MassBrew

2004 first round pick RHP Mark Rogers is among MLB.com's choices to keep an online journal throughout the 2005 season -- nice. Last season, it was Tony Gwynn, with his reports ending abruptly early on in May: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...;fext=.jsp MLB.com indicates Rogers' first report should be out soon.

WTMJ local radio, and MLB.com audio for subscribers linked here: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050320 MLB.com audio subscribers can check out Saturday's archive, which includes a good chunk of the Talkin' Brewers show, and all of the Doug Melvin interview with Jim Powell. The full show will likely be available later this week.

Brewerfan loves it when the Huntsville Times' Mark McCarter makes his annual journey to Maryvale: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...221770.xml Speed thrills in new Stars outfield Gwynn will likely be flanked by quick learners By MARK McCARTER Huntsville Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com Without so much as a shovel, screwdriver or hammer, major renovations have been accomplished at Joe W. Davis Stadium. The outfield has grown smaller - at least for visiting teams. The wide gaps have been turned into little pizza slices, the entire acreage shrunk from the Ponderosa to a walk-in closet. The Huntsville Stars of 2005, now in the early days of their spring training schedule, could be fielding one of their fastest, most ground-covering outfields ever. Tony Gwynn Jr., last season's center fielder, is expected to return to the club, according to new manager Don Money. In the spacious left field will likely be Kennard Bibbs, who played center in high A last year, and Nelson Cruz, a newcomer to the organization, will be in right. Gwynn was called last year "one of the best defensive center fielders I've seen'' by a renowned college coach and ESPN analyst. Well, OK, sure, it was his father, Tony Sr., who said it, but there's more than just a father's pride there. Bibbs can flat out fly, and has great instincts. That'll be an advantage in the oversized left field, where it's 345 feet down the line. "Normally in a minor league outfield you can see a brown spot in left and you can see a brown spot in center and you can see a brown spot in right and that's where (the outfielders are) playing,'' his High Desert manager, Mel Queen, said last summer. "I don't care whether it's King Kong hitting or Mickey Mouse hitting, they're in the same place. "Bibbs doesn't do that. He knows where to play the hitters and that's rare for a kid at this level. And he's got a good first step.'' Cruz, with the Oakland system last season, enjoyed a breakout year, with 26 homers and 42 doubles as he climbed from the California League all the way to a late-season stint in Triple-A. He has a sensational throwing arm; he had 14 outfield assists last season. "He can run 'em down, and he's got a good arm,'' said Money, who faced him two seasons ago at Beloit. "And he's got some pop.'' At this point in camp, few of this season's Stars are even on Money's Huntsville roster, and many decisions remain. The Brewers are still carrying well over their 25-man roster, so cuts will be made there and players will begin to filter down. Though it would seem Callix Crabbe will be at second base, almost any other spots on the squad - especially the pitching staff - are almost impossible to forecast right now, Money said. Starbrites: Money was with the Brewers in major league camp much of the spring, then worked with the Triple-A Nashville club for a while as ex-Stars manager Frank Kremblas remained with the big league staff an extra week. ... Catcher Kade Johnson is still nursing some soreness in his shoulder and wrist. He had offseason surgery. ... Pitcher Ben Diggins, a highly touted prospect who was with the Stars in 2003, should return here to begin the season. He spent last season on the shelf after arm surgery. ... Dana Eveland, who pitched impressively in a brief tenure with Huntsville, has been impressive in big league camp and might leap all the way to Triple-A. ... The Stars open their season April 7 at Carolina, with the home opener set April 14. Tickets are available at 882-2562. About the only thing we might question here is Nelson Cruz' assignment. And if Brad Nelson is in Huntsville, will he remain a LF? -- MB

