Jim Goulart

The Brewers have released three farmhands: 3B Carlos de la Cruz was already 22 years old when he made his pro debut out of the Dominican in 2004. He needed to make his mark at Brevard in 2005, but struggled and spent most of 2006 at Helena, helping to transition young Latin players. C Isaac Palencia, of Venezuela, recently turned 21. He posted a .783 OPS in 151 combined 2005 and 2006 at-bats in Maryvale. The Brewers also released Huntsville catcher Carlos H. Lee, the brother of that "other" Carlos Lee. Lee was 8-for-33 in limited duty at AA. Lee turned 25 years old today, September 29th.

Um, yeah, your point being? Thanks while I blush...

California high school third baseman Matt Dominguez has been on BA's home page all week with his Brewer cap from the Area Code Games. Doesn't mean anything draft-wise, I just like that the Brewers scouting department has such a presence with Area Code: http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/mdominguez068371.jpg

Turn to ESPN2, Daniel Cabrera three outs from no-hitting the Yankees...

Don't be surprised to see Chris Barnwell playing for Canadian National Teams in the future. What's that, you say? A bit of a unique story here from above the border: slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Column...95819.html A Canuck uncovered Brewers' Barnwell could fill hole in middle infield By Bob Elliott One generation after another, the Barnwells have come home to Shelburne, N.S. Mary Ellen Barnwell was with child when she went to stay with her mother, Gertrude McKay, in 1945. The Second World War was on the front pages and Mary Ellen's husband, Thomas, of the U.S. army, was about to be deployed overseas. Mary Ellen gave birth to a son Tim in August of 1945 in Shelburne. When the war ended, Thomas came home took his family to a training centre in North Carolina. "I've heard the story hundreds of times our train ride from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas," Tim Barnwell was saying this week from Jacksonville, Fla. This was before the car seats. "My mother placed me in an apple crate," Barnwell said. "It was tough on the train: No air conditioning, windows open and smoke from the engine blowing into the cars." Why on earth do we care about Tim Barnwell? Well, Tim's wife, Veronica , had a son -- Christopher Edward Barnwell, born March 1, 1979 in Jacksonville. Chris Barnwell, 27, plays shortstop at triple-A Nashville and, for five weeks this summer, was a backup infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. "By virtue of me being born there, I am a Canadian citizen and that gives my children dual citizenship," Tim says. "I went home to Nova Scotia every summer until I was 16, then every other summer. In Jacksonville, everyone is in a hurry. Nova Scotia is so laid- back. I have lots of friends there." Tim likes to fish, but it isn't fishing or hunting which brings both him and his brother home, some 21/2 hours from the Halifax airport. Forests surround crystal lakes. Waves from the Atlantic crash on shore. "I sit on the front porch, relax and it's a great day. It's a special place," he says. While snowbird Canadians head south to Florida, this Floridian and his brother head north. Older brother Tom, a former professor of electrical engineering at the University of Georgia, goes each summer to play blue grass music. Chris Barnwell made his major-league debut June 20 in a 10-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Tim was there. "It was very emotional for me when he went into the game (in the sixth) and when he came up the next inning (hitting a fly ball to centre) and they announced his name," says Tim, who took time off from his construction company to be there. The next day, Chris stroked a pinch-hit, two-out single off Tigers lefty Nate Robertson and scored the tying run on a Rickie Weeks homer off Joel Zumaya in a 4-3 Milwaukee win. Chris was selected in the 25th round out of Flagler College in Florida. "This is my son's sixth year. He is a little on the small side (5-foot-10) to be where he is, but defensively he belongs," the father says. "He has made six errors and has a .982 fielding percentage at Nashville." Chris is like Mark Teahen, the Kansas City infielder with the smooth stroke. Born in Redlands, Calif., Teahen's roots trace back to St. Marys, Ont., also giving him dual citizenship. "I've talked with people at Baseball Canada in Ottawa," Chris Barnwell said from Nashville. "Given my situation, I want to play for Canada as soon the paperwork is completed." The cold hard numbers on Barnwell are: An .067 average in 11 games with the Brewers, a .294 average with four homers and 34 RBIs at Nashville. This new-found discovery makes Barnwell the 22nd Canadian in the majors this season. Kitchener reliever Ryan Braun, recalled by Kansas City yesterday, will be No. 23 -- the most since 1884 when there were 28. Of the 23, Barnwell is the only shortstop in the majors. "I'd love to see my son wear a uniform with Canada on the front," says Tim. For a country weak on middle infielders, this may be an important discovery. Olympic shortstop Danny Klassen, of Leamington, was injured in the spring and hasn't fielded a ground ball this season.

