Jim Goulart

In progress: Birmingham (White Sox) 7, Huntsville 0, bottom of the fourth in Birmingham Dennis Sarfate surrendered five runs in the first inning, faced one batter in the second, and left with an undisclosed injury at that point...

Final: Lexington (Astros) 7, West Virginia 3 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power drop final Sunday home gameCharleston, WV ? The West Virginia Power took a record of 8-3 on Sunday home games into their final Sunday afternoon game at Appalachian Power Park against the Lexington Legends. The Power scored first, but Lexington scored more, and beat the Power 7-3. In the first inning Charlie Fermaint scored on an errant throw from third baseman Bryan Triplett and Grant Richardson knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to give the Power a 2-0 lead. In the second inning Mitch Einertson scored on an errant throw from catcher Angel Salome and J.R. Towles tied the game at 2-2 on an RBI groundout. Ole Sheldon gave the Legends the lead in the third inning on an RBI double and Sheldon scored later in the inning on Mitch Einertson?s RBI single to make it 4-2 Legends. Chris Clark chipped in with an RBI single in the sixth inning and Ole Sheldon hit a two-run homer in the seventh to give Lexington a 7-2 lead. The Power scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning when Richie Cormier hit a fly ball to right field which was dropped by Ryan Reed, allowing Ryan Braun to score. Richardson went 1 for 2 in the game, marking the 32nd straight game that he has reached base safely. (Not to nitpick, but I don't believe this type of streak includes games when a batter only reaches base via an error, as was the case the other night -- Mass Haas.) Juan Gutierrez (9-4) earned the victory, and Kevin Roberts (1-2) obtained the loss. The Power are 26-22 in the second half after the loss and the Legends move to 26-22 with the win. The Power are off on Monday but they will begin a three game series with the Lakewood BlueClaws on Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park. The Power will throw LHP Greg Kloosterman (4-16, 5.15) and Lakewood has not announced their starter. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Nashville Audio Plays of the Week: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-14.mp3

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 1, Nashville 0 Nashville Site Game Summary: MEMPHIS ? Redbirds (and former Milwaukee Brewer) catcher Robinson Cancel ripped a two-out RBI single to left field off Sounds reliever Brett Evert in the bottom of the eighth inning to plate Reggie Taylor with the only run that Memphis needed, securing a 1-0 victory over Nashville on Sunday afternoon at Auto Zone Park. Taylor, who pinch-hit for Redbirds pitcher Brian Falkenborg to open the eighth, walked, then advanced two bases on a pair of Evert wild pitches before scoring his game-winner. Falkenborg (4-4) earned the victory for the Redbirds after tossing a scoreless eighth inning. Evert (0-1) drew the loss after allowing the game-winning run in his lone inning of work. Ricky Stone worked a scoreless top of the ninth to secure his ninth save of the year and sixth for Memphis. The 1-0 loss was the Sounds? first by that score since falling to Oklahoma on August 24, 2004 and was the club's third shutout defeat of the season. Nashville batters matched a franchise record by striking out 17 times in the contest, the third such occurrence in the club?s 28-year history. With the win, Memphis pulled back to within 7 ½ games of Nashville (68-54) in the PCL American Conference Northern Division. Memphis starter Anthony Reyes and Sounds starter Wes Obermueller engaged in quite the pitchers? duel for the majority of the afternoon, combining to allow six hits through seven scoreless innings apiece. Neither hurler received a decision in the contest. Reyes tallied 15 strikeouts on the afternoon, setting a new Redbirds? franchise record and equaling his career-high. He retired the first 12 Nashville batters in order before Prince Fielder led off the fifth inning with a flare single to left-center to break up his perfect game. The 24-year-old right-hander became the first opposing pitcher to fan 12 or more Sounds batters in a contest in over five years, dating back to a 12-punchout Doug Linton effort for Colorado Springs on May 14, 2000 at Greer Stadium. Obermueller matched Reyes? effort virtually every step of the way, matching his season high with six strikeouts through seven scoreless frames. The solid outing, his longest with Nashville, lowered the right-hander?s ERA to 1.82. Tony Zuniga had his season-best nine-game hitting streak snapped with a pinch-hit strikeout. Catcher Mike Rivera and shortstop Steve Scarborough each went 0-for-3 to snap each player?s season-high hit streak at six games. The teams wrap up the four-game series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Monday evening. Right-hander Gary Glover (5-2, 2.81) takes the mound for the Sounds to face Redbirds right-hander Adam Wainwright (7-9, 4.74). Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1

In progress: Nashville 0, Memphis 0, after four innings RHP Anthony Reyes beat Milwaukee this week, now he has a no-hitter through four; unconventional Sounds lineup with Steve Scarborough batting in the 3-spot...

