MassBrew

Thanks for the updates, guys -- I think http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Definitely need to go to two separate threads for the next split-squad. What a treat to be able to play the archive tonight and listen to the Fielder HR in the first -- the Mariner broadcast crew is still gasping for air!

Link while active, text follows: www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...251550.xml Many Stars already in Arizona before training camp Brewers have mini-camp for four dozen prospects By MARK McCARTER Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com These days, it's hardly becoming a date on the calendar worth circling. Friday, March 11 may be the official reporting date to spring training for the Huntsville Stars, but there are likely as many Huntsville players already in Arizona as there will be landing later this week. The Milwaukee Brewers have been holding a mini-camp for four dozen of the top minor league prospects, a concentrated program recently instituted that has essentially made the complex in Maryvale, a west Phoenix suburb, a year-round operation. Once everyone is in camp, the clubs will hold a week's worth of fundamental days before the first of 12 spring training games. The Stars' first spring game will be March 19 against Oakland's Double-A Midland team. The Midland franchise is owned by Miles Prentice, who also owns the Stars. Stars name trainer: David Yeager, previously in the Red Sox and Diamondbacks organizations, has been named the Huntsville trainer. He replaces Greg Barajas. Money's been busy: Don Money, the Stars' new manager, has had a busy spring already. He's been in the Brewers' major league camp, lending a hand to Milwaukee manager Ned Yost. Stars coach Sandy Guerrero has also been in big league camp. Pitching coach Rich Sauveur has been working in the minor league's mini-camp. Injury update: Pitchers Mike Jones (labrum) and Chris Saenz (elbow) are both likely out for the season. Both have been recovering from surgery. According to Milwaukee officials, "the best-case scenario'' is to have them ready by late this summer, though a return in the Arizona Fall League is more likely. Catcher Kade Johnson is recovering from wrist surgery. There are no further repercussions from his late-season suspension from the Stars. Pitcher Manny Parra is in mini-camp and having no arm problems. Season-opener: The Stars will break camp on April 4, work out at Joe Davis Stadium, then depart for Carolina and the April 8 season opener in Zebulon, N.C. The Stars home opener is April 14. Veterans Gone: A number of older minor league players, some familiar to Stars fans, have departed the organization as free agents. Pitcher Paul Stewart is with the Pirates organization. Pitcher Matt Childers was a free agent signee of the Braves and invited to Atlanta's big league camp. His brother Jason is with Boston. Outfielder Jamie Gann was released, pitcher Saul Rivera was a sixth-year free agent and not re-signed and utility infielder Johnny Raburn went to Tampa Bay in the free agent draft. Starbrites: Huntsville fans will have to grow accustomed to some new names within the organization. Not players - cities. Three other Brewer affiliations have changed, with Nashville of the Pacific Coast League - go figure that geography - replacing Indianapolis at the Triple-A level. Brevard County, Fla., in Viera, is the high-A affiliate, replacing High Desert (Calif.) and Charleston, W. Va., of the Sally League is the low-A affiliate, replacing Beloit, Wis. Helena remains the site of the rookie league team. ... Charleston, which has changed its name from the Alley Cats to the West Virginia Power, opens play in a new $23 million stadium, replacing its 55-year-old previous home. ... The Brewers have a new owner, Mark Attanasio, whose purchase was officially endorsed by fellow owners last week. ... Former Star Ben Sheets was to pitch one inning Thursday. He is coming off minor back surgery. ... The Brewers' farm system, ranked No. 1 by Baseball America last fall, is now rated No. 3.

