Jim Goulart

Nashville Media Notes (PDF Format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Speaking of Braun, link while active, text follows: www.palmbeachpost.com/spo..._0525.html 20-20 no reach for Braun By Jorge Milian Palm Beach Post Staff Writer JACKSONVILLE ? A University of Miami player has never hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases in one season. Ryan Braun, the Hurricanes' multi-talented third baseman who was named the ACC's player of the year on Monday night, could become the first. Heading into today's ACC tournament game against North Carolina State, Braun has 16 home runs and 21 steals. A late-season surge in power could put the 6-foot-3, 204-pound Braun in the UM record book. "Considering the players this school has produced, that would be unbelievable," UM outfielder Paco Figueroa said. "But Ryan does have that ability that you don't see a lot ? power and speed. I'm surprised he hasn't done it already." Braun, a junior, likely won't get a chance to accomplish the feat next season. He is expected to go early in the Major League Baseball draft on June 7, possibly becoming the first UM player to be chosen in the first round since Pat Burrell was selected No. 1 overall in 1998. "It would be a tribute to consistency which is something I pride myself in," Braun said of joining the 20-20 club. "It's difficult to do either thing." A native of Granada Hills, Calif., Braun has made the difficult look easy since arriving at UM three years ago. In his first season, Braun was named Baseball America's national freshman of the year after leading the Hurricanes in virtually every important offensive category. He also broke Burrell's school freshman RBI record of 64. Last season, Braun was vying for national player of the year honors when he strained his rib cage while taking a swing against Florida State on April 10. UM coach Jim Morris said he figured Braun would miss a game or two and then "all of a sudden, it was half a season." Braun missed 18 games, but wasn't able to play in the field when he returned and was obviously affected at the plate. "He had a great freshman year and when you get those accolades, what comes with that are expectations for the next season," said Joe Braun, Ryan's dad. "It was just frustrating for him." A year later, Braun is making good on those expectations. Braun leads the ACC in RBI (71) and slugging percentage (.747) and ranks among the top five in batting average (.412), runs scored (68), on-base percentage (.490), home runs (16) and stolen bases (21). Before this season, Braun was moved to third base from shortstop ? something he wasn't keen on. He had seven errors in UM's first 17 games. "It's something I accepted, but it was definitely a difficult transition," said Braun, who has 15 errors in 54 games. "At short, you can pick your hop, while at third base the ball kind of plays you." Major-league scouts have told Braun he could be moved to the outfield in the pros. No matter the position, Braun's bat and athleticism likely will put him somewhere in the first round. Baseball America lists Braun as the draft's 14th best prospect. Though he was eligible out of high school, Braun hasn't been drafted. "It's so unpredictable so I don't know what to expect or what to anticipate," Braun said. "I'm just trying to concentrate on finishing up strong and let the chips fall where they fall."

Heading into Wednesday's activity: AM-NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (ST.LOUIS) 24 20 .545 [b]NASHVILLE SOUNDS (MILWAUKEE) 22 24 .478 3.0[/b] OMAHA ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 21 25 .457 4.0 IOWA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 18 27 .400 6.5 NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 33 12 .733 CAROLINA MUDCATS (FLORIDA) 28 16 .636 4.5 CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS (CINCINNATI) 21 24 .467 12.0 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 20 25 .444 13.0[/b] TENNESSEE SMOKIES (ARIZONA) 19 26 .422 14.0 EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB VERO BEACH DODGERS (LOS ANGELES DODGERS) 27 19 .587 DAYTONA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 24 18 .571 1.0 JUPITER HAMMERHEADS (FLORIDA) 25 21 .543 2.0 PALM BEACH CARDINALS (ST.LOUIS) 21 23 .477 5.0 [b]BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES (MILWAUKEE) 17 28 .378 9.5[/b] ST. LUCIE METS (NEW YORK METS) 15 28 .349 10.5 NORTHERN DIVISION W L PCT GB LEXINGTON LEGENDS (HOUSTON) 28 17 .622 HAGERSTOWN SUNS (NEW YORK METS) 28 17 .622 LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS (CLEVELAND) 26 19 .578 2.0 KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 23 23 .500 5.5 DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS (BALTIMORE) 21 25 .457 7.5 HICKORY CRAWDADS (PITTSBURGH) 19 27 .413 9.5 LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS (PHILADELPHIA) 15 31 .326 13.5 [b]WEST VIRGINIA POWER (MILWAUKEE) 14 31 .311 14.0[/b]

Links to follow Wednesday's action as it happens: Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_poraaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_cmcaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lakafx_1

