Jim Goulart

Link while active, text follows: www.news-journalonline.co...010606.htm Ex-Brewer Listach to manage D-Cubs By SARA KIESLER Daytona Beach News-Journal Staff Writer Pat Listach got to the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1992 and went on to win rookie-of-the-year honors. He knows how thrilling it is for a young man to make it to the major leagues. On Thursday, Listach officially was named manager of the Daytona Cubs for the 2006 season. Now he's in position to help other players live out their big-league dreams. "There's nothing like seeing the reaction of a player after you tell him he's going to the big leagues," Listach said from his home in Houston. Listach was the interim manager for Triple-A Iowa in 2001 and the team went 27-28. Now he gets his first full-season assignment as manager in the high Class A Florida State League. "Sending players on to Double-A will be a thrill, too, because those guys aren't that far away from the majors," Listach said. "Look at our organization and you'll see guys like (pitcher) Rich Hill and (outfielder) Matt Murton who went from Double-A to Chicago last year." Listach, 38, is the only real newcomer to the Daytona staff. Longtime coach and two-time manager Richie Zisk will be back as Daytona's hitting coach, and pitching coach Tom Pratt, who spent five seasons here before going to the Peoria Chiefs for the 2005 campaign, also returns. Listach was a shortstop for the Brewers, reaching American League Rookie of the Year status in 1992 after hitting .290 with 54 stolen bases. However, because of knee injuries he never achieved the same success again. He played in the majors each of the next five seasons, but in 1998 -- after Triple-A efforts with Cleveland and Philadelphia -- he retired. Listach's own experiences will be a resource for Cubs players rising through the minors. "I can tell them from personal experience what it takes to get to the big leagues and what it takes to stay there," Listach said. "You're only one injury away from it all ending." Cubs players can expect a no-nonsense approach from Listach. "Be on time, be professional and play hard," Listach said while explaining his philosophy. "If you do those things you'll be as successful as your talent allows you to be. If they have a problem understanding that, I'll get out there and show them how to do it." But at the same time, he said he isn't going to take the fun out of the game. "We're gonna keep fun in the game," Listach said. "If you can't have fun in this game, man, you ought to take the uniform off." A big part of that fun, he conceded, goes along with winning. "If you teach them how to win, they'll develop and have fun, too," Listach said.

As 33rd round high school picks go, Anthony Iapoce had a pretty good run. That name will mean something to those who have been following the Brewer farmhands pre-Brewerfan.net. www.railcatsbaseball.com/...asp?ID=591 Gary, Ind.? Gary SouthShore RailCats outfielder Anthony Iapoce, Most Valuable Player of the 2005 independent Northern League Championship Series, announced his retirement from professional baseball as an active player today, completing an 11 year career. The New York City native who now resides in Schererville, Indiana will become the hitting coach for the Florida Marlins? affiliate in the New York/Penn League, the Jamestown Jammers. Iapoce was the clubhouse leader of the RailCats 2005 Northern League Championship Club while batting .285 in 71 games. He missed three weeks with a broken thumb late in the season but sparked the club?s climb to the championship with his return. RailCats manager Greg Tagert considered Iapoce to be the league?s best defensive player and credited him for much of the team?s success. ?Our team last season was an example of what talent plus character can accomplish, and Anthony was our leader, the heart and soul of the 2005 RailCats,? said Tagert. ?Nothing showed his impact on the club more than the night he was injured and the feeling of being punched in the gut that knocked us down for awhile. But within a couple of weeks, he was practicing every day, preparing to play and the whole club responded. He will be missed and we certainly will not be able to replace everything he brought to the club. Anthony will be an outstanding coach with a great future.? Iapoce, who also spent the 2004 season with the RailCats, is the club?s career leader in runs scored. He is second on the RailCats career list in base hits and at bats, trailing only Curt Lee in both categories. The 32-year-old Iapoce began his professional career in 1994 in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He enjoyed his best season in 1998 with El Paso, batting .314 and stealing 35 bases while earning a spot of the Brewers? 40-man roster. Iapoce spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons in the Marlins? organization. He saved his best work for the final days of his career, batting .450 in the 2005 Northern League Championship Series to earn the series MVP award. Iapoce has served as the lead instructor at the John Mallee ProStyle Camp in Crown Point, Indiana. Mallee is the Marlins? Minor League Hitting Instructor. Anthony Iapoce Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...poce.shtml

Interesting -- we'll have to check and see if LHP Andy Pratt was indeed allowed to leave and sign with the Phillies. Baseball America's transaction page was indeed wrong. Pratt is still Brewer property.

