Jim Goulart

Buck Rogers, Brevard County GM: I know you said John Tamargo and Fred Dabney will be back as Manager and Pitching Coach, who will be our Hitting Coach this season? (2006 Manatee Hitting Coach Corey D. Hart will be at West Virginia) Ken Berry is slated to be the Brevard County Manatees Hitting Coach. here's some background on Ken's career: From www.BaseballLibrary.com: An extraordinary outfielder, Berry won two Gold Gloves. Leaping catches above the Comiskey Park fence became his trademark. An All-Star with the White Sox in 1967 when he had a 20-game hitting streak, Berry batted over .280 only twice, in 1972 and '73 with the Angels. From September 16, 1971 through July 27, 1973, he accepted a record 510 consecutive outfield chances without an error. (JCA) From www.wikipedia.com Allen Kent Berry (born May 10, 1941 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before the 1961 season. He played for the White Sox from 1962 until he was traded in 1970 to the California Angels. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and finished his career with the Cleveland Indians. Ken won the Gold Glove Award for his play in the outfield in 1970 and 1972. He played his final major league baseball game on May 31, 1975. Berry was named to the American League All-Star team in 1967, when his White Sox battled the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins for the pennant all the way down to the last few days of the season. He led league outfielders in putouts once (1965) and in fielding percentage three times (1970, 1972, and 1973). He tied for the league lead once each in assists and double plays, both in 1972. Career batting totals for 1,383 games played include 1,053 hits, 58 home runs, 343 RBI, and a lifetime batting average of .255. Career highlights include: a 20-consecutive-game hitting streak (May 28, 1967 - June 15, 1967), eight 4-hit games...the most impressive being three singles and a home run vs. the New York Yankees (June 7, 1970), thirty-nine 3-hit games, one 5-RBI game, including a grand slam against Detroit Tigers right-hander Joe Sparma (June 15, 1968), three 4-RBI games, including a pair of two-run homers vs. the Kansas City Royals (May 15, 1970), hit a combined .343 (102-for-297) against All-Stars Mike Cuellar, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Lindy McDaniel, Denny McLain, Dave McNally, Stu Miller, John O'Donoghue, and Dick Radatz, hit a combined .278 (22-for-79) against Hall of Famers Catfish Hunter, Gaylord Perry, and Nolan Ryan. When you get down to it, the Manatees Coaching staff will be deep in experience again this season. Buck's fun and detailed covering-all-bases press release: www.oursportscentral.com/...id=3412692

It's always a fun story when the Brewers dip into the independent league ranks, and even more so when they identify a younger player and give him his first affiliated contract. Middle infielders were not productive at Helena last season, and you couldn't really project a West Virginia Power shortstop for Opening Day. Toby's projections placed 2006 2nd rounder Brent Brewer at West Virginia, but that unnecessary push can now be scaled back, with Brewer now likely to play in extended spring and then Helena. On the surface, this seems to be an astute signing, nice for the organization and particularly Power fans for 2007: www.americanassociationba...1168032604 MOJICA PURCHASED BY BREW CREW Blacksnakes Infielder Garnished Rookie Player of the Year Honors in 2006 DURHAM, NC ? The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball announced today that the Milwaukee Brewers have purchased the contract of St. Joe Blacksnakes INF Jimmy Mojica. Since the end of the 2006 season, Mojica is the eighth league player to be sold to a major league organization. The 22-year-old Mojica hit .299 with 88 hits, 32 RBI, and five triples in 87 games for the Blacksnakes. The ten field managers and media members from throughout the league rewarded Mojica?s efforts by selecting him as the 2006 American Association Rookie Player of the Year. The Leavenworth, KS resident came to St. Joe after playing collegiate baseball at Kansas City Community College. In 2005, he was named 1st Team All-Conference in the Jayhawk Community College Conference hitting .395 with eight home runs, 58 RBI, 70 runs scored and 21 doubles. 2006 Statistics: www.americanassociationba...stjoe.html Baseball America: www.baseballamerica.com/t...62661.html Jimmy Mojica, ss, St. Joseph's (American Association). Age: 22. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 175. The American Association rookie of the year was an independent league rarity: a shortstop who stood out as much with his glove as at the plate. Shortstop and catcher are the two toughest positions for indy teams to fill, but Mojica, who signed with St. Joe's after starring at Kansas City Community College, showed solid range with the arm to make the play from the hole. He was clearly one of indy ball's most athletic shortstops. Mojica also showed good speed, a knack for stealing bases and a quick, line-drive bat. Welcome to the Brewers organization, Jimmy... http://www.stjoeblacksnakes.com/images/Mojica,%20Jimmy.JPG

