Jim Goulart

From the 2017 Helena Brewers thread this AM -- NOTE: 6'7", 253 lb. RHP Braulio Ortiz is a Dominican native in his 8th year of pro ball. He was released on May 30th from the High-A level by Cincinnati. The Reds had signed him in May of 2016 after his January 2016 release by his original club, the White Sox. One would imagine Ortiz could be a Timber Rattler before too long, given his advanced age and status. In his career, Ortiz has struck out 300 but walked 191 in 267.1 innings. He is certainly the most experienced player we can remember to suit up for Helena in quite some time.

Brewers back, ready for 2017 season Erik C. Anderson, Helena Independent Record Professional baseball is back in the Queen City. The Helena Brewers kick off their season against the Great Falls Voyagers at 7:05 PM Monday (8:05 Central). Brewers manager Nestor Corredor is back at the helm for his second season in charge of the club and seventh season total working with the organization. Corredor is intimately familiar with Kindrick Legion Field, having been there for two seasons as a player -- once as a catcher in 2004 and another time as a pitcher in 2008. “Last year we try to know the league and how it works,” Corredor said. “This year it’s a place to play hard and try to hit. We have really young guys. We want to see if we can put it together and bring a competitive team. Let’s see. We have a lot of young guys.” “It is what it is. I have a good feeling about these guys.” The oldest player currently on the roster is 25-year-old pitcher Braulio Ortiz. NOTE: 6'7", 253 lb. RHP Braulio Ortiz is a Dominican native in his 8th year of pro ball. He was released on May 30th from the High-A level by Cincinnati. The Reds had signed him in May of 2016 after his January 2016 release by his original club, the White Sox. One would imagine Ortiz could be a Timber Rattler before too long, given his advanced age and status. In his career, Ortiz has struck out 300 but walked 191 in 267.1 innings. He is certainly the most experienced player we can remember to suit up for Helena in quite some time. -- Jim (Mass Haas) There are seven returning Brewers from last season’s team, including pitchers Rodrigo Benoit, Juan Diaz, Karsen Lindell and Michael Petersen, catcher Yoel Vasquez, infielder Franly Mallen and outfielder Yerald Martinez. The continuity from last season could pay dividends for the Brewers, who are looking for their first Pioneer League championship since 2010. “It’s a big help, for example (Franly Mallen) knows how the ball goes,” Corredor said. “He can help (Antonio) Pinero, the really young guy. (Yerald) Martinez has some idea how they pitch in this league, so that can help some of the new guys.” NOTE #2: This will be the age 18 season for switch-hitting SS/3B Antonio Pinero. The Venezuelan has only 35 DSL games under his belt. Pinero was one of three players the Red Sox had to release after improper signings, the Brewers snapped him up mid-season last year. A surprise here in Helena, rather than Maryvale. -- Jim Those familiar faces at Kindrick will certainly help defensively, and perhaps nowhere more so than on the mound. “The main thing is going to be the pitching side, with Benoit coming back, Lindell, Petersen, all those guys need to set the tone for the new guys and try to tell them how the hitters are in this league,” Corredor said. Lindell, of West Linn, Oregon, is hoping to use this season as one to show his capability. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right hander spent a portion of last season dealing with nagging injuries. He feels healthy now after taking some time off to rest and recover. “Working on small things here and there,” Lindell said. “Making sure I repeat everything the same, not have any increased injury.” The 20-year-old Lindell is excited to play under Corredor for a second consecutive year. “It’s awesome,” Lindell said. “He’s a very good manager. He has a lot of fun with it. He knows when to get serious and when to help. It’s very good. I’m very excited for it.” The Brewers expect to have another third baseman and a few pitchers ready for action by Monday night via the MLB Draft. In total, the Brewers made 41 selections in the 2017 first-year player draft. Some of those faces could shift in and out of Helena as the season unwinds. While it’s impossible to tell early on, fans may never know when they are going to see the next future Hall of Famer coming through Helena. Names like Ryne Sandberg and Gary Sheffield decorate the paneling around Kindrick, serving as a reminder. It wasn’t too long ago current big leaguer Ryan Braun donned a Helena Brewers jersey. The Brewers organization is the advanced rookie ball league, where young prospects play during the summer. Foreign players may move down to the Dominican Summer League, where the Brewers operate a team. The Arizona League Brewers are a step below the rookie ball players in Helena. The Brewers organization has an A affiliate in Wisconsin, A-advanced in North Carolina, a Double-A team in Biloxi and Triple-A in Colorado. The ladder to climb to the big leagues is tall, but it starts in earnest for some players here in Helena. NOTE #3: Clipped from this article was this line: The youngest Brewer is 19-year-old pitcher Juan Diaz. Now, the Brewers' media guide lists RHP Juan Diaz as 24 years old, so we'll trust that is correct.

