Jim Goulart

Congratulations to Angel Salome -- a pretty prestigious honor when Topps names you the top catcher in all of A-ball (that's low-A and high-A, a total of 60 minor league teams): www.kinstonindians.com/ne...cle_id=905

First of all, great middle name... Position: P Full Name: Timothy Weong Dillard Born: July 19, 1983 Place: Sarasota,Florida Height: 6-4 Weight: 200 Bats: B Throws: R High School: Saltillo (Saltillo,MS) College: Itawamba Community College Transactions: Drafted - Selected by Milwaukee Brewers in 15th Round (448th overall) of 2001 amateur entry draft (June-Reg) ... Selected by Milwaukee Brewers in 34th Round (1009th overall) of 2002 amateur entry draft (June-Reg) May 27,2003 - signed So when Dillard was drafted in 2002, he was 18 years old, soon to be 19. He was only 17 when drafted the first time. Brewcru and his magic 8-ball are correct yet again -- still at 100%, although we don't hear from him as often as we'd like. Continue to keep us on our toes, thanks!

North Shore clinches a spot in Wednesday's championship game with a 9-4 victory Monday night. www.hawaiiwinterbaseball....11-20.html Robert Hinton did allow one run on a solo HR, but he also stranded two inherited runners and all five outs he recorded were via strikeout. 18 of the 21 pitches he threw were for strikes -- wow: CaneFires 7th -- S. Kazmar grounds out, J. Tucker to M. Carp. -- M. Stodolka singles to right field. -- J. Corsaletti walks, M. Stodolka to 2nd. -- Pitcher Change: R. Hinton replaces B. Parnell. -- Y. Iihara strikes out swinging. -- C. Rahl strikes out swinging. CaneFires 8th -- J. Mayberry strikes out swinging. -- E. Frostad strikes out swinging, D. Butera to M. Carp. -- J. Otness hits a home run to left field. -- J. Whittleman strikes out swinging, D. Butera to M. Carp. Darren Ford singled twice in five AB's and had a two-out RBI; Lorenzo Cain was 1-for-4 (single) with a walk and a run scored.

Homework for someone, please: Find a list of Brewers who have been selected in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft in say, the last twenty years. It's been a long while, I honestly don't know and can't spare the search time today, thanks...

Thanks, brewcru1 -- we debate Dillard's eligibility every year, regardless of the rules http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif By the way, my own pick for a 40-man roster spot would have been reliever Steve Bray, unless there's some obscure rule that says once you've been picked in the minor league phase of the Rule 5, you can't be selected in the major league portion...

The major league portion of the Rule 5 draft will be affected by giving teams one extra year to protect players from it. Rather than teams being allowed three years (for players signed at age 19 or older) or four years (for players 18 and younger) before leaving them off the 40-man roster subjects them to the Rule 5 draft, those periods have been lengthened to four and five. Ownership considered this a significant boost in their efforts to operate their minor league systems more effectively. You'll notice that several MLB organizations added players to their 40-man rosters November 20th, the final day they could do so to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. The rule change listed above allowed the Brewers to decide that they didn't have to add a single player to their 40-man roster from the system this offseason. So it was "no" on fringe decisions like Lou Palmisano and Tim Dillard. As we have in years' past, we hope to have the complete list prior to the winter meetings for you on who's officially protected where in the organization in terms of each phase of the Rule 5 draft.