We'll follow-up with the Manatees to try and learn more, but a pretty exciting press release here: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 The Brevard Mantees have made it official. The 2007 season will give the Manatee nation unprecedented multimedia coverage. Radio, web, live audio and video are just a few of the plans on tap for 2007. Manatees broadcast and media director, Scott Pinner has announced several hi-tech changes to the Manatees broadcast division. The Manatees are asking fans to be ready for live radio broadcast in 2007 on more than one local station as well as live video and audio coverage of the team on the world wide web. "We will have full season coverage both in audio and video form of the team in 2007 on both the radio and the web" Said Scott Pinner, Manatees Media and Broadcasting director. "We already have one local radio contract in place for the season and currently negotiating a second for a level of coverage the team has never been able to provide". The Manatees will also offer several new features inside the stadium to enhance the game-day entertainment experience for fans. Stay tuned, more updates to come. Wow, even if it's from perhaps a single behind-the-plate camera, live video would be tremendous. Imagine being able to peek in on a Will Inman start, whether live, or perhaps archived? I have little doubt that MLBAM (MLB Advanced Media) has huge plans for the coming years, and apparently, 2007. Wouldn't it be great if live video would be the norm for all the affiliates some time soon? Nice... Also, the "teal" is leaving Space Coast this off-season: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503

The season has wrapped up for most of these guys, but a few notable updates from MLB.com here: milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p;c_id=mil Jose Capellan has had an additional fine start since the above list was compiled, as has been mentioned in the thread on the Major League Forum.

RHP Wes Obermueller and INF Scott Seabol among the latest to receive spring training big league camp invites with the Marlins.