It's also the All-Star Break for our dedicated Link Reporters at three levels (along with their occasional fill-ins), enjoy guys, and thanks again!

Final: Colorado Springs 5, Oklahoma City 2 Blazek Leads Sox To Win Cooper records 56 RBI with two-RBI afternoon By Robby Veronesi / Colorado Springs Sky Sox Michael Blazek recorded the second-longest outing of his career Sunday afternoon against Oklahoma City. (Paat Kelly photo) Garrett Cooper tied Andy Wilkins' season-high RBI total from 2016 to help the Colorado Springs Sky Sox defeat the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at Security Service Field. That's an amazing stat to kick off the summary, be sure to read the rest at the link above... Colorado Springs Box Score Sixty-two strikes among 89 pitches for efficient and effective Michael Blazek; Ryan Cordell, again valuably splitting time between 3B and RF, is now 8-for-11 in SB attempts; yes, 1B Garrett Cooper was 4-for-4, his line is now .362/.419/.600, and somehow doesn't feel overly inflated by Pacific Coast League environments. Colorado Springs Game Log Weather: 73 degrees, sunny. Wind: 17 mph, In from RF. T: 2:18.

Saturday --

Happy 22nd Birthday Tucker Neuhaus One of those high school picks that sneaks up on you -- just 22 but in the midst of his 5th pro season http://www.milb.com/images/641913/t572/180x270/641913.jpg

Follow Sunday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Colorado Springs Biloxi Game One Biloxi Game Two Carolina Wisconsin MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Colorado Springs: LHP Brent Suter at home vs. Oklahoma City (Dodgers), 2:00 PM pre-game, 2:30 gametime Free Live Audio Link Dan Karcher, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Sky Sox is on Twitter @SkySoxKarch; joining him again this season is Dan Acheson (@Dan_Acheson) MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Colorado Springs games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $49.99 season-long package ($12.99 to pay for a single month). The audio feed is from the home team. The video of each game is archived online, which is a nice feature. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. NOTE: Notice that on MiLB.TV's page, you can click on "Filter", then "Milwaukee Brewers", and you'll see just the Crew's organizational TV lineup. ********** Biloxi: RHP's Taylor Williams and Bubba Derby in a doubleheader at Mobile (Angels), 2:15 PM pre-game, 2:35 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Free Live Audio Link Chris Harris is the play-by-play voice of the Shuckers. Follow Chris on Twitter @CHarris731. We'll be linking to his fantastic "Shuck Dynasty" blog. Erik Bremer (@Erik_Bremer) joins Chris often. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be radio broadcast. MiLB.TV - Eight of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games, and Biloxi is among them. Only games in Chattanooga and Mobile won't be available. ********** Carolina: RHP Marcos Diplan at home vs. Potomac (Nationals), 12:45 PM pre-game, 1:00 gametime Free Live Audio Link We look forward to Mudcats audio with Greg Young (@gregyoungjr), especially after going without gameday audio for much of the Brewers' stay in Brevard County. MiLB.TV - Yes, Carolina home games will be on MiLB.TV, sweet. It appears three other Carolina League teams (Salem, Myrtle Beach, and Winston-Salem) broadcast as well. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Thomas Jankins at Kane County (Diamondbacks), 12:40 PM pre-game, 1:00 gametime Free Live Audio Link Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. MiLB.TV - Eight of the 16 Midwest League teams telecast their home games, and Wisconsin, once again, is among them. We'll let you know when a road TV feed is available. In 2017, fifteen games will be broadcast on Spectrum Sports in Wisconsin, available on channel 32 and in HD on channel 1332. We'll keep you posted with our "DVR Alerts" days in advance. *** Helena: Season begins Monday 6/19 *** Maryvale: Season begins Saturday 6/24 *** DSL Brewers: Idle DSL Brewers/Indians: Idle

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ARTICLE: Catch up with LHP Mitch Lambson (2016 Biloxi / Colorado Springs), about his current indy ball life in Winnipeg.

