Jim Goulart

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Final: Augusta (Giants) 6, West Virginia 3 With a name like "Crew", how can Ryan not be a big league Brewer some day? West Virginia Site Game Summary: Crew goes 3 for 4 in Power loss Power second baseman Ryan Crew had three hits in Wednesday night?s ballgame against the Augusta GreenJackets, but it was not enough for the Power as the GreenJackets took advantage of a three-run sixth inning to beat the Power 6-3. Mike Mooney snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run. The Power answered in the bottom of the fourth on Tony Festa?s two-out, two-run double to give the Power their only lead of the game. In the fifth inning the GreenJackets tied the ballgame when Mooney hit a ground ball to Mat Gamel with a runner on third base. Gamel?s throw home bounced off the glove of Angel Salome allowing a run to score. Tied at 2-2 after five innings, the GreenJackets pulled away in the sixth. Kyle Haines and Ben Copeland ripped RBI singles and Pablo Sandoval drove in the last run on an RBI groundout. The GreenJackets added an insurance run in the ninth inning on Greg McCarthy?s RBI double. Ryan Shaver (3-2) earned the victory, and Will Laureano (1-1) obtained the loss. The Power are 19-18 after the loss and the GreenJackets improved to 21-16 with the win. The Power will complete the four game series against Augusta on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. Augusta will start right hander Ronnie Ray (3-1, 2.63) and West Virginia will counter with right hander Ronny Malave (2-0, 3.38). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Big night for Augusta's leadoff man; Darren Ford two errors in center field; LH starter David Welch left after facing only one batter in the third inning -- no mention of an injury in the game log, but that's not good -- we should learn more Thursday... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Angel Salome's error in the 5th hurt; huge wasted chance for the Power in the 6th --ugh... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Huntsville 8, Chattanooga (Reds) 3 If the Stars have first-half division title hopes, they got off to a good start in this five-game set on the road against the first-place Lookouts... Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=836 Chavez Carries Stars Past Chattanooga Ozzie Chavez knocked in three runs and Matt Yeatman overcame a rough first inning to work five solid frames in helping to push Huntsville past Chattanooga 8-3 Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game set at BellSouth Park. The Stars stopped a two-game slide, improved to 20-20 and pulled to within four and a half games of the front-running Lookouts, who lost their fourth straight game and fell for the sixth time in seven games. Joey Votto singled in a run and then scored two batters later when former Stars? outfielder Noochie Varner clubbed a two-run home to right-center field to make it 3-0 Lookouts after one inning. The long ball was the first one allowed by Yeatman and marked the second time in three starts he has been scored on in the first inning. A single by Adam Heether and walks to Lou Palmisano and Steve Moss loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning before Chavez hit a ground ball to first base that Votto could not handle, allowing Heether and Palmisano to score and Moss to advance to third base. Kennard Bibbs delivered a sacrifice fly to plate Moss with the tying run. The Stars took the lead for good with two runs in the sixth when Heether singled to lead off the inning and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Palmisano dropped down a bunt that he legged out for a hit that was fielded by catcher Miguel Perez, who sailed a throw past first base that allowed Heether to score and Palmisano to advance to second base. Moss dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Chavez followed with a double that scored Palmisano to push the Stars lead to 5-3. Eddy Valdez suffered the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, in 5 1/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, walked three and struck out four in falling to 1-2. Yeatman was lifted after five innings in his longest outing of the year after allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. He fanned five and picked up his second win of the year. Jeff Housman tossed a scoreless sixth inning in his first outing since April 24 at home against Mobile and got some more runs to work with when the Stars scored twice in the seventh. A Carlos Guevera wild pitch on a strikeout of Moss allowed Greg Sain to score from third with two outs and Chavez followed with a double that plated Palmisano, who scored three times after not scoring in seven games. Housman tossed a scoreless seventh and fanned four in his two innings of work. Russ Rohlicek worked a shutout eighth inning and Joe Winkelsas a scoreless ninth and got Votto to ground into a double play to end the game. Heether had his second three-hit game of the season in the last four days and Chavez knocked in more than one run in a game for the first time this season. The series continues Thursday night when the Stars send right-hander Carlos Villanueva to the mound against Chattanooga southpaw Tyler Pelland. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 p.m. central time and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: Only one extra-base hit among the Stars' 12 hits -- wait, the Stars had 12 hits, why complain? www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1 Ozzie Chavez photo courtesy of Ponderphoto.com via the Stars' site: http://www.huntsvillestars.com/images/news/chavezt.JPG