In progress: Lexington (Astros) 4, West Virginia 2, after five innings Alcides Escobar back in the lineup; Legend batter reaches on a strikeout (Angel Salome passed ball) -- a throwing error by Salome later in the inning leads to two unearned runs...

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 0, five inning game, rain Brevard County Box Score: Carlos de la Cruz and Steve Moss had two-out opportunities in the 2nd and 5th innings, respectively, but for naught; we'd like to think there are, let's say, 20 top-end starting pitchers for each of the levels above rookie ball, but that just can't be the case -- guys like Forrest Martin get a chance to prove themselves, but it wasn't happening today... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

Link while active, text follows: www.newssun.com/main.asp?...icleID=532 Power of patience He had to wait for it, but Sebring?s Richie Cormier has his shot at playing pro ball with the Class A West Virginia Power Scott Dressel Sebring (Florida) Sun News Sports Editor After spending most of his life dreaming of being a professional baseball player, Sebring?s Richie Cormier spent a lot of time this summer wondering if that dream was ever going to come true. A standout career as an infielder and a catcher at South Florida Community College and Embry-Riddle University wasn?t enough to get the former Blue Streak star drafted. Then, after signing with the Lincoln (Neb.) Saltdogs of the independent Northern League on June 28, Cormier was released just over a week later after appearing in just one game as a designated hitter. But Cormier?s dream did come true over the weekend when he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers and assigned to the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League. ?When I didn?t get drafted, I was like, ?Where do I go from here?? Then after I got released, I thought maybe it wasn?t meant to be, but then I got that phone call,? Cormier said Thursday morning, adding that he had just been officially added to the Power roster and hadn?t yet had a chance to play. ?I didn?t worry about it. I just put it in God?s hands.? The Brewers were actually in the mix back when he signed with Lincoln, but the deal just didn?t work out, Cormier said. That?s why he was somewhat surprised when Embry-Riddle coach Greg Guilliams called him on Saturday. ?He just asked me if I still wanted to sign (with the Brewers),? Cormier said. ?I said, ?Oh, yeah. Definitely.? ?I went (to Nebraska) for a week and a half and then I was back home for two weeks and my coach called me on Saturday and I came out here. I was surprised.? Cormier hit .333 for Embry-Riddle last season, including a sparkling .424 average in the playoffs as he helped lead the Eagles to the NAIA World Series championship game. He led the team in walks with 45, was third in stolen bases (19 of 22) and in the top five in hits (68) and doubles (11) to go along with a pair of home runs and 36 RBIs, numbers that led many ? including Cormier ? to believe some team would be willing to spend a draft choice on him. ?I was disappointed about it, but I realized there was nothing I could do about it and I just had to look for other avenues to get in,? Cormier said. Rick Hitt, who coached Cormier at SFCC, said he wasn?t surprised Cormier wasn?t drafted simply because nothing that happens in the draft surprises him anymore. ?The draft is such a strange animal; so many things happen with so many different guys, so I wasn?t surprised. I was a little disappointed for him because I know how bad he wanted ... the opportunity to be a pro player. We talked a few times after the draft ... and you could tell he was still itching and hoping something was going to work out, and finally it has. That?s a great thing for him.? Now that he?s in the minors, Hitt thinks Cormier?s work ethic and tenacity will serve him well. ?He?s a grinder, a tough guy, a hard-nosed player and he?s been that way his whole life,? Hitt said. ?He?ll work other guys to death, which is a credit to him.? Another thing that could help Cormier?s career is his versatility. He played both catcher and in the infield for SFCC and Embry-Riddle. ?He can make the transition to middle infield and play second base and he?s got enough arm strength to play third base,? Hitt said. ?He may have an opportunity to bounce around defensively until he really finds his niche in professional baseball. You can play one position in high school, another one in college and may end up in another position in pro ball. ?I?m hoping he sticks for an awful long time.? Richie Cormier hit .333 for Embry-Riddle this season, helping the Eagles make it to the NAIA World Series championship game. http://www.newssun.com/SiteImages/Article/532a.jpg

Nashville Media Notes for Sunday (PDF format): Sounds undefeated with Wes Obermueller on the mound... www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

In progress: St.Lucie (Mets) 5, Brevard County 0, after three innings "TBD" was RHP Forrest Martin, who couldn't escape the first inning...

