West Virginia 4 5 0 WEST VIRGINIA AB R H BI Brewer 3 1 0 0 Holmberg 3 0 1 0 Caufield 2 1 0 0 Bouchie 2 1 2 0 Newton 3 0 1 0 Lefave 3 0 0 0 De La Cruz 3 0 0 0 Chapman 3 0 0 0 Mojica 3 1 1 0 Goetz 3 0 0 0 2B: Holmberg, Mojica IP H R ER BB SO TP McClendon 3 6 5 4 0 3 61 Ramlow 3 2 2 1 3 2 69 Romero 3 1 0 0 0 1 40

Nashville Site Game Summary for Tuesday: Link, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2231 Sounds Drop Close Contest To River Cats, 8-7 PHOENIX -- Despite a home run from Brad Nelson and a solid first game by recent signee Joe Dillon, the Nashville Sounds fell short against the Sacramento River Cats (AAA-A's) on Tuesday afternoon at Papago Park, dropping an 8-7 spring training decision. Nelson went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored while Dillon, who signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers earlier in the day, finished 2-for-4 with an RBI triple and run scored. Jose Macias continued his strong spring with a 2-for-5 day that included a double and an RBI. Zach Jackson made the start for Nashville and allowed three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings. He walked three batters while striking out two. Mike Meyers followed on the hill and allowed a pair of runs over two innings before Alec Zumwalt worked two scoreless frames for the Sounds. Mitch Stetter (1.0 IP, 1 R) and Luther Hackman (1.0 IP, 2 R) finished up on the hill for Nashville. The Sounds (2-6-2) continue their spring slate with a home contest against the Portland Beavers (AAA-Padres) on Wednesday afternoon at Maryvale Baseball Park. ***Huntsville Site Game Summary for Tuesday: Link, text follows: www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1091 Power Surge Sends Stars Past Midland Brendan Katin continued his strong spring performance by slugging two solo home runs in the Stars' 11-6 Tuesday win over Midland, the double-A Texas League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday afternoon in Scottsdale. Huntsville improved its' spring record to 5-4-1 by belting four long balls and pounding out 17 hits one day after being shutout on four singles. The Stars also got round trippers from Mike Carlin and Jeff Eure, who hit 12 last year for Huntsville and led the team with 54 runs batted in. Carlin also collected a double, drove in three and scored twice, while Mel Stocker singled twice, added a double and a triple and knocked in a pair. Every position player had at least one hit except for outfielder Steve Moss and every player scored at least one run except for catcher Lou Palmisano. Sam Narron started for the Stars and lasted four frames, giving up one unearned run on two hits. He struck out two and walked one while throwing 50 pitches. He was followed by Robert Hinton, who threw one scoreless inning and Jeff Housman, who tossed two shutout frames. Chris DeMaria was knocked around for five runs on four hits and a walk in just a third of an inning.

Nashville Site: BIBBS RELEASED: Outfielder Kennard Bibbs, who spent the majority of the 2006 season with the Nashville Sounds, has been released by the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted .218 (34-for-156) in 67 games for Nashville last season following a late April promotion from Double-A Huntsville. He had spent the first five years of his pro career with the Brewers organization after being selected by the club in the 14th round of the 2002 draft. Kennard Bibbs Career Stats via his Brewerfan Player Index Page: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=318 As recently as just last year, Bibbs was listed at MiLB.com at 5'9", 143 pounds. He had a nice ride having to overcome his size. Good luck, Kennard.

Also "un-pinning" this thread, a reminder that final results were chronicled here: www.brewerfan.net/ViewArt...icleId=256

We are all huge Jeff Sackmann fans here at Brewerfan, but I'll have to ask readers to bookmark (add as favorites) the Minor League Splits links you desire. We need to "un-pin" this thread from being pinned to make room for eventual others (Link Reports, Transactions, etc.). Thanks, and thanks, Jeff!

