Jim Goulart

West Virginia Site Game Summary: The box score confirms the number, but since when does the new ballpark seat this many and what was so special about this Thursday night game? Patton out-duels Kloosterman in front of 10,000 fans at Appalachian Power ParkCharleston, WV ? Greg Kloosterman and Troy Patton treated the largest crowd in Appalachian Power Park history to an outstanding pitcher?s duel on Thursday night. 10,103 fans watched as Kloosterman gave up a pair of runs on four hits and struck out a season high eight batters through six and a third innings but Troy Patton threw six and two thirds innings before allowing his first hit of the ballgame as the Legends went on to beat the Power by the final of 6-0. The Legends scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Ben Zobrist. Hunter Pence hit a solo homer in the top of the sixth inning to give the Legends a 2-0 lead. Troy Patton had a no-hitter going until Will Lewis smacked a two out single in the bottom of the seventh inning to break it up. Ben Zobrist struck again with another sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning and Mitch Einertson put the icing on the cake for Lexington with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning. Patton (4-0) earned the victory, Chad Reineke (4) earned the save and Kloosterman (3-8) obtained the loss. The Power fall to 20-40 with the loss and the Legends move to 37-24 with the win. The Power will conclude the series against Lexington on Friday night at Appalachian Power Park. RHP Josh Baker (1-3, 8.51) will throw for the Power and the Legends will counter with RHP Ronnie Martinez (3-3, 5.43). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Eveland Continues Excellent Mound WorkDana Eveland put together another solid seven inning effort and Tony Zuniga knocked in a pair of runs in Huntsville?s 4-3 win over Chattanooga Thursday night at BellSouth Park. The Stars ended a five-game road losing streak and beat the Lookouts for the first time this year in five tries to improve to 24-37. Huntsville has won three times in the last 14 games since May 27 and all three have come in the last three games started by Eveland. The Lookouts dropped to 10-23 on home soil and to 24-37 overall and were stalled in their attempt to win a third straight home game for the second time this season. The Stars snapped a scoreless tie in the fifth inning when Ben Van Iderstine led off with a single, stole second base and scored on a double by Zuniga, his first of two on the night. John Vanden Berg dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Enrique Cruz followed with a base hit to plate Zuniga to push the lead to 2-0. Kennard Bibbs, Vinny Rottino and Nelson Cruz singled to load the bases with nobody out in the sixth before Van Iderstine bounced into a force out at the plate. Zuniga then lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to chase home Rottino and Cruz tagged at second and headed for third. Stephen Smitherman?s throw to the infield rolled past third baseman Jeff Bannon back to the screen behind home plate and allowed Cruz to score to make it 4-0 Huntsville. Lance Caraccioli, making a spot start, was charged with the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits over six innings. The southpaw struck out five and suffered his first defeat since May 2 against Tennessee. Caraccioli has not won since May 15, a span of four relief appearances and two starts. Eveland tossed five shutout frames before allowing a three-run home run to Bannon with two outs in the sixth that trimmed the lead to 4-3. The long ball was the first extra base hit allowed by Eveland since a Michael Tucker double in the sixth inning on May 25 and the first earned runs he had allowed since the seventh inning of that same game, a stretch of 18 2/3 innings. Kevin Howard and Bryan Anderson singled with one out in the seventh and pulled off a double steal before Eveland fanned pinch-hitter Josh Renick for the second out of the inning. Norris Hopper was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring up left-handed hitting Junior Ruiz, who flied to Bibbs in center field for the final out of the inning. Mitch Stetter worked two scoreless frames to record his fourth save of the year and first since April 29 against Tennessee. Eveland became the first Stars pitcher to win six games and the first to win three consecutive decisions. He matched a season-high with his seven innings of work, the eighth time a Stars starter has gone seven innings in a game. Eveland has lasted at least six innings in nine of his last 11 starts and is second in the league with 77 1/3 innings pitched. The two teams open a two-game set at Joe Davis Stadium Friday night, as the Stars will send right-hander Dennis Sarfate to the hill against Chattanooga right-hander Josh Hall. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

In progress: Nashville 8, Iowa (Cubs) 8, top of the 8th in Des Moines Crazy eights! Sounds trailed 7-0 after five innings -- it's 10:00 PM Central, listen in if you can...

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 2, Brevard County 1, 11 innings This is getting painful -- this team oozes with close but no cigar... Brevard County Box Score: Give up an unearned run in the bottom of the 9th (minor league vet Wandel Campana's been dreadful defensively as of late), and then Nick Slack hits the first man he faces in the 11th -- this cannot be a happy clubhouse... YTD YTD BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG ST. LUCIE AB R H BI AVG T.Ezi CF 3 0 0 0 .253 C.Ragsdale SS 5 0 0 0 .243 W.Campana 2B 5 0 0 0 .261 L.Milledge CF 5 0 1 0 .291 D.Anderson LF 5 1 2 0 .291 C.Stewart RF 3 2 1 0 .270 A.Heether 3B 4 0 1 0 .290 A.Wilson 1B 5 0 1 0 .271 L.Palmisano CAT 5 0 0 1 .246 J.Slack LF 4 0 0 0 .271 J.Eure 1B 4 0 0 0 .213 J.Hill DH 4 0 1 1 .211 C.Medlin DH 4 0 0 0 .277 S.Bowman 3B 4 0 3 1 .195 O.Chavez SS 3 0 1 0 .237 T.Piazza CAT 4 0 0 0 .220 R.Deevers RF 4 0 0 0 .167 K.Rios 2B 4 0 1 0 .154 C.Villanueva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Walker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 H.Owens PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Wolfe PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Camacho PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Stockman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Belson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 1 4 1 TOTALS 38 2 8 2 BREVARD COUNTY 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 1 4 1 ST. LUCIE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1- 2 8 2 E--W.Campana, C.Ragsdale, S.Bowman. DP--BREVARD COUNTY 2, ST. LUCIE 2. LOB--BREVARD COUNTY 7, ST. LUCIE 9. 2B--L.Milledge (9), A.Wilson (13), J.Hill (10), S.Bowman (9). SB--D.Anderson (7), O.Chavez (4), C.Stewart (2). CS--K.Rios. HBP--C.Stewart 2. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BREVARD COUNTY C.Villanueva 5.0 4 0 0 1 6 0 2.06 B.Hall 3.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3.89 B.Wolfe 1.0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0.00 L.Stockman 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.50 N.Slack (L,0-4) 0.2 1 1 1 1 1 0 9.53 ST. LUCIE B.Walker 5.0 2 1 1 3 2 0 4.85 H.Owens 4.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 4.15 E.Camacho 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.13 G.Belson (W,1-1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2.00 HB--C.Villanueva, N.Slack. WP--B.Walker. SO--T.Ezi, W.Campana 2, A.Heether, R.Deevers, C.Ragsdale, L.Milledge, C.Stewart, A.Wilson 3, J.Slack 3, J.Hill, S.Bowman, K.Rios. BB--T.Ezi 2, A.Heether, O.Chavez, J.Slack, J.Hill, S.Bowman. T--3:07. A--1774Brevard County Game Log: Manatees with a nice 2-3-6 defensive putout of Lastings Milledge in the 4th; has Lou Palmisano given us a reason to be excited since accepting his Pioneer League MVP trophy almost two years ago? www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_sluafx_1

