Jim Goulart

Nashville LHP Jeff Housman was outrighted, and is no longer a member of the Brewers' 40-man roster. He remains with the organization. The Brewers' 40-man is now at 39.

Final: Round Rock (Astros) 4, Nashville 3 Chris Barnwell got the ground ball out he needed after issuing a walk; Omaha loses, so the Sounds magic number is down to six, as the back-in to a division title continues... Nashville Box Score: Game ended with the Sounds challenging to tie, but Jeff Cirillo grounded into a 6-3 double play; Nelson Cruz with a mammoth HR that prompted a collective "ooh-and-ah" gasp from the Express' home crowd; Mitch Stetter surrendered the eventual game-loser, a three-run eighth-inning shot against a lefty bat -- that hurts... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1

Final: Missoula (Diamondbacks) 8, Helena 5 Helena Box Score: Tough outing for RHP Tyler Morrison; Stephen Chapman 2-for-4, double, HR, two RBI; catcher Bryan Opdyke only 6-for-36, but 14 walks places his OBP well over .400... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Final: West Virginia 7, Lexington (Astros) 1 West Virginia Box Score: Yo Gallardo's walk totals way up from earlier this season, but he continues to minimize the damage, always easier to do at the lower levels; Dave Johsnon with the all-important strand of two runners with his one batter faced (K); Angel Salome picks off a runner at first base; Carlos Corporan and Will Lewis with three hits apiece, Hasan Rasheed two... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

In progress: Round Rock (Astros) 4, Nashville 3, bottom of the 8th Excitement in Round Rock as Frank Kremblas has just called upon "ace reliever" Chris Barnwell in a non mop-up situation -- sit tight...

Final: Huntsville 4, Tennessee (Diamondbacks) 3 I keep finding myself returning to Huntsville audio for no particular reason the past few days, and now find myself rewarded with a four-game Stars' win streak... Huntsville Box Score: Enrique Cruz only 4-of-8 on the basepaths this season -- didn't realize the speed aspect of his game had fallen by the wayside; Adam Heether and Brandon Gemoll on base three times apiece; Happy Birthday, David Bradley -- in style! www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Much more from the Stars' web site before too long... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

Final: Arizona Giants 9, Arizona Brewers 1 No linescore or game log, but box score intact otherwise... Weather: 103 degrees, clear. Wind: 2 mph, Varies. T: 2:29 Arizona Box Score: That's eight in a row in the loss column for the A-Crew; we think that's the first time Anderson de la Rosa has seen time sbehind the plate; Lorenzo Cain and his .970+ OPS team MVP, at least we say so; Oscar Emeterio has now pitched in two games this week, possibly signaling a move to the mound; Roque Mercedes will continue to leave Power 50 fans scratching their heads... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

2005 7th round pick OF Michael Brantley, only 18 years and three months old, has received a promotion to Helena after raking and showing good plate discipline in the Arizona League this summer.

Nashville Media Notes for Sunday (PDF format): Pre-Dennis Sarfate call-up... www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Yet to Begin: West Virginia at Lexington (wet grounds) Look for this one to begin around 6:40 PM Central, almost a two-hour delay to start; looking to catch some audio this evening -- listening to Yovani Gallardo take the hill for the Power isn't a bad choice...

Manatees Players Serve as Honor Guard: Follow link for the story.... www.manateesbaseball.com/...s.cgi?id=1 http://www.manateesbaseball.com/images/news/1125270727.jpg

