Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: Requisite Tony Gwynn story when the Sounds are on the road... www.reviewjournal.com/lvr...34721.html Gwynn Jr. enjoys talking up father Nashville center fielder comfortable in dad's shadow By MATT YOUMANS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL All the questions, and there are a lot of them, never get tiring to Tony Gwynn Jr. Everywhere he goes, people inquire about his famous father. Not even the comparisons are a burden for this son of a former major league star, though measuring up to Tony Gwynn's 20-year career, which will send him to the Baseball Hall of Fame next year, is too much to ask. "I love talking about my father," said Gwynn, the leadoff hitter and center fielder for the Nashville Sounds. "It comes with the territory. It's not something I dislike by any means. "Everybody doesn't have a good relationship with their father, but we have a great one." Gwynn is hitting .294 after going 1-for-4 in the Sounds' 4-3 loss to the 51s on Monday night at Cashman Field. The 23-year-old phones home after most games, seeking advice about baseball and life. The subject is often hitting, the family tradition. "He knows my swing so well, he doesn't have to see me to know what I'm doing wrong," said Gwynn, who prefers to not go by the Jr. in his name. "I tell him how hard I hit the ball and where I hit it, and he can tell me what I'm doing wrong." The elder Gwynn, the baseball coach at San Diego State, took advantage of a day off Sunday and stopped in to watch his son go 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. "He doesn't get to see me play very much, so it's important for me to play well when he does get to see me," Gwynn said. The younger Gwynn has a slight build at 6 feet, 185 pounds. He stole 34 bases last year at the Double-A level and has 11 this season. His father played at about 200 pounds for several years before his weight ballooned late in his career. In 1987, Gwynn's sixth year with the San Diego Padres, he had 56 stolen bases, a fact some might forget. "I like his game," Las Vegas manager Jerry Royster said of the Nashville prospect. Royster was Gwynn's teammate with the Padres in 1985 and 1986. "It seems like it's different from his dad's game, but that's what Tony was, a speed-demon singles hitter." After high school in 2000, Gwynn was drafted in the 33rd round by the Atlanta Braves. He had committed to Cal State Fullerton, but switched to San Diego State when his father said he was going to retire and become the coach there. Gwynn had a .341 average in three seasons with the Aztecs and was the Milwaukee Brewers' second-round pick in 2003. "For me, it was a necessity to go to college before I even thought about playing professional baseball," Gwynn said. "I wasn't physically prepared and I wasn't mentally prepared, and I think college got me to where I could compete at a high level." Now he's at Triple A and closing in on the highest level. "I know I have to take care of business down here before I even get any consideration. My dad's quick to tell me that all the time," he said. "I think I'll get that chance eventually. "My dad was a little more advanced at this point in his career." Nashville's Tony Gwynn Jr., shown during Monday's 4-3 loss to the 51s, never hesitates to seek advice from his famous father. LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Photo by Ralph Fountain. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/May-16-Tue-2006/photos/gwynn.jpg

By the way, is anyone else having trouble with the Huntsville feed? I can't get it to stop buffering...I used to be able to listen at work, but not lately. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. Same issue here -- my home PC is fine, but I have missed the Huntsville matinees during work lunch hours as of late...

Yesterday's WV game indicates Brantley came off the DL. I believe their roster is now now full. So they'll have to make a move if Holmberg is ready to come off the DL in the next few days. You are correct, Bork. We will post another update to Monday's Link Report later this morning with more details, thanks.

Standings through Monday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 22 16 .579 - 11-5 11-11 L2[/b] Omaha 17 20 .459 4.5 11-10 6-10 W1 Iowa 14 22 .389 7.0 8-12 6-10 W1 Memphis 12 24 .333 9.0 8-8 4-16 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 25 14 .641 - 15-5 10-9 L2 West Tenn 24 15 .615 1.0 8-7 16-8 W1 [b]Huntsville 19 19 .500 5.5 9-10 10-9 L1[/b] Carolina 18 21 .462 7.0 11-8 7-13 W2 Tennessee 18 21 .462 7.0 11-8 7-13 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 19 17 .528 3.0 7-8 12-9 L2 [b]Brevard County 18 18 .500 4.0 6-10 12-8 L1[/b] Daytona 17 20 .459 5.5 9-9 8-11 W3 Jupiter 16 21 .432 6.5 8-14 8-7 W1 Vero Beach 12 25 .324 10.5 8-13 4-12 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 22 14 .611 - 13-5 9-9 W4 Delmarva 20 15 .571 1.5 10-9 10-6 W2 [b]West Virginia 18 17 .514 3.5 8-8 10-9 W1[/b] Greensboro 18 18 .500 4.0 12-6 6-12 W1 Lake County 18 18 .500 4.0 8-9 10-9 L2 Lakewood 18 18 .500 4.0 10-6 8-12 W3 Hagerstown 15 20 .429 6.5 9-9 6-11 L3 Hickory 14 21 .400 7.5 6-8 8-13 W1