Folks in Maryvale Saturday (today) will get to choose between watching the AAA Nashville club and the AA Huntsville team play the A's respective squads, all games 1:00 Arizona time. It's the beginning of minor league game play, and we'll probably get some minimal reports which we'd like to contain within this one thread, please.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Stars' site lost the first Maryvale report, so we'll post both the link and the text this time around. The pictured player at the link is Manny Parra, so a reason to visit the Stars' site... www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=543 Maryvale Musings: Brewers Spring Report This report was written by Jim Sandoval. Sandoval is serving as a correspondent for the Huntsville Stars official web site at the Milwaukee Brewers Spring Training site in Arizona. His reports will be posted from time to time on the site until the start of the season. With the big league club playing on the road I took the opportunity to visit the minor league camp today. It is a baseball fan's paradise. Players were working out on four fields, all visible from where I stood. Pitchers threw just behind me and hitters took batting practice behind the pitching area. I must have looked like a bobble-head doll as my head turned frequently to see everything going on around me. Most of my attention was directed to an intra-squad game taking place on Robin Yount Field. Each of the fields in the complex is named for a former Brewers player. Many of the Brewers prospects not with the big club participated in the game. On the mound first was big right hander Dennis Sarfate. Baseball America?s # 18 prospect Sarfate was pitching in his back yard, having signed out of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. He had good stuff, with a sharp slider but had some trouble with the ball staying high in the strike zone. Left-handed Manny Parra, the # 11 prospect also threw and looked sharp. He showed a live fastball and a good breaking ball that was especially tough on the left hand hitting players. While final decisions have not been made there is a good chance Parra will open the 2005 season in Huntsville?s rotation. Last on the mound was # 5 prospect and last June?s 1st round draft pick Mark Rogers. Rogers? performance was the most impressive. Showing an excellent fastball he mixed in a devastating curve ball to strike out the first three batters he faced and four in two innings of work. He definitely has # 1 starter potential. Hitters who impressed were Hernan Iribarren and Vinny Rottino. Rottino, a bat in search of a position, ripped two doubles. Iribarren showed a smooth swing with quick hands. A little guy, the ball jumps off his bat like he was much larger man. I ended my day watching a live batting practice session conducted by Stars manager and hitting coach Don Money and Sandy Guerrero. Players Stars? fans would recognize hitting in the session included Chris Barnwell, Steve Scarborough, Brandon Gemoll and Joel Alvarado. Former major leaguer Kevin Orie, signed by the Brewers in December, hit in the session as well. This report was written by Jim Sandoval. Sandoval is serving as a correspondent for the Huntsville Stars official web site at the Milwaukee Brewers Spring Training site in Arizona. His reports will be posted from time to time on the site until the start of the season.

The Andy Hunter interview is also complete and should also be up at some point today (hopefully). www.perfectgame.org/2005/...hunter.cfm

Web audio for subscribers: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050318

Aren't the three Johnson's triplicates? Well, when I do mis-speak around here, at least it's on the important issues http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

First, a link to the now-closed Off-Season transaction thread: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=20 Baseball America reports the following new names: Milwaukee Brewers signed RHP Junior Corporan and 3B Jose Jimenez Most likely these are two new rookie-level youngsters, and we'll have details on them once the media guide is available to us in a couple of weeks. Earlier this off-season, the Brewers inked a new Venezuelan outfielder, Herman Jimenez, and 1B Carlos Corporan will likely play at Brevard County this year. No word on whether there are connections there. This year's organizational "duplicates" include the Adams boys (Mike and Brian), the Corporan's, the Cruz's (Nelson and Enrique), the Davis' (Doug and Kane), the de la Cruz's (Fredy and Carlos), the De La Rosa's (Jorge and Anderson), the Gallardo's (Yovani and Carlos), the Hall's (Billy and Bo), the Jimenez', the Johnson's (Kade, David, and Mark), the Lewis' (Will and Jeremy), the Miller's (Damian and Ryan), the Parejo's (Freddy and Miguel), and the Ramirez' (Carlos and Luis). No "triplicates" this year. Just think how much richer your lives are knowing all that...

Looks like the Stars' site features a nice series by "correspondent" Jim Sandoval, currently visiting Maryvale. Not much here for the minor league gurus among you, but a nice little "extra" for their website. We'll promote some traffic there by linking here as updates arrive. Today's pictured player is Brad Nelson: www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=542

Fun Brewer lineup in this one: CF Krynzel 2B Weeks 1B Overbay 3B Branyan LF Hart SS Hardy RF Cruz C Moeller P Capuano I won't be able to do a full play-by-play this evening, if anyone else is able to keep a running single post...

Well, MLB.com's site was wrong. Bob and Jim are in Scottsdale, not Maryvale! Capuano vs. Schmidt

From the Lompoc (CA) Record: Link while active, text follows: www.lompocrecord.com/arti...orts11.txt By John McReynolds - Staff Writer 3/15/05 The biggest news from Mr. En Fuego's world of sports is not good. This from Tom Hawk Sr. about ex-Cabrillo ace Tommy Hawk, a Milwaukee Brewer signee-- "Well, after an off season of working out and bullpens, as you know Tommy left for Arizona and upon his initial arrival described to team doctors a lingering discomfort still in his elbow once in awhile, so an MRI was prescribed and the findings today are that his elbow will require season-ending Tommy John surgery. He will fly to Milwaukee, have the surgery done and then return to Arizona for rehab for the balance of the year." Not what we wanted to hear. After leading Cabrillo to the CIF semifinals in 2003, Hawk led the Arizona Rookie League in ERA, then had an up-and-down 2004 compounded by arm problems. Now the knife. Good luck to Tommy, still just-turned 20 years old... -- MB

It does look like Mark Littell will be back in Helena as pitching coach for the 2005 season....