Here's your Round Two answers -- how did you do? Click the links for additional details where indicated: Which player or players were not originally drafted by the Brewers organization? There could or could not be multiple answers, which combined, total the correct answer. A. Nomar Garciaparra B. Mike Adams C. Matt Morris D. Angel Salome E. Hernan Iribarren F. All five were Brewer draft picks. G. None were Brewer draft picks. Nomar (5th round, 1991), Morris (26th round, 1992) and Salome (5th round, 2004) were Brewer draft picks. Mike Adams was an undrafted free agent signee, and Iribarren is a native Venezuelan, not subject to the draft. Which city was the home of the Brewers' Pioneer League team in 2001-2002, breaking up a long stretch, since resumed, of Helena Brewer baseball? Bonus point if you can name the minor league team (the town) which relocated to Helena in 2003 to re-incarnate the Helena franchise. The Ogden (Utah) Raptors (2001-2002) are now a Dodgers affiliate, and the latest incarnation of the Helena Brewers were formerly the Medicine Hat (Alberta, Canada) Blue Jays. You might think that Alec Zumwalt was the alphabetically last-on-the-list Brewer famhand this century. But he wasn't, who was? Hint: it wasn't some obscure rookie leaguer. Infielder Tony Zuniga appeared in a combined 122 games for Huntsville and Nashville in 2005. Trade nuggets, who am I -- must get them all: I was the player acquired in a Jamey Wright trade and I once stole 111 bases in a season. In August of 2002, the Brewers dealt Wright to the Cardinals for outfielder Chris Morris and a PTBNL (lefty Mike Matthews). Morris had stolen 111 bases in 135 attempts in 2001 in the low-A Midwest League. His career ended in the Angels system at AA in 2005. How soon we forget -- I had a pretty good minor league stretch of my own, and was acquired along with Carlos Villanueva in the Wayne Franklin / Leo Estrella deal. RHP Glenn Woolard had a scoreless inning streak of 29 in 2004, and went six scoreless innings in his only AAA appearance to end the season. He mostly struggled in 2005 and was released by the Brewers prior to the 2006 season. I was the nugget coming to the Brewers organization along with Ruben Quevedo from the Cubs. Made it to big leagues, too -- who am I? Outfielder Pete Zoccolillo was a non-descript name in the Quevedo deal, but proved to be a bit more than an organizational soldier, morphing into something of a Brewerfan cult hero. Zocco went 4-for-37 in a disappointing 2003 September callup. Lost to the Rangers in the minor league portion of Rule 5 that fall, he had a monster AAA season for Texas in 2004, but did not get back to the bigs. His career wrapped up in 2005 in the Cardinals organization. I was acquired by the Brewers via trade in June of '04, left as a minor league free agent that fall, and posted a 3.43 ERA in 54 big league relief appearances in 2006, my rookie year. If you remember this particular trade, then you know the answer is Nationals' RHP Saul Rivera. Rivera posted a 1.62 ERA in 26 Huntsville relief appearances in 2004, but it was his "walk" year, and he returned to the Washington organization following the season. By the way, "catcher of the future" Jason Belcher's (5th round, 2000) career ended after the 2005 season. I seem to remember Jason's family members, particularly his dad, always supporting him to the extreme (as was his prerogative) here at Brewerfan, one of our first "family" connections with the kids on the farm within our forums. I was included in a 2001 trade away from the Brewers when I had just turned 21. In 2006, I posted a 3.81 ERA in 64 appearances in my rookie year, pretty similar to my counterpart just listed above. Devon White was actually pretty servicable for the Brewers in 2001 (remember the three grand slams in eleven days binge?), and it was RHP Ruddy Lugo, the Brewers 3rd round pick in 1999, who was shipped to the Dodgers along with Marquis Grissom for White. Lugo (Julio's brother and former teammate) found a major league home with Tampa Bay in 2006, his fifth pro organization. I was a 1997 Brewer draft pick, actually had a cup of coffee with Milwaukee, was then traded, and have subsequently been nailed twice for performance-enhancing drug use. Traded to the Dodgers along with Tyler Houston for RHP Ben Diggins and LHP Shane Nance in October 2002, RHP Brian Mallette threw five forgettable innings for Jerry Royster in September that year. L.A. sold his contract to Japan in 2003. He received his second suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in April 2005 while a member of the Pirates organization. What was the name of the San Diego Padre prospect, claimed by the Brewers in '03 off waivers, who it was then learned, all his Padre farmhand teammates refused to room with because he wasn't "master of his domain" -- not in the clubhouse, the showers, the living room, etc. Fortunately, the Brewers seemingly claimed him for the Boston Red Sox, to whom he was immediately traded. This player, despite all his tools, was out of baseball after that same 2003 season. By the way, you haven't answered this question unless you know who was acquired from the Red Sox as well. RHP Mike Nicolas also was charged with "inflicting corporal injury'' on his spouse earlier in 2003. Also known for answering the door for pizza delivery men in the nude (c'mon, who hasn't done that http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif ?), Nicolas was acquired for LH reliever Brian Adams, who made some nice contributions to the Huntsville bullpen in '03 and '04. Always reported to be a real class act, Adams has pitched in the independent Northern League for Fargo the past two seasons. The Red Sox dumped Nicolas on the Montreal system's lap later in 2003, and he's now in "parts unknown", but will live forever in Brewerfan lore. Questions for Round Three of Brewerfan's January Minor League Trivia Extravaganza will be posted by some time this weekend.