Final: Lexington (Astros) 6, West Virginia 0 Will Lewis gets the Power's first hit in the 7th... West Virginia Box Score: Yes, Hunter Pence (22nd HR and on his way to a South Atlantic League MVP season), was the Brewers' 40th round pick (juco) in 2002; Hasan Rasheed with the urban sombrero -- wait, that's a Seinfeld reference; Derek Decarlo not only struggled, but had a zero-to-eight ground ball / fly ball ratio - ugh; Greg Kloosterman does have a Chris Capuano-like pickoff move... YTD YTD LEXINGTON AB R H BI AVG WEST VIRGINIA AB R H BI AVG J.Ash DH 4 1 0 0 .330 H.Rasheed LF 4 0 0 0 .273 B.Triplett 3B 5 1 2 0 .257 F.Parejo CF 4 0 0 0 .226 H.Pence CF 4 1 2 1 .347 W.Lewis 2B 3 0 1 0 .290 B.Zobrist SS 2 0 0 2 .291 C.Corporan DH 3 0 0 0 .242 O.Sheldon 1B 4 0 0 0 .333 G.Richardson 1B 3 0 0 0 .236 F.Caraballo RF 4 1 1 0 .276 A.Festa 3B 3 0 0 0 .091 C.McGill 2B 3 1 1 0 .182 J.Murray SS 2 0 1 0 .195 M.Einertson LF 3 1 1 3 .217 C.Lozada CAT 3 0 0 0 .140 L.Santangelo CAT 3 0 0 0 .231 A.Mannon RF 3 0 0 0 .161 T.Patton PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Klosterman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Reineke PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Decarlo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 6 7 6 TOTALS 28 0 2 0 LEXINGTON 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 3- 6 7 0 WEST VIRGINIA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 2 2 E--G.Richardson, A.Festa. DP--LEXINGTON 1, WEST VIRGINIA 1. LOB-- LEXINGTON 6, WEST VIRGINIA 2. 2B--B.Triplett (4), F.Caraballo (11). HR--H.Pence (22), M.Einertson (5). SB--H.Pence (8), L.Santangelo (3). CS--M.Einertson. SF--B.Zobrist 2. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LEXINGTON T.Patton (W,4-0) 6.2 1 0 0 1 8 0 0.98 C.Reineke (S,4) 2.1 1 0 0 0 3 0 3.53 WEST VIRGINIA G.Klosterman (L,3-8) 6.1 4 2 2 1 8 1 4.70 D.Decarlo 2.2 3 4 3 4 0 1 4.46 SO--J.Ash, B.Zobrist, O.Sheldon, F.Caraballo 2, C.McGill 2, L.Santangelo, H.Rasheed 4, G.Richardson 3, A.Festa, J.Murray, C.Lozada, A.Mannon. BB--J.Ash, H.Pence, C.McGill, M.Einertson, L.Santangelo, J.Murray. T--2:22. A--10103West Virginia Game Log: Total domination... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Huntsville 4, Chattanooga (Reds) 3 Very pleasurable audio choice this evening -- just wrapped up -- Stars' site summary a bit later on... Huntsville Box Score: Dana Eveland with seven very solid innings, gave up a three-run HR, but pitched better than his very good line shows... YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG CHATTANOOGA AB R H BI AVG C.Crabbe 2B 4 0 1 0 .231 N.Hopper CF 3 0 1 0 .355 K.Bibbs CF 0 0 0 0 .282 J.Ruiz RF 4 1 0 0 .000 K.Bibbs LF 5 0 2 0 .282 D.Jimenez SS 3 1 0 0 .231 V.Rottino 1B 5 1 2 0 .277 J.Bannon 3B 4 1 2 3 .276 N.Cruz RF 4 1 1 0 .300 R.Hanigan CAT 4 0 0 0 .299 B.Vn Idrstne LF 3 1 1 0 .264 S.Smitherman LF 4 0 1 0 .161 A.Gwynn PH 0 0 0 0 .285 K.Howard 2B 4 0 2 0 .276 A.Gwynn CF 1 0 1 0 .285 B.Anderson 1B 3 0 1 0 .233 T.Zuniga 3B 3 1 2 2 .262 L.Caraccioli PIT 0 0 0 0 .067 J.Vandn Berg CAT 1 0 0 0 .247 R.Asadoorian PH 1 0 0 0 .209 E.Cruz SS 4 0 1 1 .286 J.Bruksch PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Eveland PIT 2 0 0 0 .080 J.Renick PH 1 0 0 0 .121 M.Stetter PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 D.Shafer PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Peterson PH 1 0 0 0 .241 TOTALS 32 4 11 3 TOTALS 32 3 7 3 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0- 4 11 1 CHATTANOOGA 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0- 3 7 2 E--T.Zuniga, D.Jimenez, S.Smitherman. DP--HUNTSVILLE 1, CHATTANOOGA 1. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 8, CHATTANOOGA 6. 2B--V.Rottino (11), T.Zuniga 2 (7). HR--J.Bannon (10). SB--C.Crabbe (11), B.Vn Idrstne (2), K.Howard (8), B.Anderson (1). CS--K.Bibbs, D.Jimenez. SF--T.Zuniga. SH--C.Crabbe, J.Vandn Berg, D.Eveland, L.Caraccioli. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE D.Eveland (W,6-4) 7.0 7 3 3 2 2 1 3.03 M.Stetter (S,5) 2.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2.57 CHATTANOOGA L.Caraccioli (L,5-4) 6.0 8 4 3 1 5 0 3.78 J.Bruksch 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3.56 D.Shafer 2.0 2 0 0 2 2 0 6.39 WP--D.Eveland. SO--K.Bibbs 2, V.Rottino 2, N.Cruz, J.Vandn Berg, D.Eveland, R.Hanigan, S.Smitherman, J.Renick. BB--J.Vandn Berg 2, M.Stetter, N.Hopper, D.Jimenez, B.Anderson. T--2:35. A--3285Huntsville Game Log: Eveland's final inning, the 7th, showed his moxie with a one-run lead; the Stars wasted a golden opportunity for an insurance run in the top of the 9th -- Mitch Stetter saw to it that it wouldn't matter... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

Canadians drafted: By team: Milwaukee 8, Toronto 4, Minnesota 3, San Diego 3, Los Angeles 3, Florida 3, Cincinnati 2, Kansas City 2, Seattle 2, San Francisco 2, Washington 1, Arizona 1, Atlanta 1, Cleveland 1, Detroit 1, Houston 1, St. Louis 1, Yankees 1, Mets 1, Tampa Bay 1. Link: slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseba..._2005.html

Nashville Media Notes for Thursday: www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Nashville Site: GLOVER TO JOIN SOUNDS THIS WEEKEND: Right-hander Gary Glover, who played for the Iowa Cubs last season, will join the Nashville pitching staff this weekend after clearing waivers and accepting an assignment to the Sounds. The 28-year-old hurler -- who was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Monday when the club added former Sounds catcher Julio Mosquera to its activeroster -- went 3-4 with a 6.70 ERA (37er/49.2ip) in 12 appearances (nine starts) for the Brewers this season.

