Jim Goulart

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

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Zach Jackson at New Orleans (Nationals), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Nashville Game Day Feature from MILB.com: Please note that GameDay links will not become active until approximately 1-2 hours before game time www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1 Huntsville: RHP Tim Dillard at home vs. Tennessee (Diamondbacks), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: RHP Mark Rogers at Vero Beach (Dodgers), 6:00 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp West Virginia: LHP Derek Miller at Greensboro (Marlins), 5:00 PM Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

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Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006042832/ Cain not out in left field Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Looking at West Virginia Power outfielder Lorenzo Cain, it is difficult to assess what part of his body will be the most important in his development. It could be his strong legs, which carry him around the bases and through the outfield faster than many of his teammates and peers. It could be his powerful arms, which help him swing the bat as quickly as he does. It could be his wiry frame, which has the potential to carry additional weight and turn him into a power hitter. So, which one is it? Perhaps none of the above. Some coaches and experts think it could be the combination of his ears and his mind. Consider this: With help from his coaches, Cain eliminated an exaggerated leg kick that he had when he joined the organization. It was affecting his timing. That change helped him hit .356 with five homers, five triples, 18 doubles, 37 RBI and 45 runs in 50 games last season in the Arizona Summer League, where he "proved both willing to listen and able to take what he had learned and apply it quickly," according to the 2006 Baseball America Prospect Handbook. That advantageous attribute stems from his baseball background. "Just shut your mouth and listen to what people have to say," said Cain, a Tallahassee Community College product from Madison, Fla. "My high school coaches always taught me that." Baseball America called the 6-foot-2, 183-pound Cain, a draft-and-follow pick whom the Milwaukee Brewers selected in the 17th round two years ago, the eighth-best prospect from that league. "It was a boost for me," Cain said of his instructional league success, which included an All-Star selection and the Most Valuable Player award. "It made me feel like I could play with these guys." Only three years removed from high school, the 20-year-old Cain still is a rookie in terms of knowledge and experience, despite the fact this season is his second in professional baseball. Manager Mike Guerrero calls him "raw" and raves about his "potential." He is "as green as grass," hitting coach Mike Lum says. "He is just starting," said Guerrero, who also was his manager in Arizona last year. "We haven't seen the best of Lorenzo Cain." Cain was 4-for-7 on Thursday when West Virginia (9-11) split a doubleheader with Greensboro (11-10). He was 3-for-4 in the first game -- a 5-4 Power loss -- and 1-for-3 in the second game -- a 6-2 Power win. He owns a .337 batting average, second on the team, and 28 hits, second in the league. Cain has driven in seven runs and has scored 10. His solid start is the result of "just being poised and staying focused," he said. The more Cain plays, the more he will improve, according to coaches and experts such as former Cincinnati Reds general manager Dan O'Brien. "He is an extremely talented and athletic player who just needs playing time," said O'Brien, who works for the Brewers as a special assistant to the general manager and was in Charleston this week to scout the Power. "When you work with kids at this level, you don't have a finished product," added Lum, who praised Cain for his ability to lay off bad pitches -- a common problem for young hitters -- but noted he needs to work on swinging through the ball with both hands rather than letting his top hand cut off his swing. "He needs a lot of at-bats under his belt." O'Brien said Cain, whom Guerrero noted often shows up seven hours before a game to take extra cuts in the batting cage, has Major League potential. "He has a chance, in time, to be a rare combination of speed and power," O'Brien said. One possible disadvantage for Cain is the Brewers' abundance of talent at his position. Of their top 30 minor league prospects, nine are outfielders, according to Baseball America. The publication calls Cain the third-best left fielder and 27th-best overall player in their farm system. That could mean a slow climb for Cain, one in which he spends full seasons at each stop. But he isn't worried. "I just want to get better and move up," said Cain, whom coaches and experts say needs to improve his base running and fielding. "The quicker, the better."

All evening action on Friday (except for the big-league Crew), Friday's Link Report will kick off this afternoon.

