Jim Goulart

West Virginia Press Release: The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have made another roster move. Today, right handed pitcher Robbie Wooley was placed on the disabled list for the second time this season, and right hander Josh Louis has been called up from extended spring training to take his place. Josh Louis was selected in the 42nd round of the 2004 draft out of Temple Junior College in Texas. Louis went 1-2 with Helena last year and posted a 5.14 ERA with five saves in 17 appearances. Robbie Wooley has been placed on the disabled list after suffering soreness in his right elbow, marking his second trip to the DL this season. Wooley went 1-3 with a 4.86 ERA over six starts and 13 appearances before heading to the disabled list.

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=50403 Rottino smashes window, Royals in triumph By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sport Correspondent The destructive force otherwise known as Vinny Rottino led the Nashville Sounds to a 7-2 victory over the Omaha Royals at Greer Stadium on Monday. The line on Rottino read one grand slam, two hits and the game?s most memorable play. In the bottom of the second inning, Rottino rifled a foul ball behind home plate, which shattered a fourth floor window from Slugger?s Bar and Grille. Glass bits came raining down below into section NN, but fortunately no fans were injured. The next inning Rottino did more damage, but this time it was a two-out grand slam that propelled the Sounds to victory. ?It felt pretty good,? Rottino said of his first ever grand slam. ?I was behind [in the count], he gave a good pitch to hit and I put good wood on it.? Rottino said he was unaware until after the fact that his foul ball had crashed through the stadium?s restaurant window. ?I heard all the commotion, I came back to the dugout and said, ?What happened??? Rottino said. ?It was just a typical foul ball. It must have hit a soft spot in the window or something.? Rottino was just one of a handful of offensive heroes for Nashville (35-29). Graham Koonce added a two-run homer and Nelson Cruz extended his season-best hit streak to 11 games. Brent Abernathy also collected two hits for the Sounds, who produced nine as a team. While Rottino and company made noise at the plate, on the mound Sounds starter Justin Lehr kept Omaha bats silent. Lehr (1-2) went seven innings and scattered eight hits, while yielding just two earned runs. Jason Kershner and Chris Mabeus pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, to shut the door on the Royals. The win is first-place Nashville?s second in a row, after dropping its previous five. ?Absolutely, [the two wins] are nice,? Sounds manager Frank Kemblas said. ?We had a chink in the bullpen armor [in New Orleans], which is going to happen.? Welcome back blue: The minor league baseball umpires returned to action on Monday for the first time at Greer in 2006. The umps had been in a season-long labor dispute, which ended May 30. Kremblas said he welcomed back the regular umps after replacement umps had been used all season to mixed reviews. Vinny Rottino?s grand slam in the third inning wasn?t as memorable as his foul ball in the second inning which shattered a window in Slugger?s Bar & Grille behind home plate at Greer Stadium Monday night. Nashville City Paper Photo by Steve Lowry. http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/uploaded/061306slugger.jpg