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Nice trifecta of starters today -- Nashville's up against the Brewers on ESPN this afternoon, but check out Dana Eveland and the Stars this evening while catching up on your web browisng... All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Portland (Padres), 1:45 PM pre-game; 2:05 PM gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Dana Eveland at Carolina (Marlins), 6:00 PM pre-game, 6:15 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ If that link is down for bandwidth, use: specs.eyecentric.com/pres...opup.shtml Brevard County: RHP Tim Dillard at Lakeland (Tigers), 6:00 PM -- no web audio for this series West Virginia: Idle

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

RHP's Craig Langille and Alexandre Periard should be in Maryvale now; the Brewers Dick Groch quoted here: Link while active, text follows: slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseba...85-cp.html Canadians hurt by U.S. visa rules By SHI DAVIDI (CP) - David Amonite has been chatting up immigration lawyers for months, trying to find a way to get his son a visa to play minor-league baseball in the United States this summer. Karl Amonite, a native of Woodslee, Ont., has opened some eyes with some big numbers for the Auburn Tigers this season and is eligible for Major League Baseball's June 7-8 amateur draft. Only, like every Canadian on scouts' lists, there's a big question mark by his name. The 2005 supply of 66,000 H2B visas for seasonal workers, the kind Canadians need to play in the minor leagues down south, was exhausted Jan. 2 and once they're gone, they're gone. That means any Canuck chosen can't start playing in the United States until 2006 and loses a summer of development, a fact of life which hurt players from north of the border in last year's draft. "It's extremely frustrating," says David Amonite. "You don't want to see your son in a position where he can't pursue his career. What raises the level of frustration is that we've had at least eight teams express genuine interest." But a recent decision by U.S. Congress, under pressure from industries like tourism and the fisheries which depend on seasonal workers, may have opened up a new window of opportunity for Canadian ball players. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting applications for H2B visas on Wednesday. Any worker with a 2005 visa who has previously received a work permit within the last three years won't be counted against the cap of 66,000 and CIS spokesman Chris Bentley said Tuesday that could free up as 35,000 H2B visas. As part of the Save our Summer program, Bentley says immigration officials will try to process applications in 30 days instead of the usual 60. Businesses desperate for workers can pay $1,000 to have their cases judged in 15 days. What exactly this means for Canadians in the draft is still unclear, but in theory, there should still be some visas out there once the picks are made. "We're still trying to figure all that out," said Dick Groch, the special assistant to Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin who is in charge of Canadian scouting. Strict enforcement of the visa quota began last year, after immigration officials discovered the cap had been blown by 13,000 workers, and it showed in the 2004 draft. The 38 Canadians taken last June was lowest total since 2000, when 35 were chosen. Michael Nickeas of Vancouver was the first Canadian taken, in the fifth round, 141st overall, by the Texas Rangers, the lowest the first Canuck has gone since 1998. "I thought a few guys would go higher last year," says Groch, whose team took seven Canadians in 2004. "Teams were worried about using a higher-level choice on a player with a questionable return. But once the first player was taken the floodgates opened." Canadians would have been in much worse shape this year, with a crop of players scouts describe as subpar. With worries about getting players into their systems, teams could potentially let Canadians slip for several rounds, reducing the players' signing bonus and opportunity in the minors. "The market is a little lighter than it was last year, which wasn't tremendous," says Groch. "But you can't dissect it without thinking about the visa scenario." Illinois University catcher Chris Robinson of Dorchester, Ont., Winthrop University right-hander Chris Leroux of Mississauga, Ont., and first baseman Nick Weglarz of Stevensville, Ont., who plays for Team Ontario, are some of the most talked about Canadians. "It almost doesn't matter how well prepared you are, you simply weren't going to get a visa," says agent Blake Corosky, of Toronto-based agency True Gravity. "That's unfortunate because a lot of Canadians eligible for the draft, and I'm hearing it from teams, are slipping in their eyes just simply because of the visa issue." Walt Burrows, head of the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau Canada, has heard that talk too. "Some teams view it as a problem and others are just forging ahead," says Burrows. "It's an initial problem, it's a matter of getting on the bus, so to speak. Once you're into the system, then the visas can be rolled over year to year." If the visas run out before or shortly after the draft, Canadians will be left in the same situation they were in last year. That means teams will likely sign them to 2006 contracts, send them to the fall instructional leagues where they play for free while getting a taste of what's in store for them in the minors and then try to peck their way up next spring. Other possibilities include playing in Latin America or just in home games for Canadian Northern League teams. "A lot of teams have been sending kids (to Latin American), that hasn't turned out terribly well because you also have a language barrier," says Corosky. "In most cases now, teams are just shying away from drafting Canadians high." That can leave players like Karl Amonite with a lot to think about as the draft approaches. If he's worried about his future, it's not showing on the field, where the six-foot-five, 230-pound first baseman is batting .361 with 10 homers and 57 RBIs in 56 games for Auburn. "The thing is it's out of my hands," says Amonite. "If you worry about that on the field baseball is a tough game that will eat you up pretty quick. Hopefully I'll get a chance to play professional baseball." That's something Burrows says Canadians shouldn't worry about. "The positive side of things," he says, "and it helps the negative, is that the kids who are in the system now are doing so well, it's hard to ignore the talent that's in Canada."

