Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: www.canariesbaseball.com/news.asp?id=691 FORMER MAJOR LEAGUER SIGNS WITH SIOUX FALLS CANARIES (Independent American Association) Sioux Falls, SD ? The Canaries have signed outfielder and first baseman Jim Rushford to a contract for the 2006 season. Rushford brings Major League experience with him to Sioux Falls. In 2002, he was a September call-up for the Milwaukee Brewers. Rushford has spent the last three seasons playing triple-A baseball in the Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. ?Jim Rushford will be a superstar in the American Association,? said Canaries Manager Mike Pinto. ?We are happy to have Jim on our roster, but realize that it may not be long before he is getting the call from a Major League team that wants him in their organization.? Pinto worked closely with Canaries Director of Player Procurement Pete Caliendo to get the deal with Rushford signed. ?Pete has done great work for us, and deserves all the praise for bringing Jim to Sioux Falls,? said Pinto. ?I am ecstatic about Jim coming to Sioux Falls,? said Caliendo. ?He is not a guy scouts initially recognized as someone who had the tools to make it to the big leagues, but rather someone who had the intangibles to grit his way there.? Rushford played college ball for San Diego State University. After graduating, he spent one year playing professional baseball in the independent Heartland Baseball League before being released. Rushford was working as a pizza delivery man for Milo?s Pizza near the campus his of alma mater in 1999 when he traveled cross-country to return to his native Chicago and attend an open tryout for the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League. Rushford made the team thanks to the recommendation of Caliendo, who was then the Flyers? Director of Baseball Operations. After two seasons in independent baseball he was signed by the Brewers. Rushford quickly climbed the ladder in the Brewers organization before receiving a September call-up in 2002. Rushford?s Major League highlight came on September 13, 2002 in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rushford broke a seventh-inning tie by hitting a home run off Rick Helling to catapult the Brewers to an 8-4 win over the defending World Series Champions. The Chicago native had the fourth-best average in the triple-A International League last season, hitting .312 for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Red Barons. Rushford finished the 2005 season with 10 home runs and 63 RBI in 117 games. In 2004, he was named to the International League?s All-Star team in the triple-A All-Star Game. Rushford has finished three of the last four seasons as one of the top ten hitters in the International League. Jim Rushford Career Statistics: Jim will be 32 in March... www.thebaseballcube.com/p...ford.shtml

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=47711 New Sounds ballpark approved by Council By Bill Harless, bharless@nashvillecitypaper.com The Nashville Sounds, winning seven converts in the Metro Council to the cause of a downtown baseball stadium, had their wish for a $43-million riverfront ballpark granted Tuesday when council voted 28-9 to approve the stadium deal it has been debating since October. Meanwhile, Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse ? the Baltimore developer that will build residential and retail buildings surrounding the stadium ? has indicated it plans to help develop $100-$150 million of residential, retail and office buildings along nearby Gateway Boulevard in addition to its work on the stadium project in order to ?expand? the ballpark neighborhood. On Tuesday, Bellevue-area Councilman Charlie Tygard, who had voted against the stadium in the first two of the three votes Council had to take on the stadium, numbered among the converts. During the Council?s debate, Tygard said ?I want my constituents to know ? that there may be a better deal out there, there may be a higher use of this land, but it has not been brought forward to us. ? I am comfortable that with the changes the Sounds have made verbally ? that this is a much sounder deal for the taxpayers? than it was when Mayor Bill Purcell first presented the deal. Antioch Councilman Sam Coleman also switched his ?no? vote to a ?yes,? saying though he still had reservations, a majority of his constituents favored it. Tygard said the Sounds won him over, in part, by offering to bump the 15 guaranteed days Metro has under the deal to use the stadium each year to 30 and by promising to allow nonprofits to sell concessions when hosting stadium events. Black Caucus gives its support Only one member of the Council?s Black Caucus voted against the ballpark ? Councilwoman-at-Large Carolyn Baldwin Tucker ? saying there is no guarantee the Sounds and Struever will keep their promises. And though caucus member Ronnie Greer abstained from voting and despite heated pressure from the NAACP and local black business groups Monday to incorporate new provisions directly into the agreement, every other black council member voted for the stadium. Apparently, a letter sent by the Sounds and Struever to caucus members, stating no minority-owned business [black, Hispanic, or woman-owned, for example] will receive more than 50 percent of the 20 percent of project dollars the companies plan to spend with minority-owned businesses, alleviated caucus concerns. A conference call earlier in the day between Councilman Ludye Wallace and some members of Nashville?s black business community also, apparently, helped secure some votes, though participants were mum on what was discussed. ?An Xbox for the community? Wallace, who voted for the project, attempted to defer voting for two more weeks but was blocked. Councilman-at-Large David Briley, who has consistently opposed the stadium, maintained his stance, saying, ?We?re making a decision here to buy an Xbox [videogame machine] for the community.? Councilwoman Ginger Hausser voted for the project but said she will pressure the Metro Sports Authority to provide parking at the Titans Coliseum for Sounds games at a cost of up to $5, rather than at the $2 previously discussed, to offset the $500,000 annual stadium maintenance fee to which Metro is now committed. Design work begins today Several Council members praised Purcell for crafting a deal carrying no Metro debt. Meanwhile, Sounds General Manager Glenn Yaeger said the stadium?s design team will meet first thing today. Priscilla Carroll, senior development director for Struever, said the company is strongly leaning toward building a ?high-end, limited-service? hotel on the property, along with the residential and retail buildings it will construct, and of attaching the hotel to the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. This connection would link pedestrians on the bridge directly to the rest of the development. Also, Struever likes the idea of a restaurant overlooking the Cumberland. Michael Hayes, Struever?s development director in Nashville, said his family now plans to develop the properties it owns on Gateway Boulevard from First to Fourth avenues at a cost of roughly $100-$150 million in partnership with Struever. When the deal was announced, Yaeger said the stadium would hopefully open in April.