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Lehr, Sounds enjoy easy victory over Omaha Pitcher gets first win in four starts; Rottino pounds grand slam By RYAN CALLAHAN For The Tennessean The Sounds put an end to a rare losing streak Sunday night. Monday night, it was Justin Lehr's turn. Lehr won for the first time in four starts this year with Nashville as the Sounds cruised to a 7-2 win over Omaha at Greer Stadium. On Sunday the Sounds had buried their season-high, five-game losing streak with a 7-5 win over New Orleans. Lehr (1-2), who started the year in the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen, put together his fourth quality start in as many tries with the Sounds. This time, he was finally rewarded with a win. The 28-year-old right-hander worked seven sharp innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and striking out four. "I'm happy with the way it's going and the way I threw the ball tonight," Lehr said. "I'd like to get a little better in the later innings and hopefully build up more strength. I still think there's room for improvement." Nashville (35-29) broke the game open with a five-run third inning, highlighted by third baseman Vinny Rottino's grand slam. Designated hitter Graham Koonce added a two-run homer in the fifth that ended the night for Omaha starter Seth Etherton (2-3), who was sent down from Kansas City on Monday. Lehr kept the Sounds' lead intact at 7-0, giving up only three hits in the first five innings before running into some trouble in Omaha's two-run sixth inning. "(Lehr) had a little bump in the road where they scored two, but he recovered nicely and went one more (inning)," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. Jason Kershner and Chris Mabeus each worked a scoreless inning of relief for the Sounds. Outfielder Nelson Cruz extended his season-best hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the fifth. Cruz's streak is the Sounds' seventh hitting streak of 10 games or more this year. Shortstop Chris Barnwell, meanwhile, saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 outing. Nashville will send left-hander Dana Eveland (3-1, 1.33 ERA) to the mound against Omaha's Runelvys Hernandez (2-3, 6.99) tonight at 7. What they said: "We put up some runs early, which made things easier for me. You get to be aggressive and do your thing." ? Lehr ***Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Rottino breaks glass, slump in same night By RYAN CALLAHAN For The Tennessean Sounds third baseman Vinny Rottino finally broke out of his recent hitting slump Monday night. But first, he broke out a window. Rottino was responsible for the two most memorable swings of the night in Nashville's 7-2 win over Omaha, most notably his third-inning grand slam that gave the Sounds a 5-0 lead. But the shot that drew the most attention from the 3,215 fans at Greer Stadium didn't even stay in fair territory. In Rottino's first at-bat, he hit a foul ball that shattered a window to the restaurant directly above the press box. "I heard all the commotion (from the broken window) and I finished my at-bat," Rottino said. "I came back to the dugout (and said), 'What happened?'" His next plate appearance, made possible by Mike Rivera's two-out, bases-loaded infield single, ended with the grand slam, the first of Rottino's professional career and the Sounds' third of the year. "He got a few hits (last week) in New Orleans," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "I thought he had some good (at-bats) down there, and then he came up with the big hit tonight." Running wild: The Sounds lead the Pacific Coast League with 110 stolen bases, but their opponents might not be far behind. Andres Blanco's third-inning steal was the 20th consecutive successful stolen base against the Sounds. Nashville's opponents are 47-for-61 in stolen-base attempts this season. Rivera, Nashville's primary catcher, has thrown out 12-of-33 (36.3 percent) runners this season. Backup Mark Johnson is 2-for-21 (9.5 percent). Home-run hiatus: Rottino's grand slam was Nashville's second home run in 62 innings. The Sounds' only home run in the previous six games was by Nelson Cruz on Saturday night at New Orleans. Full house: American General has purchased every ticket for tonight's 7 p.m. game, the second of the four-game series against Omaha. General-admission tickets are being distributed through various area American General locations. Fans can upgrade their general admission tickets to reserved seating for $4. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a Sounds logo baseball.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006061230 Last team to bat wins: Power rallies to win 9-8 By Jim Workman For The Charleston Gazette In a game that saw six lead changes, having the last say meant something to the West Virginia Power. The home advantage worked out as Ryan Crew drilled a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Power a 9-8 victory over the Hagerstown Suns Monday night at Appalachian Power Park before a paid crowd of 3,504 fans. ?We had some clutch hits,? said Power manager Mike Guerrero. ?We found a way to keep coming back and win this game. That?s a great feeling.? Entering the bottom of the eighth, the Suns led 8-5, but Power pinch-hitter Nate Yoho hit a two-run homer to cut the deficit to one. And in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Bell sliced a single to right to tie the game, and Crew followed with his game-winning hit. The Power defense was less than spectacular, however. Four errors marred an otherwise good performance in which the Power rapped out 16 hits. ?We need to tighten down our defense,? Guerrero admitted. ?We allowed them to score some runs that we shouldn?t have. They took advantage of our mistakes.? The Suns scored first as Joe Holden singled home Tony Piazza to give Hagerstown a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Power answered on Ned Yost?s groundout that scored Bell. Jonel Pacheco stroked a solo homer in the third to give the Suns a 2-1 lead. West Virginia answered with a four-run third inning. Scotty McKnight had an RBI single, Darren Ford doubled home a run and Lorenzo Cain brought home two runs with a single for a 5-2 Power advantage. In the fifth, Pacheo hit his second home run of the game, a two-run blast to left that cut the Power lead to 5-4. Suns third baseman Leivi Ventura homered to left in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5. An error by Power shortstop McKnight allowed the Suns to score in the eighth, and Nick Evans swatted a two-run home run to increase the Hagerstown lead to 8-5. The Power improved to 35-28, and Hagerstown dropped to 25-39. POWER POINTS: The Suns, a Mets affiliate, will face the Power tonight at Appalachian Power Park. The two teams will travel to Hagerstown for a two-game series Wednesday and Thursday, and the Power will return home Friday for a three-game series against Hickory. ... The Power is five games out of first place with just seven to go in the first half.

Hope everyone has been touching base in the 2006 Draft Forum on all the recent signess (and non-signees). As a general rule, you'll be directed to pre-signing updates on that forum with post-signing news here in the Minor League Forum. Just a bit on recently-signed 34th round RHP Stuart Sutherland out of Dallas Baptist University, which had seven players drafted: The DBU Patriot Baseball set a school record with seven players drafted in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft, which included senior Stuart Sutherland. Sutherland, a right handed pitcher, was selected in the 34th round by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 1022nd overall pick. Sutherland finished the 2006 season with a 2-2 record in 31 innings with 35 strikeouts. In 2005, Sutherland had a 3.38 ERA and a 4-3 record in 50.2 innings with 21 strikeouts, which included being named to a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for his performance against UC-Irvine. He pitched a nine-inning no-hitter against UC-Irvine, but amazingly did not figure in the decision during a 1-0, 10-inning loss to the Anteaters. In 2004 as a sophomore, Sutherland led the team with a 2.23 ERA pitching in 40 innings with 10 strikeouts. He posted a 2-2 record, which included the win in the NCCAA National Championship game, where he threw a perfect game against Palm Beach Atlantic University, in his first start of the season. In Sutherland's freshman season, he once again led the Patriots in ERA with a 2.73 and finished with a 5-1 record, pitching 33 innings. "Stuart had a great career at DBU. He has the tools and mentality to be a professional," Newman commented.