Final: Lakeland (Tigers) 7, Brevard County 3 Brevard County Site Game Summary: Lakeland trips up Brevard County Lakeland motored past Brevard County, 7-3, on Victor Mendez's legs on Wednesday at Joker Marchant Stadium. The switch-hitting outfielder's two-run triple highlighted a five-run sixth inning by the Tigers (22-17), who moved into a three-way tie for first place in the West Division with Dunedin and Fort Myers. Wilkin Ramirez hit a two-run homer that gave Lakeland a 4-3 lead before James Essian singled and Brent Dlugach was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Mendez's three-bagger. Mendez then scored on Gilberto Mejia's single. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Ramirez also drew a bases-loaded walk in the first for the first of the third baseman's three RBIs. Jeff Larish was the only other Tiger to reach base more than once. He was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored. P.J. Finigan (3-0) maintained a perfect record as he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, giving up two hits and fanning two. Starter Jair Jurrjens gave Lakeland 5 2/3 solid innings during his eighth outing of the year, allowing three runs -- one earned -- on five hits and a walk while striking out four. Brevard County (18-20) briefly held the lead, 3-2, after Freddy Parejo smacked a two-run double to center field. Charlie Fermaint had a productive night leading off, going 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base. Ben Stanczyk (3-2) suffered the loss, giving up five runs on five hits and a walk through two innings of work. The Tigers had trouble making contact against starter Mark Rogers, who struck out eight batters in just five innings, but also walked six in that same span. The 20-year-old righty gave up four hits as Lakeland touched him up for two runs. -- Michael Echan/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score: Only one fly ball out against Mark Rogers - work in progress, folks, work in progress; as evidenced by his now still respectable 3.60 ERA, an uncharacteristic performance by Ben Stanczyk... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: Four of Rogers' five first-inning walks came with two outs... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1

Huntsville Site: Link for Jeff Housman photo, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=835 Stars Pitching Staff Shuffle Chattanooga, TN ? The Milwaukee Brewers have placed pitcher Khalid Ballouli on the disabled list, retroactive to May 12, and activated pitcher Jeff Housman from the disabled list. Housman will be in uniform Wednesday night when the Huntsville Stars begin a five-game series against the Lookouts at BellSouth Park. Ballouli last pitched on Thursday, May 11 and was taken out after one-third of an inning following a second cessation of play due to wet field conditions. It was then disclosed that he had soreness in his shoulder as the result of a lat muscle strain suffered last July. The right-hander has a record of 2-2 with a 4.91 earned run average in seven starts covering 33 innings pitched. Ballouli was named the BC Powder Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the period of May 1 through 7 after allowing only two earned runs on 10 hits in 13 2/3 innings, including a stretch over his two starts in which he retired 21 batters in a row. Housman last appeared for Huntsville on April 24, throwing two innings at home against Mobile before leaving the game due to a strained left shoulder. The southpaw has a record of 1-1 with a 3.15 earned run average in four starts covering 20 innings.

Inman also makes Baseball America's "Daily Dish": www.baseballamerica.com/t...61288.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/winman068371.jpg

