Jim Goulart

Final: Daytona (Cubs) 4, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 3, ten innings Thank you, Cubbies -- the Manatees now control their own destiny...

Prospect Hot Sheet mention of Mark Rogers and a long-ago Brewer draft pick: Guess the BA staff missed Yo's latest performance... www.baseballamerica.com/t...61754.html

Don't forget the Brewers took Rice's Josh Baker in Round Four that draft...

Standings through Sunday's action (Huntsville and West Virginia are at 0-0): Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 39 31 .557 - 26-13 13-18 L1[/b] Iowa 32 38 .457 7.0 17-17 15-21 L1 Omaha 27 42 .391 11.5 16-19 11-23 W1 Memphis 25 43 .368 13.0 13-21 12-22 L1 Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 38 29 .567 - 20-14 18-15 L5 Palm Beach 37 30 .552 1.0 20-14 17-16 W8 [b]Brevard County 34 29 .540 2.0 18-15 16-14 L2[/b] Daytona 34 33 .507 4.0 20-12 14-21 W2 Jupiter 29 37 .439 8.5 13-19 16-18 L2 Vero Beach 25 40 .385 12.0 15-17 10-23 W2

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated an hour or two prior to gametime: Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

Follow Monday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Choose "Log". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. It's sweet! Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_mobaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_sluafa_1

Monday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Idle Huntsville: RHP Corey Thurman at Mobile (Padres), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime -- the Stars are undefeated, baby! Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: LHP Manny Parra at St. Lucie (Mets), 6:00 PM; it's a must-win-all-three-game series, and no, none of it is available via audio, sorry West Virginia: Idle; All-Star Game is Tuesday the 20th

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Link while active, text follows: www.news-journalonline.co...061806.htm Holmberg fights injuries By SEAN KERNAN Daytona News-Journal Staff Writer Editor's note: This is one in a series of Sunday features profiling area players in the minor leagues. Kenny Holmberg was as prepared for his professional baseball debut last season as a player could be. Not only did he grow up around the game tagging along with his father, veteran minor-league manager Dennis Holmberg, but the spunky infielder had played two years at Embry-Riddle that helped transform him both on and off the field. However, there is no preparing for what Holmberg has had to do for much of the first half of the 2006 pro season with the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. Two injuries have forced the energetic player to the bench or the first-base coach's box. That may be closer to his eventual destination in years to come considering the small percentage of minor-leaguers that actually get to the big leagues, but not right now. No, Kenny Holmberg is a player, and a darn good one at that, despite not having any of the standout tools scouts covet. But sitting on the bench after starting the year hitting .308 with four homers, eight RBIs and 15 runs in 20 games before spraining an ankle April 28 hasn't been Holmberg's idea of fun. "I haven't dealt with it all that well," the 23-year-old second baseman said in a telephone interview. "It's a different way to come to the ballpark when you have to come for treatment and then sit and watch your teammates play and there not being any significant way you can help them win." Holmberg came off the disabled list May 19, but tendinitis had settled into his Achilles and after one week in which he hobbled around he returned to the DL. On Friday, the Power activated the 5-foot-10, 180-pound infielder again, and he hopes things will be better. "I'm probably the only guy in the clubhouse who doesn't want (next week's) all-star break to come," Holmberg said. "I've had enough time off. I need to get my timing back down and get some (at-bats)." Holmberg is anxious to pick up where he left off last season, his first as a pro. Milwaukee selected him in the 22nd round of the 2005 first-year player draft and he made quite the pro debut, hitting .372 for the Helena Brewers. That was good enough to lead all of Milwaukee's minor-leaguers and finish second in the Pioneer League. He also was first in the rookie league with a .450 on-base percentage and .623 slugging mark. He smacked 12 home runs, not counting the two he hit in the opening game of the league's championship series, drove in 51 runs and scored 40 more in 207 at-bats. Not bad for a player who by his own admission has no plus tools. However, Power manager Mike Guerrero says there are other tools Holmberg has that you can't measure with a stopwatch. "There are three tools you don't show, and those are the three tools he has," Guerrero told the Charleston Daily Mail. "One -- heart. Two -- a willingness to work. Three -- guts. Nobody sees these tools, but sometimes they are the most valuable tools." Now Holmberg just wants to stay healthy for the second half of the season so he again can show what he can do. "You can't think about how well you did last year because the moment you start thinking about that you'll realize it doesn't matter anymore," Holmberg said. "It's 2006." And Kenny Holmberg still has half of a season left to play ball in 2006. ONE ON ONE Staff writer Sean Kernan talks with Kenny Holmberg about life on and off of the field: Have you been fined yet in Kangaroo Court, and if so, for what? I fined myself after I had to come out of a game because I couldn't run after I told the manager that I could run. How are the post-game spreads? So far not so bad. It's usually hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, spaghetti or chili. But we usually go upstairs to a restaurant on the concourse -- the Power Alley Grill -- to get something to eat after most games. They give us a 20-percent discount. What type of housing do you have in Charleston? We have a house. I have four roommates. I got lucky and got the whole upstairs -- a bathroom, loft, cable TV, separate air conditioner and tons of closet space. There's definitely enough room up there for two people, but it's just me. It's great. You have a reputation for being funny. What type of humor is your specialty? It's pretty much just smart-aleck humor. Just kind of being the goofball that I am. When I play, I wipe that off though. I'm real serious. What's the best thing to happen to you since you became a professional baseball player? Making the playoffs last year (with the Helena Brewers) and hitting two home runs in the first game. I probably won't ever do that again. What's the worse thing that's happened? Probably losing to (manager) Tom Kotchman and (player) Colby Overstreet last year in the Pioneer League championship. Colby was on Oklahoma City and they beat us (Embry-Riddle) for the (NAIA) national championship, and then he got me again in the Pioneer League title. So he got me twice last year.