Nashville Site Update: 1B Mike Huggins - Huggins was an All-Star in the independent Atlantic League in 2006 after batting .284 (126-for-443) with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, and drawing a league-best 78 walks in 123 games for the Road Warriors, the circuit's "homeless" squad that plays every game on the road. He finished 5th in the AL with 209 total bases and was selected to the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams. The 26-year-old logged his first four pro seasons in the Baltimore Orioles chain before being released at the end of spring training last March. Huggins spent the 2004 & 2005 campaigns with Double-A Bowie, hitting .212 in 118 games in '05. There's your response to the Cubs for the Soriano signing. Take that, Cubbies! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif But honestly, first base was such an organizational black hole in 2006 (remember Greg Sain?) that someone like Huggins could likely fine a home at the AAA (more likely AA) level in 2007. But that age 25 year in AA in 2005 looks downright ugly... Mike Huggins Career Statistics from the Baseball Cube (we'll build a corresponding Brewerfan Player Index Page over the next day or two): www.thebaseballcube.com/p...gins.shtml Here's an interesting news item about life as a "Road Warrior". Kudos to these guys for keeping the dream alive, and now a player like Huggins gets rewarded -- good stuff here: www.atlanticleague.com/cg...1152363385 Two years ago Huggins overcame an emergency appendectomy and took part in the Arizona Fall League (story from Orioles' site): www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ba...;fext=.jsp

North Shore loses, 11-5, Sunday night www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb Darren Ford 1-for-5 with a single, Lorenzo Cain 3-for-5 (three singles, two SB's). Cain up to .234, but only five walks in 111 AB's, way off his better South Atlantic League norm.

North Shore falls, 3-2, Saturday night: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb Joe Thatcher's ERA now 0.73: Honolulu Top 8th - Pitcher Change: Joe Thatcher replaces Takuya Kikou. - Yoshiyuki Kamei strikes out swinging. - Eric Nielsen walks. - Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Ryan Patterson replaces Ryan Finan. - Ryan Patterson strikes out swinging. - With Masaya Ozaki batting, Eric Nielsen steals (3) 2nd base. - Masaya Ozaki grounds out to first baseman Mike Carp. Honolulu Top 9th - Nyjer Morgan strikes out swinging. - Paco Figueroa walks. - Micah Furtado flies out to right fielder Lorenzo Cain. - Clint Sammons grounds into a force out, shortstop Jonathan Tucker to second baseman Rodney Choy Foo. Paco Figueroa out at 2nd. In 14 appearances covering 24.2 innings, Thatcher has allowed two earned runs, 17 hits (one HR), five walks, and 27 K's. Darren Ford 0-for-4 (two K's), Lorenzo Cain 0-for-3, one K, HBP, run scored).

North Shore wins, 5-2, Friday night Darren Ford (triple, walk, SB, two runs scored) and Lorenzo Cain (RBI groundout, RBI single, SB, throws runner out at home from RF) both with productive nights. Each can feel better about their recent production as the season winds down in Hawaii (four regular season games remain before a likely championship game appearance Wednesday the 22nd. Box Score / Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...n_nshwin_1 Season-to-date standings, stats: www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/stats/

