Jim Goulart

Box: Orem 3, Rocky Mountain 0 Guys, the altitude is supposed to inflate your numbers... Kudos to RF Micah Bello and 1B Ernesto Martinez for drawing three walks apiece in their first pro games away from the Maryvale complex and in front of actual paying fans for this road contest. But, one hit. Prior 2019 Timber Rattler Antonio Pinero doubled in the 3rd. *** We may reach out to the Voice of the Vibes Mitchell Vareldzis (that has some cool alliteration considering his last name as well) to see if he's going to be posting game summaries (hopefully). For now, this is posted by KOAA in Colorado Springs. I have a suspicion it is indeed Mitchell's write-up that just hasn't made it to the Vibes' home page yet. OREM, Utah – The Rocky Mountain Vibes played their first game in team history Friday night, falling to the Orem Owlz on the road, 3-0. The Owlz scored all three RBI on two homers off of Vibes starting pitcher Michele Vassalotti. The Vibes opened the game with two walks within the first inning, but after two scoreless innings, it was the Owlz who struck first. In the bottom of the third inning, Jeremiah Jackson drew a walk for Orem to put one on for D’Shawn Knowles who hit the Owlz’ first homer of the 2019 season to make it a 2-0 ballgame. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Vibes starter Vassalotti gave up a solo homer to Johan Sala for Orem’s second longball of the night to extend the Owlz lead to 3-0. One out later, Morgan McCullough singled for Orem’s third and final hit of the night. The Vibes sole hit of the game came off the bat of Antonio Piñero in the form of a stand-up double in the third inning. The Colorado Springs relief pitching staff looked solid on the night, allowing no runs and no hits with five strikeouts through four innings of work. The Vibes head into game two of a four game set against the Owlz in Orem tomorrow at 7:05 PM MT (8:05 Central). *** Just-turned 20-year-old Australian Jess Williams had the toughest night, fanning all three times up. Perhaps miscast in LF, but that's where he spent more and more time last year in Maryvale and through the Australian summer, seeing less time on the dirt. it was a scoreless stateside debut for 21-year-old Puerto Rican LHP Jose Alberro, after three DSL seasons. So at least he skips Maryvale. Speaking of skipping Maryvale, how about the professional debut of 21-year-old Dominican RHP Cristian Sierra happening not in the DSL or Maryvale, but in the Pioneer League. However, there's extenuating circumstances behind that -- this is from November 2017: "Minor league pitcher Cristian Sierra was suspended for the first 72 games of next season for testing positive for Boldenone, a banned performance enhancing substance. Sierra, who signed in July of this year and had yet to begin his pro career, was on the roster of the Dominican Summer League Brewers." Our Brewerfan thread forum archives show that Sierra received only a $10,000 bonus. Sierra stranded all three of RHP Brady Schanuel's runners in the 9th. Schanuel, 2018's 27th round pick out of the University of Iowa, walked two and hit two batters while recording four outs, paralleling his 2018 Helena struggles in eight appearances there.

San Antonio Pre-Game Media Notes *** Box: San Antonio 6, Tacoma 1 Don't lose starter Thomas Jankins' effort among the bats... Missions Use Balanced Offensive Attack to Clinch Series Over Rainiers *** Winning again with power hitting Homers carry Missions past Rainiers, 6-1 By Jerry Briggs / San Antonio Missions Love the fact that Jerry utilized the word "prodigy" for Keston Hiura. Perfect. *** Joe Alexander's Felix Hernandez photo gallery - what a run he had. Photos capture his current state. *** VIDEO via KENS TV: Highlight package includes Keston Hiura's latest bomb mission (see what I did there, San Antonio fans) (Thomas Jankins gets the headline at the link, but no love within. Sigh...) Also the camera cuts away, but you do see Tyler Saladino's straightaway moonshot as well.

