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Daily Press High Desert Game Story: High Desert's Harper rattles Quakes Hinton, Cruz homer to lead Mavs past Rancho By TIM HARAN/Staff Writer RANCHO CUCAMONGA ? The High Desert Mavericks don't mind sending Jesse Harper to the mound. After picking up the 6-foot-4 right-hander off waivers earlier this month, the Mavs have won both times Harper has started, including Wednesday's 4-2 victory over Rancho Cucamonga. That's not to say that the Quakes didn't do their part to make it interesting late in the game. Trailing by a run in the eighth, Rancho Cucamonga tallied a pair of singles off Mavs reliever Dan Kolb to put runners on first and third with one out. But a deftly called pitchout allowed catcher John Vanden Berg to gun down speedy Erick Aybar trying to steal second. Travis Hinton then knocked down a hard shot at first to end the inning. The Mavs added an insurance run in the ninth on a two-out single by Mario Mendez to drive in Hinton. Against the Quakes, Harper (1-0) allowed two runs ? one earned ? on three hits in six innings of work. Though he came away with a no-decision in his Mavs debut against Lancaster on June 10, he did help the team snap its season-high 11-game losing streak. "Tonight I thought he had a little more pop in his fastball and his location, which we have reason to believe is always good," High Desert pitching coach John Curtis said. "He said last time out he was a little disappointed in how he spotted the ball, but tonight he was right there." High Desert (23-43) jumped in front early on a first-inning, two-run homer by Hinton. Recently named to the California League all-star team, Hinton blasted a Micah Posey (1-2) fastball deep over the left field wall. He drove in Dan Boyd, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch. Shortstop Enrique Cruz extended the Mavs their lead in the third inning with a solo, line drive home run to left. Now with three home runs on the year, Cruz has homered in each of his last two games. "Last year I didn't play that much in the big leagues, but now I'm playing every day and trying to get my rhythm back," said Cruz, who saw some playing time in 2003 with the Milwaukee Brewers. "I'm trying to put the ball in play more and just go out there and play hard." Harper had retired eight straight Quakes hitters to start the game before giving up a single that shot past a lunging Scott Candelaria. In the fourth, Quakes third baseman Greg Porter smashed a solo home run to put Rancho Cucamonga on the board. The Quakes further cut into the Mavs' lead in the fifth on a double by right-fielder Ransel Melgarejo to drive in Ryan Budde. But the Mavs' bullpen held the Quakes scoreless. Kolb allowed two hits in two innings, and Homero Rivera pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his third save. Harper struck out eight batters, which included striking out the side in the second. His total was one shy of this season's team high set by Bo Hall in April. It's the sixth straight solid performance for High Desert starters. "I'm hoping that this is the kind of pitching you'll see from us in the second half," Curtis said. "We really think our staff can hold up under this kind of run pressure."

Pioneer League action for Helena begins tomorrow night in Billings! Until then, today is a day for wall-to-wall baseball, from a Huntsville matinee to the parent club to Mr. Hendrickson to a west coast nightcap! Thursday's Daily Menu : All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Durham (Devil Rays), 6:00 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate audio link (Bulls' feed): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...ame=dbulls HUNTSVILLE: LHP Ryan Costello at Birmingham (White Sox), 12:30 PM; catch some action prior to the Brewers' game this afternoon -- old-time baseball in a sidetrip to one of America's oldest ballparks... Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP David Bradley at Rancho Cucamonga (Angels), 9:15 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: LHP Dana Eveland at home vs. Clinton (Rangers), 7:00 PM No audio for this series http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