Follow Tuesday'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_lvgaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_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 Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Mike Meyers at Las Vegas (Dodgers), 8:45 PM pre-game, 9:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Matt Smith at Tennessee (Diamondbacks), 10:15 AM pre-game, 10:30 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: LHP Steve Hammond at Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 PM; sorry, no audio for this series West Virginia: RHP Will Inman 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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Final: Las Vegas (Dodgers) 4, Nashville 3 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link with Corey Hart photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1953 Sounds Fall Again To 51s, 4-3 LAS VEGAS, Nev. ? The Nashville Sounds suffered another close road loss on Monday evening at Cashman Field, falling 4-3 to the Las Vegas 51s. The loss was the eighth in the last 11 contests for Nashville (22-15) which dropped to 2-5 on its current road trip. The Sounds are now just 1-7 in one-run contests on the road. Nashville shortstop Chris Barnwell (0-for-3) was held off the basepaths for the first time since April 12, snapping his PCL-best on-base streak at 29 consecutive games. The home team struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Sounds starter Dennis Sarfate. Jeff Duncan (2-for-3) led off the frame with a double and scored two batters later on Delwyn Young?s RBI single to right. Las Vegas increased its lead to 4-0 in the fifth after loading the bases against Sarfate with no outs. Duncan and Wilson Valdez singled before Young drew a walk to fill the bags. The frame?s first run scored when a Sarfate wild pitch on a Joel Guzman strikeout allowed Duncan to trot home. James Loney, who posted a season-high five RBIs on Sunday, followed with a two-run single to left to increase the 51s? advantage to four. The Sounds pulled within a run in the top of the sixth with a three-run rally against 51s starter D.J. Houlton. Sarfate, Tony Gwynn, and Dave Krynzel opened the frame with three consecutive singles. Corey Hart followed by putting Nashville on the board with a two-run double to center. Krynzel scored the third run on a Mike Rivera fielder?s choice grounder before Houlton induced an inning-ending double play ball from Brad Nelson. AUDIO: Corey Hart Two-Run Double -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-15.wma Las Vegas relievers Hong-Chih Kuo (2.0 IP) and Lance Carter (1.0 IP) worked the final three innings in hitless fashion, including combining to strike out the final six batters, to secure the victory for the 51s. Houlton (1-4) picked up his initial win of the 2006 campaign with a quality start. He gave up three runs on six hits in six frames. With his inning of work, Carter earned his third save of the year. Sarfate (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season after allowing four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander matched his season high with six strikeouts on the evening. The teams wrap up the four-game series with a 9:05 p.m. CT meeting on Tuesday night. Right-hander Mike Meyers (1-2, 3.60) takes the hill for the Sounds to start against Las Vegas right-hander Harold Eckert (2-1, 5.47). Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lvgaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lvgaaa_1

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Starting Pitcher Corey Thurman: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-15.wma

Final: Tennessee (Diamondbacks) 3, Huntsville 1 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=832 Long Ball Leads Smokies to Victory Jerry Gil and Miguel Montero smacked back-to-back home runs with two outs in the sixth inning to power Tennessee past Huntsville 3-1 Monday night in a game delayed at the start by 47 minutes by the threat of rain and played in very cold conditions at Smokies Park. The Smokies improved to 18-21 on the season and squared the five-game set at two games apiece, while the Stars slipped to 19-19 overall and 4-5 against the home team. Ozzie Chavez led off the third inning with his second hit of the game, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Guilder Rodriguez and scored on a two-out single by Ron Acuna, who picked up two hits for a third straight game. Huntsville stranded Chavez at third base in the first inning and Adam Heether at second base with one out in the second and left the bases loaded against Dustin Glant in the sixth inning when Chavez lined out to shortstop Alberto Gonzalez. Huntsville wound up stranding 12 baserunners in the game. Travis Phelps, in his first start with the Stars, allowed just a bunt single to Miguel Montero through the first five innings. Gonzalez opened the bottom of the sixth and reached on a throwing error by Chavez and remained at first when the next two hitters were retired. Gil then blasted an 0-1 offering from Phelps over the wall in left field for his second home run since rejoining the Smokies and Montero followed two pitches later with a blast to right-center field for his seventh long ball of the year. Montero has driven in 10 of his 26 runs against Stars? pitching. Glant walked Steve Moss with one out in the seventh and was taken out of the game and replaced by Matt Wilkinson, making his second appearance of the series. Acuna singled to right and Lou Palmisano walked to load the bases before Drew Anderson struck out swinging on three pitches and Adam Heether struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat. Wilkinson was taken out with one out and a runner at first in the eighth and replaced by Doug Slaten, who got out of trouble when Chavez grounded into a double play on his second pitch. Tony Pena retired the side in order in the ninth to record his fifth save. Phelps suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run in six innings, during which he gave up three hits, walked one and fanned two. Gerrit Simpson and Andy Pratt each tossed a scoreless inning. Anderson lost a nine-game hitting streak and Kennard Bibbs had a seven-game hit streak stopped. The series wraps up Tuesday morning when the Stars? right-hander Matt Smith takes to the mound for the first time since joining the team and will face Smokies? right-hander Ross Ohlendorf. Coverage of the game begins at 10:15 a.m. central time and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. ***Knoxville News Coverage includes the following: The game started 47 minutes late because of an approaching storm. Travis Phelps didn?t mind. He is thankful Milwaukee ? he made four appearances with the Brewers in 2004 ? gave him an opportunity that might be his last. He started the season with the Camden Riversharks in the independent Atlantic League. Phelps, who turns 29 in July, worked six innings. He walked one and struck out two. He deserves ?A? for perseverance. Phelps made his major league debut in 2001 with Tampa Bay and was 2-2 with a 3.49 earned-run average in 49 appearances. He spent one more year with the Devil Rays, who drafted him in the 89th round in 1996. He pitched briefly for the Brewers in 2004 and has bounced around the minors with Atlanta, Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs and Colorado. "As long as they?re giving me a chance, there is always hope I can make it back," he said. Full article link: www.knoxnews.com/kns/smok...32,00.html Huntsville Box Score: 12 LOB, seven with two outs and in scoring position -- awful... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

