Jim Goulart

The Red Sox spent all last spring trying to trade Graffy, and the issue of MLB rules preventing it was not an issue: www.rotoworld.com/content...mp;id=2218

Link while active, text follows: www.kokomotribune.com/sit...34521.html Thatcher?s stock continues to rise By PEDRO VELAZCO Kokomo (IND) Tribune Joe Thatcher?s last game in Hawaii left a lasting impression. ?I got trampled,? he said. The Kokomo High School graduate was on the mound, completing a player-of-the-game performance in relief for the North Shore Honu as his squad won the championship game of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league in Honolulu. The last batter for Waikiki hit the first pitch to center field for the final out. ?It was one of those things where as soon as it was hit, everybody knew it was going to be the last out,? Thatcher said. ?Next thing I knew, I?m on the bottom of the pile.? There was no better place to be at that moment. Thatcher was dominant in picking up the win in the title tilt. He pitched the final 41/3 innings, allowing no runs, just one hit and no walks while striking out three. North Shore topped the Waikiki BeachBoys 5-1 in the championship game of the four-team league. ?I hadn?t won a championship since I played down at UCT [youth baseball league] growing up,? said Thatcher, one of four players in the Milwaukee Brewers organization playing in the winter league. ?It felt really good. It was one of those things where guys came from all over and came together. We really wanted to win and go out on top. It?s always good to go back to the organization and be able to say we won a championship. People can be labeled as winners, and that is [something] good to be known as.? The Hawaii Winter Baseball League draws prospects from major league organizations and also from Asian leagues. For Thatcher and his Brewers organization teammates, playing in Hawaii was both an opportunity, and a reward for strong seasons. The championship game was Nov. 22. Usually used as a set-up man out of the bullpen, Thatcher?s long stint in the title game came as a surprise. He entered with two outs in the fifth inning and his squad behind 1-0. ?That?s the longest [pitching stint] I?ve had since my days when I was starting in college,? the former Indiana State player said. ?They kept asking if I was all right after every inning and I kept saying yeah. After the seventh inning, I thought they?d go to another closer. ?There was a great atmosphere and our team really wanted to win the championship. I just went out there and caught some breaks and had a really good outing. Things worked out for us.? The championship game drew 3,783 to the University of Hawaii?s field as locals turned up to support the league in its first season back after several years of inactivity. Thatcher spent two months in Hawaii playing in the league, amassing a great stat line. He appeared in 14 games, pitching 24 2/3 innings. Thatcher?s ERA was a tiny 0.73. He allowed just two earned runs, struck out 27 and walked only five. Opponents batted just .189 against him. After finishing the season in Double-A Huntsville, Thatcher said he was glad for the time in Hawaii. ?I pitched about as good as I could; played against some great competition,? Thatcher said. He said it?s a positive ?any time you can get out and keep throwing. I worked on my change-up a lot when I was out there and I got pretty comfortable with that. That was one of my main goals. I used it in big situations, which I?d never done before.? More vivid than his time on the mound were his cultural experiences, seeing Hawaii for the first time and teaming up with several players from overseas. ?One of the biggest things that I enjoyed was playing with guys from the Japanese professional leagues,? Thatcher said. ?We had six or seven of them. They were really excited to play over here. They play the game a little differently in Japan ? they had a lot of energy.? Thatcher also noted the difference between the culture of Hawaii versus all his other stops on the U.S. mainland. Living in dorms with players from all four teams in the league, he had plenty of chances to see Hawaii and hang out with new friends. ?It was great because most of the guys in the whole league stayed in these dorms,? he said. ?It?ll be fun running into those guys in future years. The dorms were right on Waikiki beach. It was unbelievable. There were always things to do.? Thatcher is enthused about the feedback he and his Brewer teammates received from the organization. ?It only helped us all being out there,? he said. ?The general manager and the front office were following what we were doing. It?s going to be exciting next year. As long as you?re in Double-A, then you?ve always got a shot, being one phone call away from being called up to Milwaukee.?