From Baseball America's latest transaction update -- we reach pretty deep into the obscure Brewer alum pool with some of these names: www.baseballamerica.com/t...trans.html Minor League Transactions January 6, 2006 Atlanta Braves signed RHP's Ken Ray and Travis Smith Chicago Cubs signed LHP Brian Adams (nice for Brian, who did not pitch professionally in 2005) Cincinnati Reds signed LHP Tommy Phelps (mentioned elsewhere on the forums here) Detroit Tigers signed OF Jackson Melian Houston Astros signed SS Danny Klassen Philadelphia Phillies C / 3B Chris Coste and LHP's Andy Pratt and Brian Mazone. Interesting -- we'll have to check and see if LHP Andy Pratt was indeed allowed to leave and sign with the Phillies. San Francisco Giants signed RHP Oscar Montero (bonus points if you recognized Montero as a former Brewer ('96 through '99 at the Latin and Rookie League levels) Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed RHP Ruddy Lugo (the Brewers' 3rd round pick in '99, he'll be 26 in May. Remember the Devon White trade?) Toronto Blue Jays signed 1B Kevin Barker and SS Luis Figueroa (there are two middle infield Luis Figueroa's, this is likely the Brewers AAA 2004 version.)

Also announced today: Catcher Jean (J.C.) Boscan - Boscan joins the Brewers organization as a minor league free agent in 2006 after spending the first nine seasons of his pro career in the Atlanta Braves chain, including parts of the last three at the Triple-A level. In 2005, the Venezuelan batted .222 (47-for-212) with three home runs and 20 RBIs in 72 games for Richmond (AAA-Braves) while sharing catching duties. He threw out 30 percent of attempted basestealers (18 of 60). The 26-year-old carries a .222 career average in 662 minor league games over nine seasons. He'll never hit a lick, but if he help develops an arm or two along the way, fine...

Nashville site: LHP Shane Nance - The 28-year-old Nance returns to the Brewers as a minor league free agent in 2006 after being traded from Milwaukee to Arizona in 2003 as part of the nine-player deal that sent Richie Sexson to the Diamondbacks. He spent the entire 2005 season at the Triple-A level, splitting the year between Tucson (AAA-D'Backs) and Omaha (AAA-Royals), and posted a combined 3-4 record, two saves, and a 5.16 ERA (34 ER / 59.1 IP) in 45 relief outings. Nance pitched for the Brewers in both the 2002 & 2003 seasons and carries a career 3.24 minor league ERA over 233 games during his six pro campaigns. Shane Nance Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...ance.shtml

In the "just another arm" category, apparently, the Brewers have signed RHP Wilton Chavez to a minor league deal. From the Nashville site: The 27-year-old veteran of eight professional seasons spent his third consecutive year in the Pacific Coast League in 2005, logging a 5-7 record and 5.02 ERA (63 ER / 113 IP) in 28 games (15 starts) for Colorado Springs (AAA-Rockies). The Brewers mark the Dominican's fourth career organization, following stops in the Cubs, Expos, and Rockies chains. Chavez finished fifth among PCL hurlers with 11 wins for Iowa in 2003. After the 2003 season, Chavez was traded by his longtime organization, the Cubs, to the Expos, for utility man Jose Macias. Baseball America mentioned at the time: Chavez signed out of the Dominican Republic in 1998. Thought to be 16 at the time, he had his age revised upward by nearly three years when the Immigration and Naturalization Service began cracking down on falsified documents. (Incidentally, Macias suddenly aged two years for the same reason.) Chavez reached Triple-A in 2003, going 11-7, 4.24 in 26 games (22 starts). He had a 113-51 strikeout-walk ratio in 140 innings as opponents batted .269 with 17 homers. Chavez ranked well down the Cubs' depth chart of arms. His slurvy slider may be his best pitch, and his 87-91 mph fastball and changeup are just OK. Wilton Chavez Career Statistics -- bump his birthday back three years from this link: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...avez.shtml

From the top Helena, Montana Sports Moments of 2005: www.helenair.com/articles...106_01.txt 9. HELENA BREWERS There are several key moments to choose from in the Brewers? stellar '05 season, but none stand out more than the no-hitter that four pitchers combined to throw on Aug. 5. Simon Beresford, David Welch, Richard Breshears and Wilfredo Laureano combined to paint the board with zeroes in the Brewers? 11-0 home win over the Billings Mustangs.

