Jim Goulart

Your Link Report Bonus Fun Fact: Milwaukee's trade of Pat Borders to Seattle for cash ends the Brewers' longest current trade drought with another team, as the Mariners and Brewers hadn't been trading partners in over 23 years, since the Crew received pitcher Mike Parrott in exchange for outfielder Thad Bosley on March 5th, 1982. The new drought is with Pittsburgh, since the blockbuster of catcher Ruben Rodriguez to the Crew for outfielder Lou Thornton, March 17, 1989, over sixteen years ago. Thanks, Brewer media guide.

Links to follow Friday night's action as it happens: Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_tacaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_ashafx_1

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF! All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Tacoma (Mariners), 7:40 PM pre-game; 8:00 PM gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: RHP Dennis Sarfate at home vs. Chattanooga (Dodgers), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ If that link is down for bandwidth, use: specs.eyecentric.com/pres...opup.shtml Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Sarasota (Reds), 6:00 PM -- no web audio for this series West Virginia: RHP Robbie Wooley at Asheville (Rockies), 6:00 PM; no web audio for this series

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We had darn well hear about a signing in the next couple of days... Deik Scram (.458 average, nine homers, 51 RBI, 30 SB's) was named Most Valuable Player within his division, as his season just ended. The loss ends Cowley?s season with a record of 47-14. ?Going 47-14 is pretty impressive, but we are not measured by 47-14, we are measured by going to the (NJCAA) World Series,? Burroughs said. ?We will turn the page and move on, and try to do it again next year.? Scram went 2-5 against Hutchinson, and had a spectacular postseason tournament as he went 9-for-17 with eight runs scored, eight runs batted in, six walks, and seven stolen bases. Scram started nearly every game during his two years at Cowley. http://www.arkcity.net/images/031005/lphoto2.jpg

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp By the way, today I found out a guy who I work with, well, his brother's wife's cousin is Mark Rogers' dad. Or is Mark the cousin? Whatever, heck, I'm practically related to the kid now! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Send Mark an email: mailto:mrogersmlb@yahoo.com Mark Rogers Player Journal: 'Toast Man' rules Hey everyone, I'm sorry for being a week late with this entry, but it's been really busy in the South Atlantic League lately. I haven't been doing a whole lot off the field lately. We've been busy, and I feel I'm on the field all the time. We've been busing in and out of West Virginia so much that I'm either on the field playing, in the hotel sleeping or in my apartment trying to catch up on sleep. Since the last journal entry, we took our longest bus trip of the year, about nine hours to Delmarva, Md. We left after an afternoon game on Sunday and got to Delmarva about 4 a.m. We usually try to schedule travel for an off-day, but not this time. Getting up to play the next night wasn't easy. If you're a starting pitcher, after a nine-hour bus trip, it makes it harder to get ready to go. I pitched the day after we got there, and even that wasn't easy. We did get to go to Ocean City for a little while. I finally got to go back to the ocean. It was the first time I've seen it in quite a while. I've got a good friend on the team, Brian Montalbo, who is from Alaska. We both grew up around the ocean, and being back on the beach was quite a treat. I had to pitch on the first day of a road trip in Asheville, N.C., in my last outing. Trying to stay focused on the bus and get up for that game was pretty difficult. It's hard to bounce back after the long road trip and be ready to go. But lately, I've been pitching pretty well. In my last outing, I came into a situation in the fourth inning and we were down 11-0. It wasn't the ideal situation, but that's going to happen over the course of the season. I guess that's one of the drawbacks of the piggyback system we use. I worked on more of my pitches that game, mixing in everything. I'm used to pitching in a 0-0 ballgame instead of just trying to eat up innings. But just because it was 11-0 didn't mean I couldn't learn something while I was out on the mound. In a past entry, I mentioned our "super fan" here in West Virginia. Let me tell you a little more about him. He's called the Toast Man. I've had the chance to get to know him. He sits right behind the backstop. They have outlets there for him so he can plug in his toaster. Every time we strike someone out, he stands up and yells, "T-O-A-S-T, you are toast." It gets us motivated. He has signs and nicknames for all of us. Mine is "Rogers, over and out." He's the most diehard baseball fan there is. It helps get us ready to go. I don't know if he distracts the other team, but if they're thinking about anything but hitting the ball, it's a plus for us. And he's riding the other team all the time. OK, before I get back to trying to catch up on sleep, let me get to a couple of your emails. Talk to everyone in two weeks. How is medical care for your team? What is typical? Is it just an athletic trainer or do you have access to more? -- Kate A. Kate, we have an athletic trainer at all times. He helps us with whatever physical problems we have -- muscle pulls, anything baseball-related. Through him, we have access to a regular doctor if we have anything else going on, like an illness. They take very good care of us here. Whatever is going on, we have someone we can talk to and someone to take care of us. After your first couple of starts you have probably fallen into a routine of "baseball life," but what would you say is the hardest part of playing every day and being away from home, your family and friends? -- Rebecca L. Rebecca, you've described it perfectly. I have fallen into the baseball lifestyle. You're up late every night. That's hard to get used to. You're at the ballpark until 10 or 11 p.m., then you want to get something to eat. By the time you get back to your apartment or hotel, it's midnight and it's probably 1 a.m. by the time you're ready to settle down and call it a night. But you sleep until 11 in the morning. That's difficult in some aspects because it's harder to communicate with friends or family or find time for anything else but baseball. It's so time consuming at this level. Right now, though, baseball is the priority, and you have to take every advantage of every minute on the field if you want to learn anything. You can't change the system too much, you just go with it. It is what it is. http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2005/04/04/josY599E.jpg