West Virginia Site Doubleheader Summary: Power split the double dip The West Virginia Power and Greensboro Grasshoppers both walked away with victories in Thursday night?s double header at Appalachian Power Park. The Grasshoppers held off a late Power rally to win the first game 5-4 and the Power took advantage of a four run fifth inning to win the second game 6-2. In the first game the Grasshoppers struck first on Gary Roche?s two-out, two-run double in the top of the third inning. Roche crossed the plate later in the inning on Jeff Van Houten?s base hit. The Grasshoppers added to their lead in the fourth inning on Matt Kutler?s RBI single to go up 4-0. In the bottom of the fourth the Power plated their first run of the game when Kenny Holmberg scored after Agustin Septimo?s error. In the sixth inning Mat Gamel hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot that cut the lead to 4-2. The Grasshoppers added a big insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Van Houten reached on a fielder?s choice, bringing in Septimo. The Power scored twice in the bottom of the seventh. Lorenzo Cain drove in Darren Ford on a two-out double. Angel Salome singled into left field during the next at-bat and Matt Kutler bobbled the ball allowing Cain to score. Holmberg recorded the final out with two runners on base. The Grasshoppers scored first in game two on a second inning RBI single from Jared Gaston. Greg Burns ripped a two-out double in the fourth inning, and scored later in the inning on Brad Willcutt?s throwing error. The Power offense peaked in the bottom of the fourth inning. Salome doubled off the wall in right-center field with the bases loaded and two outs, plating three runs and giving the Power the lead. Salome scored during the next at bat on Gamel?s RBI single. The Power cushioned their lead with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Tony Festa singled into center field scoring Nate Yoho in the process. With two outs and runners at the corners, Festa got caught in a run down and was eventually tagged out, but he bought enough time for Mike Bell to score from third base. In game one Chris Volstad (4-0) earned the victory, Blake Jones (5) earned the save and Kevin Roberts (2-2) obtained the loss. In game two Ronny Malave (2-0) earned the victory and Jason Iehl (1-2) obtained the loss. The Power are 9-11 and the Grasshoppers are 11-10 after the split. The Power will continue the home-and-home set with Greensboro on Friday night as the series moves to First Horizon Park in Greensboro, North Carolina. Left hander Derek Miller (0-1, 3.06) gets the start for West Virginia and Greensboro will start left hander Aaron Thompson (0-1, 6.50). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM (6:00 Central).

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Rocking the scoreboard D'Antona's 11th-inning homer lifts Smokies past Huntsville 9-6 By BRAD SHEPARD Special to The Huntsville Times Tennessee Smokies third baseman Jamie D'Antona made sure pitcher Adam Bass' homecoming wasn't a complete disaster. D'Antona drove an Andy Pratt pitch off the Joe Davis Stadium scoreboard for a three-run, game-winning home run in the 11th inning late Thursday night. The shot gave the Smokies a 9-6 victory over the Huntsville Stars. "Pratt struggled in the 11th, and it was just pitch selection," Stars manager Don Money said. "Too many fastballs." D'Antona's home run also gave Bass one fond memory in an otherwise frustrating return to town. Though the former UAH All-American and Madison Academy standout didn't factor in the decision, he blew a pair of two-run leads early. Bass left after five innings, getting roughed up for eight hits and six earned runs. After a sharp start, he never seemed in command. Stars starter Carlos Villanueva wasn't any better in his five innings. As much as the starters struggled, the relief was brilliant until Pratt's 11th-inning trouble. The glitch by Huntsville didn't affect the Smokies' bullpen finishing what it started as four pitchers combined to allow only one Stars hit over the final six innings. With Bass on the hill early, though, it appeared the Stars (12-9) were primed for their fifth straight comeback win. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Huntsville strung together three hits and three runs. Greg Sain drew a bases-loaded walk, and Drew Anderson added a two-run double to put the Stars ahead by one. A bunt single by Callix Crabbe in the fourth extended the lead to 4-2, but Villanueva couldn't hang on. He surrendered three consecutive singles in the top of the fifth. After nearly wriggling free with two quick outs, he walked in a run and wild-pitched in another. Money said that sequence was a decisive stretch. Tennessee's Miguel Montero completed the nightmare inning for Huntsville with a two-run single to give Tennessee (10-11) a 6-4 lead. Still, the Stars came back with a deep home run from Sain that tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. "I know he obviously had a lot of his fans out here, probably just as many rooting for him as they were us," Sain said of Bass. "I'm sure he wanted to pitch well in front of family and friends, but that's not something we consider." When Bass left the game, so did a cluster of fans who cheered his every move. Bass had started his homecoming in hero's fashion, striking out leadoff hitter Crabbe on three pitches on his way to an easy first inning. The momentum even swung over to the offensive side. With two outs in the third inning, Bass kept the frame alive with a single up the middle, setting up Danny Richar's two-run home run to right field that gave the Smokies an early 2-0 lead. Bass's comfort zone at his collegiate home stadium crumbled quickly. But his team left with the victory, nonetheless.