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...er-Park%3F Are too many teams playing at Appalachian Power Park? by Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Only eight days remain until the West Virginia Power opens the 2007 minor league baseball season. However, weather permitting, 26 games will have been played on the Appalachian Power Park diamond by the time the Class A club begins South Atlantic League play -- and it would have been 32 if six games hadn't been cancelled or postponed because of wet weather. That is because team and city officials have allowed local middle school, high school and college teams to play some of their games at the 3-year-old stadium. Doing so can be problematic. Just look at last season as an example. The field had noticeable wear and tear less than two months into the 2006 season. There were bare spots behind the plate and around it, plus the on-deck spots diagonal to it; around the mound; halfway up the first- and third-base lines and beside the corresponding bags and coaches' boxes; on the edge of the outfield behind shortstop and second base; and beside the bullpens, particularly the one on the home side. Part of the wear and tear was caused by wet weather and cooler-than-normal temperatures. Some of it was day-to-day use. That prompted former Power General Manager Andy Milovich, who now is the executive vice president of Palisades Baseball Inc., to say the number of non-South Atlantic League games played at Appalachian Power Park would be an issue this season. "That is a decision the team and the city have to make," Milovich told the Charleston Daily Mail last May. "Is it important to have a first-class playing facility that meets Major League standards? Or is it important that everyone who makes a phone call and wants to play on the field gets a chance to play on the field?" Somebody -- at either 601 Morris Street (team headquarters) or 501 Virginia Street (City Hall) -- apparently decided it was the latter considering 12 college, four middle school and two high school teams are scheduled to play at Appalachian Power Park before the home team's season opener. "We have been a little heavier earlier in the schedule (than we were in the stadium's first two seasons)," Power General Manager Ryan Gates acknowledged. Gates said the organization and the stadium "are about the community." "We try to open the gates to the public as much as we can," said Gates, whom Milovich promoted from director of business development. "But we have to limit what we do. The ballpark is an investment, and we're cognizant of the field." Appalachian Power Park groundskeeper Eric Bailey said the additional use doesn't affect the field as much as the weather does. "It will hold its own as far as the foot traffic," Bailey said. "The games cause a little bit of wear and tear, but the biggest setback is the weather because it's warm in the day and cold at night. What you gain during the day, you lose during the night." That means the soil temperature isn't warm enough for Bailey and his crew to spray the bluegrass field with the assortment of chemicals that helps it grow, gives it color and provides it with protection. The high temperatures this week have helped, he said, and it is close to the desirable 50 degrees. "If you spray the field and the soil temperature is less than that, then you're just wasting your time and your money because it won't help," said Bailey, who plans to spray the field for the first time Wednesday. "It doesn't matter how much you spray. "But if it stays warm, we'll be OK." Bailey said the field is fortunate because the grass still is dormant, which means the weather isn't causing much damage. The condition of the grass already is improving, he said. It had a yellow-brown tint two weeks ago; it has a green tint now. Bailey also has solved one of the problems from last season. He repaired the sand levels and cleared the drains on the right side of the field this week. "Water couldn't get to the drains," said Bailey, who also is a University of Charleston assistant coach. "Now, it can. I can assure you that you won't see the amount of wear and tear on the right side that you saw last year." Bailey, a soft-spoken man who is known as one of the nicest guys at the ballpark, also has taken charge when it comes to the foot traffic on the field. He isn't afraid to tell coaches and players where they can and can't walk, stand, hit, throw, run and stretch. In other words, no more Mr. Nice Guy, right? "That's it," Bailey said with a laugh. Who can blame him? Remember, he is the one who is responsible for the field at the end of the day. "That's on me more than anybody," said Bailey, whose pet peeve is teams that warm up on the foul lines. "The first two years, I wasn't really a stickler about it. This year, I have been. Now, I'm pretty comfortable telling them you don't do this or you don't do that here."