Huntsville has released its AA pre-season schedule: www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=539 With Spring Training already under way for all Major League Baseball teams, the schedule is set for the Huntsville Stars spring preparation. Double-A games are scheduled to begin March 19 at the Stars' spring home in Phoenix, Arizona. Double-A teams will play 12 games this spring. Six at home and six on the road. All games begin at 1 p.m. Arizona time. The schedule is as follows: Sat. March 19 - Stars vs. Oakland AA team, Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Sun. March 20 - Stars vs. Texas AA team, Surprise Sports Complex, Surprise Mon. March 21 - Stars vs. LA/Anaheim AA team, Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Tues. March 22 - Stars vs. Cubs AA team, Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Wed. March 23 - Stars vs. San Francisco AA team, Indian School Park, Scottsdale Thurs. March 24 - Intrasquad Game (no umpires), Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Fri. March 25 - Camp Day Sat. March 26 - Stars vs. Oakland AA team, Papago Park, Phoenix Sun. March 27 - Stars vs. Cubs AA team, Fitch Park, Mesa Mon. March 28 - Stars vs. Seattle AA team, Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Tues. March 29 - Stars vs. LA/Anaheim AA team, Gene Autry Park, Mesa Wed. March 30 - Stars vs. San Francisco AA team, Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Thurs. March 31 - Stars vs. Oakland AA team, Papago Park, Phoenix Fri. April 1 - Camp Day Sat. April 2 - Stars vs. LA/Anaheim AA team, Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix Sun. April 3 - Intrasquad Games Mon. April 4 - Travel Day

Looks like we need to shorten up that title, colby http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

Another outing with Bob and Jim at the microphone -- link to mlb.com's audio: mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...d=20050306 Believe I was mistaken yesterday -- doesn't seem there was a Talkin' Brewers... Episode 3 of the "Go Brewers!" show aired last night and should be available on the Brewers' site later this week, though.

Daron and Bill are off until Monday -- it'll be Ueck and Jim on both your radio and computer. mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml.../index.jsp There's a Talkin' Brewers at noon central on WTMJ, I believe, that should archive on mlb.com later. And of course, the game archives as well at the above link.

This box score for the Brewer - A's game doesn't include Milwaukee batting lines. Until a new one is posted, this will have to do. Just listened to Prince Fielder's opposite field first-inning HR -- off lefty Dan Meyer -- sweet! I'll have to fast-forward to hear CF Charlie Fermaint's mound stint... EDIT: Beat me to it, batman -- thanks!

Check out the "Sights and Sounds" section at this link for a Mark Rogers audio interview: milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p?c_id=mil

I was all set to close out the Off-Season Transaction thread, and start the Spring Training Transaction thread, but since this is not news of an official signing, I'll hesitate to kick off the new thread with the news. From the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant: Former Rangers minor league pitcher of the year (high-A Florida State League, 2001) Ryan Dittfurth, released by the Rangers last year, was to work out for Milwaukee on Saturday. Jamey Newberg's Ranger site: Former Ranger blue-chip prospect Ryan Dittfurth, whose shoulder problems cut short his 2002 season and virtually wiped out his 2003 and 2004 seasons, is getting a look from Milwaukee. Dittfurth's career line: www.sports-wired.com/prof...bc5146.asp We'll try to learn if a contract was offered...

Just a bump reminder for those curious to see Space Coast Stadium on Wednesday -- just picture a lot of teal Manatees instead of red, white, and blue Nationals http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

Unfortunately, links at EZBoard.com don't have styles associated with them, so it's all or nothing regarding their links. Here's a vote for nothing. This might actually finally be a constructive reason to offer this up in a poll.