Final: Brevard County 9, Palm Beach (Cardinals) 1 Brevard County Box Score: LHP Ryan Costello strong again -- his mid-season awful stretch is one of this season's mysteries; Steve Moss, Lou Palmisano, and Jeff Eure on base three times apiece... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 71 64 .526 - 33-35 38-29 W1[/b] Omaha 68 67 .504 3.0 32-35 36-32 W2 Memphis 65 69 .485 5.5 33-31 32-38 L2 Iowa 62 69 .473 7.0 38-29 24-40 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 34 26 .567 - 19-13 15-13 L3 West Tenn 33 27 .550 1.0 18-11 15-16 W1 [b]Huntsville 26 35 .426 8.5 11-18 15-17 W3[/b] Tennessee 26 35 .426 8.5 13-14 13-21 L4 Chattanooga 23 37 .383 11.0 15-20 8-17 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 37 25 .597 - 18-14 19-11 L1 Vero Beach 35 26 .574 1.5 19-12 16-14 L2 [b]Brevard County 32 29 .525 4.5 14-17 18-12 W1[/b] St. Lucie 32 30 .516 5.0 15-16 17-14 L2 Daytona 30 31 .492 6.5 18-13 12-18 W2 Jupiter 25 35 .417 11.0 17-13 8-22 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 39 21 .650 - 22-8 17-13 W1 Lexington 34 26 .567 5.0 20-14 14-12 L1 Lake County 31 28 .525 7.5 14-13 17-15 W2 Hickory 30 30 .500 9.0 17-13 13-17 L1 [b]West Virginia 28 31 .475 10.5 15-14 13-17 W1[/b] Lakewood 27 33 .450 12.0 16-18 11-15 L2 Greensboro 27 34 .443 12.5 10-16 17-18 L2 Hagerstown 22 36 .379 16.0 11-16 11-20 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Helena 18 8 .692 - 8-5 10-3 W1[/b] Missoula 14 12 .538 4.0 9-6 5-6 L1 Billings 13 13 .500 5.0 6-5 7-8 L1 Great Falls 11 15 .423 7.0 6-7 5-8 W1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Mariners 16 8 .667 - 9-4 7-4 W3 AZL Athletics 16 9 .640 0.5 10-4 6-5 L2 AZL Giants 15 9 .625 1.0 6-6 9-3 W3 AZL Rangers 13 12 .520 3.5 7-6 6-6 L1 AZL Royals 12 12 .500 4.0 7-5 5-7 L4 AZL Padres 11 14 .440 5.5 5-9 6-5 W4 [b]AZL Brewers 9 13 .409 6.0 3-8 6-5 L7[/b] AZL Angels 9 16 .360 7.5 2-5 7-11 W1 AZL Cubs 8 16 .333 8.0 4-9 4-7 L2Stats and League Leaders, USA Today (or go to MILB.com): www.usatoday.com/sports/b.../index.htm

Follow Sunday's action as it happens: Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1 Helena: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Arizona: Not updated live, but usually later during the overnight... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_royrok_1

Sunday's Daily Menu: Plenty of early evening audio options for you after the Milwaukee game... All starts Central Time except for Arizona Rookie; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: LHP Tommy Phelps at Round Rock (Astros), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP David Bradley at home vs. Tennessee (Diamondbacks), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ If that link is down for bandwidth, use: specs.eyecentric.com/pres...opup.shtml Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Palm Beach (Cardinals), 12:00 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.palmbeachcardinals.com/ West Virginia: RHP Yo Gallardo at Lexington (Astros), 5:05 PM Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: RHP Tyler Morrison at home vs. Missoula (Diamondbacks), 6:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.missoulaosprey.com/ Arizona: TBD at the Royals' complex, 7:00 PM local time; never any web audio for Arizona Rookie ball...