Heading into Thursday's activity: AM-NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (ST.LOUIS) 30 29 .508 [b]NASHVILLE SOUNDS (MILWAUKEE) 30 30 .500 .5[/b] OMAHA ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 27 33 .450 3.5 IOWA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 25 35 .417 5.5 NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB CAROLINA MUDCATS (FLORIDA) 39 18 .684 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 38 20 .655 1.5 TENNESSEE SMOKIES (ARIZONA) 23 36 .390 17.0 CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS (CINCINNATI) 23 36 .390 17.0 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 23 37 .383 17.5[/b] EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB VERO BEACH DODGERS (LOS ANGELES DODGERS) 34 23 .596 JUPITER HAMMERHEADS (FLORIDA) 32 26 .552 2.5 DAYTONA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 28 27 .509 5.0 PALM BEACH CARDINALS (ST.LOUIS) 27 31 .466 7.5 [b]ST. LUCIE METS (NEW YORK METS) 22 33 .400 11.0[/b] BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES (MILWAUKEE) 22 37 .373 13.0 NORTHERN DIVISION W L PCT GB LEXINGTON LEGENDS (HOUSTON) 36 23 .610 HAGERSTOWN SUNS (NEW YORK METS) 35 23 .603 .5 LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS (CLEVELAND) 34 26 .567 2.5 KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 30 30 .500 6.5 DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS (BALTIMORE) 25 35 .417 11.5 HICKORY CRAWDADS (PITTSBURGH) 21 35 .375 13.5 LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS (PHILADELPHIA) 21 37 .362 14.5 [b]WEST VIRGINIA POWER (MILWAUKEE) 20 39 .339 16.0[/b]

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...005060914/ Rookie League starting point for Brewers' picks Matt Lockhart Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Sure, Milwaukee stockpiled its future in this week's Major League draft. But what does that mean for the low Class A West Virginia Power? Well, if history dictates future, it most likely means, "See you next year." Not a single player from the Brewers' 2004 draft was sent to start the season in low Class A right after the draft. They all began in Rookie League. Then, only three of the 19 players signed last year by Milwaukee even made it to Class A in their first professional season. Looking at the numbers, Milwaukee's 2005 draft compares similar to last June. Last year, nine of the 19 signed players were from high school, two were from junior college and eight from a four-year college. Seven were position players and 12 were pitchers. In the top 19 picks of this draft, the Brewers took eight high schoolers, six junior college players and five guys from four-year institutions. Nine are position players this year, while 10 are pitchers. Generally, Milwaukee has started all players off in Rookie League, especially the high school kids. First-round picks Rickie Weeks (second overall in 2003) and Prince Fielder (seventh overall in 2002) were no different, even though Weeks played just one Rookie League game. Weeks, an established college player, went to Class A after one game and eventually got called up to the big league team for a short late-season stint. Fielder, though, was a high school player who spent 42 games in Rookie League before ending the year in Class A ball. "If you went to college, it is pretty much the same," said Power outfielder Will Lewis, about the difficulties of Class A pitching. "You're facing pretty good pitchers every night. You have to do it every night -- day in and day out. It becomes a grind. You're body gets tired. "I don't know about high school guys," Lewis said after Wednesday's 9-7 loss to Lexington. "This might be a whole big experience for those guys." High school players and young junior college prospects might not have the experience of playing so many games deep into the summer. And from a history standpoint, college players are a little more fine tuned, which is why it's likely Milwaukee's top draft pick Ryan Braun (fifth overall) could end up in Charleston sometime. There's a chance it might not be as soon as some think, even though the Brewers' front office has spoken publicly about the lack of organizational depth at third base. The third baseman, who some project will eventually switch to outfield, will finish his college postseason with the 14th-ranked University of Miami before signing. If the Brewers opt to send him to Rookie League first, it could be late July or August before he gets a shot with the Power. POWER PLUGS: Lexington's 22-year-old centerfielder Hunter Pence leads all of professional baseball with 21 homers. Five of those long balls have come against the Power. ... Wednesday's game lasted 3 hours and 3 minutes. ... The Power (20-39) led 7-6 entering the ninth, before Lexington put up three runs on reliever Robert Hinton. ... It took more than 50 games, but Power players are finally climbing into the South Atlantic League leaderboard. Injured shortstop Alcides Escobar was 10th in the league with a .312 average entering Wednesday's game. He is expected to return from an ankle injury this weekend. Second baseman Hernan Iribarren ranks fourth in the SAL with 21 stolen bases. Escobar and Iribarren both are tied for first in the SAL with five triples apiece. ... Appalachian Power Park will go over the 100,000 attendance mark Friday, which only has standing room seats available. In just 28 home games, the Power has drawn 94,874 for an average of 3,388. In Watt Powell Park's sendoff last year, only 128,158 came to see the Charleston Alley Cats.

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_iowaaa_1 The Bad News Bears, er Power Jack Bogaczyk Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor It was advertised by the West Virginia Power as the first "Businessmen's Special." Actually, a sweat-stained Wednesday afternoon game at Appalachian Power Park wasn't anything special. If you've been to the park in its two-month history, you've seen it before. It was business as usual for Charleston's baseball team. You win some. You lose some. The Power has lost twice as many as it has won. The Milwaukee Brewers' low Class A farm team remains about as far south as you can go in the South Atlantic League. Lexington rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to win, 9-7, after blowing a four-run lead in the fifth and sixth. It was the fourth time the Power has gagged with a lead after eight this season. West Virginia had 12 hits. Lexington had four errors and used five pitchers, allowing seven walks. It was a typically Powerful way to lose, with 11 men left on base. At this point, it isn't so much that the Power (20-39) loses -- we've become accustomed to that -- but how it does so. The season is two months old, and the SAL first-half has only 11 games remaining, but the Power continues to make the same mistakes it made in early April. The starting pitchers nibble and work into far too many deep counts. The batters' situational hitting is woeful. How does about .200 with runners in scoring position and two outs sound? Fielders often treat cutoff men like cigar store Indians. The base runners, watching the ball instead of coaches, well ... In the first, Charlie Lozada ran through Manager Ramon Aviles' stop sign at third, trying to score on a Carlos Corporan single. Lozada ended up in a third-home rundown, and was out 9-4-5-2-5 if you're scoring ... which is a good idea, because it's a helpful distraction at Power ball. Yes, caught in a pickle pretty much describes the season. The Power is the Bad News Bears of the SAL, except Aviles, unlike Mr. Buttermaker, can't go to his trunk and get a cold brew when the team makes the same fundamental gaffes it did two months ago. I'm tired of hearing from Power management how this club is much younger than other SAL teams. It's a good thing Charleston has a new, inviting ballyard, because the Power isn't going to put anyone in the seats with the way it plays. The Brewers don't have any answers here. If they did, we'd already have seen it. It's going to take more than sending in roving instructors in multiples. The organization already has switched hitting coaches in Charleston. The Power has used 33 players in two months. Last season, at Beloit in the low Class A Midwest League, Milwaukee used 39 players in an entire season. Maybe, when Power club management sold everyone on the quality of the Brewers' farm system, some us should have had a clue. After all, Bob Uecker is on the cover of the Milwaukee media guide. That pretty much sums up the Power ... just a bit outside. On the eve of Opening Day, Power General Manager Andy Milovich, discussing potential affiliations eschewed for Milwaukee, told me, "Really, who wants the Mets?" Well, the Mets are in Hagerstown in the SAL, and the Suns have pounded the Power and are battling Lexington for the first-half Northern Division title. Milwaukee has the second-worst record in minor league systems. Only the Phillies are worse. Yes, the Power has improved in May and June, but when you start 0-7 and have a 4-18 April, there's only one direction you can go. I agree there are future big leaguers with West Virginia. You don't see a middle infield duo in the low bushes like Hernan Iribarren and Alcides Escobar every day. Some of the new faces have matured the club and improved it ... but the same mistakes are being made, repeatedly. Who's to blame? Aviles? Brewer brass? After every game, the Power has a closed-door clubhouse meeting. Some are lengthy. They don't seem to be doing much good. The next day, the Power makes the same mistakes it did two or three days earlier. Last season, Charleston had a bad ballpark and a good (84-56) team, although we've since learned through suspensions that some of those Alley Cats were juiced. This year, West Virginia has a great park and a bad team. The business day attendance of 1,681 was the first home crowd under 2,000 for the Power this season. West Virginia will eclipse 100,000 in home attendance Friday night with a sellout. Not that the Power has done anything on the field to earn that. Milwaukee has a chance to make changes when the SAL second-half season begins June 21. Everyone is 0-0 again then. If the Brewers don't have players to send, ship in Uecker for a night. At least he's earned the laughs. It's about time Milwaukee delivers here. Otherwise, Charleston has every right to give the Brewers a powerful different kind of business.