Mass, Do you have the line for the one horrendous outing last year where Inman gave up like 5 HR's in one inning? I'd be curious what his minor league totals would be without that one inning. From Mass Haas last fall: Reprinted from a post earlier this week: Now look, if we back out the single worst inning from any pitcher's performance, that pitcher will benefit. But here's what makes the incredible Will Inman even more impressive. July 20th, Ogden, Utah Inman has retired the Raptors 1-2-3 in both the 1st and 2nd innings. Then, in the 3rd, beyond any logical explanation, this happens: Adam Godwin singles on a ground ball to second baseman Kenneth Holmberg. Rick Taloa homers (2) on a fly ball to center field. Adam Godwin scores. James McDonald pops out to third baseman Michael Bell in foul territory. Juan Rivera grounds out, shortstop Ryan Crew to first baseman Ned Yost IV. Justin Crist homers (1) on a fly ball to right center field. David Sutherland singles on a line drive to center fielder Charlie Fermaint. Russell Mitchell homers (9) on a fly ball to left field. David Sutherland scores. Juan Apodaca homers (8 ) on a fly ball to right field. B. J. Richmond singles on a line drive to center fielder Charlie Fermaint. Pitcher Change: Dane Renkert replaces William Inman. Adam Godwin singles on a line drive to left fielder Darren Ford. B. J. Richmond to 2nd. Rick Taloa strikes out swinging. One hellacious inning (actually 2/3 of an inning), seven hits, four of them home runs, six earned runs. Now, this is where it gets good -- If you take that bottom of the 3rd out of the equation, if you just remove those ten minutes from Will Inman's life, here are his rookie numbers: 6-0, 14 G, 5 Games Started, 46.1 IP, 22 H, 1 HR, 4 ER, 12 BB, 59 K, 0.78 ERA, 0.73 WHIP There, I just made my favorite post of 2005! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif I don't know what happened in Ogden that night, some type of nexus of the universe convergence or something, but yikes! Let the man-crushes intensify http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ***May 17, 2006 Update If you add Inman's 2006 numbers to those posted above, you get (minus one horrendous 2/3 of an inning): 9-0 22 games 10 starts 77.1 IP 48 hits 1 HR 7 ER 15 BB 97 K 0.81 ERA 0.81 WHIP Lift jaws off floor now...

Standings through Tuesday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 22 17 .564 - 11-5 11-12 L3[/b] Omaha 17 21 .447 4.5 11-11 6-10 L1 Iowa 15 22 .405 6.0 9-12 6-10 W2 Memphis 12 25 .324 9.0 8-8 4-17 L3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 25 15 .625 - 15-5 10-10 L3 West Tenn 24 16 .600 1.0 8-7 16-9 L1 [b]Huntsville 19 20 .487 5.5 9-10 10-10 L2[/b] Carolina 19 21 .475 6.0 12-8 7-13 W3 Tennessee 19 21 .475 6.0 12-8 7-13 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 22 14 .611 - 9-9 13-5 L2 Palm Beach 20 17 .541 2.5 8-8 12-9 W1 [b]Brevard County 18 19 .486 4.5 6-10 12-9 L2[/b] Daytona 18 20 .474 5.0 10-9 8-11 W4 Jupiter 17 21 .447 6.0 8-14 9-7 W2 Vero Beach 12 26 .316 11.0 8-13 4-13 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 22 15 .595 - 13-6 9-9 L1 Delmarva 21 15 .583 0.5 10-9 11-6 W3 [b]West Virginia 19 17 .528 2.5 9-8 10-9 W2[/b] Lake County 20 18 .526 2.5 10-9 10-9 W2 Greensboro 19 18 .514 3.0 13-6 6-12 W2 Lakewood 18 19 .486 4.0 10-7 8-12 L1 Hagerstown 15 22 .405 7.0 9-9 6-13 L5 Hickory 14 22 .389 7.5 6-9 8-13 L1