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=801 D'Antona's Deep Drive Downs Stars Jamie D?Antona?s three-run home run in the 11th inning lifted Tennessee past Huntsville 9-6 Thursday night in the opening game of a five-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Smokies won their fourth straight game to improve to 10-11 on the season, while the Stars fell to 12-9 and saw their four-game win streak was brought to a halt. Andy Pratt opened the 11th on the hill for Huntsville and walked leadoff man Alberto Gonzalez and yielded a one-out single to Alex Frazier before fanning Jesus Cota for the second out of the frame. D?Antona then blasted a 1-0 pitch off the scoreboard in left-center field for his fourth home run of the season and the first allowed by Pratt. All four leadoff batters who have reached base against the Stars? southpaw have come in to score. The Tennessee bullpen limited the home team to just one hit, a Kennard Bibbs single in the ninth on which he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, over the final six innings. Mike Schultz earned his first win with two scoreless frames behind Matt Wilkinson, who also worked two scoreless innings. Greg Sain?s two-run home run off of Smokies? starter Adam Bass, his seventh of the season, got the game tied at six in the fifth inning. Bass, who holds or shares 11 pitching records at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, was making his third career start against his hometown team and his first at ?the Joe? in front of a large contingent of family and friends. The right-hander allowed six runs on eight hits and fanned five in his five frames of work and left with a no-decision. He won once and lost once in two August starts in Tennessee last season against the Stars. Bass stroked a two-out single in the third inning and scored when Danny Richar followed with his first long ball of the year and fourth allowed by Huntsville starter Carlos Villanueva, who gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings and left trailing 6-4. Gerrit Simpson retired all nine hitters he faced and Joe Winkelsas tossed two shutout frames and has now been scored upon in only one of the 10 innings he has worked in. Sain drew a bases loaded walk and Drew Anderson followed with a two-run double in the third inning to give the Stars a 3-2 lead. Tennessee plated four two-out runs in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead, highlighted by Miguel Montero?s two-run single after Villanueva had issued a wild pitch that allowed Jon Zeringue to score to tie the game at four. The series continues Friday night when the Smokies will send right-hander Garrett Mock to the mound against Stars right-hander Tim Dillard. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for archived Mike Rivera photo while active, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1925 Sounds Take Series Opener In New Orleans METAIRIE, La. ? Mike Rivera went 4-for-4 and Nelson Cruz belted his fourth home run in the last three games to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 6-3 victory over the New Orleans Zephyrs on Thursday evening at Zephyr Field in the opener of a four-game series. Nashville (13-7) recorded its sixth win in the last seven games and has won 12 of 15 contests since opening the season with a 1-4 record. Rivera accounted for four of the Sounds? seven hits on the evening, including a pair of doubles, to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. The backstop is batting a team-best .438 in his 12 games this season. The four-hit contest was the first by a Sound this season. Outfielder Tony Gwynn went 0-for-5 to snap the Sounds? longest hit streak of the year at 12 games. The Sounds plated five runs in the top of the third inning against Zephyrs starter Kyle Denney to break a scoreless tie. Cruz opened the scoring with a one-out home run to right, his fourth longball in the last three games and team-leading seventh roundtripper of the season. The outfielder has homered in a Sounds season-best three straight games and extended his hitting streak to six games with the tater. AUDIO: Nelson Cruz's 7th HR Of Year -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-27.wma Rivera and Brent Abernathy followed with singles before Vinny Rottino drew a walk to load the bases. Denney?s inaccuracies continued when he issued a four-pitch walk to Chris Barnwell to force in Rivera for a 2-0 Sounds lead. A pair of consecutive New Orleans throwing errors on force attempts ? by third baseman Brandon Larson and second baseman Bernie Castro ? allowed three additional runs to score in the frame as Nashville matched its best single-inning scoring output of the season. Castro made amends for his error in the bottom of the frame when he put the Z's on the board with a leadoff home run to left off Sounds starter Justin Thompson. The blast was his first of the season. New Orleans cut the lead to 5-3 in the fourth with a pair of runs on a Reginald Fitzpatrick RBI groundout and Mike Vento?s two-out RBI single to center. Rivera concluded his solid evening in the top of the seventh with an RBI double to bring home Cruz and up the Sounds? advantage to 6-3. Thompson (1-0) earned his first win of the season for the Sounds after allowing three runs on six hits over five innings. He recorded no walks or strikeouts in his outing. Denney (0-2) took the loss after surrendering five runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out six in his five frames. Jared Fernandez tossed four scoreless innings of relief for the Sounds to earn his second save of the year. The right-hander has yet to allow a run in 10 2/3 frames since joining Nashville last week. The teams continue the series with a 7 p.m. contest on Friday. Left-hander Zach Jackson (0-1, 2.81) looks for his first win of the year in his fourth start for Nashville. New Orleans will counter with southpaw Billy Traber (0-0, 2.45).