Links to follow Thursday's action as it happens: Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_iowaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_sluafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Thursday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Jose Capellan at Iowa (Cubs), 6:45 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Dana Eveland at Chattanooga (Reds), 7:00 PM pre-game, 7:15 PM gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ If that link is down for bandwidth, use: specs.eyecentric.com/pres...opup.shtml Brevard County: TBD at St. Lucie (Mets), 7:00 PM; no audio for this series West Virginia: TBD at home vs. Lexington (Astros), 6:05 PM Audio link: www.wlxg.com/WLXG.asx

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

Final: St. Lucie (Mets) 9, Brevard County 8 The Manatee bats finally ignite, only to be done in by a weak Josh Habel start, a ninth-inning error, and Nick Slack's continued problems (walk, bases-loaded double)... Brevard County Box Score: Must have been an excited Mets team -- bases-loades game-winning double is about as big a walk-off as it gets... YTD YTD BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG ST. LUCIE AB R H BI AVG T.Ezi CF 4 2 2 2 .261 C.Ragsdale SS 5 2 3 0 .249 W.Campana SS 5 2 4 3 .270 L.Milledge CF 5 2 1 0 .295 D.Anderson RF 0 0 0 0 .288 C.Stewart DH 4 1 0 0 .265 D.Anderson LF 4 1 2 2 .288 A.Wilson 1B 4 2 2 3 .273 A.Heether 3B 5 0 0 0 .292 J.Hill RF 3 1 1 2 .210 L.Palmisano CAT 4 0 0 0 .253 S.Bowman 3B 4 1 2 4 .184 J.Eure DH 4 1 2 1 .217 A.Turay LF 4 0 1 0 .207 J.Serfass LF 4 1 1 0 .129 T.Piazza CAT 2 0 0 0 .243 R.Deevers RF 0 0 0 0 .173 Y.Garcia CAT 1 0 0 0 .180 S.Sollmann 2B 4 1 1 0 .232 K.Rios 2B 4 0 0 0 .146 C.De La Cruz 1B 3 0 1 0 .200 C.Smith PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Habel PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Strayhorn PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Durost PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Hill PIT 0 0 0 0 .210 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Camacho PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 8 13 8 TOTALS 36 9 10 9 BREVARD COUNTY 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2- 8 13 1 ST. LUCIE 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 3- 9 10 3 E--W.Campana, L.Milledge, S.Bowman, T.Piazza. DP--BREVARD COUNTY 0, ST. LUCIE 1. LOB--BREVARD COUNTY 5, ST. LUCIE 6. 2B--L.Milledge (8), A.Wilson 2 (12). HR--W.Campana (2), D.Anderson (3), J.Eure (12), S.Bowman (5). CS--T.Ezi. SH--T.Ezi, C.De La Cruz. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BREVARD COUNTY J.Habel 5.1 5 6 6 3 6 1 3.38 K.Durost 3.0 4 2 1 0 2 0 7.84 N.Slack (L,0-3) 0.0 1 1 1 1 0 0 9.41 ST. LUCIE C.Smith 6.0 9 6 6 0 4 2 6.07 K.Strayhorn 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4.05 J.Hill 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 E.Camacho (W,1-1) 1.0 2 2 2 0 0 1 3.27 SO--T.Ezi, A.Heether, J.Eure, J.Serfass 2, C.Ragsdale, L.Milledge, J.Hill, A.Turay 2, T.Piazza, Y.Garcia, K.Rios. BB--D.Anderson, C.Stewart, A.Wilson, J.Hill, T.Piazza. T--3:03. A--402Brevard County Game Log: Eight runs scored despite nothing from Heether and Palmisano... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_sluafx_1

