Jim Goulart

Final: Oklahoma (Rangers) 5, Nashville 2 Top Ranger prospects Kinsler and Nix homer back-to-back in th 9th... Nashville Site Gamecast: Valid for review until next game begins... www.nashvillesounds.com/live/xlive.htm Nashville Box Score: Virtually no offense, particularly from the young top of the order... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: RHP Mike Meyers shouldn't have been expected to get through three scoreless... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

Final: West Virginia 8, Hagerstown (Mets) 3 Power wins! Power wins! West Virginia Box Score: Nice to see William Lewis in the lineup wherever they can find a spot -- LF tonight -- his two-out, three-run double in the first was huge... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Like Dillard / Costello in Brevard County, impressive BB/K numbers from Derek DeCarlo / Yovani Gallardo tonight; we'll have to run an analysis in coming days, but it does seem, organization-wide, that important indicator has been excellent... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Brevard County 3, Jupiter (Marlins) 1 Brevard County Box Score: We may not see a finer pitching line all season than Tim Dillard's here; combined with Ryan Costello, the two combined to K 15 with no walks... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: Jeff Eure with a two-out, two-run HR in the bottom of the 8th -- five of Jeff's six hits are for extra bases thus far... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

You can use these links to get your always updating box scores and game logs while tonight's action takes place. In Nashville's case, it's their nice gamecast feature: Nashville: www.nashvillesounds.com/live/xlive.htm Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Nashville Pre-Game Notes (PDF format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Charleston Daily Mail Series Preview with projected rotation through the weekend series: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...format=prn

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...005041430/ Ex-WVU star hopes to spoil Power opener Matt Lockhart Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter This whole thing is news to Grant Psomas. The former West Virginia University shortstop had no clue his Hagerstown Suns would be opening Charleston's $23 million Appalachian Power Park tonight at 7:45 PM (6:45 PM Central). Then again, why should he? Psomas is zoned in where it matters for minor league baseball players -- at the plate. Just ask Manager Ramon Aviles' winless West Virginia Power club. Power pitchers served up two homers to Psomas on the South Atlantic League's opening night last week in Hagerstown. One went over a deep centerfield fence that's three stories high. "I hit it pretty good," said the 22-year-old Psomas, who is nicknamed Gungie. "I'm not sure how far it went." Truth is, Psomas has been hitting everything pretty good this year. A 15th-round selection by the New York Mets, Psomas is batting .385 with 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in. It's a big jump from last year's two homers and .233 average and in 65 games on the Mets' short-season Class A New York-Penn League team in Brooklyn. Still, Psomas claims he hasn't changed much. "I've just tried to take the same approach to the plate," said Psomas, who batted .317 with 21 homers and 110 RBI in his three-year Mountaineer career. "I try to find good pitches to hit; that's what I've been trying to do all season." Instead, Psomas directs a lot of his early success to his team's pitching staff. In the four-game sweep over the Power last week, Hagerstown pitchers allowed only four runs and 15 hits in 118 at-bats. "Whenever you get good pitching, it takes a lot of pressure off the offense," said Psomas, who is from Carnegie, Pa., a Pittsburgh suburb. "That has happened so far." Hagerstown comes to Charleston (0-7) atop the South Atlantic League's Northern Division with a 7-0 mark. The Suns are the SAL's only unbeaten club, and their start includes a four-game, season-opening sweep of the Power. Of the pitchers Psomas has faced in his team's seven games, he said West Virginia's rotation leader Mark Rogers stood out the most -- despite the former first-round pick giving up five earned runs in three innings one week ago. "He was really bringing it," said Psomas. "He really impressed me." Tonight, Psomas' Suns will go against West Virginia right-hander Derek DeCarlo (0-0, 4.50 ERA). The 22-year-old, ninth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2004 gave up one run and three hits in two innings of relief in Saturday's 2-1 loss at Hagerstown. The Suns will counter with Jeff Landing (1-0), a right-hander who pitched five shutout innings against the Power in the third game of the season. Gates open at 6 p.m., but the first pitch isn't until 7:45 p.m. because of ceremonies to open the new ballpark. Game four of the series Sunday matches two of the top prospects in the SAL in Rogers (0-1) and Hagerstown's Gabriel Hernandez (0-0).