From the initial post: Central graduate Seidel signs with Brewers By KIRK BEY / La Crosse Tribune It was all set. R.J. Seidel was leaving for the University of Arkansas this morning, ready to start his collegiate baseball career as an NCAA Division I pitcher. But Saturday night, Seidel and his family were celebrating in a local restaurant. The Central High School graduate had signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, the team that had selected him in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball draft on June 6. Seidel, who will report to the Brewers? six-week fall instructional league on Sept. 15 in Phoenix, declined to reveal the terms of the deal. He did say the Brewers will pay for his schooling should he decide to attend college in the future. The Brewers initially offered to sign him in the sixth round for $100,000, but Seidel passed. He also turned down offers to sign with the Chicago White Sox in the third round for $300,000, and the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round for $100,000. So what happened over the last two months? What made Seidel, a 6-foot-6 right-hander with a 90-mph fastball, decide to forego a four-year scholarship at Arkansas and take a shot at professional baseball? Seidel said he never had an epiphany about what to do. He simply weighed the pros and cons of both situations until he ultimately decided signing with the Brewers was his best option. ?I always said (the chances of signing with the Brewers) was 50-50. I didn?t know what I was going to do,? said Seidel, who signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2005. ?I kept an open mind. ... I was never leaning one way or the other. I was always right in the middle.? Over the course of last week, Seidel ? the Tribune?s 2006 Baseball Player of the Year ? started to drift toward giving professional baseball a shot. Seidel said Brewers scout Harvey Kuenn Jr. came to La Crosse last week to meet with him and his father, Dick. Dick Seidel said the Brewers had been evaluating R.J. this summer while he played for the La Crosse American Legion baseball team. As much as the Brewers liked what Seidel did for Central this past season ? he was 8-2 with an earned run average of 0.99 and 90 strikeouts ? Dick Seidel said Kuenn was impressed by what he saw from R.J. this summer. ?The Brewers rated R.J. as an upper-round kid. They wanted to watch him through the summer, and they thought he got better,? said Dick Seidel, who pitched in the New York Yankees? farm system in the early 1980s. ?He?s well ahead of where I was when I was his age. There?s certainly room for growth, but this is something he felt like he was ready to do, and the Brewers felt the same way.? Hearing that made R.J. Seidel feel good about changing direction at the last minute. ?I knew I ultimately wanted to play professional baseball,? he said. ?I can?t wait to play.? ***Baseball America reports that Seidel received a $415,000 signing bonus, one of two bonuses of six figures the Brewers gave to picks after the 7th round, normally frowned upon by MLB. The other was Shane Hill in the 8th round ($145,000). www.baseballamerica.com/t...62846.html

Latest from the Brewers' site -- no insider info, pretty much a statistcial summary. For instance, we really should be told why Manny Parra missed his last two starts: milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p;c_id=mil

Our thanks to the Nashville site -- please visit our affiliate sites when linked, we're lucky they do a wonderful job, even in the off-season: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2174 RHP Dave Bradley - The 29-year-old hurler joins the Brewers organization for the second time in his eight-year career after spending the 2006 season in the Oakland Athletics chain. He went 6-11 with a 5.41 ERA (79 ER / 131.1 IP) in 31 games (24 starts) for Double-A Midland last season. Bradley was a member of the Milwaukee farm system in 2004 & 2005 and posted a 6-5 record and 3.35 ERA in 35 appearances for Double-A Huntsville in 2005, when his .190 batting average allowed was 4th-best among Southern League relievers. The West Virginian carries a career 4.04 ERA in 238 minor-league appearances. David Bradley's Brewerfan Player Index Page: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=615 Bradley was known as just a real good teammate and coachable guy with Huntsville. His 2006 Texas League statistics say it was a tough season, but not a surprise the Brewers would bring him again for an "organizational" spot. Good luck to Dave.

Scottsdale loses 1-0, to complete their season Ryan Braun gets to enjoy a day without baseball on his 23rd birthday Friday. He went 1-for-3 to end a fantastic AFL season. Peo Javelinas Bottom 5th - Pitcher Change: Alec Zumwalt replaces Corwin Malone. - Javi Herrera grounds out, shortstop Kevin Frandsen to first baseman Travis Ishikawa. - Matt Tuiasosopo grounds out, third baseman Ryan Braun to first baseman Travis Ishikawa. - Jacoby Ellsbury doubles (4) on a fly ball to left fielder Fred Lewis. Jacoby Ellsbury out at 2nd, left fielder Fred Lewis to third baseman Ryan Braun to first baseman Travis Ishikawa. Peo Javelinas Bottom 6th - Pitcher Change: Steve Bray replaces Alec Zumwalt. - Chad Spann grounds out, shortstop Mark Reynolds to first baseman Travis Ishikawa. - Josh Burrus pops out to shortstop Mark Reynolds. - Kevin Kouzmanoff singles on a fly ball to left fielder Fred Lewis. - Gaby Sanchez flies out to center fielder Bradley Coon. Sortable season-ending stats are available via the league's home page: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p?sid=l119 I suppose we could assign letter grades, but let's just say Braun was an AFL stud, Dennis Sarfate and Steve Bray had nice fall seasons, Manny Parra was inconsistent but very good at times (and was AWOL late in the season), Vinny Rottino saw valuable time behind the plate, Steve Moss still hasn't flashed any measurable production given his supposed "tools", and Alec Zumwalt had a rough fall (Sam Narron incomplete). Thanks for following the thread this fall...