Final: Tennessee (Diamondbacks) 9, Huntsville 6, 11 innings Details from Stars' site shortly; must have been entertaining, despite the final result... Huntsville Box Score: Shades of Tomo Ohka -- which Carlos Villanueva will you get start-to-start? Stellar relief work from Gerrit Simpson, who has been very good since his acquisition via trade from the Rockies last season, and veteran reliever Joe Winkelsas; Greg Sain's one hit was, you guessed it, a home-run (two-run variety)... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: The Stars have only a handful of games left all season in which the DH will be needed -- Don Money's bench guys will see very limited opportunities; Drew Anderson's two-out, two-run double in the 3rd was clutch at the time; Villanueva came oh-so-close to getting out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the 5th; Andy Pratt's 11th inning was ineffective to say the least; Stars never really threatened after the 5th... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

Final, Game Two: West Virginia 6, Greensboro (Marlins) 2, scheduled for seven innings Details from Power site shortly... West Virginia Game Two Box Score: Power the beneficiaries of six unearned runs; RHP Robbie Wooley walked four in four innings, but also induced eight ground balls while minimizing the damage; Mat Gamel stays hot at the plate and cool in the field at third base... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_2 West Virginia Game Two Game Log: Two-out, three-run double by Angel Salome in the 5th the big blow... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_2

Final: Nashville 6, New Orleans (Nationals) 3 Sounds are now 13-7; week one slow start long forgotten; Sound site details soon... Nashville Box Score: Four-inning save for Jared Fernandez, that's a rarity; Mike Rivera on base all five plate appearances; LHP Justin Thompson stretched out to 77 pitches; Dave Krynzel still in pinch-hit mode; Tony Gwynn now 6-for-7 in SB attempts... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1