Nashville Site: Two additional Sounds will join Corey Hart on the Milwaukee bench today. Jose Capellan was recalled and fellow reliever Kane Davis had his contract purchased by the Brewers to fill a pair of voids in the bullpen created when Matt Wise and former Sound Julio Santana were each placed on the 15-day disabled list. To create room on its 40-man roster for Davis, infielder Jeff Cirillo was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Davis went 4-2 with one save and a 2.44 ERA in a team-leading 45 appearances for the Sounds this season, holding opponents to a .216 average while accruing 81 strikeouts in his 62 2/3 innings. In his final 15 appearances, the right-hander compiled a miniscule 0.76 ERA (2er/23.2ip). After serving as the Sounds? Opening Day starter and remaining in the rotation for two months, Capellan was transferred to the bullpen and posted a 1.44 ERA (5er/31.1ip) in 24 games. Right-hander Alec Zumwalt, who was acquired by the Brewers last December as the player to be named later in the winter meetings deal that sent Dan Kolb to Atlanta in exchange for Capellan, has been added to the Nashville roster for this afternoon?s game in Memphis. The 24-year-old hurler has spent the entire 2005 season with Double-A Huntsville, where he posted a 1-2 record, three saves, and a 4.15 ERA (24er/52.0ip) in 28 relief outings.

Hopefully here to stay, Corey - congrats! Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp 15 months later, Hart gets second chance By J.R. Radcliffe / MLB.com MILWAUKEE -- The encore has been a long time coming for Corey Hart. Considered the Brewers' sixth-best prospect heading into the 2005 season by Baseball America, Hart is best known to Milwaukee fans for his ultra-brief first experience in the Major Leagues, a single at-bat on May 25, 2004 against Los Angeles. Hart, who officially spent five days on the Brewers' roster, belted a long foul ball past the left-field pole with a raucous crowd offering its praise. In the end, he struck out, then found himself back at Triple-A. But Hart will get another crack at the big leagues. He was recalled from Nashville by the Brewers after Saturday's game. "He'll play until Brady (Clark) gets back in the outfield," manager Ned Yost said. "He's swinging the bat real well and does a lot of things to help your team win. He was voted the best base runner (by Baseball America) in the (Pacific Coast League). He's got 31 stolen bases. He'll probably play center field right now, he's been playing some center down there." Center field remains a question mark as Clark recovers from bruised ribs sustained on Wednesday against the Cardinals. Yost said he was hoping to see Clark return in a couple of days, but the move offers flexibility should his recovery hit a snag. Chris Magruder had been playing center in Clark's place, leaving the team without a natural outfielder on the bench. Infielder Trent Durrington was optioned to Nashville to clear a roster spot for Hart. Hart started slowly in 2005 but has since dominated the league, most recently earning PCL Player of the Week honors for Aug. 1-7. On the year, he's hitting .308 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 428 at-bats. He also has 29 doubles and nine triples, impressive stuff for a 23-year-old listed at 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds. Typically a corner outfielder, Hart twice has started in center with Nashville this season. The right-handed batter was selected in the 11th round of the 2000 June draft. He was honored as the Southern League's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Nashville Stars in 2003 and was named Triple-A Indianapolis' MVP in 2004. Corey Hart was hitting .308 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs at Triple-A Nashville when he was recalled by the Brewers. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2005/08/14/2bhRx52U.jpg

Final: Arizona Brewers 9, Arizona Giants 7 Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Brewers' Festa hits for the cycle By Daren Smith / MLB.com Arizona League Brewers first baseman Tony Festa hit for the cycle on Saturday night in a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over the Giants at Papago Park. Festa got the hardest hits out of the way early, tripling to right-center field in the second inning and homering in the fourth. He singled in the sixth, then completed the feat with a bases-loaded double in the eighth. The 24-year-old went 4-for-5 with four RBIs to raise his batting average to .441 in nine games with the Brewers. He started the season with the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League and hit .129 with five RBIs in 18 games. Festa was selected by Milwaukee in the 29th round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal-Riverside. Last season, he batted .305 with seven homers and 53 RBIs in 67 games for Helena of the Pioneer League. Tony Festa struggled in the South Atlantic League but hit for the cycle for the Arizona League Brewers on Saturday night. (Photo Courtesy of UC-Riverside) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2005/08/14/ihn5bSJb.jpg All that being said, still no box score for the game as of "post-time". Not sure if Festa is still considered on injury rehab, but the news would be bigger, if he were say, in Huntsville.