We learn from the Sounds site that Alec Zumwalt moves from the AFL to Venezuela -- full winter league update linked here: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2170

Update from the Brewers' site, similar to summaries they've provided earlier: milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p;c_id=mil

A reaction to Justin Lehr's minor league deal with the Mariners posted at Jeff Sackmann's Milwaukee Brewers Blogparty: www.brewcrewball.com./sto.../202125/59

Yes, but haven't the summer leagues such as the Cape League, New England College (NECBL), Northwoods, etc., traditionally invited sophomores from four-year college programs? Being so close to the Cape myself, the Brewers have had only one Brewer "property" candidate that I could contact over the past several years, Baylor's RHP Steven White, who returned for his senior year and was drafted by the Yankees the following spring. I've often thought it would be great if kids that have indicated they would go to a JUCO program that fall could be "followed" the prior summer, but none of the DFE candidates ever seemed to be assigned to the more prominent summer leagues. I'm hoping that changes this summer and several of the kids will end up my way over the summer, prior to that August deadline for the Brewers to draft-and-follow.

But I'd been wondering how the forum/website traffic this off-season (to date) compares to the same period last year. It feels like there's been less of a dropoff. With one day remaining in November 2006, this month has seen an average of 2154 unique visitors each day. Brewerfan saw a pretty significantly greater number of daily November visitors in 2005 at an average of 2446 visitors each day. July 2006 remains the high-water mark all time, 3945 unique visitors daily on average. The failure of the Brewers to approach the .500 mark again this past August and September really caused the site to take a pretty good hit in terms of similar post-season follow-up from the 2005 season. Although this fall's readers do seem to have busier typing fingers...

Latest update from Nashville's site includes Mike Rivera and Charlie Fermaint sightings in Puerto Rico: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2170

Thank you, Nashville site: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2174 C/3B Craig Kuzmic - Kuzmic, who will log his tenth professional season in 2007, joins his fifth different organization with the Brewers. The versatile 29-year-old switch-hitter enjoyed a solid 2006 campaign with Chico of the independent Golden Baseball League and was named to Baseball America's All-Independent Leagues Second Team after batting .319 (86-for-270) with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs. He scored a GBL-high 60 runs and finished among the league leaders in every significant offensive category. He spent the final two weeks of the campaign with New Hampshire (AA-Blue Jays) and went 2-for-19 (.105) in six games. Kuzmic, a career .260 hitter in 926 pro contests, primarily sees action at third base and behind the plate but can also man first base or a corner outfield spot. He is best-known in Nashville Sounds annuls as the hitter whose shattered bat impaled the arm of pitcher Rick Helling on May 27, 2005 at Greer Stadium. Craig Kuzmic's Career Statistics: We'll have a Brewerfan Player Index Page built in the next day or two... www.thebaseballcube.com/p...zmic.shtml

Don't go by minorleaguebaseball.com -- they don't update rosters from the time the regular season ends until next April. House signing link: www.rotoworld.com/content...mp;id=3405

House signed a minor league deal with Baltimore earlier this month. Midway through the linked thread below you'll see in bold the two main linked lists of minor league free agents, one from Baseball America and the other from MiLB.com: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...3887.topic

Link: slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseba...7-sun.html Interesting note among several: The draft remains at 50 rounds per team, yet many scouts expect to see clubs pass once organizational needs are filled.

Newly acquired Greg Aquino is pitching in the Dominican: www.escogido.com/stats/estrellas.pdf Hopefully teammate Izzy Alcantara doesn't set him sour on the Brewers... LHP Rafael Lluberes (W.V. Power, 2006) struggling in early action: www.escogido.com/stats/gigantes.pdf SS Ozzie Chavez getting significant playing time: www.escogido.com/stats/azucareros.pdf Old friend and minor league free agent LHP Derek Lee has been the Domincan League's best pitcher thus far: www.escogido.com/stats/aguilas.pdf Finally found a page that keeps updated Dominican stats -- they're the first six links you see here: www.escogido.com/porequipos.htm