Final, Game One: Greensboro (Marlins) 5, West Virginia 4, scheduled for seven innings Final-inning rally for the second straight game, but this one falls just short... West Virginia Game One Box Score: Lorenzo Cain three base hits, including a double; Mat Gamel with his first long ball; the young Latin Power pitchers, Wilfrido Laureano and Ronny Malave (see game two line later) have been very impressive all month... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game One Game Log: The run allowed in the top of the 7th came back to bite Steve Palazzolo and the Power; double plays killed West Virginia throughout... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Brevard County Game Summary from the Vero Beach site: Manatees Two-Out Rallies Doom Dodgers 04/27/06 - Brevard County used two-out rallies in the 3rd and 4th innings to defeat Vero Beach 7-3 Thursday night at Holman Stadium. Cole Bruce went 3-4 and David Nicholson drove in two runs for the Dodgers who had their season-long three-game winning streak snapped. The rubber match of the series is Friday night at 7:00 PM (6:00 Central) with Burger King giving away Vero Beach Dodger Floppy Hats. Brevard County's first big rally came in the third inning. Nestor Corredor led off with a single and one out later Travis Ezi was hit by a pitch. Following a strikeout by starter Matt Merricks, Steve Sollman singled to make it 1-0. Brendan Katin then lined a home run over the center field fence to open a 4-run lead. The fourth inning went much the same way. Josh Murray was hit by pitch to start the frame and Hasan Rasheed followed with a single. Two outs later, Ezi walked to load the bases and Freddy Parjeo doubled to score all three baserunners. Merricks ended the night charged with seven earned runs in only four innings. Earlier this year he threw seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against the Manatees. The Dodgers made two attempts at a comeback. With one out in the third, just after Brevard first took the lead, Chris Westervelt and Jamie Hoffman smacked back-to-back singles. Nicholson the singled home Westervelt and Hoffman scored on a balk to make it 4-2. In the fifth, Bruce led off with a single for his first of three hits. Westervelt walked to advance him to second and a fly out put Bruce at third. Nicholson then popped a sacrifice fly to center, making it 7-3. Ramon Troncoso turned in his best relief outing of the season by holding the Manatees scoreless for four innings. Troncoso allowed just two singles and one walk, while striking out five. Wesley Wright followed with a scorless ninth.

Final: Brevard County 7, Vero Beach (Dodgers) 3 Brevard County Box Score: 85 degrees and clear -- so nice before the humid season kicks in, I imagine; quality pitching thoughout, clean defense, too; catcher Nestor Corredor with a first base pickoff -- you see a lot more of those attempts at the minor league level; Brendan Katin with a nice power surge as of late... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_vbdafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_vbdafa_1

Link while active for nice photo of Enrique Cruz, Mike Rivera, Nelson Cruz and Wilton Chavez, text follows: www.tennessean.com/apps/p...6604270315 Hispanic Sounds have special passion for baseball By ANDY HUMBLES Tennessean Staff Writer Playing professional baseball is a dream every Nashville Sound is probably living out, with the additional dream of taking that next step up to the major leagues. But for Hispanic players from countries where baseball is king, the dream seems a bit more intense. ''Everyone has passion,'' said Sounds catcher Mike Rivera, from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. ''But we love the game. And we have fun.'' Rivera is in his 10th season and one of four Hispanic players on the Sounds' opening-day roster. He talks about American-born players who have school, maybe work, and other sports to mix in with baseball. But in places like Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, where the Sounds' Enrique Cruz, Nelson Cruz and Wilton Chavez are from, baseball and baseball players have an elevated status. Enrique and Nelson are not related. The stars like Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz ''are like (Michael) Jordan,'' Chavez said. ''Baseball is the dream for everyone,'' and the dream that brings so many Hispanic players to a new country, culture, language, customs and food. ''And the weather,'' Nelson Cruz offers. ''It's never cold there.'' It shouldn't be uncommon to see the Sounds Hispanic players stretching together, speaking Spanish among themselves. ''We're comfortable with each other,'' said Nelson Cruz. ''Just easier to communicate,'' Rivera said. But becoming comfortable and being able to communicate with American-born players is an additional challenge to Hispanics establishing a place in pro baseball and trying to make the majors, said Rivera, who has played with both the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. ''You need to push yourself, because that is going to help establish a relationship with your teammates,'' Rivera said. ''Sometimes you can stick with each other a little too much.'' The Sounds are the Class AAA affiliate of Milwaukee, one step below the major league. Hispanic players usually have some time in professional baseball under their belts and have gotten somewhat acclimated, albeit at different levels, to living and playing baseball in the United States, according to Sounds director of media relations and baseball operations Doug Scopel. ''Major league teams have things to help them when they first sign, but typically when they get here they've been playing 3, 4, 5, 6 years,'' Scopel said. Background and quotes from -- RHP Wilton Chavez: www.tennessean.com/apps/p.../604270316 INF Enrique Cruz: www.tennessean.com/apps/p.../604270392 OF Nelson Cruz: www.tennessean.com/apps/p.../604270317 C Mike Rivera: Interesting quote about aggressiveness at the plate... www.tennessean.com/apps/p.../604270318