Jared Lester, who is with the staff of the independent Can-Am League's Nashua (N.H.) Pride, provided this update for us: We recently had Kade Johnson and Elliot Ayala on our team, and I am friendly with Jose Mieses who was on last year's team. Kade Johnson played for us for about a week, and this weekend felt extreme discomfort in his throwing arm, and Sunday morning came in and notified the club he was retiring. He flew back to Houston this morning and will be going back to school in the fall as well as giving lessons and running catching clinics. Elliot Ayala is playing well and is about to come back from a hamstring injury. Jose Mieses is taking a year off from baseball to work and spend time with his family. We'll have to remind Jared that Mark Hamilton, Dan Reichert, and Nic Slack are other former Brewer farmhands now with the Pride. By the way, I owe you kids updates for players in the Frontier, Can-Am, and Golden Leagues as all six independent leagues nationwide are now underway. Also still on the "to-do" list is constructing the Player Index pages for all the recently signed draft picks.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Vinny Rottino photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=2000 Rottino Grand Slam Keys 7-2 Nashville Win NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Vinny Rottino belted a grand slam and Justin Lehr tossed seven strong innings to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 7-2 victory over the division-rival Omaha Royals on Monday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series. The win was the second in a row for Nashville (35-29), which improved to 22-11 at home and 14-6 against American League affiliates this season. The Sounds jumped ahead 5-0 with a two-out rally against Royals starter Seth Etherton in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases juiced, catcher Mike Rivera slapped an RBI infield single to shortstop to push across Dave Krynzel with the game?s first run. Rottino followed and crushed a 1-0 Etherton offering over both fences in left-center for a grand slam, his fifth roundtripper of the year and the Sounds? third slam of the campaign. The third baseman, who had shattered a window in Slugger's Sports Bar on the fourth floor of Greer Stadium with a foul ball in his first at-bat of the evening, recorded a season-high four RBIs in the contest. AUDIO: Vinny Rottino's Grand Slam -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-12.wma Sounds first baseman Graham Koonce, who entered the evening with an 11 at-bat hitless streak, upped the lead to 7-0 in the home half of the fifth with a two-run homer to right off Etherton, his third roundtripper of the year. Koonce finished 2-for-3 in the game. Nelson Cruz extended his hitting streak to a season-best 11 games with a fifth-inning single that preceded Koonce?s homer. Kerry Robinson put the Royals on the board in the top of the sixth with an RBI single off Lehr that plated Andres Blanco, who had opened the frame with a double. Chris Clapinski added a run-scoring groundout later in the inning to make it a 7-2 game. Sounds shortstop Chris Barnwell finished 0-for-3 with a walk to end his third double-digit hit streak of the year at 11 games. Lehr (1-2) earned his first victory of the season by holding the Royals to two runs on eight hits over seven innings. Jason Kershner and Chris Mabeus each worked a scoreless frame behind Lehr to close out the Nashville victory. Etherton (2-3) was dealt the loss after surrendering seven runs on nine hits in his 4 2/3 frames. Omaha reliever Leo Nunez turned in a solid performance in relief of Etherton, fanning seven batters over 3 1/3 hitless innings of work. The teams continue the series with a 7 p.m. contest on Tuesday night, which is American General buyout night at Greer Stadium. Left-hander Dana Eveland (3-1, 1.33) will make the start for Nashville to face Omaha right-hander Runelvys Hernandez (2-3, 6.99).

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Hitting Coach Gary Pettis: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...206-12.wma

West Virginia Site Game Summary: CREW COMPLETES POWER COMEBACK Ryan Crew had three hits in Monday night?s game against the Hagerstown Suns at Appalachian Power Park, and his final hit was the biggest as it brought in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 9-8 victory over the Suns. Hagerstown scored first in the second inning on an RBI single from Joe Holden. Mike Bell tied the game in the bottom of the inning when he grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that scored Ned Yost. The Suns went up 3-2 on a solo home run from Jonel Pacheco in the third inning. The Power scored four runs in the fourth inning to take their first lead of the game. Scotty McKnight and Darren Ford knocked in the first two runs on RBI singles and Lorenzo Cain knocked in the final two runs on a base hit. Hagerstown?s comeback began with the second home run of the night from Pacheco, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. The Suns tied the game in the seventh on a solo home run from Leivi Ventura. In the eighth inning the Suns took the lead when Holden scored on McKnight?s fielding error and Nick Evans added to the lead with a two-run homer to put the Suns up 8-5. The Power started their comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning on a pinch-hit two-run homer from Nate Yoho, his third of the season. Down 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Power scored twice to win their fourth game in their final at-bat. Mat Gamel began the inning with a single and scored the tying run on Mike Bell?s double. Crew stepped in with runners on second and third base and ripped the game-winning RBI single into right field. Steve Palazzolo (1-0) earned the victory, and Brandon Nall (1-3) obtained the loss. The Power are 35-28 after the win and the Suns fell to 25-38 with the loss. The Power will continue the four game series against the Suns on Tuesday night. Hagerstown will start right hander Deolis Guerrera (1-3, 4.20) and the Power will counter with left hander Rafael Lluberes (3-3, 3.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