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Nine questions with Star's Adam Heether Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times Adam Heether was promoted to the Stars last week from Class A Brevard County in the Florida State League, where he batted .305 with 54 RBIs in 93 games. After this brief time in the Southern League, Heether fielded 9 Questions before Saturday's game. 1 First week in Double-A, what do you think? Glad to be here. I like the group of guys. I like the coaches. Everyone's (on the field) a little bit better since it's a higher level. I'm enjoying myself, trying to finish strong the last couple of weeks. 2 Any nervousness? You get those butterflies going again. At the lower level, after 100 games or so, it gets to be an every day thing. But in a new environment you get the butterflies the first couple of games. Then after a while it's back to baseball again. When I got my first at-bat, I had some butterflies. 3 How did you find out you were being promoted? After a game, they called me and told me to pack up. John Tamargo called me in his office and said, "You're going up. Go get 'em." I packed up all my stuff 'til about 2:30, 3:30 in the morning, left at 6:30. We drove here in about 11 1/2 hours and got here right before game time. (I) got to pinch-hit later that game (and got a hit in his first Double-A at-bat). Long day. My wife (Jennifer) was with me, and that made it easier. She let me sleep. 4 Was it tough leaving a pennant race? We were a game and a half or two games back, so we had a great chance of getting there. The ultimate goal is to make to the big leagues. It's rewarding to be called up. Obviously, you're playing to get to the next level. 5 How was your own season going there? I only got to play about 90 games. I broke my hand in the first half. I got hit by a pitch and it sidelined me for about a month, so I had to deal with that. It took me a couple of weeks to get adjusted, and I got on track. 6 Most everybody here is ready for this season to be over. You come here this late, does it feel like it's ending too quickly? It gives you a second wind. You get tired at the end of the season. To get called up it's almost a new season, to be in a new environment. 7 You've played other seasons with manager Don Money, and you're playing his old position. Did you have any idea about his playing career? I know he was a solid third baseman. When I got drafted by the Brewers I saw Don Money was the manager at low-A. I knew I'd have the chance to work with him. It's nice having him around, being around somebody who knows the position. He helps you out on a daily basis. He was a solid, quality third baseman. 8 How many different ways does your name get botched? I'd say "heather" is the biggest mistake. It's "heath-er,'' like the Heath bar. But I don't make a big deal about it. 9 Tony Gwynn Jr.'s father was a great player. Enrique Cruz's sister dates Pedro Martinez. What's your brush with fame? Do you have anything like that? Nope. I'm trying to start my own (bit of fame). Oh, wait. I'll tell you one you can say. My second cousin. His name is Tim Stewart. He plays the drums and bass for Jessica Simpson's band.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Covering the bases Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times Reid Nichols, the Brewers' director of player development, doesn't give many high marks to the 2005 Huntsville Stars. "A lot of players really didn't make the improvement we hoped they would," Nichols said last week, wrapping up a visit to Huntsville. "Some," he said ominously, "will have to come back to this level." In the meantime, coming up behind what should be an experienced '06 Stars team with few sure-fire major leaguers, Milwaukee has some young prospects. Of special note, according to Nichols, are second baseman Hernan Iribarren (.291 with only 21 errors in 120 games) and shortstop Alcides Escobar (.275), who should climb the organizational ladder together. ... He is also high on catcher Angel Salome, the MVP of the Pioneer League, "a little Pudge (Rodriguez), a cannon for an arm." ... Likely headed to Brevard County for next season is No. 1 draft pick Ryan Braun, who has been shut down for the season with a sore arm; he was examined last week by Brewers' team physicians. ... The Stars have an amazing lack of pop offensively. Going into Saturday's game, they had 61 homers in 129 games - and 29 of those homers came from players no longer with the club. Mississippi has the second-fewest at 75. "You've got a guy now who hits with some authority at third (Adam Heether). And Drew Anderson has some power. But we're going to have to fill some holes with free agents, some guys who can hit the ball," Nichols said. ... Pitcher Mike Jones is "on track" in his recovery from shoulder and elbow surgery, Nichols said. The Brewers have had some better fortune with arm injuries this year. The surgery for Manny Parra was relatively minor and he should have full recovery. Ben Diggins, who breezed through Huntsville in 2002 after being acquired from the Dodgers and made it all the way to the majors for five games, has been at Brevard County this year. ... Nichols has high hopes for Ty Taubenheim and Carlos Villanueva, who are now with the Stars after solid seasons in Class A, and the efficient Tim Dillard, who has averaged only 13 1/2 pitches per inning and has five complete games. ... Vinny Rottino, so versatile and valuable for the Stars this year, will go to instructional league this fall and concentrate on catching. The Brewers, thin at that position, would like to see him at least be a part-time catcher, either the No. 2 or No. 3 guy, at Triple-A. ... Nichols said Milwaukee remains happy with Huntsville as a site for its Class AA club - the working agreement expires after 2006 - but echoed his sentiments from preseason that he'd like to see a better clubhouse for his players. Around the league Birmingham began a series at Jacksonville Saturday needing only one win to clinch a postseason berth. But with only a 2 1/2-game lead over the Suns in the SL South, the reeling Barons - losers of seven of nine heading to Florida - need to keep from being caught by the first-half champ Suns. If Jacksonville were to sweep both halves, it could host four of five games in the SL South playoffs. ... The Smokies' Stephen Drew, who led off Saturday's game with a homer, is the brother of Dodgers outfielder J.D. Drew. ... Jacksonville has been named "Most Talented Team in Minor League Baseball'' by Baseball America. The Suns have had top 10 Dodger prospects SS Joel Guzman, RHP Chad Billingsley, 1B James Loney, C Russell Martin, RHP Jonathan Broxton, RHP Edwin Jackson, 3B Andy LaRoche and LHP Greg Miller. Brewings Triple-A Nashville Sounds (70-64, first place in Pacific Coast League American Division by three games): Lost 12 of last 14 and six in a row going into Saturday night while batting .202 with runners in scoring position. Single-A Brevard County Manatees (31-29, fourth in Florida State East Division this half): 1B Jeff Eure 15 HRs, 58 RBIs. Single-A West Virginia Power (25-21, third in South Atlantic League Northern Division this half): P Robert Hinton 12 saves. Rookie League Helena Brewers (10-2 in second half in Pioneer League): Kenny Holmberg 10 HRs, 41 RBIs, .368 average. On deck The Stars host Tennessee tonight at 6:05 and Monday at 7:05 to end this homestand. The first 2,000 fans tonight receive a Stars team photo. After a three-game visit to Tennessee, they return Friday and Saturday in the final home games of the season.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Nelson Cruz photo, text follows - www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1770 ROUND ROCK, Tex. - Nelson Cruz belted two solo homers as first-place Nashville defeated Round Rock, 8-5, on Saturday night at the Dell Diamond. Cruz's first blast gave the Sounds a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Leading off the fifth, he delivered his second long ball to make it 5-3. Dave Krynzel also went deep, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Nashville snapped its six-game losing streak to remain three games ahead of Omaha in the PCL American North Division. Round Rock is tied with Albuquerque for second place in the American South, 1 1/2 games behind Oklahoma. Rehabbing third baseman Jeff Cirillo went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for the Sounds. Trent Durrington was 3-for-5 with two doubles, two stolen bases, and three runs scored. Brett Evert (2-1) picked up the win, giving up three hits and a walk in 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Gary Glover surrendered hurled 1 2/3 scoreless frames to earn his first save in his first Triple-A relief appearance of the year. Will Cunnane (1-4) took the loss after surrendering a run on two hits in two innings. Ex-Sounds Carlos Rivera went 3-for-3 and scored for Round Rock. Tommy Whiteman was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and a run. The Sounds improved to 71-64, while the Express (72-63) saw their three-game winning streak snapped. The clubs wrap up their five-game series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Sunday evning. Left-hander Tommy Phelps takes the hill for Nashville in his third start of the season.