LHP Steve Hammond was an audio guest at MiLB.com Thursday: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p?cid=milb

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/story/S...Charleston Brewers to stay in Charleston Milwaukee, Power sign contract for two more years, sources reveal Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter The West Virginia Power has renewed its Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Milwaukee Brewers for the next two years, sources said Tuesday. The teams completed their second season together in September. Their partnership began two years ago, when the former Charleston Alley Cats severed ties with the Toronto Blue Jays after four seasons. Milwaukee moved its Class A operation to the South Atlantic League and Charleston from the Midwest League and Beloit, Wis. The Power finished 2006 with a 74-62 record, including a 39-30 mark in the first half. "We're excited," Power General Manager Andy Milovich said. "We have had a great relationship with the Brewers the past two years." Milovich said officials for the Charleston-based club also considered signing a PDC -- the agreement between minor league teams and their major league affiliates -- with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He said they spoke with representatives from all of those teams. Milovich said his organization also could have signed with the Washington Nationals, but there were no discussions between the parties. "The Brewers had expressed an interest in staying in Charleston from the get-go," Milovich said. "We had expressed an interest in maintaining our relationship with the Brewers, but we felt we would be doing ourselves and our community a disservice if we didn't take the time to see what was out there before we made a commitment." Milovich said minor league teams can renew their contracts with their Major League affiliates during the season. If they don't, he said, they have one week to inform Minor League Baseball officials that they want to "explore other options and see who is available." Milovich said Minor League Baseball officials will tell them the Major League teams that are available after the deadline, then they will have a two- to three-week window to talk to those clubs. If they don't reach agreements with clubs by the end of September, he said, the Commissioner's Office from Major League Baseball will assign affiliates to them. "If you extend your PDC during the course of the season without going through the process of seeing who is available, you never know what possibilities might be out there," Milovich said. The Power chose the Brewers because they "had the strongest interest in our franchise and our community," Milovich said. "So, it made sense to stay with them." Milovich also praised Milwaukee for sending its high-ranking officials, scouts and roving instructors to Charleston as often as it did last season. He said that shows the parent club cares about providing its affiliate with talented prospects and developing them during their stay. "That," Milovich said, "really made a statement to us." The extension was good news for Milwaukee, which is the fifth parent club for the Charleston-based franchise since it returned to Class A in 1987 as a co-op team. "We wanted to come back," Milwaukee Player Development Director Reid Nichols said. "I understand we didn't have the greatest season this year. I understand West Virginia's front office making every effort to field the best team for the community. "They had the opportunity to talk to other clubs, but they felt like we were the best fit based on our efforts there in the community and on the field. "This is just a continuation of a good relationship." Last season featured many milestones and accomplishments for West Virginia, which is operated by Palisades Baseball Inc., a one-third owner with groups from Charleston and Huntington. The team drew an average of 3,746 fans per game to 2-year-old Appalachian Power Park in 2006. That is an increase of 214 from 3,532 in 2005, its first season at the East End facility that replaced 55-year-old Watt Powell Park. Outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Darren Ford broke the team records for hits and stolen bases, respectively. Cain, infielder Mat Gamel, catcher Angel Salome and hitting coach Mike Lum earned SAL All-Star selections. Pitchers Derek Miller and Joe Thatcher were promoted along with infielders Ryan Crew and Ned Yost IV, who is the son of Milwaukee Manager Ned Yost III. "We're looking forward to a better season with similar performances from new players (in 2007)," Nichols said. The two clubs below West Virginia in the Milwaukee system are Phoenix of the Arizona League (rookie) and Helena of the Pioneer League (rookie). The three above it are Brevard of the Florida State League (Class A Advanced), Huntsville of the Southern League (Class AA) and Nashville of the Pacific Coast League (Class AAA). Nashville was 76-68 in 2006, Huntsville 67-71, Brevard 64-65, Helena 34-42 and Phoenix 21-35.