colbyjack, not to put you on the spot -- OK, it is a bit of a homework assignment -- but among your list below, are any of the schools providing coverage beyond the final score, i.e. box scores, YTD stats? Draft and follow candidates: The Brewers have an amazingly high 23 DFE candidates heading into next spring. You know the Brewers scouts will be busy keeping tabs on all of these players, and in recent years the Brewers have done a good job using this process to develop players like Manny Parra and Dana Eveland, the # 7 and # 8 prospects respectively on Toby's Power 50 top prospect list. As always, I will be covering these players in greater detail early next spring. The schools they are currently attending are listed in parenthesis: 17. Lorenzo Cain, OF (Tallahassee CC, FL) 18. Darren Ford, OF (Chipola JC, FL) 20. Jose Garcia, RHP (Indian Hills CC, FL) 22. Matthew Kretzchmar, RHP(Rio Hondo JC, CA) 24. Jose Delgado, RHP (Broward CC, FL) 26. Dustin Timm, RHP (Nebraska, medical redshirt, 5th year senior) 29. Ryan Patterson, RHP (Lethbridge CC, Alberta, Canada) 30. Brian Johnson, RHP (Manatee CC, FL) 31. Kanekoa Texeira, RHP (Saddleback CC, CA) 35. Chris Copot, C (Lethbridge CC, Alberta, Canada) 36. Stephen Barnes, RHP (Lake City CC, FL) 37. Shawn McCraw, C (San Jacinto JC, TX) 38. Donald Jordat, RHP (Broward CC, FL) 39. Jeremy Bloor, LHP (Grand Rapids CC, MI) 41. Jimmy Coker, LHP (Spartansburg Methodist College, SC) 42. Joshua Louis, RHP (Temple College, TX) 43. Brandon Jasper, 3B (Goldenwest CC, CA) 44. Jon Mungle, OF (Mississippi State, medical redshirt, 5th year senior) 45. Deik Scram, OF (Cowley College, KS) 46. Louis Metzner, RHP (Central Arizona JC) 47. Derek Miller, LHP (Vermont, medical redshirt, 5th year senior) 49. Shane Buriff, LHP (Polk CC, FL) 50. Chad Miller, 1B (Chandler-Gilbert CC, AZ) I must admit a particular interest in the guys from the Northeast (Ford, Johnson, Derek Miller), but Chipola and Manatee don't list stats or box scores, and UVM is yet to begin play. If you knew of schools and/or conference sites that did provide updates, I wouldn't mind providing weekly status reports or such. Thanks as always -- no rush...

There's a chance LHP Greg Kloosterman (2003 9th round) could see Brevard County this year, but we'll plug him in here for now: Link while active, text follows: www.etruth.com/news/story...index.html Lessons learned during tumultuous 2004 season Kloosterman has something to prove to Brewers organization Steve Krah Elkhart (IN) Truth Staff Greg Kloosterman has something to prove. The left-handed pitcher wants to prove to the Milwaukee Brewers organization that he has learned from a rocky 2004 season. The second professional campaign for the former Central High School and Bethel College standout was filled with bumps on and off the diamond. As a hurler with the Class-A Beloit Snappers, Kloosterman went 2-8 with a 7.57 earned run average and gave up 15 home runs. Off the field, he can point to an August night in Peoria, Ill., that started as a teammate's birthday celebration and ended with the pitcher being stabbed in the chest in the early morning hours and being suspended by the Brewers. "It's embarassing, but it's a lesson learned," says Kloosterman. "It's something I'm definitely not proud of. You never think that something like that is going to happen. "Milwaukee did a great job in handling the situation. They were just in handling their punishment with me. Thankfully, they gave me another chance to play." Kloosterman spent much of October and November in Arizona for instructional league and is scheduled to leave for spring training on March 11. This winter, he was been spending the bulk of his time either at his Bristol home or at the Elkhart Sports Center, working out and giving private lessons. At this time a year ago, he talked about spending the off-season in Florida. But that was before last summer. "It's been real quiet," says Kloosterman. "That's the way I want to keep it. There was too much noise last year. "After learning the hard way, it's nice to have a chance to go back after this the right way. Last year, I didn't make the right decisions to put myself in a position to be the best baseball player I can be for Milwaukee and myself." Kloosterman says he disappointed a lot of people -- friends and former coaches among them -- and for that he is sorry. As for 2005 on the mound, the southpaw is looking to cut way down on the long balls. "My whole focus this year is to keep the ball down," says Kloosterman. "Last year, I gave up too many home runs and too many walks. I need to relax and play. "I learned more about pitching last year than I ever have in my life. I'm not used to losing." The 22-year-old chalks up the past year to growing up. The growing pains will be rememberd, but, Kloosterman hopes, never re-visited. "I learned from it, but I don't want to do it again." Contact Steve Krah at (574) 296-5912 or skrah@etruth.com