Box: Jackson 4, Biloxi 3 Jake Gatewood (0-for-5, golden sombrero) - Up to 115 AB's now (49 K's, .525 OPS), so the rust should be knocked off somewhat. Lead Evaporates As Shuckers Drop Series To Generals Biloxi Falls in First Series Since Early May By Andrew Chapman / Biloxi Shuckers

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes *** Box: Wisconsin 3, Quad Cities 2 20-year-old RHP Victor Castaneda in nine Timber Rattler relief stints: 13.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 20 K - yeah, that'll work. Timber Rattlers Homer Their Way Past Quad Cities Wisconsin has three hits, but two are homers in a 3-2 win over River Bandits By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes *** Box: Winston-Salem 6, Carolina 2 Top four in the order 0-for-16 with four K's... Carolina Falls 6-2 as Winston-Salem's Walker Hits for Cycle in Zebulon Eddie Silva went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs in the loss for the Mudcats *** No Will Smith in Milwaukee, but Phil Bickford is at least on a mound. Not a David Stearns' shining moment.

Also, notice that when you sort this Transactions page by team, "Brewers Extended Spring Training" is now an official regular season landing spot. Not just the Brewers...

Also, catcher Skyler Ewing has been placed on the San Antonio 7-day injured list. While there is a possibility he's hurt, we may now be at the point of the season where the "Rocky Mountain paper roster" becomes the "phantom IL".

Infielder Blake Allemand returns to the Missions active roster, filling the spot vacated by Jake Petricka's departure. Gives San Antonio a better-balanced pitcher / position player mix.

Zane Zurbrugg's unlikely ascent led to being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers Zane has signed. Look for the Blake Snell reference...

Fractured thumb -- Texas Tech’s Holt day-to-day with thumb injury

Hawaii's Micah Bello looks to have breakout season George Stoia, Colorado Springs Gazette Micah Bello is still getting used to long bus rides. The Hilo, Hawaii, native just takes a sleeping pill before the 12-hour or sometimes longer bus rides. Growing up on the “Big Island,” he says the longest bus ride he experienced in high school was just over an hour. Now playing rookie ball for the Rocky Mountain Vibes, Bello is adjusting to the life of a minor league baseball player. “It’s definitely been different,” Bello said Wednesday at Vibes’ media day in Colorado Springs. “But it hasn’t been too bad so far. I’m getting used to it.” Bello, 18, is ranked as the 21st-best prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. The outfielder was drafted 73rd overall in the 2018 MLB draft and is expected to be one of the Vibes’ best and most valuable players in their inaugural season. Last year, in the Arizona League, he played in 39 games batting .240 and stealing 10 bases. As a Hawaiian-born professional baseball player, the expectations of making it to the big leagues is just another obstacle in what’s been an already challenging journey for Bello. But for him, he’s already faced the toughest hurdle of his career: getting off the island. “Hawaii has a lot of good ballplayers,” Bello said. “But it’s hard for us to get exposed because we’re so far away. … But once we get here, we show we can play.” Since he was a kid, Bello trained with Kaha Wong, who is known as the best and one of the only hitting instructors in Hawaii. In the offseason, Bello trains with Wong’s sons, Kean and Kolten. Kean plays Triple-A for the Tampa Bay Rays, while Kolten starts at second base for the St. Louis Cardinals and has for the last seven years. Neither were as highly touted as Bello out of high school. “I remember the first day Micah showed up to my dad’s hitting cage when he was a kid,” Kean said. “I said, ‘Damn, this kid is going to be special.’ You always knew he had that type of talent to be where he is today.” At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, Bello is known for his speed and ability to make things happen once on base. He says only played 14 games a year in Hawaii for his high school, forcing him to play football and run track to stay active. He often played in showcases put on by Wong to help him get exposed by scouts. That’s what earned him a scholarship to play baseball at St. Mary’s — an offer he turned down once he was drafted by the Brewers and signed for $550,000. Bello says he has no regrets turning down St. Mary’s, despite seeing limited action in his first season, saying playing for the Vibes is “an opportunity of a lifetime.” Today, many Hawaiian players don’t get that same opportunity. But because of those before them, more and more Hawaiian players, like Bello, are slowly finding their way to the major leagues. “It started with Shane Victorino, then Kurt Suzuki, and now my brother. It’s kind of like a stepping ladder,” Kean said. “Those guys open the door for you. All you have to do is follow the footsteps. Without them, who knows what baseball would be like in Hawaii.” Expectations are high for Bello this year, after showing just a glimpse of what he’s capable last season. In 154 at-bats, he had 37 hits, scored 25 runs and hit 15 RBIs. In the field, he recorded just two errors. If he can bring a little more power to the plate, he may not be playing rookie ball for the Vibes much longer. “Micah is a special young talent. I can tell you from last year until now, is that he’s grown big time in his tools. His tools at the plate I think are potentially really high,” Vibes manager Nestor Corredor said. “Our expectation is that he needs to be one of the main guys. If he swings the bat like I think he can, there’s going to be a lot of news about Micah Bello during the season. “This is going to be a year where he will show what kind of player he can be.” Bello’s sights are obviously set on making on the majors one day. It’s been a dream of his since he was a kid and he’s well on his way, Kean said. But for now, he just wants to win and have fun doing it. “Of course my goal is to get to the majors,” Bello said. “But first, I want to have a great season here and win a championship for this team.” And as for Hawaii, they’re already proud of Bello. No matter how his career turns out. “Just to see the man he has become and the player he has become,” Kean said. “Me, Kolten and the rest of Hawaii are proud of him.”