Latest update coutesy of the Sounds' site: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2174 OF Tydus Meadows - The 29-year-old Meadows, who played collegiately at nearby Vanderbilt University in the mid-1990s, joins his fifth different pro organization with the Brewers in 2007. He has spent the majority of the last four seasons at the Double-A level, winning a Southern League championship at Jacksonville in 2005, and received his first taste of Class AAA last year, when he batted .278 (5-for-18) in a brief nine-game stint for Las Vegas (AAA-Dodgers) in the PCL. He spent the bulk of the 2006 campaign at Jacksonville, where he was a two-time Southern League Batter-of-the-Week and batted .299 (69-for-231) with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs in 72 contests for the Suns. The nine-year veteran was initially drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1998 and has since played in the Royals, Rangers, and Dodgers chains, compiling a .293 career average in 916 minor-league contests. Career numbers from the Baseball Cube: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...dows.shtml http://mlb.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_434518.jpg Augusta Chronicle (excerpted) June 18, 2005 AT 27 (now 29), Tydus Meadows is too old to be considered a prospect, but that doesn't mean his dream is any different than Broxton's. "I guess a lot of it has to do with being in the right place at the right time, and hopefully this will be the situation for me," Meadows said before a home game against the Mississippi Braves. "Ultimately, of course, my only goal is to make it to the big leagues. "I'm not in this to be a career minor leaguer or anything. As long as I see that opportunity is still possible for me, I'm going to play." Meadows said he got a lot of different offers after last season, but the Dodgers seemed like the best fit, and their invitation to major league spring training didn't hurt. Meadows went 5-for-12 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and four RBI in Grapefruit League play. The home run was especially sweet because it came against the Atlanta Braves and was broadcast on ESPN2, meaning his family got to watch. About nine days later, though, Meadows pulled his groin muscle and was sent down to minor league camp. "I pretty much wanted to go and play in front of the big-league manager and all of those coaches up there and hopefully impress somebody and open up an opportunity for me down the road," he said. "That was my main goal, and I think, for the most part, I accomplished that." Terry Collins, the Dodgers' director of player development, said the Dodgers like Meadows' work ethic and his offensive capabilities - through Friday he was batting .293 with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and a team-high 48 RBI. He earned Southern League Player of the Week honors in the middle of May after batting .591 with two homers, six doubles and nine RBI. "He's always been a go-getter," said Tydus Meadows Sr., who qualified his praise by saying he is his son's biggest fan. "He was always determined." Former Evans coach Terry Holder remembers Meadows being at football than baseball, but that didn't mean he wasn't good on the diamond. "He certainly had a lot of outstanding physical talent, and he put it to good use for us," said Holder, whom Meadows helped win two state titles. Meadows also put his 6-foot-2, 200-pound high school frame to use for the Vanderbilt football and baseball teams instead of signing with the Mets out of high school. It's a decision Meadows called the only decision for him. "I wanted to go to school and I needed those years just to mature," he said. "I wanted to have that experience." He left Vanderbilt before graduating, but he was working toward degrees in human organizational development and finance and planning for a career in a Wall Street setting if baseball didn't work out. Those plans have been modified, now that he's seen friends go into that field. "Their quality of life was not very good," he said. "And that's coming out of their mouths." Meadows is now thinking about law school, but not until he determines the major leagues are no longer an option. "There are a lot of other things I want to accomplish in my life, but right now I'm a baseball player and I'm just trying to make the most of it," he said. Collins points to catcher Mike Rose and outfielder Mike Edwards as examples of players who the Dodgers signed as minor league free agents in the off- season and who are currently with the major league team. Both are a year older than Meadows and had four games or fewer of major league experience before this year. "All you have to do," Collins said, "is convince one guy that you're good enough to play in the big leagues."

National League started today with Atlanta, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia # 1: www.baseballamerica.com/t...63052.html

Yes, this could have been placed under any number of Jenkins and Mench threads, I suppose. Mostly author conjecture, but a very detailed Phillie analysis mentions both Geoff and Kevin prominently in multiple spots within the story: story.scout.com/a.z?s=260...p;c=605530

Oh, and let me know if you guys are enjoying this, even if they're pretty tough -- an education for you, perhaps? I'm still at jgoulart@brewerfan.net should you have a trivia question idea for me to include next time.