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Dillard catches on as pitcher By Andrew Worob / Special to MLB.com SARASOTA -- Tim Dillard has an idea of what hitters are thinking. He knows what they are expecting and how to counter that. It's something that appears to come naturally to him. Maybe it's because he is learning how to be a better pitcher. Or maybe it was because he wasn't always on the mound. "I was drafted as a catcher the first time out of high school," Dillard said. He was originally taken in the 15th round in 2001 and then again in the 34th round of the 2002 draft as a catcher coming off left shoulder surgery. Because of the injury, Dillard's hitting wasn't where the Brewers hoped it would be. He was told he'd be given a chance as a pitcher, something he occasionally did on the high school level. But the transition was not an easy one. "It was tough," Dillard said. "I liked the hitting part of being a catcher, but I think I have a good idea on the mound now because of being a catcher for so long and being a hitter." The 22-year-old right-hander has been correct in his assessment, and he has dominated the Florida State League in his first season with the Brevard County Manatees. Pitching coach Fred Dabney is not surprised by Dillard's success after switching positions. "Catcher is a pretty good athletic position and pitching is the same way," Dabney said. "It's a credit to him that he can make the adjustment to the mound." Dillard leads the league in wins (11), complete games (five), shutouts (two), innings pitched (154 1/3), and is third in ERA (2.45). "Tim's a bulldog," Dabney said. "From the beginning of the year to now, after about his fourth or fifth start he just started rockin' and rollin' and getting the job done for us. He's commanding the baseball, being aggressive and doing the things he needs to do to have success not only here but ultimately at the Major League level." He has shown the type of resilience you look for in a pitcher coming off a year in which he struggled. Last season in the Midwest League, Dillard was 2-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 43 appearances. For someone who had just five starts entering this year, Dillard has done far more than many expected. "You just try to go out there and get people out," he said. "You just take it one batter at a time and try to get ground balls. If you try to strike somebody out, you're going to give up a bomb or a double. I just have to try and keep the game close and I know we'll win. That's all I try to do." Of the pitches he's learned to throw, his slider has been most impressive. Though he throws a decent 92-mph fastball and also has a changeup in his arsenal, it's his slider that accounts for much of his success. It's a pitch he admired and tried to develop during his days at Mississippi's Saltillo High School. The pitcher he respected and tried to duplicate knows a thing or two about throwing sliders. "When I was younger, I used to think of myself as a right-handed Randy Johnson," said Dillard, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder. "I always loved his arm angle because when I was young, it was always tough for me to hit off guys throwing from the side and the ball gets in on your hands." Though he still has areas where he can improve, his future looks bright. "I see a tremendous amount of potential," Dabney said. "He's got a great opportunity being a part of the Milwaukee Brewers system and helping our organization at the Major League level win some ballgames. That's probably the goal for him and that's what we see in him in the future. He's going to help our team win at the Major League level in any role that he's in." Dillard is just taking things as they come. Even if it means a couple more years in the Minors. "The ultimate goal is to be in the big leagues," Dillard said. "Everybody wants to be All-Stars in the Major Leagues, but I just have to take it one step at a time." Just like learning a new position. Tim Dillard didn't expect to pitch in the Minors, but he's getting the job done. (Photo courtesy of Brevard County Manatees) http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2005/08/13/xOXQaISJ.jpg

What they've got that Huntsville doesn't Each of the other nine ballparks in the Southern League has something that sets it apart from Huntsville's Joe Davis Stadium. Here's a list. Birmingham: Major league-sized clubhouses Carolina: Full-service, year-round restaurant Chattanooga: Spectacular view of river and downtown Jacksonville: Grassy berm and terraces beyond outfield fence Mississippi: Luxury boxes that are major revenue stream Mobile: Banquet hall/clubroom down right field line Montgomery: $1 million video screen Tennessee: Spacious walk-in souvenir store West Tenn: Wide, open concourse gives view of game to fans in concession line Compiled by Mark McCarter