Yee-haa! Congratulations, Sounds organization and fans, and by association, the Brewers! www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1852

January 2005 article on new Power hitting coach Mike Lum, discusses some of his philosophies: Link while active, text follows: starbulletin.com/2005/01/...tory2.html Hitting it big Mike Lum has found success as a pro baseball batting instructor By Al Chase, Honolulu Star Bulletin Mike Lum is enjoying his annual winter visit to Hawaii, relaxing at home, visiting with friends. However, the longtime Chicago White Sox hitting coordinator for player development for all minor-league teams is relaxing more then he would like. The 59-year-old football and baseball standout from Roosevelt had right hip replacement surgery seven weeks ago. The pain was so bad prior to the operation, he could hardly walk. Since the surgery, there has been no pain. However, Lum still hasn't been able to enjoy a round of golf, although he did spend a day watching the action at the Sony Open. He'll be ready to start his 17th season with the White Sox when spring training opens next month in Tucson, Ariz. "I have six coaches working under me. Our job is to benefit the big-league team whether the players come through our system or through trades," Lum said. "Sometimes that means getting the players good enough so that another team is interested in them. "We have a great staff. A lot of our coaches have been there for quite a while. I've hired some of the people I coached. I had Ken Williams (Chicago's senior vice president/general manager) in Double A and now he's my boss. "It has been a very good life. I have been very fortunate, met a lot of good people in the business. You just have to work hard and do the best job you can. You are teaching a skill. There is a lot of repetition and it is time consuming." Lum signed with the Milwaukee Braves after graduating from Roosevelt in 1963. He also had a football scholarship to Brigham Young, but that was before the NCAA allowed an athlete to be a pro in one sport and compete in college as an amateur in another. The Braves assigned him to Waycross, Ga. "What a culture shock. They had segregation then," Lum said. His plan was to attend BYU each fall, but after his second season, the Braves invited Lum to instructional league. "That was an honor in those days. It meant they thought something about you. I decided to stick with baseball," said Lum, who played in nine games for Atlanta at the end of the 1967 season as a 21-year-old. His best season was 1973 when he hit .294 in 138 games with 16 home runs and 82 RBIs for Atlanta. He was traded to Cincinnati in 1976, spent three seasons with the Reds, came back to Atlanta in 1979 and '80 and split the 1981 season between the Braves and Chicago Cubs. His final year as an active player was 1982 in Japan with the Taiyo Whales. "I wanted to stay in the game. I loved it in Japan, but unfortunately, they didn't invite me back," Lum said. "I didn't have a lot of options at that point. Then Hank Aaron (Atlanta's minor-league farm director) called and asked me to come to spring training. I went and basically he created a position for me with the extended spring program. When that was over, I was assigned to a South Atlantic League team." Lum became intrigued with the whole process of teaching hitting and the philosophy behind the art. He says hitting consists of balance, vision, rhythm and timing, all necessary for the movement of the body to swing a baseball bat and make contact with a ball traveling at high speeds through different planes. "You know what you have been told, but having the patience to recognize flaws in a player's swing because everyone is different, that took me some time to develop," said Lum. "I think I've educated myself in biomechanics. I've learned a lot from Coop DeRenne (former Rainbow assistant coach and a professor in UH's department of kinesiology and leisure science). We talked a lot about his studies. It's how I helped myself help the kids." He moved to the White Sox for the first time in 1984 after getting a call from Charlie Lau, a well-known hitting instructor. After the 1985 season, he spent a year with the San Francisco Giants, then three with Kansas City, including two as the Royals hitting coach before returning to the White Sox in 1990. "Charlie was way ahead of his time in the teaching aspect. There were no videos. We learned through film. He didn't just think it up, he studied hitting," said Lum. "Now, the first thing we do when a player comes into the organization is teach work ethic. We allow them to play with what they bring to the table. If a player hit .400 in high school, he must have done something right. In time, we make adjustments, not changes. Talking adjustments is more positive." Lum is fortunate that Chicago's minor-league teams, with the exception of Great Falls, Mont., are located in the southeastern part of the United States, just a short flight from his home in an Atlanta suburb. His schedule has him on the road for two weeks, then it's a week off. "When I come to town, I look at tapes with the coaches. We put together a plan to attack problems. Every player has a plan, a goal sheet," Lum said. "I'm not there to revamp a player. My job is to teach hitting coaches how to teach." Lum lists two highlights from his 15-year career in the majors. The first was playing with the 1976 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds. "There were quite a few future Hall of Famers (Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez) on that team," Lum said. The second was hitting three home runs in his first three at-bats against San Diego in the first game of a doubleheader in Atlanta. "I came up the fourth time with the bases loaded and walked," Lum recalled. Retirement? No way. "I want to work until I'm 70. I enjoy what I'm doing, working with minor-league players. I enjoy sharing some of my experiences," said Lum, a member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.