Your requisite Manny the Manatee photo: www.floridatoday.com/apps...80350/1002

Link while active, text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...80351/1002 Manatees bring baseball, fun to the Space Coast BY TOM BREEN FLORIDA TODAY Across the state in Tampa-St. Petersburg, and down in Miami, they play Major League Baseball, a royal game where salaries and revenues defy the imagination. Here in Brevard County, we have our own professional boys of summer. But it's a different game, some say more pure, where major- league riches and fame elude most of the players. This is minor-league baseball, which in 2004 attracted nearly 40 million fans to ballparks around the country, an all-time record. About 100,000 of those fans watched games locally. "There's a closeness between the team and the fans you'll never find in a major-league park," said Buck Rogers, the exuberant 45-year-old general manager of the Brevard County Manatees, a high Class A team playing at the 8,100-capacity Space Coast Stadium in the new town of Viera. He is, by the way, no relation to Bob "Buck" Rodgers, the former major-league player and manager. The Manatees, one of about 180 minor-league teams in the United States and Canada with direct ties to the major leagues, play 140 games each summer in the 12-team Florida State League. They are not the only minor-league team in town. Brevard also has a club in the 60-game rookie Gulf Coast League, which plays its home games at the five-field Carl Barger Baseball Complex near Space Coast Stadium. In recent years, as attendance figures clearly illustrate, minor-league baseball has captivated the nation, most likely because of a combination of pretty good baseball, relatively inexpensive ticket prices and often-eccentric promotions. "We give 'em baseball, but we give 'em a lot of fun along the way," said Rogers, a former Army paratrooper who came to Brevard two years ago after running the Daytona Cubs, another Florida State League team. In addition to the baseball itself, which can be surprisingly crisp, Manatee fans participate in a range of promotions. Take Saturday for example. Every fan had an opportunity to throw out a first pitch, lining up in late morning. "You don't leave here without having fun," Rogers said. Fun for Rogers is a successful promotion. Earlier in the season, for example, in a game against the Dunedin Blue Jays, a highlight for female fans occurred game's end during the annual "Diamond Dig." That was when the grounds crew buried poker chips in the infield, just under the surface. About 300 women, with scraping sticks in hand, dug away in search of the chips. Of 24 chips buried, 10 were redeemed for a total of $10,000 in diamonds donated by Don Traver, a Brevard County jeweler. After retrieving a diamond stud, fan Helen Kulp of Fort Lauderdale said, "My brothers live in Brevard, and I drive up every year for the event. It's a blast." Throughout the season, Rogers, an indefatigable promoter, offered up all sorts of treats for the fans -- some lucrative (the Diamond Dig), some wonderful fun (the first-pitch event) and others silly, but enormously entertaining, like the Belly Buster, where participants stuffed their tummies with pounds of food, literally. With so much emphasis on promotions, the baseball itself often seems to be secondary. But for big-league clubs attempting to develop talent, the minor leagues are vital, serving as an incubator for thousands of players, although only a lucky few actually make it to the majors. From a fan perspective, though, loyalty to a minor-league team often has as much to do with personality as talent. Take former Manatee outfielder Robby Deevers, for example. Although a gifted athlete in college, Oklahoma native Deevers, 25, struggled in the minors and finally announced his retirement in mid-August. Fans will miss him because of his interaction with them and for his volunteer work in Brevard. Within the team he also served as a leader in the Baseball Chapel program. "What a class act," Rogers said of Deevers. No millionaires "that I know of " On average, Manatee players earn about $1,300 a month, sometimes less. A few of them originally signed for bonuses as high as $100,000, but most received much less, nothing at all. Because of the smaller salaries, players and management identify closely with ordinary working people who show up for games during the year. "There aren't any millionaires that I know of in this park, at least not in our organization," Rogers said one night, reaching into the refrigerator behind his desk and slapping a piece of ham on white bread for one of his many hurried meals. "We're all pretty ordinary." Before free agency, as recently as the 1970s, the majority of the ballplayers did not earn much more than the average fan. Now, of course, the minimum major-league salary is about $400,000 annually, and many players earn several million dollars a year. A family affair On a big-league team, especially the wealthy ones, the actual production of the game has become a routine business. In the minor leagues, though, where revenues are far less, simply producing the game can be a madcap endeavor because of limited budgets. Most