Link while active, text follows: www.kearneyhub.com/site/i...&rfi=8 To Drew, no place like big league By BUCK MAHONEY, Kearney (Neb.) Hub Sports Editor KEARNEY ? Drew Anderson got a taste of the big leagues. Now he would like a full meal. Called up to play for the Milwaukee Brewers in mid-September, the Kearney High School graduate played in eight games, getting one hit and one start. More importantly, he lived the big-league experience, and ?it was awesome.? ?When I left Triple-A , I went with three other guys and we flew to Pittsburgh. We flew first class, and that?s exactly how the big league is,? Anderson said. ?Every single thing about it is first class: the hotels, everything you do. You know why you work hard. ?Once I got there, I knew there was no chance I would ever want to go back to the minor leagues. I know I?m probably going to have to start in Triple-A next year, but there?s no way I want to go back there.? The Brewers have some openings in their outfield, and some decisions to make. That?s cause for optimism for Anderson and the reason the Brewers brought him up for a late-season look. Anderson started the season at Double-A Huntsville. Playing almost every day, he batted .291 with six home runs and 43 RBIs. He spent most of the season hitting third in the batting order, a spot reserved for players who are expected to get on base and drive in runs. A mid-season trade ? the Brewers sent outfielder Carlos Lee and minor league outfielder Nelson Cruz to the Texas Rangers ? opened the door for Anderson to move up a level in the minor leagues. Playing about the last three weeks for Nashville, Anderson hit .333 in 16 games. Nashville made the playoffs, but lost in the first round, and Anderson expected to pack up and go home. ?When I got called to the big leagues, that was an absolute shock,? Anderson said. He got the word when Nashville?s season ended in Round Rock, Texas. Anderson got called into the manager?s office and was told he had a good year, even though he got off to a slow start. Still in the dark, Anderson said, ?I seem to struggle the first half pretty much every year. I don?t get off to great starts. It?s probably because I live up in the Midwest and it?s a little colder. I get off to those slow starts because I?m not outside all the time.? The manager told him he should move, but Anderson said moving is expensive. ?He said, ?It?s a good thing you?re going to the big leagues, then.? I was like ?What?? It was pretty much a shock,? Anderson said. Anderson got thrown into a pressure cooker in his first big-league appearance. It was two out, two on, top of the ninth, tying run at second and the St. Louis Cardinals needing the win to stay on top in the division race. ?Not what I expected,? said Anderson, who struck out in his debut. Most of Anderson?s playing time came as a pinch-hitter, which he said was a difficult adjustment because he has been a starter throughout his entire baseball career. He started only one game for the Brewers, getting his first hit against Matt Morris of the San Francisco Giants. He scored three runs while playing in eight games, including a game-winner in the bottom of the ninth against the Cardinals on Sept. 18, scoring from second base on a single by Tony Graffanino. ?It was pretty special, definitely one of those things you never forget,? Anderson said. ?He hit the ball hard, so I knew it was probably going to be a tight play, but I saw Prince (Fielder) jumping up and down, so I knew it wasn?t going to be too close of a play.? While Anderson?s appearance was brief, he certainly hopes it will lead to a better opportunity next year. His promotion guarantees he will start spring training with the big league club. While he expects to open the season in Triple-A, he?s looking forward to having the opportunity to show the big league coaches and executives what he can do. And, he expects to be a better player next year. ?I think I?ve played better every year,? Anderson said. The Kearney Hub Athlete of the year in high school, Anderson was a four-sport standout. It was only in college when he started to focus year-round on baseball. Anderson plans to return to Kearney this weekend with his wife, Stacy. They were married in February.

Well, that was fun. Been a while since I set the PC monitor to full-screen mode, got out the blanket, and just enjoyed a ball game. Thatcher didn't waste any time between pitches, and his body type has a bit of Dana Eveland to it in a good way. He's listed at 6-2, 215, but his butt and thighs aren't petite, let's put it that way. You're right, Toby, he needs to keep the ball down to RH bats, but should continue to be death to lefty's. Darren Ford's speed as advertised, yikes. Aloha!

Glad you found the post, And That, "and that" I'm not the only one watching this evening http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif . Nice having the game log available, so we know when to expect defensive plays by Ford and Cain as well. Game's flying along with no commercial breaks, will be fun to watch Thatch for 4.1 innings, plus the final celebration.

Well, if you happen to be reading now (it's 7:30 Central Friday evening), the game just began via the Baseball Channel link (even though the link says it's the AFL Championship game). mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/me...p#20061027

NOTE: On Friday November 23rd at 1 pm ET (noon Central), a tape-delayed video broadcast of the game will be available through BaseballChannel.TV. Nope, misprint somehow. Instead it's been a two-hour show about the '91 Braves - Twins series....