From the fine work done each year by the Helena Independent Republic newspaper: Just like starting over By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor - 06/17/04 It was in an instructional league game in 2001 that Garrett Berger heard a sound that no pitcher wants to hear. It wasn't the crack of a well-hit ball that he heard, but it was a crack in his arm after he threw the ball. Berger was a highly-regarded prospect in the Florida Marlins organization and he was pitching against former St. Louis Cardinals phenom Rick Ankiel. He even remembers the exact day of the game ? Oct. 4. "I threw a pitch and felt the elbow snap," he said. "The catcher even heard it." Despite the twinge he felt in the elbow, Berger believed that he could still throw. He tried one more pitch before feeling what he describes as "the most excruciating pain I have ever felt." Berger had snapped the ligament in his right elbow and the bone at the joint was also broken. He required Tommy John surgery and it was a slow road to recovery. The procedure, invented in 1974 to repair the elbow of the ex-Dodgers pitcher, requires transplanting a ligament from the player's healthy arm to repair the damaged ulnar collateral ligament. It took him all of 2002 to rehab his arm and the pitcher who had thrown 98 mph in high school at Carmel, Ind., now only was able to throw 83 mph to 85 mph. "It was a very humbling experience," Berger said. He was able to show enough to pitch for the Gulf Coast League Marlins, where he pitched 19 innings and appeared in 14 games. Berger, however, suffered a setback and in January the Marlins cut loose the player they took with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 amateur draft. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound right-hander put together hard work and a little luck and made it back into professional baseball after a short hiatus. He began working out at Round Tripper Baseball Academy in Indiana where he caught the attention of Brewers scout Mike Farrell. Farrell saw Berger had good arm speed and he felt that he could still be a viable pitcher in professional baseball. Farrell signed him to a three-year deal. "Of course being released from a team is not the best feeling, but being picked up by an organization like this one is overwhelming," he said. Berger gets to restart his baseball career in Helena. He has increased his speed to 93 mph on the radar gun and he has been working with Helena pitching coach Mark Littell on smoothing out his mechanics. He, like all pitchers will be on strict pitch counts, something that he wasn't on in high school. He started nine games in his senior season at Carmel High School, and in seven of those he threw 120 pitches. In one start, he threw 155. He said that work load might have contributed to his injury in the professional ranks. However, now he is just glad to be in Helena throwing again in a game he loves. "It's a great opportunity for me and it is a great opportunity to get my career started," he said. That's interesting about the three-year deal aspect of this signing. Because Berger had previously been signed by an affiliated team but released, he would be able to choose free agency after the season if signed to just a one-year deal. Nice planning by the Brewers there -- MB Here's a link to a previously posted article by Rob Neyer of ESPN on Berger, a great read: sports.espn.go.com/mlb/co...id=1792897 Photo by Eliza Wiley Independent Republic Staff - Garrett Berger came to the Milwaukee Brewers' organization and Helena after being the first pick in the second round by the Florida Marlins in the 2001 draft. http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2004/06/17/sports_top/b01061704_01.jpg

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 34 30 .531 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 34 32 .515 1.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 32 32 .500 2.0[/b] LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 32 34 .485 3.0 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 37 29 .561 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 36 29 .554 .5 BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 33 32 .508 3.5 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 30 36 .455 7.0[/b] MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 28 38 .424 9.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 43 23 .652 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 38 28 .576 5.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 32 34 .485 11.0 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 30 36 .455 13.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 23 43 .348 20.0[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 39 26 .600 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 38 27 .585 1.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 38 27 .585 1.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 36 30 .545 3.5[/b] CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 33 31 .516 5.5 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 30 32 .484 7.5 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 29 36 .446 10.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 21 45 .318 18.5

We might be approaching one of those Cecil Cooper blow-off-some-steam moments... That was posted before we knew about this: Indianapolis Post-Game Notes: Indianapolis dropped its fourth consecutive game Wednesday afternoon as Durham raced past the Tribe, 7-4. The game was delayed by rain for 19 minutes in the third inning and 17 minutes in the eighth inning. After limiting Indianapolis to four hits Tuesday night, Bulls pitching allowed five hits in the first eight innings before the Tribe rallied for three runs in the final frame. Indianapolis falls to 32-32, Durham improves to 35-29. Tribe manager Cecil Cooper was ejected for the first time this season, objecting to a potential run scoring hit, which was ruled foul in the third inning. Clint Weibl (2-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season. Bulls starter Jason Standridge (2-0) picked up the victory and Bartolomeo Fortunato earned the save. QUOTE: Rightfielder Matt Diaz on the Bulls pitching: "All year long, our pitching and defense has stepped up," Diaz said. "When we get good pitching and defense, our offense takes care of itself. " Diaz on Tribe starter Clint Weibl: "Clint has some good movement on his pitches," said Diaz. "He?s got some good stuff and he pitched real well." NOTES: Indianapolis is at the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Tribe has played above .500 the entire season since its Opening Day win on April 8 at Norfolk. The Tribe has scored just six runs in the past three games. Entering today?s game, Indianapolis had posted a 3-7 mark in its last 10 games, hitting .240 and posting a 5.20 ERA.

I seen where Hall is supposed to start for the Mavericks tonight. I thought that we were going to see Harper again tonight. Any info out there? Yeah, the "Daily Menu" put blind faith in the Sports Network site's listing of Bo Hall. That's a mistake. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif As you've read by now, Jesse Harper did indeed justify his 40-man status again this evening, as the Epicenter in Rancho is another infamous California League bandbox.

From the Journal Sentinel: Dan Kolb pitched the ninth inning Wednesday for his 19th save. Kolb hasn't allowed an extra-base hit in 30 games and hasn't allowed a homerun in 50 games. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif

Final: Beloit 9, Clinton (Rangers) 8 Snappers hang on... Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: Who needs Rickie Weeks? This organization has Will Lewis http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif ... GAME DATE: 6/16/04 CLN at BLT CLINTON 8 AT BELOIT 9 YTD YTD CLINTON AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG A.Bourassa CF 4 1 2 0 .248 T.Trofholz RF 5 1 0 1 .303 D.Bubela RF 3 2 0 0 .276 S.Moss CF 5 0 0 0 .198 M.Furtado 2B 3 1 1 0 .353 D.Anderson LF 3 1 1 2 .267 J.Fransz DH 4 0 1 1 .293 L.Palmisano CAT 3 1 1 1 .306 J.Kreuzer 1B 3 0 1 2 .243 V.Rottino DH 4 1 2 0 .298 A.Wishy LF 4 2 2 2 .254 A.Heether 3B 4 1 1 1 .270 K.Richardson CAT 4 1 1 2 .218 C.Corporan 1B 4 1 1 0 .270 E.Frostad 3B 4 1 2 1 .189 W.Lewis 2B 4 2 3 2 .455 A.Sandoval SS 3 0 1 0 .167 J.Murray SS 4 1 2 2 .200 M.Lorenzo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Montalbo PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Frydendall PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Stetter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Herrera PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.McKenna PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Taubenheim PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 8 11 8 TOTALS 36 9 11 9 CLINTON 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3- 8 11 2 BELOIT 0 6 0 1 0 0 1 1 X- 9 11 0 E--J.Kreuzer, E.Frostad. DP--CLINTON 0, BELOIT 3. LOB--CLINTON 8, BELOIT 5. 2B--D.Anderson (10), W.Lewis (4), J.Murray (2). HR--A.Wishy (8 ), K.Richardson (4), E.Frostad (3), W.Lewis (2). SB--A.Sandoval (2). HBP--L.Palmisano. SF--J.Fransz, J.Kreuzer 2. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CLINTON M.Lorenzo (L,3-6) 5.2 9 7 7 0 5 1 4.23 C.Frydendall 1.1 1 1 1 1 0 0 4.71 C.Herrera 1.0 1 1 0 0 3 0 5.40 BELOIT B.Montalbo (W,4-3) 6.0 7 2 2 5 4 0 5.10 M.Stetter 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.14 D.McKenna 0.2 2 3 3 2 0 2 8.77 T.Taubenheim (S,6) 1.1 2 3 3 1 2 1 4.24 HB--M.Lorenzo. WP--C.Frydendall. SO--A.Bourassa, D.Bubela, M.Furtado 2, A.Wishy, K.Richardson, A.Sandoval, T.Trofholz 2, S.Moss, L.Palmisano 2, C.Corporan 3. BB--A.Bourassa, D.Bubela 2, M.Furtado 2, A.Wishy, K.Richardson, A.Sandoval, D.Anderson. T--2:47. A--632Beloit Box Score: It's not a work of art, but it's a win... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12494 Beloit Game Log: Ty Taubenheim always makes it an adventure -- in this case, credit him for a big strikeout in the 8th prior to his troubles in the 9th... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12494

In progress: Beloit 7, Clinton (Rangers) 2, after four innings Now that's a crooked number -- Snappers score six in the 2nd...

Congratulations to 1B Travis Hinton and 2B Callix Crabbe, California League All-Star's! www.californialeague.com/asgrosters.pdf

Final: Durham (Devil Rays) 7, Indianapolis 3 We might be approaching one of those Cecil Cooper blow-off-some-steam moments... Indianapolis Box Score: Tribe falls to .500; Trent Durrington picking up where he left off in Milwaukee, both at the plate and in the field... GAME DATE: 6/16/04 IND at DUR INDIANAPOLIS 4 AT DURHAM 7 YTD YTD INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG DURHAM AB R H BI AVG P.Bergeron CF 4 0 1 1 .200 J.Gathright CF 3 0 1 0 .311 M.Erickson 2B 4 0 1 0 .241 B.Upton SS 3 2 1 0 .303 C.Magruder LF 2 0 0 0 .258 J.Cantu 2B 4 1 2 1 .298 C.Hart RF 4 0 0 0 .275 M.Cummings DH 3 2 1 1 .317 M.Johnson DH 4 0 0 0 .265 M.Diaz RF 4 1 2 2 .317 C.Coste CAT 3 1 1 0 .295 J.Sandberg 1B 3 0 1 3 .221 T.Durrington 3B 3 1 0 0 .077 P.LaForest CAT 4 0 1 0 .201 B.Gemoll 1B 4 2 2 1 .254 L.Ordaz 3B 4 0 0 0 .237 S.Scarbrough SS 4 0 2 1 .223 C.Gipson LF 3 1 0 0 .309 C.Weibl PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Standridge PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Erdos PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Corcoran PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Carnes PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Minix PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Fortunato PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 4 7 3 TOTALS 31 7 9 7 INDIANAPOLIS 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3- 4 7 1 DURHAM 0 1 0 3 0 0 3 0 X- 7 9 0 E--T.Durrington. DP--INDIANAPOLIS 0, DURHAM 1. LOB--INDIANAPOLIS 7, DURHAM 5. 2B--B.Gemoll (4), J.Gathright (5), J.Sandberg (9). 3B-- M.Cummings (3). CS--J.Gathright. HBP--C.Gipson. SF--J.Sandberg. SH--J.Gathright. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA INDIANAPOLIS C.Weibl (L,2-1) 6.0 6 4 3 2 3 0 2.39 T.Erdos 1.0 3 3 3 0 0 0 7.71 M.Childers 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.74 DURHAM J.Standridge (W,2-0) 5.0 3 1 1 2 3 0 3.72 T.Corcoran 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4.15 M.Carnes 2.0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2.08 T.Minix 0.1 2 3 3 2 0 0 8.31 B.Fortunato (S,5) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.60 HB--T.Erdos. BALKS--J.Standridge. SO--M.Erickson, M.Johnson, C.Coste, T.Durrington, B.Upton, M.Cummings, P.LaForest, C.Gipson. BB--P.Bergeron, M.Erickson, C.Magruder 2, C.Coste, T.Durrington, B.Upton, M.Cummings. T--2:33. A--7244Indianapolis Game Log: Please come back, David Krynzel! www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14178