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Add terrace to the Joe, and that's just a start Makeover also could add office building, outdoor seats for skyboxes By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com You've seen the TV shows, where designers and builders are given a limited budget and challenged to turn a woeful dungeon of a bedroom into something that looks like the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf-Astoria. All for, like, $1,000. Welcome, then, to "Extreme Joe Makeover.'' The city of Huntsville has $300,000 budgeted for improvements to Joe Davis Stadium. To be honest, our plan is going to need more than that. But our plan encompasses an office that needs to be built anyway and a restaurant that can return the investment. It will also draw more people, so the city will reap the benefits of that through its parking revenue and sales tax. Fact is, the city poohbahs are not going to fork over enough for a new stadium. Taxpayers won't stand for it. But a few million in a makeover to a piece of city property, on which there is some return for the investment, isn't unreasonable. Especially if, as in our makeover, there are revenue streams for the city. The field Joe Davis Stadium has a wonderful new scoreboard. It has a crisp, clear video screen. But it needs to be uprooted and moved about 20 to 25 feet closer to the stands. Replant it so it is actually in play. Give us an extra weird angle. There is no more high school football played at The Joe, so move the whole fence in left field in. Fans want home runs. Players need a more fair target. The fence should be a one-level, clear fence. Behind it, build a landscaped terrace where fans can sit. The terrace should continue around to right field, and a kids' area built there. Tear down one tier of the fence, but advertising signage can still go here. Cut some spaces in some of the signs through which kids can watch the game, creating that old style "Knothole Gang" feel. The building Knock down the left field corner of the stadium and construct a four-story, city-owned building. The building will have access to the stadium concourse on the left field end, and to the berm. It should be angled into that corner where it actually comes into play. First floor: Stars' clubhouse, training room, weight room and storage. Second floor: Stars' team offices. Third floor: Office space for the Huntsville Sports Commission. Other offices for lease. Museum/display area for Huntsville/Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, with area for rotating sports-related exhibits. Fourth floor: Year-'round restaurant, with windows overlooking stadium. Part of the cost: A nice sign that proclaims it the Don Mincher Building, a tribute to the man inexorably linked with the Stars from their outset. The stadium Create a fresh revenue stream with improved skyboxes. Put a door and some steps in the front of each, and two rows of box seats outside each box. Watch the Stars in air conditioning or outside. Your choice. Build an appealing picnic area on the first-base side. Are there not enough home-improvement stores who'd give enough lumber and nails to build a deck-looking area, then get their corporate logo slapped on the side? The small existing clubhouses can be the auxiliary locker rooms that'll be needed when the stadium is used to bid - as it should and will - to host college tournaments and the state high school tournament. At the top of the first-base stands, builders left a wide-open area for other skyboxes. After 20 years, it's time to fill in that blank. Put a floor there, maybe a spot just for kids' birthday parties. Hang a net to protect them from foul balls. And, we're a little selfish here: knock out these press box windows. Put some windows on a track that we can slide off to the side. We're looking through windows up there with 20 years of gunk - but they're still not so cloudy and scuffed that we can't see a bright future for the stadium with a little imagination and a little money.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 Outside owners keep sports market uncertain Transplanted ideas don't always work, as example shows By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com It took an influx of newcomers a half-century ago to launch Huntsville as a city of importance. Ironically, outsiders have seemed to sink Huntsville's sports fortunes. "When you have others coming from outside the market,'' says Ron Evans, executive director of the Von Braun Center, "they think they can transplant an idea from somewhere else to here. You can't always do that." Perhaps most egregious was the Huntsville Fire soccer team that was moved to the city in 1997 from Daytona Beach, Fla. The Fire blazed about as long as a candle on a 6-year-old's birthday cake. Though Nashville's Larry Schmittou brought baseball to the city, it took a major effort by local owners to keep the Stars here in 1994. Sold in 2001 to a syndicate of absentee owners, headed by New York lawyer Miles Prentice, the team has lost some of its luster among fans and sponsors. "From my vantage point, things are fine,'' Stars general manager Tom Van Schaack says. "Could there always be more people? Sure. A lot of that is our fault because of our staff size: We don't have the manpower to send three, four, five people out 9-to-5 every day to sell group tickets, which is where we could pick up 50,000 people.'' Van Schaack's "wish list" from Prentice includes having a larger staff. The Stars have 10 employees listed on their Web site; the Double-A Midland (Texas) Rockhounds, also owned by Prentice, have 23 employees listed.