Reminder: Noon Central Friday mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/me...p#20061027 Lefthander Joe Thatcher (2-1) pitched 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, striking out three in relief of starter Blake Eager, while Hawaii native Rodney Choy Foo (Indians) drove in the tying and go-ahead runs to lead the Honu. Thatcher said he used mostly fastballs. "I think I threw three or four curveballs and maybe and one changeup," said Thatcher (Brewers). "I was just being aggressive, going right at them. "I didn't expect to go that long. I didn't go that long all year. Coaches had faith in me, kept running me out there. Drew Butera did a heck of a job behind the plate; the best catcher I've ever thrown to." Clark added he kept Thatcher in long because he wanted to keep switch hitters Eric Young Jr. and Dexter Fowler in the righthanded hitter's box. "He did a great job of keeping those guys off the bases and keeping them from scoring runs," Clark said. Players mingled a while after the game, but some had flights and left as soon as the game ended. Thatcher wasn't to leave until Thanksgiving night. But he didn't mind. "I'm missing Thanksgiving,"said Thatcher, decorated with lei from well-wishers, "but this makes it all worth it right here." Full game story: www.baseballamerica.com/t...62898.html

Baseball America reports that the Brewers have released 2005 38th round pick RHP Chris Jean. Jean just turned 24 on Halloween. In two seasons with Helena, (32 games, 15 starts, including 12 starts in 2006), Jean pitched 104.1 innings, allowing 137 hits and striking out only 59 (ERA 5.62). Unfortunately, those numbers won't get it done for a late-round college draftee in rookie ball. Also released was middle infielder David Parker, who will be 24 next month. In 125 AB's with Helena in 2006, Parker only posted an OPS of .450. The Brewers had signed him after he had been released by the Padres in 2005, where he had an OPS of .557 in 160 Arizona Rookie AB's. The Brewers also signed two more young Latin players -- we won't have info on them or Brewerfan Player Index Pages until the spring media guide comes out: Signed 3B Edgar Trejo Signed C Jonathan Requena A player with the same name as Requena was on the shared Venezuelan Summer League team of the Twins and Blue Jays, listed as an IF/OF, this past season. That player was also suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance enhancing substances, so it's unlikely it's the same Jonathan Requena. We'll know more in the spring when we have birth dates, etc.

Nothing particularly new, but some quotes and such from Kevin Mench today: www.delawareonline.com/ap...002/SPORTS

Off-topic in terms of minor league baseball, but posted here to make sure our Huntsville friends (now over eight years part of the Brewer "family") are sure to view... Many of you have certainly read and seen the tragic reports on CNN and elsewhere from Huntsville this week about the school bus that plunged off an overpass, killing four young ladies, and leaving three other students in critical (not just serious, but critical, condition), and many others wounded. Mark McCarter, the Huntsville Times Sports Columnist who often writes on the Stars, comments here: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 The very latest from a news perspective here. Especially poignant are the stories in "the Victims" section: www.al.com/specialreport/?buscrash.html While nearly all of us deal with our own individual life tragedies while also giving thanks for blessings today, let's also keep our Huntsville friends in mind as their community grieves. Take care to all, may Thanksgiving and the holiday season be special for you.

Joe Thatcher has to begin 2007 either as Huntsville's closer or in Nashville's pen. Anything resembling his other-wordly numbers from 2005 and 2006 would automatically translate into a Brewer bullpen spot at some point in 2007. You know the Brewers want a second lefty to join Brian Shouse. At age 25 (as of last month), Thatcher would have the maturity, he just needs to face more advanced hitters for a longer stretch. Heck, he's less than a year younger than Mitch Stetter, who's never come close to approaching a two-year long stretch of dominance like Thatcher has. Joe won't be # 49 on the Power 50 next time out, you'd think...love those undrafted free agents. NOTE: On Friday November 23rd at 1 pm ET (noon Central), a tape-delayed video broadcast of the game will be available through BaseballChannel.TV. mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/me...p#20061027 I don't believe MLB.com archives this game -- we're going to inquire, though. If it's like previous Hawaii games, it'll be a two-hour block commercial-free. Great chance to watch Ford, Cain, and in particular, Thatcher. File a report here, particularly on Joe, if you get to watch. Have to think that the four Brewers (Thatcher, Ford, Cain, Hinton) enjoyed their Hawaiian stints, and that the A-ball guys next year are salivating at the thought of being named a Brewer Hawaiian league rep. Great gig...thanks for following the thread this fall.