Indianapolis Pre-Game Notes: www.indyindians.com/pdf/gamenotes.pdf

Sorry, folks -- a bit late; the matinee is already underway; check out the Durham link unless you can get Indy's to work! Wednesday's Daily Menu : All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Clint Weibl at Durham (Devil Rays), 12:00 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate audio link (Bulls' feed): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...ame=dbulls HUNTSVILLE: IDLE HIGH DESERT: RHP Bo Hall at Rancho Cucamonga (Angels), 9:15 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: RHP Brian Montalbo at home vs. Clinton (Rangers), 7:00 PM No audio for this series http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

Note from the Beloit Daily News: Left-handed pitcher Greg Kloosterman may come off the disabled list as early today to fill the open roster spot left by demoted pitcher Tommy Hawk, Money said. You would think that Hawk will be sent to Helena and not Arizona, but nothing official in as of yet.

Fun story about the fan giveaway during last night's Beloit game: www.snappersbaseball.com/...4361356848 Beloit Daily News Game Story: Heether stays hot Snapper smacks two more homers in victory By Charlie Corr Daily News staff writer There were not a whole lot of opportunities for either team to capitalize on. But the few available chances the Beloit Snappers had at the plate, they took advantage in a big way. Snappers third baseman Adam Heether led the charge with two home runs and three runs batted in as Beloit defeated the Clinton LumberKings, 6-2, in Midwest League action at Pohlman Field Tuesday night. Heether leads the club with 11 long balls. ``I'm just trying to put the bat on the ball, and it can do whatever it wants,'' said Heether, who has hit three homers in two days. ``I'm making solid contact and just staying loose.'' The other player who looked pretty loose was Snappers right-hander Luis Pena. He was in solid form, mowing down 12 batters in seven innings and freezing several Clinton batters on the corners _ five LumberKings went down looking on strikes. ``Today I was working the outside corner, throwing my changeup outside to the right-handers,'' Pena said. ``And tonight I used my two-seamer.'' ``Pena threw the ball outstanding today. You've got to give him some credit,'' Clinton manager Carlos Subero said. ``He had a lot of movement on his fastball and was able to throw it for strikes. He threw a great game.'' LumberKings left-hander Brian Mattoon (5-2) allowed only six hits through five innings. And southpaw Tim Cunningham went three hitless frames for Clinton (33-30). ``We had some clutch hitting. Five of the six runs were on home runs,'' Snappers manager Don Money said. ``And with the way the pitching was going, it proved to be enough. ``(Pena) was in command the whole night, from the first inning on,'' Money said. Pena (5-2) had one tough inning in the fourth. The Snappers had a 2-0 lead, but Pena led the top of the fourth by surrendering a double to Larry Grayson. After striking out Micah Furtado, Jason Fransz tomahawked the first pitch he saw to center field for a two-run shot to tie the game at 2-2. Heether got those runs right back in the bottom half with his own two-run belt to left-center. He had crushed a solo shot to center in the second. Terry Trofholz added a two-run homer in the fifth to give Beloit (35-30) a four-run cushion. Pena got better as the game progressed. In one stretch he struck out six of seven consecutive batters. He allowed just four hits and a walk before Simon Beresford relieved him in the eighth. Clinton's only other strong scoring opportunity came in the seventh. With two outs the LumberKings had runners on second and third thanks to a walk and a double. Pena got Emerson Frostad to ground out on a comebacker to end the inning. The LumberKings split with the Snappers in a four-game series earlier in the season. Now Beloit is looking to sweep them in today's finale (7 p.m. start). Clinton is still trying to offset the promotion of shortstop Ian Kinsler, who was promoted to the Texas Rangers' AA club, the Frisco RoughRiders. Kinsler deserved the promotion after posting a stellar .402 average with 30 doubles, 11 home runs, 52 RBIs and a .692 slugging percentage. ``I think it'll take a couple games for our guys to get back in a groove,'' Subero said. ``The guys will step up and do their job. I'm confident they'll pick it up. We'll be all right.'' NOTES: Pena won a fan a Verlo Mattress bed in the fifth inning because he struck out the side. ...William Lewis was 2-for-3 with two runs.