Don't get too excited -- while this does kick off our "Your 2007 __________" series of threads, where all feature non-game stories will be posted throughout the season, this doesn't include a finalized roster (yet). Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 It's time for Lou to do at plate Palmisano could reach bigs if he picks up offense By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com First of a four-part position-by-position series The past half-dozen years, an impressive collection of prospects has been yielded through the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league system, from Ben Sheets to Prince Fielder to Rickie Weeks to the next can't-miss kid, Ryan Braun . There is a glaring exception - catcher. Milwaukee hasn't had a home-grown catcher to start opening day since Dave Nilsson in 1999. Lou Palmisano has been the Brewers' most noteworthy catching prospect in recent years, the one they hoped would break the trend after a series of injuries, bad decisions and lack of performance at that position. However, Huntsville Stars manager Don Money said, "This is a big year for him. He's got to pick up some offense." Palmisano, a 24-year-old native of Utica, N.Y., was a third-round draft pick in 2003 out of Broward (Fla.) Community College. However, his rating as a prospect has fallen along with his batting average - from .391 in the 47 games of rookie ball to .293, .255 and then .241 last year. It's somewhat expected, though, considering the level of competition and quality of pitching has increased with each move, coupled here with the grueling task of catching in the heat and humidity and tough travel of the Southern League. Despite the offensive struggles, Palmisano is considered the Brewers' best defensive catching prospect. "His strength is calling games," Money said. "But if he can pick up some offense, if he hits .260, .270 and plays good defense, he'll move right along." Rest of the field: Maxim St. Pierre, a 28-year-old Canadian acquired in a trade Tuesday, could land in Huntsville as the backup. Until that time, it seemed that 23-year-old Carlos Corporan, who saw action in three games at Huntsville last season after playing at Class A Brevard, would get the nod. Jeff Eure, the 26-year-old multitasker, is expected to return as utility man and would be the No. 3 catcher. Down the road: Angel Salome, a diminutive (5-foot-7) Dominican Republic native, is the No. 11 prospect in the system. He should start at Class A Brevard. He batted .292 at low-A last year and broke an ankle late in the year. ETA in Huntsville: Spring 2008. Stars schedule: The Stars' season opener is Thursday, April 5 against Mississippi. They face UAH in an exhibition game on April 3 at 6:05. They play San Diego's Double-A team today. Starbrites: It's a fresh start for Ben Hendrickson, the former Star who was a minor league ace but never had big league success (1-10, 7.41 ERA in 12 starts with the Brewers). He was traded Tuesday to Kansas City for St. Pierre. ... It's shaping up to be a choice between ex-Stars Vinny Rottino and Tony Gwynn Jr. for one remaining roster spot with Milwaukee. ... The Stars opened spring training with a 4-4-1 record, losing one game in the ninth and two in the eighth.

Won't bore you with the text pasted, but here's the latest news (first link) and a scathing editorial against Sounds management (second link): www.tennessean.com/apps/p.../1009/NEWS www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=55381

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=55385 Amid ballpark distraction, Sounds excited to open season By Nate Rau, Sports Correspondent The downtown ballpark may be in limbo, but the Nashville Sounds? 2007 season certainly is not. Sounds fans shouldn?t get too bogged down with the gory details of tax increment financing or guaranteed maximum price and in the process forget they are actually going to play baseball this season. And soon. The Nashville Sounds open their season April 5 at good old Greer Stadium against New Orleans. Under the direction of third-year manager Frank Kremblas, the Sounds figure to bring on their aggressive, exciting brand of baseball once again this season. Nashville has won its division the last two seasons and won the Pacific Coast League title in 2005. ?I?m going to be aggressive,? Kremblas said. ?That won?t change. We?re going to be aggressive, and run and put the pressure on the other team. It?ll probably take some of the new guys some time to get used to my style. But we?re still going to be the same type of team.? The ?new guys? Kremblas mentioned are headlined by rising star third baseman Ryan Braun and fireballer Yovani Gallardo, who will be making their first stops at the Triple A level this season. Coming off his outstanding 2006 season, outfielder Tony Gwynn is currently in contention for a bench spot with the Milwaukee Brewers, though he figures to begin the season in Nashville. ?We will have a good combination of veterans and younger prospect guys,? Kremblas said of his roster, which should be finalized in the next several days. One player who won?t be with the Sounds this season is last year?s top pitcher Ben Hendrickson, who was traded to Kansas City on Tuesday. Hendrickson was an all-star last year and perennial ace at the Triple A level, though he could never manage to stick in the big leagues with Milwaukee. ?Last year he just tightened up when he got up there,? Kremblas said of Hendrickson. ?That?s probably the only reason he didn?t last.? Still, Kremblas feels confident about the pitching staff he has returning, led by Zach Jackson, and the defensive alignment Nashville will have to start the season. ?I have no concerns about our starters and no concerns about our relievers,? Kremblas said. ?I think if we go out and play defense like we did last year and are aggressive like we were last year, we should be fine.?