of Rogers' front-office positions, for example, either are filled by interns working for college credit or recent sports-management graduates being paid only a few hundred dollars a week. Often, they work 80- and 90-hour weeks, even when the team is on the road, and occasionally in the offseason too, preparing for spring training. Rogers' wife Babs and daughters Breann and Holly work for the team, too. The devotion to hard work creates a family atmosphere, and occasional squabbles, especially just before a game when tensions start to rise. Mostly, though, the love of the game, and "the beers afterward" unite people, said Jeff Weinhold, the Manatees' former public relations and ticket operations chief. It clearly is on game day when everybody truly kicks into high gear. A dozen hours before night games, head groundskeeper Doug Lopas drives to Space Coast Stadium from his home in Orlando. He heads a staff of six. As the early morning sun beats down hard on him, Lopas strikes a solitary figure on the emerald-green grass, raking home plate and the infield, filling holes near the pitcher's mound and pounding down the earth. "I want everything to be perfect on the field," Lopas says. Later, as the day wears on, players arrive, cleaning crews ready the stadium and fans start drifting in. Ushers position themselves at the various entrances. John Sheppard, a retired postal worker who manually handles the scoreboard, arrives at his post in the outfield. Roy Lake, the owner of Chocolate Moose, which runs the concessions and handles parking, inspects hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers. A college student slides into his floppy Manny the Mascot outfit. As a game progresses, Rogers giggles like a little boy every time one of his promotions unfolds. He especially loves the barrel roll, in which two contestants first run around in circles, dizzying themselves, and then shakily roll a barrel. Later, as the stadium empties, Rogers usually lingers, looking out at the field through his office picture window and listening to the sprinklers going rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat. "Look at all this, look at the field," he said. "Hey, this is baseball the way it should be. "Do I have a great job or what?" ***Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp VIERA, Fla. -- The Brevard County Manatees, the Class A Advanced Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, have set a new record for honorary first pitches thrown before a baseball game. At 6:55 p.m. Saturday night, Karl Bohne threw out pitch No. 4,218 to eclipse the former record of 2,052 pitches thrown by the Madison Mallards, a college wood-bat league team that established the former record on Sunday, Aug. 14. Bohne was the successful bidder in a fundraiser to benefit Nick Catechis, a Rockledge High School baseball player who was seriously injured in a car accident three months ago; the final first pitch ball netted $400 for the fundraiser. Both the Palm Beach Cardinals and Brevard County Manatees players, as well as the umpires for the game, participated in the record-setting event. Manatees starting catcher "Sweet Lou" Palmisano caught the final stretch of pitches before the game began. The Manatees and Imperial's Hotel and Conference Center agreed to the promotion last March in an effort to beat the record set by the 2002 Daytona Cubs of 1,160. The team ordered a sufficient amount of personalized baseballs with the date and sponsor's logo to set a new record, and then not two weeks ago the Mallards shattered the Cubs' record, forcing the Manatees to not only change the scheduled gate opening time from 2 p.m. to 10:30 a.m., but scramble to find at least another 900 baseballs. ******on, Wisc. native Doug Lopas, who is the team's head groundskeeper at Space Coast Stadium, threw pitch No. 1 at 10:44 a.m. Manatees general manager, Buck Rogers, was the general manager with the Daytona Cubs when the previous Minor League Baseball record of 1,160 pitches was set. "We planned this event last March during Spring Training and when the Mallards raised the bar two weeks ago, it caught us off-guard. I challenged our staff to put the event together and they answered the call," he said. "Even Mother Nature cooperated as Hurricane Katrina came into Florida south of us and moved away from the state before heading north, giving us an absolutely gorgeous day for the fans to set this record. Next year, we'll do it again as another team will certainly beat this mark." ESPN Radio 1060 of Melbourne, Fla., provided witnesses to the action and maintained a count of all pitches thrown. The Manatees are a member of the Florida State League, a 12-team Minor League Baseball League based entirely inside the state of Florida. Space Coast Stadium and Viera are located approximately 20 miles southwest of Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center on Florida's east coast. ***Link while active, text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...80355/1002 Manatees' future up in the air BY TOM BREEN FLORIDA TODAY When the Florida Marlins played their spring baseball games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera up until 2002, and owned the minor-league Brevard County Manatees, the picture was clear. It was a Marlins operation, simple as that. The picture is far from clear now. Things have become complicated. So put down the remote and pay attention (please). Here's what's going on. John Henry, now one of the owners of the Boston Red Sox, owns the business side of the Manatee operations and the nearby five-field Carl Barger Baseball Complex. But the players for the Manatees, a high Class A team, are supplied by the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers, though, play their spring-training games in Arizona. The Washington Nationals are now Viera's spring team. The Nationals also operate a Gulf Coast Rookie League team, which plays 60 games through late August at the Barger complex, which Henry still owns. Further, the Nationals, in the spring, send players to rehabilitate in Brevard and to prepare for the short-season Class A New York-Penn League, in which the Nationals have a team in Vermont that, by the way, still is called the Expos (the Nationals' former name). Oh, let's not forget: Brevard County owns Space Coast Stadium. It is not owned by Henry's Red Sox, by the Brewers nor by the Nationals. "Frankly, we have trouble keeping track of all this, so I can imagine what fans must think," said Buck Rogers head of baseball operations in Viera. (Hey, don't touch that remote. You need to know how all this came about). In the winter of 2002, Henry, and Jeffrey Loria, then-owner of the Montreal Expos, forged a deal that was approved by other owners and Commissioner Bud Selig. Loria assumed ownership of the Marlins, and Henry, as a member of a group, bought the Boston Red Sox. As part of the arrangement, Major League Baseball's front office took over operations of the Expos. The deal immediately affected the Marlins' operation in Brevard County. The Marlins, since their founding in 1994, had held spring training in Viera each year and operated the Manatees in the summer. Loria's Expos, for their part, and the minor- league Jupiter Hammerheads both played at the stadium in Jupiter, south of Brevard. Loria immediately transferred the Marlins to Jupiter and took over the Hammerheads. That left Space Coast Stadium, in the winter of 2002, without a spring-training team and the Manatees without a parent major-league club. Selig and baseball's owners moved quickly, though, sending the Expos to Brevard for spring training and taking over the Manatees and the Gulf Coast Rookie League team that plays at the Barger complex. Selig, however, asked Henry to retain ownership of the business side of the Manatees and the Barger complex until a permanent owner could be found for the Viera operation. That meant Henry would earn profits from ticket and concessions sales, but the players would be supplied by the Expos organization, not by Henry's Red Sox. The situation remained static until late 2004 when Selig announced the Expos would move to Washington, D.C., playing in RFK Stadium. So, last spring, the Nationals, still operated by Major League Baseball, played their spring games at Space Coast Stadium. It seemed natural for the Nationals to keep the Manatees and supply players for them. But the Nationals wanted a minor-league team closer to their Washington location. That temporarily left the Manatees without a parent club. Fortunately for Brevard County, the Milwaukee Brewers shut down their high Class A team in California, agreeing to supply players to the Manatees and cover player salaries. "We're pleased to have this working arrangement in Florida," said Scott Martens, the Brewers' assistant director for player development. The arrangement, though, makes it difficult for Manatee fans to follow the ball. They root for the Nationals in the spring, but need to track the Brewers during the regular season to figure out which players will be coming here. As for Rogers and his staff at Space Coast Stadium, they receive salaries from Henry's management group in Boca Raton. There you have it. Repeat after us (put down the remote): The Boston Red Sox own the business side of the Manatees and the five-field Carl Barger complex adjacent to Space Coast Stadium. The Washington Nationals play their spring-training games at Space Coast Stadium but do not supply players for the Manatees. The Milwaukee Brewers do that, but play their spring games in Arizona. The Brewers, however, do not funnel players to the Gulf Coast Rookie League team that plays at the Barger complex in Viera from early summer through late August. The Nationals supply those players. The Nationals also send players to rehabilitate here and prepare for the short-season Class A New York-Penn League team in Vermont. One more thing: The Manatees changed the colors of their logo this year from teal (Marlin colors) to blue and red (National colors). Actually, the Manatee colors technically should be Brewer blue and gold, because the Brewers ship players to the Manatees, but anything goes in this dizzying world of baseball maneuvering. OK, got all that? You will be tested on this later (especially if the Manatees are sold, as expected). And don't forget to bring your scorecard.

