MassBrew

Thanks David! Incredible report and analysis as always. While your site was successful long before Brewerfan came to be, we're glad we can widen your appreciative audience.

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: WAVE BYE-BYEThe Stars are waiting for the dirt to be thrown over them........ Tennessee, tonight, threw its first shovelful. The Barons, who for all intents and purposes, eliminated the Stars from the first half race by taking three of four at Joe Davis Stadium, outscoring them 27-10 in the final home series of the first half, will bury them for this half later this week, starting Thursday at Rickwood Field........ For all intents and purposes, the Stars are done for the first half. I know quite a few angry fans at Joe Davis Stadium who blame Rickie Weeks, Tony Gwynn, and Prince Fielder for the lack of return on all the promises that this season was going to be bring. It was going to be greater than last year, they said, and the poor results in relation to the bonuses they were given, have upset a lot of fans........ Well, it's so easy to blame the Stars' losing record right now just on Weeks, Fielder, and Gwynn, but it's not as cut and dried as that........ There are other reasons and I sought to flesh them out. First of all, this is a young, inexperienced team. They average 23.8 years --- 3rd youngest in the league and they've been playing against the teams, like Birmingham and Chattanooga, that load up with six-year free agents every year and concentrate on developing in specific areas (in Birmingham's case for many years, pitching)........ But to me, it's almost a weak excuse. Carolina and West Tennessee, the two teams with the youngest average rosters, are not doing badly at all. Their fielding hasn't been as reliable as it had been in the past........ The Stars, with the fewest errors after a record best 30, 40, and 50 games, have made 22 so far this June, seven during the series with Birmingham....... They haven't had an errorless game since the first game of a doubleheader on June 1........ That's resulted in 18 unearned runs in 13 games, but to be honest, the errors made a difference in only one game and an indirect difference in three others (read effect on the momentum of the game)....... The Stars' rate of errors have gone up, certainly, but the real problems are elsewhere. In a month when everyone is around the far turn and trying to reach the finish line in front, the Stars are now 3-11 in June, the worst start for that month in their history, after being trounced by the Smokies, 10-5....... They've been outscored 79-34 this month, and have been battling Mobile on the bottom of the league batting ladder, hitting .240, four points more than they've hit this month....... In all fairness, though, the bats have come around recently....... The Stars hit .287 in the Birmingham series and .266 in their last six games, but the hits haven't been evenly dispersed, and there you can blame Weeks, Gwynn, and Fielder, and I'll show you the figures later. Stars' announcer Robert Portnoy and I discussed after Friday's game, why the Stars weren't going to win this first half....... There's a principal reason why the Stars had lost (at the time I talked to him) nine of 11 games........ It was his observation, opposed to mine, that the rotation had let them down. While I contended that the bullpen was wholly unreliable and was more to blame, he turned out to be right, and I spent the better half of Friday night after the ballgame coming up with the numbers to prove it....... The results are in tabular form on my link, but here it is in writing. After three innings in each game, the Stars had five leads to their opponents nine...... The Stars lost three of their leads, while their opponents lost only one........ Gotta believe his story so far, don't you? There's more........ There's a dramatic difference in ERAs by the rotation when you divide the season into four periods: April, the first half of May, the last half of May, and June. The rotation in the first half of May was 3.95, 3.19 the latter half when the Stars were 8-7........ The rotation so far in June has an ERA of 7.06! That's a difference of almost four runs from their best period, the latter part of May....... The bullpen went from a 3.10 ERA in the first half of May, their best period, to 4.81 in June, a difference of 1.71 runs/9 IP......... Now control isn't the issue, even though Dennis Sarfate walked three and hit a batter tonight. I'll get into that later...... It's been up and down, but there's no correlation between the walks and the overall record......... To be sure, this isn't the pitching we had last year, with a bullpen that contributed to the best ERA in Stars history, but it's been partially to blame, with the rotation taking the lumps. I've got to get back to this Weeks-Gwynn-Fielder thing that the fans love to pick on, and it's easy for them to do this....... There are no numbers for them to look at. It's all observation to them when ask me why they can't even hit the ball out of the infield........ I've got the numbers and they've already shown that they've recorded many more ground outs than fly outs, but what they haven't seen is the difference in their perfomance when the Stars win and when they lose......... This, again, is on the link, and to make it short, the glamorous three have hit .364 in the Stars' three wins in June, and just .202 in the ten losses, and that's after a good game tonight, still a considerable difference, and one, especially since they bat at the top of the order. That's extremely significant, and it's extended into May as well........ Weeks, Gwynn, and Fielder hit a combined .250 in the Stars' eight victories in the last part of May, while hitting just .178 in their seven losses........ Unusually, they hit a combined .250 in Stars wins and losses in the first half of May......... A lack of power needs to be mentioned as well. They were out-homered by Birmingham recently, 6-2 and 17-8 for the month of June. Link: http://www.starsboxscore.com/standing.html WIll things change in the second half?........ They'll certainly be more experienced hitters at this level in the second half. Stars' hitting coach Sandy Guerrero has been working with Weeks, changing his stance at the plate, getting him to back off the plate and take a more even stance and getting him to drop his hands down. Things are so dismal here, I don't want to spend a lot of time on how they lost another one........ A ceremony for Tennessee pitcher Brad Thompson, who disputedly broke a minor league record for consecutive shutout innings, was to have been held before this game because he's going up to Class AAA-Memphis (PCL), but it poured 15-20 minutes before gametime, delaying the start of the game by 47 minutes......... Dennis Sarfate, who threw 70 pitches in his last outing which lasted only three innings, granted on three days rest, threw 37 tonight, struggling with his fastball, his favorite pitch........ To make things worse, he had a substitute ump at the plate who called such a tight strike zone, it got pitching coach Fred Dabney riled enough to be thrown out later in the game........ John Woods is another ump in this league with a tight strike zone, but this one was in a whole other dimension........The sum total effect was seven walks given up by Stars pitchers, the most this season....... At one point, after hitting right fielder Dee Haynes in the 1st inning with a pitch, Sarfate threw six straight balls, then walked Chris Duncan with the bases loaded, driving in the first run........ Pitching to a fastball hitter hitting only .071 over his last nine games, Sarfate got Corey Erickson to pop it up on the infield to Chris Barnwell for the second out, but on a 1-1 pitch to Gabe Johnson, Sarfate wound up on the losing end of a 5-0 score. Johnson's grand-slam home run flying convincingly to deep right-center field. There is some good news in Starstown...... Barnwell is hot on a nine-game hitting streak, going 15-for-33 (.455) with six RBIs, and hitting .383 for June....... Rickie Weeks is 9-for-26 (.346) in his last seven games (I guess the new advice is paying off)....... Ryan Knox is 8-for-24 in his last seven games with seven runs scored. If he is upset at his demotion, he isn't letting it show. He's discarded his J.J. Hardy model bat, which is heavier than the one he normally uses, and announced his goal for the season is to hit .300. He's at .275 right now..... And Joel Alvarado, while he's still not hitting the ball, has thrown out 11 of 23 would-be base-stealers (an excellent 47.8% rate)....... Kade Johnson is improving in that category, throwing out 36.3%. The Stars fell just 408 fans short of finishing the 1st half of the season with a home attendance mark of 100,000........ For you homies wondering about the scoreboard situation, someone from Canada will arrive this coming week to get pitch speed thingy working. At least that's what I've been told...... The Rickwood Classic is next Thursday, the bus is filled, and I'll be there to give you my insights and thoughts on one of baseball's oldest parks. I haven't seen it since I saw my first Stars game in 1985.

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Gabe Johnson ripped a first-inning grand slam and a fifth-inning solo homer to pace the Smokies? attack, and six Tennessee pitchers combined to hold off Huntsville, 10-5, on Saturday night at Smokies Park. Huntsville (30-33) dropped its fourth straight and 10th in its last 12 games to fall five games out of first in the Southern League West with just seven to go in the first half. The Smokies (33-30) jumped with Carolina into a second-place tie, three games back of Chattanooga?s lead in the East. The game began ominously for Huntsville, as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out in the first. Chris Duncan drew another walk to force in a run, and Corey Erickson popped out to third. On a 1-1 pitch from Dennis Sarfate, Johnson launched a drive deep to right-center for a grand slam homerun, his 10th homer this season, for a 5-0 Smokies lead. Johnson added a solo blast on reliever Brian Adams? first pitch to lead off the fifth. After falling behind early, Huntsville pecked away at Tennessee?s lead. Each time the Smokies would answer with a score of their own, and Tennessee?s two-run eighth provided the final cushion. Nate Espy tripled off the rightfield wall and Skip Schumaker singled him home. Papo Bolivar lashed a double to right, plating Schumaker for a 10-5 lead. Rickie Weeks led Huntsville?s offense, doubling, singling, walking twice, scoring three runs and stealing a base. Chris Barnwell finished 2-for-4 with a double, single, one run scored and one driven in. Prince Fielder doubled and singled, drove in two runs and stole a bag. Josh Axelson (4-4) picked up the win in relief, tossing 1 2/3 perfect innings, fanning one. Sarfate suffered the loss after struggling through the first inning, his only frame. Sarfate (3-6) surrendered five runs on three walks, one hit batter and the Johnson grand slam, the lone hit Sarfate allowed. Huntsville sends lefty Matt Ford (1-1, 3.27) to the mound against Smokies lefty Chris Narveson (1-6, 4.33) in game two of the series Sunday afternoon at Smokies Park. Game time is 4:00 p.m. CT. The FPH Financial Services Pre-game Show starts at 3:45 p.m. CT. Stars baseball can be heard on ESPN 1450 or at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Indianapolis Star Post-Game Notes: Three Indianapolis Indians pitchers combined on a five-hitter Saturday night in a 1-0 International League victory over the Charlotte Knights. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (5-2) allowed three hits over the first six innings. Travis Phelps followed with two innings of one-hit relief and Matt Childers closed out the ninth for his first save. "I had mentioned to the (team) trainers early in the game that my shoulder was getting tight," Hendrickson, who has not allowed an earned run in his past 13 1/3 innings, said in a statement released by the team. "They didn't want to take any chances, so I came out after the sixth inning." Indianapolis scored in the first inning on a two-out double by Corey Hart and an RBI single by Jon Nunnally. Charlotte starter Felix Diaz (8-2) allowed just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings. The win, combined with the Columbus Clippers' 7-2 loss to the Richmond Braves, pulled Indianapolis (32-28) into a tie for first with the Clippers in the West Division. Etc. The Milwaukee Brewers' tryout camp scheduled at Victory Field on Monday has been postponed. No makeup date has been set. . . . The Brewers optioned INF Trent Durrington to Indianapolis.

Sunday's Daily Menu -- how convenient that you can slide from Ben Sheets to Matt Ford to Manny Parra in a nice little triple-header! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Jeff Farnsworth at Charlotte (White Sox), 1:15 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate audio link (Knights' feed): www.charlotteknights.com/.../index.htm HUNTSVILLE: LHP Matt Ford at Tennessee (Cardinals), 4:00 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: LHP Manny Parra at Inland Empire (Mariners), 7:11 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: TBD at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 2:00 PM Audio link (Kernels' feed): www.kernels.com/radio.html

Beloit Box Score: The Snappers continue to make use of the piggyback shared starting rotation duties, but it only seems to affect Dana Eveland, as starters Luis Pena, Brian Montalbo, and Carlos Villanueva have only one relief appearance bewteen them. Tonight, young Tommy Hawk started (and struggled) prior to Eveland's innings. Hawk filled a lot of statistical columns -- HBP, balk, WP (2)... GAME DATE: 6/12/04 BLT at CR BELOIT 3 AT CEDAR RAPIDS 6 YTD YTD BELOIT AB R H BI AVG CEDAR RAPIDS AB R H BI AVG T.Trofholz CF 5 0 1 0 .310 Q.Cosby CF 4 1 0 1 .246 D.Anderson LF 5 0 1 0 .260 M.Pali LF 4 0 2 0 .298 L.Palmisano DH 5 1 2 0 .305 B.Wilson CAT 3 1 1 1 .310 V.Rottino 2B 4 0 1 0 .298 M.Brown 3B 4 1 1 1 .255 A.Heether 3B 4 0 3 1 .265 B.Wood SS 4 1 2 3 .278 R.Deevers RF 3 0 0 0 .229 M.Abram 1B 4 0 1 0 .192 C.Corporan 1B 4 1 2 0 .256 C.Maher DH 4 0 0 0 .204 T.Marks CAT 3 1 1 0 .213 S.Rodriguez 2B 2 1 0 0 .262 G.Acosta SS 4 0 1 1 .168 N.Kimpton RF 2 1 2 0 .288 T.Hawk PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Simard PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Eveland PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Buckley PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Pullin PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 3 12 2 TOTALS 31 6 9 6 BELOIT 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2- 3 12 0 CEDAR RAPIDS 0 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 X- 6 9 1 E--S.Rodriguez. DP--BELOIT 2, CEDAR RAPIDS 2. LOB--BELOIT 9, CEDAR RAPIDS 7. 2B--L.Palmisano (11), A.Heether (16), T.Marks (2), B.Wood (14). HR--B.Wood (8). HBP--Q.Cosby. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BELOIT T.Hawk (L,0-2) 3.2 6 5 5 4 1 0 15.88 D.Eveland 4.1 3 1 1 1 7 1 3.25 CEDAR RAPIDS M.Simard (W,5-3) 7.0 8 1 1 2 3 0 3.04 A.Buckley 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 5.52 A.Pullin 1.0 2 2 2 0 2 0 4.91 HB--T.Hawk. WP--T.Hawk 2. BALKS--T.Hawk. SO--T.Trofholz, D.Anderson 2, L.Palmisano 2, R.Deevers, Q.Cosby 2, M.Brown 2, M.Abram, C.Maher, S.Rodriguez 2. BB--R.Deevers, T.Marks, B.Wilson, S.Rodriguez 2, N.Kimpton 2. T--2:28. A--4019Beloit Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12634

Final: Cedar Rapids (Angels) 6, Beloit 3 Snappers outhit the Kernels 12-9, but fall; two Beloit runs in the ninth made the final score closer but that's all; details soon...

Indianapolis Box Score: This is how this Indy team, as currently constructed, needs to win... GAME DATE: 6/12/04 IND at CHR INDIANAPOLIS 1 AT CHARLOTTE 0 YTD YTD INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG CHARLOTTE AB R H BI AVG P.Bergeron CF 4 0 1 0 .227 A.Torres LF 4 0 3 0 .299 C.Magruder LF 4 0 0 0 .266 J.Reed CF 4 0 0 0 .268 C.Hart RF 3 1 1 0 .285 B.Nelson 2B 4 0 0 0 .313 J.Nunnally DH 4 0 1 1 .247 B.Smith SS 3 0 0 0 .261 C.Coste 3B 3 0 0 0 .300 J.Borchard RF 3 0 0 0 .274 M.Johnson CAT 4 0 1 0 .283 M.Bell 1B 3 0 0 0 .210 L.Figueroa SS 3 0 0 0 .269 M.Valenzuela DH 3 0 1 0 .234 B.Gemoll 1B 3 0 0 0 .229 R.Hankins 3B 3 0 0 0 .224 M.Erickson 2B 3 0 1 0 .230 J.Aceves CAT 3 0 1 0 .289 B.Hendrckson PIT 0 0 0 0 .200 F.Diaz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Phelps PIT 0 0 0 0 .333 V.Darnsbourg PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 31 1 5 1 TOTALS 30 0 5 0 INDIANAPOLIS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 1 5 0 CHARLOTTE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 5 0 DP--INDIANAPOLIS 1, CHARLOTTE 1. LOB--INDIANAPOLIS 5, CHARLOTTE 3. 2B--C.Hart (13), M.Erickson (13), J.Aceves (5). SB--A.Torres (14). CS--C.Coste. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA INDIANAPOLIS B.Hendrckson (W,5-2) 6.0 3 0 0 0 3 0 2.35 T.Phelps 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 5.40 M.Childers (S,1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.86 CHARLOTTE F.Diaz (L,8-2) 7.0 4 1 1 1 7 0 3.13 V.Darnsbourg 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2.86 SO--C.Magruder 2, J.Nunnally 2, C.Coste 2, M.Johnson, B.Gemoll, B.Nelson, J.Borchard 2, M.Bell, M.Valenzuela, J.Aceves. BB--C.Hart, C.Coste. T--2:24. A--8347Indianapolis Game Log: Hart doubles, Nunnally singles -- all you need to know... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14165