Round Two, Same "Rules", answers by Wednesday night the 3rd: Pre-Game Warmup Question: Which player or players were not originally drafted by the Brewers organization? There could or could not be multiple answers, which combined, total the correct answer. A. Nomar Garciaparra B. Mike Adams C. Matt Morris D. Angel Salome E. Hernan Iribarren F. All five were Brewer draft picks. G. None were Brewer draft picks. Level One: Sacrifice Bunt Which city was the home of the Brewers' Pioneer League team in 2001-2002, breaking up a long stretch, since resumed, of Helena Brewer baseball? Bonus point if you can name the minor league team (the town) which relocated to Helena in 2003 to re-incarnate the Helena franchise. Level Two: Ground Rule Double You might think that Alec Zumwalt was the alphabetically last-on-the-list Brewer famhand this century. But he wasn't, who was? Hint: it wasn't some obscure rookie leaguer. Level Three: Bases-Clearing Triple Trade nuggets, who am I -- must get them all: I was the player acquired in a Jamey Wright trade and I once stole 111 bases in a season. How soon we forget -- I had a pretty good minor league stretch of my own, and was acquired along with Carlos Villanueva in the Wayne Franklin / Leo Estrella deal. I was the nugget coming to the Brewers organization along with Ruben Quevedo from the Cubs. Made it to big leagues, too -- who am I? I was acquired by the Brewers via trade in June of '04, left as a minor league free agent that fall, and posted a 3.43 ERA in 54 big league relief appearances in 2006, my rookie year. I was included in a 2001 trade away from the Brewers when I had just turned 21. In 2006, I posted a 3.81 ERA in 64 appearances in my rookie year, pretty similar to my counterpart just listed above. I was a 1997 Brewer draft pick, actually had a cup of coffee with Milwaukee, was then traded, and have subsequently been nailed twice for performance-enhancing drug use. Level Four: Turning an Unassisted Triple Play while Hitting for the Cycle What was the name of the San Diego Padre prospect, claimed by the Brewers in '03 off waivers, who it was then learned, all his Padre farmhand teammates refused to room with because he wasn't "master of his domain" -- not in the clubhouse, the showers, the living room, etc. Fortunately, the Brewers seemingly claimed him for the Boston Red Sox, to whom he was immediately traded. This player, despite all his tools, was out of baseball after that same 2003 season. By the way, you haven't answered this question unless you know who was acquired from the Red Sox as well. Toby, be honest like the last time http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

Here's your first batch of answers. The next set of questions will be posted some time Saturday the 30th. What's shortstop Ozzie Chavez's middle name? Smith http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif What's the name of the Brewers 2002 5th round pick, currently a contributing member of the Kansas City Chiefs secondary? Jarrad Page (Chiefs Site Link) Listed below are twelve player names and twelve four-year colleges. Taking it easy on you, only current Brewer farmhands are listed (all drafted between 2001 and 2004). Match the player to his school -- we'll give you a break and consider you correct if you get ten out of twelve -- Jeff Eure, Old Dominion Khalid Ballouli, Texas A & M Bo Hall, Central Florida Jeff Housman, Cal State-Fullerton Adam Heether, Long Beach St. Mitch Stetter, Indiana St. Drew Anderson, Nebraska Steve Sollman, Notre Dame Grant Richardson, Washington St. Dave Johnson, UCLA Tony Festa, UC-Riverside Derek Miller, Vermont For which professional sports team is Lou Palmisano's girlfriend a member of the cheer / dance squad? The NBA's Miami Heat (Link) What was the name of the Brewer farmhand (again, post-2001) who was deaf and communicated via American Sign Language? Hint -- he was a pitcher. Lefty Justin Wilson made seven appearances for Helena without allowing an earned run. He was injured (a couple of years earlier he had undergone Tommy John surgery), and that was the extent of his pro career -- ERA 0.00. Justin Wilson Career Numbers Longtime readers will remember a planned Helena Brewer film documentary that never came to fruition. We made mention of our discussions with the filmmaker at that time, which included his thoughts on Justin, with whom he was very impressed. It's our understanding there was also a one-time unfortunate incident that involved Justin and family members in the stands with others at a game, that never received any real public notation. Whether his deafness contributed to that one situation, we don't know, but for myself, as a parent of a deaf child, he was certainly my "favorite" Brewer for seven tidy rookie league appearances. Our own colbyjack wrote in his 2003 draft analysis: Justin is a player the Brewers have been watching for quite some time. They selected him out of Chandler High School in Arizona in the 17th round of the 2001 draft. They decided to follow him as a DFE candidate through the next year while at Chandler-Gilbert CC, a school the Brewers have ties with Heach Coach Doyle Wilson (brother of West Crosschecker Ric, and also Justin's uncle). Justin did not add the velocity the Brewers were looking for, but that likely was due to an arm injury that led to Tommy John surgery. Coach Wilson has been pleased with his progress so far, and thinks that Justin could throw in the low-90s with good life on his fastball when he is fully recovered, and he already has shown an advanced feel for a pretty impressive curveball & changeup. The Brewers will monitor Justin's progress as a DFE candidate once again through next spring, and their patience could be rewarded if he fully recovers and starts to show what he can do when healthy.