Wonder what's happened to sales since all the publicity... The You Tube clip of the video has over 9,000 views in a week: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C9aiWr0Vfg The local Helena press followed up: Link while active, text follows -- www.helenair.com/articles...606_04.txt This cup won?t crack; former pro protects his buddies By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - Helena Independent Record Feature Writer Let?s be up front about it ? this is a story for men. It?s a story that plays out around the country every summer; a story for all the guys whoever took a groun ball to the pennants and lived to tell about it. It?s a story about the Nutty Buddy and Mark Littell, the man who both invented the protective device and risked his future progeny to prove that it works. What?s the Nutty Buddy, you ask? In simple terms, it?s an evolution in sporting equipment that no infielder, catcher or pitcher should be without. It?s a new and improved protective ?cup? invented by Littell, the Helena Brewers pitching coach who, in the 1970s, tossed for the Kansas City Royals, earning an ERA of 3.32 over nine seasons. ?I?ve been blown off the mound twice,? said Littell, speaking of his days in the big leagues and the importance of wearing a good protective device. ?I tell my pitchers about all the catastrophes that can happen when you air them out.? By ?airing them out,? he?s referring to ?the boys,? as his Web site calls them. And while his story has a lot to do with his newfangled product (which won top honors from the Industrial Design of America), the attention he?s getting is owed in part to his demonstration, recorded for a commercial at Helena?s Kindrick Legion Field. Both the commercial and the product have become a national sensation, attracting the admiration and respect of men across the country. With the Nutty Buddy at your service, it seems, there?s no need to cower from that hard-hit roller, or that slap shot at the buzzer. Instead, when wearing a Nutty Buddy ? as demonstrated by Littell ? you can stand firm and take it like a man. ?It takes a very confident man to stand five feet from a pitching machine and take a 90 mph baseball to the cojones,? reports Sports Illustrated. ?Wearing both hats is former MLB pitcher Mark Littell, who put his fertility in the hands of the Nutty Buddy.? But Littell did just that, exposing himself to the unthinkable while wearing his buddy. Littell?s sales pitch remains convincing enough, though ? if this has ever happened to you ? watching him take a fastball right there is easier said than done. ?The guy with the bullet-proof vest did it with his product,? said Littell. ?Well, I did too. I can literally say I stand behind my product.? Paul Fetz, the Brewers general manager, was in the ballpark the day the commercial was shot. The clip, he admits, is as funny as it is harrowing. Littell?s invention, he adds, is worth its weight in jewels. ?It seems like the Nutty Buddy is a little different than some of the other cups,? said Fetz. ?It seems like it?s a little stronger. I?ve never seen anyone stand in front of a pitching machine and take a fastball like that before.? For those considering a Nutty Buddy of their own, the product comes in three sizes, including the Hog (the biggest) and the Hammer (the medium). Even the smallest ? the Boss ? will leave you feeling proud. Chris Sabo, a coach of the Billings Mustangs and the former third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds ? he batted .268 over nine seasons ? thanked Littell for his invention, which promises not to break or pinch, as do other cups. ?I had a cup shattered by Jack Clark in 1988 on a one-hopper,? Sabo said. ?If I would have had that thing, it would have saved me some pain? It must have a way of dispersing the hit.? Littell said the male protective device was sorely in need of reinventio. Working as a pitching coordinator for the Kansas City Royals seven years ago, he asked the men on his crew if they wore a cup. Only half raised their hands. One of the men challenged Littell to create a better, more comfortable device. Littell did just that, adhering to the anatomical demands of the male design. Final molds were drawn up at Arizona State University using a CAD drawing system. Then the day came to try it out before a home game against the Billings Mustangs. The opposing coach, Sabo, couldn?t believe what he was seeing. ?Sabo actually stopped batting practice,? Littell said. ?He looked at me and said, ?You?re not going to do it, are you? You?re going to take a shot right there!?? I told the guy filming our season, ?I need you to shoot me getting hit in the cup with this Nutty Buddy I made.? The rest, they say, is history. To see it for yourself, log on to www.thenuttybuddy.com.

