MassBrew

Jamey Newberg and his "Newberg Report" staffer Michael Hindman passed on the following, which they've gone online with this year. Thanks to both! People will likely think of two things when they hear of Sam Narron: (1) Family Ties (he's former Rangers manager Jerry Narron's second cousin and his grandfather, also Sam, was briefly a player for the Cardinals who later became Sandy Koufax's bullpen catcher with the Dodgers); and (2) he had his face rearranged by a comebacker in 2003. These nuggets of trivia should never cloud anyone's understanding that the 6'7" Narron is: (1) a damn fine pitcher (10-4 with a 3.48 ERA, 75 K's & 19 walks in 104 frames for Stockton in 2003 and a cumulative 14-2 record this year between double A Frisco and triple A Oklahoma); (2) Smart as a whip: Graduating magna *** laude with a 3.647 GPA in Biology at East Carolina is far more impressive than the 2.67 ERA he had in his final collegiate season; (3) Funny as they come: His retort to a reporter who asked if he had any fear when he returned to the mound in 2003 after missing time with a broken jaw and teeth caused by a comebacker was "What do you expect me to do? Curl up on the mound in the fetal position and suck my thumb?" and his impression of Will Ferrell doing Harry Caray is allegedly dead on; and--of course (4) One tough SOB. With all due respect to Narron, for whom I have much respect, there is a bit of a sense that his tremendous season was the result of a considerable amount of smoke and plenty of mirrors. But then, that's what Sam Narron is all about in a way. When folks in the organization publicly state that he doesn't have much in the way of stuff, you take note. He gets the job done with an intelligent approach more than anything else. Narron gives up a few too many long balls (20 in 154 innings this year) and he doesn't strike anyone out (27 in 53.1 IP with Frisco and 31 in 101 innings with Oklahoma). With Frisco, his 2.36 ERA was a bit misleading in that he gave up 23 runs, but only 14 were "earned." Oddly, Narron, a lefty, was far more effective against right-handed hitters in Frisco (as he was at Stockton in 2003) and just the opposite in Oklahoma where righties pounded him to the tune of a .341 batting average against while lefties hit only .204 off of him. MassBrew: Thanks again, guys. If his AAA numbers vs. lefty's can hold up, he may be an effective lefty specialist. Unfortunately, his numbers in the lower minors reflected a reverse platoon. Truly weird, and a pretty unique 40-man talent for now. A free look for the 23-year-old off the waiver wire, hard to complain about that. Posted earlier, but here's his career numbers (minus the L/R splits): www.sports-wired.com/play...Name=CCAGI

I'm really rooting for the Rangers in the AL West, but here's some Texas fan gnashing of teeth over losing a kid like Narron while holding both Manny Alexander and Andy Fox on the 40-man: www.dallasbaseballhome.co...mp;start=0

Wow, Doug Davis lost 1-0 Sunday to the Rocket on a run that should never have scored. Now toe-to-toe in a scoreless battle tonight.

It cannot be overstated how fine a pickup Doug Davis was -- a # 2 pitcher off the waiver wire...

OK, so I'm toiling on the Minor League forum, only to find out there's no game thread! It's the third inning, folks! By the way, Chad Moeller sucks.