Cubs 2, Kevin Mench 0 God, they couldn't possibly offer him arbitration, would they?

The following players, who all had been eligible for free agency, have been signed to 2007 minor league contracts, and the pinned minor league free agent thread has been updated to reflect this. RHP Luis Pena RHP Alec Zumwalt RHP Mike Meyers LHP Jeremy Lewis C C.J. Medlin Wow, I had overlooked earlier that Luis Pena had indeed spent seven seasons in the system, beginning in 2000, and thus was eligible for free agency. He's still only 23 years old.

Kevin of the site noted above stands behind his reported signing based on "old-fashioned reporting". Look for the West Virginia renewal announcement in the next couple of days, if not sooner.

Brewerfan has an email in to the folks at the above listed site...

Not sure where this guy gets his updates, but according to this link: www.ballparkdigest.com/af..._2006.html Brewers back to West Virginia until 2008 Devil Rays, Columbus, GA Rangers back to Clinton, IA Dodgers, Great Lakes Mets, Savannah, GA

Here's the latest, as it seems that Baltimore has renewed with Delmarva, as I just updated in the post a few above this: The Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Devil Rays are looking for homes for their Class A affiliates. Here are the remaining homes, we believe: South Atlantic League: Columbus, Georgia Savannah, Georgia Charleston, West Virginia Midwest League: Clinton, Iowa Great Lakes (Midland, Michigan) L.A. and the Mets are the more glamorous choices for the affiliates to be sure. Although the Brewers wanted out of the colder early-season climate in the Midwest League two years ago, we posted earlier about Clinton's big stadium upgrade, and there's a wonderful spanking new facility waiting for the newly-located site in Central Michigan. So despite the weather concerns, either Midwest League site seems to have its benefits, not the least of which would be road trips to Beloit and Appleton. Link while active, text follows: www.mlive.com/business/sa...amp;coll=9 Region hits financial home run with Loons PAUL WYCHE THE SAGINAW NEWS A minor league baseball team will bring "millions of dollars" of economic impact to mid-Michigan. Nothing loony about that. More than 120 members of the Tri-County Economics Club listened Monday as Great Lakes Loons General Manager Paul Barbeau highlighted the club's financial clout. Most notably, a $27 million stadium, the hiring of 16 workers, 125 seasonal employees, donations to charities and other team spending. "We definitely consider ourselves a regional team," Barbeau said, "and there will be a regional economic impact." Goods and services the team buys will include hotels, transportation, maintenance, related supplies and equipment, printing and design work. The first home game is Friday, April 13. Besides the financial influx, Barbeau said there are quality of life contributions from the team that a person can't measure in dollars and cents. "Just providing another attraction, another option for people," he said. "When I worked in Spokane, (Wash.), I had a lady thank me because she said she never had to worry about her son when he was at the ballpark." Economics Club President Ann Fillmore, president of Midland-based Junior Achievement of Central Michigan, said residents have already bought into the team's concept. "Especially with the excitement that the Detroit Tigers are generating," she said . The Tigers have clinched a spot in the playoffs after a 19-year drought. "It has people thinking about baseball," Fillmore said. Fillmore said Loons officials were wise to "think regional." Barbeau said they had no choice. "Midland is not big enough to support