Sorry, no picture, feel free to search... Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/News/2005052322/ Ben Affleck's wardrobe now includes W.Va. Power T-shirt Brad McElhinny Charleston Daily Mail staff Talk about your product placement. A recent issue of the celebrity-focused "US" magazine features a picture of movie star Ben Affleck in a West Virginia Power baseball team T-shirt. "I don't know where he got the shirt from," said Andy Milovich, general manager of the Power. "I haven't seen him at any games yet." Of course, Affleck's connection is pretty obvious. He has quite a close relationship with West Virginia sweetheart and "Alias" star Jennifer Garner. Plus, Affleck is a big baseball fan. He's a longtime Boston Red Sox fan, and he and Garner made their first public appearance as a couple at a Sox game last year. He also made a splash a couple of years ago with some pretty heated criticism of the New York Yankees. "I mean, I just recognize that they are what's evil in sports," Affleck said back then. "It's not that there's hatred, but this is the epicenter of all things that are wrong with professional sports embodied by (Yankees owner) George Steinbrenner." If Affleck's choice in T-shirts is any indication, he doesn't see anything wrong with Charleston's latest minor league baseball team. The gang at the West Virginia Power headquarters got a kick out of the issue of "US," which shows a picture of Affleck and Garner walking together. Affleck is wearing a jacket, but it's definitely a Power T-shirt underneath. The team's merchandising manager cross-checked the photograph to make sure it was one of the models available at the team's gift shop. "Someone who is a friend of the family must have picked it up for him," Milovich said. "A few different minor league teams have sent shirts to stars from their hometowns so they can get them on their TV shows. We've been joking for a while about getting the Power hat onto the ?Alias' set, but it seems like they beat us to the punch." Now the Power wants to invite Affleck to a game. "He's a huge baseball fan," Milovich said, "and we've checked our calendar. Unfortunately, we don't have the Sox affiliate coming to town this year." Of course, Affleck might have other things on his mind. Tabloids have been speculating that Garner is pregnant with Affleck's baby. The publicists for Garner and Affleck have not confirmed those rumors. Just in case, the Power front office is making tentative plans to wish the couple well. "We've been in talks of having a Jennifer Garner/Ben Affleck baby shower promotion," Milovich said. "We haven't finalized the details. We want to send the two of them an invitation. We'd have people bring money to be donated to underprivileged children. "It's a chance to have some fun with the hot topic everybody is buzzing about and do some good for the community as well. We figure the charitable aspect is important, too."

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Chris Denorfia?s leadoff home run in the tenth inning carried Chattanooga to a 3-2 win over Huntsville Friday night in the second game of a three-game series at Joe Davis Stadium. The Lookouts have taken the first two games of the series to improve to 19-23 overall and 12-11 on the road, while the Stars dropped their fourth game in a row to slide to 19-23 overall and 11-8 at home. Alec Zumwalt opened the tenth inning on the hill and Denorfia sent his 1-1 offering over the wall in left-center field for his seventh long ball of the year. Santiago Perez doubled with one out but was stranded when Zumwalt struck out Kevin Howard and retired Jeff Bannon on a ground ball out. Bubba Nelson took over on the mound for Chattanooga in the bottom of the tenth and allowed a lead off single to Vinny Rottino, who then moved to second base on an errant pickoff attempt. Travis Ezi struck out trying to bunt Rottino to third and Tony Zuniga reached on a fielder?s choice when his ground ball was fielded by Nelson, who threw behind Rottino in an unsuccessful attempt to catch the Stars catcher going back to second base. Brandon Gemoll flied out to right field for the second out and Callix Crabbe was called out on strikes to end the game. The Stars left 11 runners on base, including multiple runners in the third, fourth, sixth and tenth innings. Kevin Howard walked with the bases loaded and one out in the first inning to force in the game?s first run and Huntsville starter Dennis Sarfate?s wild pitch allowed Brian Peterson to score from third base with two outs in the fourth. The Stars have been scored on in the first inning in 16 of their last 29 games. Nelson Cruz ended an 11 at-bat drought without a hit with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning, his ninth of the year, that sliced the Lookouts lead to 2-1. Chattanooga starter Eddie Valdez went five innings, giving up a run on five hits and fanning four. Lance Caraccioli took over and worked scoreless relief in the sixth and seventh innings and was one out away from a shutout eighth inning before he hit Gemoll and gave up a double to Crabbe that chased Gemoll home to tie the game at two. Sarfate lasted six innings, marking the sixth time in nine his starts he has gone at least that long, and allowed a pair of runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out four and walked two and has not allowed the last 11 batters he has put on via walk to score. Matt DeWitt worked a scoreless seventh and Matt Ford tossed two scoreless frames in relief. Tony Gwynn, Jr. finished with one hit in five tries to extend his hitting streak to a season-long eight games, while Kennard Bibbs went two-for-five and has now hit safely in seven in a row. The series concludes Saturday night with left-hander Manny Parra taking the hill against Lookouts s left-hander Phil Dumatrait. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