From Gerry Fraley, Dallas Morning News, July 30th: ARLINGTON ? Sam Narron, a tall and skinny left-hander, will make his major league debut for the Rangers tonight. The bar is set low for him. The Rangers on Thursday night received another ragged performance by a starting pitcher not named Drese or Rogers. R.A. Dickey gave up leads of 3-2 and 5-3 without finishing the fourth inning against Oakland at Ameriquest Field in Arlington. The Athletics won, 7-6, pushing the Rangers out of first place for the first time since July 4. The Rangers can blame the Nos. 3-4-5 spots in the rotation for letting Oakland get off the floor and back into the division lead. Since the break, that cast of characters is a combined 1-5 with a 7.93 ERA for eight starts. It falls upon Narron, 12-1 this season at the top two levels of the minor league system, to give the Rangers a chance. He would be hard-pressed to do worse. "They're throwing me right into the fire, but that's OK," Narron said. "I'm sure I'll be a little nervous. If you're not nervous up here, there's probably something wrong." Narron is already a footnote in club history. He is the first player to reach the majors after being drafted and developed by assistant general manager Grady Fuson, whose stay with the club officially ended Thursday. When Fuson jumped from Oakland for his doomed tenure with the Rangers, he left behind rotation aces Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito along with promising fifth starter Rich Harden. Fuson drafted all of them. Fuson's legacy with the Rangers consists of the lone major leaguer in Narron and some promising minor league arms that have no guarantees. That's not a slap at Fuson. It is a reminder that a team dependent upon scouting and player development, as the reformed Rangers say they are, must be patient. This draft-develop way does not bring instant gratification. Fuson ran three drafts for the Rangers. The first, in 2002, could end up as unproductive as the Rangers' infamous 1989 draft, in which Texas Tech safety Donald Harris was the organization's first-round pick. Shortstop Drew Meyer, the first pick in 2002, probably will never be anything more than a utility player. The Rangers gave up their second- through fifth-round picks as free-agent compensation. On draft day 2002, when second cousin Jerry Narron still managed the Rangers, Sam Narron seemed like a long shot to be pitching in a pennant race two years later. A total of 228 pitchers had been selected when the Rangers drafted Narron in the 15th round. Teams shied away from Narron because he does not throw hard. A major league scout compared Narron to Tampa Bay left-hander John Halama, whose fastball stays in the low 80-mph range. The fastball is Narron's third pitch, behind the curveball and the change-up. He is not a left-hander out of the mold of Kenny Rogers, who came up throwing hard and then learned to pitch. The scout gave Narron high grades for his ability to throw strikes and knowing how to use a lanky 6-7 frame to hide the ball. With Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma this season, Narron allowed only 25 walks in 114 innings. There are other pluses. Narron was an academic All-America at East Carolina. His minor league record is 28-6. He took a line drive off the face last season while pitching with Class A Stockton and returned to the mound 10 days later. The limitations will be obvious. Narron will not knock the bat out of anyone's hands. He has averaged only 3.6 strikeouts per nine innings this season. He is hittable. In the Texas League, opponents batted .267. In the Pacific Coast League, opponents hit .294. Major league hitters will take the same pitches that minor league hitters chase. If the Rangers add a veteran starting pitcher, this could be Narron's only appearance of the season. Or this could be the start of another tale of unexpected success that has marked pennant-winning teams. Think of the irony. The Rangers fired a Narron but could be helped by another family member. "That's the way the game works," said general manager John Hart, who dismissed Jerry Narron after the 2002 season. "I have great respect for Jerry, but I don't regret bringing Buck [showalter] in here. I'm excited for Sam." So is Grady Fuson, watching from afar.

58 K in 155 innings? and he's a 6'7" lefty? He doesn't walk anyone, either -- relies on his defense. Pro career began in 2002: www.sports-wired.com/play...Name=CCAGI Must have an interesting skill set -- we'll get more on him later this evening; I've also contacted Jamey Newberg (Rangers' fan site, second only to Brewerfan) for his input. Ranger connection -- Podsednik, Kolb, Davis, Santos....Narron?