Seems to me like this is an indication Vinny Rottino makes the Brewers' Opening Day roster, because here's your new Nashville utility man, courtesy of the Sounds' site: Link for photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2230 The Milwaukee Brewers signed veteran minor-league infielder Joe Dillon to a Triple-A contract on Tuesday and the former Pacific Coast League All-Star will likely open the 2007 season as a member of the Nashville Sounds. The 31-year-old Dillon -- who has appeared at third base, second base, first base, and the outfield during his career -- recently exercised an out clause in his contract with the Florida Marlins after batting .231 (3-for-13) with four runs scored in 13 Grapefruit League spring training contests with the club as a non-roster invitee to camp. Dillon spent the 2006 season playing in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, where he batted .195 with two homers and seven RBIs in 87 at-bats over 31 games. Prior to going overseas, Dillon was a stalwart for the Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA-Marlins) in the Pacific Coast League, with whom he was a PCL All-Star in 2004. In his most recent season on American soil, the outfielder hit .360 with 24 homers and 72 RBIs in 98 games for Albuquerque in 2005 and received his first career call-up to the Marlins, where he batted .167 in 27 contests. A product of Texas Tech, Dillon was initially drafted by Kansas City in the 7th round in 1997 and has posted a career .294 average in 782 minor-league games. Joe Dillon Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...llon.shtml

Chuck Valenches is really, really good, and needs to be in the big leagues soon. We try to promote the heck out of the minor league broadcasts each and every day in-season within the Minor League Forum in the Daily Link Report. There are dozens of opportunities when the Brewers play a matinee and you can tune in to one of the affiliate broadcasts at night for some good Brewer-related listening while browsing the web. We also point to all the archives of pre-game interviews and such. I hope more newcomers to the minor league forum will tune in this year.

If the ChiSox wanted Rivera for their 25-man roster, they could have just claimed him, though. So it'd be the Brewers picking up salary in a trade, unlikely: 07:$2.75M, 08:$3.25M club option ($0.3M buyout)

wOOgiE22 is unbelievable! Anyway, check this out as well from the Sounds' site: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2226 So you can listen to Chuck Valenches' take on the game (he goes solo) via the link above or at 7:00 Central tonight for the tape delay version at this link: www.wnsr.com/ I tuned in to Chuck last night (unfortunately, it was just after the Brewers' big seven-run inning), and he did a great job. I think you'll enjoy him today for a change of pace, although the "regular" Brewer webcast may also be available today.

Yet to appear in a spring game, so he'll most certainly open the season on the DL (from the broken ankle, still rehabbing, I imagine).

Monday's Games vs. the Royals' organization: 30-year-old LHP Lindsay Gulin turning some heads at AAA; fellow southpaw Steve Hammond still rocks; both Cole Gillespie and Chris Errecart go deep for the 'Tees -- I bet we see that a lot this season; Waukesha's Ben Stanczyk with three sweet innings; 19-year-old LHP Zach Braddock is the man... Nashville triumphs, 9-6 R H E Omaha 6 10 1 Nashville 9 15 1 NASHVILLE AB R H BI Macias 4 1 3 2 Kuzmic 4 1 2 1 Anderson 4 2 2 2 Wycklendt 1 0 0 0 Abad 4 0 1 1 Nelson 4 0 2 2 Palmisano 4 0 1 0 Meadows 4 1 1 1 Crabbe 4 1 1 0 Barnwell 3 2 2 0 Goetz 0 1 0 0 2B: Anderson, Abad HR: Meadows IP H R ER BB SO TP Wise 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 Oxspring 3.2 5 5 4 0 1 62 Gulin 3 4 1 1 0 5 42 Sarfate 1 1 0 0 1 0 18Huntsville loses, 1-0 R H E Wichita 1 7 0 Huntsville 0 4 0 HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI Iribarren 1 0 0 0 Escobar 2 0 1 0 Stocker 4 0 0 0 Davenport 4 0 1 0 Katin 4 0 2 0 Eure 4 0 0 0 Carlin 3 0 0 0 Perez 2 0 0 0 Sanchez 1 0 0 0 Corporan 3 0 0 0 Rodriguez 3 0 0 0 IP H R ER BB SO TP Hammond 4 5 0 0 0 2 50 Simpson 2 1 1 1 1 1 25 Lewis 2 1 0 0 0 3 27 Salas 1 0 0 0 1 1 16Brevard wins, 4-3 R H E Brevard County 4 11 2 Wilmington 3 6 1 BREVARD CO AB R H BI Barba 5 0 2 0 Crew 5 1 2 0 Fermaint 4 1 0 0 Gamel 4 0 2 0 Gillespie 3 1 1 1 Errecart 4 1 2 2 Yost 4 0 1 0 Parejo 4 0 1 0 Corredor 4 0 0 0 3B: Barba HR: Gillespie, Errecart IP H R ER BB SO TP Lluberes 4 3 2 2 4 4 65 Stanczyk 3 1 0 0 0 3 49 Langille 1 1 0 0 1 0 16 Shanks 1 1 1 0 0 1 20West Virginia wins, 6-3 R H E West Virginia 6 9 0 Burlington 3 7 1 WEST VIRGINIA AB R H BI Brewer 3 1 1 0 Holmberg 4 0 2 1 Brantley 4 0 1 0 Caufield 4 1 1 0 Lefave 4 1 1 0 Chapman 1 1 0 0 Newton 1 1 1 0 Alonso 2 0 0 1 McKnight 1 0 0 0 De La Cruz 3 1 0 0 Mojica 1 0 0 0 Maldonado 3 0 2 2 Iacono 0 0 0 0 Green 3 0 0 0 2B: Newton 3B: Brewer, Maldonado IP H R ER BB SO TP Braddock 3 2 0 0 4 2 66 Periard 2.2 4 3 3 2 2 54 Wendte 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 29 Lidyard 1 0 0 0 0 0 13