Final: West Virginia 6, Augusta (Giants) 1 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Miller fans seven in Power win Derek Miller tossed five fantastic innings on Monday night and struck out seven batters to earn his third victory of the season as the Power beat the Augusta GreenJackets by the final score of 6-1 at Appalachian Power Park. The Power took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning on Angel Salome?s two-run double and never looked back. Ned Yost drove in three runs for the Power including a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Power up 4-0. Michael Brantley followed Yost?s single with an RBI base hit to complete the three-run frame. Augusta plated their only run of the game on Ben Copeland?s RBI single in the fifth inning. In the home half of the fifth, Yost drove in Mat Gamel with a sacrifice fly to plate the final run of the game. Miller (3-1) allowed a run on three hits through five innings to earn the victory, and Shairon Martis (1-1) obtained the loss. The Power are 18-17 after the win and the GreenJackets fell to 20-15 with the loss. The Power will continue the four game series against Augusta on Tuesday night. Augusta will start right hander Joe Martinez (2-2, 4.03) and West Virginia will counter with right hander Will Inman (3-0, 0.69). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). ***Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section.../200605165 Power puts the chill on GreenJackets? bats, 6-1 By Jim Workman For The Charleston Gazette West Virginia Power manager Mike Guerrero had a few words about the chilly weather Monday night at Appalachian Power Park. ?Say it was ?mucho frio in West Virginia,?? he suggested following the Power?s 6-1 victory over Augusta in a South Atlantic League contest before a bundled-up crowd of 1,318. He could have just as well been speaking of the GreenJackets? bats. Coming into the game, Augusta (20-15) carried perhaps the league?s hottest sticks, coming in with a .325 average over its last five games and the Sally League?s best record in May. But the GreenJackets managed just five hits and saw a three-game winning streak snapped. But Power starting pitcher Derek Miller (3-1) cooled them off, throwing five innings of three-hit ball while striking out seven. Patrick Ryan and Joe Thatcher came in for relief, pitching three and one inning, respectively, each giving up a lone hit. Power pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts. ?Miller did an outstanding job,? said Guerrero. ?All of our pitchers did well. It was a nice performance all around ? pitching, defense and offensively.? The Power (18-17) jumped out early, plating two runs in the bottom of the first. Angel Salome swatted a double that scored Darren Ford and Lorenzo Cain to put the Power up 2-0. Three more runs came across in the fourth. Ned Yost stroked a two-run, bases-loaded single to left and Michael Brantley smashed an RBI single. The GreenJackets scored a run in the fifth when Ben Copeland knocked in Eugenio Felez, who had doubled. The Power responded in the bottom of the fifth when Yost hit a deep fly ball to center that scored Mat Gamel to increase the Power advantage to 6-1. Although the Power put together some big innings, wasted chances had Guerrero lamenting what could have been. ?We did well, but we also left some runners on base,? he said. ?Nobody?s perfect, but we did pretty well.? Michael Bell went 3-for-4 for the Power, including a double. Brantley went 2-for-4, while Yost posted three RBI. The teams play again tonight in the second game of a four-game series. The eight-game homestand, which also features the Greenville Drive, represents an uncommon visit from Southern Division foes. Recent South Atlantic League schedules have had West Virginia competing mostly against Northern Division rivals. ?I don?t really mind that we don?t see them often,? said Guerrero. ?I like to see the other teams play. They?ve all been good teams. No one has been overmatched by anybody.? West Virginia Box Score: New Englander Derek Miller unfazed by the 51 degree game time; don't overlook Patrick Ryan's three-inning stint... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis West Virginia?s Ryan Crew gets the forceout at second during the Power?s 6-1 victory Monday over Augusta at Appalachian Power Park, but his throw to first for the double play was late. Sliding into second for the GreenJackets is Anthony Contreras. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power1.jpg

Final: Lakeland (Tigers) 8, Brevard County 3 Brevard County Site Game Notes: Tigers roll over Manatees Brent Dlugach and Christopher Robinson drove in three runs apiece, lifting Lakeland to an 8-3 victory over visiting Brevard County on Monday. Dlugach ripped a three-run double in the second inning and Robinson added a run-scoring groundout later in the frame and a two-run double of his own in the sixth for the Tigers (20-17). Garth McKinney homered for Lakeland, which has won five of six. Andrew Kown (1-0) picked up the win after allowing one run on six hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked one. Manny Parra (0-1) took the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits and two walks in 1 2/3 frames. Brendan Katin had two RBIs for the Manatees (18-18), who slipped back to .500 with their fourth loss in five games. -- Jeannine Rippa/MLB.com Brevard County Box Score: Nice work by Bo Hall, or Manny Parra's line could have been worse; Sam Narron works off the rust; Ryan Braun idle (again); Travis Ezi 13-for-15 in SB attempts... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: Middle of the order failed to take advantage in the 1st; Manatees strand 13, including bases loaded twice... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_1