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 Wednesday'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_cngaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Wednesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: Idle Huntsville: RHP Matt Yeatman at Chattanooga (Reds), 6:00 PM pre-game, 6:15 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: RHP Mark Rogers at Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 PM; sorry, no audio for this series West Virginia: LHP Dave Welch at home vs. Augusta (Giants), 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: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200605179/ Power pitcher impressive Michael Dailey Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Third baseman Ryan Braun was the jewel of the Milwaukee Brewers' 2005 draft. A $2.45 million signing bonus for Braun, the fifth overall pick, drove home that point. But the Brewers may have discovered a hidden gem in the third round with the selection of right-handed pitcher Will Inman. After a sterling rookie season in which he compiled a 6-0 record with a 1.91 ERA while splitting time between Arizona and Helena, Inman has continued to impress this season as the West Virginia Power's most consistent hurler. "He's exceeded our expectations coming into a league like this and literally owning it," said Power pitching coach and former Major Leaguer John Curtis. "His numbers reflect nothing but absolute domination." Inman, a native of Danville, Virginia, continued his dominant professional career Tuesday evening in a 4-3, extra inning Power win over the Augusta GreenJackets at chilly Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia improved to 19-17 with the win, while Augusta slipped to 20-16. While Inman wasn't the pitcher of record, he did pitch impressively in allowing five hits and just one run in five innings of work. He finished with six strikeouts and didn't allow a free pass. So far this season, Inman is 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA, having allowed just three earned runs in 31 innings pitched. Inman has 38 strikeouts and has allowed just three walks this season. "As a model for young pitchers, this is one you want to look at," Curtis said. "He's done wonderfully for us. He's very aggressive, has supreme confidence in himself, and it shows." Inman left Tuesday evening's game with a 3-1 lead, allowing only a fifth inning run on a triple and sacrifice fly. But even with his success on the mound, Inman knows there is plenty of room for improvement on the long road from Charleston to Milwaukee's Miller Park. "This is professional baseball, but it's still just baseball. You learn to play baseball from the time you start playing until you quit playing. You learn something everyday. "You just have to trust your stuff," he said. "You have to trust everything you throw. Even if it's a bad pitch that catches too much of the plate, 70 percent of the time, he's going to hit it right at somebody or get himself out. "Trusting your stuff is very important." But before a pitcher can trust his "stuff", he first has to develop it. That's what Inman has spent this season trying to do. Inman has fairly good control of his fastball, which tops out in the low 90s, and his breaking pitch, which Curtis refers to as a mix between a slider and a curve. However, Inman also knows that with only two pitches, he could be calling West Virginia home for a long time. "It's weird, I'm hit my spots pretty well with the fastball and the curve ball is coming along pretty good, but at the same time, I'm having a horrible time with the change up," Inman said. "It's a pitch that I've never thrown. I'm trying to learn to throw it, and it's something that I have to do to get out of this league." Still Inman knows that until he commands the pitch, he likely isn't going anywhere soon. "I have to throw it to succeed at higher levels of baseball," he said. "It's not about numbers in this league, because you don't want to be here forever. It's about getting to the Major Leagues and putting good numbers up there. To do that, you have to have at least three pitches." The Power was staked to an early lead Tuesday, thanks to a two-out, two-run blast to right center in the first inning, off the bat of third baseman Mat Gamel. Augusta added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 3 apiece before catcher Angel Salome plated the winning run with an RBI hit in the bottom of the 10th inning. Salome's hit made a winner of Dane Renkert (3-2), while Augusta's Osiris Matos (1-2) took the loss. Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman West Virginia Power pitcher Will Inman gave up one run in five innings against Augusta on Tuesday, raising his earned run average to 0.87. He had six strikeouts and no walks. http://www.dailymail.com/images/Inman0517.jpg

Sounds idle Wednesday, other three games under the lights -- new Link Report later on...

Brevard County Site Game Summary: Ardoin extinguishes Manatees Kevin Ardoin tossed a six-hit complete-game shutout as Lakeland blanked visiting Brevard County, 6-0, on Tuesday. Ardoin (4-2) only struck out one but didn't issue a walk in his highly efficient performance. He faced a total of 32 hitters and picked off two. The wiry right-hander gave up a double in the first inning and two singles in the second before throwing perfect frames in the third, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth. The 23-year-old Eunice, La., native lowered his ERA to 2.33 and has gone five-plus frames in all eight of his starts. James Essian went 3-for-4, including a homer, and drove in three runs to pace the Tigers (21-17), who won their second straight over the Manatees. Jeff Larish smacked a two-run triple in the first to give Lakeland an early 2-0 lead. Brevard County starter Steven Hammond (3-2) surrendered six runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. Ryan Braun, Hernan Iribarren and Freddy Parejo each had two hits for the Manatees (18-19). -- Christopher Heine/MLB.com