this team," he said. "If we were going to do it, we had to draw on the surrounding areas." Meanwhile, Barbeau said the team will announce its Major League Baseball affiliation this week. ***Link while active, text follows: abclocal.go.com/wjrt/stor...id=4586520 Midland waits for major league affiliate Could the Loons be affiliated with the Dodgers? By Terry Camp MIDLAND (WJRT) - The next big question to be answered in the Midland minor league baseball story: which major league team will be affiliated with the Great Lakes Loons? The Battle Creek team was affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but that agreement has expired. Five major league teams are still looking for a minor league affiliation at that level, and one of those is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are one of the most respected and revered franchises in all of sports. The organization is not renewing it's affiliate agreement with a minor league team in Georgia, and may have its eye on the new franchise in Midland. Former major league manager Terry Collins is a Midland native and currently happens to be in charge of player development for a baseball organization's minor league system. That organization is the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has a big say on where it's Low A minor league affiliate agreement will go, and at the top of his list is Midland. "Number one I know the town and I know what kind of sports town that is," he said. "The entire tri-cities Flint area is huge. Sports are huge in the state of Michigan." Paul Barbeau, General Manager of the Great Lakes Loons says discussions continue with several major league teams, and that no deal has been reached. But the Dodgers' Collins has his heart set on Mid-Michigan. "I'm hoping it works out," he said. ***Meanwhile, back to Savannah, former home of the Nationals, in the Sally League: SAVANNAH, Ga. - Historic Grayson Stadium will undergo $5 million worth of improvements starting this off-season thanks to a vote Tuesday to approve a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Chatham County residents passed the SPLOST by a 3-2 margin which will maintain the current sales tax 1 percent higher than the regular rate through 2012. The SPLOST is expected to raise approximately $440 million for countywide projects with $5 million allocated to the long overdue renovation of city-owned Historic Grayson Stadium. The renovation plan originally called for $10 million of improvements, but will be adjusted to the new budget. The Sand Gnats plan to announce specific renovations in the weeks to come. The plans being discussed include a new playing field, a grass berm in left field, an upgraded scoreboard, renovated dugouts, additional concessions areas, renovated clubhouses and the addition of suites and improved party decks. The team hopes to accomplish as many of these objectives as possible with the $5 million. The stadium was built in 1926 and was renamed William L. Grayson Stadium after undergoing major renovations in 1941 to repair major hurricane damage. The 1941 construction date is the second oldest in the South Atlantic League. In 2006 the Sand Gnats drew 84, 642 fans. That number represents an increase of 45 percent from 2004 but still ranks 15th in the 16 team South Atlantic League. That just leaves Columbus, Georgia, which seems to have major attendance issues that are explained in this link, with an otherwise suitable ballpark: www.ballparkreviews.com/c...lumbga.htm So basically, everything needs to be known by September 30th, and I guess my point here is there really isn't an outright awful choice remaining, although others (and the Brewers) may disagree.