One note not mentioned earlier -- Nashville did walk nine times (and scored one run). Rickie Weeks walked three times, nice.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Kevin Orie photo, text follows -- www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1576 TACOMA ? The Tacoma Rainiers evened their series with Nashville on Friday evening at Cheney Stadium, holding the Sounds to four hits in posting a 5-1 victory in the second game of a four-game series. With the win, Tacoma (18-22) snapped a six-game losing streak. Nashville (22-20) left 12 runners on base in the contest, including at least one man in scoring position in five of the frames. With the game scoreless, the Sounds missed a golden opportunity to jump out to an early lead in the top of the second inning. After loading the bases with only one out, Tacoma starter Damian Moss induced consecutive infield pop-ups from Steve Scarborough and Dave Krynzel to escape the jam unscathed. The Rainiers used three doubles to grab a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. With one out, shortstop Mike Morse ripped a two-bagger to left. After Sounds starter Ben Hendrickson fanned Aaron Rifkin for the second out, Hunter Brown and Ramon Santiago delivered back-to-back RBI doubles to left and center, respectively. Nashville halved the lead in the fifth when Rickie Weeks (1-for-2, three walks) led off with a single against Moss, moved to second on an error by centerfielder Jamal Strong, and scored Nashville?s lone run later in the frame on Kevin Orie?s one-out RBI double. Another Rainiers two-out RBI double increased the Tacoma lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Santiago opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt by Hendrickson. Two outs later, PCL batting leader Chris Snelling (3-for-4) ripped a line-drive two-bagger to left to plate Santiago and moved his average above .400 for the year. Tacoma tacked on a pair of insurance run to extend the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Rifkin plated Snelling with a sacrifice fly then Ryan Christianson scampered home on a wild pitch by Nashville reliever Clint Weibl. Sounds outfielder Corey Hart (1-for-3) extended his hitting streak to a season-best four games with a second-inning single. Prince Fielder went 1-for-4 for Nashville, producing his fourth double in the last three games. Moss (2-3) walked six batters in his five innings but allowed only one runs on three hits to pick up the victory. Hendrickson (1-4) took the loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) and striking out five over a season-high seven frames. The teams meet in the third game of the series on Saturday afternoon at 3:35 p.m. CT. Left-hander Jeff Housman (2-1, 3.66) takes the hill for the Sounds to face Tacoma right-hander Cha Seung Baek (2-1, 4.50).

Final: Tacoma (Mariners) 5, Nashville 1 It's official -- a sucky night top to bottom... Nashville Box Score: Hendrickson allowed first two batters to reach in the 8th; someone tell us why this team has to go with 11 pitchers and have Matt Erickson essentially as a mascot... YTD YTD NASHVILLE AB R H BI AVG TACOMA AB R H BI AVG D.Krynzel CF 5 0 0 0 .273 J.Strong CF 4 0 0 0 .265 R.Weeks 2B 2 1 1 0 .319 S.Choo LF 3 0 1 0 .283 P.Fielder 1B 4 0 1 0 .236 C.Snelling RF 4 1 3 1 .412 K.Orie DH 4 0 1 1 .330 R.Christenso CAT 4 1 1 0 .295 C.Hart RF 3 0 1 0 .221 G.Jacobs DH 3 0 1 0 .263 T.Durrington 3B 3 0 0 0 .277 M.Morse SS 4 1 1 0 .265 J.Mosquera CAT 3 0 0 0 .232 A.Rifkin 1B 3 0 0 1 .247 R.Knox LF 3 0 0 0 .235 H.Brown 3B 3 1 2 1 .221 S.Scarboroug SS 3 0 0 0 .237 R.Santiago 2B 3 1 2 1 .217 B.Hendrkson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Moss PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Weibl PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Heaverlo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Sherrill PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 30 1 4 1 TOTALS 31 5 11 4 NASHVILLE 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0- 1 4 2 TACOMA 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 X- 5 11 1 E--J.Mosquera, B.Hendrkson, J.Strong. DP--NASHVILLE 2, TACOMA 1. LOB--NASHVILLE 12, TACOMA 7. 2B--P.Fielder (7), K.Orie (9), C.Snelling (9), M.Morse (11), H.Brown (5), R.Santiago (5). HBP--R.Knox. SF--A.Rifkin. SH--R.Santiago. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA NASHVILLE B.Hendrkson (L,1-4) 7.0 10 5 4 2 5 0 4.53 C.Weibl 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 5.91 TACOMA D.Moss (W,2-3) 5.0 3 1 1 6 2 0 3.52 J.Heaverlo 3.0 1 0 0 2 0 0 9.55 G.Sherrill 1.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 2.04 HB--D.Moss. WP--C.Weibl. SO--D.Krynzel, P.Fielder 2, K.Orie, T.Durrington, J.Strong, S.Choo, R.Christenso, G.Jacobs, M.Morse, A.Rifkin. BB-- R.Weeks 3, P.Fielder, K.Orie, C.Hart, T.Durrington, J.Mosquera, S.Scarboroug, S.Choo, G.Jacobs, H.Brown. T--2:50. A--7108Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_tacaaa_1

