Jim Goulart

Ben Hendrickson hasn't allowed a you-know-what through five innings, despite throwing only 44 strikes in 80 pitches.

Freddy Parejo grand slam for the Manatees in the 7th to put the boys up 4-3! Single, single, walk, grand slam after top Cub prospect Sean Gallagher was removed to start the inning.

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

LHP Joe Thatcher (# 48, Power 50) was removed from the Brevard County roster earlier this week and transferred to the Helena roster. Apparently he is in extended spring training in Maryvale for what is termed a minor rehab. We'll likely see him in Florida before too long.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006040730/ West Virginia Power table-setters are Cain ... and able Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor Darren Ford said Lorenzo Cain "is already close, like my brother." As two-thirds of the West Virginia Power's 2006 outfield, Ford and Cain display a togetherness that could unhinge South Atlantic League pitching. They bat 1-2 in the Power lineup, Ford playing center, Cain in right. Their lockers are next to each other's in the Appalachian Power Park home clubhouse. Both played one season of junior college baseball in Florida, were draft-and-follow picks in the June 2004 amateur selection by Milwaukee -- where Cain was picked in the 17th round, one Brewer selection in front of Ford. Both signed last spring. Ford is 20. Cain reaches that age next Thursday. "I've got a guy who's 6-foot-1 and probably the fastest in the league batting in front of me," Cain said. "All I have to do is put the ball in play and Darren might score. He has that kind of potential." Ford and Cain were more than able on Opening Night for the Power. The only thing that stopped the pair at the top of the West Virginia lineup was a steady rain, which finished the Power's 4-1 victory over Delmarva in six innings. They opened the Power's first at-bat with a Ford single and a Shorebird error by right fielder Quincy Ascencion, who no doubt realized Ford was thinking two, which he got. Cain quickly doubled him home. Ford singled twice and struck out. Cain doubled twice off Delmarva starter David Hernandez and reached on catcher's interference. They combined to score all four West Virginia runs and had four of the seven hits. "I call (Cain) my ?backup,' because I know if I get on, he's got a good chance to back me up with a hit," Ford said. "We're doing a lot together, but he's never batted behind me before." The low Class A Brewers had a table-setting duo similar to Ford and Cain a year ago in infielders Hernan Iribarren and Alcides Escobar, but the Power never could find any consistent run-producers to bat in the holes behind them until No. 1 2005 draft pick Ryan Braun arrived in Charleston last July. The RBI opportunity in the 3-4-5 spots for Mat Gamel, Angel Salome and Kenny Holmberg already was evident on Opening Night before a standing-room crowd of 5,742. With the giant inflatable promotional toaster that sits atop the pressbox to lure drivers onto the I-77 entrance ramp, maybe the APP should be called the APPliance now. What Power fans should be pumped up about, however, is the potential of the pair who are still deep in a Milwaukee system flush with outfielders. "With these two, we've got plenty of speed at he top of the order," Power hitting coach Mike Lum said. "The more we get them in scoring position, the more opportunity will be there. "Ford can take a single and make it something more. "There's no doubt he needs to make contact better (he struck out once every 3.37 at-bats at short-season Helena last summer), and he needs to keep the ball out of the air." Lum, a highly regarded batting instructor for almost two decades who still ranks 11th all-time on the Major League pinch-hit list, called Ford and Cain "still young hitters. "They'll learn as they get more development," he said. "Right now, Ford is playing on natural ability ... Cain, I think he'll be able to hit for power eventually, and once both of them get more at-bats under the belts, they'll be able to make adjustments." Cain, a 6-2, 165-pound Florida native (Tallahassee Community College), was the Arizona League's most valuable player last summer, batting .356. Ford, fresh from Chipola Junior College and playing one level higher in the Brewer system, batted .271 at Helena. He is regarded as the fastest player in the Milwaukee system. Iribarren and Escobar, neither of which has Ford's speed, stole 38 and 30 bases, respectively, here last season. They hit .290 and .271, however. Ford and Cain will have to prove they can do that. Power shortstop Ryan Crew knows what it's like to hit behind the fleet Ford. Crew batted .346 in the Arizona League in the rookie Brewers' No. 2 hole, seeing plenty of offerings to hit. "It's the start of the season, and so you'll see a lot of fastballs," Cain said, "before people start throwing other stuff. Even after that, I guess that I'll see plenty of fastballs if pitchers are worried about (Ford) trying to steal bases. "The first inning, with the big crowd, the noise, just got me pumped up. I played in Arizona last year; we don't have many people at games out there. Then he got on second to start it, and I said to myself, ?I'm driving it and getting him in.' " Driving in a Ford with big wheels? It sounds like something the Power can use to get around.