Final: Nashville 7, Omaha (Royals) 2 Details from Sounds site shortly... Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Final: West Virginia 9, Hagerstown (Mets) 8 Wow -- Michael Bell and Ryan Crew with 9th inning RBI base hits as the Power walk-off to a win. The Power's usual shoddy defense had cost them earlier, but they pull another one out for a home crowd that has been rewarded with very entertauining ball in 2006 after a miserable 2005 campaign. West Virginia Box Score: Steve Garrison escapes a bases-loaded, none out jam in the 1st; four-run Power rally in the 4th came after two were out; Scotty McKinght's 8th inning error was the most costly of the team's four miscues; Dane Renkert brought on in the 7th to squelch a rally, which he did nicely; good for Steve Palazzolo, pro victory # 1 with a 1-2-3 9th inning -- I hope Brewerfan poster pogokat gets to see the 6'10" righty in action soon; Nate Yoho a pinch-hit blast; Ryan Crew on base four times; Angel Salome with a night off... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Baseball America reports that the Brewers have released 18-year-old LHP Julio Guzman, a Dominican youngster who struggled in his Arizona Rookie League debut season in 2005. Milwaukee also released 20-year-old OF Steven Sapp, signed this offseason after a couple of years in the Dodgers' system. RHP Kevin Roberts, the 2005 5th round pick who has struggled, made his return to the mound Sunday after serving a brief team-imposed suspension. We believe this was related to an on-field incident a while back.

Mark Rogers and Yovani Gallardo on this week's Baseball America Hot Prospect Sheet: www.baseballamerica.com/t...61693.html

In progress: Nashville 5, Omaha (Royals) 0, bottom of the 4th in Nashville Mike Rivera's two-out RBI single kept the third inning alive for a Vinny Rottino grand slam... In progress: Hagerstown 5 (Mets), West Virginia 5, bottom of the 7th in Charleston Lots of twists and turns (and Hagerstown HR's) in a chock-full game log...

Manatees Site: Constant rain and saturated field conditions has postponed the Monday, June 12th Vero Beach Dodgers and Brevard County Manatees game until Tuesday, June 13th. The Dodgers and Manatees will play a double header beginning at 6:00 PM (5:00 Central).

www.brewerfan.net/ViewDai...portId=446

Standing through Sunday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 34 29 .540 - 21-11 13-18 W1[/b] Iowa 27 35 .435 6.5 14-16 13-19 L1 Omaha 25 38 .397 9.0 16-19 9-19 L4 Memphis 23 39 .371 10.5 11-17 12-22 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 40 24 .625 - 24-11 16-13 W2 West Tenn 38 26 .594 2.0 18-17 20-9 W2 Tennessee 31 34 .477 9.5 18-12 13-22 L1 Carolina 30 35 .462 10.5 19-16 11-19 L1 [b]Huntsville 23 40 .365 16.5 9-19 14-21 L7[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 38 24 .613 - 20-14 18-10 W9 [b]Brevard County 34 27 .557 3.5 18-13 16-14 W1[/b] Palm Beach 32 30 .516 6.0 17-14 15-16 W3 Daytona 31 32 .492 7.5 19-11 12-21 W1 Jupiter 28 34 .452 10.0 13-17 15-17 L1 Vero Beach 23 40 .365 15.5 13-17 10-23 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 39 23 .629 - 24-12 15-11 W3 Delmarva 35 26 .574 3.5 18-14 17-12 L2 [b]West Virginia 34 28 .548 5.0 17-12 17-16 L1[/b] Lakewood 32 30 .516 7.0 18-13 14-17 W1 Greensboro 32 31 .508 7.5 21-11 11-20 L7 Hickory 29 32 .475 9.5 15-13 14-19 W1 Lake County 27 36 .429 12.5 13-19 14-17 L1 Hagerstown 25 38 .397 14.5 13-14 12-24 W2

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". Activate the Nashville Gameday. For the other links, 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! Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

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: Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Monday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Justin Lehr at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: Idle Brevard County: LHP Steve Hammond at home vs. Vero Beach (Dodgers), 6:00 PM Audio link (opponent's) -- game will also archive at this link: www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp West Virginia: LHP Steve Garrison at home vs. Hagerstown (Mets), 5:55 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