Final: Chattanooga (Reds) 3, Huntsville 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Lookouts Edge Struggling StarsBen Kozlowski worked six solid innings and Norris Hopper collected two hits and knocked in a pair of runs in Chattanooga?s 3-2 victory over Huntsville Wednesday night at BellSouth Park. The Lookouts won for just the third time in 15 games to improve to 24-36, while the Stars fell for the 18th time in their last 22 games to drop to 23-37 and into last place in the North Division. Huntsville dropped to 5-14 in one-run games and has lost five consecutive games on the road. The Lookouts loaded the bases in the second inning on singles by Kevin Howard, Ryan Hanigan and Bryan Anderson with nobody out before Kozlowski grounded into a force out at the plate for the first out of the inning. Hopper then singled to center field on a 1-2 offering from Ryan Costello to chase home Hanigan and Anderson to put the home team on top 2-0. Hopper has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games overall and in three straight against the Stars, who stopped his league-best 21-game hitting streak on May 19. Huntsville loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Nelson Cruz, who has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, and Tony Zuniga and when Ben Van Iderstine was hit by a pitch. Jeff Winchester followed with a double to right-center field to deliver Cruz and Zuniga to tie the game and send Van Iderstine to third base. Enrique Cruz was called out on strikes on three pitches for the first out, Costello popped out to second base and Van Iderstine was thrown out at the plate for the final out on an attempted bunt by Callix Crabbe. The decisive run came in the fifth when Jeff Bannon walked with one out, stole second base and scored with two outs after Van Iderstine dropped a fly ball in left field hit by Kevin Howard, who reached base for a third consecutive at-bat. Costello suffered the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits over six innings of work. Kozlowski yielded both Huntsville runs on five hits and two walks and won for a third time on the year, all at home. The southpaw struck out three and lasted at least six frames for a third time in four starts and for a sixth time in a dozen starts. Jason Andrew worked two scoreless innings and David Shafer retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his second save and preserve the Lookouts second 3-2 win in four games against the Stars. Chattanooga has won all four games and outscored the Stars 17-7 in so doing. Luke Hudson, the scheduled starter for the Lookouts Thursday, will rejoin the Reds and pitch instead in Cincinnati against Tampa Bay. The right-hander, who went 4-1 for the Reds last season, made one appearance for the Lookouts on Saturday and allowed four runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out seven, over 6 2/3 innings in a 4-0 loss to Jacksonville. He had been sidelined with inflammation in his right throwing shoulder. The series concludes Thursday night with left-hander Dana Eveland making the start for the Stars against Lookouts left-hander Lance Caraccioli, who will fill in for Hudson. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:00 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG CHATTANOOGA AB R H BI AVG C.Crabbe 2B 4 0 0 0 .230 N.Hopper CF 4 0 2 2 .365 A.Gwynn CF 3 0 0 0 .282 J.Ruiz RF 4 0 0 0 .000 V.Rottino 1B 4 0 0 0 .274 D.Jimenez SS 4 0 0 0 .217 N.Cruz RF 3 1 2 0 .301 J.Bannon 3B 2 1 0 0 .277 T.Zuniga 3B 4 1 2 0 .255 S.Smitherman LF 4 0 0 0 .145 B.Vn Idrstne LF 2 0 0 0 .261 K.Howard 2B 4 0 1 0 .272 K.Bibbs PH 0 0 0 0 .279 R.Hanigan CAT 4 1 1 0 .313 K.Bibbs LF 1 0 0 0 .279 B.Anderson 1B 3 1 2 0 .239 J.Winchester CAT 4 0 1 2 .291 B.Kozlowski PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 E.Cruz SS 4 0 1 0 .286 R.Asadoorian PH 1 0 1 0 .212 R.Costello PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 J.Andrew PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 B.Gemoll PH 1 0 0 0 .231 D.Shafer PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Evert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Rodriguez PH 1 0 0 0 .231 TOTALS 33 2 6 2 TOTALS 32 3 7 2 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0- 2 6 3 CHATTANOOGA 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 X- 3 7 1 E--C.Crabbe, B.Vn Idrstne, E.Cruz, J.Bannon. DP--HUNTSVILLE 0, CHATTANOOGA 0. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 7, CHATTANOOGA 7. 2B--J.Winchester (3), B.Anderson (10). SB--E.Cruz (10), N.Hopper (19), J.Bannon (10), K.Howard (7). CS--R.Asadoorian. HBP--B.Vn Idrstne. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE R.Costello (L,0-2) 6.0 7 3 2 2 1 0 6.00 B.Evert 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 7.36 CHATTANOOGA B.Kozlowski (W,3-1) 6.0 5 2 2 2 3 0 3.03 J.Andrew 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3.32 D.Shafer (S,2) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7.59 HB--B.Kozlowski. SO--C.Crabbe, E.Cruz 3, R.Costello, B.Gemoll, J.Bannon, K.Howard, B.Kozlowski. BB--A.Gwynn, N.Cruz, J.Bannon 2. T--2:27. A--2758Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cngaax_1

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2005060853 Lexington?s ninth-inning comeback sinks Power 9-7 By Mitch Vingle Charleston Gazette Sports Editor On a hot Charleston afternoon, playing before a Business Persons crowd of 1,681, the streaking West Virginia Power had something, well, Bruin. Former UCLA pitcher Dave Johnson, used to the heat, was on the mound, holding a 7-6 lead and mowing down Lexington Legends. In 3 1/3 innings of relief work, Johnson had struck out six and given up no hits. The win, it seemed, was in hand. Then Power manager Ramon Aviles and pitching coach John Curtis inserted Robert Hinton to pitch the ninth inning. The result was a 9-7 Lexington victory at Appalachian Power Park, the ninth Legends victory in 12 games this season against the Power. ?Johnson was throwing well,?? said Lexington manager Tim Bogar, who spent nine years in the major leagues. ?He was keeping our hitters off-stride.?? Johnson?s pitch count, however, was up. And, with Hardball Bingo cards in the stadium seats, so was the Power?s number. ?When we set up the game,?? Curtis said, ?we were hoping for a 5-2-2 [inning] split with our pitchers. We were really counting on Johnson for two innings. The eighth inning was really gravy.?? In the top of the ninth, Hinton gave up a single to Legends leadoff hitter Jonny Ash. He struck out Bryan Triplett, but also uncorked a wild pitch on a 1-2 count to the South Atlantic League?s home run leader, Hunter Pence, who went on to beat out an infield hit. With the hits even at 11, Ben Zobrist, Lexington?s cleanup hitter, tied the game with a clean single to right field. A dribbler to third and a fielder?s choice accounted for the game?s final numbers. The Power had a base runner in the final inning, but pinch-hitter Josh Brady hit into a double play to end the game. ?This hurt in a funny way,?? said Curtis. ?We didn?t belong in the game; they handed us runs. That kept us in the ballgame after the rough beginning.?? Lexington went out to a 6-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Power starter Brian Montalbo gave up nine hits and six runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings. ?I was disappointed in the way Montalbo pitched,?? Curtis said. ?He threw 97 pitches in less than five innings. In this heat, that?s not the way to pitch.?? West Virginia, however, received a few lifts. First, Lexington committed four errors. Then there was Johnson, who closed out the top of the fifth and pitched strongly. And in the bottom of the fifth, with two outs and nobody on, the Power rallied for three runs. Legends pitcher Evan Englebrook gave away two of those runs by throwing a fielded ball away going to first. The hosts went ahead in the bottom of the sixth when Carlos Corporan had an RBI single to left field and Tony Festa had an RBI double to right. In the top of the seventh, Johnson struck out the side. ?I felt really loose from the hot weather,?? said the righty. ?I had no soreness and the [Lexington] hitters were really aggressive. I took advantage of that.?? His arm, though, was soon to be iced. Johnson said it was Curtis? call to lift him. ?I?ve been throwing a lot lately,?? Johnson said, ?and that?s why I didn?t go back out.?? Hinton fell to 2-3 with the loss. Paul Estrada, the fourth Lexington pitcher, earned the win, while Jeff Wigdahl was credited with a save. Lexington?s Ole Sheldon was 3-for-4, while Kevin Vital drove in three runs. The Power, now 20-39, will again play host to Lexington (36-24) at 7:05 p.m. Thursday (6:05 Central) for Buck Night. West Virginia has only 10 games remaining in the Sally League?s first half-season. ***Monday?s Power game against Lakewood that was suspended in the 11th inning will be continued at 1:05 p.m. Sunday (12:05 Central) with the score knotted at 7. The Power and Blueclaws will settle that score and then play a 7-inning game after the first game is completed. Power shortstop Josh Murray is tripped up on the double-play turn by Lexington?s Ole Sheldon, sustaining the Legends? rally in the ninth inning. Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power7.jpg