colbyjack among other brewerfan faithful in on the chat: Q: Tami from Anaheim, CA asks: How does the selection process work for the Pioneer League top 20 prospects? and Are there any other prospects who deserve to be mentioned but weren't? Thank you. A: Alan Matthews: As with all of our minor league rankings, position players must have at least one plate appearance per league game scheduled and pitcher must have at least 0.1 of an inning per league game scheduled. Relievers need to have at least 20 appearances at a short-season level like the PL. There were a number of good choices that failed to make the cut. and too many to mention here. Helena's Grant Richardson tore the league up, although he was a senior sign out of Washington State this year. I love Demetrius Banks, a lefty with Great Falls with a power, low-90s fastball and a good hook to go along with it. His teammate, Donny Lucy also drew consideration for the top 20 but barely missed the rankings. He is atheltic and mobile for his size, hanles the bat well and hits tape-measure shots in batting practice. Missoula's Jaen Centeno is a toolsy outfielder with a good arm and plus speed that should be watched and the Osprey boasted a pair of live arms in Don Julio and Emmanuel Duran who could develop into promising pitchers with refinement of their mechanics and secondary stuff. Q: Tami from Anaheim, Ca asks: How does the selection process work for the Leauge's top 20 prospects? And were there any players that should have been listed that weren't? Thanks A: Alan Matthews: Scroll up for the criteria needed to qualify, as I have already answered this one, but there are a number of good players we had to cut from the top 20. A couple I have not mentioned are Alcides Escobar of Great Falls. (Um, Helena -- MB). He has 6.4 speed in the 60 and could hit for power, an attractive combination. I think a converted guy, Justin Barnes with the Helena Brewers could be a guy to keep an eye on, as well. He played third base last year but was moved to the mound and throws strikes. He worked in and out with no problem, had a good rhythm in his delivery, worked quick, very confident. Q: Kirk from Los Angeles asks: Why is the Pioneer league so "hitter friendly?" Has it always been that way? A: Alan Matthews: Be careful when evaluating players, especially at the lower level of the minors, based on stats. Many of the Pioneer League cities are in areas of high elevation, making the ball carry well. Full chat session includes this from colbyjack: Q: Patrick from Milwaukee, WI asks: I know Mr. Simpson touched on this on Monday, but do you feel the Padres took the wrong prep SS with the #1 overall pick? I remember reading in BA that some teams considered Nelson to be the top player available, and after watching him play in the AFLAC game, plus his incredible spring comeback after TJ surgery, it seemed clear that he was the better player. Were the Padres duped into making a hasty decision by going for the local guy? It's one thing to not go for guys like Weaver, Drew & Neimann because of money, but it's almost like they didn't even do their homework. A: Alan Matthews: I touched on this in an earlier question along the same lines. No, I don't think the Padres made a poor pick in Bush under the circumstances and I can assure you they were aware of Chris Nelson and his tool-set. The one thing I think is prudent when voicing opinion on the Padres selection is to remember less than a week before the draft, their ownership began influencing which way they were going, and that put their scouting staff in a tough position. www.baseballamerica.com/t...922am.html

As we have in previous off-seasons, we will accumulate off-season news in its own thread. If the thread gets too cumbersome, we'll lock it and begin a new one. If a news item is especially noteworthy, we'll give it its own thread. This format allows us to archive minor league news much easier within our archived forums. Milwaukee looking South for Triple-A club New Orleans, Nashville vying for Brewers affiliate By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com The promotion destination of successful Huntsville Stars players could be determined as soon as today - but a promotion for manager Frank Kremblas may not be awarded. The Milwaukee Brewers' new Triple-A affiliate will either be Nashville or New Orleans. Brewers director of minor league operations Reid Nichols has visited both sites; his New Orleans visit was postponed until this week because of Hurricane Ivan. The Brewers brass "will roundtable it'' to come up with the verdict, Nichols said Tuesday. New Orleans, which lost the Astros' franchise to Round Rock, Texas, has a relatively new stadium. Nashville, which lost the Pirates' club to the Brewers' former Triple-A home in Indianapolis, has the ancient Greer Stadium, but there is considerable impetus to construct a new riverfront park. As for the fate of Kremblas, Huntsville's manager the past three years, and his staff of pitching coach Fred Dabney and coach Sandy Guerrero, Nichols said, "I don't anticipate any changes.'' The Triple-A club is managed by Cecil Cooper, a former Milwaukee star, who told The Times in August he intends to continue to manage, despite the club's disastrous performance. The Brewers have already announced another affiliate change, moving its Single-A team to Charleston, W.Va., and the South Atlantic League. As far as decisions on any player in terms of release or promotion - and specifically to the situation of catcher Kade Johnson, who was suspended the final weekend of the season - Nichols said, "it's still premature.'' Arizona to Tennessee: The Tennessee Smokies, who play in the Knoxville suburb of Sevierville, announced Monday a two-year working agreement with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Smokies had been with St. Louis for two seasons, but the Cardinals moved their Double-A affiliate to a new $32 million stadium in Springfield, Mo., being built by hotel magnate John Q. Hammons (who is building the Embassy Suites hotel complex in downtown Huntsville).