Link while active, then text: www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...122101.xml Stars have home but no lease With home opener Friday, team may be violating rules By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com When the Huntsville Stars made their debut in 1985, it took some 11th-hour negotiation to have a lease in place between the baseball team and the city of Huntsville. Two decades later, it's the same story. Except that this time, the Stars could actually be in violation of Minor League Baseball rules when they play their 2005 home opener Friday against Carolina. The Stars have not had an active lease with the city for the use of Joe W. Davis Stadium since the end of the 2003 season. They are merely working off the same terms as signed by the previous ownership. Miles Prentice, the team's principal owner, denied that the delay means the Stars are for sale or will be moved to a new city. Prentice, an attorney based in New York who also owns a team in Midland, Texas, flew into Huntsville Wednesday afternoon and met with city officials. Other meetings will be held today before he returns home. Because of a business conflict, he will not attend Friday's Opening Night festivities as the Stars (1-6) host Carolina. "We're going to be talking about a long-term situation,'' Prentice said Wednesday. "Things need to be worked out and discussed.'' A new lease will not be agreed upon and signed during this visit, he said. "It's a timing issue. We haven't had the opportunity to discuss things yet,'' Prentice said. "I don't think it's a serious issue.'' Terry Hatfield, an assistant to Mayor Loretta Spencer, said Wednesday, "This is something we're anxious to get done.'' According to Hatfield, the city is interested in working out a long-term lease and there will be more money available in future budgets for renovation and upkeep for Joe Davis Stadium, now the oldest park in the 10-team Southern League and 12th-oldest in the top two tiers of minor league ball. The rules state an active lease must be signed between the team and whatever entity owns the host stadium. Tim Brunswick of Minor League Baseball told The Times he wasn't immediately sure of the penalties for such a violation. "We have provisions in place that it is mandatory they have leases on file (with Minor League Baseball),'' Brunswick said. As for any consequences, he said, "To be honest with you, in 16 seasons I haven't crossed that bridge.'' Prentice said there was "no concern" about that issue. "I've kept them advised.'' The Stars are owned by a consortium that purchased the club from a group of local owners in October 2001. Joe W. Davis was built and is owned by the city of Huntsville, which has primary responsibility for stadium maintenance. Because Prentice was dealing with illness in his family, all parties agreed last season to delay negotiation on good faith, even though the lease had expired. Southern League President Don Mincher filed a letter with Minor League Baseball on behalf of the team. It essentially bought extra time last season for the parties involved, and saying the Southern League was satisfied that progress would be made on the lease. That was accepted by Minor League Baseball, in lieu of having a copy of an active lease on file. Throughout last season, Prentice continued to assure The Times in personal interviews and through team representatives that he intended to work out a new lease as soon as his schedule permitted. However, he attended only a few Stars games last season and never initiated formal negotiation. Since Joe W. Davis Stadium's official unveiling on April 19, 1985, new parks have been built in Birmingham, Chattanooga, Jacksonville and Knoxville, which were other Southern League members that season. Greenville's franchise moved to Pearl, Miss., when the team requests for a new stadium or drastic renovation to the existing park were rejected. Since the Braves' departure, the city has provided land and infrastructure assistance for a privately-constructed downtown stadium. Montgomery, Mobile, Jackson, Tenn., and Zebulon, N.C. have built new stadiums that led to their landing league franchises. The Stars drew only 180,506 fans last season, ranking them eighth in the Southern League and 25th among 30 Class AA teams. This despite having the defending Southern League West champion and the presence of some of the most highly touted prospects in franchise history. The club was without a general manager this winter for nearly two months and had several other key departures from the 2004 staff. "We've obviously had some setbacks,'' Prentice said. "I'm not particularly happy with where we are (in terms of ticket and advertising sales), but I understand. I'm not that concerned.''

Thursday's Daily Menu -- three dinner entrees while the big boys take yet another day off... All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- we'll be confirming pitcher info in the AM at the lower levels... Nashville: LHP Jeff Housman at home vs. Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: Idle, heading home Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Jupiter (Marlins), 6:00 PM Audio link (opponent's feed): www.live365.com/cgi-bin/m...2747300015 West Virginia: RHP Derek DeCarlo at home vs. undefeated (7-0) Hagerstown (Mets), 6:45 PM -- the Suns have already defeated the Power four times; have fun in the $23 million ballpark, kids... Audio link (opponent's feed): streaming0.ctinetworks.co...uns-wa.pls Edit: Updated West Virginia pitcher and start time info...

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Link while active, text follows: jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...4045.shtml Barnwell looking to make move up Former Nease standout, 26, is back in Double-A for third season By JEFF ELLIOTT, The Florida Times-Union He wasn't in the Stars' starting lineup in either of the first two games against the Suns, though he came in during the sixth inning of Monday's game to deliver a pinch-hit sacrifice fly and later added two singles. Barnwell, a Nease High graduate, made a pinch-hitting appearance Tuesday and lined out to third base. The Stars posted a 3-2 win over the Suns in front of a crowd of 5,730 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. It was Huntsville's first win after opening the season with five losses. Barnwell wasn't inserted into the game after his pinch-hitting duties, and that in part describes the year the 26-year-old utility infielder is going through. He knows the window of opportunity that minor-league players have to show their skills begins to close when a player reaches his mid-to-late 20s. Now in his third consecutive season with the Stars, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, Barnwell is anxious to take his game to the next level, which would be Triple-A Nashville. "You start every year and hope that, wherever you start, you want to get better so that you can move up from there," Barnwell said. "I'm just trying to work at my game and keep getting better. "Overall, things went pretty good for me last year in that I played every game and had some good RBIs and hits and gained some good experience, which is important for me at this point in my career. I just want to hit for a better average than I did a year ago." His batting average was a mediocre .246 in 138 games. The latter number tied him for the most games played in the Southern League last season. Barnwell knows the batting average has to come up if he has any hopes of moving to Nashville or the Brewers. Barnwell can obtain major-league status as a utility infielder, said a man who spent 14 years in the majors. "I had Chris three or four years ago in Class A, so I know him," said Stars manager Don Money, a former major-leaguer who is in his first managerial stint. "He's a good kid with a good attitude. He was a utility man for me in that he could play short, second, third. He caught a couple games for me, and he can play the outfield. "Basically, he's in the same role now. He's a jack-of-all trades and master of none, if you want to say that phrase." Barnwell said he doesn't have a timetable for making it to the majors, opting to wait and see. "I think you just play until either you can't play any more or you don't want to play anymore," he said. "At some point, if I think I can't get any better or I'm getting worse, then I would give it up. Right now, I'm just trying to stay as even-keeled mentally as I can with my approach." Huntsville's Chris Barnwell, a Nease High graduate, watches a ball sail foul during Tuesday's game. WILL DICKEY/The Times-Union http://jacksonville.com/images/041305/68888_400.jpg

Link while active, text follows: tennessean.com/sports/bas...D=68167151 Seven-run eighth halts Sounds rally By MAURICE PATTON Tennessean Staff Writer Suffice it to say last night wasn't one of Justin Lehr's better outings. The Nashville Sounds reliever faced 10 batters but retired just one as visiting Oklahoma broke open a close game late and grabbed an 11-2 victory. ''Unfortunately, it wasn't Justin's night,'' Nashville Manager Frank Kremblas said of Lehr, whose earned run average went from 4.50 to 30.86 after giving up seven runs on nine hits. ''Everything they hit was in a hole or uncatchable.'' Marshall McDougall's three-run double in the seventh inning followed by Cody Ransom's eighth-inning grand slam squelched any thoughts of another comeback victory for the Sounds. The RedHawks sent 12 hitters to the plate in the eighth, scoring seven runs to build on a 4-2 lead, a cushion the Sounds had just cut in half on Rickie Weeks' two-run triple in the bottom of the seventh. ''He got a lot of groundballs with his sinker,'' Nashville catcher Pat Borders said of Lehr. ''They just happened to be in the right spot.'' Trailing by nine runs in the ninth, Kremblas brought shortstop Steve Scarborough in to pitch. Scarborough, a former pitcher at Texas A&M, allowed one hit and picked up a strikeout. Despite allowing one run on five hits over 4 2/3 innings, spot starter Clint Weibl was tagged with the loss. Weibl started in place of Jose Capellan, who was held out due to a blister on his right middle finger sustained in last Thursday's opener. The Sounds, who had scored 38 runs in their first five games, were held to just five hits and were 1-for-16 with runners on base and 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. ''I thought (Oklahoma starter Jason) Standridge did a good job, working his fastball in and out with some sink and some life to it,'' Kremblas said. ''Then he added in some good offspeed stuff. He made good pitches when he needed them.'' Hitting streak: With Scarborough going hitless in four at-bats last night, Dave Krynzel is the only Sounds player to have hit safely in each of the team's first six games. Krynzel singled in the fifth to extend his hitting streak. Homecoming: Former Sounds infielder Paco Martin, whose 179 hits and 580 at-bats during the 1993 season still stand as franchise records, is among the Brewers' minor league development staffers in town for the current series. In addition to Martin, who serves as the organization's roving infield instructor, also in town are field coordinator Eddie Sedar and hitting coordinator Jim Skaalen. Reid Nichols, Milwaukee's director of player development, has been in town since Thursday's season opener. Maurice Patton covers the Nashville Sounds for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8018 or mopatton@tennessean.com.

Audio of Rickie Weeks' two-run triple tonight: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-12.mp3 Nashville Site Game Summary -- link for Rickie Weeks photo, then text: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1503 The visiting Oklahoma RedHawks broke open a close contest by scoring 10 runs over the seventh and eighth innings against the Nashville bullpen en route to posting an 11-2 victory over the Sounds on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the second game of a four-game set. RedHawks shortstop Cody Ransom homered for the third straight game, belting an eighth-inning grand slam, and finished a triple short of the cycle with a 3-for-5, four-RBI effort to lead the charge. Oklahoma broke a scoreless tie with a pair of doubles down the left field line in the top of the fifth inning by Ransom and Esteban German off Sounds starter Clint Weibl. The Sounds missed a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the frame. After loading the bases with two down against RedHawks starter Jason Standridge, the right-hander struck Corey Hart out swinging to end the threat. The RedHawks increased the lead to 4-0 with a two-out rally against the Sounds bullpen in the top of the seventh. After retiring the first two batters, Nashville reliever Chad Paronto allowed an Andres Torres single to left, a German infield single, and a walk to Jason Conti on a 3-2 pitch. After the right-hander was lifted by Sounds skipper Frank Kremblas, Marshall McDougall greeted new reliever Justin Lehr with a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double to deep center. Nashville second baseman Rickie Weeks (2-for-4) halved the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out, two-run triple that plated Ryan Knox and Dave Krynzel and chased Standridge from the ballgame. Oklahoma put the game out of reach in the top of the eighth by opening the inning with eight consecutive hits off Lehr to make it a 9-2 game, including Ransom?s grand slam. The RedHawks tacked on two more runs after Jeff Bennett relieved Lehr to finish with a seven-run, nine-hit inning. Standridge (1-1) picked up the victory after allowing two runs over his 6 1/3 innings, fanning five, while Weibl (0-1) took the tough-luck loss for the Sounds, allowing one run and striking out six in his 4 2/3 frames. Keith Stamler tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings to close out the game and earn his first save. The teams continue their series with a noon matinee at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (0-0, 6.75) takes the hill for Nashville for his second start of the season. He?ll face RedHawks right-hander Kameron Loe (0-0, 3.00).

Prince Fielder Pre-Game Audio: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-12.mp3

Final: Oklahoma (Rangers) 11, Nashville 2 Detailed "Live" Game Log from Sounds' Site: Valid until the start of the next game... www.nashvillesounds.com/live/xlive.htm Nashville Box Score: Six walks from Krynzel, Weeks, Fielder, and Nelson; Corey hart is really struggling here early on... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1 Greg Colbrunn singles on a ground ball to left fielder Corey Hart. Keith McDonald singles on a ground ball to left fielder Corey Hart. Greg Colbrunn to 2nd. Jason Botts singles on a ground ball to right fielder Ryan Knox. Greg Colbrunn to 3rd. Keith McDonald to 2nd. Cody Ransom hits a grand slam (3) to left field. Greg Colbrunn scores. Keith McDonald scores. Jason Botts scores. Andres Torres singles on a ground ball to left fielder Corey Hart. Esteban German singles on a ground ball to shortstop Steve Scarborough. Andres Torres to 2nd. Jason Conti singles on a ground ball to center fielder Dave Krynzel. Andres Torres to 3rd. Esteban German to 2nd. Marshall McDougall singles on a ground ball to left fielder Corey Hart. Andres Torres scores. Esteban German to 3rd. Jason Conti to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jeff Bennett replaces Justin Lehr. Do you think Justin Lehr will sleep well tonight? Wow...

Final: Lexington (Astros) 8, West Virginia 0 The Power with only three base hits of their own, all lonely singles; only one more chance to avoid opening their new ballpark Thursday winless -- the team's now 0-6... West Virginia Box Score: Power batters strike out 14 times, drawing two walks; 2-2/3 scoreless innings from Mark Rogers tonight; newcomer Jason Tuttle now 0-for-17... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: These game logs continue to list the home team first for each inning -- very confusing... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1 Lexington Site Game Summary: Hunter Pence belted two home runs and added a double to lift Lexington to an 8-0 win over West Virginia Tuesday night. Pence?s multi home run night was the first for a Legend in 2005. Lexington also received solo shots from Saul Torres and Mario Garza to give Lexington a season high of four in a game. Ronnie Martinez (1-1) also shined. The right-hander surrendered one hit in seven innings of work. Martinez struck out a season high nine batters in the game. Paul Estrada worked the final two scoreless innings. The Legends got started early with a run in the first on Scott Robinson?s RBI single. Garza? solo shot made it two nothing after two. Pence doubled the score with a two run homer in the third. Pence? three run shot in the fifth inning made it 7-0 and one out later, Torres finished the scoring with a solo home run. The Legends have won two straight to even their record at three wins and three losses. The Legends staff struck out 14 batters. It?s the fourth time they?ve had double?digit strikeouts in a game. The shutout was Lexington?s first of the season. The Legends will seek the sweep on Wednesday night. Juan Gutierrez will face lefty Greg Kloosterman. The first pitch is set for 7:05, network coverage begins at 6:50.

Final: Brevard County 3, Port St. Lucie (Mets) 2 Only three base hits, but Jeff Eure and Steve Moss come through back-to-back with two outs... Brevard County Box Score: Carlos Villanueva with a strong start; Bo Hall with the strikeout pitch working... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_sluafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: Nice jobs by Jeremy Lewis and Nick Slack closing it out... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_sluafx_1 Port St. Lucie Site Game Summary: For the second night in a row the St. Lucie Mets lost to the Brevard County Manatees, dropping a heart breaker 3-2. In only his second trip to the mound as a Met, first-round draft pick and starting pitcher Phil Humber blanked the Manatees for five innings, scattering two hits while striking out five. Henry Owens relieved Humber in the sixth and pitched two innings, giving up three earned runs and was credited with the loss. Eddie Comacho and Jose Rodriguez pitched well in relief over the final two innings. Offensively the Mets couldn't get much started, as they only collected five hits for the night. In the bottom of the sixth inning Lasto Milledge doubled to left field and Brett Harper followed with his team leading third home run for the season. For the night, Harper and Jamar Hill were each 2-for-4. The Mets and Manatees will finish there homestand tomorrow. Gametime is 7:00 PM (6:00 Central).

surprised to see Rogers appear in this game. Wonder if they're planning on Rogers and Wahpepah just sharing starts until they build up some pitch counts and innings DHonks, remember how it's been set up for West Virginia. Eight starters rotating turns -- each starter will be limited to around 80 pitches when opening a game, each piggy-backer to about 40 pitches upon following up -- with each set switching back and forth. On Opening Day, Wahpepah followed Rogers -- here the roles are reversed.

Nashville's Game Notes (PDF format) are chock full of news this evening, including the update that RHP Clint Weibl gets the start tonight instead of Jose Capellan (blister precaution). www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

Use these links to follow tonight's partial box scores as the games begin (times listed above): Nashville: www.nashvillesounds.com/live/xlive.htm Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_sluafx_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

Final: Huntsville 3, Jacksonville (Suns) 2 Off the schneid -- congrats, boys! Huntsville Site Game Summary: Dana Eveland worked five shutout innings and Tony Gwynn, Jr. knocked in the game-winning run in the eighth inning for the Stars, who defeated the Suns 3-2 to win their first game of the season Tuesday afternoon at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Huntsville improved to 1-5, while the Suns dropped to 3-3. Four of the six games played by Huntsville have been decided by one run. Beau Dannemiller opened the eighth inning on hill for the home team and allowed a one-out double to Kennard Bibbs that was followed by Gwynn, Jr.?s base hit to center field that put the Stars back on top 3-2. Gwynn, Jr. drove in his second run of the series and made a loser out of Dannemiller for a second time in his three relief appearances. Jacksonville threatened to tie the game in the eighth inning against Stars reliever Mitch Stetter after Brian Sprout and James Loney opened the frame with singles. Delwyn Young bounced into a force out at second base that sent Sprout to third with the potential tying run. However, the Stars left-hander worked out of trouble by striking out Derek Michaelis on three pitches and retiring Jimmy Rohan on a ground ball out. The Stars loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning but failed to score and Matt DeWitt was brought on in the bottom of the inning to preserve the lead. The veteran right-hander retired the first two hitters, allowed a single and stolen base to Todd Donovan and ended the game by inducing Sergio Garcia to ground out to earn his first save of the season. Huntsville tallied twice in the first inning when Nelson Cruz doubled home Brandon Gemoll and then came into score on a base hit by Tony Zuniga, who knocked in his first run of the campaign. Jacksonville starter Chad Billingsley walked Callix Crabbe to open the second inning and then retired the next 12 hitters he faced before giving way to the bullpen. The hard throwing right-hander fanned five and walked one in his second start of the year. Eveland allowed three singles and a walk in the first inning but kept the home team from scoring by picking off leadoff man Donovan after a single and retiring Michaelis on a ground ball with the bases full and two outs. The Stars left-hander retired the last 10 hitters he faced and has yielded only one run in nine innings of work over his first two starts. Eveland struck out six and walked two before giving way to Matt Ford. Jacksonville fashioned a two-run rally in the seventh to tie the game against Ford, who was making his second relief appearance of the season. Delwyn Young struck out to open the frame but reached on a passed ball, Michaelis walked before Ford fielded Rohan?s bunt and threw late to third base in an attempt to get Young for the first out. Eric Langill followed with a looping two-run single to center field, his first of the year, to deliver Young and Michaelis. The three-game set concludes Wednesday afternoon with Huntsville right-hander Dennis Sarfate taking the hill against Suns? right-hander Jonathan Broxton. Coverage of the game gets underway at 11:50 AM Central Time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_jaxaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_jaxaax_1

One down -- and 31 to go LEGENDS WIN FIRST OF 32 MEETINGS WITH POWER By Mark Maloney LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER The schedule is such that the Lexington Legends and West Virginia Power are apt to get sick of one another this season. But last night, in the first of 32 meetings, the Legends found a way to make things pleasant, posting an 8-5 victory at Applebee's Park. "I know it's important to play well against this team because we have 32 games against them," Legends Manager Tim Bogar said. "It can make or break your season." The Legends' eight runs and 12 hits are season highs. The Power had 13 hits. Saul Torres led Lexington's assault with a three-run homer and a single. Ben Zobrist had a three-run double that ignited a five-run fourth inning that put the Legends (2-3) ahead to stay. Zobrist picked out the second pitch thrown by reliever Robbie Wooley and pulled the ball down the first-base line. "He came in with a fastball inside on the first pitch and, the second pitch, I was thinking something off-speed," Zobrist said. "He kind of left it over the middle of the plate." Torres' three-run shot, to the bleachers in left, opened the scoring in the second. "I was just thinking 'hit the ball hard somewhere,'" Torres said. "I just react with the pitch. It was a slider. I just had it." West Virginia, which was held to four runs in four losses to start the season at Hagerstown, tied this game with a run in the third and two in the fourth. Those were the only runs surrendered by Ryan McKeller (1-0), who gave up six hits and a walk over five innings. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound righty struck out four and became the first Legends starter to get a win. "McKeller did a great job," Bogar said. "He made a couple of mistakes. Otherwise, he was around the plate and he did what he had to do." The Legends took control by scoring five in the fourth. Singles by Torres, Kevin Vital and Lou Santangelo loaded the bases with none out. Santangelo's hit snapped an 0-for-12 start to the year. Power starter Josh Baker retired Jonny Ash on a fly, then gave way to Wooley. After Zobrist cleared the bases, he scored on Scott Robinson's second hit of the night, a double. Robinson took third on Hunter Pence's second single of the night. Robinson scored on the back end of a double steal. "We needed a game like this to kind of break the ice," Bogar said. "Everybody kind of relaxed a little bit. It's nice to see some big hits in big situations."

Link while active, text follows: www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=40629 Sounds come back again, win 8-7 By Mark McGee, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent An anonymous Nashville Sounds player wrote the words ?No retreat, no surrender? in blue ink on the clubhouse message board. It could well be the marketing slogan for the Sounds this season. Trailing 7-2, the Sounds rallied for five runs in the eighth and then sealed the victory in the ninth on a game-winning single to center by veteran catcher Pat Borders. The 8-7 victory Monday night over the Oklahoma City RedHawks at Greer Stadium was the second game in a row that the Sounds rallied after six innings for the victory. All four victories this season have been come-from-behind efforts. ?These guys are tough mentally,? said Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas. ?They are learning how to be even tougher. They keep plugging away until they get a break, and we got a couple of breaks late in the game.? For Borders, a World Series MVP and Olympic gold medal winner, big hits are a part of his career. But the 41-year-old catcher was as happy with his two-out game-winner that scored a sliding Brad Nelson as any of his past accomplishments at the plate. ?Heck yeah, it?s the biggest hit I?ve had,? Borders said. ?It is the one closest to now.? Borders had two hits in the game, including a single in the fifth inning, jump starting what had been a slow start at the plate. ?You have to be lucky sometimes,? Borders said. ?The hit I got earlier helped me get out of a little bit of a mental slump I had been in since I got here.? Julio Santana came on in relief and pitched scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth innings. Four Nashville pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts. Lead-off hitter Dave Krynzel collected four runs batted in with a solo home run to right in the third, an RBI double in the fifth and a two-RBI single to center in the eighth. For Kremblas it was less than a perfect effort. The Sounds made three fielding errors and ran the bases in a less-than-effective manner. ?We hope we don?t make three errors every night,? Kremblas said. ?We still have a lot of work to do. That?s what you are going to have with a younger team. They have shown they can work through mistakes, and that is always nice too. But we would prefer not to have the mistakes.? The series with Oklahoma City continues tonight at 7 with Nashville right-hander Jose Capellan (0-0, 4.15) facing right-hander Jason Standridge (0-1, 1.69).

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...156680.xml Old enough to remember black-and-white TV, Stars' new manager young at heart Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com Huntsville Times A phone jangles. Don Money leans back from his pose on a batting cage. "May be Michael Anthony,'' he says. Quizzical looks abound. Money is 57 years old. Few others near the cage are in that neighborhood. "You know. 'The Millionaire,' " Money explains. More quizzical looks. He begins to explain. It was a TV show, back in the 1950s and 1960s, where the phone would ring. Michael Anthony, representing a millionaire named J. Beresford Tipton, would call up and give people a million bucks. Sort of unreal reality TV. With full attention still on batting practice, Money is mining the black-and-white, 19-inch Zenith corner of his mind. The whole time, he nonchalantly swings a bat. Much as some nationalities are said to be incapable of speech without moving their hands, you begin to believe Don Money would be rendered mute if you yanked the bat from his hands. He and other 50-somethings begin stream-of-consciousness swapping titles from the rabbit-ear days. "Queen For A Day.'' "Bonanza.'' "Highway Patrol.'' Sharon, his wife of 36 years, will say later, "He loves his TV. It's second to baseball. All the old cowboy movies. He knows them all. All the old movies, old Westerns, old war movies.'' He may live in a Turner Classic Movies, Nick-at-Nite world. But Don Money, the new manager of the Huntsville Stars, had an ESPN Classic career. The glory days Stars catcher Vinny Rottino grew up in Wisconsin, so "I had a sense of history,'' he says. "I was a huge Brewers fan. I knew who Don Money was before I played for him.'' Baseball history was once something to savor, to absorb from the backs of trading cards and from the pages of Sport magazine, with those oh-so-convenient photos to tear out and tape to a bedroom wall. In this short-attention-span world, people follow baseball history only back to the most recent sagging ex-jock under a steroid cloud. The worst historians are often those who play the game. Here, then, a word to Don Money's players and younger fans: The skipper was good. Damn good. He made the American League All-Star team four times. He hit 25 homers one year, back in the day that 25 homers was something and you got 'em by eating Wheaties, not getting a needle stuck in your butt. He batted .261 for his career. He was so good, this July 26 he's being inducted into the Brewers' Walk of Fame. He'll be one of only 12 honored so far. Hank Aaron, Bud Selig, Rollie Fingers and Robin Yount are some of the others. "If I ever had a question (last year) about hitting, I'd go to him,'' Rottino says. "He was an All-Star for crying out loud. He's been there. Why wouldn't you go to him?'' Money won't volunteer much about his career. However, ask him and, teases pitching coach Rich Sauveur, "he won't shut up.'' It's another morning in spring training, same batting cage, and Sauveur won't shut up about Don Money. "He's a good guy,'' he says. And, "He's got a very good sense of humor.'' And, "He's a very good teacher.'' And, "He relates very well to the players.'' Money is 15 feet away. Swinging a bat, naturally. "What are you talking about?'' he asks. "I hear you talking about me.'' "You can't help but hear, with those ears,'' Sauveur shoots back. Thus begins a riff that lasts several minutes. For the longest time in their first season together, Money needled Sauveur unmercifully. Now, three seasons later, Sauveur knows the secret. If Money's not dogging you about something, then worry. A player wanders over. A new target as Money tries to mask impish behavior behind a poker face. He swings the bat lazily and makes some instructional points. "The guys see him on ESPN Classic,'' Sauveur says, "and see him play, and that's pretty neat.'' The real farm system It is almost prerequisite for managers to shovel, well, bull manure. Don Money does it literally. The Moneys have five Black Angus cows. Three are pregnant. They also have a goat "that thinks it's a cow,'' Sharon says. It's "just a little hobby farm,'' she says, 2 1/2 acres in Vineland, N.J., down in the southern part of the state, a little below halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Though Sharon will eventually join Don in Huntsville, she laughs, "he left me behind with the cows.'' And with the grandkids. It is a Saturday afternoon and Sharon Money has just returned home from two soccer games and two youth league baseball games. In the off-season, she says, Don is always tinkering around on the farm. Building that. Fixing this. "He messes around for an hour and a half, then he watches his TV for an hour and a half,'' says Sharon. "Then back to work. That's his ritual.'' If not the farm, then it's sitting around with some buddies, knocking back a couple of beers. Or playing golf. Or crabbing. At the end of the season, they go to his sister's place, out on the bay, and "go crabbing and have a big crab feast. He's in heaven,'' Sharon says. Not nearly as much, though, as when he's in a baseball uniform. Money shed that baseball uniform as a player in 1983. The kids were still young. Time for dad to be at home. After two years managing rookie ball, he coached at a local Catholic high school for five years. The kids weren't so young any more. They were married. The nest grew empty. "I'm like, 'Why don't you get back in baseball?' '' Sharon says. Don agreed. "Your lifestyle changes,'' he says. "Now it's you and the wife. You can do what you want to do. I got the itch back.'' Cecil Cooper, then Milwaukee's director of player development and one of Money's Brewers teammates, gave him the opportunity to manage at Beloit. "He needed it,'' Sharon says. "He really needed to get back in.'' Baseball can be an addiction for those in the game. It's an all-consuming way of life. For Don Money, it's something "he thrives on,'' says his wife. If nothing else, it's something to do 'til he comes home to the cows.

And now you newcomers know how lucky we are to have Huntsville Stars' historian David Weiser (hsvstarsfan) and his www.starsboxscore.com site on board here. Thanks, David!