Final: Lexington (Astros) 9, West Virginia 7 Oh no, young Robert Hinton, who's been absolutely stellar out of the pen, loses a two-run lead in the 9th... West Virginia Box Score: Josh Murray over the Mendoza line (first time this year?); Brian Montalbo with another blah start; by the way, we believe Alcides Escobar will be back in the lineup by the end of the weekend -- some sort of minor leg injury... YTD YTD LEXINGTON AB R H BI AVG WEST VIRGINIA AB R H BI AVG J.Ash 2B 4 2 2 0 .337 W.Lewis CF 5 1 2 0 .289 B.Triplett 3B 4 1 1 1 .246 H.Iribarren 2B 5 2 2 0 .313 H.Pence CF 5 1 2 1 .344 C.Lozada 1B 4 0 0 0 .150 B.Zobrist SS 5 3 2 2 .294 G.Richardson 1B 0 0 0 0 .242 O.Sheldon 1B 4 1 3 1 .455 C.Corporan DH 4 1 2 1 .247 K.Vital DH 5 0 1 3 .188 A.Festa 3B 4 1 1 1 .125 F.Caraballo RF 5 0 1 1 .277 J.Murray SS 4 1 2 0 .192 M.Einertson LF 4 0 0 0 .215 H.Rasheed LF 3 1 1 0 .300 L.Santangelo CAT 3 1 1 0 .236 A.Mannon RF 4 0 2 1 .169 R.Clark CAT 1 0 0 0 .241 C.Blevins CAT 4 0 0 0 .197 R.McKeller PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Brady PH 1 0 0 0 .252 E.Englebrook PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Montalbo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Diaz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Johnson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Estrada PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Hinton PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Wigdahl PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 40 9 13 9 TOTALS 38 7 12 3 LEXINGTON 0 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 3- 9 13 4 WEST VIRGINIA 0 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 0- 7 12 2 E--O.Sheldon, L.Santangelo, R.McKeller, E.Englebrook, A.Mannon, B.Montalbo. DP--LEXINGTON 1, WEST VIRGINIA 0. LOB--LEXINGTON 7, WEST VIRGINIA 11. 2B--B.Triplett (3), K.Vital (6), F.Caraballo (10), H.Iribarren (8), A.Festa (1). SB--B.Triplett (3), G.Richardson (4), H.Rasheed (3). YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LEXINGTON R.McKeller 4.0 6 2 0 2 2 0 4.75 E.Englebrook 1.0 2 3 1 2 1 0 3.12 R.Diaz 2.2 3 2 2 1 2 0 5.01 P.Estrada (W,2-4) 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4.13 J.Wigdahl (S,10) 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2.12 WEST VIRGINIA B.Montalbo 4.2 9 6 3 2 4 0 5.64 D.Johnson 3.1 0 0 0 1 6 0 3.68 R.Hinton (L,2-3) 1.0 4 3 2 0 2 0 2.81 WP--R.McKeller, R.Hinton. SO--B.Triplett, H.Pence 2, B.Zobrist 2, K.Vital 2, F.Caraballo 3, M.Einertson, R.Clark, H.Iribarren, C.Lozada, A.Festa, A.Mannon 2, C.Blevins. BB--J.Ash, B.Triplett, O.Sheldon, G.Richardson, C.Corporan, A.Festa, J.Murray, H.Rasheed 2, A.Mannon. T--3:03. A--1681West Virginia Game Log: First two reach for the Power in the 9th, but a disastrous double-play pinch-hit apearance by Josh Brady ends things... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200506086/ Rasheed provides late power Michael Dailey Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter Just 27 games into its inaugural season of minor league baseball, Appalachian Power Park has already proven to be among the top ballparks at the Class A level. However, there is one upgrade the multi-million dollar park could use: A revolving door on the home clubhouse. A spinning door would have helped in recent days, as the West Virginia Power returned home from an eight-game road trip with several changes to its roster. Right-handed pitcher Mark Rogers and outfielder Will Lewis returned from stints on the disabled list, while infielder Tony Festa joined the Power (20-38) from extended spring training in Arizona. Those three replaced reliever Simon Beresford, utility player Agustin Septimo and catcher Nestor Corredor on the Power roster just in time to be a part of a thrilling 2-1 win over the Lexington Legends on Tuesday evening. Beresford and Septimo will report to rookie league Helena on June 12, while Corredor was sent to Class AAA Nashville to fill a roster spot. Two players from the opening day roster -- Dallas Bates and Jason Tuttle -- have already been released from the Milwaukee Brewers' organization. A crowd of 3,575 watched as the Power rallied to tie Tuesday's game on a two-out, ninth-inning RBI triple by Hernan Iribarren. Then, Hasan Rasheed won it on an 11th inning walk-off homer. "It's exciting when he does that," said Power Manager Ramon Aviles. "It excites the fans and it excites the players. "It was a great game, with great pitching on both sides. Usually, in a game pitched like that, one of two things is going to happen to end it. Either an error or a home run." But more exciting than the dramatic ending, was the return of Rogers, the Milwaukee Brewers' top pick last year. Rogers returned from recent blister problems on his pitching hand, to toss two scoreless innings, before bowing to a strict pitch count. Rogers allowed no hits and struck out three in his brief return to the mound. Festa, a 23rd round draft choice in the 2004, also made his return from illness and injury against the Legends. Festa batted .305 with seven homers, 19 doubles and 53 RBI in 67 games at Helena last season. But a rash of injuries forced the 6-foot-3, 210 pound third baseman to stay in Arizona while playing himself into shape. "Last year I broke a bone in my (right) hand," said Festa. "Then when I got to spring training, I had to have my appendix taken out. Then, when I started swinging the bat again, my hand was still hurting, so I had to have another surgery on my hand." Now recovered, Festa is just glad to be a part of a team again. "It's been frustrating, but this is unbelievable," said Festa. "In Arizona, it's getting hot and it's really tedious there. "The guys have made me feel really welcome here and the ballpark is gorgeous. It's awesome and there was a good crowd here too. "I played in Montana last year and we never had crowds like this." * * *The Milwaukee Brewers made selections in each of the first 18 rounds of the Major League draft Tuesday, except for the second. The Brewers' first pick at the No. 5 overall slot was University of Miami third baseman Ryan Braun. Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik told MLB.com that once Braun signs he would either join the Power or go to Rookie League Helena. Braun would add pop to a struggling Power lineup. He's batting .412 with 18 homers, 75 RBI and 22 stolen bases for the Hurricanes, which play in this weekend's NCAA Super Regional. Baseball America named Braun its Freshman of the Year in 2003 when he broke Pat Burrell's freshman RBI record at Miami by driving in 76 runs to go along with 17 homers. Most of the other position players Milwaukee drafted were either high school or junior college prospects, so immediate help might not be coming this season. Lexington's Lou Santangelo, right, steals third ahead of the tag of Power third baseman Tony Festa. Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Bob Wojcieszak Pretty good, first day on the job, he gets his picture in the paper... http://www.dailymail.com/images/Power0608.jpg