Link while active, text follows: news.bellinghamherald.com...8139707237 Season is revealing at its halfway point DANE RENKERT FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD As of this Monday we will have reached the halfway point of our season - 70 games in 74 days, halfway home in a season totaling 140 games. This is my first full season and it has given me the opportunity to learn the habits and particulars of not only my teammates but myself. It's a chance to look back on particular games and understand the difference between an energetic and confident group versus a flat and unprepared group of ballplayers. I've seen firsthand a slump become a hot streak and a pitcher go from goat in one outing to hero in the next. I've spent many late nights and early mornings on a bus with a movie blaring in the background and the constant flash of streetlights passing me by. And I have seen freak injuries alter careers while watching the injured players' eyes flip open like headlights as their careers flash in front of them. As the season has progressed specific roles have become more apperant and useful, where late-inning pinch hitters have been a deciding factor and pitching substitions have been successful. We have lost games in the last inning and won some as well and have weathered the ups and downs of a game filled with negativity. There is one statistic that stands out at this point in the season and a perfect explanation for our overall success and our success in team competiveness. We lead our 16-team league in hitting, but don't have one person in the top 10 of individual hitting. We're a balanced team - when two guys struggle, two more pick up their slack. So as the weather gets hotter and our bodies get a little bit more beat up, you do what you can to be prepared and fresh each day, and look forward to a successful second half. Today is Father's Day, a day where fathers get their opportunity in the spotlight, while their families give thanks to them for being great fathers or husbands. For me it's a day to reflect on things such as my dad teaching me how to shave, the beauty of the outdoors, how to be a gentleman and, of course, how to play catch in our front yard. It's a chance for children to slip a card into an envelope with a few scribbles on the inside representing thanks for all of the sacrifices it must take to be good dad. A father is someone who steps in when sticky questions such as sports and girls arise, or how do you tie that hook on again. For sons, a father is an easy shoo-in for a role model - in my case not only a role model but a best friend. He allowed me unlimited opportunities to have the chance one day to be celebrated as well. Dane Renkert is a relief pitcher for the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League. Before he became a member of the Milwaukee Brewers' minor-league system, he played for Sehome High, the Bellingham Bells and Washington State University. He will write about his experiences throughout the season.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Stars looking for more offense in second half John Ferry, Huntsville Times The Huntsville Stars have gone 4-25 since playing .500 baseball at one point, but all that doesn't matter starting tonight in Mobile. "On Monday we're 0-0," outfielder Drew Anderson said. "Anything can happen after that." Anderson, a University of Nebraska product, belted a two-run double in the fourth inning against West Tenn on Saturday night. When the inning ended the Stars held a 4-3 lead, but they lost a heartbreaker in the ninth when Scott Moore of West Tenn hit a three-run homer. Manager Don Money is looking for more of an attack during the second half of the SouthernLeague schedule. "I'm disappointed in our young players on the offensive side not making adjustments," Money said. "We have a bunch hitting in the .220-.230 range. We feel they should be hitting better." Money added that list includes players such as infielder Callix Crabbe, who is in his second season in Double-A baseball. Average doesn't tell the whole story of a player, however. Money noted infielder Ozzie Chavez is batting a consistent .250. "You can't ask more," Money said. "He's holding his own." The Stars return to Joe Davis Stadium on Saturday against Chattanooga.