West Virginia Site Game Summary: ASHEVILLE, NC (May 20, 2005) ? The Asheville Tourists trailed the West Virginia Power 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Tourists changed the game sending 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on six hits to take the lead and they went on to beat the Power by the final of 10-4 on Friday night at McCormick Field. The Tourists took the lead on an RBI single from Nelson Robledo in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Power took their only lead of the game on Agustin Septimo?s first home run of the season. It was a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning and gave the Power a 2-1 advantage. Dustin Hahn brought in the first two runs of the seven-run sixth inning on a two-run homer to make it 3-2 Tourists. John Restrepo?s RBI single gave the Tourists a two-run lead and Matt Miller broke the game open with a three-run double. Justin Nelson knocked in the final run of the inning on an RBI single and made it 8-2 Asheville. In the top of the seventh inning Hernan Iribarren brought in a run on a groundout and Will Lewis reached on an error to bring in Alcides Escobar. It was an 8-4 game going into the bottom of the seventh inning when Asheville scored the final two runs of the game. The Tourists got their first run of the inning when Jose Valdez drew a bases loaded walk and Joe Koshansky followed with a sacrifice fly. Ryan Mattheus (2-0) earned the victory, and Josh Baker (1-3) obtained the loss. The Power fall to 12-29 with the loss and the Tourists are 23-18 after the win. The Power will begin a four game series on Saturday night with the Delmarva Shorebirds at Appalachian Power Park. RHP Josh Wahpepah (2-2, 3.29) will throw for the Power and the Shorebirds will counter with RHP Kevin Hart (2-1, 2.42).

In progress: Tacoma (Mariners) 3, Nashville 1, bottom of the 8th in Tacoma Currently a wet 54 degrees rain delay, lovely... Ben Hendrickson two earned runs in seven innings, can we please say goodbye to Gary Glover and hello to lil' Ben?

Nashville Pre-Game Audio with Rickie Weeks: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...205-20.mp3

Final: Chattanooga (Reds) 3, Huntsville 2, 10 innings Huntsville Box Score: Another quality Dennis Sarfate start -- this, as we get closer to another Andy Pratt start for Nashville; but what is going on with these first-inning runs allowed by the Stars? YTD YTD CHATTANOOGA AB R H BI AVG HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG N.Hopper RF 5 1 1 0 .331 K.Bibbs LF 5 0 2 0 .294 C.Denorfia CF 4 1 2 1 .337 A.Gwynn CF 5 0 1 0 .316 A.Fernandez LF 5 0 1 0 .309 V.Rottino CAT 5 0 1 0 .294 S.Perez 3B 5 0 2 0 .278 N.Cruz RF 2 1 1 1 .269 K.Howard 2B 4 0 0 1 .281 T.Ezi RF 3 0 0 0 .240 J.Bannon SS 5 0 1 0 .261 T.Zuniga 3B 5 0 1 0 .256 B.Anderson 1B 3 0 0 0 .243 B.Gemoll 1B 3 1 0 0 .198 L.Caraccioli PIT 0 0 0 0 .091 C.Crabbe 2B 5 0 2 1 .238 J.Andrew PIT 0 0 0 0 .500 E.Cruz SS 3 0 0 0 .279 R.Asadoorian PH 1 0 1 0 .224 D.Sarfate PIT 2 0 0 0 .000 J.Schmidt PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Rodriguez PH 1 0 0 0 .125 B.Nelson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Dewitt PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Peterson CAT 4 1 1 0 .215 M.Ford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Valdez PIT 1 0 0 0 .000 J.Winchester PH 1 0 0 0 .259 K.Nichols 1B 1 0 0 0 .237 A.Zumwalt PIT 0 0 0 0 .400 TOTALS 38 3 9 2 TOTALS 40 2 8 2 CHATTANOOGA 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1- 3 9 3 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0- 2 8 1 E--S.Perez, B.Nelson, E.Valdez, C.Crabbe. DP--CHATTANOOGA 0, HUNTSVILLE 0. LOB--CHATTANOOGA 9, HUNTSVILLE 11. 2B--S.Perez (9), B.Peterson (7), C.Crabbe (8). HR--C.Denorfia (7), N.Cruz (9). CS--C.Denorfia. HBP-- B.Gemoll. SH--E.Valdez. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CHATTANOOGA E.Valdez 5.0 5 1 1 1 4 1 4.81 L.Caraccioli 2.2 2 1 1 1 2 0 4.17 J.Andrew 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.60 J.Schmidt (W,2-3) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.67 B.Nelson (S,7) 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3.20 HUNTSVILLE D.Sarfate 6.0 5 2 2 2 4 0 3.16 M.Dewitt 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.98 M.Ford 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 3.57 A.Zumwalt (L,1-2) 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 1 4.28 HB--L.Caraccioli. WP--E.Valdez, D.Sarfate 2. SO--C.Denorfia, S.Perez 2, K.Howard, J.Bannon, E.Valdez, K.Nichols, V.Rottino, T.Ezi 2, T.Zuniga, C.Crabbe 2, D.Sarfate, G.Rodriguez. BB--C.Denorfia, K.Howard, K.Nichols, B.Gemoll, E.Cruz. T--3:13. A--4029Huntsville Game Log: Callix Crabbe strikes out looking to end it, but the key AB in the inning was Travis Ezi's failure to get down a bunt, fouling off three attempts; wow, Santiago Perez is still around... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

