Jim Goulart

Nashville at Omaha (Royals), postponed, rain Scheduling details later...

Pretty incredible story with RHP Kenny Ray having his contract purchased by Atlanta today. He'll be returning to the big leagues for the first time since 1999 with Kansas City. If you remember, Ray did not pitch professionaly for two seasons (2001-2002) before the Brewers gave him a shot to pitch with High Desert as a 29-year-old at high-A. Ray also pitched for Huntsville that season. Very cool tale of persistence, here's Ken Ray's career path: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...-ray.shtml

In progress: Mississippi (Braves) 2, Huntsville 1, Braves still batting in the bottom of the 3rd in Pearl Ben Sheets throwing all his pitches, getting hit a bit, but as he indicated in the pre-game, his priority needs to be getting his work in, not necessarily the game results, five K's for Ben -- he's reached his pitch count... In progress: Brevard County 6, Daytona (Cubs) 4, top of the 7th in Daytona Ryan Braun and Hernan Iribarren three hits apiece thus far... In progress: West Virginia 4, Delmarva (Orioles) 1, rain delay after six innings at Appalachian Power Park Lorenzo Cain's first two Power AB's result in doubles; strong five innings for RHP Kevin Roberts...

Nashville game delayed by lightning; Huntsville game delayed by overly long Opening Night ceremonies...

It didn't take long for just-released RHP Kenny Durost to land an independent league deal, with Schaumburg (Ill.) of the Northern League. He joins former Brewer farmhands OF Ben Van Iderstine and C Tim Marks on the club.

Follow Thursday'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

Now known -- LHP Steve Hammond starts for Brevard County tonight.

Nice little story on RHP Ryan Miller: www.courierpress.com/ecp/...46,00.html

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

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200604061/ Power must worry more about the way it starts Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor The 69th season of pro baseball in Charleston since 1910 opens tonight, and there are more than a million reasons why the West Virginia Power should want to play impressively. It's the second season for the Milwaukee Brewer farm team in the capital city. Most among last season's Power have moved up to advanced Class A Brevard County in the Milwaukee system. Hernan and Alcides, we hardly knew ye. Yet, down on the farm four steps from Miller Park in an organization that's made big strides with player development in the last three years, West Virginia presents an opportunity for a club that's pegged as older, with more speed and long-ball potential, and deeper in talent than the 2005 Power. OK, but what most of the crowd of 4,000 plus that will fill Appalachian Power Park near capacity wants to know is will these guys hit and pitch any better than the club that finished 60-78 in the Power debut. We've seen a superb Ryan Braun, but not for long. What is needed now is more brawn. It would behoove new Manager Mike Guerrero's club to start strong, but it's not going to be easy, with the Power facing 14-of-20 on the road after the opening four-game series with Delmarva. The earlier reference to more than a million should appeal to the Power players and why they should bust more than bats to move up. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that on Major League rosters on Opening Day, 409 players had salaries of $1 million or more. Sixty-one broke $10 million. The minimum big league salary is $327,000. That would buy a lot of bratwurst and beer in Milwaukee, you know? Now, the Power boys just need to climb through Melbourne, Fla., Huntsville, Ala., and Nashville. There's another reason the Power needs to provide some thrills. It's the second season of the Brewers' two-year Player Development Contract with West Virginia Baseball LLC ownership. You would think Milwaukee wants to keep its low Class A prospects playing in a nice yard. A competitive club will become more meaningful to West Virginia ownership as the years wear on, and the newness of Power Park wears off. Last season, the shiny 4,600-seat ballpark was enjoyed by a Charleston-record 234,160, breaking the previous Watt Powell Park best (in 1991) by 48,800. They showed because of the ballpark, not the team or the affiliation, which provided no regional ties. In fact, the Power ownership, wanting to change the franchise face as much as possible, dumped Toronto after a stellar 84-56 season and South Atlantic League playoff appearance, and got a 3-17 start from the Brewer kids. Milwaukee made things better in a 35-33 second-half SAL season, and West Virginia did win eight games in its final at-bat at home, five of those on walk-off homers. With the new ballpark and management that has a clue, Charleston has become a desirable low-A farm location in the 16-team SAL. When the 2006 season ends, Milwaukee figures to have significant competition for the affiliation here. That's why the Brewers will spend the summer not only trying to win, but trying to get an early PDC extension to keep playing Power ball. A lot may depend on how West Virginia gets out of the gate, more so than how the club does at the gate. There's a sports mindset vacancy in Charleston in the months between the end of basketball and the sweat of August football workouts. The Power can plug into that void. Two summers ago, although the Alley Cats were closing a decrepit ballpark, their 17-3 start juiced pro baseball here. Watt Powell Park saw 30,000 more spectators than the season before. That 2004 first-half title (41-29) is the only winning spring for Charleston baseball in the past eight seasons. Even including that success, the Alley Cats and Power are a combined 117 games under .500 in first halves since 1997. The Brewers cannot afford to add to that.