Sounds broadcaster Chuck Valenches with several blog updates recently -- on spinach, Fathers' Day, and yes, the Sounds. Link for all, we'll post the Sounds-related text here as well: nashvillesounds.blogspot.com/ Sunday, June 18, 2006 Yeah, We gotsa chance. We gotsa GOOD chance. "When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing... I told him I wanted to be a real major league baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he'd like to be President of the United States. Neither of us got our wish." Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th U.S. President. We've got a good chance. I can't think of any other way around it. I look at our roster and our lineup day after day and I see a team that does a lot of the little things right, like turning the double play or taking out the opposing second baseman on a double play and you think, "We've got a chance ." This team knows how to win. Of the 24 players on the Nashville Sounds roster, 16 of those players have been part of AAA championship teams in the last three years. If the Sounds were to show up at the airport with all of their championship hardware, you'd think Lil' John and his entourage had arrived with all the bling. The latest and maybe the most obvious example that the Brewers do value winning at the minor league level was the signing of Graham Koonce, a first baseman of prodigious power who routinely does to baseballs what Tyson did to Michael Spinks. Koonce was a major cog in the back to back championships that Sacramento won in 2003 (beating the Sounds three straight) and 2004 and was even the PCL league MVP in 2003. You probably never saw his name in lights with the Oakland A's because they had another slugger named Jason Giambi playing first base and then Dan Johnson moved into the neighborhood. At the very least I still think Koonce could have been a 20 homer guy in Oakland. Look around the Sounds clubhouse and you'll see players from last years championship such as Chris Barnwell and Mike Meyers who quietly go about their work and in the case of Meyers, come up with a big game when they most need it from the pen or, in the case of Barnwell, anchor a Sounds defense that make the impossible plays seem routine. It's odd that champion is originally a french word, since the French have never won a World Series and haven't really won anything since Charlemagne was the head coach. In fact, the French have won as many wars in the last 100 years as....I have. Back to the Sounds. One thing that most clubhouses have are clubhouse leaders. These are the guys who lead by example in the way they prepare for a game, the way they conduct themselves on the field and off, and always make sure that the guys are playing the game the right way. Their the ones who organize Kangaroo Court, tell a young player to wash their shirt, etc. They are also the ones who will take a player aside who maybe didn't run out a ground ball as hard as they should have and remind them that there is most likely somebody in AA just as talented who WILL run out that grounder. The Sounds clubhouse is full of these type of leaders. Clark, Johnson, Abernathy and until he retired, Justin Thompson. I will admit, in the last two years I have yet to see a Sounds player dog it on a ground ball or pop up so being a clubhouse leader for this group may be a pretty cush job. When you have a group of guys who know what it takes to win, the little things get done with no questions asked. The team is off for two days, Monday the 19th is the Nashville Sounds CMT annual Charity Golf Tournamentwith proceeds going to the Nashville Sounds Foundation which benefits youth baseball, education, and literacy in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. I will not be playing as I am to golf, what fish are to bicycling. Instead I will be building a picnic table so that I will be able to write these blogs in the 99 degree outdoor comfort of my backyard. Tuesday I will most likely be heading to Home Depot to BUY a picnic table that has four legs instead of three and does not list at a a 45 degree angle. Wednesday it's off to Round Rock, TX to play the Round Rock Express in a five game series. Round Rock is a great place to play and visit, though I have yet to have a chance to travel to 6th Street in nearby Austin, TX, the place where Stevie Ray Vaughn cut his teeth and became the "Texas Tornado" on guitar and somehow channeled the spirit of Jimi Hendrix until his untimely death in 1990. Unfortunately by the time the game is over, I get back to the hotel and make the 30 minute drive to Austin, I have about as much time to grab a beer and listen to some great live music as a NASCAR pitstop. Luckily there is a nice little steakhouse nearby that does not turn their nose up if I wear jeans and eat at the bar because thats where the TV with the ballgame is on. In case you were wondering, the Brevard County Manatees are second in the Florida State League in hitting. Their hitting coach? Former Sound Corey D. Hart.