In progress: Chattanooga (Reds) 2, Huntsville 1, bottom of the 7th in Huntsville It's 10:15 Central -- tune in and root on the Stars. Still trying to learn why Nelson Cruz left the game after hitting his 9th HR of the season in the 4th inning...

Final: Asheville (Rockies) 10, West Virginia 4 If there wasn't some serious talent near-ready at AAA, we'd all be looking to jump out windows right about now; we try to accentuate the positive here, but it's impossible to overlook what's been going on... West Virginia Box Score: Let's not kid ourselves -- Josh Baker is a 4th round college pick who should be more than holding his own at low-A -- instead he is disintegrating; Carlos Corporan was a 12th round pick in '03 -- do we get excited because he reached three times tonight -- I think not... YTD YTD WEST VIRGINIA AB R H BI AVG ASHEVILLE AB R H BI AVG A.Escobar SS 5 1 1 0 .299 J.Drgicevich 3B 5 0 1 0 .286 H.Iribarren 2B 4 0 2 1 .291 J.Valdez 2B 3 1 2 1 .226 W.Lewis DH 4 0 0 0 .292 J.Koshansky 1B 3 1 1 1 .324 J.Brady 3B 4 0 0 0 .327 M.Miller LF 5 2 2 3 .372 D.Bates RF 4 0 2 0 .239 J.Nelson RF 4 1 3 1 .235 C.Lozada CAT 4 0 0 0 .077 D.Hahn DH 5 1 1 2 .293 F.Parejo CF 3 0 1 0 .270 N.Robledo CAT 4 2 2 1 .292 C.Corporan 1B 2 2 1 0 .196 P.Strop SS 4 0 0 0 .250 A.Septimo LF 4 1 1 2 .233 J.Restrepo CF 4 2 2 1 .227 R.Wooley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Mattheus PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Baker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Morales PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Stanczyk PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Daley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Beresford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Hinton PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 34 4 8 3 TOTALS 37 10 14 10 WEST VIRGINIA 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0- 4 8 2 ASHEVILLE 0 0 0 1 0 7 2 0 X-10 14 1 E--J.Brady, C.Corporan, P.Strop. DP--WEST VIRGINIA 1, ASHEVILLE 1. LOB--WEST VIRGINIA 7, ASHEVILLE 10. 2B--H.Iribarren (5), M.Miller 2 (14), J.Nelson (9), N.Robledo (8). HR--A.Septimo (1), D.Hahn (2). SB-- J.Restrepo (4). CS--F.Parejo. SF--J.Koshansky. SH--P.Strop. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA WEST VIRGINIA R.Wooley 5.0 6 1 1 1 2 0 4.72 J.Baker (L,1-3) 0.2 5 7 7 2 1 1 10.13 B.Stanczyk 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4.05 S.Beresford 1.0 2 2 0 1 1 0 5.66 R.Hinton 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2.84 ASHEVILLE R.Mattheus (W,2-0) 6.0 6 2 2 2 3 1 2.55 F.Morales 2.0 2 2 1 1 2 0 1.80 M.Daley 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5.48 WP--R.Mattheus, F.Morales. SO--A.Escobar 2, J.Brady, F.Parejo, A.Septimo, J.Drgicevich, J.Koshansky, P.Strop 2. BB--H.Iribarren, F.Parejo, C.Corporan 2, J.Valdez 2, J.Koshansky, J.Nelson, N.Robledo. T--2:48. A--1914West Virginia Game Log: Not sure if Robbie Wooley will ever have overpowering K or hit-to-IP numbers, but he has a chance to be Ben Hendrickson, which isn't bad... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_ashafx_1

What's up with Mark Rogers? Did I miss something? Why isn't he pitching? Rogers pitched three solid innings in a piggyback role in Tuesday's blowout loss. He'll start again next time out, probably Sunday.