Final: Las Vegas (Dodgers) 6, Nashville 5 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Mike Meyers photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1954 Sounds Drop Road Trip Finale, 6-5 In Vegas LAS VEGAS, Nev. ? Former Sound Chris Truby capped a late Las Vegas rally by pushing across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the 51s a 6-5 victory over Nashville on Tuesday evening at Cashman Field in the finale of a four-game series. Truby, the 2004 Sounds MVP, recorded three RBIs on the night to pace Las Vegas, which won three of four games in the series. The loss was the ninth in the last 12 contests for Nashville (22-17), which finished its road trip with a 2-6 record. The Sounds, who have dropped three straight games to match their longest losing streak of the season, fell to 1-8 in one-run contests on the road this season and suffered their seventh loss after the opponent scored the winning run in its final at-bat. Las Vegas grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when James Loney scored on Truby?s first of two sacrifice flies on the evening. Nashville catcher Mike Rivera gave the visitors a 2-1 lead in the third with a two-run double off 51s starter Harold Eckert. The one-out knock plated Brent Abernathy and Nelson Cruz. The 51s knotted the contest at 2-2 in the home half of the third on Wilson Valdez?s RBI double against Sounds starter Mike Meyers, which scored Eckert. Meyers avoided further damage in the frame by inducing an inning-ending double play grounder with one out and runners on first and third. Corey Hart, who finished 2-for-3 before being removed from the contest in the middle of the sixth, pushed the Sounds back in front, 3-2, in the top of the fifth with a sacrifice fly that brought in Tony Gwynn from third. Nashville added two runs later in the frame when Las Vegas second baseman Sergio Garcia committed a throwing error during a force attempt on a Vinny Rottino grounder, allowing Abernathy and Cruz to score to up the advantage to 5-2. Las Vegas got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the seventh when Garcia and Truby opened the frame with back-to-back doubles against Meyers, the second of which chased the Sounds starter. Mike Adams came on in relief and allowed the second run in the frame when Truby scored on a Jon Weber groundout to make it a 5-4 contest. The 51s took a 6-5 lead in the eighth as Adams suffered his first blown save of the season. The right-hander walked Garcia with the bases loaded to force home Wilson Valdez from third with the tying run. The base on balls was the third of the inning issued by Adams, who was lifted for Allan Simpson after the tying run crossed the plate. Truby continued his solid night by greeting Simpson with a go-ahead sacrifice fly to left, resulting in the third baseman?s third RBI of the evening. Both runs in the frame were unearned due to a fielding error by Sounds third baseman Vinny Rottino. Las Vegas reliever Giovanni Carrara (1-0), who worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings, earned his first win of the season as the beneficiary of the late comeback. Ex-Sound Justin Reid struck out Chris Barnwell for the final out of the game to earn his second save. Adams (1-1) drew his first loss of the season after allowing the tying and go-ahead runs (both unearned) in his 1 1/3 innings. Meyers tossed a season-high six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out one and walking one but took a no-decision as a result of the blown save. After joining the entire Pacific Coast League for an off day Wednesday, the Sounds open an eight-game homestand on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium. Nashville welcomes the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA-Mariners) for a rematch of last September?s PCL Championship Series, which the Sounds swept 3-0. The series will be the teams? lone meeting during the 2006 regular season. Nashville left-hander Justin Thompson (2-2, 6.84) will start Thursday?s 7 p.m. series opener and face Rainiers right-hander Clint Nageotte (4-2, 4.84). Nashville Box Score: Mike Rivera still studly; three Sounds hit by pitches... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lvgaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lvgaaa_1

Nashville Pre-Game Coaches Chat with Hitting Coach Gary Pettis: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-16.wma