Link for Vinny Rottino photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2009 Rottino Proves That With Hard Work And Confidence, Anything Is Possible by Rick Kubitschek The road to professional baseball is never a certain path or an easy one. Some players get drafted right out of high school, some attend college and proceed to get drafted, and yet others find more indirect routes into professional baseball. The only thing that is certain about the road to professional baseball is it takes talent and lots of hard work. Vinny Rottino knows all too well that the road to professional baseball is a bumpy one and takes lots of hard work and dedication. Rottino paved his own way into professional baseball by working hard and believing that anything is possible. Rottino played baseball for St. Catherine?s High School in Racine, Wisconsin. He graduated in 1998 and, despite being one of the best ball players on his team, he remained under the radar of the division one schools. Knowing that he had the talent to play baseball at a higher level, he attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a Division III school, to work on his game and get an education. Rottino doesn?t regret attending UW-La Crosse over a more prestigeous baseball university or not getting drafted right out of high school. ?It?s a big change, being 18 and living at home in high school to being a pro or lost in a sea of people,? said Rottino. ?You all of a sudden have to be responsible for your decisions, and that can be difficult. I know I wasn?t ready for that kind of responsibility.? Rottino used his time at UW-La Crosse to fine-tune himself, as a person, and as a ballplayer. He worked hard on and off the field. During his stint at UW-La Crosse, he never received anything less then an A. He graduated with a 4.0 and a degree in chemistry. His hard work also allowed him to excel on the field. He finished his college career as the Eagles? all-time leader in at-bats (587), hits (199), runs (129), and doubles (50). He also holds the single season record for most home runs, 15. Rottino was the best at everything he worked at and he thought he was everything a professional team would want in a player. ?I had heard from several scouts that I was going to be drafted,? said Rottino. In his mind, he had already started to plan for a life in professional baseball. Draft day came and passed and Rottino was without any takers. ?I was really disappointed,? Rottino said. Even though he was not drafted, he still held onto the hope that he might get picked up by a team as a non-drafted free agent. With the hope of signing as a free agent, the dream of playing professional baseball was still very much a reality for Rottino. That option came and passed just as the draft had. The idea of playing professional baseball was starting to look more and more like a hoop dream, rather than a reality. While his dreams of playing professional baseball lay in limbo, Rottino decided to continue his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He enrolled in the pharmaceutical school and was ready to continue his higher education. Even though Rottino was getting ready to embark on a new phase of his life ? one that didn?t center around baseball, that didn?t mean the game was completely out of the picture. ?I was always concerned about baseball,? said Rottino. While getting ready to attend UW-Madison, he decided to give independent baseball a chance. Rottino started playing for the Racine Kiwanis of the Land O? Lake League. The independent leagues are a place where ballplayers go for one last shot at getting signed by a major league organization. Rottino knew he had the ability to still play ball and the independent league allowed him to continue to put a jersey on every day. Like most players in the league, Rottino still had that hope, in the back of his mind, that some major league organization would see his ability and sign him. That hope of getting signed by a major league organization came true thanks to Rottino?s can-do attitude and a little help from Kiwanis head coach Jack Schiestle, a former Mets scout. Schiestle knew the talent Rottino possessed and set up a tryout with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers saw Rottino?s ability and potential and decided to pick him up before another team found him. Rottino became a member of the Brewers organization on February 3, 2003. Rottino?s dream was finally coming true. ?If you believe in something hard enough, it will come true,? said Rottino. ?I just tried to improve a little bit every day. Imagine if you do that everyday how great of a ball player you will become.? Rottino?s daily improvements had made him into a better ballplayer and helped him achieve his dreams. He has gone from a non-drafted college player to a force to be reckoned with in the minor leagues. Coming into the 2006 season, he was ranked as Milwaukee?s 28th-best prospect by Baseball America and during the 2004 season was selected as the Brewers? Minor League Player-of-the-Year. Rottino has never thought of himself as a great ballplayer or expected to be the best. ?I don?t set goals for myself,? said Rottino. ?I just stay focused on what?s going on between the lines during the game and everything will work out.? He knows that if he just continues to work hard and do what he has been doing everything will fall into place. It hasn?t taken long for everything to fall into place for Rottino. During his four-year pro career, he has moved through the ranks of the minor leagues with extreme speed. He hasn?t spent more than one season in any of the levels he has visited. Along with flying through the ranks of the Brewers? minor league system, the major league club has been keeping an eye on him. Milwaukee gave Rottino a chance to prove himself during the last two years in the Major League Spring Training Camp. ?Last season I was really star-struck,? Rottino stated. ?Coming into this year?s spring training, I realized I could hit these guys.? He was going up against guys he had seen giving interviews on ESPN and guys he had learned to respect for everything they had accomplished. His first spring training was to get the jitters out and get comfortable with the idea of playing with the major leaguers, and this year, he felt like one of them. At such a young age of 25, Rottino already has the work ethic and the attitude of a 10-year veteran. He already has the understanding that confidence and hard work helped him get to where he is and will continue to help him reach his dreams of playing ball every day in the major leagues. ?It?s a blessing to just be putting on the uniform everyday,? Rottino said. If he keeps up his intense work ethic and improves at the rate he has been, the uniform he will be putting on just might say Brewers across the chest.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006061910/ Power could be team to beat in second half Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Watch out, South Atlantic League baseball teams. The West Virginia Power looks like the club to beat in the Northern Division in the second half, which begins Thursday following a three-day all-star break. The first half ended Sunday, when West Virginia suffered a 2-1 setback versus visiting Hickory at Appalachian Power Park. "Now," catcher Angel Salome said, "we know what to do. I think we will put it all together and do better (in the second half)." Lexington (44-25) won the first-half championship in the division, finishing five games ahead of second-place West Virginia (39-30). "I'm really pleased with the overall performance," said Manager Mike Guerrero, who expects his team to be a second-half contender. "The bottom line is, they are getting better and they are giving me everything they have." The Power players realize they could have been celebrating a first-half championship Sunday if they hadn't lost 13 of their 24 games in April. "We remember how we started (the first half)," infielder Ryan Crew said. "It was subpar." The second half, however, offers a "clean slate" -- and the Power intends to take advantage of it. West Virginia won 12 of its 18 games in June, including seven of its last 10. "The guys have been doing such a great job putting it all together," said infielder Kenny Holmberg, a team leader who will return from the disabled list Thursday. "It should be a nice second half for all of us." One advantage the Power has is a winning attitude its players developed together last season with the Helena (Mont.) Brewers of the rookie Pioneer League. Helena lost seven of its last 10 games in 2005 but still finished with a 46-30 mark, which was the best record in its league (Pioneer) and division (North). Of the 29 players on the Power's roster, 24 of them spent time in Helena last season. "They expect to win," pitching coach John Curtis said. "That's not something you can develop as a coach." Holmberg credits Milwaukee, the Power's parent organization, for "drafting and signing kids who know how to win and understand the importance of winning." "We come in here and put our personal stuff aside and go out and try to win games, which is an oddity in minor league baseball," said Holmberg, who spent much of his childhood in minor league clubhouses and whose father is a minor league manager with more than 1,000 victories. "We do a good job of playing as a team. I think it showed once we got going." West Virginia led the 16-team league in hitting in the first half with a .279 team batting average, seven percentage points higher than Lexington. "We also situational hit very well," hitting coach Mike Lum said, noting the club also led the league in team batting average with runners in scoring position (.286). "A lot of times we stayed on the plan. They didn't try to do too much. They stayed within themselves and got base hits." Lum is one of the Power's four all-star selections. The others are Salome, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and third baseman Mat Gamel. West Virginia was eighth in pitching in the first half with a 3.84 earned run average. "They exceeded my expectations," Curtis said. "I expected some of them to struggle here... Nothing but good progress and some pretty terrific efforts in the first half." No one provided more of those terrific efforts than starting pitcher Derek Miller, who posted a 7-1 record and 3.88 earned run average. Only two SAL pitchers won more games than Miller in the first half. Starting pitcher Will Inman (3-1, 1.80) was downright dominant until a sore shoulder sidelined him for the final month of the first half. He will return after the all-star break. The bullpen also had its share of stars. The Power couldn't have asked for a better setup man than middle reliever Patrick Ryan (3-1, 1.97). He was brilliant in June, allowing only 12 hits and three runs in 14 2/3 innings in six appearances. Closers Joe Thatcher (0-3, 2.52) and Dane Renkert (5-2, 1.29) combined for 15 saves. Thatcher had 10, Renkert had five. Defensively, the Power must limit its mistakes in the second half. Only Kannapolis (.955 and 123) had a lower team fielding percentage and more errors than West Virginia (.955 and 115). * * *HAS ANYONE noticed the recent change of fortunes on the diamond in Charleston? The Power had a winning record in the first half in the South Atlantic League. Big deal, you say? Well, consider some numbers in the last decade of Charleston's low Class A baseball history. The final Alley Cats' season (2004) in Toronto's system brought two winning halves, and Milwaukee's Power debut last summer finished with a winning second half after an ugly 25-45 opening. So, that's four of the last five halves that produced better than .500 finishes. In the 13 halves leading into 2004 (starting with the 1997 second half), Charleston had 12 losers. The only winning half in that span was a 36-34 closing half in 2002. So, perhaps more than a nice, new ballpark atmosphere is bringing out fans. The Power attendance to date is up 30 fans per game over last year's Appalachian Power Park debut first half.