What all do we know about Ford? Does he play good defense? IS he a smart basestealer (anti-Alex Sanchez)? Or is he raw but with tons of speed, like the Dbacks Marlond Williams (aka, "smoke&quothttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif ? He should be faster than his major league grandfather Ted Ford, who was a first round pick back in 1966. www.baseball-reference.co...te01.shtml Colby, why is it college baseball "head coach" yet professional baseball "manager"?

Thanks for the heads-up from someone who was visiting in Iowa last week: Habel starting again Brewers move Hempstead grad to high Class A by JIM LEITNER, Dubuque Telegraph Herald Josh Habel hopes to take a step in the right direction, even after the Milwaukee Brewers moved him one step back in their organization. Last week, the Brewers dropped the 6-foot-1, 210-pound left-handed pitcher from Double-A Huntsville, Ala., to high Class A Brevard County, Fla. The move enables Habel to return to the more comfortable role of a starting pitcher after Huntsville used him exclusively in relief. "I was a little upset when the manager called me into the office to tell me about it, because I looked at it as a demotion," said Habel, a former standout at Dubuque Hempstead and the University of Northern Iowa. "But, after talking to a few people, they told me to make the most of this. Hey, I still have a uniform, and that's always a good thing. "I'd rather be a starter. When it's your day to start, it's all your day. Relieving is fun, too, because you're always in pressure situations, but I'd much rather know when I'm going to pitch than get sporadic innings." Habel recorded a 1-1 record and 2.93 ERA in 10 appearances with Huntsville. He struck out 18 and walked only five in 15 1/3 innings of work against Southern League hitters. On Friday, Habel made his Brevard County debut and struck out five, walked two and allowed no runs in four innings against Clearwater. He did not factor in the decision, and the Manatees eventually lost the Florida State League game. The San Francisco Giants selected Habel in the 14th round of the 2002 draft, and he earned a promotion after each season until reaching Double-A Norwich, Conn. He worked primarily as a starter while in the organization. San Francisco dealt Habel to the Brewers for veteran relief pitcher Dave Burba at the end of last season. He reported to Huntsville in early September but did not see any action in the final week of the season. "This is obviously a big year for Josh," said UNI coach Rick Heller, who visited with Habel during the offseason. "Any time you go to a new organization, you have to prove yourself all over again. You have to prove to the organization that you belong there. "Josh wanted to make a good impression, so he worked pretty hard during the winter." So far, Habel seems to be fitting in with his new organization. "I've only been to one spring training with the Brewers, and I've had to make a lot of new friends," Habel said, "but so far everything seems pretty much the same." The Brewers boast one of the strongest organizations in Major League Baseball, hinting at a bright future. Their farm teams include such prized prospects as Tony Gwynn Jr., Dave Krynzel, Corey Hart, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Ben Hendrickson and Jose Capellan. Habel played alongside Gwynn at Huntsville, who have former big leaguer Don Money as a manager. "It's pretty cool to be a part of an organization with guys like that," Habel said. "Everybody's excited. There's something in the air. I think everybody knows that the Brewers are going to be a really good team in a couple of years."

Vermont LHP Derek Miller with a less than stellar outing Saturday, yet still striking out ten in the process: www.uvm.edu/athletics/bas...514051.htm

Mass Haas, any word on Massachussetts rising RHP Matt Torra out in your neck of the woods? Sorry Patrick, UMass is out in the western part of the state and Atlantic 10 baseball doesn't get play around here, no surprise. Hey, I'm sure the Cardinals are happy with their first rounder last year, RHP Chris Lambert out of BC and the Big East, so Torra could follow suit. I actually heard a brief sports radio discussion on the draft today, and an analyst mentioned Vermont LHP Derek Miller as a top New England college arm (and failed to mention the Brewers own his rights as a draft-and-follow). He guessed, as we did earlier, that Miller has moved himself in to the 5th-10th round range, so the Brewers will have to pony up a bit.

Just a reminder about 2004's DFE crop -- players who signed are in bold: 13. (round they were drafted in last June) Luke Cannon-OF 15. Joel Rivera-OF 25. Jared Theodorakos-LHP 26. Hasan Rasheed-OF 31. Sheldon Catchot-LHP 33. Chad Miller-1B 37. Justin Wilson-LHP (since released) 39. Wesley Yeary-RHP 40. Robert Hinton-RHP 41. Peter Baubles--C 44. Rayner Robles-Encarnacion-IF 45. Tim Grubbs-RHP 46. Clay Blevins-C 48. Calvin Thompson-OF 49. Michael Sarka-RHP Yeah Colby, I'm definitely in a Manny Parra time warp...