Some background on new Manatee hitting coach Willie Aviles -- article from 2003: Link while active, text follows: www.puertorico-herald.org...d-en.shtml Osceola Graduate Aviles To Coach In Giants Organization By Frank Carroll, THE ORLANDO SENTINEL KISSIMEE -- Six years into a pro baseball career, a Giant step for Willie Aviles also brings a change of uniforms. Severing ties with Cleveland's minor-league organization for the first time since 1996, the 1985 Osceola High School graduate is headed to Hagerstown, Md., to be a hitting instructor and infield coach for San Francisco's Class A South Atlantic League franchise. "The Giants were looking for bilingual coaches and found me," said Aviles, 33, a former All-Orange Belt Conference shortstop that toiled two years as a New York Yankees minor-leaguer before taking up a stopwatch instead of a glove. "It's more money and a better opportunity for what I want to do in pro baseball." Aviles' playing days are history, but a desire to manage or become a big-league general manager remains a dream, not too distant from what his parents sought when they moved from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, N.Y. in the mid-1960s. "I've been chasing that opportunity for some time," said Aviles, who spends off-seasons crunching numbers instead of fastballs as a finance officer for Central Florida's booming home construction industry. "This doesn't happen to often for guys coming out of high-school coaching with no professional experience," said Aviles, who finds time after hours to work as a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Dr. Phillips High School. The jump from athlete to coach came easy for Aviles. He played a season at Miami-Dade North Community College after leaving Osceola, then signed as a free agent with the Yankees. But, after two seasons with Oneonta (N.Y.) of the New York-Penn League, Aviles came to realize light-hitting infielders aren't in big demand at the major-league level. Aviles had a chance to sign on with Independent League Salt Lake Trappers, but came to realize it was time to move on with his life. Going back to college, he secured a degree in finance at the University of South Alabama. However, baseball was never far from his heart. Back at his alma mater in 1991, Aviles worked as a volunteer under coaches Rob Beach and Scott Birchler before the Indians came knocking on his door in 1996 in search of a bilingual instructor. "I love this game," he said. "My goal always has been a baseball front-office job. Going with the Giants is a step in that direction." http://www.puertorico-herald.org/images/2003/05-AVILES.jpg

Won't be eligible for selection in the draft until 2008...

Nashville Site: Not the former Milwaukee Brewer utility infielder... INF Luis Lopez - The 32-year-old Lopez, who splits time between first base and third base, returns to American soil with the Brewers organization in 2006 after spending last season in Japan, where he hit .223 (75-for-336) with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs in 118 games for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (batted .314 with runners in scoring position). This off-season, Lopez participated in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he batted .280 (23-for-82) with one homer and seven RBIs in 23 regular-season games for league runner-up Ponce. An 11-year pro, Lopez has spent time in the Blue Jays, A's, Expos, & Braves farm systems and appeared in 41 games for Toronto in 2001 and 11 games for Montreal in 2004. He carries a .311 career average and .377 OBP in 1069 minor league contests. Nashville fans will remember Luis as the "Sound killer" in the 2003 PCL Championship Series, when he won series MVP honors in Sacramento's 3-0 sweep of Nashville. Luis Lopez Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...opez.shtml

Among the new nuggets: The Brevard County Aviles boys are not related. The Brewers have yet to name a manager of the rookie Arizona Brewers, but the other positions are set. Steve Cline will begin his sixth season as pitching coach at Arizona, his 26th season as a pitching coach in the Minor Leagues and his 11th year in the Brewers' farm system. Joel Youngblood will return as hitting coach/video coordinator for his third season with Arizona. The Arizona staff also includes first-year pitching coach Yoel Monzon, coach Marlon Nava and second-year trainer Jason Keas. In addition to Minor League field coordinator and outfield and base running instructor (and Helena Manager) Ed Sedar, the Brewers announced the following Minor League coordinators and instructors: Jim Skaalen, hitting coordinator; Jim Rooney, pitching coordinator; Norberto Martin, roving infield instructor; Charlie Greene, roving catching instructor; Frank Neville, medical coordinator -- all the above in returning positions, Kenny Patterson, physical therapist; Jeff Mester, Minor League strength and conditioning coordinator and Felipe Mandurraga, Double-A and Triple-A strength and conditioning coach.