Final: Hickory (Pirates) 2, West Virginia 1 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER LOSE FINAL GAME OF FIRST HALF The West Virginia Power had a 1-0 lead through eight innings of Sunday afternoon?s game against the Hickory Crawdads, but the Crawdads scored the final two runs of the game in the ninth inning to comeback and beat the Power 2-1 at Appalachian Power Park. The Power plated their only run of the game on Mike Bell?s RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. The 1-0 Power lead held until Jason Delaney ripped a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning to give the Crawdads the lead for good. In the bottom of the ninth the Power had the tying run at third and the potential winning run at first base when Angel Salome grounded out to third to end the game. Rafael Lluberes started the game for the Power and tossed six scoreless innings of one-hit ball but did not factor into the decision. The 2-1 loss for the Power marked the third time in the series that the team that scored first lost. Jean Garavito (5-5) earned the victory, Justin Vaclavik (5) earned the save and Joe Thatcher (0-3) obtained the loss. The Power are 39-30 after the loss and the Crawdads improved to 33-36 with win. Attendance for the game was 3,795. The Power will begin the second half of the season on Thursday night against the Kannapolis Intimidators at Appalachian Power Park. The starting pitchers have not been announced. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Lorenzo Cain thrown out at the plate to end the 5th; there were other opportunities throughout... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Nashville Site Update: Sunday night's series finale between the Nashville Sounds and Oklahoma RedHawks, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader in late July in Oklahoma City during the teams' final series of the season from July 21-24 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. The date and time of the makeup game will be determined at a later date. Tickets for tonight's game (June 18) may be exchanged for tickets of equal or lesser value, pending availability, to any remaining 2006 Sounds regular-season home game. Please visit the Greer Stadium box office to exchange your tickets. The Sounds take the next two days off before heading to Round Rock, Texas on Wednesday for a five-game road series against the Round Rock Express (AAA-Astros). It will be the first of four series between the teams this season. The Express currently hold the second-best record in the PCL at 40-28. Round Rock won the 2005 season series by a 9-7 margin and won five of the eight contests played between the clubs at Dell Diamond. Left-hander Dana Eveland (3-2, 1.93) will make the start for Nashville in Wednesday's 7:05 p.m. CT series opener and face Round Rock rehabbing right-hander Jared Gothreaux (3-4, 4.20).

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Catcher Mark Johnson: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-18.wma

The Official Draft Pick thread was updated to indicate the signing of 24th round RHP Travis Wendte.

24th round RHP Travis Wendte, the senior out of the University of Missouri, has signed. He's set to begin at Helena. His Missouri profile from the Draft Forum: mutigers.cstv.com/sports/...vis00.html

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Covering the bases Huntsville Times Who would have thought so many baseball players would be happy to see umpires? Since Monday's return of the professional minor league umpires to the field after a season-long strike, it has been a virtual lovefest. At least in Huntsville. Most Stars seem genuinely happy that the real men in blue have replaced the replacements. Though they appeared thankful for the job the fill-ins did, the Stars noticed a difference in game management. "The game just seems to run a lot more smoothly," outfielder Drew Anderson said. "There is a lot more control, and they're a little more assertive and vocal. You haven't seen as much arguing as before with the replacement guys." Staying in charge was certainly an issue before. In a game against Jacksonville earlier this year, Birmingham manager Chris Cron pulled his Barons off the field after the benches cleared three times when players were hit by pitches. Cron said the replacement umpires had lost control. Stars pitcher Corey Thurman took a one-hitter into the seventh inning of Tuesday night's game - the first Huntsville played with the professional umpires - and he said things were immediately improved, even with some of the umps being rusty. If nothing else, Thurman said, the new old guys weren't as easily manipulated. "I didn't get some pitches I could have maybe coerced the replacements into giving me," Thurman said. "They were consistent. As long as they're consistent, I have no problems." While Southern League president Don Mincher commended the replacements and the job they did in dire straits, he said he is happiest about getting back to "normalcy." "I think the replacements did very well," he said. "But we've now gotten back to umps that know how to handle a professional game. As soon as we can put the last two months behind us, the better it will be. There is a difference." The players seem to agree - at least until the first hotly contested call. Then, the honeymoon will be over, and things really will be normal. Around the league Manager Don Money's Stars are 0-10 against Jacksonville so far this season, but they aren't alone in their inefficiency. The Dodgers' Double-A affiliate has one of the best records in all of minor league baseball. "Don even said to us, if you're going to beat them, you've got to play a perfect game," Stars infielder Jeff Eure said. "They're solid one through nine." Though West Tenn has stayed close to Chattanooga, a hot stretch put the Lookouts on the verge of clinching the first-half North division title going into Saturday's games.