An update from Brevard County seems to indicate that 1B Grant Richardson will open the season on the Manatee disabled list, while 1B Carlos de la Cruz, previously noted as on the DL, will not. We'll be able to confirm that tonight. Catcher C.J. Medlin has been moved from Huntsville's DL list to Brevard's. Finally, no longer listed for Brevard (online or in press releases) is LH reliever Joe Thatcher, a sleeper pick on Toby's Power 50. We'll try to learn more there as well.

RHP Jerome Gamble RHP Josue Matos LHP Sam Narron Most likely at extended spring training, we'll try to learn more in coming days... Edit: Baseball America confirms that these three pitchers are on Nashville's disabled list.

The Brewerfan Player Index will reflect the above changes by Friday AM.

Restricted list means the players haven't signed official retirment papers, yet also, for whatever reason, didn't report to camp. The organization retains their rights until the situation is resolved. RHP Glenn Woolard and RHP Richard Breshears appear on this list for now; unable to learn about previously unknown James Kent at this time.

Thanks, Keller! Released catchers: 21-year old Bryan Opdyke was the Brewers' fifth round pick in 2003 out of a Tuscon high school. He never advanced beyond rookie ball -- that hurts... www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=587 The "Josh Johnson" mentioned is Kade Johnson, whose release was mentioned here previously. 22-year-old Clay Blevins (46th round, 2003) was a junior college teammate of RHP Josh Wahpepah: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=689 28-year-old Chris Curry had been signed as a minor league free agent this past offseason: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=888 Released infielders: 30-year-old veteran minor leaguer Corey D. Hart saw time in Nashville last season: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=849 32-year-old Luis Lopez, signed in February, wasn't able to earn a backup 1B/DH job in Nashville: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=890 24-year-old 2B/OF Will Lewis (32nd round, 2003) intrigued many of us with his versatility and some nice 2004 numbers in Beloit. It just seemed as though he was nicked up and unavailable often: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=559 19-year-old Dominican middle infielder Osvaldo Vicioso played in rookie Arizona in 2004 and 2005: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=659 Released outfielders: 30-year-old minor league vet Colin Porter was signed in January: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=882 26-year-old CF/2B Jason Romano signed in late February after his release by the Reds: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=893 Released pitchers: 25-year-old 6'9" RHP Eric Thomas (3rd round, 2002, out of South Alabama) pitched all of 65.2 innings in four years in the system, missing all of 2003 and 2004. www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=317 24-year-old RHP Kenny Durost (28th round, 2003) made 37 starts among his 70 appearances: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=574 20-year-old Dominican product, RHP William Labasta struggled in two Arizona Rookie League seasons: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=681 27-year-old LHP Clayton Andrews had signed a minor league deal in January: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=878 26-year-old LHP Ryan Costello, plucked from the Blue Jays in the minor league phase of Rule 5 in December 2003, had some nice moments among his Brewer appearances: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=640 LHP Josh Habel's release had been mentioned previously. 27-year-old LHP Wilfredo Rodriguez had signed a minor league deal in December: www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=868