A couple of recent signings, just noticing now (from the Sounds' site): Familiarity can be a good thing for both the player and organization at times, as the Brewers have re-signed several players now who had become minor league free agents at season's end. Joining C Mike Rivera, IF Corey D. Hart, RHP Brett Evert, and LHP Andy Pratt, are RHP's Mike Meyers and Alec Zumwalt. Each was a key contributor to the Nashville championship playoff run. Especially good news on Zumwalt, who will only turn 25 in January and only converted to pitching in 2002. And of course, we can still consider him a "nugget" from the Jose Capellan / Dan Kolb trade. Alec Zumwalt Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...walt.shtml Meyers is 28, and joined the Brewers organization as a free agent last offseason. Mike Meyers Career Statistics: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...yers.shtml Since the Brewers normally note their spring training invites to big league camp in a press release, it's unlikely either pitcher received one here.

You may need Quicktime Player -- it's a free and unobtrusive download. Of course, most "players" will ask you if you want to make theirs your default player. You can always say no, and grab the free download regardless: www.apple.com/quicktime/player/win.html

A Christmas present for Will Inman as I wait for my wife to finish getting herself ready for our Christams visits http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif Stumbled upon a blog of a Giants fan that included 4th of July video (about six minutes) of an Arizona Rookie League game between the Giants and Brewers. Kind of neat because it gives you the sense of atmosphere at these games (there is none), and well, because it's December now http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Players shown and mentioned by name include Bernie Dennis, Scotty McKnight, and Anderson de la Rosa. Perhaps most interesting was that the video includes footage of impressive 3rd rounder Will Inman in what was his professional debut. This was also his one and only Arizona game before being quickly jettisoned up to Helena. So just for that in and of itself, if Mr. Inman projects as we hope, this little clip will have some intrinsic value built in. I found it easiest to right-click the video link and download it for later viewing to my hard drive. You probably don't want to attempt without a high-speed connection. Blog page link: whatsontonight.blogware.c...95963.html Direct video link: whatsontonight.blogware.c...wers_2.mp4 For all we know, the Inman family was in attendance and got his entire two-inning outing on tape. But if not, Merry Christmas! DHonks, this gentleman also took Arizona Fall League video: whatsontonight.blogware.c...FallLeague

33-year-old Kevin Orie will carry his incredible 1.076 AAA OPS from 2005 to Houston's organization for 2006.

Well, this Transaction thread is for current Brewers http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif , but we appreciate the Van Iderstine (previously noted on the Alumni thread) and Obermueller updates http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

OF Ben Van Iderstine independent Northern League update: www.flyersbaseball.com/te...asp?ID=181

The latest Power newsletter includes a review of the mighty 2005 Helena squad and a chance to listen and vote on the favorite audio calls of Power play-by-play Andy Barch from last summer: nl.terradon.com/newslette...1NCAg&

July 2005 article from High Desert on RHP Chris Demaria (Justin Barnes trade): www.vvdailypress.com/2005...66004.html Interesting to note that the Brewers now own both Demaria and Steve Bray, the Mavericks' tandem closers to open last season...

the Affiliate History has Indy as our AAA affiliate in 2005 and 2006. Just saw that off the Brewerfan Features option of the Home Page. Honestly, didn't even know it was a page we had http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif I can't see where to update that within our staff administrative screens, so another task for Sir Brian upon his return.

All set with Overbay -- I also have to build several new Player Index pages this weekend. It's a shame when work and real life gets in the way of Brewerfan fun -- I think the staff is wishing we had as much time available as some of our regular readers and posters seem to have http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

There isn't any check box for me to check on the edit my profile page. All there is are ads wanting me to buy what I have already bought (EZ-Supporter). The money has cleared, so I don't know what's going on. Same with me, it took an email or two, but they got it straightened away -- I'm sure it's a pretty rare problem, and we were just among the unlucky. We don't want to discourage new EZ Supporters!

Independent League Update on middle infielder Todd West: www.jackhammerbaseball.co...sp?id=1082

LHP Wil Rodriguez' career statistics -- disregard the 2005 post-season numbers with Houston, that's included in error: www.thebaseballcube.com/p...guez.shtml Rodriguez, once the Astros' top pitching prospect, is best known for giving up Barry Bonds' 70th homer back in 2001. He'll be 27 years old in March.