Just a sidenote -- RHP Al Hawkins, who spent seven seasons in the Brewer system, the last couple just about wiped out by injury, has been a member of the Grambling football team this season (quarterback, although he has not seen any game action). He was featured in this story on NCAA drug-testing procedures: www.ksla.com/Global/story...p;nav=0RY5 His Brewerfan Player Index Profile Page: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=349

OK, that's enough -- thread closed...

Baseball jersey-shopping fans, be sure to visit this thread in our Trading Post forum (and comment on it there if necessary): p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...=692.topic

This is actually news for the "2007" coaching thread, but since it's still November 2006, we'll keep it here -- from Brevard County GM Buck Rogers: Staff update: the Manatees will have John Tamargo return as Field Manager this season. JT was the Manatees Manager in 2005. Last season he skippered the AAA Durham Bulls (Tampa Devil Rays). Ramon Aviles, the Manatees Manager of 2006, is taking a year off from baseball for personal reasons. We'll announce the rest of the staff when it becomes assembled in 2007. Welcome back, JT. Tamargo had a tumultuous season in 2006 managing the likes of bat-throwing Delmon Young and the always pleasant Elijah Dukes. Pretty sure he'll be thrilled to work with kids like Inman, Cain, Ford, Gamel, etc...

North Shore wins, 7-2 www.minorleaguebaseball.c...n_nshwin_1 Confidence-boosting game for Darren Ford (home run and triple); Lorenzo Cain two ground ball base hits and his 9th stolen base in ten attempts. Joe Thatcher worked for his save: West Oahu Top 9th - Pitcher Change: Joe Thatcher replaces Wesley Wright. - Chris Rahl flies out to center fielder Darren Ford. - Mike Stodolka strikes out swinging. - Sean Kazmar singles on a ground ball to second baseman Rodney Choy Foo. - Makoto Moriyama singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Dustin Martin. Sean Kazmar to 2nd. - Tomtaka Sakaguchi strikes out swinging.

Nothing stands out to hunt for audio-wise from Wednesday night's 5-2 Scottsdale loss: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...n_surwin_1 Vinny Rottino had a passed ball that led to a first-inning run. He singled leading off the 3rd, but was caught stealing. Ryan Braun had a line drive single in the 2nd, but was doubled off second base on a fly to left. That one play is at the 39:00 minute audio mark, it was a hit-and-run situation... Steve Moss (RF) 0-for-4. Archived audio: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p?sid=l119 Thursday's finale for Scottsdale is at 2:00 Central at the same link.

North Shore wins, 3-2 Robert Hinton with a tidy ten-pitch save: West Oahu Top 9th - Pitcher Change: Robert Hinton replaces Satoshi Yamazaki. - Sean Kazmar grounds out, third baseman Koby Clemens to first baseman Mike Carp. - John Otness grounds out, third baseman Koby Clemens to first baseman Mike Carp. - John Mayberry grounds out to first baseman Mike Carp. Darren Ford with a 1-for-4 night, scored the go-ahead run in the 7th after a line drive single and his 12th stolen base (in 14 attempts). www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb

Scottsdale loses, 5-2, Tuesday afternoon www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb Ryan Braun 2-for-4 with a single and ground-rule double; Moss and Rottino idle. Phoenix Top 8th - Pitcher Change: Dennis Sarfate replaces Patrick Misch. - Chip Cannon walks. - Brent Clevlen strikes out swinging. - Kody Kirkland grounds into a force out, shortstop Kevin Frandsen to second baseman Danny Richar. Chip Cannon out at 2nd. Kody Kirkland to 1st. - Javon Moran singles on a ground ball to right fielder Mark Reynolds. Kody Kirkland to 3rd. - With Landon Powell batting, Javon Moran steals (2) 2nd base. - Landon Powell flies out to right fielder Mark Reynolds. Only two more games remain for the Scorpions, who won't be part of Saturday's championship game. Both games will be available in live and archived audio, 8:00 PM Central Wednesday and 2:00 PM Central Thursday.