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...006040729/ Opener wet but successful Jacob Messer Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter An inning definitely doesn't make or break a career. However, if Kevin Roberts advances to the Major Leagues, he might recall the fifth inning of the West Virginia Power's 4-1 victory over the visiting Delmarva Shorebirds on Thursday as one of the moments that helped him get there. The Opening Night starter for the Power (1-0) on a chilly and rainy evening at Appalachian Power Park, where a crowd of 5,742 fans gathered for the South Atlantic League game, Roberts cruised through the first four innings. He retired the first seven batters he faced and allowed only one hit -- a bloop single between second base and centerfield -- during that stretch. "Then, I hit a wall," Roberts said of the fatigue that allowed the first four batters he faced in the top of the fifth inning to reach (three on walks and one on a fielder's choice). "I was all over the place," he said. With the bases loaded and the Shorebirds (0-1) trailing by two, Quincy Ascencion provided a sacrifice fly that scored Arturo Rivas for their first run. None of the infielders cut off left fielder Michael Brantley's throw, which bounced in front of home plate and skipped past catcher Angel Salome, allowing Rob Marconi and Stuart Musselwhite to advance into scoring position. Up came Zach Davis, with a chance to be a hero. Power pitching coach John Curtis already had decided Davis would be Roberts' final batter regardless of the result. Reliever Ronny Malave was waiting in the bullpen, ready to enter when needed. But Roberts (1-0) "dug deep," where he found enough strength and control to throw three more fastballs over the plate, striking out Davis to end the inning. "I battled and got through it," said Roberts, a 6'0", 190-pound right-hander whom the Milwaukee Brewers selected in the fifth round of last year's draft. "You have to go back to the basics and find that one thing that will get your ball back down where it needs to be. I did that for the last couple of batters, and it got me out of it without any major damage. "Obviously every inning isn't going to go as planned," he said. "Whenever you have a bad inning where you can't find it, you have to be able to adjust right then and there before it blows up." Roberts' overall performance and his ability to overcome adversity impressed Curtis. "It was terrific," Curtis said. "It was more than we could have asked or expected here on Opening Night. He wouldn't be human if he didn't have butterflies. But the competitor he is, he went out there and brought the ballgame to them. He gave us five great innings. "He got into a bit of trouble, but he held his own. To me, that is a big plus in his column. That's a character thing. There's a mechanical part of pitching, then there's a character part of pitching. He showed determination. He wanted that win. "It's what a coach looks for. That's a very difficult thing to instill in a young man. You look for it, and if you see it, you ride it." Roberts' night ended after 76 pitches, nine under his team-imposed maximum. He yielded one run on one hit and recorded five strikeouts compared to three walks in five innings. "That was the best performance I have seen from him since last year in instructional ball," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said of the 21-year-old Roberts, a former two-way star at the University of Houston. Baseball America ranks him as the Brewers' 29th-best minor league prospect. "If he keeps doing what he did today, he is going to have an awesome season," Guerrero said. The Power added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, and Malave pitched a scoreless sixth - the final inning, thanks to a 53-minute rain delay -- to preserve the win. * * *AT THE request of league officials, the Power refused to release the umpires' names. The Association of Minor League Umpires, whose contract expired last season, started a strike Thursday, when most leagues opened their seasons. Leagues normally find umpires for their teams. But team officials are on their own during the strike because league officials aren't as