The San Bernadino Sun runs a weekly California League notes column. It's been a while since a Maverick was featured: Mavs' Vanden Berg has roots in baseball By MICHELLE GARDNER, Staff Writer Considering High Desert catcher John Vanden Berg grew up around Major League Baseball players, it is not surprising he is pursuing a baseball career. Vanden Berg's father, Gary, is Director of Grounds for the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park which opened in April of 2001. He has held that position since 1981 so his tenure dates back to the Brewers longtime home County Stadium. John, now 24, remembers the days he and twin brother, Joel, would go to work with their father. "Gosh, I did that as soon as my mom thought I was old enough,' John said. "Back then, I didn't think it was a big deal because it was something I always did. I look back now and I realize I didn't know just how good I had it.' Not surprisingly, John grew up a Brewers fan. Like many Milwaukee fans, his favorite player was Robin Yount. One of his fondest memories was being at the stadium when the Hall of Famer got his 3,000th hit. He also remembers shagging fly balls in the outfield during batting practice and playing catch on the warning track with other favorites such as Cecil Cooper. So it was a dream come true when he was selected by the Brewers in the 25th round of the 2002 draft. He had attended Northern Illinois University, but transferred to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, graduating with a degree in finance. He had tryouts with the Phillies, Pirates and Twins but was thrilled that it was the Brewers choosing him in the draft. "It was pretty much a dream come true,' he said. "Not everybody gets the opportunity to play for their hometown team. The only thing that could be better is if I make it to the major leagues.' The only bad thing about having a father who works for the Brewers is that he rarely gets a chance to attend one of his son's California League games. John played rookie ball in Ogden, Utah, of the Pioneer League in 2002 and hit .295. The best case scenario occured last year because John was sent to Low-A Beloit of the Midwest League, which is only about a one-hour drive from Milwaukee. Gary was hardly a regular, but he was able to spend the occasional off day seeing his son play. Being in the same time zone also made it easier to keep in touch. The Mavericks might be struggling as a team this season, but John has definitely been one of the bright spots for manager Mel Queen. John splits time behind the plate with Froilan Villanueva and is hitting .319 in 36 games with 18 RBI and 18 runs scored. Meanwhile his twin brother works on the grounds crew with his father. "I'm pretty happy with how things are going. You can alway do better but I think I'm improving and that's the biggest thing,' John said. ALL-STAR ANNOUNCEMENT: Rosters for the Carolina-California League All-Star Game are expected to be released today. There will be 22 players on each team. The California League squad will be managed by Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino skipper Daren Brown. The game will be held June29 at Arrowhead Credit Union Park. Festivities will get underway June28 with a celebrity golf tournament featuring San Bernardino's own Olympic gold medalist Derek Parra at Arrowhead Country Club.

Daily Press High Desert Game Summary: RANCHO CUCAMONGA ? Being on the road just hasn't been kind to the High Desert Mavericks as of late. The Mavs previous road trip, one in which they went 1-8, led to a season-high 11-game losing streak. High Desert's current roadie isn't going any better. Rancho Cucamonga scored two runs in the fifth, sixth and two more in the eighth then held on for a 8-6 victory over the Mavericks before 2,490 at The Epicenter on Tuesday night. The Mavs (22-43) tried to rally in their final at bat down 8-4. They loaded the bases as both Froilan Villanueva and Mario Mendez singled and Pete Rasmusen walked. That brought up Callix Crabbe, who has been clutch when it comes to this situation. Crabbe was 3-for-3 with the bases loaded coming into the game. He stayed perfect as he singled in two runs to close the gap at 8-6. But with runners at first and second, Quakes reliever Von Stertzbach got Dan Boyd to fly out and pick up his ninth save of the year. Rancho Cucamonga snapped its four-game losing streak and the Mavs fell to 1-3 on their current six-game road trip. High Desert was down 6-3 in what turned out to be a pivotal eighth inning. The Mavs scored a run in the top half of the inning on Travis Hinton's RBI double off the Quakes' Cliff Smith. That scored Crabbe and it left runners at second and third for Scott Candelaria. Stertzbach replaced Smith and struck out Candelaria to end the threat. In the bottom of the eighth, the Mavs unraveled committing two errors which led to two unearned runs and an 8-4 Rancho Cucamonga lead. Khalid Ballouli suffered the loss for High Desert. He gave up four runs, all earned, on six hits in five innings of work. Ballouli is 3-8 and has dropped his last five decisions. Rancho Cucamonga's Daniel Davidson picked up the win and improves to 5-3. The Quakes took the lead on the Mavs in the first inning. Michael Napoli hit his California League-leading 18th home run to give Rancho Cucamonga a 2-0 lead. High Desert made a comeback in the top of the third. Jeremy Frost led off with a single and Mendez tied the game with a two-run homer off Davidson. Enrique Cruz made it back-to-back home runs and the Mavs were in the lead, 3-2. The Mavs' lead lasted until the fifth inning when David Gates drove in the go-ahead runs off of Ballouli with a two-run double. High Desert's Eric Henderson relieved Ballouli in the sixth. The Quakes scored two runs off Henderson, one was on a Reggie Willits sacrifice fly and the other, a Greg Porter RBI-single.

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: LONGBALL BLUESThe Smokies poked Chris Saenz for flairs, bloopers, dunkers, and Texas Leaguers all day, pitching well enough to hold some small leads......... As usual, the Stars had several chances again to walk all over Tennessee, and yet, couldn't come up with the clutch hit when it was needed........ Still, the Stars have never come closer to breaking this seven-game losing streak than it had today, but the tendency to give up home runs, outhomered now 23-8 during this frustrating month, ruined a day that was so tantallizingly close to victory....... The Stars will now have a taste of defeat to take with them to Birmingham that hadn't been experienced by any team since the first year of affiliation with Milwaukee........ ...... The current losing streak is the longest since July 10-17, 1999. Eleven runners were left on base by the Stars......... With two out in the 1st inning, Prince Fielder doubled over the 1st base bag, scoring on Brad Nelson's single to right center, but the Stars had a chance for a bigger inning. They loaded the bases on a Ryan Knox single and a walk to Johnny Raburn, but Kade Johnson ended the 1st with a fly out to left......... In the 4th, Kade was left in scoring position after a two-out double to left......... The Stars left runners on 2nd and 3rd in their two-run 5th, but Raburn flied out to end their half........ Fielder hit into a force play to end the 6th, stranding two........ In the 7th, with Raburn on 2nd and Knox on 3rd, Kade and Ozzie Chavez both hit into ground outs to the left side......... 63 runners have now been left on base during this losing streak. Chris Saenz gave the Stars strong enough support for them to hang onto a 5-3 lead going into the 8th inning, even trying to win it by himself........ In the 6th inning, he doubled to drive in Kade Johnson, putting the Stars back into the lead, 4-3, but 105 pitches was the end of the road for him on this overcast afternoon....... The game was handed to Jason Shelley who had given up just one home run in 16 innings, facing a longball-loving team that was 3rd in the league........ Shelley started out by hitting Dee Haynes in the back on a 3-0 pitch. Ozzie Chavez then blew a double play on a fine throw from Prince Fielder, throwing the ball into the Tennessee dugout........ Shelley walked Gabe Johnson........ Then with Chris Duncan on 2nd and Johnson on 1st, Javier Colina, who hit a bloop single to drive in a run in the 4th, launched a high 2-2 hanging breaking ball over the left field wall to give the Smokies a 6-5 lead........ Corey Erickson added some salt with a drive deep to left to make it 7-5...... It was the final straw of a see-saw game, which saw the Stars lose early leads of 1-0 and 3-2. The win kept Tennessee in a first place tie in the Eastern Division in what will be one of the most exciting finishes in a while in the Southern League....... Mobile, losing to Chattanooga, has a half-game lead in the West. The Stars, as it turns out, aren't alone in the dumps....... Indianapolis, once atop their division in the International League, has lost 10 of 14 in June and High Desert, without a Top 30 prospect, is 22-43 this season, and recently ended an 11-game losing streak. Beloit, although it has a winning record, has been streaky. Chris Barnwell missed his first game this year at 3rd base, suspended by the organization for two games, for unspecified reasons........ Johnny Raburn made his first appearance at 3rd base this season, his 8th position (including DH) so far. Left field and catcher is all that's left......... Saenz now has nine hits on the season, giving him a .391 average. That's the best batting mark by a Stars pitcher with at least 10 at-bats in a season. The record for most hits is 12 by Travis Smith in 2000, and he seems destined to break that if he isn't called up before then. Thursday, the Stars come to Rickwood Field for the second straight year to play in the Rickwood Classic....... Both teams will wear throwback uniforms of the Industrial League teams of the mid-20th century. I believe Birmingham will wear the uniform of Sloss Industries, an old steel mill, now said to be haunted........ The Stars will represent U.S. Steel. Kind of ironic when you think about it........ These were Birmingham's two oldest and richest companies at one time. The jerseys will be auctioned off during the game with the proceeds to go to the upkeep of historic Rickwood Field. Fans are encouraged to dress the part, as these old Industrial League games were treated as major social events during their heyday. The teams themselves would go after the finest of ballplayers available, even reaching into the Negro Leagues for stringers........ Some Industrial League players graduated to the major leagues. Ryan Costello will start for "U.S. Steel". I haven't heard who will start for Birmingham.

Indianapolis Post-Game Notes: Durham?s Jim Magrane (4-1) handcuffed Indianapolis for six scorless innings Tuesday night as the Bulls blasted the Tribe, 8-2. Durham finished the contest with 15 hits, keyed by four hits from shortstop B.J. Upton. While Magrane kept the Tribe in check, the Bulls jumped ahead of Indianapolis starter Adrian Hernandez (0-4) for two runs in the first and a single tally in the sixth. The Tribe, which could muster a single hit off Magrane through six, rallied for two runs in the eighth off Magrane and reliever Bobby Seay. Indianapolis fell to 32-31, while Durham improved to 34-29 and continues to lead the IL South Division. QUOTES: Bulls winning pitcher Jim Magrane comments on near perfect start: ?Truthfully, I was aware that I was pitching a perfect game in the fifth, but I didn?t want to lose focus,? said Magrane. ?I just tried to focus on what got me to that point. I had really good pitch execution. I was mixing my fastball and changing speeds well all night. In the eighth, I was still trying to be aggressive with my fastball, but I missed a couple of pitches. I lost a little bit of focus down the stretch. I need to clock in at that point of time a little better.? NOTES: After two opening wins on the road at Charlotte, the Tribe has now dropped three games in a row. The Tribe has posted a 4-10 record in June, its slowest start of the first three months of the season (April, 13-6; May, 15-15). Steve Scarborough hit his second triple of the season. Tribe pitching staff now has a 4.43 ERA, the highest of the year.

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 34 29 .540 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 34 31 .523 1.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 32 31 .508 2.0[/b] LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 32 33 .492 3.0 WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 37 29 .561 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 36 29 .554 .5 BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 33 32 .508 3.5 [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 30 36 .455 7.0[/b] MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 28 38 .424 9.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 42 23 .646 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 37 28 .569 5.0 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 32 33 .492 10.0 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 30 35 .462 12.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 22 43 .338 20.0[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 39 25 .609 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 38 26 .594 1.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 37 27 .587 1.5 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 35 30 .538 4.5[/b] CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 33 30 .524 5.5 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 29 32 .475 8.5 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 28 36 .438 11.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 21 44 .323 18.5

Final: Rancho Cucamonga (Angels) 8, High Desert 6 High Desert Box Score: You know Khalid Ballouli's having an awful year when an outing like this can be considered a good one... GAME DATE: 6/15/04 HD at RC HIGH DESERT 6 AT RANCHO CUCAMONGA 8 YTD YTD HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG RANCHO CUCAMONGA AB R H BI AVG K.Bibbs CF 1 0 0 0 .300 E.Aybar SS 4 3 2 0 .336 P.Rasmusen PH 1 0 1 0 .213 R.Willits CF 3 0 0 2 .235 P.Rasmusen RF 2 0 0 0 .213 G.Porter 3B 5 1 2 1 .320 C.Crabbe 2B 5 1 1 2 .305 M.Napoli 1B 3 2 1 2 .330 D.Boyd LF 4 0 0 0 .293 D.Gates LF 2 0 1 2 .307 T.Hinton 1B 4 0 2 1 .317 J.Abruzzo DH 3 0 0 0 .295 S.Candelaria 3B 4 0 0 0 .256 R.Budde CAT 4 0 0 0 .235 F.Villanueva CAT 4 1 1 0 .238 A.Pavkovich 2B 4 0 1 0 .201 J.Frost DH 4 1 1 0 .255 R.Melgarejo RF 2 2 1 0 .261 M.Mendez RF 4 2 2 2 .219 D.Davidson PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Mendez CF 0 0 0 0 .219 C.Smith PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Cruz SS 3 1 1 1 .202 V.Stertzbach PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Ballouli PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Henderson PIT 0 0 0 0 .167 TOTALS 36 6 9 6 TOTALS 30 8 8 7 HIGH DESERT 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 2- 6 9 3 RANCHO CUCAMONGA 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 X- 8 8 0 E--T.Hinton, S.Candelaria, F.Villanueva. DP--HIGH DESERT 0, RANCHO CUCAMONGA 0. LOB--HIGH DESERT 6, RANCHO CUCAMONGA 7. 2B--T.Hinton (19), E.Aybar (9), D.Gates (22). HR--M.Mendez (3), E.Cruz (2), M.Napoli (18). SB-- C.Crabbe (20), E.Aybar (30). SF--R.Willits 2. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT K.Ballouli (L,3-8) 5.0 6 4 4 4 6 1 8.58 E.Henderson 3.0 2 4 2 3 3 0 7.13 RANCHO CUCAMONGA D.Davidson (W,5-3) 6.0 4 3 3 1 3 2 3.99 C.Smith 1.2 2 1 1 1 0 0 8.59 V.Stertzbach (S,8) 1.1 3 2 2 1 1 0 1.93 SO--P.Rasmusen, D.Boyd, T.Hinton, S.Candelaria, R.Willits, G.Porter, M.Napoli 2, D.Gates, J.Abruzzo 2, R.Budde, A.Pavkovich. BB--P.Rasmusen, D.Boyd, E.Cruz, E.Aybar, M.Napoli, D.Gates 2, J.Abruzzo, R.Melgarejo 2. T--2:35. A--2490High Desert Game Log: Why was Kennard Bibbs pinch-hit for in the third inning? Wouldn't be an Eric Henderson outing without another pickoff; three Maverick errors, with catcher Froilan Villanueva's in the eighth the most costly... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=19105

Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: www.snappersbaseball.com/...me_id=1323