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Link while active, text follows (unfortunately, none of the young 2004 Helena Brewers mentioned in this story are still in the organization): www.helenair.com/articles...106_01.txt Healing houseguests By JEFF WINDMUELLER - Helena Independent Republic Sports Writer http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2006/06/11/sports_top/b01061106_01.jpg Photo courtesy Cathy Anderson - The Anderson family enjoys a family picnic at Kindrick Legion field with their Brewers ballplayers. Left to right are Jay, Jock, Gilberto Acosta, Cathy, Christina, who died earlier this year, Greg and Charlie Lozada. It began awkwardly. Cathy Anderson met the baseball player at the Helena airport, shook his hand and said ?welcome.? He shook back. They walked to the car, and without a word the young player knew to follow her. The trip home didn?t include a lot of talking, and there wouldn?t be much for the next week either. That?s because Cathy didn?t speak much Spanish, and the ball player, 21-year-old Gilberto Acosta of Venezuela, didn?t speak a word of English. ?We were very nice to him but there was really no communication,? Cathy said with a laugh. The Anderson family had agreed to host the player after seeing a local news broadcast on TV in the summer of 2004. A number of minor league ball players would be coming into town to play for the Brewers, and the Helena Minor League Baseball Booster Club needed places to house them. The club had a special need for families that would take Spanish speaking players. ?I called and said, ?if you need homes, we?ll take a Latin American player.? My daughter was studying in Mexico at the time and was returning home in mid-July,? Cathy said. ?(They) called me within a week and said ?we?ve got a player coming in on the noon plane today.?? It was a little sudden, and more than two weeks before their daughter, Christina, arrived home, but Cathy agreed to it. ?(Gilberto) told me later he was really scared because it was all English,? she said. Without the universal hand signs for ?strike,? ?out? and ?safe,? many players like Gilberto wouldn?t even know what the umpires were saying on the baseball field. Luckily, Cathy?s daughter wasn?t the only one who knew some Spanish in her family. Her older son, Greg, who was 19 at the time, had taken 4 years of the language in high school and one in college, and her younger son, Jay, 17, had three years of it. But with Greg working nights delivering pizza, and Jay?s limited experience with the language there still wasn?t much to be said. Acosta spent the first few weeks of his stay in his room, only coming out for food and to go to the ball park. Cathy?s husband, Jock, didn?t even see Gilberto during the first week. Gilberto usually went to the ballpark at 1 p.m., after Jock left for work, and came home at 10:30 p.m. from practice, after Jock had gone to bed. On one Saturday morning, Jock walked out of his bedroom to find a stranger standing in his kitchen. ?I had not expected to see him. I walked into the kitchen and there was a moment of surprise. And of course, it occurs to you immediately that the kid belongs there,? Jock said. ?He was trying to iron.? Gilberto was standing with an iron in his hand and motioned to Jock if it was OK to use. Jock said it was and searched for the ironing board. ?I ended up ironing the shirt for him and he said thank you,? Jock said. The day-to-day habits of the family were the same for weeks. Gilberto?s routine of waking up, eating and going to ball games was simple. But all that changed when Christina came home from Mexico. ?That night when she came here, all her bags were unpacked in the living room ... she had Mexican music on the CD player, Gilbert walked in at 10:30 and, oh my gosh, his life changed.? Cathy said. ?(Christina) jumped up and gave him the traditional Latin greeting, with the arms and the kiss on the cheek and started in on Spanish. ?Then he really lived as part of the family.? The Anderson family became inundated with Latin American culture. At least, as much as they could get in Montana. Latin music often blared through speakers and the smell of Venezuelan food filled the air. When Christina asked Gilberto what he missed most about his homeland, he responded, ?the rice.? Cathy began cooking rice more often, and found out just how much Venezuelans eat. After cooking up a bowl to serve to the entire family, she made the mistake of placing it directly in front of Gilberto. Before Cathy knew it, the young man had eaten the entire serving, not knowing it was to be shared. Pretty soon all four Venezuelans on the Brewers that year began hanging out in the home. One even became so close that he moved in. Expanding the family Charlie Lozada had been living with a family far out into Helena?s valley, making it a long trip to the ball park everyday. He would spend much of his time at the Anderson?s house, and with the booster club?s permission he became the seventh member of the Anderson family. Gilberto and Charlie became best friends, often borrowing the family car? with Cathy and Jock?s permission ? hanging out with girls and playing ?mini-ball,? a backyard version of baseball. And yet, ?They were as different as night and day,? Jock said. ?Gilberto was real quiet and Charlie was just the most outgoing chatter box.? They came from different areas of Venezuela and appeared to be from different social classes. Gilberto, who came from humble roots, supported the re-election of controversial and nationalist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Charlie, who had a wealthier background, couldn?t stand him. But even with their country progressing through a social revolution, the two boys always had something in common. Baseball It was their reason for moving away from their homes, not knowing what the future would hold. But it also brought them a new family and made them into brothers when, in another world, they would have been on the opposite ends of a spectrum. They tried hard to share baseball with the Anderson family as well. Greg and Jay played mini-ball with their Venezuelan comrades almost daily. The game had many of the same rules as baseball, but the goal was to hit what was actually a sock wrapped in duct tape, a soft enough object that the rule ?hitting the runner with the ball got him out? came into effect. Jock and Cathy went to Brewers games, and the entire family was crazy for baseball. All except Christina. She had no desire to watch the sport, not when Gilberto and Charlie were playing, or when her brothers stepped on the diamond. The two Venezuelans would ask Christina to come to a game every time they walked through the door. But she wouldn?t budge. Finally, she was trapped into going. All four Venezuelans were at the house for dinner and someone asked Brewer pitcher Alvaro Martinez when he was next in the lineup. He replied, ?July 21st,? the same day as Christina?s birthday. When the boys heard that it would be on her birthday he begged her to show up to the game. It was less than a week away and, rolling her eyes, Christina agreed to it. Friends who had gone to Mexico joined her at the celebration, which flowed from the ballfield to her home later that night. It was one of the few times she ever went to a baseball game. A family tragedy Since Gilberto and Charlie?s stay, the Anderson family has continued to immerse themselves in Latin American culture. All of the children studied Spanish in college, and Cathy decided to take up the language as well. ?I started with my Spanish lessons the fall of 2004. I thought, I?ve got three kids who are all taking Spanish ... I thought, I?m going to do it.? After studying with a tutor that year, Cathy visited Oaxaca, Mexico in January. It was the same city her son Greg had been to, and, as it turned out, she would stay with the same family he had stayed with. But even with all the preparations, the Anderson?s weren?t able to house baseball players during the summer of 2005. They were too busy, and wouldn?t have been around the house long enough to care for the players. When Marlene Hughes, chairwoman of the Helena Boosters, called them this year, the Anderson?s were ready. But then, tragedy struck. On April 7, 12 hours after Christina Anderson had been admitted to a hospital, her heart failed and the young woman passed away at the age of 24. Christina?s unexpected death dealt a blow to her family. She was upbeat, sensitive and always perceptive to other people?s feelings ? and other people?s cultures. She visited Spain and Mexico, but didn?t limit it to Spanish-speaking areas. She spent five months on a diplomatic internship in Serajevo, Bosnia. The Anderson?s were reminded of her whenever they encountered other cultures, and she was certainly in their minds when they made the decision to house ballplayers once again this summer. ?We talked about it and after about two or three weeks we just started saying, ?Gee, how are we ever going to live through this, how are we even going to survive this??? Cathy said. ?We thought, we want her around the house... I?d love to hear Spanish being spoken, because that?s what she loved. It?s just a way to kind of keep her in our thoughts and fill the house with some laughter and some Spanish voices.? Symbiosis The benefits of the housing program is an obvious one for the players. They are given a place to stay, a family to keep them company, and are taken care of when they?re not at the field. They don?t have to pay much for rent ? although the ball club requires that they do ? and are not required to do housework. In the end, the burden is really on the family. And yet, few families consider it a burden at all. In fact, most would consider the exchange to be a symbiotic relationship. John and Helen Bennett will be housing players for a third year, and since beginning the program have tried to keep at least two players in their home. They aren?t able to take in Spanish-speaking players, but have had guys from all over the United States. The Bennett?s experience began out of loneliness. Helen and the two children ? Joshua, now 14, and Jessica, 12 ? were out of town for the summer, leaving John home alone. ?I was going to a school for two months and the kids were visiting family in Alabama,? Helen said. John: ?I had this house for the summer by myself, so I figured why not share it.? It gave him a summer spent with young baseball players ? who play a game John loves ? and the subsequent years have been a benefit on their kids. The friendly college-age players have become mentors, often sharing their experiences with the children. The kids, in return, take them to do Montana activities like fishing. The Bennetts never expected anything from their players and never asked them to do household chores ? ?they?re here to play ball and that?s their primary focus,? John said ? but the guests have a tendency to want to help out with yard work or house cleaning. They helped out Marlene Hughes in a different way in the summer of 1999. That year she was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer and found that providing for the players kept her mind off the treatment. ?It kept me going,? Hughes said. ?They were there, I knew they were there and knew they had a need. ?I didn?t sit around feeling sorry for myself.? Instead, she spent the time busy, caring for the players. During one of the roughest patches of treatment Marlene decided to travel with the club to Missoula for the playoffs. Midway to Missoula, she flipped off the wig that had covered her hairless head and plopped it onto a young friend?s. For those who knew of her illness, and especially for those who didn?t, it was a bit of a shock. Then, everyone started laughing. ?A lot of them knew I had cancer but they didn?t really realize it,? Marlene said. ?They said I looked too healthy.? Marlene hopes the joy that the ballplayers brought her during a rough time can do the same for the Anderson?s. ?Most people get something out of it,? she said. The Anderson?s know that nothing can replace Christina, and they won?t ask anything of the players. In fact, they haven?t told Gilberto and Charlie about her passing, and don?t think they will tell any new players when they arrive. They are hoping the summer will instead be a way to remember her while moving on. ?I just think we have to have (the players) this year,? Cathy said. ?I?m thinking that they will help us more this year than we will help them.?