Link while active, text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...50320/1002 Bullpens offer comic relief Bubble-gum chewing marathons one way to beat usual boredom BY SCOTT BROWN FLORIDA TODAY "You're in my seat," Josh Alliston says. The Brevard County Manatees pitcher plops down next to me anyway on the rectangular slab of metal that has no nametags or numbers on it. He appears to be every bit the 6-foot-5, 256 pounds he is listed as on the Manatees roster, so I offer to give up my -- well, his -- seat on the bench. Alliston declines, though it is clear my presence in the bullpen tucked into the right-field corner of Space Coast Stadium has disrupted one of sports' most esoteric circles. Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson has been known to refer to relief pitchers as the "crazies in the bullpen," and to be sure they are different -- a fraternity within a fraternity. Bound by a stressful, often thankless job, they also constantly try to stave off boredom in the confined areas where they are stuck for much of the game. Their efforts to entertain themselves in the spaces that are as spartan as they are small range from creative to the kind of thing that would make bullpens a great place to study human behavior. A testament to that is a wad of chewing gum covering the top of a pole in the Manatees' bullpen. Alliston recently tried to see how many pieces of Bazooka gum he could fit into his mouth. He made it to 22, which explains why his cheeks might have popped with the slightest poke and why the wad of gum is so big it looks like a catcher's mitt that has been flattened. "It wasn't too fun," said Alliston, who leads the Manatees with five saves. "I was bored that day." Pitchers such as Alliston are especially prone to boredom. Those who close games rarely pitch before the eighth inning, and usually not until the ninth. Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter used to hear stories from Lee Smith's teammates about the longtime closer (and Major League Baseball's all-time saves leader) sleeping through the first seven innings of a game in the clubhouse. That would be the exception. Most closers have the unique challenge of trying to stay in the game but not becoming too involved, because they have to save everything they have for the final inning. "We have to keep our minds occupied because we're sitting down there for what seems like forever, and you can go nuts," said Washington Nationals right-hander Chad Cordero, who led the big leagues with 47 saves in 2005. "Whatever we can find to do, we'll do it." Cordero and his bullpen mates proved as much last year. They built a time capsule one day, Cordero said, and buried it at RFK Stadium in Washington. Hardly a future keepsake, it contains Starburst wrappers and a weathered baseball, among other things. "It was old, wet," Cordero said of the baseball. "I think we found it underneath the stands or something. I think we're going to dig up (the capsule) this season." Hey, whatever it takes to pass the time. "It's amazing some of the stuff you can come up with out of the blue, not even thinking about it," said Ricky Bottalico, who saved 116 big-league games from 1995-2005. "One guy flicks a seed and now everybody's doing it. Anything to waste time." Bottalico and others who have spent considerable time in bullpens say a game often emerges from something as simple as someone flicking a pumpkin or sunflower seed at an empty cup. Before long, all of the relievers are trying to land a seed into the cup. If they are not flicking for accuracy, they can be found flicking for sheer distance. "The funny thing, at some point in the competition, it will morph into trying to hit some guys in the head," Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge said. "Human targets are more fun." The activity that occurs in bullpens is a big reason why relievers are often seen as, ahem, quirky. "I wouldn't say 'not all there upstairs,' " Nationals pitcher Gary Majewski said of the mindset required by relief pitching, "but something has to be a little bit off to do that." Indeed, relief pitchers are baseball's equivalent of firefighters, with a significant catch: They never can be sure whether they are arriving at a potential blaze with water or gasoline. A curveball that hangs or a fastball that is timed just right by the batter can ignite a rally or add fuel to it. Since relief pitchers frequently enter close games with runners on base, they generally have little margin for error. Two more details make this kind of pitching so difficult: Relievers are not on set schedules like starters, and most only are noticed by fans when they don't do their job. "Down here there's no telling when you are going to pitch," Manatees reliever Bo Hall said, "what situation you are going to come into." During last Wednesday's game against the Clearwater Threshers, Hall charted what pitches the opposing batters were hitting and where they were hitting them. That would serve as a guide for any reliever who gets into the game, if any of them do. Other than that job, which rotates every three innings, and playing catch with the Manatees right fielder before the top of every inning, there isn't a whole lot to do, especially early in the game. The relievers said they were kind of boring, but I found out otherwise after they started opening up to an obvious but inquisitive outsider. I learned the pitchers who sit on the lower of the two metal benches (Ben Stanczyk, Dave Johnson and Robert Hinton) most likely will have seeds whizzing past their ears at some point during a game, courtesy of Hall, Alliston or Jeremy Lewis. I learned Lewis broke a fungo bat last year while trying to hit a ball into a retention pond near the home bullpen at Space Coast Stadium. I learned Lewis' nickname is "Bad Santa" because he is not always the most patient person when kids repeatedly ask for baseballs and especially when someone doesn't say "thank you" after getting a ball. (For the record, Manatees relievers can only give away foul balls that stray into their bullpen; otherwise they might not have anything with which to warm up.) I learned the Manatees relievers play their own version of "Name That Tune" with stadium music. I learned the last one to say "Not it!" after the final out of the eighth inning has to carry the bag of baseballs from the bullpen to the clubhouse after the game and then back the next day. And that guy has it lucky. Most major-league relievers require the guy with the least amount of big-league experience to lug a bag filled with refreshments to and from the bullpen. The bag is generally something embarrassing (think anything "Barbie"), and he has to walk across the field to the dugout so everybody can see him. Majewski had that role with the Nationals for much of last year. He accepted it as one of the rites of baseball and especially relief pitching. "I love it," Majewski said of his role. "I wouldn't trade it for the world." It is a world all its own, that is for sure.