Link, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Honu roar back to take title By Daren Smith / MLB.com Rodney Choy Foo provided the lead and Joe Thatcher preserved it for the North Shore Honu. North Shore captured the Hawaii Winter Baseball championship on Wednesday night with a 5-1 victory over the Waikiki BeachBoys as Choy Foo drove in two runs and Thatcher pitched 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Choy Foo, a native Hawaiian, plated the Honu's first run with a groundout in the sixth inning, then doubled home Lorenzo Cain in the eighth to put them in front for good, 2-1. Mike Carp followed with an RBI single. North Shore, which finished atop the West Division, padded its lead in the ninth on Cain's two-run single off reliever Andrew Johnston. That was more than enough for Thatcher, a Milwaukee Brewers prospect who posted a 1.37 ERA in 46 relief appearances in the South Atlantic, Florida State and Southern Leagues in 2006. The 25-year-old left-hander retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced, yielding only a leadoff single to Dexter Fowler in the sixth. Thatcher (1-0) set down Fowler and Eric Young Jr. on groundouts in the bottom of the ninth, then got Nate Schierholtz on a fly ball to center field to set off a celebration at the mound at Les Murakami Stadium. BeachBoys starter Atsushi Nohmi limited the Honu to four hits and struck out seven over five scoreless innings. Waikiki's Mark Minicozzi, who led the league with 24 RBIs, snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth with a two-out solo homer off North Shore starter Blake Eager. But that was all the offense for the East Division champions as Thatcher come on in the fifth and stranded a runner at third by striking out Sebastien Boucher. Nohmi was replaced to start the sixth by Hirotaka Egusa (0-1), who gave up back-to-back singles to Darren Ford and Cain. After Dustin Martin sacrificed both runners into scoring position, Choy Foo grounded out to second base to tie the game, 1-1. Cain collected three of the Honu's 14 hits, while Ford, Martin, Drew Butera and Xavier Paul had two apiece. Minicozzi went 2-for-3 but was the only member of the BeachBoys with more than one hit. Box Score / Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Waikiki Bottom 5th - Reed Eastley triples (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Darren Ford. - Coaching visit to mound. - Christopher Nelson flies out to center fielder Darren Ford. - Ian Desmond grounds out sharply, third baseman Blake Dewitt to first baseman Mike Carp. - Coaching visit to mound. - Pitcher Change: Joe Thatcher replaces Blake Eager. - Sebastien Boucher strikes out swinging. Waikiki Bottom 6th - Dexter Fowler singles on a ground ball to shortstop Jonathan Tucker. - Eric YoungJr. bunt pops out to catcher Drew Butera in foul territory. - Nate Schierholtz grounds into double play, shortstop Jonathan Tucker to second baseman Rodney Choy Foo to first baseman Mike Carp. Dexter Fowler out at 2nd. Waikiki Bottom 7th - Mark Minicozzi called out on strikes. - Devin Ivany grounds out, second baseman Rodney Choy Foo to first baseman Mike Carp. - Reed Eastley flies out to right fielder Lorenzo Cain. Waikiki Bottom 8th - Christopher Nelson flies out to right fielder Lorenzo Cain. - Ian Desmond lines out to third baseman Blake Dewitt. - Sebastien Boucher strikes out swinging. Waikiki Bottom 9th - Dexter Fowler grounds out, third baseman Blake Dewitt to first baseman Mike Carp. - Eric YoungJr. grounds out, second baseman Rodney Choy Foo to first baseman Mike Carp. - Nate Schierholtz flies out to center fielder Darren Ford. Productive games for Darren Ford and Lorenzo Cain, as the box score and game logs will attest. This game's stats don't count in the final season statistics, unfortunately. The league web site hasn't updates stats in about a week. Joe Thatcher retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced out of the bullpen for North Shore. (Dave Rolf) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2006/11/23/wAl3LMnF.jpg

North Shore loses 4-0, in a seven-inning tune-up for Wednesday's championship game. Darren Ford with a walk and caught stealing: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb