Jim Goulart

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There needs to be more emphasis placed (when discussing the overall medal count), just how lopsided and skewed the swimming competition makes things. Look, kudos to Michael Phelps, but he could be the Michael Jordan of water polo, and at best, he's winning one medal per Olympics.

Helena wins 7-4, here's the game story. *** Maryvale lost 10-4, scoring all their runs in the bottom of the 9th.

Appleton Post-Crescent coverage with video, quotes, etc.

Monday's game -- ***

Monday's game --

Shuckers’ late rally falls short against Pensacola Doug Barber, Special to the Biloxi Sun-Herald BILOXI - Pensacola’s five-run explosion in the second inning was too much for the Biloxi Shuckers to overcome as the Blue Wahoos posted a 7-4 Southern League victory at MGM Park on Tuesday night. Pensacola (21-24 in the second half, 62-53 overall) salvaged the final game of the series, won by the Shuckers 3-2. Biloxi fell to 18-27 in the second half and 57-57 overall. “Double plays were a killer but I think the five runs in the second inning was a tougher spot,” Biloxi manager Mike Guerrero said. “We had an opportunity in the eighth where with a home run we tie the ball game. There are not many times you have an opportunity when you’re down 7-0 to get the tying run to the plate. “We are playing better baseball. I don’t look at winning the series. On a daily basis, you try to win every game you can. At this point it is not about winning series, it’s about winning games.” After an off day Wednesday, the Shuckers travel to Jackson, Tennessee to open a road series. Angel Ventura (1-3, 4.99) will be the starting pitcher in Thursday’s series opener. The Blue Wahoos rode three doubles in the top of the second to jet to the 5-0 lead. Phillip Ervin rapped an RBI double to right for a 1-0 lead. Then Zach Vincej smashed a two-run double to left. Later in the inning, Brandon Dixon grounded out for a RBI, then Alex Blandino rapped a RBI double to left to cap the rally. Ervin hit his 10th homer of the season, a solo shot to left in the sixth, and Vincej drove in his third run of the game in the seventh with a RBI single for a 7-0 lead. The Shuckers rallied in the eighth. Jacob Nottingham ripped a one-out, two-run single to cut the lead to 7-2. After a walk and hit batsman, Javier Betancourt worked a walk to drive in another run. Then Gabriel Noriega hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 7-4 with two outs. But right-handed reliever Alejandro Chaco struck out Nick Martinez, who represented the tying run at the plate, to end the rally. Chaco recorded his 22nd save in 26 opportunities, and former Brewer farmhand Barrett Astin, the second of fourth Pensacola pitchers, got the win. He is 7-3 overall with his won-loss record and 6-0 in relief. Jorge Lopez (0-2) took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two. Mitch Lambson, Junior Rincon, Preston Gainey and Stephen Peterson each worked an inning in relief of Lopez. Nottingham was 2-for-3 for the Shuckers with two RBIs. The Shuckers hit into five double plays. Ervin went 2-for- 4 with a home and double and two RBIs. Vincej was 2-for- 5 with three RBIs. Sebastian Elizalde and Joe Hudson each added two hits apiece in the 11-hit attack.

VIDEO via WLOX: Shuckers pitcher Jorge Lopez couldn't shutdown Blue Wahoos in second inning

Lubbock Ready to Steal Missions from Amarillo? As usual with these situations, wake us when it's over...

I was going to say the same thing. Jose Pena was a $400,000 signing prior to 2010, which seemed Gilbert Lara-ish to Brewer fans at the time (even though it wasn't). Somehow after two weak DSL seasons, we must have convinced ourselves after this Maryvale game log in Pena's first stateside season of 2012 that he was the bee's knees. Polling must have begun on July 8th after his 5-for-7 game (who remembers this 17-run first inning?).

Well, Josh Hader, Lewis Brinson and Brett Phillips are locks, right? Tyrone Taylor, too, if not a lock, is very close to a lock. The Brewers love Nate Orf, and as a guy capable of playing all over, he could be valuable as a player who could be utilized in a Rule 5 fashion. Wei-Chung Wang? Javier Betancourt? Do the Brewers add one of the older power relief arms (Kohlscheen, Ross)? This thread always generates interesting speculation and discussion. Have at it.