Charleston Gazette: John Curtis has been named the new pitching coach for the Class A West Virginia Power. Curtis, a 16-year major-league veteran, replaces Mark Littell. Curtis served as pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers? California League farm team last season. A first-round draft pick by Boston in 1968, Curtis pitched in the big leagues for the Red Sox, Cardinals, Giants, Padres and Angels. We should know soon if Littell will be heading back to Helena. It's our understanding it was a tough off-season health-wise for Littell, and all of Brewerfan wishes him the best and hopes he still is part of the Brewer family.

There's also a split-squad night game at the Brewers' complex vs. the Rangers (Astacio vs. Sheets) -- I was hoping there'd be Texas audio there, as I'd volunteer to game log that one in a separate thread, but since information on that one will be sparse until the final's in (Jim Powell will probably provide an update or two), we'll go with the one game thread. Both box scores should include several kids brought up from the minor league camp for the night. Brewers / Giants MLB.com audio link for out-of-town subscribers, you locals have WTMJ radio tonight! mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050315 EDITED: To reflect proper audio game

DHonks, I had archived the 2003 Arizona Fall League thread with the 2003 Link Reports, so feel free to search for your comments here: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=40

MLB audio for subscribers: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050314 I believe Ueck and Jim have MLB audio duties today... Hendrickson and fellow righty Wes Obermueller are scheduled for three innings or 50 pitches, followed by relievers Matt Wise, Mike Adams and Justin Lehr. -- Adam McCalvy

7. PH Noochie Varner 1B Hall made stop but couldn't grab the ball 8. PH Tila Reynolds 1B RBI Arizona 6 Milwaukee 5 Varner, of course, the former farmhand, and in truly obscure trivia, Reynolds was the Brewers 2002 13th round pick out of the University of Washington, didn't sign. Wow, the Brewer kids are raking today -- sweet!!

WTMJ radio for locals MLB.com audio feed (WTMJ) for out-of-town subscribers: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050313

For the only time until the Miller Park exhibition games, MLB.TV subscribers will have a chance to actually see Brewer baseball -- not sure about the broadcast team. The game will also archive for those who wish to see Jose Capellan follow Doug Davis, in case you're not around on a Saturday afternoon. MLB.TV link: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...50312#grid Locals can listen to Bob and Jim on WTMJ while out and about. Their audio broadcast will also be available online for those who have subscribed to the MLB Audio, but not MLB.TV. That will archive as well: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050312 Jamey Wright starts for the Rockies. It would have been a huge gesture to make the MLB.TV feed free for Brewer fans, but unless we're surprised, I wouldn't hold your breath. I'll be able to watch late Saturday night, here's hoping several of the subscribers can chime in here...

Having Gord Ash on-air for a full game is definitely cool, otherwise I'd be less tempted to be listening in to the archive right now -- I'm in the sixth, and wanted to hear the de la Rosa innings in particular. The thing about Daron's call-out to Brewerfan.net was that Mike Matheny grounded a base hit down the line about two seconds after the comment. The inning ended a pitch or two later, otherwise it might have been interesting to see if Sutton and Ash might have morphed into a bit of discussion about an extra-rabid fan base this spring, including Brewerfan.

MLB.com audio link: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050311

OK, the game link, which apparently will again require a subscription, is here: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050310 MLB.com, after a shaky start, has become a big money-maker for MLB, and its revenues are shared equally. I imagine some honcho didn't appreciate the Brewer portion of spring training audio being free, despite the initial efforts of the Brewers to make it so. I believe the following extras are free for your pre-game needs, as Big Ben gets his first ST inning under his belt -- Watch the archive at 9:00 AM Central Thursday of this Reds - Brewers game: April 27, 2004: Chad Moeller hit for the cycle, but it was Bill Hall's pinch-hit, walk-off home run in the ninth that saved the day for Milwaukee. mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050310 Also, Doug Melvin has a lengthy MLB.radio interview archived, and I'll comment on one of the more interesting aspects over on the Minor League Forum after this post. Look in the "Sights and Sounds" portion of this link: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml.../index.jsp

Archive link: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050308