No surprises here... Nashville Press Release: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1837 Kremblas, Entire Coaching Staff Return To Sounds In 2006 Frank Kremblas, who piloted the Nashville Sounds to the 2005 Pacific Coast League championship, will return to Music City for his second year of service as the club?s manager in 2006, joined by the remainder of his coaching staff from the first title-winning Nashville club in 23 years. Hitting coach Gary Pettis and pitching coach Stan Kyles each return to tutor up-and-coming players at the Milwaukee Brewers? Triple-A affiliate in Nashville during the upcoming season. Trainer Jeff Paxson will also rejoin the Sounds for a second season in 2006, his fourth as the Brewers? Class AAA trainer. Kremblas ? the 21st manager in the Sounds? 29-year franchise history ? led the Sounds to their second division title in the past three seasons along with the club?s second berth in the league finals in as many campaigns in 2005. He ranks 11th in team history with his 75 managerial victories and could move to as high as 5th on the all-time wins list in 2006 (Marty Brown currently ranks fifth with 136 career wins). The 39-year-old, who enters his second season as a Triple-A manager and 7th year overall as an instructor in the Brewers organization, has compiled a 423-409 record (.508) in his eight seasons as a minor league manager. Pettis ? a five-time Gold Glove-winning outfielder during his 11-year major-league career ? followed up the Sounds? championship season by piloting the Peoria Javelinas to a 17-14 record in the 2005 Arizona Fall League, his first career managerial service. His AFL club included 2005 Sounds Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Vinny Rottino, and Mitch Stetter. Pettis returns to Nashville for his second year with the Sounds as well as within the Brewers organization. Kyles, serving his sixth season in the Brewers organization, will log his third year as Triple-A pitching coach in 2006 when he returns to the Nashville bench. His 2005 Sounds pitching staff produced a franchise-record and league-leading 1,117 strikeouts and finished 4th in the Pacific Coast League with a 4.43 ERA. Season tickets, mini-plan packages, and group outing plans for the 2006 season are currently on sale. Contact the Sounds at 242-4371 or visit www.nashvillesounds.com to order or for details.

Reminder to self -- Player Index pages needed: Players in BOLD have been added to the Index, but no stats imported for reasons detailed in the Bug Thread. Tried to add all players, but got the Technical Difficulties error again. Santo Manzanillo Guillermo Salinas Brian Dallimore Brent Abernathy Jared Fernandez Jason Kershner Steve Bray Wilfredo Rodriguez Justin Thompson Chris DeMaria

RHP Jayson Durocher, who didn't pitch anywhere in 2005, was signed by the Rangers to a minor league deal. Durocher helped implode my first Miller Park visit in 2003 with his work in the 11-10 Saturday night loss to the Red Sox: www.jsonline.com/sports/b...146674.asp What is not mentioned there is that Durocher had a "uniform malfunction" in the crotch area and basically ran into the dugout to pull his broken jock off and up from above his belt. He then promptly surrendered a Kevin Millar grand slam upon his return to the mound.

There are still many, many former Brewer farmhands toiling in independent ball. We normally won't post each and every transaction involving those kids, but here's one for those who played with and or watched RHP Dan Grybash: Independent League Fort Worth Cats (American Association) Press Release: The Fort Worth Cats have re-signed right-handed pitcher Dan Grybash for the 2006 season. Grybash, 23, joined the Cats on June 18 and was 6-2 with a 4.06 ERA in 11 games in 2004. He made nine starts and pitched 57 2/3 innings, struck out 57 and walked 14. Grybash won six consecutive decisions from July 5 - Aug. 8 and was 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in July. He was 1-1 in three playoff appearances, including two starts. Grybash was the winning pitcher in relief in the decisive Game 5 of the first-round series against Pensacola. He started the 2005 season with Brevard County in the Florida State League where he was 0-1 with an 8.24 ERA in 17 games. In 19 2/3 innings of work, he struck out 25. In 2004 Grybash was 4-2 with a 4.98 ERA for Class-A Beloit, the Milwaukee Brewers' Midwest League affiliate. In 40 relief appearances, Grybash worked 72 1/3 innings and struck out 55 while walking 52. In his rookie season, 2003, he was 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA in 17 games for Helena in the Pioneer League. Grybash was originally selected by Milwaukee in the 32nd round of the 2003 draft. A Chicago-native, Grybash now resides in Palatine, Ill. http://www.fwcats.com/img/Image/Gamephotos/grybash813.jpg