Reds and Cardinals losing late in their games -- life is good, Brewer fans...

In progress: Cedar Rapids (Angels) 5, Beloit 0, after four innings Snappers are going to have to rally if they're to blow another lead in this series -- yeah, I know, that was unnecessary http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

In progress after a rain delay -- Tennessee (Cardinals) 6, Huntsville 2, after three innings Smokies only have two hits thus far -- control issues for Sarfate this evening?

Final: Indianapolis 1, Charlotte (White Sox) 0 Details on Mr. Hendrickson's excellent adventure shortly...

Well, that sucked.

Ausmus always kills us, too. Not tonight.

Gee, maybe I could use one of the seven "who's pitching tonight?" threads to kick things off... Nah... Enjoy -- the Brewers win this one, it sets up a potentially huge homestand with Ben working Sunday and the road-pathetic Mariners coming in.

As of this morning, the White Sox had signed 21 draft picks. I'm thinking we should know a lot more than what we do, even if there are a bunch of DFE candidates this year. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

Doesn't mention Salome, but his team lost the New York state championship yesterday to a team with a pitcher you're all familiar with: www.nypost.com/sports/17427.htm

Harris Turer Milwaukee, Wis. Bet Jim Callis didn't realize that Mr. Turer is among those in the Brewers' minority ownership group and (I believe I've read) a rumored interested party in the purchase of the team...

Looks like signing concerns about 6th round high school OF Stephen Chapman may be overblown: Tallahassee Democrat -- Marianna outfielder Stephen Chapman, an Auburn signee, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round (166th overall) after working out for team officials last Saturday in Milwaukee. Chapman expects to bypass college for professional baseball. Chapman was one of the Big Bend's most scrutinized prep players, playing in front of a large contingent of scouts each week. "I couldn't have asked for a better situation," Chapman said. "It was definitely nerve-wracking during the regular season because you are playing in front of 20 and 30 scouts. But once I settled down and started to relax, it was a lot of fun. Right now I am just kind of soaking it up and enjoying the moment."

Nebraska RHP Dustin Timm most assuredly will return to the University of Nebraska, but the Brewers will retain his rights until next spring as a fifth year senior, as discussed earlier in this thread: Timm finished 2-3 with a 3.89 earned-run average in 44 innings this season following his return to the mound 11 months after reconstructive elbow surgery. He heard plenty of questions about his arm. Timm told the Brewers Tuesday of his desire to pitch another season at Nebraska. "My arm felt great this year," Timm said. "It's just endurance. I would throw 70 pitches, and I'd be tired. Having my senior year to get stronger, it's too much to pass up."