From 9/17, note the Joe Valentine comments from Rich Sauveur: Stars' meteoric rise turns many heads Hope was scarce after woeful 24-35 beginning Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com Huntsville Times Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur plopped onto the sofa in the visiting coaches' locker room in Montgomery late Friday night and began digging through his final postgame meal of the season, resting his paper plate on the briefcase at his side. "When we were 24-45, I would have thought on Sept. 15 I would have been out fishing on the Skyway Bridge (near his Florida home)," Sauveur said. "But here we were, two games away from winning it all." Even if the final three games of Huntsville's 2006 season, a playoff meltdown against Montgomery, might have tempted one to leap from that historic bridge, this was a summer that defied adjectives. Sauveur opted for "incredible." "It was incredible," he said. "An incredible run." The Stars finished the first half at 24-45, dead last in the Southern League North They started the second half at 11-18. But after 35-63, they won 36 of their last 47, winning the second half title, then sweeping Chattanooga in the SL North playoffs before being eliminated by Montgomery, three games to one. "Two different years," said manager Don Money. He was leaning back in the chair in his office, taking a pull from a long-neck bottle. On TV, ESPN was showing highlights of the Brewers' Friday night game, with Carlos Villanueva picking up the win. Five months earlier, in another visiting managers' office, Money was talking about Villanueva, the winning pitcher in the Stars' first game of the year. In those five months, much transpired. The Stars came back from the dead. They reached postseason for the fifth time in 10 years. Off the field, the Stars renewed their working agreement with Milwaukee for two more years. And even though team owner Miles Prentice was a no-show after opening night (he attended the Texas League playoffs for his Midland, Texas, team but didn't see the Stars in postseason) he, the Brewers and the city of Huntsville did concoct a plan for some modest renovations to Joe W. Davis Stadium. Alas, the plans won't be enough to make the stadium go from worst to first, as the Stars did. "It was a great season," said second baseman Callix Crabbe. "We're a little disappointed (after the playoff elimination) but we're not disappointed with the way we finished. We came back from a rough first half and showed a lot of heart and courage. "You can't say enough about everybody and what they did." Third baseman Ryan Braun arrived from Single-A and became a catalyst in the lineup, working comfortably with coach Sandy Guerrero, the tri-lingual coach; he speaks Spanish, English and hitting. Crabbe became a force on offense and a lethal weapon on the basepaths. First baseman Brad Nelson heated up in August. Yovani Gallardo and Steve Hammond came up from Brevard County in midseason and Manny Parra arrived in August to spice up the rotation, already in good hands with Corey Thurman and Tim Dillard. Travis Phelps and Luther Hackman were dependable set-up men in the bullpen. And Joe Valentine showed the form that saw him lead the league in saves in 2003. "He can pitch in the big leagues right now," Sauveur said. "The way he threw the ball the last month, there's no doubt in my mind." Taking another bite, Sauveur said, "I'm very, very happy with what we did. There's only one thing I could have asked for, and that's to win two more games."

Jim Powell Interview with Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo: media.620wtmj.com/Desktop...ewsid=3670 From J.R. Radcliffe of mlb.com (J.R. an occasional Brewerfan poster, and certainly a regular visitor still, we hope): milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p;c_id=mil Notes: Top prospects visit Miller Park By J.R. Radcliffe / Special to MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- Yovani Gallardo looked plenty comfortable when he took batting practice alongside the current Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff. "He hit like .400," said Ryan Braun, Gallardo's teammate at Double-A Huntsville for much of the 2006 season, referring to Gallardo's performance with the Stars. He hit .429, to be exact, with nine singles and four RBIs in 21 at-bats with Huntsville. Of course, the Brewers are banking on most of the offense coming from Braun in the coming years, perhaps occasionally backing a strong pitching performance from Gallardo. Third baseman Braun and right-hander Gallardo were both on hand at Miller Park on Saturday to accept the 2006 Robin Yount Performance Award as the Brewers' Minor League player and pitcher of the year. "I was really nervous to come to this," Gallardo said. "Actually, this is the first time being here at this stadium, so it's a good experience." Gallardo split his Minor League season virtually down the middle between Class A Brevard County and Huntsville, working just one-third of an inning fewer at the latter location. He went 6-3 with a 2.20 ERA over 77 2/3 innings at Class A and managed to improve that at the next level, going 5-2 with a 1.63 ERA and holding opponents to a .185 batting average. "Whenever I went out there, I just tried to do the same thing I was doing all year down in Florida," Gallardo said. "Maybe I was more aggressive, which is how they want me to be against a little bit better hitters." Overall for the season, opposing batters hit just .192 against him and struck out 188 times in 155 innings of work. The second-round choice in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft joined Braun as Florida State League All-Stars for their work at Class A, and both participated in the XM Satellite All-Star Futures Game in Pittsburgh during All-Star weekend. Braun, who also performed well at Double-A following his promotion and guided the Huntsville offense into the Southern League championship series, will be one of seven players in the organization slated to see action in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Milwaukee's first-round choice in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft hit a combined .289 in 2006 with 22 home runs, 77 RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 118 games. "It's an honor, obviously, considering our organization is pretty talented," Braun said. "For each of us to be recognized as the top player in the organization of this caliber is definitely quite an honor." Both players lingered in the dugout before the game and spent time with the team during warmups. For Braun, the opportunity offered a chance to watch Giants slugger Barry Bonds park batting-practice baseballs in the left-field bleachers. "He's the greatest hitter of our generation, if not all time, so getting to watch him up close is pretty special," Braun said.