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006051515/ Power home for eight Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter The more West Virginia Power shortstop Mike Bell faces South Atlantic League pitchers, the better he hits them. The Milwaukee Brewers promoted Bell from extended spring training April 25, the day they moved Scotty McKnight to Brevard County of the Florida State League. Bell was 2-for-18 (.111) with one RBI and two runs in six games in April but is 13-for-43 (.302) with eight RBI and 12 runs in 11 games in May. He had no extra-base hits last month but has eight (three homers and five doubles) this month. "I guess I'm getting acclimated to the situation," said Bell, a Grayson County (Texas) Community College product whom the Brewers drafted in the 15th round last year. "I was a little overanxious when I got here. I was trying to do too much. I just relaxed. Now, I'm getting back in the groove of things." An ankle injury to second baseman Kenny Holmberg, who hasn't played since April 28, provided an opportunity for Bell. Power Manager Mike Guerrero shifted shortstop Ryan Crew to second base and replaced him with Bell. "I got an opportunity," said Bell, a collegiate second baseman who has five errors, 26 putouts and 35 assists in 66 chances. "Hopefully, I can make it stick. I'm not used to taking days off. I have always been an everyday guy. I like to be out there." Meanwhile, Crew has been more productive at the plate since Holmberg's injury led to his temporary position switch. He was 17-for-67 (.254) with four runs and eight RBI in his 17 games before it and is 13-for-47 (.277) with 10 runs and eight RBI in his 13 games after it. * * *SPEAKING OF Holmberg, the team leader and clubhouse comedian said he hopes to return to the lineup today when West Virginia starts an eight-game homestand at Appalachian Power Park with back-to-back, four-game sets against Augusta and Greenville, respectively. Tonight's first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 (6:05 Central). "(The injury) is kind of lingering," said Holmberg, who sprained his left ankle running to first base April 28 against Greensboro. "It's still sore. Maybe I can DH (tonight)." That decision, Holmberg said, will be made by Guerrero. "I want to play," Holmberg said, "but I don't know if I can play." * * *JOE THATCHER, who is tied for fourth in the league with six saves, has established himself as West Virginia's most reliable reliever. "It has been pretty easy," said Thatcher, an Indiana State University product who signed a free agent contract with Milwaukee in July during his stint with River City of the independent Frontier League. One advantage for Thatcher is his familiarity with his teammates and vice versa. "I played with most of these guys in (Helena) Montana last year," said Thatcher, whom the Brewers promoted from extended spring training April 12. "That takes some pressure off of me. They know I can get the job done. "When you come into a game in the last innings, you want your teammates to have confidence in you. "You have to earn their respect. Sometimes, that is hard to do. But I don't have to worry about that." Pitching coach John Curtis said Thatcher (0-2, 1.93) and Dane Renkert (2-2, 1.56) give the Power a "one-two punch" in the bullpen. Thatcher, a 6-foot-2, 203-pound left-hander, has allowed 10 hits and five runs (two earned) in 9 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks. Renkert, a 6-1, 210-pound right-hander, has yielded 13 hits and seven runs (three earned) in 17 1/3 innings with 17 strikeouts and four walks. He also has two saves. "We have the luxury of having two guys who are equally capable of closing games," Curtis said. * * *WEST VIRGINIA'S hitters and pitchers have been headed in opposite directions this month compared to last month. The hitters sport a .294 batting average (112-for-381) and 5.8 runs per game average (64runs in 11 games) in May compared to a .254 batting average (196-for-772) and 4.0 runs per game average (93 runs in 23 games) in April. The pitchers, on the other hand, own a 4.84 earned run average and .273 opponents batting average in May compared to a 3.34 earned run average and .240 opponents batting average in April. Team statistics suggest that trend could continue during the eight-game homestand. The hitters sport a .303 batting average (149-for-492) and 5.4 runs per game average (81 runs in 15 games) at home compared to a .241 batting average (159-for-661) and 4.0 runs per game average (76 runs in 19 games) on the road. The pitchers, on the other hand, own a 4.97 earned run average and .259 opponents batting average at home compared to a 2.96 earned run average and .245 opponents batting average on the road. The Power is 7-8 at home and 10-9 on the road. * * *ASHEVILLE outfielder Daniel Carte was 5-for-17 with two runs and three RBI during a four-game series with West Virginia last week. Carte, a former Hurricane High School star, is hitting .263 (25-for-95) with 14 runs and 17 RBI in 24 games with the Tourists, who split the four-game set with the Power. Carte will play before a hometown crowd for the first time in his professional career July 4-7, when Asheville visits Charleston for a four-game series with West Virginia.