Helena Brewers roster has six players back from last summer Erik C. Anderson, Helena Independent Record Yerald Martinez photo at link A few familiar faces will be back at Kindrick Legion Field this summer. As of now, the Helena Brewers' Opening Day roster contains six players from last year’s team. They are pitchers Rodrigo Benoit, Juan Diaz and Karsen Lindell, and catcher Yoel Vasquez, infielder Franly Mallen and outfielder Yerald Martinez. Back on the diamond for the Brewers this season, Benoit went 0-3 last year with a 7.23 ERA. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound righty played three seasons in the Dominican Summer League prior to his stint in Helena. He comes from Santiago, Dominican Republic. Diaz had a short amount of work last season in Helena as he split time between Montana and Arizona. He pitched 11 2/3 innings here to put up a 3.09 ERA. The 6-foot, 180-pound pitcher is a right-hander from La Vega, Dominican Republic. Lindell of West Linn, Oregon, returns for his second season with the club. In 2016, the 6-3, 190-pound pitcher had a 1-4 record with an 8.89 ERA as he battled through nagging injuries. This season he looks to stay healthy and make an impact on the diamond. Vasquez, from La Guaira, Venezuela, split duties between Helena and Arizona last season, appearing in 10 games in the Queen City and three down south. He had four hits in 33 at-bats last season. He is 6-1 and 180 pounds. Mallen played second base for 2016’s club, appearing in 50 games. He hit .279 with a slugging percentage of .327. Mallen, of Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic, is 6-1, 171. Mallen also appeared in a Helena Brewers uniform one other time, playing in three games in Helena during the 2015 season. Martinez played right field for the Brewers last season. He hit .198 and had a slugging percentage of .385. The product of Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic, spent two season in the Dominican Summer Leagues before joining the Brewers organization in 2015, when he played in Arizona. His 10 home runs were second best last year. The Brewers’ roster is not finalized, and a few of the MLB draft picks were expected to complete physicals this weekend and be available for Monday’s season opener against the Great Falls Voyagers.

However, this one does focus on the relationship between the two Ned's: Sky Sox hitting coach Ned Yost IV shares bond beyond baseball with father, manager of the Royals Garrett Kroeger, Colorado Springs Gazette

Jarrard receives call from Milwaukee Brewers by Charles Rich, Los Angeles Times http://www.trbimg.com/img-5944e848/turbine/la-1497688133-nqmygp6sik-snap-image/950/950x534 Glendale Community College product (2012-2013) Julian Jarrard signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. (File Photo by Libby Cline) Having played several positions successfully throughout his collegiate career, Julian Jarrard hoped someday his versatility would put him in position to play professional baseball. The Glendale Community College product will no longer have to ponder over reaching the next level. Jarrard received a phone call Thursday from Milwaukee Brewers area scout Joe Graham, who informed Jarrard that the organization planned to sign him as a minor league free agent. It came a day after the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft concluded. Jarrard, who played shortstop this past season at Menlo after previously playing at Biola University, was set to report to the Brewers spring training site in Arizona on Monday. He will be assigned to one of their lower-level squads. “It’s just indescribable right now and it’s something I’ve looked forward to my entire life,” said Jarrard, who helped Glendale win Western State Conference South Division championships in 2012 and 2013. “To get this kind of opportunity, I’m more than grateful. Now I have a chance to prove myself at the next level and that’s what I intend to do. “I got a call first from [Menlo coach Victor Brankovich] telling me the Brewers were interested. Then I spoke to Joe Graham for about 20 minutes and we talked about a few things and I told him I’d do anything I could to help out. It comes back to spending a lot of extra hours in the cage and in the field and trying to find ways to get better. It paid off.” Jarrad enjoyed a fantastic season at Menlo (34-20, 17-13 in the Golden State Athletic Conference). In 51 games, he batted .330 (62 for 188) with 22 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He added six doubles, 13 walks and scored 36 runs. Jarrard received National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics honorable mention. Jarrard was a two-time All-Western State Conference selection at Glendale, where he played infield and catcher.. “I thanked [Glendale coach] Chris Ccicuto and [assistant] Alex Kocol for teaching me so much about the game. They showed me how to go about my business on the field and I really couldn’t have done it without all of their help.” Cicuto, who has led the Vaqueros to five division championships in the past seven seasons, said Jarrard provided stability in helping the Vaqueros succeed. “He’s a super-talented athlete and we could put him in a lot of positions,” Cicuto said. “It’s exciting to be able to see Julian get a chance to go after his dream. It’s about how the Brewers see him in terms of where to play. “I got emotional after he sent me a text telling me he had been signed. He’s a very humble guy and I wish him nothing but the best.”