Let me tell you -- it's so hard to get motivated for any type of Link Report update when the parent club is laying such a stink bomb, but here we go... Final: Sarasota (Reds) 7, Brevard County 2 Brevard County Box Score: Hey, if you're going to blow a lead, you might as well really blow a lead -- Dan Grybash faces six, retires zero; Steve Moss on base three times; Tim Dillard had only walked 11 in 47 IP prior to this one (four walks)... YTD YTD SARASOTA AB R H BI AVG BREVARD COUNTY AB R H BI AVG C.Dickerson CF 4 2 1 0 .271 S.Sollmann 2B 3 1 1 0 .241 H.Tiburcio SS 4 1 2 2 .273 D.Anderson LF 4 1 1 0 .269 J.Votto 1B 3 1 0 0 .258 S.Moss CF 3 0 2 1 .307 J.Ruiz RF 3 1 1 0 .336 J.Eure 1B 3 0 1 0 .241 J.Vavao DH 4 1 3 2 .302 L.Palmisano DH 3 0 0 0 .250 K.Smith LF 4 0 0 0 .274 C.Medlin CAT 3 0 1 1 .300 M.Perez CAT 4 0 1 2 .292 R.Deevers RF 4 0 0 0 .197 M.Schramek 3B 4 0 0 0 .216 C.De La Cruz 3B 4 0 1 0 .200 J.Mejia 2B 4 1 1 0 .237 O.Chavez SS 4 0 0 0 .229 B.Basham PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Dillard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Edens PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Hall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Grybash PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Evert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 34 7 9 6 TOTALS 31 2 7 2 SARASOTA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 0- 7 9 1 BREVARD COUNTY 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0- 2 7 0 E--C.Dickerson. DP--SARASOTA 2, BREVARD COUNTY 2. LOB--SARASOTA 5, BREVARD COUNTY 7. 2B--J.Vavao (5). SB--C.Dickerson (4), J.Mejia (6). CS--H.Tiburcio, S.Sollmann. HBP--S.Sollmann, J.Eure. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA SARASOTA B.Basham 5.1 5 2 2 1 6 0 4.13 K.Edens (W,3-1) 3.2 2 0 0 2 5 0 3.82 BREVARD COUNTY T.Dillard 6.0 3 1 1 4 5 0 3.40 B.Hall 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.10 D.Grybash (L,0-1) 0.0 5 6 6 1 0 0 7.64 B.Evert 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 HB--K.Edens 2. WP--T.Dillard, D.Grybash. SO--C.Dickerson, J.Votto 3, M.Perez, M.Schramek 3, D.Anderson 2, J.Eure, R.Deevers 2, C.De La Cruz 3, O.Chavez 3. BB--C.Dickerson, H.Tiburcio, J.Votto 2, J.Ruiz, S.Moss, L.Palmisano, C.Medlin. T--2:59. A--1949Brevard County Game Log: Double plays in the 4th and 7th hurt... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

Vermont LHP Derek Miller with his fifth complete game of the season today, putting his team into the American East Conference postseason tournament. Box score link: www.uvm.edu/athletics/bas...520051.htm

Latest West Virginia Press Release / Newsletter: nl.terradon.com/newslette...x&d=ND Q & A from a portion of the newsletter: Q AND A SESSION WITH POWER HITTING COACH JOHNNY NARRON AB=ANDY BARCH (Voice of the Power) JN=JOHNNY NARRON AB: Who or what has been the biggest surprise to you since you arrived at the beginning of the month? JN: The great atmosphere and support of the fans has been great and were the two things that really got my attention from the very beginning. AB: The team has hit very well in the month of May, what has contributed their success offensively? JN: We have been working on having the hitters utilize a better overall approach at the plate. Having a relaxed and confident physical, visual and mental approach is very important. AB: You managed a lot of these guys in Helena last year, what kind of team do you think they will be in the second half of the season? JN: We are going to be a better team! The team is playing with more confidence and that is only going to make us improve. AB: Your family has a lot of baseball history, what can you tell us about your family and their ties to baseball? JN: There have been eight members of my family that played professional baseball dating back to the 1940's when my Uncle Sam Narron played and coached for Branch Rickey. I have a nephew Sam Narron that is a pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers extended spring training and my brother Jerry Narron is in his 23rd year in the Major Leagues, currently the Bench Coach for the Cincinnati Reds. AB: Sticking with the family theme, what kind of family life do you have? JN: I have been blessed with a wonderful wife, Gail. We have four children, Johnny who is a Medical student, Holden a marketing agent with the AA Carolina Mudcats, Julia, a college student and Jane, a high school senior. AB: Where is home for you and what do you do in the off season? JN: I live in Smithfield, NC and I have a hitters training business called Baseball Advancement Service. Also, I will be releasing an instructional video, The Mental, Visual & Physical Approach to Hitting this fall. AB: What do you like to do outside of baseball? JN: I love to spend time with my wife. We enjoy all kinds of interest and we teach Sunday School together when I'm home. AB: What are some of your favorite baseball memories? JN: The most memorable time for me in baseball was my rookie year playing in the New York Yankees organization with my brother Jerry.