Colby, considering the Brewers only signed 19 of their draft picks last summer, this DFE class is pretty darn underwhelming. The Brewers had better sign Deik Scram from Josh Wahpepah's school (Cowley), and take him away from his commitment to Oklahoma State. Athletic enough to play shortstop last year, and 26 extra-base hits with 22 stolen bases in RF in 2005, .460 average -- not too shabby. If Milwaukee doesn't ink Scram, then this DFE class looks miserable. LHP Derek Miller is an obvious senior signing out of Vermont, and I wonder if the Brewers would be bold enough to start him at West Virginia rather than Helena. This regime hasn't done something like that yet, Miller could be an exception. So, a toolsy, inexperienced Lorenzo Cain, and hopefully Scram and Miller. Don't know if the Brewers would sign others just to have warm bodies and hope they prosper with coaching, or rely more on this year's draft to fill out the rookie rosters. I'm about a week away from adding a "Sign Deik Scram Now" tag line to my posts.

Baseball America's Daily Dish: Entering the season, 6-foot-5 lefty Ty Taubenheim was a little-known 19th-round pick of the Brewers in 2003 who had a 3.09 ERA in 61 pro games, all in relief. Moved into the rotation at high Class A Brevard County, he is one of just two 6-0 pitchers in the minor leagues after firing a one-hitter in Saturday night's 1-0 win against Dunedin, allowing only a second-inning single to catcher Robinzon Diaz. Taubenheim has gone at least six innings in all six of his starts, compiling an ERA of 1.47 and allowing just 25 hits in 43 innings. Well, Ty is right-handed, but at least it's some pub...

Hey, we have press coverage from Melbourne! Link while active, text follows: www.flatoday.com/apps/pbc...90329/1002 You definitely want to check out the link for the photo you can enlarge. Unfortunately, we can't link to the image from their site for this post, even if we give the newspaper full credit for the photo. Manatees stand tall Five pitchers are at least 6-foot-5 on team's roster BY SCOTT BROWN FLORIDA TODAY VIERA - He draws curious looks if not downright stares in the grocery store, at a restaurant, most places really. They are usually followed by one of two questions. "They'll ask me if I play basketball or they'll ask me how tall I am," Ty Taubenheim said. The answers are no -- well, Taubenheim did play basketball in high school -- and 6-foot-6. Curiously enough, the home locker room at Space Coast Stadium is one of the few places where Taubenheim blends in. Five of the 12 pitchers on the Manatees staff are 6-foot-5 or taller. Only one of the hurlers -- 5-10 Nic Slack -- is under 6 feet. That, ironically, makes the normal guy, who could walk through a grocery store or restaurant without attracting attention to his height, stand out when lined up with his fellow pitchers. Baseball may not be associated with height as basketball is, but the Manatees' pitchers offer proof that the national pastime places importance on it. "It seems like the last 10 years or so they're getting bigger and bigger and stronger and stronger," said Brevard County manager John Tamargo, who is 5-10. "It feels like I'm shrinking." Reid Nichols, who oversees minor-league development for the Milwaukee Brewers (parent club of the Manatees), said it is a "coincidence" that Brevard County has so many tall pitchers on its roster. It does, however, reflect a trend in professional baseball. Consider the Florida Marlins. Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Dontrelle Willis comprise what has arguably been the top starting pitching trio in the big leagues through the first month of the season. Beckett, a former Brevard County Manatee, stands 6-5, while Burnett and Willis are each 6-4. That is not to say there is no longer a place in the game for smaller pitchers. Tim Hudson is 6-1, three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez is 5-11 and flamethrowing closer Billy Wagner is listed at 5-10. But those players are increasingly becoming anomalies in a sport where bigger is generally considered better, especially when it comes to pitchers. To wit, four of the top six finishers in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2004 stand at least 6-5 (the winner, Roger Clemens, is 6-4). "It's always an advantage," Tamargo, a former catcher who played parts of five seasons in the majors, said of having tall pitchers. "That's why small pitchers are a rarity now in the big leagues." Taller pitchers take several advantages to the mound with them, one of which is purely psychological. "I've hit before," said Manatees right-hander Tim Dillard, who stands 6-5. "When you're in the box and you've got a big guy out there, it looks like he's standing right in front of you. There's something about that that gets in your head whether you want it to or not." Even if a tall pitcher doesn't intimate hitters, his height often makes him tougher to hit for several reasons. Already standing on an elevated mound, taller pitchers often throw on what is called a downward plane. Simply put, those pitchers are almost throwing down on the hitters, which makes the ball harder to pick up than if it were coming in on a straight line. Taller pitchers have another advantage: Their sheer length gives them a longer stride. That allows them to release the ball closer to home plate than shorter pitchers. That release point can give them added velocity or simply make their pitches seem faster since, as Tamargo said, "the ball gets in on you quicker." "It's definitely deceptive," said Taubenheim, who has won all six of his starts this season and sports a 1.47 ERA. "If you're closer to the plate than a guy throwing 90 (miles per hour), all of the sudden you move him up to the front of the dirt and (the ball) looks like it's coming in at about 95." The one downside to taller pitchers is they are generally more susceptible to mechanical problems. More things can go wrong in their deliveries because they are not as compact as shorter pitchers. That patron saint of tall pitchers, Randy Johnson, is evidence of this. Early in his career, the future Hall of Famer was the definition of wild. The 6-10 left-hander led the American League in walks from 1990-92. "More moving parts, longer arm action, longer stride," Tamargo said on why taller pitchers may have more control problems. "It's tougher for them to keep themselves gathered. Big guys really need to watch themselves as far as mechanics." Brevard County has enough of those that if the Florida State League staged a basketball tournament, Tamargo would like his team's chances of winning it. "Yeah," he said, smiling. "We've got some pitchers that are pretty big."