familiar with local high school and college umpires as they are. That has given Power General Manager Andy Milovich and some of his staff an extra responsibility. Milovich said he and Joe Payne, the Power's director of stadium operations, worked about 10 to 15 hours the past 10 days scheduling umpires for its 10 home games this month. * * *THE POWER will continue its season-opening four-game homestand against the Shorebirds Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia will start left-hander Derek Miller, while Delmarva will counter with right-hander Reid Hamblet. Delmarva?s Arturo Rivas (15) scores the Shorebirds? only run of the night Thursday in their season-opening, rain-shortened 4-1 loss to the West Virginia Power at Appalachian Power Park. The Power catcher is Angel Salome. Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman http://www.dailymail.com/images/Power140407.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section.../200604072 Can Power maintain the buzz? Nick Scala, Charleston Gazette THE FIRST season of baseball at Appalachian Power Park is fondly remembered for all the right reasons, but it took some time for the buzz to take full effect. Remember this time last year, when we were still questioning the new venture?s viability? Doubting Thomases were everywhere. For instance, hardly anyone immediately warmed to the team?s name. What?s a Power? We?re supposed to root, root, root for the Power? Besides its corporate connotations, there was the geographical question: Why did they dump hometown Charleston and replace it with the generic West Virginia? Then there was the choice of color scheme, a mustardy gold that I suppose matched the Capitol dome in the distance but, on a ballcap or uniform, wasn?t aesthetically pleasing. We wondered if the new East End ballpark would be ready for Opening Day. Anybody traveling up Brooks or Morris streets in the weeks leading up to it had to have doubts. Remember, too, that the Power had seven road games before the inaugural home game ? and lost all seven. It looked for all the world that we?d be stuck with another lemon, on the field at least. To be honest, it seemed as if every decision involved with the club was the wrong one. And then ... they opened the gates. And we saw it was good. The visual splendor offered was just part of the appeal of the $23 million Appalachian Power Park. It didn?t take long before word of mouth was spread about the broad appeal of a visit to the new yard. It was as if Karl Rove was in charge of finding all the niches to bring in a wide variety of customers. You?re a baseball fan? Win or lose, you?re not going to find it at a higher level than this without driving three hours, and don?t you want to be the one to spot which players will be earning a humongous check in the big leagues in two or three years? You?re a family guy? From the Fun Zone to the multiple mascots, the club went out of its way to be kid-friendly. Looking for a social night out, a chance to have a beer with friends? With crowds averaging 3,500, you can?t help but stumble across a few. Still, after all the success of the opening season, there were ? and are ? doubters. Was that success due to the novelty of the first-year ballpark, the curiosity factor, or was it something that would endure and be built upon? More to the point, can the Power maintain the momentum of 2005 and add to it in 2006 and beyond? In a best-case scenario, Appalachian Power Park will be the center of a revitalized neighborhood, with restaurants, bars, shops and housing springing up around the ballyard and creating an East End business climate with unlimited potential. The first step in that regard has already been taken with the opening of the Power Alley Grill, the upscale bar/restaurant housed within the ballpark?s friendly confines. Before, during and after Thursday night?s opening game, the Grill was filled to the gills. From all indications, the buzz around the ballpark is intact. Chilly, drizzly weather wasn?t enough to deflate the opening crowd, and attendance should only improve as the temperature climbs and the days grow longer. Year two, though, is all about maintaining that buzz, for now and years to come.