You can't kill Shea Vucinich. He's back, baby! Thank you, Brian the Automator.

All the Vibes preview news from the Opening Day Link Report.

Box: DSL Dodgers "Shoemaker" Squad 8, DSL Brewers/Indians 7 Nine losses in a row... Four errors lead to three unearned runs, that didn't help. Three of the miscues by Brewer farmhands. More early success for 3rd year pro, 19-year-old 1B Elian Gonzalez, he's on to something. Eight K's in four innings for rookie 17-year-old Dominican RH starter Edinson Mejia, just his 2nd outing (3 R, 2 ER).

Box: DSL Cubs #2 Squad 6, DSL Brewers 5 Crew was up 5-0 after six innings. Five frames of one-hit ball from 19-year-old 2nd year Dominican RHP Wellington Nunez. Each of the three hurlers who followed were victimized for two runs apiece, all earned. The Brewers only managed four hits all game, so their improbable one-hit, five-run 6th inning stands as the obvious place to highlight -- DSL Brewers Top of the 6th Sebastian Burciaga hit by pitch. Eduarqui Fernandez pops out to third baseman Orlando Zapata. Eduardo Garcia walks. Sebastian Burciaga to 2nd. Branlyn Jaraba walks. Sebastian Burciaga to 3rd. Eduardo Garcia to 2nd. Jesus Parra hit by pitch. Sebastian Burciaga scores. Eduardo Garcia to 3rd. Branlyn Jaraba to 2nd. Juan Frias pops out to second baseman Flemin Bautista. Erys Bautista walks. Eduardo Garcia scores. Branlyn Jaraba to 3rd. Jesus Parra to 2nd. Rafael Martinez triples (3) on a line drive to right fielder Samuel Duarte. Branlyn Jaraba scores. Jesus Parra scores. Erys Bautista scores. Farlyn Manon walks. Pitching Change: Marcos Encarnacion replaces Carlos Paula. Wild pitch by pitcher Marcos Encarnacion. Farlyn Manon to 2nd. Sebastian Burciaga flies out to left fielder Felix Stevens.

Coincidence leaves Rocky Mountain Vibes pitcher Paxton Schultz making pro debut in hometown Brent Briggeman, Colorado Springs Gazette Of all the ballparks in all the towns in all the world, Paxton Schultz is walking back into this one. The Rocky Mountain Vibes pitcher was born and raised in Orem, Utah. He stayed home to play at Utah Valley University. And now, a week after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, Schultz will make his pro debut right back in Orem. “My family was kind of sad with me leaving and stuff,” Schultz said. “But I was like, ‘I’ll be back in a week, don’t worry about it.’” The Vibes — the new Rookie League team based in Colorado Springs that replaced the Triple-A Sky Sox — open their inaugural season Friday at Orem. The Owlz share a field with Utah Valley, so Schultz will not only be back in his hometown but on his home field. His journey took him from undrafted high school player to standout college player to pro, and he didn’t have to leave the city limits to do it. “How everything worked out is kind of weird,” Schultz said. “There will be a lot of people there for me. That’s pretty exciting.” Schultz went 1-7 with a 4.08 ERA, but the Brewers saw something within that to pick him in the 14th round last week. He struck out a career-high 11 with no walks against South Carolina in a start this past season, he struck out nine against Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State and took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against WAC Tournament champion Sacramento State. He struck out 99 batters in 99 1/3 innings, setting a school record. The right-hander sits 91-93 mph with a fastball that will touch 95. He also throws a curveball, slider and change-up to form an arsenal diverse enough that he could remain as a starter through his climb in the Brewers’ system. “I know I can compete at this level for sure,” he said. “I’m going to carry that attitude into the season.” And he won’t have to carry it far, as that season begins right in his backyard.

Language barrier can be bigger issue for Rookie League teams like Rocky Mountain Vibes than other levels Brent Briggeman, Colorado Springs Gazette Three years of managing at the Rookie League level has taught Nestor Corredor how to budget his time. A 15-minute team meeting? Better allow for 30 minutes. “It’s 15 minutes in English, 15 minutes in Spanish,” said Corredor, the manager in the inaugural season for the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Professional baseball clubhouses are home to multiple languages at every level, but in the Rookie League the barriers can be more pronounced because they are new. Signees from Latin America who have previously played only in the Dominican Summer League are embarking on their first season within the United States, and many American players drafted from college or high school are thrust into a multicultural situation for the first time. It helps that Corredor, a native of Venezuela, speaks English and Spanish; and he says it has been his experience that Spanish-speaking players quickly make strides. “The good thing about the Latino group is most of them understand English,” Corredor said. “They may not speak it very well, but they understand the language. So, that makes my job easy just to get them used to the English, but I don’t think that will be a problem with the players. They prepare and they are willing to learn. “It can be a little bit difficult.” On the field, players quickly develop hand signals to communicate. Infielders point to each other between pitches to confirm where they plan to go with the ball in different situations. Much of the team has been together for about 40 games in spring training. For those players just added to the fold from last week’s draft there will be many long bus rides, starting with an 8-hour jaunt Thursday from Colorado Springs to Orem, Utah, for Friday’s opener for teammates to play catch-up and develop workarounds to the language differences. “We can communicate,” said catcher Nick Kahle, a recent draft pick from the University of Washington who said he had only English-speaking teammates with the Huskies. “We know some of the basics.” Bilingual players like pitcher Steve Pastora become integral in interpreting in social situations. “It’s nice just to be able to speak different languages because I can hang out with different people,” Pastora said. “And it’s just fulfilling to be able to help out people who don’t really speak the language. “At the end of the day, there’s baseball, which is the common theme and it’s how we come together. There’s just a baseball language.” If that’s not enough, there’s always the fake-it-‘till-you-make-it approach. “You see them laughing,” pitcher Paxton Schultz said, “you just kind of laugh along even though you may not know exactly what’s going on.”

Vibes videos, all worth your while -- VIDEO via KRDO: Several players queried here in a light piece VIDEO via KRDO: A bit more VIDEO via KKTV: Getting to know the Rocky Mountain Vibes VIDEO via Fox21News: Rocky Mountain Vibes bring “s’more” baseball to Colorado Springs

