Jim Goulart

Scottsdale wins, 3-1, Tuesday night Vinny Rottino 1-for-4 and a clean game behind the plate (one SB allowed); Steve Moss 1-for-2 with a walk and SB; Dennis Sarfate with a perfect inning of relief; Ryan Braun and the other pitchers idle... Box Score and GameDay: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...n_gcrwin_1

North Shore falls on Tuesday, 7-4 Nice to see Lorenzo Cain (center field yet) back in action, 2-for-5 with two SB's and an outfield assist; Joe Thatcher still unscored upon -- 11 pitches, 7 for strikes, one K, in his perfect inning.. Box Score and GameDay: Darren Ford, Robert Hinton idle... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb

Link to the thread in the Trading Post Forum re: Game-Worn Sounds Jerseys (please post comments in that thread, not this one, thanks): p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...=682.topic

Link, text follows: www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=5549544 Woodchucks hire Gantner as manager WAUSAU, Wis. The Wisconsin Woodchucks have hired former Milwaukee Brewers leader Jim Gantner as manager. The Woodchucks are a member of the Northwoods League, a college wood bat summer league featuring players from across the country. The Woodchucks plan a news conference at their office in Wausau on Friday. The infielder played for the Brewers from 1976 to 1992. During the Brewers 1982 World Series appearance, Gantner hit .333 with four doubles and five runs scored. The second baseman is among the Brewers career leaders in numerous stat categories including hits (1696), runs (726), doubles (262), and RBI (568). Gantner is a member of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, which also features former Brewers Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, and Paul Molitor.

Ryan Braun 2-for-4 (double, walk); Vinny Rottino 0-for-5, Steve Moss 0-for-3; pitchers idle... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb

As it is each year, the Venezuelan League is the first to get underway. Let me know if you see names of players we'll know will be in the system in 2007 other than the three I mention here: Pitchers link: Corey Thurman with a nice start Saturday in an 8-1 win. He allowed one run in six innings.... www.lvbp.com/estadisticas/lanr0607.pdf Hitters link: Hurricane Hernan Iribarren 3-for-15 with two walks after four games, Guilder Rodriguez is also among the actives, no official AB's yet... www.lvbp.com/estadisticas/batr0607.pdf

Baseball America update on the status of the league after the earthquake: www.baseballamerica.com/t...62658.html

Link while active, text follows: news.bellinghamherald.com...0033699824 Living with baseball's revolving door DANE RENKERT FOR THE BELLINGHAM (Wash.) HERALD Twenty five weeks later and 140 games in the books the season has ended and I once again am back in Bellingham. Once again back where street names and buildings are familiar, and where seeing familiar faces is a constant not a coincidence. But being gone for that long a time period from the place you call home is a perfect example of things continually changing. Life is like a revolving door giving everyone opportunities to step inside or wait for the next door to swing your way. I come home to new buildings being built and old ones taken down. My good friends now have unfamiliar facial hair and the talks of marriage and careers has replaced the old chatter of what to do on Friday night. I come home to my parents remodeling and telling exciting stories of the past summer and how they spent it. My older sister's life has slowed down with added responsibilities, and a new companionship has been formed creating stability and a twinkle in the eye. It's good to be back home, but the thoughts of freshly cut grass, the crack of a bat and celebrating with teammates is still fresh in mind and right around the corner. Although the season is over the preparation leading into spring training has already begun. With ideas on how to improve being conjured up the greatest way to prepare is to reflect on last season and realize what and how to improve on specific needs. With last season being my first full season it's a perfect gauge on what its going to take for the mind, body and soul to compete for that length of time at that level. So, with an organized plan of successful ideas and a timeline laid out, the only thing left to find is the character deep inside to complete it. When searching for the character and challenging myself their really only needs to be one thought - the future and what could be. The bright lights bounding down on me, 50,000 fans and laying down at night with the calm thoughts of completing and achieving what I set out to do. Hopefully, giving the example that if I can do it anyone can, it's just the simple idea of having a dream and chasing it through all the detours that are life. ***Very cool of Dane Renkert to do this, good luck to him in 2007 and beyond. -- Mass

Saturday's game rained out for North Shore, doubleheader Sunday beginning at 6:00 PM Central.

Ah yes, the return of BaseballGod, here to remind us that if we haven't sniffed a professional contract, we're not worthy to comment. I spun that Sarfate inning as well as I could -- one hard-hit ball. I included the strikeout info. I guess only three of the five hits were legitimate, then. You continue to make it so easy to root for you, Dennis...

Ugly 32-pitch, four-run 6th inning just completed for Alec Zumwalt Saturday, game still underway. Everything, good and bad, is so over-examined in these small fall league samples. And yeah, we're part of that... EDIT two innings later: Dennis Sarfate just surrendered five runs (four earned) in the 8th inning -- 31 pitches, 23 for strikes, perhaps too much of the plate too often. Five hits, only one listed as being hit sharply by Gameday. Sarfate struck out three, but one reached base on a wild pitch, which opened the floodgates. Box Score, GameDay: Ryan Braun rakin', Steve Moss not... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb

Nice game for Brewer farmhands as Scottsdale wins, 11-8, Friday night Ryan Braun, Vinny Rottino, and Steve Moss combine to reach seven times, with Braun showing off that power bat with three extra-base hits, as noted above -- Rottino doubled as well and Moss was 2-for-2 in SB attempts. Add in a 1-2-3 inning for Steve Bray. Importantly, Rottino went the distance behind the plate, working with nine different pitchers. No one attempted to run against him, and he committed no defensive mis-plays. Box Score and GameDay: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...n_pddwin_1