Link for Justin Thompson photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1952 Thompson Serves As Mentor For Sounds Hurlers by Rick Kubitschek When people think about the most important part of a ball team, several things come to mind: a solid pitching staff, a guy who can hit the longball, or a coaching staff that understands their players and the game. All of these are essential parts of a ballclub, but most people forget the importance of seasoned veterans ? guys that can help mature the young talent and still produce when they?re called upon. Sounds left-hander Justin Thompson is that guy. Thompson is the veteran on the Nashville pitching staff. He is currently 33 years old and has 16 seasons of professional baseball under his belt. With such a young pitching staff surrounding him, Thompson hopes to teach them a thing or two about the game. Even though it?s only a little over a month into the season, it?s apparent he?s filling that mentor role for the guys. The team has given him the nickname, ?The Clydesdale,? because he is the oldest and wisest member of the ?four horsemen,? the nickname given to him earlier this season by the remainder of the Sounds starters ? prospects Ben Hendrickson, Dana Eveland, Zach Jackson, and Dennis Sarfate. Thompson got his start in professional baseball when the Detroit Tigers selected him in the first round of the June 1991 free agent draft. He spent the next four years in the minors before being called up to pitch for the Tigers. It was a tough first few years for Thompson. The team was losing and he was trying to find his place in the organization. ?The clubhouse was always very quiet,? said Thompson. ?It was tough for a first-year guy ? having everyone keeping to themselves.? Everyone knows what it?s like being the new kid in town. You aren?t quite sure about how things run and you are trying to figure out what your role is going to be in this new place. Most ballplayers look to that seasoned vet on the team for advice and to help them make it threw their first couple of years. Thompson didn?t have that guy on the team to teach him things such as: what?s the best way to prepare for a game, how do you bounce back after a nine-run-15-hit outing, and how do you make it to the majors? The baseball movie ?Bull Durham? took this type of mentoring to a more comedic degree when Crash Davis tried to teach Nuke LaLoosh the finer points of being a professional baseball player. ?You have fungus on your shower shoes. You?ll never make it to the show with fungus on your shower shoes,? Davis, played by Kevin Costner, said in his famous speech to Tim Robbins? character. ?Win 20 in the show and you can let the fungus grow back and the press will think you?ll colorful, but until you when 20 in the show it just means you?re a slob.? Thompson might be trying to teach the finer points of baseball now, but it is something he had to pick up on his own. He never had a Crash Davis to tell him to hold the ball like an egg or how to give interviews. When he was called up, Thompson was tossed into a Tigers pitching staff that housed 12 guys in their 20s. Guys were a couple of years younger then him or just a few years older. They didn?t have that veteran on the team that the rookies could lean on when times got tough. The whole team was growing up together and they had to learn through their own mistakes. ?It made me grow up fast,? said Thompson. ?I had some hard lessons but it forced me to learn fast also.? One of those hard lessons is also one of his favorite memories. On September 18, 1996 at Tiger Stadium, the Tigers were playing the Boston Red Sox. Thompson faced off against Roger Clemens. That day, ?The Rocket? struck out 20 batters, accomplishing something that has only been done three times. ?That?s one of the most memorable parts of my fist year,? Thompson stated. ?Needless to say, I lost.? Thompson tries to preach to the young guys that you can?t win every game. You aren?t always going to step out on the mound and blow the other team away. Sometimes the other team is going to blow you away. Thompson tells the guys, ?Every outing is a learning experience. Whether you get hit or through a no-hitter, there is always a lesson that can be taken away from your outing. Did you throw too many breaking balls or leave the ball too high in the zone? There is always something you can look at and improve on.? While some teammates like to help guys during the game and point out errors in their swing or delivery, Thompson likes to wait until after the game to give pointers. ?I try not to talk to the guys when it?s their turn to pitch,? Thompson said. ?Game day is supposed to be the fun day. I?ll try and work with the guys during their off days.? Thompson learned from an early age that baseball is supposed to be fun. He has always just played the game and enjoyed it. This is something he has carried with him throughout his career and tries to pass on to the younger players. ?I want to teach the younger guys as much as I can,? Thompson said. ?But most of all, let them know to have fun with it. It?s just a game.? When players get to the Triple-A level, they are extremely talented and most of the time they know how to do their job, whether it is striking people out, fielding ground balls, or hitting the longball. Sometimes, though, the physical part of the game takes over and players forget about the mental part. ?These guys are so young and talented that they just go out there and win,? said Thompson. ?It won?t always be that way, though.? It can be tough to bounce back after a bad outing or recover from an error that kept you on the mound longer then you should have been, but all of this happens and players need to be able to deal with it and recover quickly. ?The guys here are very talented,? Thompson said. ?I just want to give them as much help with their mental game as I can.? A seasoned vet like Thompson has been banged around a few times but has also been at the top of the game. In 1997, Thompson had the opportunity that most ballplayers only dream about. He was selected to pitch in the MLB All-Star game for the American League. ?I found out I was selected one day as I was sitting down in the bullpen,? Thompson stated. ?I heard it over the P.A. system and my body just went numb.? He pitched the fifth inning and didn?t allow a hit. Playing professional for the past 16 years, Thompson has seen every situation that might come up in a game and has an abundant amount of baseball knowledge that any rookie would be lucky to have access to. ?Everyone wants to make it [to the Majors] as bad as anyone else,? Thompson said. ?If a young guy can learn from my mistakes and I help him get up, then I feel like I?ve helped the team.?