Rookie League team exudes same vibes as its Triple-A predecessors in Colorado Springs Brent Briggeman, Colorado Springs Gazette Oxygen was difficult to find for Steve Pastora as he rode in an Uber from his hotel to the Milwaukee Brewers spring training facility in Phoenix in May. After playing for four colleges and making two stops in independent leagues, the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher knew this was his big shot. “I couldn’t even breathe,” he said. “There were just so many emotions knowing I was going to have a chance to go throw and be able to fulfill my dream — playing affiliated baseball.” Pastora impressed enough to sign a contract on Mother’s Day. On Wednesday, he was introduced at UCHealth Park as part of the initial Rocky Mountain Vibes roster. For Pastora and the other 28 players who will start this season as Colorado Springs begins its first go-round at the Rookie League level, the stakes are high. Some will play their first season in the United States after debuting in international leagues. Others were drafted a week ago and have yet to test themselves against professional competition. And others tasted this level last year but are back to either prove they are ready to advance or face a quiet exit from the game. “I’m excited to get going,” said catcher Nick Kahle, who was drafted in the fourth round out of the University of Washington on June 4 and left for Colorado Springs on June 5. In that respect, and many others, there was little difference between the feel of this welcome event and the many that preceded it when the city was home to a Triple-A team. The players are on average a few years younger, but in their baseball uniforms Wednesday they looked no different than the Triple-A players of the past. Even the facial hair was on point. The desire to prove worthy at this level and advance to the next, that remains. The on-field product doesn’t figure to be noticeably different either, at least not for the untrained eye. But manager Nestor Corredor said he will place an emphasis on effort. “We’re going to play every game like it’s the last game of our lives,” said Corredor, who managed the team in Helena, Mont., for the past three seasons. It relocated this year to Colorado Springs as part of a reshuffle within the Elmore Sports Group that saw the Triple-A team that had played here since 1988 move to San Antonio and the Double-A team that had been in San Antonio move to a new facility in Amarillo, Texas. “We’re going to provide you with the best show and the best entertainment possible. “We are here to provide entertainment. Our job as coaches and players is to provide you with the best show possible.” Of course, there will be differences, too. The length of the season — about half as long with 38 home games — chief among them. The rest, from the long bus rides (Triple-A teams fly, Rookie League teams do not) and the life adjustments for players just out of high school, college or foreign countries, some having joined the organization just a week ago, will take place out of view. For many, if not all, of these players, they’re ready to take the good and bad to start their climb. “At the end of the day, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing,” Pastora said. “I’ll take an eight-hour bus ride over sitting at an office desk.”

Rocky Mountain Vibes' Dominican Republic players react to David Ortiz shooting George Stoia, Colorado Springs Gazette For the three Dominican Republic players on the Rocky Mountain Vibes the shooting of David Ortiz on Sunday was devastating, but didn’t come as a surprise. Ortiz was shot and wounded in his native country while at a bar Sunday evening. The former Red Sox star had to have emergency surgery and was flown to Boston on Monday. Ortiz is in stable condition and on Tuesday took his first steps since the incident, according to a statement from his wife, Tiffany. In the Dominican Republic, Ortiz is more than a famous former baseball player. He’s an inspiration and icon for many young Dominican players, including Vibes second baseman Edwin Sano, catcher Luis Avalo and right-handed pitcher Cristian Sierra. “He’s a great player and a great person. I look up to him and I know a lot of other players do, too,” Sano said Wednesday at the Vibes’ media day. “I’m just praying for him. People can hate you for any reason. I wonder why that person did that because (Ortiz) represents our country so well. “I feel safe because I know that isn’t going to happen here, but it could happen (in the Dominican Republic).” Ortiz is arguably one of the most famous baseball players to come out of the Dominican Republic, along with Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols and others. Due to the success of players like Ortiz, the country has become a hotbed for talented MLB prospects such as Sano, Avalo and Sierra. For all three, the news that one of their idols had been shot in their country was not only heartbreaking but also disconcerting. “I'm embarrassed that it happened,” Avalo said through a translator. “You can’t go out and enjoy a night with your family. You have to be careful. It’s just not right for the country to be that way.” Vibes manager Nestor Corredor coached in the Dominican Republic for four years and has seen the impact Ortiz has on young players. He understands the impact a situation like this one can have on an entire country. “In my personal opinion, it’s not good that that would happen in that country," Corredor said. "David Ortiz is obviously a famous role model. Everybody from the Dominican Republic wants to be David Ortiz. Hopefully he’s getting better and recovering. I think we’d all like to see the Big Papi more often.” Ortiz's shooting has been one of the biggest stories surrounding the MLB this week, with players from all over the world sharing their thoughts on the legend. In the Dominican Republic, police have six suspects in custody as the country demands action be taken. For now, all Sano, Avalo and Sierra can do is pray and wonder about the future of their country. “I don't know what’s going to happen because I don't understand how someone could be allowed to do that," Sierra said through a translator. "If someone has a great, successful career and that happens to him in our home country, what’s that mean for us?”