Follow Friday'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_omaaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_msbaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_dbcafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! Why not listen to Mark Rogers' first Manatee start for an hour tonight before the big league game? All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Omaha (Royals), 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_omaaaa_1 Huntsville: RHP Tim Dillard at Mississippi (Braves), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: RHP Mark Rogers at Daytona (Cubs), 6:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.wele1380.com/ West Virginia: LHP Derek Miller at home vs. Delmarva (Orioles), 6:05 PM Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

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Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006040647 Power notebook: Familiar teammates know they can win By Nick Scala Charleston Gazette Staff writer For all practical purposes, this year?s model of the West Virginia Power has been together for just a little more than a week, gathering toward the end of spring training before heading north to Charleston for the start of the South Atlantic League season. Truth is, though, most of the guys who played key roles in the Power?s 4-1 rain-shortened season-opening win over Delmarva Thursday night have been together for most of their professional careers, and they already have a championship pedigree. Last year, most were members of the Helena Brewers of the short-season rookie Pioneer League, where they posted the league?s best record. ?They know they can win,? said Power pitching coach John Curtis, who served in the same role last year. ?They?re cocky and they believe in themselves. This is going to be a team that knows how to put a pretty good run together, because they did it last year. ?They have that championship experience behind them, and they?re bringing the same kind of enthusiasm here that they showed last year at Helena.? All 11 players who saw action for the Power Thursday are Helena alumni. Center fielder and leadoff hitter Darren Ford got the Power rolling with an opposite-field single to right in the bottom of the first and eventually scored the game?s first run. He singled and scored again in the Power?s two-run fifth before the heavy rains came. ?This whole team, everybody plays together and everybody plays to win,? said Ford. ?Everybody?s patient, getting their pitch, getting on base.? ***With minor-league umpires on strike over wages and working conditions, a two-man crew anonymously worked Thursday?s game. Their names were not announced over the public-address system, nor were they listed on the pregame and postgame statistical reports, as is the usual custom. Power general manager Andy Milovich said the South Atlantic League was responsible for appointing the replacements, and that the club was asked not to release the umpires? names. There were no controversial calls or arguments on the night. In fact, the umps? toughest call was to decide when to stop play and bring out the tarpaulin to cover the infield when the rain started getting heavy. It was also their call to end the game when it was clear that the rain was not about to let up.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section.../200604071 W.Va. Power opener: Capacity crowd sees rain-shortened win By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer The season?s first two West Virginia Power hitters raised the prospect of a lively, free-swinging summer. In the first inning, leadoff man Darren Ford reached out and flicked a single to right field, and No. 2 man Lorenzo Cain followed with a more robust poke into the right-field corner for a double, bringing home Ford. An out later, Angel Salome delivered a wicked double into right-center to produce another run. The early show of offense stirred crowd noise rarely heard at old Watt Powell Park and sent the Power on its way to a 4-1 six-inning, rain-shortened victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds in the season opener Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. Despite a gray night of intermittent sprinkles, the second season opener in APP history drew a crowd of 5,742, many of whom continued the 2005 custom of congregating in the spacious concourses. Power starter Kevin Roberts, who pitched five innings to pick up the victory, appreciated the fan support. ?That shows you something about this city when that many fans still showed up when the weather was that bad,?? said Roberts. In six innings, the Power produced seven hits, including four doubles ? two by Cain and one each by Salome and Kenny Holmberg. It was an encouraging start for a team that last year distinguished itself as the least offensive team in the South Atlantic League and opened the season with seven straight losses. Ford, a 20-year-old New Jersey native who batted .271 at Helena of the Pioneer League last year, collected two hits and scored two runs Thursday and continued to make a good impression on his manager, Mike Guerrero. ?Let?s put it this way,?? said Guerrero, sitting in his office after the game. ?With the talent he has and when he puts it all together, there won?t be too many big-league leadoff hitters like him. That kid has talent.?? Said Ford: ?I?ve got to be patient and not swing at bad pitches. I?ve got to be selective.?? Guerrero, in fact, expects a good season of offense overall. ?My whole ballclub has a lot of talent,?? he said. ?Darren?s going to be a line-drive hitter, but all through the lineup we have line-drive hitters.?? The Power added two runs in the fifth. With two out, Ford singled to left, took second as Cain reached base on catcher?s interference and scored when shortstop Stuart Musslewhite threw away Mat Gamel?s infield single. Cain came home on a wild pitch. When Roberts arrived at the ballpark Thursday, he noticed the winds were blowing out, giving the advantage to the hitters. It was another reminder that he needed to keep his pitches low in the strike zone. ?One of the first things I do is look to see which way the wind is blowing,?? said Roberts, a former University of Houston pitcher. ?Not that my game plan is not always to go down, but it really emphasizes it if the wind is blowing out.?? In five innings, Roberts allowed just one run and one hit and shut out the Shorebirds through four innings. In the fifth, he walked three and yielded a run on a sacrifice fly. ?In the fifth inning,?? said Roberts, ?I was getting a little worn out. It?s still early. So hopefully in these next few starts, I can gain some endurance and won?t run into that wall where I just can?t find the plate. Overall, I thought I battled pretty well.?? ?He did a great job of keeping the ball down,?? said Guerrero. ?That?s the biggest thing I saw.?? The Power?s Ronny Malave pitched the sixth inning. POWER POINTS: The Power and Shorebirds will play at tonight and Saturday and close out the homestand with an afternoon game Sunday. ... Last year?s opener drew 5,354. ... Gov. Joe Manchin was the most accurate and stylish of the dignitaries throwing out ceremonial first pitches. ... Delmarva manager Gary Kendall once played at Watt Powell Park as a member of the Barton (N.C.) College team in a game against the University of Charleston. ... When rain forced a halt in play after the sixth inning, a live telecast of the Reds-Pirates game was shown on the message board, complete with a play-by-play call by Lanny Frattare. Frattare?s voice once beamed across the Kanawha Valley as play-by-play man for the Charleston Charlies.