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1 A home field disadvantage City pro teams hurt by outdated aspects of VBC, ballpark By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com From heaven, from the cornfield, maybe just from his own tormented soul, Ray Kinsella heard the words. "If you build it, they will come.'' Those words inspired the Kevin Costner character in "Field of Dreams" to construct a majestic diamond in the middle of the Iowa cornfields to help him reconnect with his past. Huntsville, itself a gem that was constructed from the middle of Alabama cotton fields, can faintly hear the same mantra. But it's more much challenging. It's much less about reconnecting with a glorious past - and surely there are ghost-like memories - and more about somehow assuring a future in pro sports that seems fragile. The city has two primary professional sports facilities: The Von Braun Center was opened in 1975. It serves as home to the Huntsville Havoc ice hockey team (as well as UAH's nationally known college program). It also was home this season to the Huntsville Flight basketball team and the Tennessee Valley Raptors, an indoor professional football team. Joe W. Davis Stadium, named for the Huntsville mayor who guided the building of the multi-purpose ballpark, was opened in 1985 and has since served as home to the Huntsville Stars. It is the oldest stadium among 10 in the Southern League. "They're facilities that don't meet today's standards and don't provide the atmosphere that families look for when they go to a sporting event,'' says former Stars general manager Bryan Dingo. Both structures are outdated, like Model T's lined up at a stoplight next to a Ferrari, when compared to others in their leagues and in this area. Or, for an even better analogy, listen to Greg Patterson, executive director of the Huntsville Sports Commission. "Huntsville was a progressive city in the '60s and '70s, so we jumped ahead of our competition (in facility construction),'' Patterson says. "Now it's difficult to re-do some of those facilities. Not impossible, but difficult. "It's sort of like whoever has the first computer, has the oldest computer, has the most outdated computer,'' Patterson says, "and you can't afford to catch up. For years, you didn't buy another one.'' Oldest ballpark Joe Davis Stadium, with its listed 10,200-seat capacity, is not only the oldest stadium in the Southern League, but also the third largest; Jacksonville built its 11,000-seat park with an eye toward Triple-A and Birmingham hosts the annual Southeastern Conference baseball tournament as well as high school football at its 10,800-seat park. "New stadiums are very attractive, but they're very costly,'' says Don Mincher, president of the Southern League and former owner of the Stars. "But Joe Davis Stadium is still very workable. All the bells and whistles that come with a new stadium, it doesn't have that. But in my thinking, it's still the best park I've been in to watch a baseball game. There's not a bad seat in the house.'' Montgomery invested $26 million in its new stadium. Pearl, Miss., to which the Atlanta organization moved its Double-A team when Greenville, S.C., balked on building a new park, spent $25 million for the park it opened this season. Miles Prentice, a New York attorney who is the Stars' principal owner, enlisted the famed HOK group, which has designed countless gorgeous stadiums, to visit two years ago and generate a plan to renovate Joe Davis Stadium. However, nothing has emerged from those plans. Prentice did not return telephone calls requesting comments. There is $300,000 planned for improvements in this offseason. That will go, according to Stars general manager Tom Van Schaack, toward building a walk-in souvenir store and other fan amenities. Long-term, the Stars hope to add outdoor seating to the now-enclosed skyboxes. "You're driving down the Parkway, you've got a 21-year-old stadium, it's hard to convince taxpayers you need a new stadium,'' says Patterson. "But if you don't have one at all, you could build a new one and get away with it. Just like you can't justify building a new Von Braun Center.'' So, in this cutting edge, high-tech town, apparently pro sports is destined to be working on, to use Patterson's analogy, the oldest computers. "We're running on DOS,'' says the Havoc's Jeffries, stretching the theme, "and everybody else is on Windows."