We'll hopefully get to obtain the other Dane Renkert columns not included here (five remain, we believe). We'll also add his weekly column to this thread -- a nice addition to be sure. Talented young man, on and off the mound.

Some of Dane Renkert's previous contributions: news.bellinghamherald.com...7436258688 April 2, 2006 Superstitions pay off with a visit to the big leagues Although I have seen many things throughout my baseball career, I think the most interesting thing is how players prepare themselves for a game or even a day of practice. For example, I came into the locker room the other day to find a crowd of thirty guys standing over a game of chess. But, everyone has their own individual preparation habits, everything from listening to music to catching a few extra z's in their locker. Some guys prepare by shining their shoes, taping a bat or simply visualizing what they want to accomplish on that particular day. If a guy did a crossword puzzle the same day he threw a five-hit shutout or had four hits, you can guarantee he will be sitting in that same spot trying to figure out what No. 33 across is the following day. Superstition plays a role, whether guys like to admit it or not. Whatever works best for that individual - strange or not - is a fact of all sports. Personally, I don't get too creative: I usually just relax, maybe read the paper or listen to music. The only strange thing that I do is clean my shoes in order - the right one has to be first. The first thing I heard as I entered the locker room last Sunday was, "Renkert, go get some gray pants!" So I stopped, tried to gather my thoughts and figure out why I would want to wear grey pants instead of the normal white. Still unsure, I asked. The response was simple, yet gratifying: "You're going to the big league game today." Among other thoughts rushing through my head, I felt like asking if he could rephrase that as: "You're conquering a lifelong dream today." My first true big league experience of my career was filled with sharing a lunch table and locker room with the likes of Milwaukee Brewers manager Robin Yount and stars Ben Sheets and Jeff Cirillo. Not only being in the same room, but wearing the same uniform and being part of Milwaukee Brewers when they took the field. Almost more amazing than the experience was the day that it fell on. On that day seven years ago, I lost three of my closest friends in a fatal car accident - a moment that is forever a daily reminder of how short life really is. So when I chose what number I wanted for the upcoming season, I asked for No. 8 in remembrance of one of my friends in the accident, Pete Staskiews. The number was already taken, so the closest I could do was No. 44 - thinking the two digits combined to equal eight. Although I didn't get to pitch in the game, I was there in uniform taking all the free sunflower seeds and bubble gum I could fit in my pockets. I also found out this week where I am heading for my first full season. I'll be heading to Charleston, W.V., to play for the West Virginia Power in the Class A South Atlantic League. The team plays in Appalachian Power Park. (Renkert played eight games with the Power last season after being promoted from rookie-level Helena). With spring training almost done and 144 games in the near future, my second professional season starts next week. Go Power! ***news.bellinghamherald.com...7436258688 April 16, 2006 An even keel vital to success in minors DANE RENKERT FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD There is a saying in the San Antonio Spurs' locker room that "It takes a diamond cutter one hundred taps to cut a diamond, the 100th tap being no more important than the first." With long bus trips, hot weather and the grind of playing every day, this statement seems true for minor league baseball players, too. Everyone can play good when they feel good, but with a long season it's even more important to play harder when slumps come and the bumps and bruises appear. Although this game takes tremendous skill and ability, courage and heart outweigh the natural skills that make a good baseball player. Part of baseball is striking out and giving up home runs, bad at bats and forgetful pitching outings. Is your reaction the same after you hit a home run as it would be if you struck out? Would you do the same if you struck out the side or gave up the game-winning hit? Obviously inside you will feel different when the two ends of the spectrum - success and failure - are at play. But the ability to stay on an even keel and reacting the same after the positive and negative is more important then I originally thought. Every game, more then a few guys come back to the dugout swearing, throwing helmets and bats. A pointless action that not only stems negativity throughout the dugout, but it is also something that may get carried over when the team is playing defense. If you go 0 for 5 at the plate, it doesn't mean that you can't make a game-saving play in the last inning and help your team win by playing excellent defense. The flip side is having the ability to separate the game, not letting your defensive struggles hinder your offensive output. With such a long season that will include five hundred at bats and hundreds of innings played, it's inevitable that there will be ups and downs offensively and defensively. But the real question is how you limit negative streaks. Being a late-inning pitcher, I get to analyze the game each day from the cozy confines of the bullpen, usually consisting of a few metal chairs or a bench. I pass my time chewing sunflower seeds and bubble gum. While you wait, you usually can expect to get verbally beat up by a hostile crowd and, of course, listen the constant echo of, "Can I have a ball?" But for a pitcher it's a unique sanctuary - it's our day-to-day office. We just replace computers and desks with mounds and plates. It's a place where you can close your eyes and let your senses remind you of where you are. The smell of hot dogs and burgers is overwhelming and the echoes of the game take over. The yelp of an umpire calling a strike or the sound of a vender screaming "get your popcorn, get your Cracker Jacks" lets you know you are in your element. ***news.bellinghamherald.com...7436258688 May 21, 2006 Impact of doing the simple things can often be underestimated DANE RENKERT FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD It?s easy to buy the perfect Christmas present for someone, but the impact of a card on top filled with real words is better than any gift. Or surprising someone with breakfast in bed on Saturday morning, although the pancakes were burnt, the eggs a little soggy and the bacon extra crispy, it?s the thought that counts. Whether it be a thank you to a stranger, or an unexpected birthday card to a long-lost friend, the impact of doing the simple things is often