Link while active, text follows: www.news-journalonline.co...040706.htm No joy on Cubs' opening night By SEAN KERNAN Daytona News-Journal Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH -- Thursday was National Fun at Work Day. For the Daytona Cubs, there was little that was fun about their first day of work in the 2006 Florida State League season. The Cubs lost their season-opener 9-4 to the Brevard County Manatees in front of a crowd of 4,013 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The Manatees, on the other hand, had plenty of fun. The visitors had 17 hits. Five Manatee batters had three hits, including cleanup hitter Brendan Katin, who went 3-for-4 with a 400-plus-foot homer to center and a run-scoring triple. "I did terrible against them in the spring," Katin said. "Obviously I was saving (the hits) for tonight. We were all feeling good at the plate tonight. It was just a good night overall." Charlie Fermaint, Hernan Iribarren, Ryan Braun, and Carlos Corporan also had three hits apiece for Brevard County (1-0). Daytona's first three pitchers were tagged for nine earned runs on 16 hits. Starting pitcher Justin Berg (0-1) gave up four runs on five hits in the first two innings and the Cubs trailed throughout. Berg settled down to toss scoreless innings in the third and fourth frames, but reliever Matt Weber was greeted by three consecutive hits in the fifth that resulted in two runs and a 6-2 Manatees lead. "We didn't get off to a good start with (pitching)," Cubs manager Don Buford said."We gave up too many runs right away. It makes it a little hard. "We didn't get off to a good start with (pitching)," Cubs manager Don Buford said."We gave up too many runs right away. It makes it a little hard. Hopefully all the nervousness will be gone and we'll be productive." It was the first opening day start for the 22-year-old right-hander who was acquired from the Yankees late last season. "I was a little nervous at the start, but I guess that's to be expected on opening night," Berg said. "I felt good out there. My mechanics were a little off." The Cubs threatened to rally several times, but each time only came away with one run. A solo home run by Sam Fuld in the fifth inning off of former Seabreeze standout Bo Hall got the Cubs within three runs at 6-3. Hall gave up another run in the sixth. Daytona's Joe Simokaitis got the second of his three singles on the night and drove in Jake Fox, who had drawn a leadoff walk and advanced into scoring position on a single by Issmael Salas. But Hall was credited with the win after striking out three batters in his two innings of work. The Manatees put the game away with a three-run eighth against Angelo Burrows, who yielded Katin's solo home run, an RBI double by Fermaint and a sacrifice fly by Braun. "Now the bell has rung we have to pitch down and throw strikes," Buford said. "We can't walk guys. They capitalized on opportunities they had, hit-and-ran a few times, stole some bases and hit the ball hard." Cubs outfield prospect Ryan Harvey, the sixth player taken overall in the 2003 draft, was kept out of the lineup for precautionary reasons because of some soreness in one of his knees. However, Harvey is expected to be in the lineup tonight for the second game of the four-game set with the Manatees. Daytona Cubs first baseman Matt Craig attempts to tag out Brevard Manatees Charlie Fermaint during the fourth inning at Jackie Robinson Ballpark Thursday. Daytona News-Journal Photo by Ji-Eun Lee http://www.news-journalonline.com/downloads/DCUBSTAG040706.JPG