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2006040546 Power opens second season tonight By Mike Whiteford Charleston Gazette Staff writer The inaugural season at Appalachian Power Park last year worked out wonderfully ? not only at the gate but in the home dugout. It?s not often that a manager and pitching coach can divert their focus from the field to the grandstand, but in the noisy and festive atmosphere of APP?s first year, it sometimes happened for manager Ramon Aviles and pitching coach John Curtis. Curtis, who spent 15 seasons as a big-league pitcher, says he?s delighted to be back in the same capacity. Memories of 2005, he said, are good ones. ?Ramon and I had a few laughs in that dugout last year with the Toastman, and the interaction with fans and the umpires and opposing players,?? Curtis said Tuesday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park. ?It was just a ball being here. We never heard a boo. The fans were so supportive. And that was not lost on me or Ramon or any of the other people who were here. It?s just a great place to play. I?m thrilled to be back.?? He predicted the Power players, most of whom did not play here last year, will soon feel the same way, especially if the club approximates last year?s attendance of more than 3,500 a game. ?I know it?s not going to be long before the kids we have will be saying, ?Man, this is great,? ? he said. It will help, of course, if the players begin the season more favorably than last year?s Power. That team lost its first seven and 20 of its first 25 but rallied to play slightly better than .500 baseball the rest of the way and finished at 60-78. The Power, Milwaukee?s affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League, opens its second season at Appalachian Power Park against the Delmarva Shorebirds at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central) and, unlike last year, the team brings a brief tradition of success. Pitcher Kevin Roberts, a former University of Houston pitcher who will start tonight?s opener, remembers that success last year at Helena (Mont.) of the Pioneer League. Roberts especially remembers the run support. ?The hitters are pretty much all from Helena,?? he said, ?and they can all absolutely swing it from one to nine. In Helena, we scored 10 runs a game, it seemed like. And in spring training, we really put it on other teams. I saw a 12 spot, a 13, a 15. These guys are relentless.?? Twenty of the 25 current Power players spent at least part of 2005 in Helena, which led the eight-team Pioneer League with a 46-30 record and dominated the offensive categories. Helena averaged a league-leading 7.0 runs a game and led in batting average (.309) and home runs (83). By comparison, the league?s No. 2 teams in batting and homers totaled .286 and 74, respectively. The Helena hitters, Roberts added, did more than just post big numbers; they did the little things. ?This team is not selfish with their stats,?? he said. ?If there?s a man on second and nobody out and all they need is a ground ball to the right side to move him over, they?ll do that. They don?t care if they get an out. They?ll sacrifice an out for the team.?? Curtis, who worked with the team in spring training, noticed the same things. ?This was kind of good fortune for us,?? he said. ?Some talent came together in Helena last year, and they?re all here. What I?ve seen is that these guys have won together. They played championship ball in Helena. What I?ve seen this spring is that this team has a combination of power and speed.?? Last year?s team, said Curtis, entered the season with confidence but struggled badly for most of April and May. ?Psychologically, we couldn?t have felt any better about ourselves,?? said Curtis, referring to the start of the season. ?This was one of those shocking things to the organization and to us coaches, to the skipper and to the players. We came home 0-7. We underestimated how young we were as a team. We had 19- and 20-year-olds out there last year. Looking back, they played as if they were a little more intimidated than we would have expected them to be. At times, I thought we were kind of a high school team playing college guys for a while. It took us awhile to get some steadiness about us, but after that they made a run for it the second half.?? Power points The Power and Shorebirds will play single games Friday and Saturday night and close out the series with an afternoon game Sunday. The Power will open a four-game series at Greensboro Monday and return to APP for a three-game series with Lexington beginning April 14. ... Last year?s home opener drew a crowd of 5,354. ... Aviles is managing the Brewers? high-Class A team in Brevard County of the Florida State League this season. His first choice in the offseason was to manage in Charleston again, said Curtis. ?He wanted to come back here,?? he said. ?He was looking forward to coming back, but [the Brewers] needed him in Brevard.?? ... Center fielder Darren Ford may be the franchise?s fastest runner since Fernando Ramsey. Ford has been timed at 3.6 seconds from home to first, and a scouting report rates his speed at 70 on a scale in which 70 is the maximum. Ramsey, who played for the Charleston Wheelers and briefly with the Chicago Cubs, competed on the Panamanian Olympic team and once ran the 100 meters in 10.18 seconds.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Stars hoping Crabbe claws Leadoff hitter staying persistent in second Double-A season By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com At 7:05 tonight, with a major league ace still getting in his final warmup tosses in the bullpen and an amateur-level umpire behind the plate, Callix Crabbe will step into the batter's box to begin the season. The first pitch will be thrown by a man with only eight games at this level, to a catcher who will eventually set the record for the longest name in major league history. Ah, the magic of Opening Night. Five stories in one snapshot of the Huntsville Stars' inaugural 2006 game against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park, in the Jackson suburb of Pearl. Ben Sheets, the major league all-star currently on Milwaukee's disabled list, will start for Huntsville. He'll be on a 50-pitch limit, according to Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur. The game will be umpired, as will all games for the foreseeable future, by replacements because of a strike by the minor league umpires' union. Sheets' mound opponent will be Sean White, who has pitched in 71 professional games - less than half of Sheets' major league total. White will be throwing to the Braves' highly touted catching prospect with the mellifluous name, Jarrod Saltalamacchia. As for the man holding the bat, it's a second go-'round at second base for Crabbe, the 23-year-old from the U.S. Virgin Islands. In his first Double-A season in '05, Crabbe batted only .243. Though he walked 65 times in 119 games, he also struck out that often. He made only 14 errors, but probably had that many mental ones that proved costly. It was a difficult climb from Single-A, arguably the most difficult leap in baseball. "The speed of the game, the fact that you're going against players that have been around, you start to second-guess yourself,'' Crabbe said. "Now, coming into a second year, you're just that much more confident. The fact you know you can play the game. It's the same game as High A and Low A. Confidence is the main thing, knowing you belong here.'' After last season, he spent the winter in Marietta, Ga., helping build townhomes for a construction company. "That makes you appreciate the game that much more,'' he said. Then came spring training, and something of a rebuilt Crabbe, "more loose and relaxed, more solid,'' said hitting coach Sandy Guerrero. "He was swinging the bat a lot better.'' Crabbe even had some playing time with the big-league club, starting a game against the White Sox and getting "a boost of confidence,'' he said. There are some stereotypical notions about a leadoff hitter - speed, gets on base however he can, little power - that overshadow a most important quality: patience. "You want to make (the opposing pitcher) throw four or five pitches, make him go deep in the count,'' Guerrero said. That enables the No. 2 hitter - Drew Anderson, in Huntsville's case - to see more of the full arsenal of pitches. Crabbe hasn't been thinking that much about this first trip to the plate. "Coming off a good spring training, you don't have that much to think about other than keep doing what you've done all spring,'' he said. "Part of being a mature player is sticking with what works. I want to keep that same feeling, visualize the same at-bats, and good things will happen.''