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Hey, all the farm teams won -- nothing in yet on Arizona...

Final: Helena 8, Billings (Reds) 4 Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...805_05.txt Brewers avoid Mustang sweep By KEVIN SHIVELY - IR Sports Writer The Brewers finally managed a win in their series with the Billings Mustangs. The Helena club had lost two straight to Billings, but got away from the series without being swept when they beat the Mustangs 8-4 Saturday night. "It's good to let them know we're still alive," said Helena second baseman Kenny Holmberg. "It's a lot better to send a team home with a loss instead of a sweep." The Helena win also snapped Billings' seven game win streak. The Brewers collected three runs in the second inning, off an RBI single from Adam Mannon, and a two-run double from Clay Blevins. After the top of the seventh, the game was tied at 4-4, but the Brewers scored two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth. "We always feel good when [simon] Baresford and [David] Welch are on the mound," said Holmberg. "They both throw a lot of strikes and that gives the offense a chance to score some runs." Beresford started on the mound, and pitched four innings, allowing only two runs. Welch (3-1) took over in the fifth, and pitched through the seventh, allowing only two hits and striking out three. Holmberg sent the tie-breaking run across the plate in the seventh with an RBI single. Holmberg scored on a single from Michael Bell. Holmberg was 2-for-5 in the game. In the eighth, Darren Ford hit a two-RBI single to score two more, making it a four-run lead. Freddy Parejo led the team in hitting, going 3-for-4 with a home run. The first two games of the series, Billings won by a narrow one run, with the Brewers right on their heels. "We come out every day looking to play well," said Holmberg. "We always want to score runs and tonight we did that." The Brewers (42-22, 18-8), are four games in the lead after Saturday and will start a three game series with second place Missoula today. The Brewers will give the nod to Tyler Morrison (5-1, 5.64) and Missoula will look to Cody Evans (0-2, 8.90). The first pitch will be at 5:05 p.m. (6:05 Central). Helena Box Score: RHP Josh Louis deserves mention for wrapping things up late... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Jon Ebelt IR Staff Photographer - Helena catcher Clay Blevins, left, takes a hard shot from Billings' Jay Bruce as the two players collide at home plate Saturday. Bruce was attempting to score the first run of the game, but Blevins held onto the throw and recorded the out. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2005/08/28/sports_top/b01082805_05.jpg