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Nashville 68 53 .562 - 31-29 37-24 L1[/b] Memphis 59 61 .492 8.5 31-31 28-30 W1 Omaha 59 62 .488 9.0 27-30 32-32 W3 Iowa 55 62 .470 11.0 36-27 19-35 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 30 16 .652 - 17-10 13-6 W1 West Tenn 26 22 .542 5.0 12-10 14-12 L5 Tennessee 21 27 .438 10.0 11-12 10-15 L1 [b]Huntsville 20 28 .417 11.0 8-15 12-13 L3[/b] Chattanooga 17 31 .354 14.0 10-17 7-14 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vero Beach 31 17 .646 - 17-9 14-8 L1 Palm Beach 29 21 .580 3.0 13-12 16-9 W1 [b]Brevard County 28 21 .571 3.5 12-13 16-8 W1[/b] St. Lucie 26 23 .531 5.5 11-12 15-11 L1 Daytona 21 27 .438 10.0 13-12 8-15 L2 Jupiter 18 29 .383 12.5 13-11 5-18 W4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delmarva 30 16 .652 - 17-3 13-13 W1 Hickory 27 20 .574 3.5 15-10 12-10 L1 [b]West Virginia 26 21 .553 4.5 14-10 12-11 W2[/b] Lexington 25 22 .532 5.5 16-11 9-11 L2 Lake County 21 24 .467 8.5 10-12 11-12 W1 Lakewood 22 26 .458 9.0 14-12 8-14 W2 Greensboro 21 27 .438 10.0 9-13 12-14 W1 Hagerstown 14 30 .318 15.0 5-12 9-18 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Helena 11 2 .846 - 5-2 6-0 W1[/b] Billings 6 8 .429 5.5 1-3 5-5 W2 Great Falls 5 8 .385 6.0 2-4 3-4 W1 Missoula 5 8 .385 6.0 4-5 1-3 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona League (R) - Arizona League Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AZL Giants 8 4 .667 - 3-3 5-1 L2 AZL Mariners 8 4 .667 - 4-2 4-2 W1 AZL Athletics 8 6 .571 1.0 6-2 2-4 L2 AZL Rangers 8 6 .571 1.0 5-3 3-3 W3 [b]AZL Brewers 6 5 .545 1.5 2-4 4-1 W1[/b] AZL Royals 6 5 .545 1.5 4-2 2-3 W4 AZL Angels 5 8 .385 3.5 1-1 4-7 L1 AZL Padres 4 8 .333 4.0 1-6 3-2 L2 AZL Cubs 3 10 .231 5.5 1-6 2-4 L2Stats and League Leaders, USA Today (or go to MILB.com): www.usatoday.com/sports/b.../index.htm

Links to follow Sunday's action as it happens: Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Helena: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Arizona: Not updated live, but usually later during the overnight... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times Central except for Arizona Rookie; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Wes Obermueller at Memphis (Cardinals), 1:45 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Birmingham (White Sox), 5:45 PM pre-game, 6:00 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. St. Lucie (Mets), 12:00 PM; no audio for this series West Virginia: RHP Kevin Roberts at home vs. Lexington (Astros), 1:05 PM Audio link: www.sportsjuice.com/provi...e=wvpower. Helena: TBD at home vs. Idaho Falls (Royals), 8:05 PM Audio link (opponent's): www.ifchukars.com/home/default.asp Arizona: TBD at home in the Maryvale complex vs. the rookie Kansas City kids, 7:00 PM local time; never any web audio for Arizona Rookie ball...

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Nothing in yet on Arizona...

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 11, Nashville 2 Nashville Site Game Summary: MEMPHIS ? Brandon Berger and John Gall made sure the Nashville Sounds? season-best five-game winning streak came to a close on Saturday evening. The Memphis duo combined for four home runs and nine RBIs in the Redbirds? 11-2 victory at Auto Zone Park in the second game of a four-game series. With the win, Memphis cut the Sounds? lead to 8 ½ games in the PCL American Conference Northern Division. Jeff Housman (5-11) took the loss after surrendering a Nashville season-high 11 runs on eight hits, including a Sounds season-high four homers, in his five frames. The left-hander has allowed two or more longballs five times this season and lost all five starts. Three big hitting streaks came to a close for Nashville. Leadoff hitter Dave Krynzel went 0-for-5, including four strikeouts, to bring the Sounds? longest active streak to a close at 11 games. Warren Morris saw his nine-game streak end on a pinch-hit strikeout. Prince Fielder finally cooled down with the lumber, finishing 0-for-3 with a walk to bring a close to his eight-gamer. Nashville third baseman Tony Zuniga left the game early after suffering a bruised right shin when he was hit by a Chris Narveson pitch in the top of the second inning. He remained in the game for one batter but was removed after moving to second on Julio Mosquera?s single, which extended the backstop?s hitting streak to a season-best six games. Zuniga was replaced by Steve Scarborough. The Redbirds recorded only two hits through the first four innings of play but made them both count in assuming an early advantage. Berger spotted the home team a 2-0 lead with a one-out, two-run homer to left off Housman in the bottom of the second inning, his 18th roundtripper of the year. Gall doubled the lead to 4-0 in the third with a two-out, two-run homer to left off Housman, the infielder?s 11th blast of the campaign. Scarborough (2-for-3) put the Sounds on the board in the fourth, swatting a leadoff solo homer to left off Narveson. The blast was the shortstop?s tenth of the year and gave Nashville six different players with a double-digit longball total, two shy of the club mark established last season. Infielder Corey Hart got into the longball act later in the frame, belting his first tater of the season to left-center with two outs to cut the Memphis lead to 4-2. AUDIO: Corey D. Hart's 1st Nashville HR www.nashvillesounds.com/a...208-13.mp3 Narveson fell one out short of qualifying for the victory in his Redbirds debut, walking three straight batters in the top of the fifth inning to draw the hook from skipper Danny Sheaffer. Reliever Jeremy Cummings came on to induce a popout from Scarborough to escape the jam. Memphis put the game out of reach with a seven-run fifth against Housman, highlighted by the second home runs of the evening by both Gall and Berger. Bo Hart opened the scoring when he plated Cummings, who had singled, with an RBI triple to the wall in right-center, the infielder?s first three-bagger of the season. Reggie Taylor followed with an RBI single to center before Gall added a two-run shot to left, his 12th of the year, to increase the lead to 8-2. Chad Allen singled and John Nelson walked prior to Berger?s three-run blast to left-center, his 19th of the year, that made it 11-2. Nashville?s best chance at getting back into the game came in the eighth when three straight singles by Scarborough, Mosquera, and Chris Barnwell loaded the bases with one out. However, Redbirds reliever Carmen Cali induced an inning-ending double play from Hart to escape the jam unscathed. Cummings (4-0) remained undefeated on the year, picking up the victory with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Narveson. The Sounds' bullpen continued its strong string of performances as Jeff Bennett (2.0 IP) and Kane Davis combined for three scoreless frames in relief of Housman. The teams continue the series with a 2:05 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Wes Obermueller (3-0, 2.38) takes the mound for Nashville to face Memphis right-hander Anthony Reyes (7-4, 3.44). Nashville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1