Link while active, text follows: dailymail.com/news/Matt+L...t-20050504 Murray's power comes from somewhere else Matt Lockhart Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter There's Josh Murray, dirty and sweaty. He's sitting on a black floor in the corner of a back room in a rowdy West Virginia Power clubhouse. Locker room chatter smacks his ear as fans file from Appalachian Power Park. He's trying to focus in that secluded corner, between the newly painted walls. If anyone should give up, it's Murray. The Power third baseman once was considered a sure-fire Major Leaguer. Or, at least that's what the Milwaukee Brewers thought when they gave him a $825,000 bonus for signing in the second round of the 2002 draft. At times, he's struggled more than anyone, on a team that could be considered the worst in the minors. That's why you can find Murray's eyes fixed on the pages of Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life," in a noisy clubhouse after games. "I started reading it last year just to deal with some off-the-field problems," Murray said of the faith-based book directed at finding one's purpose in life. "The book really helped me out." Murray dusted it off this week. He had to get reacquainted with his inspiration, because his .139 batting average was lower than most light-hitting Major League pitchers' bat work. "It really helped me before," Murray said. "That's why I wanted to get into the book again. I just read the first chapter on Sunday. It was awesome." On Sunday afternoon, he read: "Have you ever wondered about, or felt confused about, the purpose of your life?" Murray isn't shy about that question. He knew baseball was his future as a 17-year-old, when the Brewers snagged him. He still believes that. "This is where I believe God has blessed me with -- this path right here," said Murray, who homered a day after he started reading the book again. "If God didn't want me to be here right now, I wouldn't be here." There's resounding truth to that. The 20-year-old has come too far to give up now. As a high school sophomore in Tampa, Fla., Murray shattered his wrist. The next year, he tore an elbow ligament and had the dreaded Tommy John surgery. You know, that's the one where they wrap a borrowed tendon -- normally from the hand, wrist, forearm or hamstring -- through three holes drilled in your elbow. Despite all that, his senior year in 2002 was good enough for a second-round selection. And his first short-season in the minors yielded solid numbers -- .255 average and 19 RBI in 48 games. Then, injury struck again. "I pulled both sides of my groin," said Murray of the 10-game season he played in 2003. "And I had wrist injuries (in 2004)." Success has been more than hard to come by. See, to many Brewer fans, Murray is toeing the road of failure. His sub .200 career average over four short, injury-riddled seasons has many wondering why he was such a high prospect. "I'm only 20," said Murray, who is in his fourth minor league season. "I think from that standpoint, I'm maturing. I haven't played a full season yet." So, times like these are when faith comes in to play for Murray, the son of a Jewish mother and Catholic father. "It helps me prepare for baseball because it's not about me," said Murray, who attended an all-male Catholic high school. "It talks about that in the book. Everything I do has to be for God. Even though I'm struggling, I have to go out there and work hard for him." Murray admits he's far from perfect, and his attitude in the past has been distant from where he believes it should be. "When you struggle you get selfish and worry about yourself," he said. "I'm not worrying about myself right now. (The book) is something I really look forward to reading the next 40 days, because God is a huge part of my life." So, when kids chanted, "Josh has the Power" earlier in the week, he could only help but smile. His power comes from somewhere else. West Virginia Power third baseman Josh Murray hasn?t lived up to expectations as the 2002 second-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, but won?t stop battling. Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman http://dailymail.com/images/Josh0504.jpg

Link while active, text follows: Brady is still on a mission Michael Dailey Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Like any other minor leaguer, West Virginia Power infielder Josh Brady always dreamed of being a big league baseball player. But before deciding to chase his childhood dream, the 24-year old Utah resident embarked on an even greater path. One of spiritual fulfillment. After high school graduation, Brady volunteered for a two-year Mormon mission in Germany from which he returned more physically and mentally mature -- but two years behind on the baseball diamond. "Straight out of high school I went on a two-year mission for my church," Brady said Tuesday after his first game in a Power uniform. "The trip was something I'll never forget. That was the time of my life and something that I'd do all over again if I had the chance. "Maturity is one of the best things that I got from the trip," Brady said. "I was able to grow into my body a little bit and mentally I was also a little bit more mature. "Personally, it's done nothing but help me." Professionally, however, the mission threw Brady a curve of major league proportions. Upon returning from the mission, Brady played two-years of junior college baseball in Las Vegas before landing at Texas Tech. After an All-American season with the Red Radiers in which he batted .362 with 20 homers and 90 RBI, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Brady in the 19th round of the 2004 amateur draft. In his first professional stop, he batted a robust .363 with nine doubles, four triples, five homers and 24 RBI in just 29 games with Helena in the Pioneer League. After hitting just .071 in 16 games with Brevard County in the Florida State League, Brady was called north to replace injured first baseman Grant Richardson. And while Brady didn't see action in Tuesday evening's 8-2 home loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, his offensive skills should help an offense that is struggling to produce runs. "I just met him in spring training, but everything I've heard about him is that he's a good hitter," Power Manager Ramon Aviles said. "He's a line drive hitter who can hit .300, but in this ballpark he should be able to hit some balls out." "He wasn't playing verry much at Brevard, but he's a good hitter who can play first base, third base and outfield." Wherever his position on the field, Brady just hopes to help the Power rebound from a 5-20 start. "Hitting is definitely my strength in this game," Brady said. "I hope I can bring something to the lineup that helps the team. Right now they need some hitters in the lineup. A lot of guys aren't hitting the way they'd like to, so hopefully I can help. "Unfortunately, the guys have gotten off to a slow start, but they'll definitely come around. I've played with a lot of these guys before and they are good ballplayers. "It's just a little bit of a shell shock when you first get started in a league. You don't know what will happen."

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200505035/ Charleston blood goes through Baker boys Matt Lockhart Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter Josh Baker has more connections than the downtown bus system. Heck, Charleston minor league baseball history runs right through the Baker family. "My uncle Frank was a Charlie," said Baker, a West Virginia Power pitcher. "My brother was an Alley Cat. Now, I'm a Power. It's kind of cool, man." Sure, having an uncle who played four big league seasons with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles helps. And it doesn't hurt to have a brother -- Jacob -- who played in the minor leagues for the Kansas City Royals. Connections with professional athletics go deeper in the Baker family, though. His father, Johnny, played four seasons between 1963-67 with the NFL's Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers. And his sister just so happened to marry Lance Berkman, the power-hitting outfielder for the Houston Astros. "He and my brother were roommates in college at Rice," said Baker, following the Power's 6-5 loss to Greensboro Monday. "Last night I probably picked his brain for, like, an hour on the phone. To have a hitter like that, who knows the game and is unselfish enough to answer questions, is awesome." Baker starves to improve. So when he pitches tonight against the Greensboro Grasshoppers, expect a tip from Berkman to be worked in. He's looking to improve upon his 7.71 earned run average for the 5-19 Power. "It better go down," the easily approachable Baker said. "Even if it was a little lower than it is, I'd still want it to be better. I want to be the best." Being at the top is something Baker is used to. Baseball America called his 2004 pitching staff at Rice "perhaps one of the most formidable staffs in college baseball history." That's why fellow starters Philip Humber (No. 3), Jeff Niemann (No. 4) and Wade Townsend (No. 8) were all taken in the first round of last June's MLB draft. Baker settled for a fourth-round selection from the Milwaukee Brewers, just three years after deciding against signing with the Texas Rangers following a fourth-round call. The Big Four -- along with closer David Aardsma (No. 22 overall in 2003 draft) -- helped Rice to its first national championship in any sport in 2003. "We got to meet President Bush and he was almost as excited as we were," Baker said of his fellow Texan. "To go out and be able to win the pinnacle of college baseball was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It will be tough to beat." Where's the championship ring? "Honestly," said Baker, who went 17-2 at Rice. "I've never worn it. It's almost gaudy, so it stays at home." While home is in Houston, this Charleston atmosphere isn't unfamiliar to Baker. "I was going up through the stands and a lady had a picture of my brother and some of his teammates when he was an Alley Cat in 2000," the 23-year-old said. "I remember coming here as a high schooler. I got to stay with him and watch him play. So, no Wheeler Bob, Baker doesn't need any of those Charleston memories you're trying to sell. He has his own. "I still got my Charleston Alley Cats hat," Baker said.

The Power released their latest Q&A, with Pitching Coach John Curtis: Nice job, Andy, with the questions... Link while active, text follows: nl.terradon.com/newslette...p;nlid=800 FIRST MONTH THOUGHTS FROM PITCHING COACH JOHN CURTIS AB: Voice of the Power ANDY BARCH JC: JOHN CURTIS AB: Who or what has really surprised you in the first month of the season? JC: The biggest surprise for me has been our slow start. I never thought we'd be this far below .500 at the end of April, but that's the way it's played out. I thought coming out of spring training that we'd have a solid team built around our pitching and defense. I thought we'd have more than enough offense to get us through, but all the pieces didn't come together the way any of us (manager, coaches, Power front office, and fans) hoped they would. On the positive side, I've been pleasantly surprised by our pitching. The numbers don't look great, but the attitudes and the way they've gone about their work has impressed me. The young starters have done very well, generally speaking, and I look forward to seeing them get even better. AB: If you were to grade the pitching staff after one month, what grade would they get and why? JC: I told our pitchers before the season started that I looked at April as another month of spring training. I don't put a lot of value in to what happens this early in the season, as I believe, given our relatively brief spring training (three and a half weeks) that the pitchers need this month to pitch themselves into better shape. What grade would I give them? I'd say a solid B. They've been aggressive and their command of the fastball has been well above average. They're throwing almost two out of every three for strikes. Granted, they've left a few over the plate and given up quite a few home runs. But I'd rather see solo home runs than walks. AB: There was a lot of pre-season hype surrounding Mark Rogers. Just how far do you think he can go? And what will it take for him to get there? JC: All the attention Mark Rogers received in the press grew out of expectation. Everyone wanted to see what Milwaukee's No. 1 draft choice looked like and what he could do. What has been forgotten is that Mark is just a year removed from high school, and he's just now beginning his education as a pitcher. He has a great arm, a power arm, but his command of his pitches is a little weak right now. He's trying to overthrow at times, and his fastballs come into the strike zone (or out) dangerously high. He's been working hard on staying under control, and he's already showing great improvement. There's no question that he's destined to make it to the big leagues. He has the talent. If he stays healthy and if he harnesses his talent, he'll be a starter for the Milwaukee Brewers in the near future. How quickly that happens is up to him. He has to get better control of his fastball, and that means being able to throw it for a strike at anytime and also being able to throw it to both sides of the plate. He has a good ?cutter,? which is a variation of his fastball, and his curve ball and change-up are above average. Once he can throw these pitches for strikes when he wants (and out of the strike zone when strategy dictates), he'll be on his way to the ?big show.? AB: What are some of the benefits and drawbacks to using the ?piggy-back? system in your starting rotation? JC: The biggest benefit is that it helps protect young, undeveloped arms. The system (whereby we use two starters in one game) has a built-in pitch count limit, and it helps young pitchers get acquainted with the latter stages of the game. The second starter usually enters the game in the sixth inning, so he gets a taste of what it's like to pitch late in a game. The biggest drawback is its impact on the bullpen. If the tandems break down?in other words, they don't go a certain number of innings?the bullpen has to tally the innings. Because of the tandem set-up, you can only have a few relievers in the pen. We have four, and, if I have to use three, let's say, to carry a game from the third inning to the end, then I don't have much bullpen help for the next day. It takes a group of veteran relievers to pull off something like a tandem system, and we have two in Brian Montalbo and Simon Beresford. Rob Hinton and Ben Stanczyk have done good work so far, too, but they're young still. AB: Despite the slow start, it has been mentioned that this team will make a big run and may just be a second half team. Could you elaborate on that? JC: Hopefully, we'll make a run in the first half, but the hole we've dug for ourselves is pretty deep right now. If we get back to .500, which I believe we can, then we can make noise in the first-half standings. I certainly don't believe we're a last-place club or as bad as we've been playing. For a few of our young players, this has been a big jump for them, and it's going to take some time for them to adjust to the competition in this league. They certainly have the ability to do that, and only they know how long it's going to take. As I said before, I hope it happens in the first half, but I can't promise that. We're already starting to see Alcides Escobar and Hernan Iribarren begin to hit. I just hope our fans will stick with us through this dry stretch and be patient. There's some real talent here, and it's going to come out soon!

Link while active, text follows: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp Send Mark an email: mailto:mrogersmlb@yahoo.com Hey everyone, There's not a whole lot going on here, just a lot of bus rides, a lot of pizza and a whole lot of trying to catch up on sleep, with pretty minimal success. We were in East Lake, Ohio, where we were supposed to play four games and we got snowed out. It was brutal. I thought I had escaped that kind of weather, but apparently not. At least I was in familiar surroundings. We played the first game there in the rain. It was terrible. We were snowed out the next two days, then played a doubleheader. It was tough for me. I was supposed to start the second game, got bumped back twice in a row, then went on Monday in the first game of the doubleheader. That's hard for a starting pitcher. You wait five days to get back on the bump, then you get pushed back and you get pretty antsy. From Ohio, we drove all the way to North Carolina and were rained out in our first game here. So we played two here on Wednesday and were on the short end of both of them. We're in a little funk right now. We're not clicking on all cylinders. It's got to come together soon. We're playing sound baseball, but we're not putting it all together right now. We're 3-16 and our record doesn't show how we're playing the game. We're not pushing a lot of runs across the plate when we get good pitching. When we do get some runs, our pitching will give up more. We have to start putting it all together really soon. When our record is as it is, we have to concentrate on what we're here for -- to get better and develop. But I'm not used to losing. I've never been on a losing team. You never accept losing. When you do, it becomes a habit. Even though I didn't pitch in either game on Wednesday, but the team lost, so I felt I lost. My next start is Saturday, so we'll see how that goes. My last nine innings have gone great. I've given up four hits and two runs Editor's Note: He also has 12 strikeouts in that span. I'm in tandem with Josh Wahpehpah, and the last two times we went we won, so we're hoping to build on that. We want to split this series here in North Carolina and head back to West Virginia on Saturday on a roll. Thanks again for all the great emails. I've answered a few more below. Talk to everyone in two weeks. What is the biggest difference you've faced going from high school ball to Minor League baseball? -- Travis Travis, it's probably playing every day. We practiced in high school every day, but there's a game every day here. The days are a lot longer. Obviuosly, the competition's a lot better. There aren't two or three guys in a lineup you can just pump fastballs past. You can't just throw, you have to pitch to every batter. You could get away with more in high school. Here, you have to compete every pitch. I am a fellow Mainer. I was wondering how the quality of high school baseball in Maine is compared to the rest of the country and how did playing in Maine help or hinder you for pro ball? -- SSG. Matthew Lennon, United States Army Infantry SSG. Lennon, I always thought playing in Maine helped me. The quality of ball there is just as good as anywhere else. We just don't get to play as much. We're left out of the loop because we're not in the sun belt. Maine won the Legion Series last year, so there's not that much of a difference. It's just a question of repetition and getting out there, but I think Maine could produce just as many ballpayers as any other state. What would your advice be to high school pitchers with aspriations of becoming professional baseball players? -- Glenn G. Glenn, it's a long process. It's a little more difficult coming straight out of high school. I was fortunate enough for that to happen for me. But you need to let the process take care of itself. Going to college and then going into pro baseball would be a great experience. You get the college life and maybe get to play in a good college program and gain maturity that way. My advice would be to trust yourself, your instincts and decisions, if you go right out of high school, or go to college. It will take care of itself. Just take care of playing the game you love and you should be all set.