In order to make room for LHP Sam Narron on the active Brevard County roster, RHP Luis Pena has been placed on the Manatee DL with an undisclosed injury -- we assume arm-related, unfortunately. We'll work on confirming that. Brevard County -- where current or former 40-man roster starting pitchers (Narron, Pena, Jones, Parra) end up, in one shape or another...

Standings through Sunday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 22 15 .595 - 11-5 11-10 L1[/b] Omaha 16 20 .444 5.5 10-10 6-10 L2 Iowa 13 22 .371 8.0 7-12 6-10 L3 Memphis 12 23 .343 9.0 8-8 4-15 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chattanooga 25 12 .676 - 15-5 10-7 W1 West Tenn 23 15 .605 2.5 8-7 15-8 L1 [b]Huntsville 19 18 .514 6.0 9-10 10-8 W2[/b] Tennessee 17 21 .447 8.5 10-8 7-13 L2 Carolina 16 21 .432 9.0 9-8 7-13 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Lucie 22 13 .629 - 9-8 13-5 L1 Palm Beach 19 16 .543 3.0 7-7 12-9 L1 [b]Brevard County 18 17 .514 4.0 6-10 12-7 W1[/b] Daytona 16 20 .444 6.5 8-9 8-11 W2 Jupiter 15 21 .417 7.5 8-14 7-7 L1 Vero Beach 12 24 .333 10.5 8-13 4-11 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexington 21 14 .600 - 12-5 9-9 W3 Delmarva 20 15 .571 1.0 10-9 10-6 W2 Lake County 18 18 .500 3.5 8-9 10-9 L2 Lakewood 18 18 .500 3.5 10-6 8-12 W3 [b]West Virginia 17 17 .500 3.5 7-8 10-9 L1[/b] Greensboro 17 18 .486 4.0 11-6 6-12 L3 Hagerstown 15 20 .429 6.0 9-9 6-11 L3 Hickory 13 21 .382 7.5 5-8 8-13 L2

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_lvgaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_lakafa_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 Following Nashville's lead, Huntsville now makes its media notes available as well, nice: www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

Monday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Las Vegas (Dodgers), 8:45 PM pre-game, 9:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Travis Phelps at Tennessee (Diamondbacks), 6:00 PM pre-game, 6:15 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: LHP Manny Parra at Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 PM; sorry, no audio for this series West Virginia: LHP Derek Miller 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.reviewjournal.com/lvr...10121.html Krynzel's career regains traction after spinout Offseason motorcycle wreck doesn't faze Brewers prospect from Green Valley By MATT YOUMANS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Speeding around the track with no fear, Dave Krynzel was in the middle of a motorcycle race. A split second later, his life was temporarily turned upside down. "I was coming out of a turn, I looked down and there were four bikes behind me," he said, "and right when I looked up I was on the ground. I flipped over the bike and the first hit was on the shoulder. "It happened so fast that I don't know how it happened." The high-speed crash occurred Nov. 9 on a track south of Las Vegas as Krynzel was trying to enjoy some time off from baseball. He got more time off than he wanted. Krynzel, who was wearing a helmet, boots and full protective gear, broke his right collarbone. "It could have been a lot worse," the Green Valley High School graduate said. "I was pretty lucky." Krynzel recovered in time to join the Milwaukee Brewers' spring training camp, and his career is back on track. The 24-year-old returned to his hometown this weekend with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, making a positive impression by boosting his batting average 40 points to .310 in the first two games of the series against the 51s at Cashman Field. Krynzel, batting second and playing left field, went 1-for-3 with a double Sunday as Las Vegas ripped Nashville 15-5 behind a strong start from right-hander Chad Billingsley. Krynzel also was hit by a pitch, but that did not compare to the pain resulting from his off-field accident. "I thought I was a motorcycle racer, but obviously not. I'll stick to baseball now," said Krynzel, who went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two stolen bases Saturday to lead the Sounds to an 8-2 victory. "I got back up. I'm playing again and feeling good. It didn't really stop my career or anything." Krynzel was a sophomore when he helped Green Valley win the state title in 1998. Two years later, Milwaukee drafted him in the first round, 11th overall, and he signed for a $1.95 million bonus. He slowly worked his way up the organizational ladder and reached the major leagues in 2004, hitting .220 in 16 games for the Brewers. Krynzel took a minor step back last year, playing only five games in the majors. He hit .256 with 11 home runs, 51 RBIs and 24 stolen bases to help the Sounds win the Pacific Coast League championship. "I like to look at the black and white, and the numbers are going to tell all, and last year I didn't have good numbers," he said. The 6-foot-1-inch Krynzel, who bats and throws left-handed, went into this season ranked by Baseball America as the Brewers' 22nd-best prospect, slipping 12 spots from the previous year. But he's planning on his seventh professional season being a turning point for the better. "It's definitely hard work. I'm working on everything every day," he said. "It definitely is a full-time job and I never knew that. I thought it was just a game. "We're not at home much during the season. In the offseason, you take a little break and you've got to get back working. The whole offseason plan is to get bigger, better and stronger." The motorcycle crash interrupted his plans last winter. After seven weeks of waiting for the injury to heal, he changed doctors and was told he needed surgery, which he had Jan. 12. He said the Brewers issued him a small fine for the incident. "It was not fun to sit there with a broken bone," he said. "That's kind of a negative thing for me. It was the first time that I had to sit there and not do anything, the first time I really got rest in the offseason. "There was a lot of pain and a lot of struggle with what's going to happen." Krynzel, who has three homers and 10 steals in 11 attempts, is not worrying whether the Brewers will give him another shot. "I'm one of the few people who get to wake up every day and go play a game for a living right now," he said. "I work and just really enjoy it. "It's baseball, it's fun and this is what kids grow up and want to do. At this point in my life, I'm having fun." Photos by Ralph Fountain, Las Vegas Review-Journal Dave Krynzel, a Green Valley High product, bats for the Nashville Sounds against the 51's Sunday at Cashman Field. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/May-15-Mon-2006/photos/sports.jpg Dave Krynzel, right, looks toward Nashville Sounds first-base coach Gary Pettis after walking in the first inning against the 51s Sunday. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/May-15-Mon-2006/photos/krynzel.jpg