Heading into Wednesday's activity: AM-NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (ST.LOUIS) 30 29 .508 [b]NASHVILLE SOUNDS (MILWAUKEE) 30 30 .500 .5[/b] OMAHA ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 27 33 .450 3.5 IOWA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 25 35 .417 5.5 NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB CAROLINA MUDCATS (FLORIDA) 39 18 .684 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 38 20 .655 1.5 TENNESSEE SMOKIES (ARIZONA) 23 36 .390 17.0 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 23 36 .390 17.0[/b] CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS (CINCINNATI) 22 36 .379 17.5 EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB VERO BEACH DODGERS (LOS ANGELES DODGERS) 33 23 .589 JUPITER HAMMERHEADS (FLORIDA) 32 25 .561 1.5 DAYTONA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 27 27 .500 5.0 PALM BEACH CARDINALS (ST.LOUIS) 27 30 .474 6.5 ST. LUCIE METS (NEW YORK METS) 21 33 .389 11.0 [b]BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES (MILWAUKEE) 22 36 .379 12.0[/b] NORTHERN DIVISION W L PCT GB LEXINGTON LEGENDS (HOUSTON) 35 23 .603 HAGERSTOWN SUNS (NEW YORK METS) 34 23 .596 .5 LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS (CLEVELAND) 34 25 .576 1.5 KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 29 30 .492 6.5 DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS (BALTIMORE) 25 34 .424 10.5 HICKORY CRAWDADS (PITTSBURGH) 21 35 .375 13.0 LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS (PHILADELPHIA) 20 37 .351 14.5 [b]WEST VIRGINIA POWER (MILWAUKEE) 20 38 .345 15.0[/b]

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...805_01.txt Brewers pick third basemen in MLB draft By TOM COTTON - Helena Independent Republic Sports Editor Third sack was the first priority of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2005 First-year Player Draft Tuesday afternoon. The parent club of the Helena Brewers took two third basemen in their first three picks of the draft. Their first pick, the fifth overall, was Ryan Braun, a 6-foot-2, 200 pound third baseman from the University of Miami. "He can flat out hit the ball," said Steve Wendt, the director of broadcasting and public relations for the Helena Brewers. "He is kind of a tools guy and can run well." Milwaukee selected Matthew Gamel, a 6-foot-0, 200 pound third basemen from Chipola Junior College in Florida in the third round with pick 115. The Milwaukee minor-league organization is generally well regarded in baseball circles, however, Wendt said that Braun and Gamel can fill a hole at third base. Catcher is also an area of need throughout the organization. One catcher, Ryan Babineau, was taken on the draft's first day with the 385th pick. The Brewers alternated between polished talent and raw stars in their first 10 picks, taking five high schoolers and five players with college experience. No big names stand out, and the only last name amongst that group that might be familiar, is Jemile Weeks, the brother of highly-touted prospect Rickie Weeks, who is currently playing in Triple A Nashville. "I know they are looking for the best guy," Wendt said. "They are not looking to plug holes. They are looking for guys that project to play in the big leagues." What the draft means for the Helena club is still up in the air, as Wendt said the organization likes to let the dust settle after the draft for a few days before assigning players. Of course which players choose to sign quickly with the organization will have a huge impact as to who will come to play in the Capital City. The Helena Brewers will start their training camp on June 13. Their first game will be June 21 in Missoula against the Osprey. One thing that is very likely is that some of the players that were picked in the first 10 rounds will be coming to Helena. Last year, Josh Wahpepah, a third-round pick, and Josh Baker, chosen in the fourth round were assigned to Helena. Both were college-level players. The draft will continue today. The Arizona Diamondbacks had the first-overall pick on Tuesday and chose Justin Upton with the first overall pick.

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS Omaha sweeps by Sounds Kremblas blasts team's four-game performance By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Playing as if they had a plane to catch ? which they did ? the Omaha Royals scored six runs in the first four innings to defeat host Nashville 7-3 yesterday. In order to allow the visitors to make their 6 p.m. flight, a travel contingency was in place for the contest, with no inning set to start past 3 p.m. However, Omaha didn't take quite that long to hand the Sounds their first four-game sweep of the season. Nashville was outscored 25-12 in the series, falling to 4-8 against the Royals after winning three of four at Albuquerque and sweeping visiting New Orleans. "I don't know if they thought they didn't have to play hard any more or what, but that was an absolutely horrible performance for four games," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "All facets were gross. It makes me sick." Pitching, defense, offense, baserunning ? the team had a breakdown in each of the four at some point during the series. "We were just sluggish," right fielder Corey Hart said. "This schedule has been tough on everybody. I think we just mentally were not there. It's tough because we had come off three good series in a row. I think the off day will help a lot." The Sounds open a four-game series in Iowa tomorrow before returning to Greer Stadium for eight games beginning Monday. "They need to regroup and figure out what they're going to do," Kremblas said. "It looked like a lot of selfishness at the plate at times, a lot of errors after at-bats ? a lot of stuff you see in high school, that you shouldn't see here. "They know it. They've got to change it themselves. If they can't change it themselves, they're in trouble." Down 3-0 before coming to the plate, the Sounds cut the deficit to 3-2 with Prince Fielder's two-run groundout. From there, though, Nashville managed only one base hit ? Chris Barnwell's single to lead off the third inning ? before Fielder's solo home run to open the seventh. "We swung at a lot of bad pitches, which is a sign of being tired mentally," Kremblas said. "I know we've got a lot of young players, but I'm tired of us using that as an excuse. They're men now, or they should be men, and they've got to figure it out." New arrival: Nestor Corredor was added to the roster prior to yesterday's game. The 21-year-old catcher comes from Class A West Virginia to fill the roster spot created when veteran receiver Julio Mosquera had his contract purchased Monday by the Brewers. Mosquera, who was hitting .204 with a home run and 12 RBI in 25 games, joined the Brewers after veteran catcher Damian Miller strained his right groin in Sunday's game against the Dodgers. To make room for Mosquera on the 25- and 40-man rosters, the Brewers designated pitcher Gary Glover for assignment. Glover was 3-4 with a 6.70 earned run average in 12 appearances (nine starts) for Milwaukee. Corredor was hitting .208 at West Virginia, but threw out 5 of 11 potential basestealers. Join the club: Chris Barnwell's fielding error in the second inning yesterday gave the Sounds nine in their last three games. He's the fifth different Nashville player to commit a defensive miscue in that dubious run. Second baseman Rickie Weeks made three errors in the previous two games, as did shortstop Steve Scarborough. Back to work: Sounds veteran radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Valenches returned to the booth yesterday after missing Monday's game following minor oral surgery. Bringing out his best: Omaha catcher Scott Walter's two-run home run in the first inning off Sounds starter Justin Lehr yesterday was his third of the season ? and his second at Greer Stadium. Walter hit his first homer of the year on April 30 off Nashville reliever Kane Davis. Walter's other home run came on May 26 against Fresno. Game at a glance ? Losing pitcher: Justin Lehr (5-5). ? Big stick: Prince Fielder, 1-for-3, solo home run, three RBIs. ? How they lost: Nashville only managed six baserunners ? with two of those erased via double plays. Nashville pitchers racked up 12 strikeouts, but they also allowed five extra-base hits. ? What they said: "I've tried to let them know we're not playing very well. I guess I've got to try harder." ? Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas, whose team had won eight of its last 10 games before the current four-game slide. ? Thursday's pitchers: Sounds ? RHP Jose Capellan (4-2, 49 ERA). Cubs ? RHP Raul Valdez (3-2, 3.41). Maurice Patton covers the Nashville Sounds for The Tennessean. He can be reached at mopatton@tennessean.com. ***Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=42009 Kremblas irate after sweep By Mark McGee, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent The dog days of summer are here, but Nashville Sounds manager Frank Kremblas knows it is way too early in the season for his team to be dogging it. But that is what he implied Tuesday afternoon as the Sounds wilted in all facets of the game in a 7-3 loss to the Omaha Royals in hot and muggy Greer Stadium. It was the fourth straight loss for the Sounds. ?Something happened out there this series,? Kremblas said. ?They quit. They were tired. They relaxed. We played seven-out-of-eight games really well, and then we come home and give absolutely a horrible performance for four games straight. We have young players, but how many times are we going to use that as an excuse.? The fours losses to Omaha mark the first time this season the Sounds have been swept in a series. Kremblas was at a loss to see anything good about the series. ?All facets were gross,? Kremblas said. ?Pitching, defense, base running and offense were all sick. There is a lot of stuff you see in high school that you shouldn?t see here. I?ve tried to let them know they aren?t playing very well. I know it?s not fun to watch.? The Sounds managed only five hits against Omaha in the series finale. Prince Fielder accounted for all three runs, including clubbing a solo home run in the seventh. It was the 12th home run of the season for Fielder who is tied with Rickie Weeks for the team lead. The Sounds were one-for-nine with runners on base and two-for-24 in their last two games. ?To me it looked like there was a lot of selfishness at the plate,? Kremblas said. ?We swung at a lot of bad pitches in this game and throughout the series. That is a sign of being tired mentally.? All Pacific Coast League teams are taking Wednesday off. ?It?s a good time for a day off so I don?t have to see them,? Kremblas said. ?They need to regroup and figure out what they are going to do. They have to change themselves. If they can?t change themselves they are in trouble. Are they going to play baseball like men or go play in a beer league?? The Sounds will play Thursday night at 7:05 in Iowa against the Cubs. Right-hander Jose Capellan (4-2, 4.39 ERA) will start for the Sounds against Iowa right-hander Raul Valdez (3-2, 3.41).