Latest Power Press Release: www.wvpower.com/news/deta...?newsID=38 West Virginia Power Unveils Mascots Axe, Pyro, Hydro, Gusty, and Charley to form the ?POWER PACK?(Charleston, W.Va.) ? The West Virginia Power unveiled their new mascots on Thursday. The Super Hero-themed Power Pack will feature five mascots in total. Four of the mascots are loosely based on energy sources that factored into the team?s name selection and the fifth mascot features a throwback named ?Charley.? ?The Power are excited to announce our ?Power Pack? of five mascots that will entertain fans of all ages at the new East End Ballpark,? said General Manager Andy Milovich. ?We felt we had a unique opportunity to have a family of mascots which tie into both the team name and the history of baseball in Charleston. When you look at minor league teams around the country the mascot is always a top draw for the fans in attendance. As a result you consistently see the mascot followed throughout the stadium by a group of children. With a collection of five mascots, virtually unheard of in minor league baseball and throughout professional sports, we feel more children will have the opportunity to interact with our new characters throughout the games.? Four of the five mascots were developed to tie in the team name Power. The first character and ring leader of the group is ?Axe? who represents coal. Axe has a superhero body with a miner?s helmet on his head and pick axe in hand. Representing natural gas is ?Pyro? a character whose hair is replaced with flames. ?Gusty? features a jovial look on his face and propeller on his head that represents power generated through wind. The final power related character is ?Hydro? representing hydroelectric energy. The smallest character of our group, Hydro?s head is a large tear drop with a baseball cap on top. ?Each of the mascots has a unique personality and look? said Milovich. ?We feel that each fan will have someone to identify with and make the entertainment experience even more personal.? The fifth and final mascot represents the history of baseball in Charleston. ?Charley? is a throwback to the original Charleston team the Charleston Charlies. Charley has a baseball head, wears a derby, along with red suspenders similar to a baseball?s stitching. ?Our organization understands the importance of baseball and its rich history in Charleston. The Charley character will create an opportunity for the parents to share baseball memories of their childhood with their children? said General Manager Andy Milovich. http://www.wvpower.com/shared/content/news_objects/attachment/wv-power-mascot-designs.gif

As soon as the media guide is out in March with all the info, we'll plug in the proper stuff. We could ask the Brewers now, but we'd prefer to cash them in for more important and time-sensitive items...