Daytona Site Game Summary: Manatees Top Cubs in Opener Katin homers in Brevard County win [DAYTONA BEACH, FL] The Brevard County Manatees pounded nine runs on 17 hits to beat the Cubs 9-4 on Opening Day at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The Manatees (1-0) jumped out to an early lead off starter Justin Berg (0-1). Charlie Fermaint got things started with a leadoff walk. With one out, Ryan Braun singled to center advancing Fermaint to third. Braun broke to steal second as Fermaint dashed home. Braun was safe at second and Fermaint crossed home plate giving the Manatees a 1-0. Later in the inning, Hernan Iribarren came up with a two out, RBI single making it a 2-0 advantage. Brevard County added to its lead in the second. Freddy Parejo stroked a one-out single to right center. Carlos Corporan followed by smashing the first pitch he saw off of the wall in deep left center field scoring Parejo to make it 3-0. After a wild pitch, Fermaint, who went three for five on the night, drove in the fourth run of the game by hitting a single to left center increasing the lead to 4-0. Daytona (0-1) would get their first run of the 2006 season in the bottom of the second as Jake Fox led off by reaching on a throwing error by the third baseman Braun. With two outs, Issmael Salas extended the inning with a single up the middle, and Joe Simokaitis cashed in with an RBI single to left to cut the deficit to 4-1. After the Cubs scored another run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to two, the Manatees got back-to-back extra base hits from Brendan Katin and Iribarren to regain a four run lead at 6-2. Sam Fuld led off the bottom of the fifth by barely clearing the fence in left center on a controversial home run call to pull the Cubs within three. In the bottom of the sixth, Simokaitis stroked a two out, RBI single with runners at the corners to narrow the gap to 6-4. That was as close as Daytona would get as Brevard County scored three runs in the top of the eighth to preserve the victory. Bo Hall (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he pitched two innings allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three and walking just one. Jeremy Lewis permitted two hits and struck out three in three scoreless innings for the save. Justin Berg was the loser after allowing four runs on six hits, stiking out four and walking two in four innings of work. The Cubs will look to get their first win of the season tomorrow as they send Sean Gallagher to the mound to face Mark Rogers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Callix Crabbe photo here: www.clarionledger.com/app...9/0/SPORTS Link for Ben Sheets photo here, text follows: www.clarionledger.com/app...0/0/SPORTS Sheets passes rehab test Hard-throwing Milwaukee pitcher works 2 2/3 innings of two-run, four-hit ball for Huntsville By Michael Wallace mwallace@clarionledger.com PEARL ? Understandably, Ben Sheets was battling quite a bit of nervous energy shortly before taking the mound early Thursday night. Hanging out in right field, Sheets bounced up and down on his feet and whirled his arms. The Milwaukee Brewers' ace was giddy. But it had little to do with the two-time All-Star making his first start of the season on a rehab assignment with Double-A Huntsville. "My parents were here," said Sheets, a Baton Rouge native who played at Louisiana-Monroe. "They never missed any of my opening-day starts. It didn't matter where I was playing. So they made it a point to drive here. In this situation for me, that's really special to me." Sheets went on to take what he considered a "big step forward" in his attempt to return to the top of the Brewers' rotation by month's end. Working his way back from a torn muscle behind his pitching shoulder, the right-hander showed overwhelming velocity at times and a touch of rust at others in a brief outing Thursday. Sheets, 27, struck out five and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits in 2 2/3 innings against the M-Braves. Sheets was limited to a 50-pitch count, but he walked off the mound at Trustmark Park to an ovation after his 49th pitch - a 91 mph fastball that struck out Braves top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia. It was a rather pedestrian fastball on a day when Sheets was consistently clocked in the mid-90s. He topped out at 96 in the first inning. "There wasn't any discomfort," Sheets said. "I think I'm getting close to getting back." Sheets, who is preparing for his sixth season in the majors, is projected to return to Brewers' rotation by April 16. He hasn't pitched in a regular-season game since Aug. 26 when he was diagnosed with a posterior shoulder strain. Sheets made two starts this spring, going 0-1 with a 27.00 ERA. He said he did not have enough time to fully recover from the injury. Thirty-seven of Sheets' 49 pitches Thursday were strikes. He worked through a rough first inning that saw him give up back-to-back hits, including Yunel Escobar's RBI double that allowed the M-Braves to tie the game at 1-1. "It's nice to see our guys weren't intimidated by him," M-Braves manager Jeff Blauser said. "(Sheets) is a premier right-hander in the NL." Sheets will fly back to Milwaukee today but expects to make one more start in the minors before rejoining a young Brewers' club considered a darkhorse to contend in the NL Central. Sheets is due $9.6 million this season in the second year of a four-year, $38.5 million deal. Thursday represented modest progress. "They ripped me a bit," Sheets said. "I would have liked to hit 96 at the end, but I'll get stronger. It's tough to evaluate on 49 pitches. But it was a good step to get to the next step." Notes: Former Itawamba (Miss.) CC star Tim Dillard is slated to start tonight for the Stars. Dillard is the son of former Ole Miss star and ex-big leaguer Steve Dillard. He went 12-10, 2.48 ERA at Class Brevard County in 2005.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Rehab start goes well for Stars' Sheets By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com PEARL, Miss. - Ben Sheets' rehab start for the Huntsville Stars Thursday may have resulted in a pair of runs and four Mississippi hits, but the reviews were terrific. "I felt great out there,'' Sheets said. "My velocity was there. I had a good curveball. I've just got to locate a little better on my fastball.'' "He felt very strong out there," said Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur. "He felt like he could go a little longer. He had good velocity on the fastball and the curve was sharp.'' Sheets, who last pitched for the Brewers on Aug. 26, 2005, before being shut down, threw 49 pitches, 37 for strikes, struck out five and allowed four hits and two runs, one unearned. His fastball topped out at 96 mph. Sheets, placed on the disabled list by the Brewers with a right posterior shoulder strain, is expected to make another rehab start in Nashville next week. He last pitched for the Stars on June 8, 2000, when he wrapped up a 13-game stint with the Stars with a 5-2 mark and 1.88 ERA.