Not to be confused with our Brewer Minor League Free Agency Eligibles After the 2016 Season Thread, this thread focuses on those players who will be eligible to be selected in December's Rule 5 Draft, and considers who Milwaukee should add to the 40-man roster to protect. Remember -- Players who signed when 18 or younger are eligible for the draft after five years. Players who signed when 19 or older are eligible after four years. According to the rules, it's how old a player was on the June 5th immediately preceeding his signing. Below are the players not eligible for free agency, but who would be Rule 5 eligible if not placed on the 40-man roster. If a player is italicized, it's the first year the player is eligible to be added to a 40-man roster. Players listed alphabetically within level: Current AAA Players -- RHP Yhonathan Barrios 1B Garrett Cooper RHP Paolo Espino RHP Drew Gagnon RHP David Goforth IF Gabriel Noriega UT Nate Orf LHP Stephen Peterson LHP Wei-Chung Wang C Adam Weisenburger OF Kyle Wren Current AA Players -- RHP Tristan Archer IF Javier Betancourt RHP Parker Berberet OF Clint Coulter OF Johnny Davis RHP Preston Gainey OF Omar Garcia RHP Stephen Kohlscheen LHP Mitch Lambson 2B Chris McFarland SS Angel Ortega RHP Jorge Ortega LHP Nick Ramirez RHP Junior Rincon OF Victor Roache RHP Tayler Scott RHP Tyler Spurlin OF Tyrone Taylor RHP Josh Uhen RHP Angel Ventura Current A-Level (or below) players -- OF Carlos Belonis RHP Rodrigo Benoit LHP Joan De La Cruz RHP Miguel Diaz RHP Victor Diaz RHP Junior Flores RHP Milton Gomez C Dustin Houle RHP Yosmer Leal C Natanael Mejia LHP Boanerges Nova 1B Juan Ortiz RHP Alberto Paulino C/UT Fidel Pena IF Wendell Rijo OF Elvis Rubio 1B Alan Sharkey LHP Clint Terry

Guess I'll need to use a larger font next time . This was in the original thread in this post. By some time tonight/tomorrow, we'll post the list of players who are eligible to be added to the 40-man roster (to protect them from Rule 5 theft by another organization). *** You'll see it this afternoon. By the way, not including the 17 names on the list above (all who are technically eligible to be added to the 40-man, but it would have to be done in October, not December), there are 49 players to consider protecting. I'd like to include links to their player pages on the posting, that's why it's taking a bit. I used Baseball Cube instead of Baseball Reference for the list above, because it conveniently includes major and minor league stats on the same page. For the Rule 5 eligible list, I'll use Baseball Reference.

Sky Sox leadoff batter Kyle Wren working his way on Brewers' prospects radar Joe Paisley, Colorado Springs Gazette Sky Sox outfielder Kyle Wren is making the most of his second chance in Colorado Springs. The former Atlanta Braves draft pick was disappointed to start the 2016 season in Double-A Biloxi - where he began the 2015 campaign - but he shook off the demotion, continued working on his hitting, and batted .425 through the first 50 games this season. That got Milwaukee's attention and he was promoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs on June 7, where he soon cemented himself as the Sky Sox leadoff hitter. He is batting .362 with 71 hits (nine doubles) and 33 walks in 56 games after Sunday evening's home contest. "He has had a very good year," manager Rick Sweet said. "He worked very hard last year and in the offseason and did what he had to do." He has become a more effective hitter, adjusting his swing over the past 11 months to better drive the ball. It forces opposing team to play him honest instead of creeping forward when bunting was his best offensive option. "We're not talking home runs but he is able to drive the ball into the gaps," Sweet said. "Now that he can hit effectively, that allows him to get on base more consistently." Having been at Triple-A before helped him this summer. His first stint in Colorado Springs did not start well but he improved and finished strong last August. In his 2016 return, he had to remain patient. "It was pretty crowded in the outfield when I got here so I didn't play much the first week or so," Wren said. "But once I got regular time I started hitting the ball better. It's been a pretty good season so far." Now, he is arguably the team's most improved prospect. "He's definitely put himself on our radar," Sweet said. Wren, 25, isn't overly worried about that. The son of former Braves general manager Frank Wren doesn't deny that being in Triple-A is tantalizingly close to the bigs, but he does not let the possibility of a promotion distract him. "I just don't try to think about it too much," he said. "I keep on playing to my strengths and coming to the ballpark every day to work. If the opportunity comes, I'll make sure I am ready."

Just more foot-dragging in San Antonio -- Downtown SA baseball stadium report to remain a mystery for now

Article also linked in full in our 2016 Coaching Thread for archiving purposes... Rattlers manager Erickson draws praise Mike Sherry, Appleton Post-Crescent GRAND CHUTE - A strong vote of confidence from the boss is never a bad thing, and Matt Erickson got a big one Saturday.