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=48965 Bar is set high for Sounds in '06 By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent By every standard imaginable, 2005 was a benchmark year for the Nashville Sounds. The team paraded some of the game's top prospects onto the field, registered its best attendance mark in over a decade and then capped it all off with a Pacific Coast League championship. It's a tough act to follow, but this still figures to be an interesting season for Sounds fans. With the season opener slated for tonight in Omaha, here are five things to watch for from the Sounds in 2006. 1. Repeat? When the Sounds entered the stretch run of their pennant race last summer, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart had already been promoted to Milwaukee. But veteran players picked up the slack and brought home the championship, Nashville's first at the Triple-A level. Sounds infielder Chris Barnwell conceded the marquee names aren't in place, but said that's no reason to count this year's team out. ?There were certain points last year where you would have thought there was no way we could win anything, especially at the end of the season,? Barnwell said. ?All you can do is go out and play.? 2. Promotions The Milwaukee Brewers, not the Sounds, decide which players will wear Nashville uniforms this year. Since the Sounds don't control the talent on the field, the team's front office stays hard at work on aspects it can control - like its game day promotions. ?Our philosophy is if we win, after the game we want people to say, 'That was a great win.' If we lose, I want them to say, 'That was a great time,'? Sounds Director of Marketing and Promotions Brandon Vonderharr said. The Sounds will go about the business of ensuring their fans have a memorable experience by returning several popular promotions. Vonderharr said the traditional Family Fireworks nights and Thirsty Thursday [$1 draft beer and soft drinks] will return this season. Also back will be Faith Night promotions, which feature a concert by a Christian artist, Bible give-a-ways and Bible bobbleheads. The most popular group to take part in the Faith Night promotions will be Jars of Clay, who will perform prior to the game on June 27. The team will also capitalize on its championship season with replica ring and replica championship trophy give-a-ways sponsored by First Tennessee. 3. Speed in outfield This year's Sounds team features plenty of speed and versatility. Dave Krynzel, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Nelson Cruz will rotate at all three outfield spots. All three players can run and Gwynn, in particular, plays excellent defense. ?We've got a lot of speed, which is a very big plus,? Krynzel said. ?[Gwynn] is very strong [defensively]. He's got all it takes out there.? 4. The Four Horsemen Nashville's four talented young starting pitchers have adorned themselves with the nickname, 'The Four Horsemen.? Now Ben Hendrickson, Dana Eveland, Dennis Sarfate and Zach Jackson will go about the business of living up to that nickname. Pitching Coach Stan Kyles said the team's starting pitching talent is improved from a season ago. ?It's cool to be a part of it,? Hendrickson said. ?I don't know how long we'll all be here. But it's nice just going out and knowing every game we'll have a chance to win.? 5. First base skinny Sounds fans might not have recognized the guy playing first base in the team's exhibition opener against Belmont on Tuesday, even though he spent a good amount of time in Nashville last year. It was none other than Brad Nelson, who has shed 25 pounds and returns to his natural position of first base after moving to outfield last year to accommodate Prince Fielder. Nelson figures to be a cog in the Sounds lineup this season. ?I don't know what part of my game it will help, but I feel better and healthier,? Nelson said.