Alfonzo spent nearly three full seasons in the Brewers' chain after the Fernando Vina deal, and was a teammate of Corey Hart in both High Desert and Huntsville for almost all of 2002. That'd be a couple of interesting nuggets for Daron to share, not sure if he has, or if Jim Powell has, either.

Reminder from Baseball America: Lugo expressed interest in continuing to both hit and pitch as a pro, but the Brewers drafted him in the third round in 1999 with the sole intention of using him as a pitcher. They eventually sent him to Los Angeles in the Devon White-Marquis Grissom trade. Now that Link Report season is over, I should have time for a complete overhaul and update of the Alumni thread, which is way overdue for some attention on my part...

Be sure to check out the latest Home Page contribution from Patrick: www.brewerfan.net/ViewArt...icleId=249

Jim Powell's pre-game with Carlos Villanueva was sweet tonight -- link later...

Jim Powell's Pre-Game with Don Money: media.620wtmj.com/Desktop...ewsid=3556

I'd doubt Corey would retire and not only forfeit his $2 million from the Brewers, but also the other $4.25 for the remainder of his salary and 2008 buyout. Koskie gets a $3 million signing bonus and salaries of $2.5 million in 2005, $5.25 million 2006 and $5.75 million in 2007. Toronto has a $6.5 million option for 2008 with a $500,000 buyout.

Quote from the Charleston Daily News 0n 7/24: In case you're wondering, the PDC's in low Class A that end in 2006 are with the Royals, Rangers, Athletics, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Devil Rays, Rockies, Dodgers, Orioles, Mets, White Sox, Pirates, Indians (fuggedabout it), Phillies, Nationals and Brewers. Here's an updated list -- if anyone is aware of an official renewal or new affiliation in place for any of the others listed below (provide link if so, please), let us know. There will be a lot of activity in the next ten days on all minor league levels, with only low-A directly affecting the Brewers. South Atlantic League: Hagerstown, Maryland -- was Mets, (now Nationals) Asheville, North Carolina -- was Rockies (Colorado renews) Columbus, Georgia -- was Dodgers Delmarva (Salisbury, Maryland) -- was Orioles (Baltimore renews) Kannapolis, North Carolina -- was White Sox (Chicago renews) Hickory, North Carolina -- was Pirates (Pittsburgh renews) Lakewood, New Jersey -- was Phillies (Philadelphia renews) Savannah, Georgia -- was Nationals Charleston, West Virginia -- was Brewers Midwest League: Burlington, Iowa -- was Royals (Kansas City renews) Clinton, Iowa -- was Rangers Kane County (Geneva, Illinois) -- was Athletics (Oakland renews) Lansing, Michigan -- was Blue Jays (Toronto renews) South Bend, Indiana -- was Diamondbacks (Arizona renews) Great Lakes (Midland, Michigan) -- was Devil Rays Lake County (Eastlake, Ohio) -- was Indians (Cleveland renews) As another poster pointed out, with the return to the Midwest League a possibility, Clinton, Iowa seems to be a good target. Quad City (Iowa) Times: When minor league baseball?s affiliate shuffle begins later this week, the Clinton LumberKings expect to hear from some major league teams looking for a new Midwest League home. ?We?re the ugly duckling that has blossomed into the pretty girl,? LumberKings general manager Ted Tornow said. A multimillion dollar renovation of Clinton?s Alliant Energy Field included an entirely new playing surface and a new clubhouse-batting tunnel complex which included plenty of design input from the Texas Rangers, who have been the Lumber Kings? parent club since 2003. ?In the past, all we had to offer anybody was the promise of a renovation,?? Tornow said. ?Now, our organization believes it doesn?t have to take a backseat to anybody.?