RHP Tommy Hawk could begin the season in either West Virginia or Helena, but we'll post here. This article from last fall had been available on a subscription basis only, but is now freed up. A nice reminder of how nice it'll be when all the player profile features from across the country will start to be available to us again as spring nears: Link while active, text follows: www.lompocrecord.com/arti...orts08.txt Stats change, but the stuff is still the same for Lompoc's Hawk By John McReynolds - Lompoc Record Staff Writer September 26, 2004 "There are lies, there are damn lies and then there are statistics," said British statesman Benjamin Disraeli. Or was it Mark Twain or Yogi Berra? But without statistics sportswriters would be out of work. In 2003 Lompoc's Tommy Hawk, tagged as "Homer Simpson" by his teammates, led the Arizona Rookie League with his 2.36 earned run average. But in 2004 his ERA ballooned to 15.88 at Beloit, Wisconsin, rose to 5.40 in the same Arizona League he dominated 12 months before, then swelled to a fat 6.40 at Helena, Montana. A disaster? No way. Not in the opinion of Mark Haley. Haley, the ex-Lompocan and college player, was a batting coach this summer for Great Falls, a White Sox affiliate which battled the Milwaukee Brewers' Helena club for the Pioneer League title. "We had an older team," said Haley last week by phone from his home in Indiana. "We had a lot of college guys. We hit Helena's whole staff pretty good." Except for the 19-year-old Hawk. "He pitched an inning and a third and he shut us down. He had sink on his fastball and he showed depth on his slider. We had him at 91-92 miles per hour. That's a good power arm." Haley knows talent. For 13 years he has been an instructor in the Sox minor league system. Hawk's Mount Everest-Death Valley-and-all-points-in-between numbers mean little, he insists. "At the lower levels we care about how the ball comes out of your hand. The stats don't mean much. It's not relevant. I was impressed with his arm action and his arm strength." Travelogue If Hawk's summer could not be rated by the numbers, maybe it should be seen as a travelogue. Like Chevy Chase in "Summer Vacation." The 2003 Cabrillo graduate's second pro season began with three months in Arizona in extended spring training. So far so good. According to Scott Martens, the Brewers' Assistant Director of Player Development, it went very well. "In April and May he was one of our most consistent guys. That was why he was promoted up to Beloit," Martens said last week. Beloit, Wisconsin, of the Class-A Midwest League, represented a two-step jump up the Milwaukee minor league ladder, leapfrogging Helena. Hawk would be the youngest player on the squad. In early June Hawk got the call. "It was just 10 days before Helena broke. I didn't expect to get the call to Beloit. I was real excited." The Beloit team was on the road in Dayton, Ohio, when Hawk arrived. His excitement leaped into orbit when he saw Dayton's ballpark. "You go from no fans to 8-10,000, it's kind of hard to swallow." The Arizona Rookie League is staged in a camp-like setting where the presence of a dozen fans causes rumors of jailbreak. Even in high school Hawk's biggest crowd was 300. So in front of his biggest crowd ever, Hawk relieved in the sixth inning. He got through it unscathed but in the seventh he was socked for five runs, all earned, including two home runs and three walks. "I was amped to be there. The adrenaline took hold of me and I was trying to do too much. I tried to overthrow." His second appearance was a starting assignment against Cedar Rapids. He made it into the fourth but gave up five more earned runs on six hits and four walks. Worse, his forearm did not feel right. Taking no chances, the Brewers ordered Hawk back to Arizona for examination. The diagnosis was a strained ligament and possible tendinitis. The prescription was rest. After a three-week break and a couple so-so outings in the Arizona rookie loop he was shipped out again, this time to Montana. There, in his second appearance, the wheels came off again. In two-thirds of an inning he was slugged for eight earned runs on eight hits including two home runs. "I think a lot of it was release point. I was giving up 0-2 hits and missing my spots," Hawk says evenly, not allowing even a slight display of the gut-wrenching anguish he felt at the time. Country boy pitching coach Mark Littell, known mostly for tossing firecrackers around the locker room to keep the team loose, tried to help. "You're thinking too much out there," Littell told him. Brewer pitching coordinator Jim Rooney came to town and said something similar. "Trust your stuff," Rooney said. So through July and August Hawk tinkered with his delivery and his sequence of pitches. Finally, against Casper, Wyoming, Hawk entered in relief, struck out a hitter and followed with three good innings. "That was the first good outing in two months." Plenty of positives Martens' end-of-season evaluation was encouraging. "It was a roller coaster year, but there were some positives," said the personnel man. "He showed flashes of sink on his fastball. His secondary pitches got better as well. "He just needs to work on delivery and command, like all young pitchers do, being more consistent and he showed that as well." This season Hawk substituted a slider for the hard-on-the-arm split-finger pitch he used so successfully in 2003 and began to use a change of speed delivery he learned the previous summer. These two developing pitches, added velocity on his two fastballs (two-seam and four-seam), and good control continue to impress the Brewer brass. His fastball's cruising speed is now 91 mph, up from 88. His strikeout-to-walk ratio at Arizona and Helena was impressive- 25 strikeouts vs. eight bases on balls. Now weighing 225 he's 10 pounds heavier than in his rookie year. At 6-foot-3, he's an inch taller. The most positive sign of all may be Hawk's demeanor as his pitches were being launched downtown. "I was getting upset but I wasn't showing it at the field," the teenager said. "The thing to do is keep grinding and figure out what you need to change. The main key is to make adjustments. Every pitcher will go through what I went through. It's good to get hit. It makes you mentally tough and you learn." Those words, relayed by a reporter, reinforced Haley's positive take on the young righthander. "This was a transition year for him. For a 19-year-old pitching against college guys, and throwing 91-92 (the average major league fastball is 89-90), you're going to see some good numbers. He's a competitor." Martens said Hawk's performance in spring training will dictate where he is assigned next year, but a return to A-ball is likely. "He'll have a chance to make that club," the administrator said. In addition to the brass' high grades, one other element of Hawk's career remained consistent. In Arizona Hawk strolled into the clubhouse one day to find a full-sized cardboard Homer Simpson, complete with "Hawk" tattoo, standing on the treadmill. Muttered Hawk "I'll have that nickname until I retire."