Final: Lakeland (Tigers) 6, Brevard County 0 Who would have guessed after the incredible start, that Brevard would have the worst record among Brewer affiliates on May 16th? Brevard County Box Score: Ryan Braun back in the lineup, 2-for-4 and the Manatees only error (# 10 for Braun) on the first defensive play for the 'Tess on the night; LHP Steve Hammond had only allowed two HR in 38.2 IP coming into tonight, but served up two in this one... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: Horrible pickoff of Brendan Katin in the 1st; Travis Ezi also picked off in the 6th... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1

Final: West Virginia 4, Augusta (Giants) 3, ten innings West Virginia Site Game Summary: Inman's streak ends in Power victory Will Inman had not allowed a run over 23 consecutive innings going into Tuesday night?s game against the Augusta GreenJackets at Appalachian Power Park. Augusta plated their first run of the game in the top of the fifth inning, putting an end to Inman?s amazing streak which reached 27 innings, but the Power won 4-3 in 10 innings on Angel Salome?s RBI double. Mat Gamel blasted a two-run homer in the first inning, his sixth of the year to give the Power an early 2-0 advantage. The Power added to the lead in the second inning when Ned Yost scored on a wild pitch. Eugenio Velez led off the fifth inning with a triple, and scored on the next pitch when Kyle Haines drove him in on a sacrifice fly. In the top of the seventh Pablo Sandoval brought the GreenJackets within a run on an RBI groundout, and Augusta tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth inning on Velez?s run-scoring double. Lorenzo Cain singled to right field to begin the tenth inning for the Power. Power manager Mike Guerrero called for a hit and run on a 1-0 pitch to Salome, and the result was a game-winning RBI double for Salome. The win marks the third in extra frames for the Power, and their second in their final at-bat this season. Dane Renkert (3-2) earned the victory after failing to obtain the save, and Osiris Matos (1-2) took the loss. The Power are 19-17 after the win and the GreenJackets fell to 20-16 with the loss. The Power will continue the four game series against Augusta on Wednesday night. Augusta will start right hander Ryan Shaver (2-2, 2.68) and West Virginia will counter with left hander Dave Welch (1-2, 3.58). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: Five Power with two hits apiece... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Here is the link to the thread on the Major League Forum discussing Jared Fernandez being designated for assignment, as well as the Brewers claiming RHP Chris Mabeus on waivers from the A's. For comments on these particular transactions, please discuss within the Major League thread, not this one, thanks: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...1747.topic

Cant wait to see what Inman does tonight. It seems like it's been awhile since he made a start. Listen in! You'll probably get to hear Andy "Bull" Barch call three innings before you flip on the Brewer game.

Final: Tennessee (Diamondbacks) 7, Huntsville 0 Welcome to the Stars, Matt Smith -- treated like every other pitcher, no run support... Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=833 Ohlendorf Oustanding in Downing Stars Ross Ohlendorf tossed a complete-game shutout and punctuated his effort by hitting a home run and Jamie D?Antona knocked in three runs to carry Tennessee past Huntsville 7-0 Tuesday afternoon at Smokies Park in the final game this season between the two teams. The Smokies took the last two games to claim the five-game set three games to two and wound up winning six out of 10 against the Stars, who fell to 19-20 on the season and lost their second straight road series after winning their first two. Ohlendorf picked up his first win of the season in going the distance for the first time and has now gone at least six innings in seven of his eight starts. He struck out five, did not walk a batter and ended the game by starting a ground ball double play. Adam Heether doubled to lead off the fifth, moved to third on a fly ball out by Greg Sain and was stranded there when Ozzie Chavez grounded out and J.C. Boscan struck out. Heether is the only Huntsville runner to reach third base in 16 shutout innings thrown by Ohlendorf in two starts against the Stars. The Stars were blanked for a sixth time this season and for the first time on the road. Tennessee scored in the bottom of the first inning when Danny Richar led off with a single, moved to second base on a wild pitch, to third base when Chavez fielded Jerry Gil?s ground ball and threw wildly past Heether at third and scored on a Jesus Cota ground out. Stars? starter Matt Smith, acquired by the Brewers from St. Louis for a player to be named later last week, blanked the home team through the next three frames before Gil doubled home Richar in the fifth and scored on a base hit by D?Antona that ended a 14-at-bat hitless string and chased the right-hander from the game. Smith suffered the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. The home team tacked on three runs in the seventh inning against Andy Pratt on a two-run double by D?Antona and a base hit by Avlas that scored the Tennessee third sacker. Ohlendorf then belted a two-out, opposite field home run to right to close the scoring. The Stars open a five-game set at Chattanooga on Wednesday night when right-hander Matt Yeatman takes to the mound to face Lookouts? right-hander Edward Valdez. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 p.m. central time and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: Greg Sain now 16-for-108 (.148), yet still has four more home runs and six more RBI than anyone else on the team; amazing this team is only one game under .500... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Your "you'll get it until he walks someone" Steve Bray update -- 1.80 ERA, zero walks and 26 K's in 30 IP... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