AUDIO via Saturday's Shuckers Pre-Game: "Nick Ramirez talks about three straight rainouts in Mobile and his win on the mound on Tuesday and grand slam homer.

AUDIO via WSSP 105.7 FM's Post-Game Show Fri. 6/16: Adam McCalvy (go to the 57:00 minute mark)

Final: Oklahoma City 11, Colorado Springs 2 Sox Drop Series Opener Nieuwenhuis has three-hit night as division lead shrinks to one game By Robby Veronesi / Colorado Springs Sky Sox Robby kept it brief, thankfully it seems. Forrest Snow, not Brent Suter (who starts Sunday), got the opening nod, and all seven men Snow retired were via strikeout. Unfortunately, he also allowed six hits, including two home runs, a walk, and six runs. Brett can be spectacular but erratic: FIELDING E: Phillips, B (5, throw). Outfield assists: Phillips, B (Freeman at home). Colorado Springs Box Score Nick Noonan had a pinch-hit double in his Springs return (see our transaction post from Friday evening). The Sky Sox will need to make a roster move when Suter's return from his Milwaukee option is official on Sunday. Gotta love minor league player movement, Colorado Springs' roster went from 21 to 26 in a matter of days. Colorado Springs Game Log

VIDEO TWEETS: Check out the Mudcats' timeline as of Sunday AM if for nothing else than to see the sweet Nickelodeon jerseys in highlight action ***

Stoked for Carolina by Kyle Lesniewski Troy Stokes, that is...

VIDEO: More from Helena (RHP Karsen Lindell and one of the two Pitching Coaches, Rolando Valles

Final: Kane County 4, Wisconsin 1 Cougars Use Two-Out Runs to Beat Wisconsin Kane County tops Timber Rattlers By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Despite the Rattlers' recent struggles, and they are severe, Chris's work remains excellent, and his detailed summaries always keep us informed even in tough times, do take a read. Wisconsin Box Score Would have been nice if the Rattlers could have better played the role of spoiler here; will be interesting to see if there is an infusion of talent via the draft or from players who have been at extended spring as of next week... Wisconsin Game Log

AUDIO via the Mike Heller Show Mon. 6/12: Tom Haudricourt - just prior to the start of the MLB draft (go to the 146:55 minute mark) *** AUDIO via WTMJ's Matt Pauley and the "Extra Innings" Postgame Show Tue. 6/13: Keon Broxton *** AUDIO via ESPN 540 Milwaukee Tue. 6/13: Sophia Minnaert *** AUDIO via ESPN 540 Milwaukee Wed. 6/14: Sophia Minnaert (with Homer) *** AUDIO via Brewers.com Wed. 6/14 (Brewers On Tap): "On Episode 86, Lane Grindle talks with Lewis Brinson and Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan *** AUDIO via WTMJ's Matt Pauley and the "Extra Innings" Postgame Show Wed. 6/13: Eric Thames *** AUDIO via WTMJ Thurs. 6/15: GM David Stearns *** AUDIO via WSSP 105.7 FM's Morning Show Thurs. 6/15: WSSP's Postgame Host Tim Allen *** AUDIO via WTMJ Fri. 6/15: COO Rick Schlesinger *** AUDIO via the Drew Olson Show Fri. 6/16: Tom Haudricourt (go to the 24:35 minute mark) *** AUDIO via the Bill Michaels Show Fri. 6/16: Jim Callis of MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com *** AUDIO via WSSP 105.7 FM's "Big Show" Fri. 6/16: Adam McCalvy

AUDIO via Brewers.com Wed. 6/14 (Brewers On Tap): "On Episode 86, Lane Grindle talks with Lewis Brinson and Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan *** AUDIO via the Bill Michaels Show Fri. 6/16: Jim Callis of MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com

Happy Birthday to two farmhands, who we're not quite sure of their status -- RHP Tyler Spurlin, 26 today, was assigned to Helena's roster on April 6th. He has yet to make his minor league debut, but the sidearming Spurlin did see action in spring training, including one game in big league camp LHP Blake Fox (2016 10th round, Rice) turns 24 today, has yet to see action above Helena

Unique that Cleveland's DSL kids will be facing each other today and Monday. The Sky Sox (38-27) have been great, but Oklahoma City and the strong Dodgers' squad comes into town only two games back (no split standings at AAA).