No player news, just needed something to kick off the yearly "team" thread to complete the set. You'll be able to check out Space Coast Stadium, home of the Manatees, on Wednesday, March 2nd, Noon Central, when ESPN broadcasts the very first exhibition game of the Washington Nationals, as they take on the New York Mets.

We're currently discussing the "organized chat" format we'd use behind the scenes -- stay tuned....

Latest six-year free agent signing -- 27-year-old RHP Michael Meyers, a long-time Cub farmhand who spent 2004 in the Mets' farm system. For the time being, he's more likely to be a veteran arm in Huntsville rather than Nashville. His career numbers indicate nice hit and K ratios to innings pitched, but with some control issues, particularly at the AAA level: www.sports-wired.com/prof...bc7563.asp To recap, he's not the guy from the "Halloween" movies, nor the veteran (and former Brewer) LH reliever Mike Myers (different spelling). He is, however, a Canadian -- eh!

Here's Nashville's, from a prior thread: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1451 Saturday, March 19 Sacramento River Cats (A?s Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Sunday, March 20 Oklahoma RedHawks (Rangers) Surprise Sports Complex (Surprise) Monday, March 21 Salt Lake Stingers (Angels Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Tuesday, March 22 Iowa Cubs (Cubs) Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Wed., March 23 Fresno Grizzlies (Giants) Indian School Park (Scottsdale) Thursday, March 24 Intrasquad Game Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Friday, March 25 Camp Saturday, March 26 Sacramento River Cats Papago Park (Phoenix) Sunday, March 27 Iowa Cubs Fitch Park (Mesa) Monday, March 28 Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Tuesday, March 29 Salt Lake Stingers Gene Autry Park (Mesa) Wed., March 30 Fresno Grizzlies Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Thursday, March 31 Sacramento River Cats Papago Park (Phoenix) Friday, April 1 Camp Saturday, April 2 Salt Lake Stingers Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix) Sunday, April 3 Intrasquad Game Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix)