David Weiser's: www.starsboxscore.com/ EURE THE ONE!It started with a fastball outside to Callix Crabbe at 7:30 and the 2006 season, the 22nd for the Huntsville Stars, was underway........ Hopefully, the Stars can make up for a dismal 0-5 start last year that began with a 1-0 shutout at the hands of Carolina (who lost their opener, by the way). They wasted no time tonight......... Crabbe, who likes to work the count, making him a fine leadoff hitter, walked on a 3-and-2 pitch. After a stolen base and a ground ball that moved him to third, Ron Acuna, on the first pitch he saw, bounced a ball through the hole on the right side to knock in the Stars' first run of the season......... The Mississippi Braves, bringing back a lot of familiar names from last year, matched the Stars in the bottom of the inning off Ben Sheets, who pitched aggressively tonight in his presumably one and only rehab start for the Stars, coming six years to the day of his first appearance for the Stars........ A one-out single up the middle by Martin Prado, a stolen base, and a double by Yunel Escobar, and it was 1-1........ Sheets said he was going to let it all out, and the results looked good, even though he gave up a pair of runs......... He used all the pitches in his repertoire and threw the smoke at 93-96 mph on the gun, and found the strike zone consistently........ He went 0-and-2 to three of the first four batters he faced, and of his 49 pitches, he threw 37 for strikes........ He silenced the Braves' top prospect, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, getting him to fly out to left in the 1st and striking him out --- his 5th strikeout --- to end his day in the 3rd inning. The Braves used the Stars' 1st inning formula to go ahead, 2-1 in the 3rd inning --- a single by Gregor Blanco and a stolen base, a ground ball to move him to third, and a one-out single the opposite way by Escobar......... The Stars met the challenge by tying it up in the 4th, and for this and tonight's victory, maybe we should say thanks to Greg Sain's right hamstring injury......... We can't say what he might have done if he were in the lineup as had been planned, but it opened an opportunity for Jeff Eure to take, and he took!....... Eure opened the 4th with a single to short, a tough play for Escobar --- too tough to charge him an error with....... With one out, Carlos Villanueva sacrificed him to 2nd.and Eure scored the tying run on a single to center by Crabbe. While Villanueva held the Braves by retiring seven straight after coming in for Sheets, Eure in the 6th inning crushed a pitch to left with Lou Palmisano, who had walked, on board. The result was the first game-winning home run in a Stars opener since Jimmy Waggoner ironically pelted an 8th inning home run in 1994 to break a 2-2 tie vs. Orlando at Tinker Field, a game the Stars would eventually win, 4-2......... And now we have Eure, a .229 hitter for Brevard County last year, who had 17 HRs, a new hero who has enscribed his name in Stars history by handing the Stars their 13th opening day victory and their first on the road since 2001........ Alec Zumwalt picked up his first save since August 4th of last year. Joe Winkelsas is the delegated closer for the Stars, but reportedly Zumwalt will get his share of situations as well........ Callix nearly cranked a 1-0 pitch out of the park in the 6th inning, but it hooked foul. He wound up flying out to right, turning it into the only double play in the game. Except for Nashville, who got rained out at Omaha, it was a good night for the other Brewer farm teams....... The Manatees won their opener, 9-4, and the West Virginia Power beat Delmarva in a Sally League contest, 4-1. Tomorrow, Tim Dillard, who had a fantastic spring, makes his first start for the Stars. About half of the Stars' season ticket holders showed up for an Opening Day party in one of the skybox rooms overlooking the field on the 3rd base side. With the game piped in over the only speaker that worked, we were treated to a ballpark atmosphere of hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, chips, cokes, and all the other goodies you might find below if the opener were played at home....... Unfortunately, few took advantage of it all to stick around. Most talked over the game and by the middle of the 1st inning, there were less than a half-dozen in the room, none who knew what the score was or probably cared. Hopefully, they'll at least show up for the home opener. The weather will offer no legitimate excuse. A high near 80° is forecast with sunny skies........ By the top of the 2nd, I was the only one there, and I just went ahead and left after the Stars were retired, leaving many untouched hot dogs, boxes of popcorn, but thanks to the Stars' staff for their effort in putting on this "party".