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com/ PALMISANO PULLS IT OUTDown 0-and-2 in the count with two out in the 10th inning, Lou Palmisano delivered a two-run single to beat the Tennessee Smokies for the 2nd straight time, 6-4........ The Stars got off to a 4-1 start for Tim Dillard, coming up with the first honest-to-goodness rally since scoring four in the 4th, May 7, to beat Montgomery........ And for the fifth time this season, the Stars in their 36th game of the season, scraped out more than 10 hits. The 1991 team that finished with a batting average of .231, worst in Stars' history, didn't get their fifth ten-hit game until the 49th game of the season. Mothers Day at Smokies Park........ Happy Mothers Day to all your mothers. My sister and I walked over with mine to a Japanese restaurant near her house....... Overcast skies made it feel like a crisp fall morning in eastern Tennessee. The weather has no respect, but the Smokies showed some by wearing the logo across their uniforms in pink, numbers on the back outlined in pink, and an embroidered pink ribbon on the cap in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Day....... The Stars seized a golden opportunity in the top of the 4th by loading the bases with no one out. Drew Anderson pushed a bunt on the first base side for a hit, followed by a walk to Ron Acuna....... Jeff Eure, in again at first base for the Stars, dropped a perfect bunt on the 3rd base side to load the bases. James D'Antona could do nothing but hold the ball in his bare hand....... Adam Heether, with just two RBIs in his last 18 games, on a two-strike pitch shot a ground ball through the right side for a hit, scoring Anderson and loading the bases again. Heether, coming in with a .150 average this month, had his first three-hit day of the season to raise his average to .208....... Garrett Mock, trying to keep from becoming the league's first five-game loser, hit Jean Boscan with his first pitch too far inside. That forced in Acuna, and it was 2-0......... Guilder Rodriguez hit into a double play, but it brought in another run making it 3-0....... With Heether on 3rd, Dillard, who was a good hitter before his conversion from catching to pitching according to his grandparents, helped his own cause by lining a single to center......... And so, for the first time in ten days, the Stars came up with their first honest-to-goodness rally since a four-run 4th vs. Montgomery in the first game of the last series. Alberto Gonzalez drove in the Smokies' 1st run in the bottom of the 4th on a two-out double, but Dillard had what I thought was a comfortable enough lead to give him his 3rd victory. Not so....... The Smokies scored two more in the 5th resulting from a throwing error on what should have been a double-play grounder off the bat of Jerry Gil. Ground outs by Miguel Montero and James D'Antona made the score 4-3....... Would the bullpen, with a 2.50 ERA, hold this lead for three innings? Dillard had just finished his longest outing of the year, and had done a fine job, throwing 51 pitches through the first four innings in contrast to the 80 pitches he needed to get through at home vs. Tennessee on April 28th. Russ Rohlicek, the tough left-hander with a 1.35 ERA, seemed the man to set up Joe Winkelsas for the save, but Miguel Montero, who stood between Carlos Villanueva's no-hitter last night, hammered a home run, his 5th of the year, the 2nd off a left-hand pitcher to tie the game........ Steve Bray held the Smokies to one hit in the 9th, after the Stars failed in the top of the inning despite a lead-off double by Boscan. Ozzie Chavez, pinch-running for Boscan, was left stranded on third with one out after Steve Moss and Kennard Bibbs both grounded out. In the 10th with two out, Heether came up with Acuna on first after his one-out single to center........ Heether, on a 2-0 pitch from reliever Doug Slaten, bounced a ball up the middle off the glove of shortstop Gonzalez for his 3rd hit to keep the inning alive. That sent Acuna to third....... Palmisano had already won a ballgame May 2 against West Tennessee on a two-out homer. Since then, he was 4-for-19 (.211)....... Heether stole 2nd on an 0-2 pitch to Palmisano. Montero faked a throw, but left the job to get out of the inning to Slaten, who had been holding right-handed hitters to just above a .210 average so far this season....... Palmisano had only one hit in 10 trips with runners in scoring position and two out, but throw away the stats, they don't mean a thing. Palmisano bounced a ground ball back through the middle for the big 2-out hit to give the Stars a 6-4 lead. Winkelsas retired the Smokies in order in the 10th and the Stars were back above .500. Monday night, the Stars will send Travis Phelps in his debut with the Stars against Clint Goocher. Goocher, a favorite target for Stars hitters in the past, has given up nine runs in his last 13 innings and is 3-2, 5.16 overall. Jeff Housman will come off the disabled list Wednesday. He threw 55 pitches in a bullpen session and felt fine, but he will start out in the bullpen for the time being........ In Sunday's pre-game show, pitching coach Rich Sauveur said Winkelsas will now be the Stars' primary closer. he had been sharing the role with Alec Zumwalt, who left for Nashville with five saves. No surprise here......... Newly-acquired Matt Smith will go in as the set-up guy after a start on Tuesday in the final game of the series with Tennessee....... Drew Anderson extended his hitting streak to nine games with his leadoff bunt single in the 4th.