Final: Birmingham (White Sox) 6, Huntsville 0 Just ain't happening for this bunch... Huntsville Site Game Summary: Darren Blakely hit a home run and knocked in four runs to back the shutout pitching of Charlie Haeger in Birmingham?s 6-0 blanking of Huntsville Saturday night in the third game of a four-game set at the Hoover Met. The Barons won their fifth straight game to improve to 29-15 in the second half and maintained their game and a half lead over victorious Jacksonville in the South Division, while the Stars lost for the eighth time in their last nine games to drop to 20-28 in the second half. The Barons have won eight of the ten games played between the two teams, including four in a row and five out of six in Birmingham. Chris Young opened the home first taking starter Josh Habel?s first two pitches for balls and that drew the ire of Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur, who argued with home plate umpire Jeff Latter that similar pitches in the top of the inning thrown by Haeger had been called strikes. The argument ensued, as manager Don Money also got involved, and Sauveur eventually earned his second ejection of the season. Young wound up walking on four pitches, moving to second base on a deep fly out by Andy Gonzalez, stealing third and scoring on a single dumped into center field by Blakely. Habel worked out of a bases loaded two-out situation in the second inning by inducing Gonzalez to bounce into an inning-ending force play and kept the home team off the board until the fifth. Young walked with one out and scored when Blakely blasted a two-out home run to left field. It was his 17th long ball of the season and only his third as a right-handed hitter. The Barons knocked Habel out of the game in the seventh after run-scoring doubles by Gonzalez, Blakely and Ryan Sweeney. Habel suffered his fifth loss in six starts since rejoining the Stars and matched Ryan Costello for the longest losing streak this season by a Stars pitcher. Gerrit Simpson retired all four hitters he faced in relief and has tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings since joining the team. Meanwhile, Haeger allowed three singles through the first seven innings before Kennard Bibbs opened the eighth with an infield hit and moved to third on a one-out single by Tony Gwynn, Jr., who pushed his hitting streak to a season-high ten games. The Stars lone scoring threat ended when Callix Crabbe bounced into an inning-ending double play. Bibbs was the only Stars runner to reach third base, as the visitors were blanked for an eleventh time on the season. Haeger improved to 5-1 with his first complete game of the season and Birmingham?s third. The right-hander struck out three and walked two and has now held the Stars scoreless in 22 of the 23 innings he has worked against them this year. Huntsville?s only four runs against Haeger were scored in the fourth inning at the Hoover Met on July 22. The series wraps up Sunday evening with Stars right-hander Dennis Sarfate taking the mound against Birmingham left-hander Daniel Haigwood. Coverage of the game gets underway at 5:45 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_biraax_1