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1 Relievers falter again; Stars now in last By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com David Bradley had just struck out Juan Velazquez, making him fish and flail on a pitch around his shoe tops. At almost the same instant, two voices in the press box made note: The Mississippi Braves had struck out at least once in every inning. The Huntsville Stars pitchers had collected 11 strikeouts. They were observations along the lines of, "Did you notice the buffet on the Titanic had both filet mignon and lobster tails?'' Or, "Don't those air bags look pretty when they inflate after you pile into a wall going 75 mph?'' Eleven K's? Means very little after being KO'd still again, this one a 10-8 Stars stumble against the Braves when the bullpen again melted like M&Ms in your mouth. It gave Mississippi seven wins in eight meetings against the Stars since May 31, the 10th loss in 12 games for Huntsville and the 14th loss in 17 home games. Perhaps happily, then, the Stars leave today for a two-game set in Chattanooga. So it was that Stars manager Don Money closed the doors for a 15-minute meeting, and an oration that threatened to peel the paint off the wall. "You don't like my language, call your agent,'' he told them. And, "If you don't think you deserve it, tell him you want to be traded.'' And, "Look around. You won't see the same 25 people in the room at the end of the year.'' And, "Those people in the stands, they should demand their money back.'' Money blistered the players for the obvious. "Nobody is coming out of the pen and getting the job done,'' he said. Reliever Matt Dewitt lost Sunday's game in a five-run Braves' rally and couldn't stop things Tuesday, though the loss was tagged to Khalid Ballouli. The Huntsville bullpen, in the eight games against Mississippi, has allowed 19 earned runs and 34 hits in 26 innings. Only the aforementioned Bradley, with just one hit allowed in his last five innings of work, isn't in the position of looking for a hole in the sand to bury his head. Money also blistered them for the less-than-obvious. For instance, a pop foul that dropped in front of first baseman Brandon Gemoll when he neglected to flip his sunglasses to fight the glare. "Zero excuses,'' Money said, "for dropping a pop-up.'' The batter, Wes Timmons, eventually walked, driving in one of the five runs in the Mississippi eighth that wiped out the Stars' 8-5 lead. Ballouli had loaded the bases with two singles and a walk, then Dewitt gave up the bases-loaded walk and three more singles. After collecting only two hits Monday, the Stars came up with 14 hits Tuesday - but even didn't seem to fit the prescription. "I think their pitchers have made adjustments to our hitters, and our (pitchers) didn't,'' Money said. "And we're not making quality pitches.'' "I don't see any confidence,'' said hitting coach Sandy Guerrero. "All I see is ... fear not to fail. They're trying to do things so perfect.'' Vinny Rottino, who had three hits, cranked a two-run homer in the second and Enrique Cruz contributed an RBI double. Then Huntsville overcame a four-run Mississippi fourth by scoring three more in the fifth, two coming on a Rottino single.

Link while active, text follows: www.wvgazette.com/section...2005060738 Power perking up over college picks Mitch Vingle, Charleston Gazette The views from here: Andy Milovich couldn?t help but grin when he heard Ryan Braun was the first pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in Tuesday?s baseball draft. The West Virginia Power general manager grinned because Braun was a third baseman for the Miami Hurricanes. And not a high school kid. Milovich is hoping the Brewers start sending his struggling Class A club more players straight from college. ?The tough thing is when you sign a contract with a team, you don?t know what you?re going to get,?? Milovich said. ?Milwaukee has a great farm system and we have four or five prospects that will play at the major league level ... But our prospects are 19, 20 years old. Most prospects on the teams we play are 22, 23.?? That may be why the Power was 19-38 heading into Tuesday night?s game with Lexington. Mark Rogers, supposedly the Power?s top prospect, just turned 19 at the end of January. Second round pick Yovanni Gallardo turned 19 in February. 2002 second-round selection Josh Murray is 20. ?We match up prospect for prospect with other teams,?? Milovich said. ?Our prospects just aren?t as developed.?? Luckily for Milovich and his bosses, which are more interested in profit than development, the honeymoon continues over the new Appalachian Power Park. Over 25 home games, the Power had drawn 89,630 fans for an average of 3,585 per game. ?From a business standpoint, we publicly said we wanted 3,000 a game,?? Milovich said. ?In the back of our minds, though, we were hoping for 3,500. Now that school?s out and with our upcoming promotions, I think we?ll stay at 3,500 and push up.?? A more competitive club would be nice. One with more seasoned ballplayers, like Braun. ?I hope we get Braun here,?? Milovich said. ?It kind of depends on how quickly [the Brewers] get him signed. When you take older kids, negotiations for the signing bonus tends to drag on over the summer. ?If there?s a long layoff, he may start out in [rookie level] Helena. If he signs quickly, we may see him.?? The good news for the Power is Milwaukee did draft more experienced players on Tuesday. In the fourth round, Matthew Gamel of Chipola (Fla.) Junior College was taken. In the fifth, the Brewers tabbed Kevin Roberts of the University of Houston. ***Milovich has heard the criticism over balls hitting fans at APP. And he has a response. ?I went over to Watt Powell Park the other day,?? said the GM, ?and I measured the distance from home plate to the first unprotected seat. At Watt Powell, it was 60 feet. At our park, it?s 72 feet. So fans are 20 percent further away at the new park.??