Huntsville Site Game Summary: The Stars did everything but close the deal in this one. It was another loss, but encouraging signs abound as the first half nears its close. Huntsville?s fireballing right-hander Chris Saenz fought valiantly through seven solid innings, throwing 105 pitches and fanning six. At the plate, Saenz doubled, singled, drove in one and scored another, but it still was not enough. After losing early leads of 1-0 and 3-2, the Stars gamely rallied to take a 5-3 advantage into the bottom of the eighth, and once again, the long ball undid Huntsville. With two on and one down, Javier Colina launched a three-run homer to left, and Corey Erickson followed with a solo drive to nearly the same spot. The back-to-back homers propelled Tennessee to a 7-5 win over the Stars on Tuesday afternoon at Smokies Park. The win pushed the Smokies (36-30) one-half game up in the Southern League East pending later action Tuesday, and Huntsville (30-36) lost its season-high seventh straight. With two down in the first, Prince Fielder doubled over the first-base bag, and Brad Nelson singled him home for a 1-0 Stars lead. Down 2-1 in the fifth, Saenz singled and took third on Rickie Weeks? double down the rightfield line. Tony Gwynn Jr. delivered a run-scoring single to tie the game, and Nelson?s sacrifice fly put Huntsville in front, 3-2. The Smokies tied the game in the sixth, but the Stars scored the next two. Kade Johnson opened the sixth with an infield single and scored on Sanez?s double to dead center. Pitcher Jeff Housman pinch-hit for Saenz in the eighth, drew a leadoff walk and took second on Weeks? groundout. Gwynn produced another clutch hit, singling up the middle to plate Housman for a 5-3 Stars lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Jason Shelley relieved Saenz and plunked leadoff hitter Dee Haynes with a 3-0 pitch. After Chris Duncan hit into a force play, Gabe Johnson walked. On Shelley?s 2-2 delivery, Javier Colina launched a go-ahead three-run homer to left, his fifth homerun this season. Corey Erickson followed with a line-drive homer to left, his 10th of the year, to put Tennessee in front for good, 7-5. Reliever Nick Stocks (1-0) recorded the win, permitting one run on one hit and two walks in one inning. Shelley (1-2) suffered the loss, surrendering four runs on four hits and one walk while retiring one batter in the eighth. Carmen Cali notched his sixth save with a perfect ninth. Saenz authored seven determined innings, getting no decision while allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks with six strikeouts. After a travel day, Huntsville resumes play against the Barons in the Rickwood Classic on Thursday in Birmingham. Stars lefty Ryan Costello (3-1, 4.69) takes the mound in the opener of a four-game series. Game time is 12:30 p.m.

Those Mt. Arafat uniforms are very, very similar to Huntsville's, huh? Thanks for sending the photos, my New England neighbor!

Final: Beloit 6, Clinton (Rangers) 2 RHP Luis Pena strkies out 12! -- that must be the organizational high-water mark for the season... Beloit Box Score: OK folks, Adam Heether is officially a third base prospect -- two more bombs tonight as part of a perfect night at the plate... GAME DATE: 6/15/04 CLN at BLT CLINTON 2 AT BELOIT 6 YTD YTD CLINTON AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG A.Bourassa CF 4 0 0 0 .240 T.Trofholz RF 3 1 1 3 .310 L.Grayson RF 4 1 1 0 .219 S.Moss CF 4 0 0 0 .206 M.Furtado 2B 4 0 0 0 .354 L.Palmisano DH 4 0 1 0 .306 J.Fransz DH 4 1 1 2 .297 V.Rottino LF 3 1 0 0 .295 J.Kreuzer 1B 4 0 1 0 .242 A.Heether 3B 2 2 2 3 .270 A.Wishy LF 3 0 1 0 .249 M.Ramirez 1B 3 0 0 0 .272 K.Richardson CAT 4 0 1 0 .217 T.Marks CAT 4 0 0 0 .204 E.Frostad 3B 3 0 0 0 .182 W.Lewis 2B 3 2 2 0 .414 A.Sandoval SS 2 0 0 0 .161 G.Acosta SS 0 0 0 0 .168 B.Mattoon PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 L.Pena PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Cunningham PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 S.Beresford PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 32 2 5 2 TOTALS 26 6 6 6 CLINTON 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0- 2 5 0 BELOIT 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 X- 6 6 1 E--G.Acosta. DP--CLINTON 1, BELOIT 0. LOB--CLINTON 5, BELOIT 4. 2B--L.Grayson (14), J.Kreuzer (22), K.Richardson (11), W.Lewis (3). HR--J.Fransz (3), T.Trofholz (2), A.Heether 2 (11). SB--L.Grayson (4). CS--J.Fransz. HBP--A.Heether. SF--T.Trofholz. SH--G.Acosta 2. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA CLINTON B.Mattoon (L,5-2) 5.0 6 6 6 0 1 3 3.42 T.Cunningham 3.0 0 0 0 4 0 0 6.11 BELOIT L.Pena (W,5-2) 7.0 4 2 2 1 12 1 3.55 S.Beresford 2.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 4.26 HB--T.Cunningham. SO--A.Bourassa 2, L.Grayson 2, M.Furtado 2, J.Fransz, J.Kreuzer 2, A.Wishy, K.Richardson 2, E.Frostad, A.Sandoval, M.Ramirez. BB--A.Wishy, A.Sandoval, V.Rottino, A.Heether, M.Ramirez, G.Acosta. T--2:02. A--620Beloit Game Log: No need to rush back, Guilder Rodriguez -- Will Lewis has grabbed hold of the second base job... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12493