Great to see John Curtis is feeling better... Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...format=prn Curtis to tutor Power pitchers Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor John Curtis is more than OK. He's got the Power back. Curtis, the West Virginia Power's pitching coach last season until he was struck in the head and seriously injured by a line drive in an Aug. 6 batting practice accident, will return to Charleston's South Atlantic League baseball club as a coach in 2006. The parent Milwaukee Brewers have sent the Power a new manager, Mike Guerrero. Curtis, a 15-season veteran of five Major League clubs, will be joined on the staff by hitting coach Mike Lum, who has spent the past 15 seasons as the Chicago White Sox's minor league hitting coordinator. Curtis, 57, was hospitalized for five days in Greensboro, N.C., after being hit in the back of the head by a line drive as he briefly left the protection behind a short-outfield "shag screen," as he hit outfield fungoes during Power batting practice before an Aug. 6 SAL game. The former Major League pitcher was rushed to a hospital, and experienced lost feeling and movement in his lower left arm. He was diagnosed with swelling and a bruise on his brain, with symptoms similar to those of a stroke, and he underwent extensive therapy for the next few months. "It's been a steady, but slow, improvement," Curtis said from his Long Beach, Calif., home on Monday. "I was told it would be a long recovery process, and it's been frustrating at times, but to get where I am this quickly has been awfully encouraging." Curtis listed his recovery as "probably 80-85 percent," and said "the only thing I haven't really tried is to throw yet, but I'm confident I'll get to that point soon." He reports to Brewers minor league spring training March 9 in Maryvale, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb. After he left the Greensboro hospital, he returned to Charleston for two days, then headed home to California. Once there, Milwaukee asked him to work in the Instructional League in November at the club's Arizona facilities. Curtis got plenty of physical therapy. "It was about an hour each day," he said. "It wasn't just a matter of what I was doing, it just took time. Once the swelling in my brain went down, as the pressure was relieved, I could start using my hand more. "There are a few things where I'm still clumsy like getting my car keys out my pocket, but I can type, so I can file reports (a daily occurrence for a pro baseball coach and manager). "I can do everything I need to do to function as a coach, but I want to pitch batting practice. I enjoy that, and we'll get there eventually." Curtis pitched for Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, San Diego and California from 1970-84. The left-hander posted an 89-97 record and 3.96 ERA in 438 games (199 starts). "I'm lucky, period," he said, "but I'm really lucky I'm coming back to Charleston. "I had a great time there last year, and after I was injured, the people there who wrote to me and sent messages, they were so encouraging and positive. I haven't forgotten that." Guerrero, who has 11 seasons of experience as a manager in the lower minors, replaces Ramon Aviles as the Power skipper. A native of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero, 38, has managed Milwaukee rookies in the Dominican and Arizona leagues. His Arizona team finished 22-34 last summer. Guerrero, who played nine minor league seasons (1987-95) as high as Class AA in the Milwaukee and Kansas City systems, has a 397-278 career record as a manager. Aviles, who guided West Virginia to a 60-78 record in the Brewers' first season as the Class A team's parent club, has moved up to manage Brevard County in the advanced Class A Florida State League. The Power was 25-45 in the first half last season and 35-33 in the second half. Lum, 60, played 15 seasons (1967-81) in the Majors, mostly with Atlanta and Cincinnati, finishing his career in 1981 with the Chicago Cubs. He played for the Reds' 1976 World Series title team, after being traded by the Braves for shortstop Darrel Chaney. One of the rare Hawaiians to play in the bigs, the Honolulu native was best known for his pinch-hitting. Lum, an outfielder and first baseman, appeared in 1,517 games (the most by a Hawaiian), batting .247 with 90 career homers and 431 RBI. As a pinch-hitter, he was 103-for-418. Lum's best year was 1973, when he batted .294 with 16 homers and 83 RBI for Atlanta. He played one season (1982) in Japan, with the Taiyo Whales, then began his minor league coaching years in the South Atlantic League with the Braves' system in 1983, as a roving hitting instructor. Lum, a suburban Atlanta resident, moved to the White Sox's minor leagues for 1983-84, then spent a season as the Chicago hitting coach in the Majors. He moved to San Francisco's farm teams for 1986, then joined the Royals for three years -- the final two as the big league club's hitting coach. He returned to the Chisox system in 1990, and has been the club's minor league hitting coordinator until being hired by Milwaukee this offseason. Johnny Narron, who finished last season as the Power hitting coach, is returning to Helena in the short-season Pioneer League as hitting coach. The Brewers announced 2005 Power trainer Alan Diamond also will return to the club. The Power opens the 2006 season on April 6, the start of a four-game homestand against Delmarva at Appalachian Power Park.

Helena Press Release: www.helenabrewers.net/html2/index.php Eddie Ball Returns For One More Summer HELENA, MT - The Helena Brewers announce today that 2005 Skipper, Eddie Sedar, will return as field manager for the 2006 season. Sedar, who played professionally for eight seasons in the White Sox organization, begins his 16th season in the Brewers farm system where he has worked as field coordinator, roving instructor and minor league field manager in Ogden (1998-2001) and Helena (2003 & 2005). In 2003, Sedar was named Pioneer League Manager of the Year. In both stints in Helena, his clubs have posted not only the league best record, but won both halves of the Northern Division. His overall record as a manager is 219-186. ?I am very happy to return to Helena for another summer,? said Sedar via phone from his home in Ogden, UT. ?I wouldn?t bet against us having another strong team in 2006.? Joining Sedar will be pitching coach Mark Littell and bench coach Johnny Narron. Littell, a native of Mesa, Arizona, is also familiar with the Pioneer League having worked in Helena since Professional Baseball made its return to the Queen City in 2003 and Ogden in 2002. Narron returns to Helena as bench coach for 2006, a role he maintained in 2003 as well. Narron managed Helena in 2004 guiding the club to a respectable 39-36 record. In 2005 he worked as bench coach for the West Virginia Power and the Brevard County Manatees. ?We are excited to have Ed Sedar back at the helm in Helena. There is no better manager to introduce amateur players to professional baseball," said Reid Nichols, Director of Player Development. "He brings passion and leadership for his players and staff. The fans will be pleased at the effort they will see on the field.? http://www.helenabrewers.net/html2/images/Eddie_000.jpg

Nashville Site: INF/OF Jermaine Clark - The 29-year-old Clark, a left-handed hitter, has spent the majority of the last five seasons at the Triple-A level and carries a .287 average in 920 minor league games over his nine professional campaigns. Primarily a second baseman, he is also adept at playing third base and manning the outfield. In 2005, he batted .250 in 70 games for Triple-A Sacramento in the A's organization, adding four games with Oakland in May. He missed six weeks of action last season while on the D.L. due to a fractured fifth metacarpal in his right hand. Clark, who was initially selected by Seattle in the 5th round of the 1997 draft, has appeared in the majors in 46 cumulative games for Detroit (2001), Texas (2003), San Diego (2003), Cincinnati (2004), and Oakland (2005) in his career. Jermaine Clark Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...lark.shtml