Have you become a true Brewer Minor League Diehard since Brewerfan's 2001 inception? Let's find out how much incidental knowledge has seeped into your cranium from the myriad of affiliate articles, hometown newspaper stories, and miscellaneous link report items we've passed along over the years. And just think -- no pressure of winning prizes whatsoever! Please don't post your responses to let us know how you did until after we've posted answers. We'll post answers to these particular questions around this time Friday night, and we'll try to "play" at least a couple of nights each week through January, with a five-pack of questions each time out. And let's face it -- if you have to resort to any resource material, you didn't know the answer . And we honestly don't plan on asking any gimme's, except on our "pre-game warmup" level. Do you have a good idea for a trivia question? Please pass it along to me via EZ-Board or at jgoulart@brewerfan.net. While many of our questions will have some basis in statistics, tonight's opening set isn't numerical in nature, so toss those calculators -- Pre-Game Warmup Question: What's shortstop Ozzie Chavez's middle name? Level One: Sacrifice Bunt What's the name of the Brewers 2002 5th round pick, currently a contributing member of the Kansas City Chiefs secondary? Level Two: Ground Rule Double Listed below are twelve player names and twelve four-year colleges. Taking it easy on you, only current Brewer farmhands are listed (all drafted between 2001 and 2004). Match the player to his school -- we'll give you a break and consider you correct if you get ten out of twelve -- 1. Jeff Eure A. Indiana St. 2. Khalid Ballouli B. Nebraska 3. Bo Hall C. Old Dominion 4. Jeff Housman D. Notre Dame 5. Adam Heether E. Vermont 6. Mitch Stetter F. UC-Riverside 7. Drew Anderson G. UCLA 8, Steve Sollman H. Cal State ? Fullerton 9. Grant Richardson I. Texas A&M 10. Dave Johnson J. Central Florida 11. Tony Festa K. Long Beach St. 12. Derek Miller L. Washington St.Level Three: Bases-Clearing Triple For which professional sports team is Lou Palmisano's girlfriend a member of the cheer / dance squad? Level Four: Turning an Unassisted Triple Play while Hitting for the Cycle What was the name of the Brewer farmhand (again, post-2001) who was deaf and communicated via American Sign Language? Hint -- he was a pitcher.

Congrats to the Sounds Director Of Media Relations & Baseball Ops., Doug Scopel. This is a pretty prestigious award in his field. Doug does a fantastic job with his game reports, pre-game notes, transaction updates, etc. -- his work adds a lot to what we get you in a timely manner here at Brewerfan: mlntherawfeed.squarespace...s-mln.html www.minorleaguenews.com/f...11/01.html

Baseball America: Brewers Signed SS Ozzie Chavez Placed RHP Stuart Sutherland on restricted list Restricted List: A player who fails to report or fails to sign a contract with the Club to which the player is reserved may be placed on the Restricted List. There is no minimum number of days the player must remain on the Restricted List before the player can be reinstated to the Active List. A player on the Restricted List does not count against a Club's Active List limits or its Reserve List limits. Sutherland (34th round, soon-to-be 23) struggled as did so many of the Helena arms in 2006. Odd timing for this transaction. Ozzie Chavez has six, not seven, years in the system, so one wonders what the circumstances were that had the Brewers needing to "sign" him again. Ordinarily that would have come up next year.