Final: Huntsville 7, Tennessee (Diamondbacks) 5 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Stars Take Advantage of Smokies MistakesGerrit Simpson threw three pitches to get out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning to preserve Huntsville?s 7-4 win over Tennessee Saturday night in the second game of a four-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars won a third straight game to improve to 26-35 in the second half and move into a third place tie in the North Division with the Smokies, who committed six errors and allowed four unearned runs. The Stars have won five of the last six games between the teams and lead the season series nine to seven. Andy Pratt opened the ninth inning on the hill for the Stars and retired the first two hitters before giving up back-to-back singles to Marland Williams and pinch-hitter Mike DiRosa, playing in his second game since June 19. Adam Heether dropped a foul pop up that allowed Stephen Drew to remain at-bat and he would walk to load the bases before Noochie Varner walked to force in a run to cut the lead to 7-4 and chase Pratt from the game. Simpson came on and induced Dan Uggla, the league leader in runs batted in, to bounce into a force play at third base for the final out of the game. Simpson earned his second save with the Stars and has been scored on in just one of his 10 outings. Huntsville scored four runs in the eighth inning with the help of two errors to snap a 3-3 tie. Brandon Gemoll led off with a double and scored the go-ahead run when pitcher Elvin Nina threw wildly past first base on a bunt attempt by Kennard Bibbs, who picked up two hits and scored two runs. Bibbs stole third and scored to make it 5-3 on a base hit by Jeff Winchester, who knocked in his 27th run of the season. Guilder Rodriguez chased home Winchester with a pinch-hit triple and scored when the relay throw back to the infield got past Uggla, the second baseman, and first baseman Chris Carter. Drew homered on the second pitch of the game and Carter belted a two-run long ball in the first to stake the visitors to the early 3-0 lead. It marked the second straight start that Glenn Woolard had allowed three first inning runs to the Smokies and the fourth time in five starts against Tennessee that he had been scored on in the first inning. The right-hander settled down and blanked the Smokies over the next six innings. Josh Habel picked up the win in relief by retiring all three hitters he faced in the eighth. The southpaw snapped a six-game losing streak and won for the first time since defeating the Smokies on April 28. The series continues on Sunday evening with Huntsville right-hander and birthday boy (28) David Bradley taking the hill against Smokies? right-hander Dustin Nippert. Coverage of the game gets underway at 5:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. ***Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Stars have seen it all before, and they're glad Huntsville wins third straight as Smokies play sloppy again By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com If every horror movie ever made can come up with a Roman-numeral'd list of sequels, the plot barely differing, then why can't a horror baseball game do the same? On Saturday night, both the Huntsville Stars and Tennessee Smokies found themselves tripping up on deja vu all over again as the Stars pulled out a 7-3 victory, their third win in a row. For Huntsville starter Glenn Woolard, it was deja vu all over again. Last Sunday at Tennessee, he gave up three runs in the first inning, then shut the Smokies out for five innings. This time, three runs in the first ... and six scoreless innings in a row. On a 55-degree night in April, the Smokies came to Joe W. Davis Stadium and committed seven errors, plus a passed ball. This time, six errors ... and six runs directly or indirectly coming from that. "They start snowballing on you,'' Stars manager Don Money said. "There's nothing you can do as a manager. It's frustrating.'' While he may have empathized a little with the Smokies' Tony Perezchica, Money wasn't feeling guilty. "We've made our share. We'll take runs any way we can get 'em.'' Following a typical Stars - and Woolard - script, Huntsville fell behind in the top of the first, this time 3-zip on a leadoff homer by Stephen Drew and a two-run blast by Chris Carter. "You look at (Woolard's) 20 starts, I bet he's given up a majority of runs in the first inning,'' Money said. "It's hard to figure out why, but at least he stopped the bleeding.'' Pitching coach Rich Sauveur noted "he made good pitches'' in the first, Drew hitting an inside pitch and Carter golfing one that was low. "The kid threw the ball well, and I'm real proud of him for sticking it out,'' Sauveur said. The Stars clambered back with a run in the first when Drew booted an Enrique Cruz grounder, scoring Adam Heether, who had reached on an error by second baseman Dan Uggla. Brad Nelson's two-out single scored Heether, who had doubled, in the third, then Kennard Bibbs doubled in the fourth and scored on a Drew throwing error. The lollapalooza came in the eighth. Brandon Gemoll doubled by slicing a grounder off the third base bag. Bibbs beat out a bunt single and Gemoll scored when reliever Elvin Nina fielded the ball and flung it under the right field bullpen bench. Jeff Winchester singled, chasing Nina, then pinch-hitter Guilder Rodriguez drilled a triple down the right field line off Doug Slaten, driving in Bibbs and Winchester. The throw from right fielder Jon Zeringue eluded first baseman Carter, enabling Rodriguez to score. Then, one more seen-it-before: Even with a win in hand, the Stars had to make it scary at the end. Reliever Andy Pratt walked in a run with the bases loaded, after a dropped foul pop by Heether extended the inning, cutting the lead to 7-4. It was left to Gerrit Simpson to face Uggla, the league's leading RBI producer, with two outs and the bases loaded. Simpson earned the save by getting Uggla to bounce to Heether. Huntsville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

Final: Nashville 8, Round Rock (Astros) 5 Finally! Nashville Box Score: Nelson Cruz two solo HR's, Dave Krynzel one of his own as well; Vinny Rottino at catcher at the AAA level; Trent Durrington's fast, also nails a runner at the plate; 15 of 28 baserunners reach against Ben Hendrickson -- awful, just awful; nice work, Brett Evert; Gary Glover finishes up on his "throwing day"; Round Rock strands 14... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_rreaaa_1