Link while active, text follows: www.mywesttexas.com/site/...&rfi=6 Lofty GoalsSmith, Chaparrals look to regain their WJCAC swagger Oscar Leroy, Sports Writer Midland (TX) Reporter-Telegram There are some lofty expectations surrounding Midland College sophomore baseball player Tim Smith this season. But that's nothing compared to the expectations Tim Smith has for himself and his team. Last year, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Smith had one of the best hitting seasons in Midland College history as he set school records for batting average (.468) and on-base percentage. He also hit eight home runs and had 55 RBIs. All of the above were fantastic numbers, but unfortunately for the Chaparrals it wasn't enough to overcome a 38-16 season and a seventh place finish in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference. "At times it was stressful," said Smith about last year, "but you can't let those things get to you and that's what I like about this team. It seems like we have more depth. It is a team game. We have more players to help you when things are going rough. I like how this team competes every day. It seems like everyone gives a full effort." Smith is being looked at by sixth-year head coach Steve Ramharter to help turn things around this year after the 2005 season when the Chaps got off to a fabulous 19-0 start only to stumble in WJCAC play. "Last year we had a lot of talent but when it came to games that counted, I don't think the players cared enough," Ramharter said. Smith is "really our only offensive returner that played a lot. We're expecting big things from him. He's a man among boys out there." Ramharter said Smith not only has a major-league body, but is someone who is also a baseball junkie, a player who loves to hit and is always working on his game. The Chaparrals may have struck gold twice with Smith. The first time was when they signed the Toronto, Alberta, Canada, native he was a 21st round draft pick by the New York Mets. But because it was difficult for any foreign player to get a work visa due to 9/11, Smith could not sign and chose the junior college route instead. Last June, Smith was a 17th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, but then offseason arm surgery to go with failed preliminary contract negotiations once again stalled his chances of going pro. "At first it was a disappointment because I really wanted to get into pro ball, but it's good to come back and things look to be better than last year," said Smith, whose draft rights still belong to the Brewers until this June. "I really wanted to sign, but because I had arm trouble last year, it hurt my cause. Definitely pro ball's in my heart but I'm not going to be forced into it. It definitely has be the right time." Smith is not the only Chaparral on the roster who was drafted last summer. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Brad Cuthbertson, another Canadian, was drafted in the sixth round by the San Francisco Giants. But like Smith, Cuthbertson chose to remain in junior college for another year to polish his skills. Smith said his time in Midland has not only helped him become a better player but a better person. "I've definitely matured since I got here," he said. "Just being away from home, you have to do the little things yourself. I think it's going to help me out in the long run. As you mature as a person, you definitely grow mentally. As a player I like being here because I can do all the work I need to do. They've got all the facilities I need and all the work I put in is right there for me if I want it." Smith said he likes being a returner because now he knows what is expected out of him and knows what his team needs to do to be successful. "Last year was all mechanical," said Smith, a Baseball America Preseason All-American. "This year I just want to play my game and just go out there everyday and contribute to the team."

I imagine consideration for this move was the continued development of Alcides Escobar and Hernan Iribarren -- you'd think the middle infield experience and Latin American background of the Aviles' will assist in that regard; Fred Dabney's given every indication to be a solid pitching guru -- be as the Manatees coach in '05 or organizational coordinator prior...

From FloridaToday: Ramon Aviles, a member of the Philadelphia Phillies team that won the 1980 World Series, will manage the Brevard County Manatees this season. Aviles, who played parts of four seasons in the big leagues, advances to high Class A after managing Milwaukee's low Class A team in West Virginia last season. Willy Aviles will be hitting coach and Fred Dabney returns as pitching coach. There's no record of Willy Aviles (Ramon's brother?) as a professional ballplayer; it's likely his entire career was spent in Puerto Rico. Since many of the West Virginia players will move up to Brevard this season, they'll be spending a second season with Ramon Aviles. This is an important season to impress West Virginia management about an extension of their Player Development Contract with the Brewers, because their will be no shortage of suitors for the incredible new stadium in Charleston next fall. In that regard, bringing in a fresh face to lead the Power after their poor showing in 2005 may be a smart move, although we don't believe Aviles had any difficult issues with Charleston management or media. At this point, only West Virginia, Helena, and Arizona staffs have yet to be named. For the other three squads, staffs have been identified by local media only. The Brewers have yet to formally announce any of their staffs.

Apparently nowhere near a slam-dunk on Tuesday's final vote, February 7th: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=47587 Please let this be over when we wake up on the 8th; good luck, Sounds management...