Another "phantom" Brewer, never to actually play for the organization: Nashville site: The Brewers released catcher/infielder Craig Kuzmic from minor-league camp on Tuesday. Kuzmic was competing for a spot on the Sounds roster. I wish Craig well, but if I went to all the trouble of building his Player Index Page this offseason, then you folks had better darn well at least review it once: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...yerId=1013

Link while active, text follows: www.fairviewobserver.com/...321/MTCN06 Developer, Sounds trade accusations On eve of key date, each says other hasn't signed deal By BRYAN MULLEN Tennessean Staff Writer Officials with the private development company partnering with the Nashville Sounds on a proposed new downtown ballpark said they were stunned by pointed comments made Monday by Sounds General Manager Glenn Yaeger. "We were very surprised with what Glenn Yaeger had to say, and we've been working really hard with the Sounds for the past several weeks to try and get an agreement we thought was fair and reasonable," said Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse General Counsel Priscilla Carroll. Carroll was responding to Yaeger's comments to The Tennessean that "the Sounds are committed to a new ballpark in Nashville, but we just picked the wrong partner (in Struever Bros.)." Both sides' remarks came one day before a critical deadline that must be met to help ensure the project's future. The Sounds and Struever Bros. have struggled to come together to finalize plans for the ballpark and must reach a joint development agreement by 4 p.m. today to file for a needed extension request with Metro. If an agreement isn't reached, the project will die. According to the Sounds, the team has given Struever Bros. a fair proposal for a joint development agreement, but Struever Bros. hasn't signed it. Struever Bros. countered by saying they have made a proposal to the Sounds, which the team has yet to sign. "The reason the city isn't turning over the keys here is because (Struever Bros.) hasn't identified an equity investor," Yaeger said. "Who's paying for this thing? Where's the money coming from?" Struever Bros. said they have had lenders lined up for weeks.

Noochie Varner needs our help in the Elite Eight -- it's close, we can get him to the Final Four! Will Startup is untouchable, even against Mr. Poo Tang. I will take credit for recognizing that in the initial post. I don't get why Startup is considered a good name. Honestly, I think its one of the worst ones on the bracket. First name Will makes it one of the greatest baseball names ever -- the fact he's a pitcher clinches it -- lefty, even better. Updated Story Bracket for Voting

From the Huntsville Site (the Stars also reported David Bradley's release, which had been mentioned previously in this thread): The Brewers announced that they have released former Stars' pitcher Matt Yeatman and oufielder Travis Ezi. Yeatman went 5-2 with a 4.63 ERA in five starts and 35 appearances in relief last season, while Ezi batted a combined .226 with two home runs and 21 runs batted in during stints with Huntsville in 2005 and 2006. Matt Yeatman, 24, was traded to the Twins in the Matt Kinney deal in the spring of 2003. He was reacquired in a minor cash deal from the Twins prior to last season. Travis Ezi, 25, was also a trade acquisition, acquired from the Cubs in exchange for catcher Mark Johnson in March 2005. Feel free to review their career numbers via their Brewerfan pages linked below: RHP Matt Yeatman OF Travis Ezi