5-3 Nashville in the 5th... The incredible Mike Rivera (3-for-3 thus far tonight) now hitting .426 in 47 AB's with a 1.100 OPS (only one walk, but hey, we're not complaining). Did you really listen when we linked to Rivera's pre-game audio chat last week? Chuck Valenches mentions the "bloggers" (insert -- Brewerfan.net posters) who want to see Mike in the big leagues. Here's a re-link in case you want to listen in again -- April 18 - Chat with Catcher Mike Rivera: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-18.wma

Look for an announcement within the next day or two on the addition of RHP Matt Kretzschmar to the West Virginia pitching staff. No word on any corresponding move that will take place when Kretzschmar's addition becomes official. Kretzschmar (22nd round, 2005) had some impressive outings early on in Helena last summer, before stumbling a bit at season's end.

Signed C Kyle Phillips Thanks, rpms6. Kyle is the younger brother of fellow catcher Jason Phillips, who has seen big league time with the Mets and Dodgers in recent years. For the moment, Kyle Phillips is in extended spring training preparing for activation. For the moment, he's on the temporarily inactive list on the Brevard County roster -- that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be a Manatee when activated. Phillips was a 10th round pick of Minnesota in 2002 -- a left-handed bat; his best season was in advanced rookie ball in 2003 -- having just turned 22, it seems the Brewers have recently inked players who were signed out of high school, but were jettisoned by their clubs after some unproductive minor league seasons (more on another soon). Kyle Phillips Career Statistics: We'll have a Brewerfan Player Index Page in place this weekend... www.thebaseballcube.com/p...lips.shtml Link while active, text follows (from 04/15/05): www.miraclefans.com/news/...41505.html Catcher aims for brother in bigs By David Dorsey Fort Myers News Press Kyle Phillips hopes to someday catch his older brother in the big leagues. Kyle Phillips, 21 (now 22), starts at catcher for the Fort Myers Miracle, the Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Jason Phillips, 28, starts at catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Separated by seven years, they seem to be taking identical professional baseball paths. "It seems so far away, and yet, it's so close," Kyle said of getting to the big leagues. "As of right now, it's a few steps away. To play against each other or play on the same team as each other, that would be great not just for us, but for our entire family." Their father, Clyde Phillips, turns 51 on Monday. He owns a plumbing supply business, and he has earned 15 Gold Gloves as a professional softball player. "That's a big influence coming up," Kyle said. "Everywhere you go growing up, there's a baseball field or a softball field." Kyle said it's eerie how his hot and cold hitting streaks seem to coincide with Jason's. Just look at their statistics from last season: Kyle hit .228 with 11 home runs and 44 RBI for low-Class A Quad Cities. Jason hit .218 with seven home runs and 34 RBI for the New York Mets. That trend held true for 2003 as well: Kyle hit .289 with eight home runs and 49 RBI at Elizabethton. Jason hit .298 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI for the Mets. "I'll go 0-for-36," Kyle said. "I'll call my brother, and he's 0-for-25. At that point, we just let things happen. "It's kind of comforting, having someone there who's at the highest level in all of sports to talk to." Their defense and presence behind the plate have made up for any hitting slumps. Entering Thursday night's game against the Dunedin Blue Jays, Kyle was hitting .308 (4-for-13) for the Miracle, who had a 6-1 record. Jason entered Thursday hitting .250 (6-for-26) for the Dodgers. During a phone interview from Los Angeles, Jason said he enjoyed following his brother's budding career. The two do not get a chance to see each other play in person that often, but Jason managed to travel to Quad Cities last season on a day off. The Mets were on the road between playing