Source: Nashville Sounds via the Tennessean The projected starting lineup for tonight's Nashville Sounds Pacific Coast League season opener at Omaha (7:05 p.m., WNSR-AM 560), with last year's statistics (Sounds unless otherwise noted): ?CF ? Tony Gwynn Jr. (.271, 1 HR, 41 RBI; Double-A Huntsville) ?LF ? Dave Krynzel (.256, 11 HR, 51 RBI) ?3B ? Vinny Rottino (.345, 1 HR, 2 RBI) ?RF ? Nelson Cruz (.269, 11 HR, 27 RBI) ?1B ? Brad Nelson (.253, 7 HR, 39 RBI) ?C ? Mike Rivera (.285, 16 HR, 43 RBI) ?DH ? Brent Abernathy (.326, 6 HR, 25 RBI; Triple-A Rochester/Twins) ?2B ? Zach Sorenson (.303, 2 HR, 41 RBI, Triple-A Salt Lake/Angels) ?SS ? Enrique Cruz (.300, 14 HR, 60 RBI, Double-A Huntsville) Nashville's starting rotation to open the season: ?Tonight, 7:05 p.m. at Omaha ? RHP Ben Hendrickson (6-12, 4.97 ERA) ?Tomorrow, 7:05 p.m., at Omaha ? LHP Zach Jackson (4-4, 5.13 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse/Blue Jays) ?Saturday, 6:05 p.m., at Omaha ? LHP Dana Eveland (10-4, 2.72 ERA at Double-A Huntsville) ?Sunday, 1:35 p.m., at Omaha ? RHP Dennis Sarfate (9-9, 3.88 ERA at Double-A Huntsville) ?Monday, 7:05 p.m., at Iowa ? LHP Justin Thompson (2-2, 4.70 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma/Rangers)

Link for Tony Gwynn, Jr. photo while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....002/SPORTS Goal for Sounds: Win with Gwynn Junior doesn't compare himself to famous father By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Tony Gwynn Jr. isn't trying to follow in the footsteps of his dad ? which is a good thing, because those are some huge shoes. And right now, the Nashville Sounds outfielder is still taking baby steps. The Milwaukee Brewers' second-round selection in the 2003 draft, Gwynn Jr. is slated to start in center field when the Sounds open the 2006 Pacific Coast League season tonight in Omaha. In three years as a pro, the younger Gwynn hasn't hit more than .280. In the older Gwynn's three minor-league seasons, he batted .331, .462 and .328 ? setting the tone for a 20-year major-league career over which he hit .338 and won seven National League batting crowns. "People are going to expect him to do the things his dad did, which is totally unfair," said Nashville hitting coach Gary Pettis, who was a contemporary of the older Gwynn's during the 1980s and '90s. "Not to say he won't be that kind of a hitter, but it may take him a little longer. "What he does have going for him is that he does have the Gwynn genes." Thus far, the younger Gwynn's best season was his first, when he hit .280 in 61 games at Class A Beloit. Two years ago, at Double-A Huntsville, he batted .243, then followed that with .271 last season. Junior is hardly concerned with the numbers, though. "It's kinda hard to measure yourself against one of the best hitters of his time," he said. "It's tough to really compare myself to him. I'd feel disappointed all the time if I compared myself to him on the baseball field. "The only thing I try to measure myself on is improving every year. I think he's happy with my progression. I think I'm happy with my progression. Every year, as long as I keep improving, I think I'll be in good shape." While his plate performance isn't quite up to his dad's standards, some of Junior's game exhibits a longtime exposure to the sport. "Instinctively, you'll see him do some things on the basepaths that will be different from what some of the other guys around the league are going to do," Pettis said. "He's already shown that. The other day (in spring training), he went from first to third on a ground ball to third base, and in that same game, he went from first to third on a ground ball to right field. "You're going to see some things instinctively on the field that are going to surprise a lot of people. His instincts, his work ethic ? he's a very hard worker. He'll be a guy that will take ? what the pitcher gives him, a guy that's going to spray the ball all around the ballpark." Though last year wasn't a real success, Gwynn saw some personal growth at Huntsville. "I think it was a blessing," he said. "It was the first time I'd been by myself, without Prince (Fielder) and Rickie (Weeks), since I started playing professionally. They'd always been my crutch; when they left, it kind of allowed me to get to know myself better as a baseball player, and as a hitter especially. "It was a tough year, team-wise. We didn't win that many games. But I learned a whole lot, as a baseball player. I learned a lot about myself, and I think that's going to help me improve on this level."