Link while active, text follows: www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...005021128/ Brewers' official says Power players will be very young Jack Bogaczyk Daily Mail Sports Editor The best baseball team featuring teenagers in the Kanawha Valley this spring won't be from a high school. It will be the West Virginia Power. Charleston's new minor league affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers will bring prospects to the Power who won't be quite as new as the East End ballpark, but close. "It all depends on how the spring goes, but the way it probably will go, on the team we send to Charleston, the top players will be very young," said Reid Nichols, Milwaukee's assistant general manager and director of player development. By phone from Milwaukee, Nichols, who leaves for spring training in suburban Phoenix, Ariz., this weekend, didn't hesitate to name names that are likely to be Power players. At the top is second baseman Hernan Iribarren. The 20-year-old Venezuelan was Most Valuable Player of the Arizona (rookie) League last summer, batting .439 in 46 games before a promotion to low Class A Beloit, where he hit .373 in 15 games. Nichols said Iribarren could make the high Class A Brevard County roster (Florida State League), but the organization doesn't want to rush him. He had 108 hits in 256 at-bats at the two levels combined last season. If Iribarren starts the 2005 season in Charleston, he will be one of the elder stars, Nichols said. Other likely Power faces are Venezuelan shortstop Alcides Escobar, 18, and 5-foot-7, strong-armed catcher Angel Salome, 18, the Brewers' fifth-round draft pick last June from the Bronx, N.Y. Escobar batted .281 in his first pro season with Helena in the short-season Pioneer League. Salome hit .235 in only 81 at-bats and 20 games in Arizona, but Nichols said the Dominican native's arm and release remind talent scouts of a "little fireplug" version of Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. Nichols said the West Virginia pitching staff could feature right-hander Mark Rogers, who signed for a $2.2 million bonus as Milwaukee's top pick (No. 5 overall) in the June 2004 draft. Rogers, 19, from Orr's Island, Maine, has a 95 mph fastball and had 35 strikeouts in 27 innings last summer in the rookie league (0-3, 4.81 ERA). Nichols said the outfield that Power Manager Ramon Aviles puts onto the field might have a combined age of 61. The Brewer farm chief named a pair of 21-year-olds in center fielder Hasan Rasheed and right fielder Adam Mannon and left fielder Charlie Fermaint, 19, as Power prospects. A 5-foot-8 lefty and former junior college star, Rasheed, a Nashville, Tenn., native, batted .299 and stole 13 bases in 49 games last summer in his first pro season, at Helena. Mannon, a 17th-round pick in 2002, hit .255 with eight homers and 52 RBI in 72 Helena games in ?04. Fermaint, a fourth-round draftee in 2003, batted .229 with 21 extra-base hits in 58 Pioneer League games. The Power's two-year affiliation with the Brewers begins on the field on Feb. 19 in Maryvale, Ariz., when the Brewers' youngest pitcher and catcher prospects report for what Nichols called "early spring training." Position players follow on Feb. 25. The Power's regular spring training, including exhibition games against other Arizona-training Class A clubs, opens March 12. Camp will break April 3 or 4, Nichols said, depending on travel schedules. The Power is scheduled to open the South Atlantic League season on April 7, at Hagerstown.

Looks like David Yeager is the new Huntsville trainer -- a couple of his philosophies are posted below: www.hughston.com/hha/a_13_1_2.htm www.hughston.com/hha/a.pnf.htm Looks like he was in Boston's chain last year, which is where 2004 Stars' trainer Greg Barajas ended up, with AAA Pawtucket.

This must be the official week for news about two-way players -- soon-to-be 27-year-old LHP Mark Hamilton, a midseason pickup in 2004 from the independent league ranks, was given his release. He actually performed better with the bat in both stops last year: www.baseballamerica.com/c...lton%2C+ma

The Brewers have signed a non-drafted college player, catcher Bernie Dennis, out of Catholic University. Likely to begin his career in Helena, he's another two-way player who posted impressive pitching numbers as well, although he'll catch with the Crew. You can find both hitting (1.061 OPS) and pitching numbers here: athletics.cua.edu/boxes/b...amcume.cfm