North Shore falls, 5-4, Friday night Darren Ford reached base three times (2-for-4, walk, two K's), with one of the hits a double. He stole second base twice, and made an error in the 9th that did not lead to an unearned run, although on the play, the go-ahead (and losing) run did score. Reviewing Gameday (how great is Gameday), Ford had a very busy game in center field. In the 5th, Ford was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice on what appears to be a "run on contact" play. Darren ended the game by striking out with runners on 1st and 3rd, a six-pitch at-bat with a few stay-alive foul balls. Robert Hinton was brought in to end the 9th for North Shore after the team had surrendered the key run. He struck out John Mayberry, the only man he faced. Still no Lorenzo Cain -- ugh. Box Score, Game Log: www.hawaiiwinterbaseball....10-13.html Gameday (create free log-in account): iamhawaii.com/site/hwbstream Actually, Gameday for the HWBL is now also available via the MiLB.com home page: www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../index.jsp

Darren Ford with two singles and a walk, Lorenzo Cain still absent, and a day off for Robert Hinton and Joe Thatcher on the mound in North Shore's 6-5 win Thusday: www.hawaiiwinterbaseball....10-12.html

Manny Parra allows four runs in his two-inning start, Alec Zumwalt two doubles and a walk in a shaky inning, Dennis Sarfate 1-2-3 with two K's, and Steve Moss 0-for-2 but with two walks (one caught stealing) in Scottsdale's 7-3 loss Thursday night. Box Score, Gameday Link: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;did=milb

Baseball America: Brewers signed RHP Yeison Cruz Not believed to be included on previously listed big-time Latin prospect lists, he's another young man we'll learn more about come March with the new media guide.

For our own "pogokat" in particular, the Power's 2007 schedule is online at the team's site. Plan your road trips now: www.wvpower.com/ www.wvpower.com/schedule/...edule.aspx

The Manatees have been awarded the 2008 Florida State League All-Star Game at Space Coast Stadium. Always a big deal for the hosting affiliate, so congrats to GM Buck Rogers and his staff, good luck with all that the season after next.

Manny Parra is scheduled to start for Scottsdale Thursday night when the Scorpions host Phoenix, 9:05 Central. There should be a Gameday you can follow at the AFL home page: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p?sid=l119 Brewerfan regular poster DHonks is a clubbie for Phoenix. I would imagine he'll be there this evening to see Manny and the boys firsthand.

You can create a free account at iamhawaii.com. This gives you an easy link to listen to the games live and follow via live Gameday's. Your non-Sunday games would begin at either 11:30 PM or midnight Central time. Sunday games would be at 8:00 PM Central. Also, by creating the account, you can click on the Gameday's for the prior night when you wake up the next day. We'll do our best to post results here early on as well. On Wednesday, North Shore lost, 1-0 Darren Ford is now 4-for-26 on the season (.154) after going 0-for-4 with two K's, although North Shore's lineup combined for only two hits overall. Lorenzo Cain idle for another game, hopefully he's not hurting. In two scoreless innings, lefty Joe Thatcher, again showing why we can never overlook the most obscure of acquisitions (Thatch was an independent league signing), allowed two singles, and picked off a runner who subsequently returned safely to first base on an error by the shortstop in the rundown. Thatcher has simply been setting the bar too high for our expectations, really since his signing last year. In Hawaii, batters are hitting .148 against him (4-for-27). He has walked one and struck out nine. Lefties are 1-for-11 against him. With runners on base, batters are 0-for-10. Personally, I look forward to when he's thought of in closer terms for the big league club, not just as a LOOGY, although that's a nice thing to have as well. We've read reports from baseball exec's who feel the overall talent level of the kids in Hawaii exceeds that of the Arizona Fall League farmhands, just that these kids have less pro experience.

Scottsdale loses Wednesday, 15-9 Vinny Rottino, starting at catcher and later moving to first base, doubled twice (2-for-4), and drove in five runs. Ryan Braun, at DH, 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, stole a base after reaching on a fielder's choice, scored a run after reaching on an error. Steve Moss popped out and struck out in two AB's after entering the game in left field. LHP Sam Narron allowed an inherited run to score when the first batter he faced (left-handed bat Vince Sinisi) hit a two-run HR off him with two out in the 3rd. The next batter grounded back to Narron, ending his outing. RHP Steve Bray had a tough 8th inning (called strikeout, HR, E-5, single, double, sacrifice fly, swinging K), three runs allowed, one earned. The Gameday for this game is available here: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=l119

Anyone have info on Allixon Cequea? I couldn't find any We're actually aware of a couple of new names from the Latin ranks listed as infielders, Cequea and Luis Sanchez, but because we have literally no information on them in terms of vitals, country, etc. -- we haven't mentioned them nor built Player Index pages for them, preferring to wait until the media guide comes out in the spring. As you read above, Cequea is only 16 years old, apparently, and both he and Luis Sanchez were signed this past July. Again, I was wondering if anyone was going to mention Cequea specifically in that regard based on that article. It's great to know there are readers out there scouring us for every detail on these things!

Good call, I debated placing John Novinsky on that list for exactly the reason you stated, and was waiting to see if someone called me out on it. Thanks, OppoJack!

North Shore loses a wild one Tuesday, 9-8. Robert Hinton bounces back with two perfect innings, striking out four; Darren Ford singles and walks in five plate appearances, scoring two runs; Lorenzo Cain and Joe Thatcher idle. www.honoluluadvertiser.co...052/SPORTS

7:35 p.m. Chalk up the defensive gem of the day, maybe of the week, quite conceivably of the AFL season (even though it's not yet a day old). In the top of the second inning, with the bases loaded, Cardinals outfielder Nick Stavinoha launches an apparent extra-bases bomb to right-center field. But right fielder Steve Moss of the Milwaukee Brewers defies gravity as he makes a four-star diving catch. Full Day 1 recap: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp