MassBrew

Final: Durham (Devil Rays) 11, Indianapolis 6 Indianapolis Box Score: Paul Stewart hit hard; Tribe draws eight walks in addition to their nine base hits, but on a night when they finally score six, the pitching faltered... GAME DATE: 6/18/04 IND at DUR INDIANAPOLIS 6 AT DURHAM 11 YTD YTD INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG DURHAM AB R H BI AVG P.Bergeron CF 4 1 1 0 .227 C.Gipson CF 5 1 2 2 .313 M.Erickson DH 4 1 1 3 .246 B.Upton SS 4 1 0 0 .308 C.Magruder LF 5 0 2 1 .264 M.Cummings LF 4 1 1 0 .316 C.Hart RF 4 0 1 0 .282 M.Diaz RF 5 2 2 5 .317 M.Johnson 1B 4 0 0 0 .257 J.Gomes DH 3 2 1 0 .263 C.Coste CAT 3 0 0 0 .286 J.Sandberg 1B 4 2 2 0 .232 L.Figueroa 2B 4 1 1 0 .262 P.LaForest CAT 3 1 0 0 .199 T.Durrington 3B 4 1 1 1 .091 J.Maxwell 3B 4 1 2 2 .257 S.Scarbrough SS 3 2 2 0 .233 L.Ordaz 2B 4 0 1 0 .237 P.Stewart PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Ritchie PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Phelps PIT 0 0 0 0 .333 M.Carnes PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Reichert PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Seay PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Fortunato PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 6 9 5 TOTALS 36 11 11 9 INDIANAPOLIS 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0- 6 9 3 DURHAM 4 0 5 0 0 0 2 0 X-11 11 1 E--C.Hart, T.Durrington, T.Phelps, M.Cummings. DP--INDIANAPOLIS 0, DURHAM 1. LOB--INDIANAPOLIS 11, DURHAM 5. 2B--S.Scarbrough (13), J.Sandberg 2 (11), J.Maxwell (3). 3B--C.Magruder (4). HR--M.Erickson (2), T.Durrington (1), M.Diaz 2 (9). SB--S.Scarbrough (1). HBP--M.Cummings, J.Gomes. SH--T.Durrington. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA INDIANAPOLIS P.Stewart (L,0-2) 2.1 6 7 6 1 3 2 10.80 T.Phelps 3.2 3 2 0 1 1 0 5.53 D.Reichert 2.0 2 2 2 0 3 0 2.68 DURHAM T.Ritchie 4.0 7 5 4 4 3 2 8.25 M.Carnes 2.0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2.40 B.Seay (W,2-1) 2.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1.21 B.Fortunato 1.0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2.52 HB--P.Stewart, D.Reichert. WP--T.Ritchie, B.Fortunato. SO--P.Bergeron, C.Magruder, C.Hart, T.Durrington, C.Gipson, B.Upton 2, M.Cummings, M.Diaz 2, L.Ordaz. BB--P.Bergeron, M.Erickson, C.Hart, M.Johnson, C.Coste 2, L.Figueroa, S.Scarbrough, B.Upton, P.LaForest. T--2:46. A--10005.Indianapolis Game Log: Must admit I didn't realize Todd Ritchie was still bouncing around; first four baserunners scored on a grand slam in the first against Stewart; Tribe defense also poor tonight... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14182

From milb.com: NEW YORK, NY--Rosters for the sixth annual New York Mercantile Exchange All-Star Futures Game will be unveiled for the first time ever with a live video Webcast on MLB.com at 11:00 AM (Central) on Monday, June 21. The All-Star Futures Game features the top prospects in Minor League Baseball with a team of U.S. born players competing against players from around the world. The game will be played on Sunday, July 11 at Minute Maid Park in Houston as the first of three days of All-Star events, culminated by the Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 13. The All-Star Futures Game will be televised live by ESPN2, beginning at 4 p.m. Players from all 30 Major League organizations will be included on the rosters, with 25 players on each team.

Beloit Daily News: LHP Greg Kloosterman has been activated from the disabled list. Before going on the DL with a strained shoulder he was 1-4 with a 9.15 ERA.

Beloit Daily News Game Story: Clean sweep Trofholz helps set table for streaking Snappers By Ryan Frey Daily News correspondent Midwest League All-Star Terry Trofholz took matters into his own hands Thursday night at Pohlman Field. Trofholz set the table with two bunt singles and scored three times to propel the Snappers to a 6-2 victory and a four-game sweep over the Clinton LumberKings. The 1,598 fans at Pohlman Field witnessed a postgame fireworks show, but also saw an explosive Beloit offense early in the game. Leadoff man Trofholz, who went 3-for-4, felt he had let the team down with his performance the previous night when he went hitless. He started Beloit's offense by playing ``small ball'' with his first bunt single of the night. ``I struggled yesterday going 0-for-5 so I just wanted to get started the right way,'' he said. ``I feel if I do my job of getting on base and my teammates do their job by driving me in, we have a great chance at winning more games. That's what you do when you're batting leadoff.'' Remaining hot, Will Lewis followed Trofholz's lead with a bunt single of his own to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. When an attempted double steal failed, Beloit's chances of capitalizing on the two hits seemed to dwindle. Then, with two outs, Clinton pitcher Jesse Chavez gave Beloit an early All-Star break gift by throwing the next pitch by catcher Cody Clark, allowing Trofholz to score from third. Trofholz added his second bunt single in the third inning, loading the bases for Lewis, who followed with a sacrifice fly. Drew Anderson then connected for a three-run home run, his third of the year, to make it 5-0. ``Anderson has been seeing the ball well lately, and he is a smart player. He saw the pitch he was expecting, and drove it,'' Beloit Manager Don Money said. The offensive outburst provided All-Star starting pitcher Dana Eveland (5-2) with a cushion. He allowed a fifth-inning run, but that was all in his 5 2/3 innings of work. He scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out seven. Staying hot, Trofholz reached first base the conventional way by dropping a single in front of the Clinton right fielder in the fifth inning. He advanced to third and Vinny Rottino seized the moment by scoring him with a single to left field. The Snappers left it to the bullpen to mop up. Over the final three and two third innings, relievers Dan Grybash and Mitch Stetter gave up one earned run, while striking out four. The victory pushed Beloit's record to 37-30 heading into their final road trip of the first half, to the Quad Cities.

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Quakes top Mavericks in 11 innings By TIM HARAN/Staff Writer RANCHO CUCAMONGA ? On a night when scoring chances were scarce, the winning formula appeared to be a simple equation: Whichever team capitalized on more of its opportunities would come away with an extra-inning victory. The Mavericks would love to have a few of their squandered opportunities back, including a handful of the 11 runners the team left on base. High Desert, which tied the game in the ninth inning and took a two-run lead in the 10th, gave up a two-run homer to Ryan Budde in the bottom of the frame and an RBI single to David Gates in the 11th to give Rancho Cucamonga a 5-4 victory Thursday night at The Epicenter. Trailing by a run in the ninth, Mavs designated hitter Eric Henderson smacked a one-out double and advanced to third on a Quakes wild pitch. After Enrique Cruz struck out, second baseman Callix Crabbe, who is batting .371 with runners in scoring position, smashed a single up the middle to drive in Henderson and knot the game at 2-2. The next batter, Scott Candelaria, struck out on a check swing that drew the ire of both Candelaria and High Desert manager Mel Queen. Jason Sugden hit a leadoff triple for the Quakes in the bottom of the 11th. Then High Desert reliever David Nolasco intentionally walked Erick Aybar and Reggie Willits to get to Gates, who singled into right center for the decisive run. David Bradley, who has sparkled on the mound recently, started for the Mavs. In his previous two outings, Bradley took no-hitters into at least the fifth inning. Though High Desert was leading each time the right-hander left the game, Bradley earned a pair of no-decisions. Against the Quakes on Thursday, Bradley once again delivered a solid performance and again didn't figure in the decision. He allowed two runs ? one earned ? on four hits in 6 2-3 innings of work, the right-hander's longest outing of the season. He struck out five and walked five. Bradley left with two outs in the seventh and the go-ahead run on third. The Quakes Greg Porter, on the first pitch thrown by Mavs reliever Michael Kusiewicz, hit a drive down the right field line past a diving Travis Hinton at first. The double scored Nick Kimpton, whom Bradley had walked to lead off the inning. Rancho Cucamonga took an early lead when the Quakes' Budde laid down a bunt and Mavs' catcher Froilan Villanueva flung the ball into left field trying to gun down the lead runner advancing to third. High Desert escaped by allowing just the one run after second baseman Crabbe made a nifty over the shoulder, sliding grab in shallow right field on a ball hit by Aybar. Crabbe in the next inning hit a deep fly tailing away from Willits that looked as if it would score Mendez from second. But just as Crabbe had robbed Aybar of a hit in the second, Willits made a sensational play in the third on Crabbe's shot to center. The Mavs' Henderson batted Thursday for just the third time all season. A pitcher by trade, the big left-hander is now 2-for-10 from the plate in three games and has scored two runs. High Desert squandered a leadoff double by Mario Mendez in the third inning, and stranded a combined six runners in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. NOTES: The Lancaster JetHawks, a day after clinching the first-half South Division title, promoted five players to Double-A El Paso. Sent up were outfielders Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin, pitchers Clint Goocher and Jason Bulger, and third baseman Jaime D'Antona. Jackson, Goocher and D'Antona were named to the California League All-Star team this week and will be replaced on the roster. ... In their previous six games, Mavs starters have posted a 2.88 ERA. ... Outfielder Kennard Bibbs was out of the High Desert lineup for the second straight game with a tight hamstring.

Scroll your mouse over these Rickwood Field photos -- nice... www.ballparkreviews.com/b...ckwood.htm And I agree. David, awesome write-up.

Time to loosen our belts because the Daily Menu is expanding! Pioneer League action begins, but the news isn't all rosy. We'll hope for a big turnaround because we gave the Helena ownership a mulligan for their web site coverage last year. New local radio announcer Steve Wendt will be calling all 76 Brewer games, and hopefully will be able to provide timely game summaries on the Helena site. I say "local" radio announcer because once again, there is no apparent web coverage of the Brewer broadcasts on KCAP-AM. This is disappointing, because we reminded Helena management this winter that the local pro hockey team, the Helena Bighorns, also are covered by KCAP-AM, but choose to have SportsJuice provide a web feed as well. I have no idea what SportsJuice charges teams to carry the games, but it's disappointing that Helena management didn't choose to go that route as long as the games are being covered -- heck, Doug Melvin, pitch in some coin from that revenue-sharing pool! If I'm mistaken in these comments, sorry in advance (and don't get me going on Beloit coverage again.) I'm sure it's especially frustrating for friends and families of the new Brewers, but in most cases, there will be the opponent's audio web feed -- it's just not all it could be. That was a loss from the Ogden-to-Helena transition, as we're all interested to learn more about the new kids on the Brewer block. Anyway, on to today's action: All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Paul Stewart at Durham (Devil Rays), 6:00 PM; Stew gets to pitch in front of his hometown fans, and against the organization that released him this spring... Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate audio link (Bulls' feed): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...ame=dbulls HUNTSVILLE: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Birmingham (White Sox), 7:00 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP Bo Hall at home vs. San Jose (Giants), 9:05 PM; will the Mavs' feed be active tonight? The Giants' next audio feed isn't until Saturday, so we'll hope so... Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: RHP Greg Moreira at Quad City (Twins), 7:00 PM Audio link (Swing's feed): www.swingbaseball.com/live/ HELENA: TBD at Billings (Reds), 8:00 PM Audio link (Mustangs' feed): www.billingsmustangs.com/

The IR's Pioneer League preview for you Big Sky diehards: www.helenair.com/articles...804_01.txt Should be a great experience for these players, finally away from Maryvale (after three full months!), and riding those buses in what must be one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Hopefully there won't be any tales of danger, as when the Brewers' Ogden team bus hit that bull in the middle of the night a couple of seasons ago, stranding the team, and thankfully, just avoiding disaster. On a somber note, I should point out this article from today's Helena newspaper as well. Many of you will remember the tragic coverage we linked to from Helena's Legion Ball last summer: www.helenair.com/articles...804_03.txt

Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...804_01.txt Brew Crew ready to roll By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor - 06/18/04 There is a little saying that is going around the Milwaukee Brewers organization. "It's the way we play," symbolizes the Brewers' commitment to hard, hustling play. The Helena version of the Brewers should fit in just fine with that mantra. The Brewers' first-year manager, Johnny Narron, said that his team will play hard on every pitch, and he added that the squad that made the Pioneer League playoffs in 2003 has a good shot to do it again. "It's a challenge, but we are up to it," he said. "I don't think we will be up to it, we will be up to it." The Brewers, who are in their second year here after a two-year hiatus, are loaded with some top arms this season and have strong, young offensive talent. Pitchers Josh Baker and Josh Wahpepah come to Helena after impressive college careers. Baker was 17-2 in two seasons at Rice and was part of one of the better rotations in college baseball history. Wahpepah struck out 95 in 94 innings last season at Cowley County (Kan.) Community College. Alvaro Martinez is a 6-foot-7 right-hander and has a fastball that can hit in the mid 90's on the radar gun. Narron said William Marion, Justin Wilson and Robert Hinton will also be counted on to provide quality innings for Helena. Marion last pitched in the Arizona League. Wilson and Hinton played previously for junior college programs. "We have a lot of potential on the pitching staff and we will make sure these kids utilize their opportunity," Narron said. Another familiar name on the pitching staff will be Justin Barnes. Barnes played third base last year, but he showed equal promise as a pitcher when he left Manatee (Fla.) Community College and will be converted into a pitcher this year. Offensively, the Brewers will be similar to last year, with situational hitting being extremely important ? as will be stolen bases. "We will be aggressive on the bases," Narron said. "Our approach is, we won't stop until the other team stops us." The Brewers led the Pioneer League in stolen bases last year with 142, and they have plenty of speed this year. They have four players who ran the 60-yard dash in less than 6.4 seconds ? Alcides Escobar, Charlie Fermaint, Agustin Septimo and Hasan Rasheed. Septimo was on the team last year and had eight stolen bases to his credit. He will play second, third and shortstop this season. Fermaint and Escobar both played in the Arizona League last season. Steven Sollman, who was drafted in the 10th round this season from Notre Dame, will solidify the middle infield and Grant Richardson, a 14th round pick from Washington State, has plenty of pop in his bat. Their were four catchers assigned to the club this season and all four should be strong. Charlie Lozada and Alberto Segura both played with Helena last season. Clay Blevins hit .341 at Cowley Community College and was a teammate of Wahpepah's in high school and college. Nestor Corredor drove in 31 runs in the Dominican League in 2003. Narron will be assisted by pitching coach Mark Littell and bench coach Norberto Martin. The Brewers will start the season with a three-game series in Billings, before their home opener Monday against Missoula. Photo by Eliza Wiley IR Staff - Agustin Septimo of the Dominican Republic lays down a bunt during Helena Brewers practice Wednesday at Kindrick Legion Field. Septimo is one of a handful of players returning to Helena after spending the 2003 season with the Brewers. The infielder hit .214 in 56 games last season. Helena is at Billings tonight. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2004/06/18/sports_top/b01061804_01.jpg

Keep it coming! Opening Day coverage rolls on... Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...804_02.txt Teammates once again By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor - 06/18/04 Josh Wahpepah and Clay Blevins have steadily moved north during the course of their baseball careers. The pair have moved as high school teammates in Dale, Okla. and then they moved on to Cowley Community College in Kansas. Now the pair is in Helena to play professional baseball for the Brewers. "It's pretty neat," Blevins said. "I enjoy having somebody familiar here." Blevins and Wahpepah have have been teammates since they were sophomores in high school at Dale High School and both were integral parts in a powerhouse program. Wahpepah was an all-state pitcher and Blevins was a top catcher on a team that won five state championships during their time at Dale High. (Baseball is played during the fall and spring in Oklahoma.) Blevins caught Wahpepah often during their senior seasons and they went out on top winning the state title during the spring season. "We looked forward to redeeming ourselves because we won so many in the past," Wahpepah said. After high school, both went to Cowley Community College. Blevins signed right out of high school, but originally Wahpepah had bigger plans. He wanted to pitch for Arkansas, but Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn said he should hone his game at the community college level. Cowley won junior college national championships in 1997 and 1998 and they had produced current major leaguers Junior Spivey and Travis Hafner. However, not playing at the Division I level rankled Wahpepah a little. "I was a little upset about it at first, but then I just got over it and went out to kind of prove some people wrong," Wahpepah said in an interview on MLB.com. He did just that. Wahpepah went on to strike out 94 batters in 95 innings at Cowley. His fastball is clocked from 91-94 mph and has topped out at 96 mph. "I can throw by some people and change speeds well," he said. Blevins hit .341 at Cowley this season and drove in 45 runs. He characterizes himself as a contact hitter and a solid defensive catcher. He also gives the Brewers a left-handed bat which will be useful among the four talented catchers who dot Helena's roster. "He gives us an option with a left-handed bat, which I like a lot," Helena manager Johnny Narron said. Both Blevins and Wahpepah are happy to start their professional careers in Helena and both are just wanting to help the Brewers make the Pioneer League playoffs for the second-straight season. "I hope to go out, throw well and give us a chance to win," Wahpepah said. Photo by Eliza Wiley Independent Republic Staff - Catcher Clay Blevins, left and pitcher Josh Wahpepah have been playing together since their sophomore year in high school back in Oklahoma. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2004/06/18/sports/b05061804_02.jpg

Link while active, text follows for our archives: www.helenair.com/articles...804_01.txt Been on the big stage By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor - 06/18/04 Pressure, what pressure? Helena Brewer Josh Baker certainly won't be intimidated by pitching to a slugger from Billings or Provo this season. Baker pitched on the biggest stage in college baseball ? going to Omaha for the College World Series. He has been part of a national championship team in 2003 and was part of a pitching staff that is considered one of the best in college baseball history. Baker was a fourth-round pick from Rice this year and the 6-foot-3 220-pound right hander was part of the Owls' first national championship in any sport ever. While the team didn't reach the same lofty heights in 2004, individually several Owls were highly regarded by major league scouts. Rice pitchers were picked with the third, fourth and eighth picks in the June draft, before the Brewers tabbed Baker. Cincinatti also picked a Rice product, shortstop Paul Janish in the fifth round. They sent him to Billings where he will face his former teammate in Pioneer League games this season. "I am excited about what the future holds," Baker said. "It was a lot of fun to be part of that staff and part of that team." Baker will have a little help this season adjusting to the professional game. His brother-in-law is Houston Astros superstar Lance Berkman. "I'll sit there and pick his mind all the time about what it takes to succeed at that level," Baker said in an article on MLB.com "He's awesome, we're really good friends on top of being relatives. It's been great having professional athletes ahead of me, so there's not that suspense of what it's going to be like. I kind of have a little bit more of a heads up." Baker is a Houston native, but before he pitched for his hometown college of Rice he got a taste of Southeastern Conference baseball, signing with Alabama. After one season, Baker decided he didn't want to roll with the Tide and moved back home. His first season Baker went 8-0 and had the opportunity to pitch in two games in the College World Series. Those games were against two of the most storied programs in college baseball ? Texas and Stanford. The Longhorns and Owls are bitter rivals and 26,000 fans were on hand to see him take the mound in the fourth inning in the CWS. Baker pitched into the eighth inning and gave up just one run in a 5-4 Rice victory "In midst of all the excitement you have to let the game slow down," he said. In his appearance against the Cardinal, Baker came in for an inning as Rice suffered its only defeat of the tournament. Baker has been able to develop a fastball, slider and changeup to strike out 71 batters in 95 innings as a sophomore and 94 in 100 innings as a junior. "Every time I get the ball, I want to be a pitcher that the defense can count on and the offense can count on," he said. Photo by Eliza Wiley, Independent Republic Staff - A native of Houston Texas, Josh Baker has been pitching a baseball since he was in junior high school but is now throwing for the Helena Brewers. He was part of a national championship team at Rice University. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2004/06/18/sports/b05061804_01.jpg

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 36 32 .529 COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 34 31 .523 .5 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 33 32 .508 1.5[/b] LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 32 35 .478 3.5 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 38 29 .567 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 36 30 .545 1.5 BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 33 33 .500 4.5 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 31 36 .463 7.0[/b] MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 28 39 .418 10.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 43 24 .642 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 38 29 .567 5.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 33 34 .493 10.0 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 31 36 .463 12.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 23 44 .343 20.0[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 40 26 .606 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 39 27 .591 1.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 38 28 .576 2.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 37 30 .552 3.5[/b] CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 33 32 .508 6.5 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 31 32 .492 7.5 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 30 36 .455 10.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 22 45 .328 18.5

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: A TRIP BACK IN TIMEMasquerading as an industrial team, the Huntsville Stars won their first Rickwood Classic and broke their seven-game losing streak, their longest since 1999....... Perhaps the Stars should wear the uniforms of the cotton mill teams that played at Huntsville's Optimist Park in the '30s if it works this well. Forget Stars. Forget Barons. Today, it was an homage to the past, and both teams celebrated in vintage uniforms in front of over 7,000 fans, a time when baseball was wildly popular and some 150 industrial teams flourished in and around Birmingham, representing steel mills, paper mills, coal mines, iron works, ethnic associations, and even competing grocery stores. These far-flung semi-pro leagues were united into a single federation, becoming the largest in the nation by 1936, lasting for decades until the workers who played and the fans who came, became a richer, more diverse and mobile middle class in the '50s. No longer part of a decaying neighborhood, and no longer depending on baseball for entertainment, the leagues faded into oblivion........ But those who remembered honored those who played in these leagues on this hot 87° afternoon, where they once competed. About two dozen former Industrial League players were introduced in front of the crowd before the game, some who once played with future major league players in these leagues --- Harry and Dixie Walker, Ben Chapman, Frank House, Willie Mays, Virgil Trucks, Dan Bankhead, and future major league managers Luman Harris and Bobby Bragan. The Rickwood Classic has been a fundraiser to preserve what is the oldest professional ballpark still in use, a working museum --- Rickwood Field, built in 1910 --- laid out by Connie Mack, as a favor to friend and owner Rick Woodward, but modeled after Forbes Field....... Here, where scenes from the movie "Cobb" were shot, nostalgia abounds, and if you can allow yourself, you feel the ghosts of Babe Ruth, Burleigh Grimes, and Dizzy Dean, all of whom played here on the same field as Ryan Costello, Prince Fielder, and Brad Nelson today........ In 1996, the Birmingham Barons agreed to return to Rickwood to play for the first time in nine years, wearing 1948 Barons' uniforms. A sellout crowd of 10,023 came back to Rickwood to enjoy the vintage park to inauguarate the Rickwood Classic --- one of the most symbolic "throwback" games in history. And there exists no better ballpark on earth to play such a game...... I looked around to take mental pictures of the huge wooden overhang, protecting the wraparound grandstand extending from the 3rd base line midway to left field to about 30 feet in back of right field, where African-Americans were once segregated, then without any protection from the sun or the rain......... Distinctive were the unique lightstands on the roof (Rickwood was the first minor league park with lights), the depression and war-era billboards (Burma Shave, Fatima Cigarettes, Grape-Ola, etc.), the hand-operated chalkboard-colored scoreboard (originally 500 feet from home plate) with the clock on top and the scheduled games of the Southern Association and major leagues as it existed in 1948, ready for updates, and the assymetrical outfield design (dead center is 392 ft., but left-center juts out to 399')........ Standards from the '30s were played over the loudspeakers and whenever possible, a dixieland band played from an area behind home plate. The seats were the old-style cast iron that you might find at Fenway or old Tiger stadium (except roomier).......The neighborhood around had seen better days. Several dwellings near the stadium were boarded or bricked up. By 1986, Barons owner Art Clarkson had to face economic realities and the Birmingham Barons left Rickwood for good after the 1987 season for modern, detached Hoover Met....... It's hard to imagine it's lasted this long, and that the Stars played their very first game here in 1985, but it's not hard to imagine that presevationists would fight to keep it, and pay for its upkeep, and that is what the Rickwood Classic is for. The Stars wore the blue caps and white uniforms of U.S. Steel's Fairfield Mills. The logo on the left breast was too small to be seen, except with binoculars, almost looking like plain cotton uniforms. The numbers on the back were large as life though. For some reason, Ryan Knox and Ozzie Chavez exchanged their regular uniform numbers, 36 and 24, for 10 and 12 respectively......... The Birmingham Barons wore the uniforms of Sloss Industries, a prominent coke foundry still operating today now in Hoover...... They also wore white uniforms, but you could plainly see the blue block letters spelling out "SLOSS", so there was really no mistaking the two teams....... Even the umps were dressed in throwback style, wearing the balloon protectors outside their black and white uniforms. The Stars threatened to tie a club record they set at this ballpark in their very first game on April 12, 1985, by scoring in five consecutive innings, falling one inning short........ They were stopped cold by B.J. LaMura, pitching three no-hit innings in relief in his first appearance against the Stars, but by this time, the Stars were in front 8-5 and Brian Adams, the Stars' most effective pitcher this month (2.38 ERA in 11 1/3 IP) was likewise holding the opposition scoreless........ Meanwhile, the Stars were crafting the most fundamentally sound, opportunistic game they had played in awhile, playing error-free nine-innings for the first time since May. It began with a monstrous two-run home run to right-center by Brad Nelson, evoking the memories perhaps of some Barons fans who remember Reggie Jackson when he played here........ In the 2nd inning, Johnny Raburn and Kade Johnson parlayed a succession of perfectly-placed bunts that set up Chavez's RBI double which hugged the left field line........ Rob Sasser's no-out two-run HR in the 2nd inning brought the Barons as close as they would ever get in this game, 3-2. It was a rough inning for Ryan Costello, who was fortunately taken out of this sweltering heat before he could become eligible for the win, but he struck out Scott Bikowski on an 0-2 change and was saved by some good defense from Prince Fielder, who dug out a wide throw from third baseman Raburn....... Prince made a similar, and even better play in the 8th, sprawling in the dirt, while keeping his foot on the first base bag for the first out, presaging a bases-loaded situation. The heat was wilting Dennis Ulacia (2-5, 3.81 vs. Huntsville since 2001). After a Fielder double to the right field corner, two walks, and another hit by Raburn manufactured two more runs, giving the Stars a 5-2 lead, Ulacia was gone........The heat even got the better of catcher Chris Stewart, who was removed in the 7th for heat exhaustion........ Stewart's passed ball put runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 4th inning, setting up two more runs. Fielder hit a 3-1 high hopper to Ruddy Yan. Yan went home to get Rickie Weeks, who drew a one-out walk, but the low throw hopped up on Stewart, bouncing off his mask and eluding him. With Tony Gwynn, Jr. now on 3rd, Brad Nelson was able to get him home, thanks to Gwynn's speed, on a medium fly ball to left........ Brian Adams came in for Costello in the bottom half after Gwynn missed a tumbling attempt at Scott Bikowski's dying pop to shallow center that went to the wall for a triple, followed by a walk and a double to the left field corner by Stewart........ From that point on, things were quiet for both sides......... Adams retired three of the four batters to face him in the 4th, then retired eight straight batters before Brian Becker, making his Birmingham debut, hit his second double of the day. In the 9th inning Becker's home run just cleared the vintage Coca Cola sign in left......... B.J. LaMura stopped the Stars from scoring for a club record 6th straight inning in the 6th, and never allowed the Stars to hit one ball out of the infield, and that was to second baseman Yan on the outfield grass. For the Stars, it was the most runs scored since a May 22 10-1 win over Jacksonville. Prince Fielder hit his 7th double of the month -- as many as he had in April and May combined......... Johnny Raburn had the third four-hit game by a Huntsville Star this year, the last coming from Kade Johnson on April 26. The Chattanooga Lookouts added outfielder Bobby Darula to their roster. Darula hit .325 for the Lookouts in 2002 and was a Southern League all-star that year, but Stars fans might remember he played for us in 2000 (hitting. 239) and 2001 (.277 in 22 games before his demotion to High Desert)........ The Philadelphia Phillies promoted outfielder Chris Cosbey to their Class AA Eastern League farm club in Reading, then went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in his debut for Reading on Thursday, as they beat Erie, 7-5......... Cosbey was hitting just .216 with 1 HR and 19 RBIs at Class A-Clearwater (Fla. St.). Last year, Cosbey, signed by the Brewers off the independent rolls, hit .171 in 33 games for the Stars, then was sold to the Phillies on June 3. Last year, he hit .246 for Clearwater with no home runs and 16 RBIs. The High Desert Mavericks will send two possibly future Huntsville Stars to the Calilfornia League All-Star game --- first baseman Travis Hinton and second baseman Callix Crabbe. Hinton is hitting .317 with nine HRs and 19 doubles for the Mavs. Crabbe is hitting .305 with 11 doubles and five triples. High Desert has three of the Cal League's top four stolen base leaders. In addition to Crabbe, who's 4th, there's Chris Morris with 24 and Kennard Bibbs with 22. High Desert leads the California League in stolen bases....... Ben Hendrickson slipped from 1st to 3rd among International League ERA leaders. Hendrickson is 6-2 with a 2.54 ERA for Indy......... Jason Belcher went 3-for-4 and hit his 1st HR for Harrisburg, Thursday, as they beat Altoona, 11-2 in Eastern League action. Belcher is hitting .310 for them.

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Perhaps the Stars just needed an escape. From the weight of their seven-game losing streak. From their fall out of the first-half pennant race. Historic Rickwood Field offered such an escape, and Huntsville seemed relaxed and right at home. The Stars snapped their season-high losing streak with an 8-6 win over the Barons on Thursday afternoon in the 9th Annual Rickwood Classic. For the second straight season, Huntsville joined the Barons in celebrating a past era in Birmingham baseball. Clad in throwback uniforms like those worn by Industrial League teams of the 1930?s and 1940?s, the Southern League rivals took fans on a trip back in time at the country?s oldest park, Birmingham?s Rickwood Field, opened in 1910. As if on cue, the Stars crafted one of their most fundamentally complete games in the month of June. Error-free defense, opportunistic offense and one monstrous home run propelled Huntsville into the win column for the first time since a victory over the Barons at Joe Davis Stadium on June 8. With a blast reminiscent of those hit by Rickwood legend Reggie Jackson, the Stars? Brad Nelson opened the Classic with a bang, crushing a two-run homer to deep right-center in the first. Ozzie Chavez?s run-scoring double made it 3-0, Stars. After Birmingham?s Rob Sasser launched a second-inning two-run homer, Huntsville answered in the third. Johnny Raburn?s RBI-single and Kade Johnson?s sacrifice fly put the Stars up, 5-2. In the fourth, Ruddy Yan?s throwing error and Nelson?s sacrifice fly made it 7-2, Huntsville. The Barons trimmed the lead to 7-5, but Joel Alvarado?s run-scoring single pushed Huntsville?s lead back to 8-5 in the fifth. The Stars? bullpen took care of the rest, as lefty Brian Adams and right-hander John Novinsky combined to hold Birmingham at bay. Adams (2-1) picked up his second win, giving up just one hit and one walk while fanning one over his 3 1/3 scoreless frames. Dennis Ulacia (4-4) suffered the loss, surrendering five runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts in just 2 1/3 innings. Novinsky notched his fourth save, permitting one run, Brian Becker?s ninth-inning solo homer, and two hits with one walk and one strikeout over the final 1 2/3 innings. Stars righty Dennis Sarfate (3-6, 5.14) takes the mound against Barons right-hander Eduardo Villacis (1-1, 4.59) in game two of the series on Friday night at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Game time is 7:00 p.m. The FPH Financial Services Pre-game show starts at 6:45 p.m. Stars baseball can be heard on ESPN 1450 and at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Indianapolis Post-Game Notes: Hart, Hendrickson Lift Tribe June 17, 2004 - GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Indianapolis bats came to life (11 hits) Thursday night as the Tribe defeated Durham, 7-4, snapping a four-game losing streak. Corey Hart ignited the Tribe offense in the fourth inning with his 10th homer of the season and Ben Hendrickson (6-2) pitched six solid innings to earn the victory. Jose Veras (1-2) was pinned with the loss. The Bulls collected three home runs in the loss and added 10 hits. Indianapolis improves to 33-32, Durham falls to 35-30. QUOTES: Chris Michalak, Indians reliever on bases loaded strike out of Jorge Cantu: ?I?ve faced Cantu many times over the years,? said Michalak. ?Right away, I wanted to get ahead of the count. I knew that he?s had success with offspeed pitches. I started him out with a hard sinker, then worked in a curve ball. He hit the curve ball about two feel foul. It?s nice to something go our way for once. I knew that he would be looking for a breaking ball, so I came back with another hard sinker and he swung over the top of it. It worked out well. We battled tonight and kept the pressure on them.? Manager Cecil Cooper on the win: ?This is a game that we needed to win,? said Cooper. ?From the outset, we were very aggressive on the bases. Corey had some big hits tonight and Ben pitched well enough for the victory. Our team responds well when Hendrickson is pitching. Michalak and Matt Childers also threw well tonight.? NOTES: RHP Ben Ford joined the Tribe Thursday night from Milwaukee on a rehab assignment and made his first appearance for Indianapolis since he pitched for the Tribe in 2003. Matt Erickson has hit .419 in his last 10 games. Alex Delgado has hit .308 in his last 10 games. Indianapolis has never played under .500 this season. Cecil Cooper is three wins shy of earning his 100th victory as skipper of the Indians.

Final: Rancho Cucamonga (Angels) 5, High Desert 4, 11 innings One of those games where a box score is missing-in-action until later today... Game Story from Rancho's Daily Bulletin: A Daily Press game story from the High Desert perspective will be out later today... By AARON MENDONCA STAFF WRITER RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Anyone for a roller coaster ride? The Quakes took a lead into the top of the ninth and allowed High Desert to tie the game before the Mavericks scored twice in the 10th to take a two-run lead. Quakes catcher Ryan Budde, however, brought his team back with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 4-4, which is where the game stood through 10 innings at presstime. The California League announced its all-star team earlier this week, and the Mavericks' Callix Crabbe showed why he was selected. The speedy second baseman delivered a clutch two-out single in the top of the ninth to drive in the game-tying run against Quakes closer Von Stertzbach. In the 10th, a costly error by left fielder Jason Sugden and a wild pitch by Cliff Smith gave the Mavericks a seemingly save lead in the rubber match of this three-game set. With Dan Boyd on second base, Mavs catcher Frolian Villanueva singled to left field. Sugden allowed the ball to get underneath him, allowing Boyd score the go-ahead run. Sugden had just entered the game as a defensive replacement. Later a wild pitch with the bases loaded let Villanueva score for a 4-2 lead. The tying rally started with Eric Henderson's one-out double, and he moved to third on a wild pitch. Crabbe brought him home by taking a 3-2 offering from Stertzbach and smoking it to center field to easily score Henderson. It was only the second blown save for Stertzbach in 10 chances. The Quakes got two men on with no outs in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't deliver. Erick Aybar singled and Reggie Willits walked, but Michael Kusiewicz got Greg Porter to pop out on the first pitch to send the game into extra innings. Both starting pitchers had good outings, but neither figured in the decision. Jean Toledo gave up just one run over six innings in his longest outing of the season, but couldn't nail down his second win against a team he has fared well against. While Toledo has struggled this season to the tune of a 1-5 record and an ERA over seven, he's 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA against High Desert. High Desert scored its only run off Toledo in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Jeremy Frost. David Bradley also had his longest appearance of the season, going 6 2/3 innings while giving up two runs, only one of them earned. Matt Abram, making his Quakes' debut, doubled to lead off the second and later scored on an error for a 1-0 lead. In the seventh, Bradley would leave the game with the game tied at 1 with two outs and man on. Greg Porter greeted reliever Kusiewicz with a double that scored Nick Kimpton to put the Quakes ahead 2-1.

Final: Beloit 6, Clinton (Rangers) 2 Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: www.snappersbaseball.com/...me_id=1326

At least as of 9:00 Central, the High Desert audio link indicates they'e not broadcasting tonight. For you late-nighters, the Quakes' audio is here: www.stretchinternet.com/quakes/live.html

Final: Indianapolis 7, Durham (Devil Rays) 4 Just wrapped up -- time to switch to High Desert audio; remember, no split season for AAA standings; Mr. Hendrickson solid again, earns the win...

In progress: Beloit 6, Clinton (Rangers) 1, after six innings It appears Dana Eveland is pitching the Snappers to a sweet four-game sweep in this series, rewarding the home fans. Kane County, the A's affiliate, has won their game tonight -- despite a very solid first half, there won't be a first-half division title for Beloit. But this club's been pretty successfully workmanlike.

Keep in mind, this roster is from the Sports Network, known to be less than flawless in its accuracy... By far the youngest Brewer Pioneer League squad I can remember in some time, especially among position players. Hopefully the recent college infield draftees (Richardson, Sollman, Festa) will provide some pop and leadership there, while the outfielders are all new to Helena. In fact, the only Helena repeaters are infielder Agustin Septimo and two of the catchers, Alberto Segura and Charlie Lozada. This is definitely the first time I can remember a pitching staff with zero Pioneer League repeaters, very unusual. I don't have a problem with Bryan Opdyke in Arizona. He'll be the primary catcher there, and the four catchers in Helena are all older, even if only by a few months. He would have likely had to scratch for time there. RHP Tommy Hawk may have some injury concerns, thus he's not currently listed on the Helena roster. RHP Alvaro Martinez is 6'7", 18 years old, and probably still growing. Infielder Alcides Escobar is young, but not 15 years old as listed. His listed birthday is off by two years exactly. The Brewers' Pioneer League teams have normally done well because of a solid core of college players coming off the most recent draft. This appears to be a slightly different mix -- so hard to predict at this level, but a guess says fewer team wins than we've seen in the past but with some pleasant surprises among younger players, which should be exciting. The roster limit allows for as many as 35 active Helena players, this certainly appears manageable at 26 currently. Friday's Helena newspaper coverage will provide more info as far as a starting rotation, piggyback plan, etc., is concerned. Between myself, Toby, and the staff here, we'll work towards synching up the Brewerfan Player Index to jive with these assignments. No official word on an Arizona Rookie League roster yet. Play begins there next Tuesday, June 22nd. OK, here's your link: milb.sportsnetwork.com/me...x?team=M66

Final: Huntsville 8, Birmingham (White Sox) 6 Huntsville Box Score: GAME DATE: 6/17/04 HVL at BIR HUNTSVILLE 8 AT BIRMINGHAM 6 YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG BIRMINGHAM AB R H BI AVG R.Weeks 2B 4 1 0 0 .244 M.Spidale CF 3 0 1 0 .300 A.Gwynn CF 5 2 2 0 .245 R.Yan 2B 5 0 0 1 .257 P.Fielder 1B 5 1 1 0 .272 M.Morse SS 5 0 1 1 .286 B.Nelson RF 2 2 1 3 .288 B.Becker 1B 5 1 3 1 .600 R.Knox LF 4 0 0 0 .274 N.Murphy LF 5 1 1 0 .290 J.Raburn 3B 5 1 4 1 .262 R.Sasser 3B 5 1 1 2 .225 K.Johnson DH 3 1 1 1 .235 S.Bikowski RF 3 1 1 0 .271 O.Chavez SS 5 0 1 1 .207 C.Maldonado DH 3 1 2 0 .255 J.Alvarado CAT 3 0 1 1 .146 C.Maldonado CAT 0 0 0 0 .255 R.Costello PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Stewart CAT 3 1 1 0 .238 B.Adams PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Martel PH 1 0 0 0 .307 J.Novinsky PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Ulacia PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Bullard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.LaMura PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Fields PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 36 8 11 7 TOTALS 38 6 11 5 HUNTSVILLE 2 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 0- 8 11 0 BIRMINGHAM 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 1- 6 11 3 E--R.Yan 2, R.Sasser. DP--HUNTSVILLE 0, BIRMINGHAM 1. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 9, BIRMINGHAM 9. 2B--P.Fielder (14), O.Chavez (6), B.Becker 2 (2), N.Murphy (7), C.Maldonado (10), C.Stewart (8). 3B--S.Bikowski (1). HR--B.Nelson (12), B.Becker (1), R.Sasser (4). SB--A.Gwynn (16). CS--B.Nelson. SF--B.Nelson, K.Johnson. SH--K.Johnson. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE R.Costello 4.0 8 5 5 2 3 1 5.28 B.Adams (W,2-1) 3.1 1 0 0 1 1 0 4.24 J.Novinsky (S,4) 1.2 2 1 1 1 1 1 3.66 BIRMINGHAM D.Ulacia (L,4-4) 2.1 6 5 5 2 2 1 4.23 J.Bullard 2.2 4 3 1 1 2 0 4.17 B.LaMura 3.0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0.00 J.Fields 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1.60 WP--R.Costello, J.Fields. PB--C.Stewart. SO--R.Weeks 2, P.Fielder, B.Nelson, R.Knox 2, K.Johnson, O.Chavez, J.Alvarado, M.Spidale, M.Morse, S.Bikowski 2, N.Martel. BB--R.Weeks, B.Nelson 2, R.Knox, J.Alvarado, M.Spidale 2, S.Bikowski, C.Maldonado. T--3:26. A--7165Huntsville Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=15651

In progress: Indianapolis 5, Durham (Devil Rays) 3, after 5.5 innings in Durham Corey Hart already has two more extra-base hits, a HR and double in this one...

Indianapolis Pre-Game Notes: Paul Stewart gets a spot start Friday... www.indyindians.com/pdf/gamenotes.pdf

Beloit Daily News Game Story: Snappers sizzling By Ryan Frey Daily News correspondent In a game dominated by offense, the Beloit Snappers outplayed and outlasted the Clinton LumberKings by a 9-8 score in Midwest League action at Pohlman Field Wednesday night. With the reports of thunderstorms threatening to halt the game, the humid and hot weather engulfing Beloit and the surrounding area subsided, but the bats of the Snappers stayed hot. The victory extended their series lead to 3-0, with one game left. Beloit will finish out the first half of the season with three games at Quad Cities. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Snappers exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Lou Palmisano was hit by a pitch from LumberKings hurler Matt Lorenzo, opening the offensive floodgates. After three consecutive singles by Vinny Rottino, Adam Heether, and Carlos Corporan produced one run, diminutive William Lewis had his first chance to extend his hitting streak and the Snappers' rally. Lewis' soft single drove in designated hitter Rottino to tie the game at 2-2. Lewis' hit extended his hitting streak to nine straight games since being called up to replace injured Guilder Rodriguez at second base. Commenting on his hot streak, Lewis flashed his modesty by saying, ``I have been getting great pitches to hit, especially batting low in the order.'' Number nine batter Josh Murray also added to the offensive barrage that was led by the bottom half of the order with his first RBI hit of the night. Starting pitcher Brian Montalbo (4-3), who struggled in the first inning, giving up two hits and two walks, pitched strong the rest of the game until he was replaced by righty Mitch Stetter to start the seventh inning. Montalbo pitched six solid innings, giving up two earned runs, while striking out four. The only problem in his outing was the lack of control he often displayed. He walked the leadoff batter three times during the game. Fortunately, the only walk that came back to hurt Montalbo was the first walk of the game in the first inning. He scored when Clinton took its 2-0 advantage. The Snappers helped their cause by adding solo runs in the fourth, seventh, and eighth innings, following the advice Snappers head coach Don Money preaches to his players. ``I tell my players to never give up and to always add on,'' Money said. In the fourth inning, hot-swinging Lewis displayed this little guy can hit. He would personally follow Money's directions and crush a solo home run, his second of the year. ``Opposing pitchers see someone of my size step to the plate and give me great pitches to drive,'' he said. ``They seem to think I can't hit the ball for power.'' Lewis proved that his home run was not a fluke as he added a line-drive double in the sixth inning, while flashing his speed in the ninth inning by scoring from first on a double by Murray. That was Beloit's ninth and final run - a run that proved to be pivotal. Proving Money's point that you can never have too many runs, the LumberKings did not give up without a fight. They unveiled themselves as the storm on the Beloit horizon, unleashing three runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Although Clinton's comeback was one run from tying the game, the Snappers and their fans walked away with the satisfaction of victory, as reliever Ty Taubenheim picked up his sixth save.