Nashville Site Game Summary: Link with pat Borders photo, text follows: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1521 Veteran catcher Pat Borders belted his second home run of the game, a two-run shot off Will Cunnane in the bottom of the sixth inning, to propel the Nashville Sounds to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Iowa Cubs in the nightcap of a Sunday doubleheader at Greer Stadium. Audio link to Borders' game-winner: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...4-24-2.mp3 The 41-year-old Borders ? who hit his first roundtripper of the year in the second inning, a solo shot ? drove in three runs, scored three runs, and enjoyed his first two-homer game since September 2002. With the 5-4 win in the second game, Nashville (10-8) gained a split of the doubleheader after dropping the opener, 5-2, and held onto sole possession of first place in the American Conference Northern Division, one game ahead of Omaha. The Sounds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap on Brad Nelson?s first-inning RBI double and Borders? second inning solo shot off Iowa starter Sergio Mitre. Iowa got one run back in the fourth on a Geovany Soto RBI single before David Kelton, who extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-4 effort, tied the contest with an RBI double in the fifth. Cubs leftfielder Angel Echevarria gave the visitors a 3-2 lead with a two-out RBI single off Sounds starter Jeff Housman later in the frame. Nashville knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth on Rickie Weeks? two-out RBI single but missed an opportunity to do more damage as Iowa reliever Eddie Oropesa fanned cleanup hitter Nelson with the bases loaded to end the inning and escape a jam. After Julio Santana struck out the side on 14 pitches in the top of the sixth, Borders delivered his eventual game-deciding second homer with one out in the bottom of the inning to give Nashville a 5-3 lead. Iowa didn?t go down without a fight against Sounds reliever Jeff Bennett in the seventh. Richard Lewis and Kelton opened the frame with back-to-back singles then Scott McClain drew a walk to load the bases with one out. In a 12-pitch at-bat, Cubs first baseman Rick Bell followed with a sacrifice fly to center, which plated Lewis to make it a 5-4 game. Kelton attempted to gain third base on the play and was thrown out by Nashville centerfielder Dave Krynzel for the second out of the inning. Bennett then fanned Echevarria to end the contest. Santana (2-0) earned the win with his impressive inning of relief work, while Cunnane (0-1) shouldered the loss after giving up Borders? second homer. Bennett registered his fourth save of the year. The Sounds scored quickly in the opener, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out, two-run single by third baseman Kevin Orie, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Iowa cut the lead in half in the second when Mike Fontenot scored an unearned run on Mark Johnson?s RBI single. Iowa came back to grab a 4-2 lead with a three-run fifth using only one hit against Sounds starter Ben Hendrickson. Johnson walked to open the frame and was erased on a fielder?s choice grounder. Pinch-hitter Rick Bell walked and Calvin Murray was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Micah Hoffpauir, who knotted the game with a sacrifice fly to left. David Kelton followed with a two-out, two-run single to center to put the visitors in front. The Cubs added an insurance run in the sixth when Fontenot scored on a Johnson groundout. Russ Rohlicek (1-0) picked up his first victory of the 2005 season in relief for the I-Cubs, while Hendrickson (0-2) absorbed the loss after allowing five runs in his six innings of work. The teams continue the series with a 7 PM meeting on Monday evening at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Rick Helling (1-0, 7.41) will take the hill for the Sounds to face Iowa right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (0-1, 5.14).

Final, Game Two: Nashville 5, Iowa (Cubs) 4 Wild final inning as the Cubs loaded the bases with none out; on a sac fly to center, Dave Krynzel threw out the runner going to third as a run scored. Then Jeff Bennett struck out Angel Echeverria to end it -- another former Brewer, Will Cunnane, took the loss... Nashville Game Two Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_2 Nashville Game Two Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_2

Game Two: In progress: Nashville 5, Iowa (Cubs) 3, bottom of the sixth in Nashville (scheduled for seven) Pat Borders just hit his second home run of the game to put the Sounds ahead; Jeff Bennett will be coming on to hopefully close things out; Matt Erickson's 3-for-4 on the season, all as a pinch-hitter -- he's had a sore knee that has really limited his playing time, it's getting better...