June 10th -- First Rocky Mountain Vibes roster features youth, international signees and 2 touted prospects Brent Briggeman, Colorado Springs Gazette The first glimpse at the first Rookie League roster in Colorado Springs shows a little high-end talent, a flood of international imports and a whole lot of youth. And that’s before this year’s draft class is added to the mix. The Rocky Mountain Vibes announced much of their expected opening day roster on Monday, showing off the first roster for the city’s minor league team since it changed its name from the Sky Sox and dropped to the Rookie League level from Triple-A. The list included only 21 names and figures to be flushed out with a few more players – perhaps some from last week’s draft – before the team opens on the road at Orem (Utah) on Friday. The roster features two players as young as 18 and five older than 21. There are players from Australia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the United States mainland and Hawaii. There are college pitchers from Arizona and Iowa, four players drafted in the top five rounds in recent years and nine players who have seen some action in this league before when the team was based in Helena, Mont., before moving to Colorado Springs. The graybeard of the team is 24-year-old Steve Pastora, who was recently signed out of an Independent League. There’s a 6-foot-6, 225-pound first baseman (Ernesto Martinez) and a 150-pound middle infielder (Luis Avila). There’s a pitcher who has missed the past two years following Tommy John surgery (Nash Walters) and there are three players who have yet to make their debut for an affiliated minor league team. The average age of the 21 players is 20.5. More than half are still awaiting their 21st birthday. The two initial headliners are outfielders Micah Bello and Joe Gray Jr. who were taken high in the top 75 picks of the 2018 draft. Gray, who turned 19 in March, is ranked as the No. 9 prospect in Milwaukee’s system by Baseball America. He was picked in the second round and given a $1.1 million signing bonus to forgo a scholarship to play at Mississippi. Baseball America rates his power, arm and speed near the top of their scouting scale. Bello, 18, was plucked out of a high school on the Big Island in Hawaii and given a $550,000 bonus. Baseball America likes his ability to hit line drives as well as his speed and arm. The Vibes make their home debut on June 21 vs. Grand Junction at UCHealth Park. Vibes initial June 10th roster LHP Jose Alberro LHP Blake Lillis RHP Carlos Luna RHP Steve Pastora RHP Joel Pinto RHP Cam Robinson RHP Austin Rubick RHP Brady Schanuel RHP Cristian Sierra RHP Michele Vassalotti RHP Nash Walters C Luis Avalo C Jose Sibrian SS Luis Avila 3B Nick Egnatuk 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 2B Edwin Sano 1B Bryan Torres 3B Jess Williams OF Micah Bello OF Joe Gray Jr.

San Antonio Pre-Game Media Notes *** Box: San Antonio 15, Tacoma 1 Catcher David Freitas' .366 batting average now includes a not-so-small sample of 153 AB's. Hiura's Career Night Leads Flying Chanclas to Rout of Rainiers *** Missions' Hiura bops pair of dingers Top Brewers prospect drills grand slam, plates five runs By Chris Bumbaca / MiLB.com Quotes and the grand slam video... *** Game Photos via 210Gameday.com *** Rolling behind five home runs Flying Chanclas start fast in 15-1 victory By Jerry Briggs / San Antonio Missions More quotes (many!), and a Felix Hernandez sighting for Friday... *** ARTICLE: Manager Rick Sweet's step-son quite the ballplayer, committed to the University of Kansas.

Welcome to Mitchell Vareldzis (home and road) and Rob Namnoum (home) in Colorado Springs. The Vibes' radio link has been added to the post we kick off each Link Report with.

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Dominican Summer League Scoreboard (includes DSL Brewers/Indians game) *** Links for affiliate audio *** Standings and sortable stat pages *** MiLB.TV options: San Antonio and Carolina home feeds, Biloxi, Wisconsin, and yes, Rocky Mountain, road.

Korry Howell, former Kirkwood standout, finding his way in pro baseball Jeff Johnson, Cedar Rapids Gazette