Nice job here -- Link while active, text follows: www.news-journalonline.co...040506.htm Local pitcher Glover starts over in Japan By MICHAEL LEWIS Daytona Journal-News Staff Writer They're everywhere, Gary Glover says. When he leaves his apartment, out on the street, in restaurants, trains and buses, there's always a ton of them around. "There's just so many people," Glover says, a trace of amazement in his voice. "I've never seen so many people in one place in my life." Gary Glover is more than just a stranger in a strange land these days. He's also a small-town boy in one of the world's largest cities, trying to find some open space. Glover is speaking by phone from Tokyo, where a kid from DeLand in the midst of a baseball career has suddenly found himself. After spending last season with the Milwaukee Brewers and its Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, Glover is now a starting pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants, of the Japanese League. A 29-year-old right-hander who has bounced between the majors and minors during his six-year baseball career, Glover arrived in Tokyo, a city of approximately 12 million people, two months ago with wife Vanessa and 1-year-old son Jake in tow. With the Japanese League season getting underway last weekend, Glover said the crowds have been one of the biggest adjustments he's had to make. "We went to one of the shopping districts last week, and the sea of people was just ridiculous," he says, chuckling. "It's been a pretty major adjustment, being from DeLand." Glover never expected to be competing against the Hiroshima Carp and the Yakult Swallows instead of the Phillies and Cardinals. In 2005, Glover had a pretty solid season for the Brewers. He expected a good contract offer. "I felt like (Brewers GM) Doug Melvin and the organization (were) gaining a lot of confidence and trust in me, and that I had a shot to be a fifth starter for them," Glover says. But the up-and-coming Brewers made a contract offer for 2006 that Glover wasn't quite satisfied with. Meanwhile, midway through 2005, officials from Yomiuri contacted Glover's agent and asked for film. After seeing Glover in person later in the year, a guaranteed one-year offer of $700,000 was issued, and Glover accepted. "The guaranteed aspect was the eye-catching part," Glover says. "They really made me feel wanted." Glover admitted he had some trepidation about leaving the country, and frankly admits that if he were still single, he might have stayed another year with the Brewers organization. "But I've got to think about my family first now, and this was the best thing for us." Glover sought advice on baseball in Japan from a former Toronto teammate, John Bale, who had been playing with Hiroshima and gave the country rave reviews. Glover arrived in Japan in late January. "The first few days I felt like there was no way I could stay here and get by," Glover says. "It was pretty overwhelming. But then I figured if John Bale could do it, I could, too." He and Vanessa have tried to quickly adapt to the culture. They're living in a downtown apartment and relying on buses, taxis and trains to get around. One of the first things Glover noticed was how beautiful and clean Tokyo was, despite its enormous population. "You don't ever see any trash on the ground, and everyone picks up after themselves," Glover said. "In a way, it reminded me of San Francisco: the climate is similar, it's very pretty, and it's by the water." Glover has learned about a few Japanese delicacies (cow tongue is a favorite), survived his first earthquake ("that was kind of strange") and said there's at least one Japanese phrase he can't live without. "Eigo ga wakarimasu ka," Glover says. "It means 'Do you understand English?' That one comes in pretty handy." Glover's adjustment on the diamond is equally challenging. The Giants, Japan's most-popular team, have been one of the most successful franchises, but over the last several years have had losing seasons. "It's definitely like going from playing for the Kansas City Royals to playing for the Yankees," Glover says. "And from what I've been told, when teams over here lose, it's usually the American players who get blamed by the fans." Glover is off to a good start with the Giants, allowing three runs in 25 innings in the exhibition season. One thing he's noticed about Japanese hitters is how much more aggressive they are than their U.S. counterparts; it's an entire league of hard-to-whiff Ichiro Suzukis. "It's tough to get a read on them, because I'll get ahead 0 and 2, and throw a fastball up and in and they'll swing anyway," Glover says. "They throw their bat at everything you throw, no matter where it is." Glover holds no animosity toward the Brewers, even saying that he'd be more than happy to play for them again. He's not sure whether he'll be in the Far East for more than one season. "A lot comes down to the financial side of things," Glover says. "I definitely want to come back and play in the States someday, but if you do well here, the money can be hard to turn down."