Reminder to archived video link: www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../video.jsp Click on the date for June 17th if need be. At the 52-minute mark on the archive, Homer Bailey of the Reds faces Brendan Katin and a batter later, Ryan Braun. On the mound, Yovani Gallardo follows the next half-inning, Josh Wahpepah the next inning. (Plus you get the mascot tug-of-war just before Yo pitches! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif )

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006061744 7-run inning carries Power to romp By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer It?s been the Power?s recent custom to spread the offensive wealth, to find production in random areas of the batting order. Such balance normally translates into success, and so it did again Saturday night at Appalachian Power Park. In the Power?s 10-2 drubbing of the Hickory Crawdads, it was the No. 8 hitter in the lineup, Nate Yoho, who emerged as perhaps the evening?s most productive player. Yoho led off the third with a single and, later in the same inning, delivered a two-run single to cap a seven-run uprising that essentially wrapped things up, giving the Power its 16th victory in the last 21 games. A crowd of 3,594 attended. Yoho?s 2-for-3 night boosted his average to a modest .241, lowest in a batting order comprised of good ? but thus far not great ?hitters. ?I think I?m at the bottom in hitting on the team, and I?m hitting .240-something,?? said Yoho. ?That?s not good for me, but it?s good to be lowest on the team. We don?t have anybody hitting outstanding on the team, but we?ve been consistent. Everybody?s picking each other up.?? The No. 9 hitter, Scotty McKnight, contributed to the balance by adding two hits, two runs and an RBI. The Power totaled just 10 hits on the night but seven of them came in the third inning, highlighted by Lorenzo Cain?s two-run double and Yoho?s two-run single. Angel Salome and McKnight produced RBI singles and Tony Festa had a sacrifice fly. In Friday?s and Saturday?s games against the Crawdads, the Power combined for 23 runs in 16 innings. ?They?re getting big hits when they need it,?? said Hickory manager Jeff Branson. ?They get guys on base, and they?ve got guys at the plate ready to swing the bat. And we?re not making good enough pitches to get ?em out.?? The Power (39-29) enters today?s final game of the first half trailing division-leading Lexington by four games and, considering the team?s strong play in the last three weeks, might carry a bit of momentum into the second half. The Power took a South Atlantic League-leading .280 batting average into Saturday?s game, as well as a league-leading .325 home mark. The team?s 335 runs ranked fourth in the 16-team league. ?We might have a night off where we don?t put up four or five runs,?? said Yoho, ?but our pitching always keeps us in the game.?? Steve Garrison, who was making his fifth start with the Power, pitched five innings to pick up the win. Wilfrido Laureano followed with three perfect innings and Joe Thatcher pitched a perfect ninth. The Power added two runs in the fourth on Ned Yost?s two-run single and another run in the eighth on Salome?s RBI double. BRIEFLY: The Power and Crawdads conclude the season?s first half with a 5:05 game (4:05 Central) tonight. A three-day all-star breaks follows. ... Power attendance is more than 200 per game ahead of last year?s pace. At this point last year, the club averaged 3,611 a game; it?s currently averaging 3,820. ... Second baseman Kenny Holmberg, who has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain, is expected to return in the second half. In 25 games this season, he?s hitting. 289 with four homers. ... Branson was an infielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1992 through ?97 as part of a nine-year major-league career.