Nashville Media Notes for Friday (PDF format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Link while active (for photo), text follows: www.floridatoday.com/apps...00353/1002 Eure providing the pop BY SCOTT BROWN FLORIDA TODAY VIERA - His grip is strong, stronger even than the smell of sardines that permeated a section of Space Coast Stadium on Thursday night. Shaking hands is not the only activity in which Jeff Eure regularly flashes his power these days. The Brevard County Manatees first baseman has hit 10 homers in just 141 at-bats and is among the Florida State League leaders in that category. The Manatees' team record for home runs in a single season is 18 by Jose Santos. "I'm just trying to do my best and drive in runs," Eure said before the Manatees' 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the visiting Sarasota Reds. That statement -- understated as it is businesslike -- is vintage Eure. He hails from a Pennsylvania town that is as quiet as he is, about 40 miles north of Harrisburg, the state capital. There isn't much to do in Pillow, Pa. -- yes, it does exist, Eure has told folks over and over through the years -- what with only a few hundred residents, two restaurants and zero traffic lights. Eure, who grew up on a farm, immersed himself in wrestling and baseball. The former may have been his better sport. He won a pair of state wrestling championships as a 189-pounder and had his pick of any school in the country, had he opted to wrestle in college. The discipline demanded by wrestling has helped him in baseball, Manatees skipper John Tamargo said. If nothing else, his wrestling background makes the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Eure a good person to seek out if the Manatees are ever in a bench-clearing brawl. "I don't want to say that," Eure said, "but I know how to take care of myself." He has always been able to take care of himself at the plate, which is why the Milwaukee Brewers selected Eure in the 18th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Eure, who played three college seasons at Old Dominion, worked his way up to high Single-A last year. But he missed two months after breaking a bone in his hand and played in just 92 games. The Brewers didn't see enough of Eure to know if he was ready for Double-A, which explains why he is toiling in the Florida State League. "I don't think anyone wants to repeat a level," Eure said, "but I've got to prove myself here before I go to the next level." Eure has struggled at the plate recently and his average dipped below .240 after Wednesday. But Eure, who went 1 for 4 against the Reds, has given the Brewers a lot to like about him. He is versatile -- Eure can play third base and also catch -- has good power potential and is nothing if not focused. "Quiet, serious, straight-forward guy," Tamargo said. "That's the kind of kid you want on your team."

Heading into Fridays action -- Mr. Hendrickson's going to have to eat some innings tonight... AM-NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB MEMPHIS REDBIRDS (ST.LOUIS) 23 16 .590 [b]NASHVILLE SOUNDS (MILWAUKEE) 22 19 .537 2.0[/b] OMAHA ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 18 23 .439 6.0 IOWA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 16 24 .400 7.5 NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 29 11 .725 CAROLINA MUDCATS (FLORIDA) 25 14 .641 3.5 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 19 22 .463 10.5[/b] CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS (CINCINNATI) 18 23 .439 11.5 TENNESSEE SMOKIES (ARIZONA) 17 23 .425 12.0 EAST DIVISION W L PCT GB VERO BEACH DODGERS (LOS ANGELES DODGERS) 24 17 .585 DAYTONA CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 21 16 .568 1.0 JUPITER HAMMERHEADS (FLORIDA) 20 21 .488 4.0 PALM BEACH CARDINALS (ST.LOUIS) 18 21 .462 5.0 [b]BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES (MILWAUKEE) 16 24 .400 7.5[/b] ST. LUCIE METS (NEW YORK METS) 15 24 .385 8.0 NORTHERN DIVISION W L PCT GB HAGERSTOWN SUNS (NEW YORK METS) 27 14 .659 LEXINGTON LEGENDS (HOUSTON) 24 16 .600 2.5 KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 22 19 .537 5.0 LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS (CLEVELAND) 21 19 .525 5.5 DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS (BALTIMORE) 18 23 .439 9.0 HICKORY CRAWDADS (PITTSBURGH) 17 23 .425 9.5 LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS (PHILADELPHIA) 14 27 .341 13.0 [b]WEST VIRGINIA POWER (MILWAUKEE) 12 28 .300 14.5[/b]