July 31, 2003: the Pittsburgh Pirates trade Jeff Suppan with Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez to the Boston Red Sox for Mike Gonzalez, Freddy Sanchez, and cash. Funny how Suppan and Gonzalez are both in the news so prominently this week. What a hideous deadline deal for the Sox, although Sanchez in particular would not have been given the opportunity to thrive in Boston.

22 individual questions in one post, Reed. Congrats, friend, that's a new record! QPPQ - Questions Per Post Quotient Just having some fun with ya... EDIT: Of course, I posted the above before seeing Reed's "the stupid question thread" in Off-Topic.

Yet another Top 100 MLB list (Baseball Digest), compiled by five gentleman (with their individual lists included, and combined into an aggregate list): Counting Down 100 to 51 Rogers 75 (pre-injury) Inman 63 Counting Down 50 to 1 Braun 26 Gallardo 20

Good a spot as any to add to the topic from a Canadian perspective -- had completely forgotten Vince Perkins was from British Columbia, a nugget on him below as well: Diamonds in the Rough GoldstreamGazette.com (British Columbia) ddescoteau@vicnews.com Five or so years ago, the idea of winter baseball or softball in Victoria would be a tough sell. Anyone wandering in to the Oak Bay Recreation Centre?s indoor sports field Wednesday would quickly discover that the concept of indoor ball here is alive and well. Twice a week through the fall and winter, students enrolled in the Diamond for Excellence program at Lambrick Park secondary dot the turf. Two dozen or so engage in hitting drills on one side of a floor-to-ceiling curtain, while the rest of the 60 baseball players run through fielding and pitching drills on the other. On this morning, the 40 softball playing girls in the program are outside, running on the Oak Bay secondary track. The groups switch in the afternoon. ?If you dropped this academy into the middle of Southern California, they?d be beating down the doors trying to get in,? said Brandon Newell, a Blaine, Wash.-based pro scout for the Milwaukee Brewers who comes up to help out semi-regularly. ?The kids have it unbelievably good up here.? The combination of quality instruction and availability of facilities has thrust Victoria into a spotlight when it comes to producing college-ready players. Not so long ago, telling someone from the pro or college baseball world that you?re a scout for Western Canada would be said under one?s breath, Newell said. He trumpets the fact now, having added those responsibilities to the five Pacific Northwest states he looks after. ?Now, if you don?t spend time up here, you?re going to get beat.? The idea of Victoria-area high schoolers being able to compete regularly with those in the U.S. for college or university scholarships ?was a farce? as recently as five years ago, Newell said. Now, between five and seven baseball players a year and an equal number of softball-playing girls from the academy could be considered potential candidates. ?It proves that the academy works,? he said. Academy head coach Rocky Vitale doesn?t mind blowing the horn for the program. The academy is becoming known nationally, he said, and with the support of well-connected people like Newell, and solid summer baseball and softball programs in the community, its players are being sent to schools around North America. ?We want these kids to be able to compete with kids in the states,? he said. ?We use this time to catch up on skill work.? A huge ingredient in the success of the program, Vitale said, is the availability of the Oak Bay facility. Nowhere else in the region can they find a dedicated space that allows them to keep the teaching going uninterrupted. The extra time spent on fundamentals such as hitting, fielding and pitching have local players competing on a national level more than ever, Vitale added. Newell, who has been scouting in B.C. and Victoria the past six years, enjoys helping out with academy activities and spoke enthusiastically about the effectiveness of the program and the opportunities it presents for young ball players. ?If they have the passion and they learn the skills here, I?ll find these kids a place to play.? Western Washington University assistant women?s softball coach Among the other special guests on hand to help the teens out Wednesday was sixth-year minor league pro Vince Perkins, who was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays by the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this year. He spoke to the youngsters Wednesday about their options and the challenges they might face in climbing the baseball ladder. ?It takes a special kind of player to step right into professional baseball out of high school,? the Saanich native said. Midway through a year of rehabilitation after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2006, Perkins, a starting pitcher his entire career, is preparing for a move to the bullpen next spring. Attending college can be a good stepping stone for players hoping to play professional baseball, he said, from both a developmental and emotional standpoint. ?I know for me, it would have been pretty tough to spend my first season away from home in the minors.? Such a situation may befall Kyle Orr, a 2006 academy and Lambrick Park grad who was on hand getting some pointers Wednesday before heading south for spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Orr chose this summer to put a scholarship to the University of Kentucky on hold to pursue a pro career in the Dodgers? organization. He hopes to be sharp by the time he dons the Dodgers? blue and white next March. ?It?s a huge advantage to come out here and work on stuff,? Orr said of the academy workouts. It may seem like work at this point, but come next spring, this group of 100 players will be that much further ahead than they were when ball season ended last summer.