Rattlers manager Erickson draws praise Mike Sherry, Appleton Post-Crescent GRAND CHUTE - A strong vote of confidence from the boss is never a bad thing, and Matt Erickson got a big one Saturday. David Stearns was at Fox Cities Stadium to check in with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers — a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers — and the first-year general manager of the Brewers sang the praises of the work Erickson is doing as the manager of the Timber Rattlers. “I’ve heard all positive things,” Stearns said. “First of all, he’s a great teacher, which is what we’re looking for first and foremost from our minor league field staff. He’s a good leader. He’s a good communicator. And he relates well to the players. Everything I’ve heard about Matty has been positive. My interactions with him have been positive and I think we’re very fortunate to have him managing in our organization.” The 41-year-old Erickson, an Appleton West graduate who is in his sixth season as manager of the Timber Rattlers, is the longest-tenured manager in Appleton Professional Baseball history. He joined the Timber Rattlers as the hitting coach in 2009 and became the manager in 2011. Stearns said he had never met Erickson prior to joining the Milwaukee organization. They met for the first time during the offseason, but by then Stearns had already heard good things about Erickson. “I did not know about him prior to taking the job,” Stearns said. “When you take a job like this, you’re drinking through a fire hose a little bit and you’re trying to learn as much as you can as quickly as you can about all of your staff, whether it’s scouts or coaches or people in the front office, but early on Matt’s name was brought to my attention as a guy who is really contributing positively to the organization and someone who has a strong future in the game.” Erickson’s status with the Brewers may have been uncertain after last season, when the 30-year-old Stearns was hired to replace longtime Brewers general manager Doug Melvin on Sept. 21. Stearns didn’t retain five of Milwaukee’s seven coaches, replaced assistant general manager Gord Ash with Matt Arnold and hired Tom Flanagan to take over as farm director in place of Reid Nichols. With all of the changes, job security may never have been more tenuous. While there are never any guarantees, it appears Erickson has made a positive first impression with Stearns and has a bright future in the organization. “I think Matt’s got a very high ceiling,” Stearns said. “Where exactly he is next year, I don’t know. A lot of times where you are on the organizational ladder from a level standpoint doesn’t always correspond to where your ceiling might be. “We take our lower levels very seriously here. We think the foundation of everything we’re doing throughout the organization is our coaching and our evaluation and our teaching at the lower levels, and Matt is playing an important part of that right now.”

Baseball Star Corey Ray Carries Positive Torch For His Beloved Chicago by Justin Breen, dnainfo.com "I'm coming up with a [batting] approach that works at this level and will hopefully work at the next levels," he said. "Here, pitchers know how to use both sides of the plate consistently, and they know how to control the breaking ball." Full article at the link...

Timber Rattler DVR Alert (this afternoon!) -- TUE. 8/9, 12:00 PM: TWC SportsChannel

Look for these just prior to the respective game times -- Colorado Springs Media Notes - Linked on the Sky Sox official blog Biloxi Media Notes - Linked on the Shuck Dynasty blog Wisconsin Media Notes - Linked on the Rattler Radio blog *** STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division AA - Southern League South Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division Pioneer League North Division Arizona League Central Division Dominican Summer League San Pedro Division *** Sortable individual stat pages: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL Brewers *** Weather.com: Omaha, NE Biloxi, MS Lakeland, FL Grand Chute, WI Grand Junction, CO Maryvale, AZ San Pedro de Macoris, DR

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Colorado Springs Biloxi Brevard County Wisconsin Helena Maryvale DSL Brewers MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Colorado Springs: RHP Hiram Burgos at Omaha (Royals), 6:30 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link Dan Karcher, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Sky Sox is on Twitter @SkySoxKarch; joining him 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 Jorge Lopez at home vs. Pensacola (Reds), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:40 gametime 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. Thaddeus Krzus (@Shucks1stIntern) 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. ********** Brevard County: RHP Marcos Diplan at Lakeland (Tigers), 12:00 PM gametime Sorry, no audio is available for this series... Unfortunately, the Manatees have dropped their broadcast coverage for 2016. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. Ten of the 12 Florida State League teams provide audio (some only for home games), we'll do our best to let you know when an opponent's audio is going to be available. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Thomas Jankins at home vs. Kane County (Diamondbacks), 11:45 AM pre-game, 12:05 PM 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. NOTE: Thirty-nine (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on local TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (10) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (29) will split duties. We'll let you know when and who, and remember to refer to the Rattlers' full TV schedule (scroll to bottom of link) so you can coordinate your DVR activity. ********** Helena: RHP Cam Roegner at Grand Junction (Rockies), 7:35 PM pre-game, 8:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link We welcome and look forward to hearing first-year Voice of the H-Crew Craig Durham (@CraigMDurham on Twitter). ********** Arizona Rookie (Maryvale): at home vs. the baby Redlings, 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league ********** DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Tigers, 9:00 PM gametime; never audio for games in this league We'll link to this Dominican Summer League Brewers' thread as part of the Daily Menu all season to assist you with your familiarity with these young men.

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