Didn't Breslow get some time with the Pads this year and do well? Why would they let him go? Breslow didn't specifically discuss his non-tender from the Padres, but this is an excellent Boston-based interview with him this week in which he also discusses his Brewer stay: www.redsoxnation.net/foru...opic=19743

Finally for tonight, we can tell you that the Brewers continue to seek out young Latin players for their system, although they continue to hunt and peck to focus on higher-end candidates, since as you know their full-blown Dominican and Venezuelan programs have been disbanded in favor of the new approach. We won't know more about these players until the spring media guide comes out, and you won't see Brewerfan Player Index pages for them until that time. Each player will debut with the Maryvale Arizona Rookie League team this summer: RHP Noel D'Leon RHP Wily Peralta Switch-hitting infielder Jovanny Felix Earlier we had mentioned: RHP Santo Manzanillo RHP Guillermo Salinas

The Brewers have signed 28-year-old minor league free agent catcher Chris Curry (five years in the Cubs' system, three in the Giants). While no offensive force, this signing, along with that of J.C. Boscan earlier this winter, indicates some emphasis on signing catchers who can assist in bringing pitchers along... Story from TheCabin.net in Conway, Arkansas -- link requires free registration, text follows: thecabin.net/stories/0120...0027.shtml Curry hopes to find his niche with Brewers Conway's Chris Curry has found a new home in baseball, one he hopes will be a breakthrough to the major leagues. Curry, a former all-state catcher at Conway High who went on to an outstanding career at Mississippi State, has for seven years bounced around in the Cubs and Giants organizations. Entering free-agency for the first time, he signed this week with the Milwaukee Brewers and will join either their AA team at Huntsville, Ala., or their AAA ballclub at Nashville (the Sounds). "I feel like it's a new, great start for me," Curry said. "I'm really excited about going to an organization where I think there is a real chance for me to move up. The Giants had a logjam with catchers in their organization and there really wasn't much of a chance for me to move up. Plus, the Giants have a general philosophy of not moving new players up through the system but using their minor league prospects to make trades for veteran players. They usually want experienced major leaguers. Can't knock it. It's worked for them. "The Brewers put more emphasis on developing their own players. And they have a real need for catchers. Their Nashville team won the Pacific Coast League title last season. I'm told they have some good pitching prospects they would like for some catchers to steady them and bring them along, which I feel goes to one of my strengths. I think God has provided a great opportunity for me." Nashville is in the same PCL division as the Memphis Redbirds and plays regularly in Memphis. "I feel there are just a lot of positives in this," Curry said. "If I go to AAA, we'll be in Memphis several times so more friends and family can see me play. Even if I'm in Huntsville, that's in the Southern League with Jackson, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss. " ... And Nashville is a lot closer to home than I was (he finished his Giants' contract in Connecticut). If we go on a long road trip, my wife is just a half-day away from family. That's more of a comfortable feeling when your wife is close to family and can be taken care of and has a place to go when I'm traveling." From his minor league experience, Curry has learned the realities of the differing philosophies of big-market and small-market teams. "You will find a lot of times the higher-profile, big-market teams, like the Yankees, will not have very many good teams on the minor league level," Curry said. "If those teams have an opening, they just go out and try to buy the best player available that year to fill that opening. Their top minor league players were used to give them the edge on making a deal for a high-level experienced player. "The smaller-market teams like Milwaukee can't afford to do that, so there is more of an emphasis on developing players in their system. They have to develop their own prospects to survive. "And catcher is a position they want to develop. If they have any money to spend, they're going to spend it on pitchers or hitters or outfielders." Curry will report in March to the Brewers' spring training camp in Phoenix. "That's another part that will be comfortable for me," he said. "Both the Cubs and the Giants train in the Phoenix area and I've been going there the last seven years. I feel right at home out there." From an article earlier this winter, prior to the signing: Curry still feels he is capable of becoming a least a backup catcher for some major league team. "What I need now is a chance to play regularly and get in a rhythm," he said. "I'm at the point that I need to play every day to develop my skills. I'm not the type of player who is going to go out and hit 40 home runs a game. But I can offer someone a player who is a student of the game, who knows how to handle pitchers, who will work hard and will continue to play and work on good, fundamental baseball. "I like to believe there is a place for that. In fact, in you look at some of the teams that are having success, baseball officials seemed to be looking to build teams not as much with great individual talent, but people who will play in a team concept and execute the fundamentals." Catcher Chris Curry's Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...urry.shtml This is the current catching corps in the Brewer organization, in general terms based on pro experience and level: Damian Miller Chad Moeller Mike Rivera Mark Johnson J.C. Boscan Wild Card -- Vinny Rottino C.J. Medlin Kade Johnson Chris Curry Lou Palmisano Carlos Corporan Nestor Corredor Garry Savas Jimmy Stanfield Angel Salome Clay Blevins Bryan Opdyke Brad Willcutt Ruben Angoma Bernie Dennis Isaac Palencia A reminder that breakdowns like that can be easily culled via the Brewerfan Player Index (sort on position).

The Brewers have signed right-fielder Ron Acuna to a minor league free agent contract. Acuna is relatively young (turns 25 this week, Wednesday the 1st), but began his lengthy Mets organization career in 1996 at age 15. He spent last year at AA in the Blue Jays' organization, his first season out of the Mets' system. The very good mets.scout.com network has this more than detailed summary of Acuna's skills, dated November 2004. His lack of power considering his frame and otherwise toolsy makeup is mind-boggling (this link is well worth the read): mets.scout.com/2/317503.html RF Ron Acuna Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...cuna.shtml