Huntsville Site Game Summary: A Sunday Squeaker Ricky Nolasco worked seven strong innings and benefited from some late defensive help in West Tenn?s 2-1 victory over Huntsville Sunday afternoon at Pringles Park in the final game of a three-game weekend series. The Stars dropped to 8-9 on the season and 2-8 away from home, while the DiamondJaxx bumped their season mark to 11-6 overall and 6-4 at home by taking two out of three in the first meeting between the two teams. David Bradley took over for Dennis Sarfate to open the seventh inning on the hill for Huntsville and issued a one-out walk to catcher Paul O?Toole, hitless in his first 13 at-bats of the season. Dwaine Bacon came out to pinch-hit for Nolasco and dropped down a sacrifice bunt to push O?Toole to second base before Felix Pie delivered a single to right field to score O?Toole to give the home team a 2-1 lead. Nolasco allowed one run on four hits and picked up the win to improve to 3-0. The right-hander fanned seven and walked one and has struck out 26 hitters in 22 1/3 innings. Jon Searles started the eighth inning on the mound for West Tenn and allowed a leadoff bunt to Kennard Bibbs, who was then thrown out trying to steal with Tony Gwynn, Jr. at the plate. Gwynn then singled to right for his second hit of the day, and third two-hit game of the year, but he was erased trying to steal with Callix Crabbe at the plate. Crabbe would ground out to end the inning and lost an eight-game hit streak after finishing hitless in three at-bats. O?Toole also threw out Enrique Cruz trying to steal in the seventh inning. Adam Greenberg drew a leadoff walk in the home eighth and moved to second base when Matt Murton was hit by a pitch. Brandon Sing struck out and Casey McGehee bounced into a double play started by Bradley to end the inning. Bradley suffered his first loss of the season and dropped to 1-1. McGlinchy took over in the ninth and the former big leaguer, who appeared in 74 games for Atlanta in the 1999 and 2000 seasons and in the 1999 World Series, walked Vinny Rottino to open the frame. John Vanden Berg singled to right field with two outs to move Rottino to second before Enrique Cruz slammed a 2-2 pitch to left field that was caught by a leaping Murton up against the wall. McGlinchy earned his second save of the year and helped send the Stars to their sixth loss in nine one-run games. Sing doubled in the DiamondJaxx first run in the first inning and finished the series with six hits in eight at-bats and a pair of runs batted in. Gwynnled off the sixth inning with a single, stole second and advanced to third ahead of a throw by shortstop Bucky Coats after he fielded a Rottino ground ball. Nolasco then committed a balk allowing Gwynn to score to tie the game. Sarfate went six innings for a third straight start and yielded a single run on five hits. The right-hander walked two and struck out five and has fanned 29 in 22 1/3 innings of work. The Stars will send left-hander Manny Parra to the hill for series opener against Mississippi Braves? southpaw Macay McBride Monday night. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:50 PM Central Time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Brevard County Game Summary (Cardinals' Site): C.J. Medlin went 3 for 4 with two RBI and Manatees starter Luis Pena gave up one earned run over seven innings as Brevard County beat the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium on Sunday afternoon. After a scoreless two innings, Brevard County scored four runs in the top of the third. Center fielder Travis Ezi drew a one-one walk and stole second base. Steve Sollman was then hit by a pitch. A Drew Anderson single to left scored Ezi. Adam Heether followed with a single of his own, scoring Sollman. The Cardinals fielding troubles continued for the second night in a row as third baseman Mike McCoy made an error on a ball hit by Wandel Campana, scoring Anderson. The inning was capped off by an infield single by Medlin that brought home Heether. The Cardinals scored in the bottom of the fourth with the benefit of back-to-back singles by Cody Haerther and Terry Evans, and an RBI-groundout by Ty Parker. Palm Beach inched closer in the seventh. John Santor hit a one-out single down the left field line. Rayner Laya (pictured) hit into a force out that retired Santor at second, but Laya then stole second and third base, and scored on a ground ball single to right by Calvin Hayes that hit off the glove of the diving Sollman. In the top of the eighth, the Manatees scored three more times to put the game out of reach. The Cardinals tacked on one more run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI-groundout by Haerther, scoring McCoy who had tripled earlier. Charles Bechtel took the loss for Palm Beach. Bechtel (0-2) gave up four runs (only two earned) in three innings of work. Jose Garcia was sharp in relief, but tired after going 4 2/3 out of the pen, giving up three runs. Pena (1-2) earned the win for Brevard County. Laya?s stolen bases in the seventh were his first two of the season. Today?s crowd at Roger Dean Stadium was 1,415. Game two of the three-game set is Monday night at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

Final, Game One: Iowa (Cubs) 5, Nashville 2 Not used to associating mediocrity with Ben Hendrickson's performances... Nashville Game One Box Score: At least the young guys drew walks... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game One Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1