Always a nice interview by Jim when there's an unexpected call-up (Barnwell, Winkelsas, etc.) -- this one with Drew Anderson: media.620wtmj.com/Desktop...ewsid=3496 Edit: Corrected link...

Linkage: brewers.mlb.com/NASApp/ml...p;c_id=mil

Baseball America's John Manuel is a good friend of Brewerfan and took the time to follow-up with us on this discussion, prompted initially by his online chat at BA: Jim, I was just checking my Brewerfan.net info on the '06 draftees, and just ran into the comments I made about Will Inman in my chat. Sorry if I didn't answer your question. I will here, you can post it if you like: Best tandem . . . I'd have to say close but for me I'd take (the Twins') Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey (just personal taste for me, I really like Slowey). That's very tough though; the more I think about it (which I really can't do in a chat, that's supposed to be quick-thinking answers, not ruminative), it's pretty close, and if sufficiently prodded, I could probably make that case. I guess I would like it better if I could be 100 percent sold on Inman and Gallardo being QUITE this good. Forgive me but I don't. I think they're both very good pitching prospects, but neither one is a No. 1 starter for me, and it sounds like Garza might just be. Top 5 organization . . . I think so, there is a lot of talent, though when I think about it, it's more at lower levels than higher levels. Part of me thinks that's natural--we're always more optimistic about the low-level guys because they've had less time to screw up. The Brewers also have graduated a lot of talent lately, and the Triple-A and Double-A teams aren't quite as teeming with prospects as they have been. Gallardo spent half a season at double-A; same with Braun. Triple-A doesn't have a Corey Hart, a regular--I'm nitpicking here, I hope you understand. I like Gwynn, Rottino, Eveland, Z. Jackson a bit, Sarfate, just all more as role players, and Eveland and Jackson were not good as you know better than I do in their big league callups. I do seem to have underestimated Carlos Villanueva. But when I look at the bright side, I see prospects at every level, huge steps forward for Gallardo and Inman, good moves for Braun, Gwynn, Hammond, Villanueva, Dillard, Iribarren (the cork notwithstanding), B. Katin . . .Plus another solid draft, lots of raw talent. Lots to like at West Virginia. . . . Just a very deep organization, in my opinion, without having looked at all 30 as closely, it has the feel of a top 5 organization. One last thing, but some people seem to imply in that chat that BA has something against short RHPs. We just did a cover story about this back in May (Jerry Crasnick wrote it, photos of Tim Lincecum, others used, Lincecum on the cover), explaining why SCOUTS have the bias, and why it's going away. We just report it; we're not scouts, and we're not exactly analysts either, we're reporters. In the blog-infested era we're in, people forget that sometimes. We're reporting what people in the know, scouts and managers and coaches and the like, tell us about Inman. With Inman, it's that he's short AND unconventional w/his delivery, and that's just something most scouts point out when they talk about him; he's different. That doesn't mean bad, it just means they have a harder time buying in. I guess my main point is, I like Will Inman as a prospect, a lot more than I seemed to let on in that chat, but I just hesitate to put him in the "elite" category yet because he is a bit unconventional and I want to see him do it above the low Class A level. That's all. Keep up the good work and thanks.