Certainly one of the more interesting signings of the off-season is RHP Joe Winkelsas. The now 32-year-old Buffalo native appeared in exactly one big league game (1999) during his eight-year stint in the Braves' system. After time in the White Sox organization and independent ball in 2004, Winkelsas retired early in the 2005 season and accepted a coaching position at Niagara University, only to try out for the Brewers this winter in Maryvale and earn a contract. This linked story and text is from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, August 2003: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...lsas.shtml Former Braves minor leaguer Joe Winkelsas laments a career sabotaged before it began By Kyle Hightower When Joe Winkelsas meditates, he sees vivid visions of a forgettable past. He can see himself coming home from another bar fight at 4 a.m. --- drunk, blood on his face. Bacon grease on the corner of his mouth from eating at a restaurant whose name he can't even remember. Hair all messed up. Drool everywhere. He remembers how he used to wake up on those mornings and amble toward the mirror for a look at the damage. He didn't just leave the mirror and put his shirt on. He'd always clean up first before facing another day. These visions are the gift and curse for the former Greenville Braves relief pitcher. As career-minor leaguers go, Winkelsas has been no ordinary Joe off the field. He spent eight minor league seasons with a Braves organization that held his hand through drug rehabilitation and countless injuries when anybody else probably would have shown him the door. "Joe showed in the past that he has value. One thing no one knows is when a player has reached his peak," said Dayton Moore, Braves director of player personnel. "As scouts and administrators we have to make decisions, but nobody can predict when a player has finished developing." But the Braves decided on July 10 that Winkelsas had finished developing with their organization, and when he was finally released, Winkelsas cried. Not just because it ended his baseball connection with the Braves, but because it ended a relationship with a club that treated him like a son when they really had no reason to. When Winkelsas meditates and looks back on his life, the moments are clear. He can see himself floundering in his first and only shot to pitch for Atlanta in the major leagues. It was April 10, 1999. He lasted all of one-third of an inning. He gave up four hits and left with a 54.00 major-league ERA. But that ERA is minuscule compared to the emotional puddles he has plodded through: trying to love a mother who spent most of his teenage years in prison; trying to reconnect with his biological father after discovering at 15 he was adopted; trying to kick an addiction to marijuana that tortured his career. "This game is nothing but fellowship," Winkelsas said. "It's nothing but change. It's a game of failure. . . . Everything you go through in life is taught in this game." And so he can't abandon the game. Not yet. At 29, Winkelsas is a grandpa by minor league standards. Four years have passed since his lone shot in the big leagues, but he still talks of playing his best baseball one day. He still dreams of pitching in the majors even after the Braves, the organization he calls the best in baseball, released him after his appearing in 239 minor-league games and going 22-26 with 54 saves and a 3.24 ERA in 327.2 innings. "In order for baseball to end for me, all 30 teams will have to not want to invite me back to camp," he said. "Eight years with one team is not the norm. The Braves have kept me around through drug rehab, quitting in '96 because I'd rather smoke pot than play ball. All of it --- they took me back. They're not like every organization." So Winkelsas is not bitter. In fact, he's thankful. And still hopeful. Talented but headstrong Every morning, no matter how tired or bruised from the previous day, Winkelsas meditates and exercises in front of a mirror and looks both his past and present in the face. He see the scars of his past, physical and emotional. The surgeries, the heartache, and the burdens of the dreams are never more than two feet in front of him. Winkelsas loved two things when he entered the Braves farm system as a free agent in 1996: baseball and marijuana. But probably in the reverse order. Philadelphia drafted him a year into his college career, but he never signed. Winkelsas continued playing for Joe Baxter at the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie, a small junior college in the USC system. When Baxter came to Greenville for a home series earlier this year, he hugged his former player, and they gabbed about the past, particularly when Baxter made Winkelsas dig ditches since wind sprints didn't work as a disciplinary measure. He tells Joey how he's the best pitcher he's ever coached. "A lot of what he's had to overcome, he's now seeing the reasons of why I pushed him," Baxter said. "It's more than wins and losses. . . . He's an example of one of the best parts of this job --- impacting lives." As a freshman as USC-S, Winkelsas threw 90-92 mph, but after surgery for bone spurs in his pitching arm, he was down to 83-86 mph. And there was the continued marijuana use. Despite leading junior college Division II in ERA as a sophomore, Winkelsas wasn't drafted. "The scouts probably knew that I had problems with drugs --- because they know everything," Winkelsas said. "No one would take me except for the Atlanta Braves." A shocking discovery at 15 The prospect of not making it in baseball is tough for the 6-foot-1, 185-pound pitcher to ponder, as were many things for Winkelsas growing up in Buffalo, N.Y. When he was 15, Mariann Winkelsas had just divorced his father, Ken, after one of her stints in prison on drug-related charges. She was on a binge. Joe hadn't heard from her in days. He went to her dresser looking for clues. Instead, he found pictures of himself at Ken's and Mariann's wedding. Joe had uncovered a lie. His parents had told him they wed before he was born, but they had married three years after his birth. This discovery led to an even more shocking one: The man he knew all his life as his biological father had actually adopted him. He met his biological father, Joe Privitera, through a phone call at age 16. In the confusion, Joe Winkelsas smoked his first joint. "It was a pretty awkward time in my life," Winkelsas said. "Drugs were a way out. I was fighting with all my friends. So all the shame and the guilt and the resentment and the anger and the bitterness and the fear --- I had to hide that in some way. So I did." All the while, he continued to rip up the baseball diamonds that were fast becoming his only refuge. Call-up was chance for vindication After spring training in 1999, Winkelsas was the last player cut from the Atlanta Braves' 40-man roster. His surprise call-up in April was in some ways a small chance for vindication. Mark Wohlers, the closer at the time, was having trouble throwing strikes. So Winkelsas was there "not to embarrass them on national television," he said. He entered the clubhouse and spoke with Braves manager Bobby Cox. "Joe, you're here for six days," he remembered Cox saying. "We need you for six days. You can strike out the side or give up 15 home runs, but you'll be here for six days because you gotta pitch in Double-A." In his only game, Winkelsas remembers every pitch, every pitch count, everything that resulted in the 54.00 ERA that is on his career major-league stat line. He retired one batter --- on a sacrifice bunt. "I thank God everyday that Chipper [Jones] took the sacrifice bunt because if I would have taken it I probably would have thrown it into the stands," Winkelsas said. "That's how [unsettled] I was on that hill." The shot of lifetime blown, Winkelsas was sent back to the minors. Two months later, his wife, Therese, gave birth to his son, Jackson. A year later, he was in Triple-A Richmond with an out-of-control marijuana habit. "I'd go to sleep with it," he said. "I'd wake up with it." Near the end of that season, the Braves placed him on the disabled list and sent him to drug rehab in Atlanta. For five weeks, he shared tears and the pitfalls of his life to strangers. "With my addiction, I was cheating my wife, I was cheating baseball, and I was cheating a chance to be a father to my son," he said. "That was the greatest experience of my life. I realized that I had a lot of tears built up in my life that I'd never shed." Today, Winkelsas seems to be moving forward with that part of his life. His mother accepted Christ in prison and has reconciled with her son. He still has a good relationship with Ken Winkelsas and has even developed a "brother-type relationship" with Joe Privitera. But in a modest apartment in Greenville, Winkelsas now plays a different, yet familiar, game. He teaches his son to fly in two-to-three second intervals. Tossing Jackson in the air, the boy rebounds off the bed and explodes in laughter. At the child's insistence, his father does it again. Again he bounces off the forgiving mattress, but this time his neck and shoulder aren't so giving and he erupts in tears. Mom comforts her son and tells Dad that he can't be so rough. He's not big enough, she says. Jackson is approaching 4 and is scared of fireworks and elevators. But not of learning to fly with his dad. "I really hurt him this morning," Winkelsas says shaking his head. He rubs his son's head. Jackson hugs his Dad. They will try flying again tomorrow maybe. And Daddy will try pitching tomorrow. Maybe. RHP Joe Winkelsas Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...lsas.shtml