underestimated. This fact of using a simple act to make someone?s day happened to me the other day as a young boy approached me and asked, ?Can you sign my ball?? As I walked over to the 10-year-old boy, he stuck his hand out halfway, possibly frightened by my stature or just surprised. After giving my best John Hancock, and making sure he was enjoying himself, I returned the scuffled, heavy, old ball and turned to walk away. But something caught my ear, and I couldn?t help but overhear the young boy ask his mom with excitement, ?Can I hang the ball in my room?? Immediately I flashed back to practicing the perfect combination of scribbles and letters ? not so my checks would look nice, but so that maybe one day I would be able sign it on a ball and have it mean something. For this young boy, the big present may have been his mom bringing him to the game. But my taking a few seconds to sign the ball will hopefully be what he remembers. A slice of back home popped up this week as my dad came to visit for a week. He checked out the place I call home and paced in the stands while I pitched. His vacation was filled with late dinners and evenings, introductions to teammates and getting an idea of my life away from home. For me, it was a great way to catch up on old times ? and new ? and get an analytical point of view of pitching from someone who saw me throw my first ball. It?s always good seeing someone from home. While you enjoy hearing the voice of someone on a phone thousands of miles away, it?s always better to be sitting across from them at a dinner table. The flashbulb from the camera may have gone off one too many times while he was at the park, but I got two wins while he was here. So I guess it didn?t harm anything. ***news.bellinghamherald.com...7436258688 June 4, 2006 Living for today, not yesterday DANE RENKERT FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD There is a Beatles song called, "Yesterday," and although the melody is based upon a girl, its words relate to much more. The song begins, "Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as there here to stay, oh I believe in yesterday. Suddenly I'm half the man I used to be ..." When using this song metaphorically towards baseball it falls into context - not only when focusing too much on the positive, but also on the negative. Our coach always preaches, "Tomorrow is another day!" Win or lose this statement seems reasonable, as it's unrealistic that everyone in the clubhouse played their best game on that given day. But, if you did play a good game on that day you can't expect the same in tomorrow's game. With the distinct possibility of failure, the high of yesterday and the low of today will be a long and forgettable journey. As with almost anything in life when things are going good, things seem effortless and simple. But, personally speaking, when things go bad, the eager competitor in me comes out and my mind runs circles around what could have been done differently. Before you know it, it's tomorrow, and yesterday is nothing but a memory. I don't let yesterday poison my today. For example, yesterday I wore one of my best friends sleeves from college for some reason, and that night had probably my worst outing of the year. After searching for excuses, I realized it was just one of those days. I had a sacrificial ceremony. I took the sleeves I wore in the game outside, gave them a good long look back at what my friend and I had been through, and then lit them on fire. The bad smelling smoke clouding the air represented my outing and a final flush from what was then yesterday, with tomorrow right around the corner - without the sleeves. ***news.bellinghamherald.com...004/SPORTS June 11, 2006 Crucial at-bat a real mind game for pitcher DANE RENKERT FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD It's a Friday night, and the stands are packed with fans as we are finishing a five-game homestand in which we have only played one team. With the series knotted at two games apiece the all-important rubber game is coming down to the final outs. As our starting pitcher hikes up the stairs to start the eigth inning with a one-run lead, the pitching coach yells down at me, "Get loose, you've got Figeroa!" Juan Figeroa is a former University of Miami standout, hitting in the middle of the Greensboro Grasshoppers' lineup, and he is due up fourth in the inning. After a quick stretch and a few arm cirles I begin throwing and thinking back to his at-bats, his approach at the plate and envisioning how I can get him out. He is a contact hitter, stands close to the plate with his hands high. He uses a closed stance and has beat us by hitting the ball the other way. So in the bullpen my focus turns towards throwing quality pitches down in the zone on the inner half of the plate, trying to expose his weakness by making him make an adjustment. With a runner on second base and two outs, I take the trot from the bullpen to the pitcher's mound. Once I arrive, the catcher tells me what signs we'll use and a coach reiterates the situation. As I take my final warmup pitch, Figeroa slams the handle of his bat down, allowing the weight that was tightly wrapped around the barrel to fall to the ground. So it comes down to this: My ability to effectively attack his weakness by pitching accurately and his ability to hit a mistake, a pitch in which I miss my spot. The first pitch is a little up and in, and the second slides just inside knee high. All of the sudden I've fallen behind in the count - 2-0 - and with the tying run at second base and a hitter's count, I still have to stick to the plan. The third pitch is just right, a fastball sinking down at his knees. He takes a good swing, but fouls it off his foot. Then I get even with a fastball on the inner half of the plate that he turns on and hits almost 90 degrees foul. Because he has just missed two straight fastballs, I throw another, which he again fouls off. So I have now effectively exposed his weakness and have control of the at-bat. Because of this, I can go to my out pitch, a changeup. Since he has seen five balls on the inside of the plate, I figure I will throw it outside, thinking that his eyes will light up with the thoughts of finally seeing a ball being where he likes it. Although it was just an average pitch, he swings right through it for strike three, and their rally is ended. It was one of the few at-bats that I can vividly remember, but it sticks out for more reasons then one. In pro ball you have a chance to see a hitter over the course of thirty games a season, and inevidibly tendencies form and weaknesses appear. But the real step comes when you have the ability to expose it by throwing fastballs inside instead of just missing down the middle. Hopefully, more at bats will stick out like this one because as we all know, they don't all turn out with a positive result.