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ THREE PITCHESAfter Drew Anderson grounded out to 2nd baseman Eric Patterson on the edge of the grass for the 3rd and final out of the ballgame, after the West Tenn players lined up and glad-handed each other on the field, and even after most of the fans had left their seats and departed, several players were left leaning against the railing on the top step of the dugout, staring out at the field........ What exactly was running through their heads no one knows. After Friday night's 7-3 loss, the players, I'm told, had a screamfest in the locker room, closed to Don Money and Rich Sauveur, at times shouting at each other for a losing streak unprecedented in Stars history (25 losses in 29 games). It wasn't pretty, I'm told........ It looks like it did some good, but what the players and 3,600 fans had seen tonight, was incredulous, and yet not surprising at the same time. One player after the game tossed it off as part of the "hard luck", that has manifested itself like a virus since early May. Hard luck or no, the Stars had just put to rest the worst 1st half and only the 5th sub-30 win half in their 22-year history (24-45) ....... Speaking to Stars fans, I have seen worse, but I'll touch on that later. My first reaction wasn't "hard luck" or "Thank God It's Over". It was anger. Khalid Ballouli was holding the Diamond Jaxx, the best-hitting team in the league, hitless for four innings. Then in the 9th, manager Don Money goes to the pen and puts in the pitcher with the worst ERA on the team....... OK, throw all statistics aside. I realize there was no one else to go to in the bullpen, except for Russ Rohlicek, who has been ineffective lately (6.11 ERA since May 12), but under the circumstances, and with Sunday an off-day, it's just a stupid move on Don Money's part to go with Matt Smith. Even in his one and only save of the year, Smith gave up two runs on a home run, and got the save only by pitching three innings in a 12-4 blowout over Birmingham on June 4........ If you want to rationalize this in any way, perhaps we were the victim of a dictated pitch count handed down by Milwaukee. But Khalid threw only 47 pitches in four innings, 30 for strikes (63.9%) and I think he had a lot more left in him. After all, Khalid pitched eight scoreless innings vs. Tennessee on May 1, allowing only four hits! How can you tell me he's done after 47 pitches!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!! On FIVE DAYS REST!!!! MONEY lost this game, not the players in the field, or even Matt Smith....... DON MONEY!....... I think this is the last year for Don Money in Huntsville, I sincerely think so. Money put himself in this bind from the very start by starting Gerrit Simpson, who had pitched Wednesday, instead of Travis Phelps, but I'll cut him some slack if Phelps was unavailable because of some arm tightness or something. Phelps hadn't appeared in a game since June 9....... Simpson, who has been very effective all season, even posting a 2.76 ERA in May, was limited to three innings in his first start as a Huntsville Star. He made one start for Class AA - Tulsa (Texas) last year before the Brewers acquired him and was a member of the starting rotation at Class A-Visalia (cal.) in 2003, but even if Don wanted him to go longer, he couldn't have. He threw one inning for the Stars Wednesday and again Friday. The Stars gave out bluish catchers' mitts to the small fry entering the turnstiles, many little leaguers among them......... It was the league's ERA leader, Randy Wells for the Diamond Jaxx tonight. Wells (4-2, 1.12), who is not among the Cubs' top 30 prospects, had held Huntsville hitters to a .111 average in his previous two starts, yet had not won either....... He was holding the Stars to just two hits --- leadoff singles in the 1st and 2nd inning, and had a 3-0 lead, when the Stars broke loose and took the lead in the 4th. Jeff Eure, coming into the game hitting .364 in June, hit Wells' first pitch hard up the middle for a single. Brad Nelson then drew a walk on six pitches and Lou Palmisano moved them over into scoring position with a nicely-executed bunt, deadened on the 3rd base side near the line......... Ron Acuna then popped a 1-0 pitch behind 2nd baseman Eric Patterson. As he went back on it, Miguel Negron came in on it quickly, but in all the confusion over who was going to go for it, it dropped in for a hit, scoring Eure......... With runners on 1st and 2nd (Nelson stayed put on Acuna's single), Drew Anderson, a disappointing .169 hitter all season with runners in scoring position, tattooed Wells' first pitch, sending it high into the left field corner for a two-run double....... Anderson then scored the go-ahead run on a single down the right field line by Ozzie Chavez, who was thrown out at 2nd base, thinking Negron was going to go home with the throw......... With no one on base, Don Money sent Jeff Housman, 1-for-10 as a hitter, in to pinch-hit for Matt Yeatman, who had given up five straight hits in the 4th, and was saved by a double play to end the inning. After that, no one got a hit and it stayed that way until the 9th...... Wells and Rocky Cherry held the Stars hitless for four innings, while Khalid Ballouli did the same for Huntsville, while walking Patterson in the 5th on four pitches. The Stars were three outs away from closing the 1st half on a good note with a 4-3 victory and spoiling any chance the Diamond Jaxx had of taking the first half title from Chattanooga, who had already lost to the Smokies, 6-3....... Money called upon Matt Smith and three pitches later, the Stars were behind, 6-4........ Brian Dopirak lofted a single to right just out of the reach of Ron Acuna, Negron lined a double off the wall in right, and Scott Moore, the Diamond Jaxx' leading home run hitter, crushed a pitch high, long, and far --- at least 420' away deep to right-center field...... Nic Jackson similarly hit a pitch off Yeatman in the 4th, but Moore's was even further. Smith had no trouble with Tony Richie or Carlos Rojas, both of whom grounded out to the left side, or Brandon Sing, who fanned on four pitches....... Ron Acuna lined a single to right with two out in the 9th after Brad Nelson and Lou Palmisano were easy strikeout victims, but the spirit had been broken out of the Stars on three pitches......... The Stars ended the season losing 25 of their last 29 ballgames and 23 of 33 at home. The Stars, Friday night, broke out new navy blue uniforms, thinking that would do any good, I guess........ The numbers on back are red and outlined in white. Very easy to see. The front has the Stars logo on the right breast as you face them and they are button-down unis. Nice-looking wear........ Corey Thurman, the SL's 2nd leading hurler behind Wells in ERA, will face Mobile's Sean Thompson (1-6, 4.15) at Hank Aaron Stadium when the 2nd half begins, as I mentioned, Monday....... It will be a fresh start for everyone and a chance for the Stars to get a jump against the doormats of the Southern Division......... Needless to say, the Diamond Jaxx with the 9th inning victory, finish in a tie for 1st place in the Northern Division with Chattanooga. The playoff spot will be decided when they meet, July 4th. David Pember, who won 10 games for the Stars in 2002, has now made Huntsville his home....... His shoulder never came back to life so he called it quits. Don't know what he's doing now, but when I find out, I'll let everyone know. '02, in fact, was his last season in the pros, but he made it to Milwaukee that year, appearing in four games....... He pitched a couple of times in the spring of '03 for the Brewers, giving up three runs, two earned, in three innings. The Florida State League All-Star game was played Saturday night, with the Eastern All-Stars falling to the West, 7-3....... Yovani Gallardo, who could possibly be called up to the Stars when the 2nd half gets underway at Mobile, Monday, pitched a scoreless 2nd inning, as did Josh Wahpepah in the 3rd....... At the plate, Brendan Katin struck out four times in four at-bats and Ryan Braun also went 0-for-4. Charlie Fermaint and Hernan Irabarren both singled and scored, however, and Fermaint walked twice....... Steve Sollmann, brother of former Huntsville Star Scott Sollmann (Stars' 99), was 0-for-2.