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- including quotes in the summary, nice touch... www.huntsvillestars.com/n...newsId=775 Stars Season Opener a Success Jeff Eure?s sixth inning home run turned out to be the difference as the Stars won their season opener, 4-2, over the Braves in the first of a five-game set Thursday night at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi. Huntsville improved to 13-9 in season openers and sent Mississippi to a second straight season-opening loss since relocating from Greenville, S.C. The Stars, who were blanked in their season opener last season, wasted no time getting on the board, as they tallied in the first inning. Callix Crabbe started the season with a walk, stole second base, moved to third on a fielder?s choice grounder and scored on an opposite field single to right by Ron Acuna. Huntsville had been held to one run, on a Nelson Cruz home run, in the first four-game series of the 2005 season at Carolina. Milwaukee right-hander Ben Sheets took the hill in the bottom of the inning on a rehab start six years to the day when he made an Opening Day start for the Stars. The ten-game winner from a season ago gave up a one-out single to Martin Prado, who stole second base and scored to tie the game on an opposite field double to right by Yunel Escobar, playing in his first game above the low-A level. Gregor Blanco reached on a fielding error by shortstop Ozzie Chavez to open the third inning, stole second base, moved to third on a ground out by Prado and scored on a single by Escobar. Sheets was walking back to the mound with the ball and Escobar raced to second base before time was called and given credit for a steal. He moved to third on a wild pitch and stayed there when highly-touted prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out. Sheets was then taken out of the game after throwing 49 pitches and replaced by Carlos Villanueva, who retired Matt Esquivel on a ground ball to end the inning. ?Everything felt good. My velocity was there. I?ve got to get a little better location on my fastball. I also thought I had good command of the curveball?, Sheets commented after the game. Crabbe singled with two outs in the fourth to plate Eure, who had singled and moved to second base on a Villanueva sacrifice bunt. Lou Palmisano opened the sixth inning against Paul Bush with a walk and Eure followed by slamming a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left field for his first home run at the double-A level. Villanueva retired the first seven hitters he faced and worked out of a jam in the home sixth by striking out Mike Rosamond and retiring Onil Joseph with runners at first and second. He went 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and fanning five to pick up the win. ?Villanueva did a great job tonight, he went right after the hitters, was very aggressive all night and pitched as if he started the game. He pitched tonight like he pitched all spring training in big league camp?, said Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur. Alec Zumwalt tossed a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the win and earn the save. Tim Dillard, a 12-game winner at Brevard County last season, takes the mound for the Stars Friday night and will be opposed by Braves? left-hander Brady Endl. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 and can be heard on ESPN Radio 1450 AM locally and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Nashville Site: OMAHA ? Thursday evening?s scheduled season opener between the Nashville Sounds and Omaha Royals, scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Rosenblatt Stadium, was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a 4:05 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The teams will play two seven-inning games that night. The Sounds and Royals will try to kick off the 2006 season again on Friday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium. Nashville right-hander Ben Hendrickson will start the 7:05 p.m. CT contest and face Omaha right-hander Kyle Snyder.

Final: Huntsville 4, Mississippi (Braves) 2 Huntsville Box Score: Forget Ben Sheets, Carlos Villanueva with 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out five; Stars batters patiently worked seven bases on balls; RHP Alec Zumwalt was the closer choice this evening. Undefeated night for the kids on the farm tonight! That almost never happened last season! www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_msbaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Ozzie Chavez was doubled up in the 6th thinking there was only one out in the inning... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_msbaax_1

Final: Brevard County 9, Daytona (Cubs) 4 Always nice to beat any kind of Cubbie... Brevard County Box Score: Manatee batters with 17 base hits, four walks, four K's -- nice; Brendan Katin just a double shy of a cycle, with a walk; Charlie Fermaint on base four times and 3-for-3 in SB's; 22-year-old catcher Carlos Corporan was a fairly high pick (12th round, '03) -- it'd be nice to see him break out offensively this year; six Manatees with multiple hits, three others with 0-for's; LHP Jeremy Lewis got a raw deal repeating high-A to start this year -- last year's Manatee closer finishes the game with three scoreless innings... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_dbcafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_dbcafa_1

Jeff Eure's Brewerfan Index Page: His career OBP indicates he's more of a 2TO (two true outcomes, for the uninitiated...) www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=103

West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER WIN RAIN SHORTENED CONTEST The West Virginia Power and Delmarva Shorebirds completed six innings of Thursday night?s game at Appalachian Power Park before the rain came and ended the ballgame, which resulted in a 4-1 Power victory. The Power scored twice in the bottom of the first inning on RBI doubles from Lorenzo Cain and Angel Salome. Delmarva cut the lead in half on Quincy Ascencion?s sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 2-1 game. The Power took advantage of two Delmarva errors in the fifth inning and plated two more runs. Mat Gamel reached on a Stuart Musslewhite error which allowed Darren Ford to score and Cain scored later in the inning on a wild pitch. The game was delayed for 45 minutes before it was called. Kevin Roberts (1-0) allowed only one hit through five innings and earned the victory. Ronny Malave (1) pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn the save and David Hernandez (0-1) obtained the loss. The Power improve to 1-0 with the win and the Shorebirds drop to 0-1 with the loss. The Power will continue the series with the Shorebirds on Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. Lefty Derek Miller will start for the Power and Delmarva will counter with right-hander Reid Hamblet. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

Two-run HR for the all-or-nothing man of the Brewers farm system, Jeff Eure. Huntsville goes up, 4-2 in the 5th. Carlos Villanueva has retired all seven men he's faced thus far.

Final: West Virginia 4, Delmarva (Orioles) 1, game completed early, six innings, rain West Virginia Box Score: Power batters didn't walk and K'd seven times, but did enough right to kick off the season at home successfully... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Top of the order raked, that was the case all last season in Helena if you remember... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1