It's that time, kids -- here we go! If you're new to the Link Reports, please check out the Archived Link Report Forum to get a sense of what they're all about. Gee, do you think Huntsville play-by-play man Brett Pollock might have his biggest audience yet tonight? No big league game, but a certain big league pitcher on the mound for the Stars... MiLB.com provides their extended "Gameday" Feature for all AAA games this year, so a nice plus with Nashville coverage. Only one disclaimer here, folks. While posts with significant updates and news are welcome, please refrain from turning the Link Report threads into In-Game Commentary Threads. We invite you to the Brewerfan Chat Room, where up to 25 can discuss tonight's four-pack of audio games. Thanks! Thursday's Daily Menu: The big boys are off, no reason you can't sample from four dishes this evening! 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 Ben Sheets, followed by RHP Carlos Villanueva at Mississippi (Braves), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ Brevard County: TBD at Daytona (Cubs), 6:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.wele1380.com/ West Virginia: RHP Kevin Roberts at home vs. Delmarva (Orioles), 6:05 PM Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower.

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West Virginia Site: POWER OFFENSE EXPLODES IN WIN OVER SHAWNEE STATE The West Virginia Power scored runs in each of the first five innings of Tuesday Night?s exhibition game against Shawnee State University, and defeated the Bears by the final score of 9-1. The Power scored three times in the first inning to take the lead, and never looked back. Mat Gamel knocked in the first run on an RBI groundout, and Angel Salome followed with a two-run homer to give the Power a 3-0 lead. Kenny Holmberg provided the Power with a run in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single to give the Power a 4-0 advantage. Gamel hit the second Power home run of the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 5-0 lead. Shawnee State?s lone run came in the fourth inning when Ryan Rowland knocked in Justin Craft on an RBI groundout. Lorenzo Cain drove in Darren Ford with a base hit in the bottom of the fourth inning, making it a 6-1 Power lead. The Power then scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the deal. Ned Yost drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly, and Michael Brantley and Holmberg contributed with RBI singles. Rafael Lluberes earned the victory and Jonathan Venters obtained the loss. The Power used nine different pitchers through the course of the game, with each pitcher throwing one inning a piece. The Power will begin the regular season on Thursday, April 6 against the Delmarva Shorebirds. Magnet schedules will be given away to the first 2,500 fans through the gates. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

West Virginia Site: POWER OFFENSE EXPLODES IN WIN OVER SHAWNEE STATE The West Virginia Power scored runs in each of the first five innings of Tuesday Night?s exhibition game against Shawnee State University, and defeated the Bears by the final score of 9-1. The Power scored three times in the first inning to take the lead, and never looked back. Mat Gamel knocked in the first run on an RBI groundout, and Angel Salome followed with a two-run homer to give the Power a 3-0 lead. Kenny Holmberg provided the Power with a run in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single to give the Power a 4-0 advantage. Gamel hit the second Power home run of the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 5-0 lead. Shawnee State?s lone run came in the fourth inning when Ryan Rowland knocked in Justin Craft on an RBI groundout. Lorenzo Cain drove in Darren Ford with a base hit in the bottom of the fourth inning, making it a 6-1 Power lead. The Power then scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the deal. Ned Yost drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly, and Michael Brantley and Holmberg contributed with RBI singles. Rafael Lluberes earned the victory and Jonathan Venters obtained the loss. The Power used nine different pitchers through the course of the game, with each pitcher throwing one inning a piece. The Power will begin the regular season on Thursday, April 6 against the Delmarva Shorebirds. Magnet schedules will be given away to the first 2,500 fans through the gates. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).