Standings through Saturday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 39 31 .557 - 26-13 13-18 L1[/b] Iowa 31 37 .456 7.0 16-16 15-21 W3 Omaha 27 42 .391 11.5 16-19 11-23 W1 Memphis 25 43 .368 13.0 13-21 12-22 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 43 26 .623 - 24-11 19-15 L1 West Tenn 43 27 .614 0.5 18-17 25-10 W3 Tennessee 32 37 .464 11.0 19-15 13-22 W1 Carolina 32 38 .457 11.5 19-16 13-22 L1 [b]Huntsville 24 45 .348 19.0 10-24 14-21 L3[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 38 29 .567 - 20-14 18-15 L5 Palm Beach 37 30 .552 1.0 20-14 17-16 W8 [b]Brevard County 34 29 .540 2.0 18-15 16-14 L2[/b] Daytona 34 33 .507 4.0 20-12 14-21 W2 Jupiter 29 37 .439 8.5 13-19 16-18 L2 Vero Beach 25 40 .385 12.0 15-17 10-23 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 43 25 .632 - 24-12 19-13 W1 [b]West Virginia 39 29 .574 4.0 21-12 18-17 W2[/b] Delmarva 37 30 .552 5.5 19-17 18-13 L1 Lakewood 36 32 .529 7.0 19-14 17-18 L1 Greensboro 36 33 .522 7.5 22-12 14-21 L1 Hickory 32 36 .471 11.0 18-15 14-21 L2 Lake County 29 40 .420 14.5 14-22 15-18 W1 Hagerstown 27 42 .391 16.5 15-16 12-26 W1

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....002/SPORTS Dickey doesn't receive welcome mat at Greer Sounds give ex-Vol loss in a rare start By MIKE ORGAN Tennessean Staff Writer Chris Slayden of Antioch, clutching the photo album he uses to store his collection of autographs, didn't even ask R.A. Dickey for his signature when Dickey strolled next to the dugout at Greer Stadium before Saturday's game. Dickey, activated by Oklahoma on Saturday, had that look before picking up a 3-1 loss to the Sounds in the first game of a doubleheader. Slayden, who relishes autographs from big leaguers, knew not to bother the former MBA and Tennessee right hander. "R.A. was in a zone, getting ready to pitch a big ballgame,'' Slayden said. "He'll get to the fans later. That's very understandable. I didn't even try when he walked by.'' It was indeed a momentous game for Dickey. Not only is he recovering from a strained right shoulder, he is trying to hone his knuckleball. He was optioned by the Texas Rangers to Oklahoma on April 7 after giving up six homers against Detroit. Dickey was not available for comment after the doubleheader. He left the park immediately after the second game to spend time with his family. Dickey had been on the DL for all but two days since May 18 and made his first start since May 25. Dickey showed some rust in the second. He hit Nelson Cruz with a pitch, allowed an infield single to Graham Koonce, and then hit Mark Johnson with another pitch. Cruz scored on Jermaine Clark's groundout, and Koonce scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 cushion. "He hadn't been out there in a while so that's understandable. But the way he threw the ball, taking away hitting a couple of guys, I thought he threw the ball real well,'' Oklahoma Manager Mike Boulanger said. Dickey (2-5) allowed five hits, three earned runs, had one strikeout and no walks. His career record against the Sounds is 3-11. "He came off the DL and he changed his style just a little bit,'' Boulanger said. "He went to the hard knuckleball a little bit more. That's kind of what he did last year for us when he was here and he won like 10 games in a row. Dickey had about 25 friends and family in the crowd of 9,116. Sam Bartholomew, whose son Will played football at MBA and UT, said Dickey visited his house recently and his spirits were high. "He's recovering from back injuries and shoulder injuries and the knuckleball is not an easy pitch to learn,'' Bartholomew said. "He's still a work in progress and I think he's doing better." ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Red Hawks save best for last By MIKE ORGAN Tennessean Staff Writer Oklahoma's Drew Meyer hit an RBI single to left field to score Adrian Brown with the tiebreaking run as the RedHawks won 9-2 in 10 innings over the Nashville Sounds in the second game of a doubleheader at Greer Stadium on Saturday night. Nashville won the first game 3-1, beating ex-MBA pitcher R.A. Dickey. The seven Oklahoma runs in the final inning tied the most the Sounds have given up in a single inning this year. It was the Sounds' sixth extra innings game this year. Meyer's hit, which dropped in front of right fielder Nelson Cruz, scored Brown from second in the top of the 10th inning. The game lasted three hours, 29 minutes. Most of the crowd of 9,116 had left by the end and when a fireworks show began. The Sounds missed an opportunity to win in the eighth. After loading the bases when Oklahoma intentionally walked Cruz with two outs, Dave Krynzel grounded out. Stealing the show: The Sounds' Jermaine Clark stole second base and advanced to third on an error by catcher Nick Trzesniak in the first inning of the second game, then scored on a single by Brent Abernathy. It was Clark's 20th steal in 23 attempts this season. He is second in the PCL in steals. The Sounds lead the league in steals and are on pace to set a team record, set in 1981 at 205. Rolling: Saturday's 3-1 win in the first game of the doubleheader marked the Sounds' sixth victory in their last seven games. It was Nashville's fourth consecutive win. The Sounds' last loss came Wednesday against Omaha 5-2. The Sounds have eight wins in nine games this season against Oklahoma. They improved their record at Greer Stadium to 26-12. Riding Rivera: The Sounds are 8-0 when Mike Rivera hits a home run. Rivera hit a home run in the second inning, his ninth of the season, of the first game. Only one: Last night's doubleheader is the only one on the Sounds' schedule this season. Rare matchup: The first game pitted Sounds knuckleballer Jared Fernandez against Dickey, another knuckleballer. It is rare for two knuckleball pitchers to start against each other. The win was Fernandez' first in six starts. Closing in: Abernathy got the 998th hit of his minor league career in the first inning of Saturday's second game with an RBI single ?his first hit in 17 at-bats. Picking and grinning: Sounds pitcher Justin Lehr picked off Jason Hart in the first inning of the second game. It was Lehr's fourth pickoff, which leads the team. Father's Day gift: All fathers who attend today's 6 p.m. game at Greer Stadium against Oklahoma will receive a voucher for a free TiVo box. That is a $225 value, but recipients must sign up for service.