Perhaps we should start a poll on how to sufficiently punish you as punishment? Cute. The Sox EZBoard at Sons of Sam Horn has a separate forum just for polls. Now they know how to run a web site. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

And I'll let this profile stand since it's the only one out of 20, otherwise I really discourage people from sharing the subscriber content. Agreed -- it was the only player in this case, so I asked. Guilty. But let's keep that in mind going forward.

Not much love from Baseball America for the H-Crew as only 2004 3rd round RHP Josh Wahpepah (# 11) earns a spot on the Pioneer League Top 20. As we've noted all season, the Division I college kids like Richardson, Sollman, Festa, and Brady will have to bring the goods at the higher levels before garnering honors of their own. But if you're going to slight the older guys, then you've got to show props for guys like Hasan Rasheed, Alcides Escobar, and Robbie Wooley, right? Apparently not... It didn't appear as though Wahpepah was dominant or anything this summer -- it'd be interesting to read that one blurb on him from the members section -- Colby? 2001 12th round LHP Ray Liotta spurned the Brewers and went on to Tulane -- he's # 5. Spew your venom at 1:00 PM Central Wednesday at BA for their Pioneer League chat.

KRYNZEL with the glove!!!!!

Scotty with four steals -- scoring position again. Impressive because all four steals were second base... That must tie a MLB record (second base) -- I wonder if anyone differentiates betwen stealing second and third and/or home as far as a record goes -- I doubt it...

Hey Mass, who was the pregame guest, anyone exciting? Bill Castro, didn't hear it: www.brewersradionetwork.c.../index.asp batman, I don't know why it has me inquisitive like yourself, but I too, want to know how to guess what the raw number is for the number of cars / households listening in on the Brewers' network to this 62-83 team on a mid-September Saturday night. Heck, our chatroom holds 25 if we could invite them all over http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

Even down a run, this game has been very entertaining -- a reminder that the game can still overcome the season-long status of the club you're rooting for.

Diving catch by Clark was even better than Ueck described -- great sprawl, took every inch of him coming in towards the line.

That was an incredible collision at the plate with Pods -- Ausmus really looks like he could have a concussion, I'd be shocked if he remains in the game. Has Rich Donnelly had more men thrown out at home in September than he had the rest of the year prior?

Wow, so quiet for a very "happening" top and bottom of the fifth inning. That's what's sad, is we'd probably have a true game thread and some chat room action if / when the team was in contention. Can't blame folks for finding other things to do on a Saturday night....

Ugh -- the bunt defense has been ugly all season -- Overbay comes in so wildly, he's all over the place.

Donnelly's choice looked fine. I swear I saw Bennett almost come to a stop preparing for the slide, huffing and puffing. Geez, maybe we can bring Ted Simmons out of retirement.

Watching on MLB.com... Gary Bennett is the slowest human being on earth! Bases loaded, one out in the first, nothing! A gift error in the second, Bennett out at home. You'd have to see him chugging to believe it -- Ueck is in utter disbelief. This is Bad News Bears sad...

By the way, wasn't Mike Lamb on all of our available and affordable wish lists for like the past three years now?

Ben Sheets, zero BB, nine K, under .500 once again. Let's see, Ben's home is a hop, skip, and jump away from Houston. Drayton McLane, meet your Opening Day Pitcher, 2007. Sorry to be so cynical, tonight was a breaking point for me with this team and season. Excuse me while I find better things to do, like throw up in my mouth.

My god, Ben's strikeout-to-walk ratio is 230-to-29 and his WHIP is under 1.00. We truly are not worthy. Where, oh where was just enough run support for a Cy Young? Carl Pavano? The Big Unit again? Poo.