Bangornews.com: Through a scout's eyes When Tony Blengino first saw Mark Rogers pitch last summer during an amateur baseball showcase in Wilmington, N.C., the northeast area scout for the Milwaukee Brewers had a good feel for the pitcher from Orrs Island and Mount Ararat High School. And why not? Rogers' fastball was clocked at 95 miles per hour, and his curve was nearly as impressive. "I thought he was definitely a guy who needed to be followed," Blengino said, "because he had a powerful arm and a pretty good feel for a pitcher who was 17 at the time." Less than a year later, Blengino and the Brewers are on the brink of signing Rogers to a big-money contract, the result of his selection by the team as the No. 5 overall pick in Monday's amateur draft. Blengino, for one, couldn't be happier. "He's about as close to the entire package as you can get, especially for a high school kid," he said. Blengino, who was in Bangor on Tuesday night to watch Rogers pitch Mount Ararat to a 4-1 win over Brewer in the Eastern Maine Class A final, spent much of the winter and all spring tracking Rogers' progress as he prepared his evaluation of the 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander. By early May, he was convinced Rogers was a viable candidate to be taken with the Brewers' first pick. "I knew he was capable last summer, but at that point there were other guys who were capable of being picked there, too," Blengino. "By the second time I saw him this year, it was clear to me he had made the strides necessary to be that guy, and that I would be supported within the organization to consider drafting him that high." That determination was made not only by analyzing Rogers' physical tools, but also his overall makeup. "A lot of kids have ability, but with Mark it comes down not only to ability, but to his makeup, his maturity, and his ability to handle adversity," Blengino said. "We think Mark is well-equipped for what lies ahead. Not every 18-year-old is ready to handle going cross-country to play baseball and leave their family, but Mark has been handling media interviews and signing autographs; he's gone through a lot and had a lot of preparation in that regard." As for Rogers' physical capabilities, it's not so much a case of development, but refinement. "We've seen him throw up to 98, so it's not a matter of needing to build that up, but to develop consistency, and for him to fully mature physically," Blengino said. "He's still a work in progress, but he has a lot in the tank already. The key is to get to the point where he's even more consistent than he is now. The stuff is there, there could be marginal improvement, but the stuff is already there." Blengino said negotiations between Rogers and the Brewers will begin soon after Mount Ararat plays Deering of Portland in Monday's Class A state championship game at Hadlock Field in Portland. Once Rogers is signed, Blengino said he'll be assigned to the Brewers' rookie league team in Maryvale, Ariz., where he is expected to spend the rest of the year. "After that, performance dictates the rest," Blengino said.

It's the Willie Nelson version of the Link Report -- "on the road again" (and again, and again, and again)... Saturday's Daily Menu -- no "home" fries... All times Central; pitchers subject to change; pre-game audio begins approx. 15 minutes prior to game time listed... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Ben Hendrickson at Charlotte (White Sox), 6:15 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate audio link (Knights' feed): www.charlotteknights.com/.../index.htm HUNTSVILLE: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Tennessee (Cardinals), 6:15 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP Bo Hall at Inland Empire (Mariners), 9:11 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: LHP Dana Eveland at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 7:00 PM Audio link (Kernels' feed): www.kernels.com/radio.html

From the Helena Independent Republic: Brewers have plenty of pitching potential By IR Staff - 06/12/04 Returning players will join a mix of brand-new draft picks, free agents and ex-rookie leaguers to form the 2004 Helena Brewers. The team released a partial list of prospective players Friday as they arrived in town for a mini-camp that starts today. At a glance, Helena's club, an advanced rookie affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, appears to have a solid corps of pitchers to build around, including: - Jared Theodorakos, a left-handed hurler from Baylor, was drafted in the 25th round last year. It will be the first professional season for the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder. - Garrett Berger, originally a second-round pick by the Florida Marlins in 2001, will get a fresh start in Helena after three injury-plagued seasons. The righty is just 1-2 lifetime with a 9.15 ERA and 24 walks against 14 strikeouts. - Justin Barnes is familiar to Brewers fans after playing third base in Helena last season, appearing in 56 games and hitting .241 with 34 RBI. He is expected to move to the mound as a right-handed pitcher. - Righty Robbie Wooley, a sixth-round pick last year, moves up from the Arizona rookie league, where he was 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA, seven walks and 18 strikeouts. - Edwin Walker, a left-handed pitcher drafted in the ninth round in 2002, also comes up from Arizona where he was 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA last year. He had 22 strikeouts against nine walks in 2003. - William Marion, an eighth-round pick in 2003, posted a 2-1 mark and a 4.55 ERA in nine games in Arizona last season. The righty fanned 29 and walked nine. Among the position players, outfielder Hasan Rasheed, drafted in the 26th round last year, will enter his first pro season after stealing 34 bases in his final college season at Lake City (Fla.) Community College. Rasheed could be joined by Charlie Fermaint in the outfield. A fourth-round pick in 2003, Fermaint batted .300 with nine RBI in Arizona last season. Outfielder Adam Mannon also had a solid Arizona season in 2003, hitting .274 with 37 RBI in 47 games. Agustin Septimo returns to the infield after batting .214 in 56 games with the Brewers last season. Recent draft pick Grant Richardson of Washington State could figure into the mix as well. There will be some familiar faces behind the plate, led by Alberto Segura, who helped the Brewers to a second-half title after Pioneer League MVP Lou Palmisano broke his ankle. Seguro hit .325 in 28 games, knocking in 11 runs. Catcher Charlie Lozada returns to Helena after appearing in eight games for the Brewers last season. Left-handed batting catcher Clay Blevins shattered his seventh vertebra in a home-plate collision in high school, but went on to become a top junior college player in Kansas. He is a 46th-round pick from 2003. The Brewers open the season Friday in Billings. Their home opener is June 21 against Missoula at 7 p.m.