Link while active, text follows: www.knoxnews.com/kns/smok...76,00.html Stars finally finish what they start Smokies' rally not enough in 6-4 loss By BRAD GASKINS, Special to the Knoxville News Sentinel SEVIERVILLE - Huntsville's Lou Palmisano wanted a good pitch to hit. Tennessee's Doug Slaten gave him one in the top of the 10th inning Sunday afternoon at Smokies Park. Slaten threw a changeup away, and Palmisano slapped it up the middle to score two runs as Huntsville beat the Smokies 6-4 in a Southern League game before a Mother's Day gathering of 1,973. "These (close ones) are the games that add up in the end," Palmisano said. "It's good to win games like this." Tennessee (17-21) trailed by four runs after the fourth inning, but tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth. "We battled all the way back and tied the ballgame after being down," Tennessee manager Bill Plummer said. "Unfortunately, we just couldn't get ourselves in a situation to score a run late." Huntsville (19-18) hadn't scored this many runs since beating the Smokies 8-0 on May 1. The Stars hadn't had at least 10 hits since April 27, manager Don Money said. "We don't score a lot," he said. The Smokies managed eight hits after having just one the previous night in a 4-0 loss to Huntsville. Huntsville scored four runs off Tennessee starting pitcher Garrett Mock in the fourth inning for a 4-0 lead. "We take that lead and start cruising along," Money said. Tennessee's Alberto Gonzalez doubled in the fifth to score Jon Zeringue from first base. The Smokies added two runs in the sixth off RBIs from Miguel Montero and Jamie D'Antona to cut the deficit to 4-3. Huntsville starting pitcher Tim Dillard left after seven innings in which he gave up five hits, three runs - one of those earned - and had five strikeouts. "The last two outings now, he's been moving more aggressively and going after the hitters," Money said of Dillard. "He ended up not picking up the win, but he pitched well enough to win." Left-handed reliever Russ Rohlicek came in to start the eighth, and Montero welcomed him with a homer to tie the game. "I wasn't trying to hit a homer," Montero said, "just make good, solid contact. I hit it good." Tony Pena pitched for Tennessee in the ninth, and got himself in a jam by giving up a double to the first batter he faced. Ozzie Chavez came in to pinch run for J.C. Boscan at second, and advanced to third with none out. Pena took the next three batters to a full count and grounded out Steve Moss and Kennard Bibbs while striking out Callix Crabbe to end the threat. "He did a great job getting out of a jam," Plummer. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to take that momentum and turn it around towards us and give us an opportunity to win. "It's just one of those ballgames. You've got to come back Monday (for Game 3 of the four-game series)." Slaten (0-3) took the mound for the 10th and gave up three hits and two runs. Stephen Bray (4-1) got the win for Huntsville, and Joe Winkelsas secured his fourth save.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1949 51s Pound Thurman, Sounds In 15-5 Rout LAS VEGAS, Nev. ? The Nashville Sounds allowed a season-high 15 runs and suffered their biggest loss of the year on Sunday afternoon at Cashman Field, where they fell 15-5 to the host Las Vegas 51s in the second game of the teams? four-game series. James Loney paced the Las Vegas offense with a season-best five RBIs. The 22-year-old slammed a three-run homer, his first blast of the season, in the seventh inning. He also delivered an RBI double in a two-run sixth and a sacrifice fly that sparked a four-run first. After the Sounds grabbed an early 1-0 lead on Brad Nelson?s run-scoring single in the top of the first, Sergio Garcia hammered a three-run shot in the bottom of the frame for Las Vegas (23-14) and the home team held the lead the rest of the way. AUDIO: Brad Nelson RBI Single -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-14.wma The 20 hits and 15 runs were the most this year for the 51s. 51s starter Chad Billingsley (4-0) picked up the victory by throwing five innings and allowing one run on three hits with three walks, while matching his season high with nine strikeouts. Reliever Alec Zumwalt drove in a team-best two runs, and Nelson, Nelson Cruz, and Brent Abernathy each picked up an RBI for the Sounds (22-15), who dropped their seventh contest in the their last 10. Nashville starter Corey Thurman (0-1) took the loss in his first appearance for the club. He gave up nine runs on as many hits with two walks and a strikeout over three frames. Chris Barnwell went 1-for-4 to extend his consecutive games on-base streak to 29 before being ejected by the home plate umpire in the eighth inning, the Sounds? first ejection of the season. As a result, Mike Rivera entered the game and played the final inning of defense at third base, his first career appearance at the position. He was not involved in any defensive plays at the hot corner. The teams continue their series with a 9:05 p.m. CT meeting on Monday. Right-hander Dennis Sarfate (1-0, 2.70) mans the bump for the Sounds to face 51s right-hander D.J. Houlton (0-4, 5.65).