Yo Gallardo the lone representative on this week's Hot Sheet at BA: www.baseballamerica.com/t...61279.html

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200605164/ Power wins series opener behind Yost, Brantley Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor On a chiller of a Monday night at Appalachian Power Park, it was bottoms up for West Virginia. A pair of Major League offspring did the major damage for the Power in a 6-1 South Atlantic League baseball win over Augusta, and Michael Brantley had more reason to celebrate than his birthday. As three Power pitchers combined to limit the Greenjackets to five hits, Ned Yost and Brantley, from the eighth and ninth spots in the West Virginia batting order, combined for three hits and four RBI. Their back-to-back singles in the fourth gave the Power a 5-0 lead. "Most of the guys we have here were in Helena last year and we smoked the ball there," Yost said. "Up and down the lineup, we have guys who know how to hit, and we're starting to get more comfortable." Yost, the Power first baseman, delivered a bases-loaded single in the fourth (two RBI) and a sacrifice fly to deepest center in the fifth, but it was the guy batting behind him in the order that had most reason to celebrate. On his 19th birthday, Brantley made his return from the disabled list with his first two-hit night in the SAL. Batting .186 at game time, the left fielder had a fourth-inning RBI and stole a base in his first Power appearance since May 2. "It just feels good to be back with the team," said Brantley, whose speed in the nine hole complements that of the fleet duo of Darren Ford and Lorenzo Cain at the top of the order. "I just want to get back and help get us over .500 (West Virginia is 18-17) and get some consistent winning going." Brantley's early season struggles after he batted .343 at two short-season stops as a pro rookie last summer are rooted in the right shoulder surgery he underwent after an Instructional League injury. His DL stint in the past two weeks was due to inflammation in the joint. "I had a torn labrum and they also moved my shoulder capsule and tightened it down," Brantley said of the surgery. "They said it would take 4-6 months for it to be fine, and so far it's pretty much been my problem." Brantley is the son of former Seattle outfielder Mickey Brantley, who played four seasons with the Mariners and is now Toronto's hitting coach. Yost is the son of Milwaukee Manager Ned Yost, who played parts of five seasons in the bigs with the Brewers and Montreal. Their profiles in the Brewers' system couldn't be more dissimilar. Brantley was a seventh-round draft pick last summer who received a $150,000 signing bonus. Yost, an undrafted free agent signee 51 weeks ago, said his dad has joked that he signed "for a cheeseburger and French fries," when the younger Yost actually got "a little bit of a bonus." Yet, here they are, hitting together in a Power lineup that also got a 3-for-4 Monday from shortstop Mike Bell -- batting .419 in nine home games. "There's not really so much pressure, I guess," said Yost, when asked about trying to rise through the minors with a Major League alumni name. "It's more of a personal expectation for me. You sort of have more of a leadership role. "When you've been around the game your whole life, it seems you're kind of expected to show the way. That's how I kind of see my place." Power plugs -- A crowd of 1,318 was the smallest of the season at "the APP," dropping below the Easter Sunday gathering of 1,494 ... Lefty Derek Miller (3-1) got the Power win. Miller, the 1,390th player picked in the 2004 draft (47th round from the University of Vermont), was backed up by a strong three innings of one-hit relief by Patrick Ryan before Joe Thatcher finished ... Angel Salome's two-run double in the first started the Power scoring. The catcher has a team-best 27 RBI ... Power second baseman Kenny Holmberg's return from the DL, expected within a couple of days, will mean someone on the current roster must go ... Augusta (20-15), a San Francisco farm team, came into the game ranked third in the SAL in hitting (.272), but has a league-low 10 homers ... The eight-game homestand continues Tuesday night, as West Virginia sends Will Inman (3-0, 0.69 ERA) to the mound against Augusta's Joe Martinez (2-2, 4.03) in a matchup of right-handers. West Virginia pitcher Derek Miller improved his record to 3-1 and lowered his earned run average to 2.54 on Monday night with his one-run, three-hit, five-inning effort against Augusta. Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman http://www.dailymail.com/images/power0516.jpg