Hometown article on Manatee reliever Robert Hinton: Link while active, text follows -- www.heraldtribune.com/app...00508/1006 Ex-Ram Hinton cruising BY BARBARA KLEMT BOXLEITNER Sarasota Herald-Tribune CORRESPONDENT Riverview High graduate Robert Hinton is progressing efficiently through the Milwaukee Brewers' minor-league system. A pitcher for the high-Class A Brevard County Manatees, Hinton has moved up a level yearly since being drafted in 2004. The right-hander was converted from a starting pitcher to a reliever last year at low-A West Virginia, where he was a South Atlantic League All-Star selection. "They are projecting me moving up through the system quicker as a reliever," the 21-year-old said recently before a game with the Fort Myers Miracle. "As a starter you can set your own pace," he said. "Basically you don't try to overpower them (batters), and you just try to keep your team in the game. Whereas if you're coming in relief in a tight situation, they can't score." Hinton entered this week with a 2-3 record, one save, four holds and a 3.21 earned run average in 17 appearances. Most of his work has been in the seventh and eighth innings. "He has done an outstanding job for us," said Brevard County pitching coach Fred Dabney, previously the Charlotte Rangers pitching coach. Hinton is trying to develop his fastball, which he said he didn't throw much during high school and college, when he relied on the breaking ball. Last year the velocity of his fastball topped out at 93 mph, he said, and it has been 90 mph this season. "At times there's a difference between being able to throw a strike and to command the baseball," Dabney said. "The biggest thing is getting him to command both sides of the plate, the far side of the strike zone, which is away to a righty (batter). From here up, he's going to have to be able to command the fastball and have the slider." "What they want to see me be able to do is not just to throw strikes, but to throw strikes where I want to," Hinton said. "That's the big jump to make it on to the next level."