We don't believe it's an official DL move yet, but man, it's been a tough year injury-wise for Maverick OF Chris Morris. From the Daily Press: High Desert outfielder Chris Morris, who returned to the Mavs' lineup Thursday after missing seven games with a hernia, re-aggravated the injury against Lancaster and will require surgery. Morris previously missed 19 games this season with a jammed thumb.

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Heartbreak loss Mavs squander Bradley's solid outing By TIM HARAN/Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO ? The High Desert Mavericks took a two-run lead late into the game, holding Inland Empire to just one hit through eight innings, but the struggling club couldn't close the deal. The Mavericks' last win on the road came in a classic pitchers' duel at Arrowhead Credit Union Park on May 28. In that game the Mavs edged the Inland Empire 66ers 2-1 before embarking on a season-long losing streak that came to an end Thursday. It was in San Bernardino on Friday night that High Desert failed to win its second straight game ? in another pitchers' duel. Inland Empire scored twice in the eighth inning and again in the ninth to top the Mavs 3-2. High Desert (21-41) sent David Bradley to the mound against the 66ers' Felix Hernandez, the Seattle Mariners' top pitching prospect. Bradley won the duel, pitching four perfect innings before surrendering a pair of walks to Inland Empire's Jon Nelson and Matt Rogelstad in the bottom of the fifth, but he didn't factor into the decision. The High Desert right-hander kept the no-hitter in tact through 5 1-3 innings before giving up a single to shallow right. "I finally got some things to fall into place in my last outing that really helped me today," Bradley said of his June 6 no-decision against Visalia. "I did a better job in my last outing of getting my off-speed stuff over for strikes and that really helped me out today as far as my confidence." The Mavs' bullpen, which had several strong showings in the Lancaster series, couldn't get the job done Friday. Left-hander Michael Kusiewicz retired the 66ers in order in the seventh but struggled in the eighth, hitting the leadoff batter and giving up two runs on three hits. The Mavs were six outs away from recording their first shutout of the season before the 66ers loaded the bases with no outs and shortstop Juan Gonzalez hit a two-run single to left field to tie the game. Kusiewicz, after allowing the runs, struck out the side to get out of the jam. In the ninth, Mavs' reliever Craig Breslow surrendered a single to the right by T.J. Bohn, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. The next batter, Carlos Arroyo, sent a shot up the middle that shortstop Enrique Cruz knocked down but couldn't make a play on. Inland Empire's Hagen then hit a chopper to short, but Cruz's throw to the plate was too late to catch a sliding Bohn. Though the winning run crossed in the ninth, High Desert manager Mel Queen said the eighth inning was the Mavs' undoing. "There were some things we didn't do in that one inning," he said. "We hit the leadoff hitter, a left-handed hitter, and then we didn't get an out on the bunt. "Bradley should have had a win in that game." Bradley (3-3) allowed one hit and no runs while striking out seven in six innings of work. For his part, Inland Empire's Hernandez (6-3) allowed just two runs ? one earned ? and struck out nine in six innings. The Mavs scored their two runs when Scott Candelaria drove in Kennard Bibbs in the first inning and Troy Farnsworth hit a sacrifice fly to left in the sixth the score Candelaria. Dan Boyd, who went 2-for-4, extended his hit streak to eight games.