New ballpark will be more friendly to hitters Jack Bogaczyk Daily Mail Sports Editor Perhaps the West Virginia Power will live up to its nickname. Maybe Charleston's Class A baseball club will go deep at home more than twice a homestand. The new East End ballpark not only will be more hitter-friendly than spacious Watt Powell Park through distances from home plate to the wall. The outfield walls in the new park will be lower than those in the Watt as well. The power alleys will be closer, too. In the 2004 season, the Alley Cats hit just 89 home runs, tied for third from the bottom in the 16-team South Atlantic League. However, in 70 games, only 33 of those homers went out of Watt Powell, a pitchers' park that measured 340 feet down the left field line, 330 to right and 420 to the deepest corner in center. The previous season, the Cats had a puny 12 homers at home, where Watt walls were 12 feet high, even where there wasn't a second deck of fence signs. At the new Charleston park, the outfield distances will be more to a hitter's liking, especially a 363-foot power alley in left-center, and 320 down the line in right. Power General Manager Andy Milovich also said there will be no double-decking of outfield signage, and the wall height is eight feet. The move also should make for some high-scoring games when high school hitters with metal bats begin swinging in the first State Tournament at the new yard. * * * Construction continues 24 hours a day on the new ballpark, which is scheduled to open April 14 -- nine weeks from tonight -- when Hagerstown visits the Power. Milovich said BBL Carlton, the project managing construction firm, reports that about 90 construction workers man the day shift on site, which includes the 601 Morris Building renovation. The Power offices and the ballpark team clubhouses will be housed in that structure. One recent addition to the plans for the park is a three-piece canopy over the concourse area down the left field line, between the stands, over the concessions building and the several-tiered picnic area. Earlier, following the scaling down of the project to fit under budget, Charleston city officials and Power management didn't expect to have cover for spectators in the park. Milovich said the canopied area measures about 4,900 square feet. The Power GM said the long-awaited sod, from Tuckahoe Sod Farms in New Jersey, should be installed by Monday. Another "landmark" delivery of sorts is due March 7, when the scoreboard will be installed behind the wall in left-center. * * * The first Power season -- and Charleston's first as a Milwaukee Brewer farm club -- will bring a dramatic change in SAL scheduling. West Virginia will play only nine of the other 15 teams in the league. Rod Blackstone, the well-known "Toastman" of Watt Powell and assistant to Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, is also the SAL schedule-maker. Blackstone said the league moved to a schedule based on geography, rather than competitive balance. Milovich said the change is an attempt to cut down on team travel and overnight stays in a league that stretches from New Jersey to suburban Cleveland to southern Georgia. So, although SAL teams will again play in two eight-team divisions, the scheduling was done over a mock three-division format (six northern teams, four central, six southern; with the four central teams in North Carolina). The result is that the Power will play Houston-affiliated Lexington a rival-building 32 times in a 140-game schedule, West Virginia also has 20 games apiece with Hagerstown, Delmarva and Lakewood, and 16 with Lake County. That's 108 of a 140-game schedule. Hickory, Greensboro, Kannapolis and Asheville play the Power eight times apiece. West Virginia doesn't face Augusta, Capital City, Charleston (S.C.), Rome, Columbus or Savannah. Of the 70 games at the new ballpark, 30 will be against Lexington (18) and Lakewood (12). * * * Milovich said the new ballpark will be named soon, after a contract with a naming sponsor is signed. The Power GM would not reveal the corporate sponsor for the facility, but said the name will end with "Park" -- not stadium, field or ballpark. * * * Milovich said the ballpark seating capacity has been determined. There are 4,250 seats in the lower bowl, and 16 seats at the front of each of 14 suites under construction behind the first-base line. That 4,474 also includes two rows of "nostalgia" seats (30 in each row) that will be transplanted from the Watt into Section 116 in front of the scoreboard. "I think that's going to be a terrific place to watch a game," Milovich said of the outfield section. "With the space in the picnic area, I think we'll be able to do a crowd of 5,000, no problem," Milovich said. Minor League Baseball official attendance figures put the final Alley Cats' season attendance at 125,979 (regular season) for 68 dates, an average crowd of 1,853. * * * POWER POINTS: The Power already has sold 400 season tickets (at $350 reserved, $490 boxes), surpassing the 325 the Alley Cats sold in 2004. Milovich said the club has just launched its season-ticket push via radio and direct-mail advertising ... One new season package available is an 11-game Tuesday night deal, founded on the popularity of the "Two (beverage) for Tuesday" nights at Watt Powell ... The team also has 10-game day game and weekend packages for sale, as well as $1-night packages for bleacher seats ... The Power has commitments for six of the 14 suites, at $25,000 annually for a five-year buy or $20,000 per year for a 10-year commitment. Milovich said the Power is building a buyout clause after three seasons into those packages, because potential purchasers cannot see the finished product with the park under construction ... The Power already is approaching 13,000 in group ticket sales, after doing 20,100 last season. "Our goal is 60,000," Milovich said ... Outfield signage (8- by 16-foot billboards) in the new park also is popular. The club has only five of 39 left for sale. The price is $5,000 or $6,000, depending on the location in the park.