Latest from MLB.com, which has finally dropped some of the winter leaguers who are no longer Brewer property (Ron Acuna, J.C. Boscan) from their updates. Alcides Escobar the new name here: milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p;c_id=mil

MiLB.com with a take on their pre-2006 minor league predictions for the NL Central and how they did: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp

Among the most interesting updates (italicized) on the Alumni List today are Chris Saenz (yay, Chris!), Enrique Cruz, and catcher Bryan Opdyke (2002 5th rounder).

Looks like no Mark Littell in 2007 -- hopefully not "Nutty Buddy" related: Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...106_02.txt Narron named Brewers manager By the Helena Independent Record Johnny Narron is once again the manager of the Helena Brewers. Narron, who managed the club in 2004, was hired as the skipper for the 2007 season. He is the brother of Cincinnati Reds manager Jerry Narron, served as the team?s hitting instructor this past season and in 2003. He replaces Eddie Sedar, who will be Milwaukee?s first base coach for 2007. Narron, 55, joined the Brewers organization in 2003 after serving six seasons as an associate scout with the Atlanta Braves organization. Narron managed Helena in 2004 leading them to a 39-37 record. ?My strength is the hitting side, but I also enjoy the managing side,? Narron said from his hometown in Goldsboro, NC. ?My goal is to one day be a major league hitting coach or be a minor league hitting coordinator, but I want to do anything I can to help the Milwaukee Brewers organization.? Narron played minor league ball in the Yankees and White Sox organizations from 1974-78. ?We look forward to working with Johnny again,? said Paul Fetz, General Manager of the Helena Brewers. ?He?s a true professional, has a solid record as a manager, and he?s someone our fans know and respect.? Helena?s 2004 hitting coach, Norberto ?Paco? Martin, will rejoin Narron after spending the past two years as Milwaukee?s Minor League infield instructor. Martin spent four years playing with the White Sox (1993-1997), one year with the Angels (1998) and one with the Blue Jays (1999). Primarily a second baseman, Martin earned a career fielding percentage of .970, and a career batting average of .278. Jose Nunez will replace Mark Littell as the pitching coach. Nunez, whose professional career spanned 17 years, played three years with Toronto (1987-1989), one year with the Cubs (1990) and three years in Seattle?s organization (1991-1993). From 1994-2005, Nunez played in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mexico?s Professional baseball leagues. Nunez won nine games, pitched over 197 innings, and had a 5.05 career ERA while in the Majors. ?Fans will enjoy the staff in Helena this year,? said Reid Nichols, Milwaukee?s Director of Player Development. ?With Johnny and Paco returning in 2007, I believe they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that our players will find invaluable.?

Hi moundvisit. I've copied your post in the Winter League Thread, which was just below your initial post...

From new poster "moundvisit" in an earlier post: I see that Justin Lehr, Luther Hackman, and Dennis Sarfate are playing together in Hermosillo, Mexico. These guys are dealing. Is Justin still with the Brewers? Sarfate has gone 8 1/3 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 12 K's. No runs. Thats impressive. Lehr is 5-1 with a 3.40 era, and Hackman is doing well now that he is in the pen. Isn't that a lot of throwing for Sarfate? Hackman could definitely prove to be a nice little surprise bullpen arm in Milwaukee some time in '07, Lehr was a nice minor league free agent signee for the Mariners this winter. And yes, an awfully long February through December non-stop season for Dennis thus far, but he's been dealing in the AFL and Mexico, so no harm, no foul. Welcome to the forums, mound...