Link while active, text follows: www.baltimoresun.com/spor...-headlines Lopez won't concede O's spot He's eager to take on Wright, others, but might be dealt By Jeff Zrebiec Baltimore Sun Reporter NAPLES, Fla. -- Rodrigo Lopez was working out at a gym in Arizona yesterday morning when something flashed across the television that drew his attention. For about a month and a half now, the veteran Orioles starting pitcher has tried to "disconnect" himself from baseball as to not conjure up memories of the most trying season of his career. But with the television right in front of him, Lopez couldn't avoid the news. The Orioles had acquired former New York Yankees starter Jaret Wright in a trade for reliever Chris Britton. Lopez thought about it and resumed his workout, determined not to let the latest news, a trade that makes it increasingly likely that Lopez's career as an Oriole is over, bother him. "It probably affects me one way or another with him being a starter," said Lopez, who was 9-18 last season with a 5.90 ERA, tying two other players for the second-most losses in a season in franchise history. "There has to be an effect on the rotation. I want to be a starter. I think I'll probably have to prove myself to them again, earn a spot again." Lopez, 30, who has been the club's Opening Day starter three of the past four years, will have a lot of competition. At the start of baseball's general manager meetings yesterday, the Orioles boasted about having seven potential starters, and both executive vice president Mike Flanagan and vice president Jim Duquette acknowledged that they are still shopping for an additional starter in free agency. "We want to get as much pitching as possible," Flanagan said. Wright joins a group that includes Lopez, Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera, Kris Benson, Adam Loewen and Hayden Penn . With Flanagan acknowledging yesterday that Loewen has essentially earned a spot in next year's rotation, Lopez and Penn appear to be the odd men out barring a trade. And Flanagan did say yesterday that in talks with other general managers, "everybody was asking about our pitching." While saying Penn, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, will get a chance to make the rotation, Duquette acknowledged recently that the club also will consider using him out of the bullpen, similar to how the Chicago White Sox used Brandon McCarthy last year. Lopez has had some success as a reliever, but at this point of his career, it's the last thing he wants. "Right now, if they asked me to be in the bullpen, I'd probably have to think about it for a while before I said yes," he said. "What I want is to be a starter." Flanagan, who said that Lopez would likely get a chance to start, acknowledged that the pitcher has a lot of value, pointing to the amount of money some of the middle-tier free-agent pitchers, many of whom lack Lopez's resume, will get on the market this year. According to club sources, the Orioles have received inquiries about Lopez from a handful of teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. A few weeks ago, the Orioles talked to the Brewers about a Lopez-for-outfielder-Kevin Mench swap, two industry sources confirmed, though the deal was never close to being completed. Mench, 28, who is from Delaware, hit .269 last year with 13 homers and 68 RBIs, though he struggled after the Texas Rangers traded him to Milwaukee in the Carlos Lee deal. However in the previous two seasons, Mench hit a combined 51 home runs and drove in 144 RBIs. Lopez said that despite his disappointing season, which he hopes will motivate him every day, he would prefer to remain an Oriole. "I love Baltimore. I've made great friends on and off the field," he said. "I like the fans. Even after the season I had, they respected me. I'd like to stay there, but if I go somewhere else, I'll keep my head up and leave Baltimore with a good feeling."

League idle Monday, Sunday's games were shortened to seven innings apiece because of pitching shortages. Like the AFL did this year, the Hawaiian League will need to look into expanding pitching staffs next fall...