We seem to say this every January / February, and there's just no point in even trying to project pitching staffs at AAA and AA given the number of arms in camp -- here's the latest, courtesy of the Sounds: RHP Josue Matos - Matos, who split the 2005 season between the Blue Jays and Phillies organizations, has spent portions of the last three years at the Triple-A level (15-16, 5.74 ERA in 66 career Class AAA games). The 10-year veteran joins his fourth different organization with the Brewers in 2006. In 30 games (14 starts) among his three clubs in 2005, Matos posted an 8-4 record and 4.17 ERA (48 ER / 103.2 IP). Matos will be 28 years old this March. RHP Josue Matos Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...tos-.shtml

From Slam!, up north of the border: (Tim) Smith hit .468 and knocked in 55 runs, with 16 doubles, four triples and eight homers. Smith was selected in the 17th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, the 11th Canuck selected. Link to full article on the best Canadian prospects playing in U.S. colleges: slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseba...16246.html colbyjack, can you update us specifically as to what Smith is all about? Thanks.

Pete Zoccolillo hometown article regarding his Team Italy WBC stint: www.thejournalnews.com/ap...80360/1108

Local Nashville award nomination honors for Frank Kremblas: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1846

The Brewers have signed RHP Steve Palazzolo. This will be the soon-to-be 24-year-old Palazzolo's first taste of affiliated ball, having pitched in the independent ranks in 2004 (Florence KY, Frontier League) and with more success in relief in 2005 with Worcester (MA) of the Can-Am League. Palazzolo was signed out of a recent tryout camp in Maryvale hosted by the Brewers to which he had received an invite. Palazzolo is 6'10", 260 pounds! How about the Brewers place him on the same team as Eric "Mega" Thomas this spring? Link while active, text follows: www.worcestertornadoes.co...s/?id=3230 January 27, 2006 - Worcester, MA?The Worcester Tornadoes are pleased to announce that Steve Palazzolo; a key component to the Tornadoes championship run, has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Palazzolo, 23, a native of North Reading, Massachusetts is making his first appearance in affiliated baseball after only two professional seasons. Taking an unconventional route after graduating from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, whom he helped to four consecutive Northeast 10 championships and two appearances in the NCAA Division II World Series, Steve started his professional career with the Florence Freedom of the independent Frontier League. However, some of the best accomplishments of his young career occurred after joining the Tornadoes for the 2005 season. As a member of the Can-Am champions, Steve compiled a record of 2 wins and 1 loss with an earned run average of 3.15; in addition Palazzolo compiled an impressive 43 strikeouts in just over 54 innings of work. As he begins his career in affiliated baseball, Steve mentioned that he ?has no regrets about playing in the independent leagues first?. As well he would like to ?thank the fans and organization from Alan Stone, Bradly Michals, and Rich Gedman for giving me the opportunity in Worcester?; and although he looks ?forward to giving my all for the Brewers, I wouldn?t trade my experience with the Tornadoes for anything?. The Tornadoes wouldn?t trade their experiences with the young right-hander for the world either; and though they are sad to lose a key member of their squad they wish the very best for Palazzolo, one of the class acts of professional baseball. Steve Palazzolo Professional Ststistics (Independent Ball): www.thebaseballcube.com/p...zolo.shtml http://worcestertornadoes.com.ismmedia.com/ISM2/NewsManager/486.jpeg http://worcestertornadoes.com.ismmedia.com/ISM2/PlayerManager/246.jpeg.300.jpeg