the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. "We talk a lot about the game," Jason said. "Mainly it's about how he did. When it's a good streak or a bad streak, we just let it ride. If you're doing good, you don't want it to end. "It's hard to make it. You have to have a lot of luck." Like Jason, Kyle converted to catcher after playing first and third base at El Capitan High in suburban San Diego. The Twins drafted Kyle out of high school in the 10th round of the 2002 draft. Kyle played catcher just two times in high school, and a Minnesota Twins scout had the good fortune to see one of those games. "He was terrific back there," said John Leavitt, a scout for the Twins based in Orange County, Calif. "I thought, why doesn't he catch all the time? "I talked to him about it. He said, 'My brother catches. I just want to play. I learned a lot from him. I learned a lot from my dad.' You talk to him for just a few minutes, and you realize he's very outgoing and has good instincts for the game." So far, Kyle has impressed Miracle manager Riccardo Ingram. "He's taking charge behind the plate," Ingram said. "He's keeping those guys in control on the mound. He calls a good game. "That's the main thing as a catcher, to calm the pitchers down and settle everyone down on defense. That's one of the reasons why we're off to such a good start." Clyde Phillips said he's overjoyed to watch his two sons play professional baseball. He plans on traveling from San Diego to Fort Myers to watch Kyle play for the Miracle later this summer. Clyde compared his two sons: "Jason is a really, really good catcher," Clyde said. "He's gold-glove caliber. But potentially, Kyle has more potential because of his size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds to Jason's 6-1, 210). Kyle, I think, will fair better in the power game. He's got a little bit of lift to his swing. "Jason's more of a line-drive, gap-to-gap hitter with occasional pop." Kyle also brings some intangibles. "If you talk to Kyle, he's a little bit over and beyond his years," Clyde said of Kyle, who is engaged to be married. "He's a pretty sharp kid." Said Leavitt, a scout for the past 11 years: "Of all the players I've ever signed, he's probably the most baseball intelligent of all of them. I think he can hit enough to play in the big leagues. He has a good-looking swing. He really has the desire." ***The blogger at SethSpeaks projected Phillips here in January 2006 (heading indicating 2005 date is incorrect) -- a bit odd the Twins would give up fairly quickly on a young catcher: www.sethspeaks.net/011806.htm

In progress: Nashville 1, New Orleans (Nationals) 0, top of the 4th in New Orleans Making Nashville my audio choice this evening -- Chuck Valenches just called Nelson Cruz' opposite field home run, his 7th of the season, 2nd most in the Pacific Coast League

Help the Sounds decide: colbyjack, I know you're a fan of jersey design... www.nashvillesounds.com/c...pageId=146

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Coaches Chat with Pitching Coach Stan Kyles: RHP Jared Fernandez to piggy-back Justin Thompson's start this evening, then slide into Ben Hendrickson's rotation spot... www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-27.wma

Thanks for the updates, mls4 -- actually, Baseball America reports that Ryan Glynn was released by the Twins earlier this month, however.

The Brewers have signed three RHP's from the Latin ranks. Because these signings took place after the release of the media guide, we won't know details on them until the Rookie League seasons begin. Regardless, we know we can place the adjectives "young" and "raw" by their names http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif : RHP Yonny Chaya (new contender for best name in the system -- I'm a Nate Yoho fan) RHP Joel de la Cruz (no word if related to current farmhands Fredy or Carlos) RHP Luis Jimenez (no word if related to current farmhands Herman or Jose)

Wes Obermueller released by the Braves -- still a free agent as of this time -- could his career really be over? Kevin Orie released by the Astros, not playing elsewhere.