battlekow

Both Peoria and Wisconsin had runners caught stealing home (on the front ends of double steals). Cameron Garfield had a great game at the plate, going 3-3 with a walk and finishing just a triple short of the cycle, but he had a rough second inning defensively, though it didn't cost them a run: Missoula Bottom 2nd Alan Santiago reaches on fielding error by first baseman Hitaniel Arias. David Nick singles on a ground ball to center fielder Michael Roberts. Alan Santiago to 3rd. With David Narodowski batting, David Nick steals (1) 2nd base, Alan Santiago scores. Throwing error by catcher Cameron Garfield. David Narodowski strikes out swinging. David Nick steals (2) 3rd base. David Nick scores. Throwing error by catcher Cameron Garfield. Bobby Stone called out on strikes. Ramon Castillo grounds out, shortstop Joshua Prince to first baseman Hitaniel Arias. Garfield got the last laugh though; he stole a base of his own in the 7th.

My interview with Trevor Kirk.

Maverick Lasker finally makes his professional debut. T-Rats win 2-1 in the bottom of the 14th, with the help of two Peoria errors, to climb back above .500.

Brad Schreiber of Kimberly selected as Gatorade Wisconsin player of the year Tim Froberg Brad Schreiber of Kimberly was selected as the Gatorade Wisconsin baseball player of the year The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high academic standards and exemplary character on and off the field. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound pitcher and first baseman is a finalist for the Gatorade national baseball player of the year. Fellow Papermakers athlete Claudia Harke, who was named the Gatorade Wisconsin softball player of the year, said she has been wowed not only by the zip on Schreiber's pitches, but his bat speed. "He hits the heck out of the ball and throws it right by people," said Harke. "Plus, he gets great movement on his pitches. I've sat behind the plate a few times when he's pitched and he really messes up those hitters. It's crazy." As a sophomore, Schreiber helped Kimberly win the 2007 WIAA Division 1 state baseball championship. An all-state selection, he has secured a scholarship to Division I Purdue. Schreiber is such a talented hitter that the Boilermakers might even give him some opportunities at the plate when he's not pitching. "They want me first as a pitcher, but said they'd give me a chance to hit, too, which would be awesome," Schreiber said. "If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, but they're definitely going to give me that opportunity." This spring, Schreiber had a .368 batting average with seven homers and 32 RBI, while going 9-2 on the mound with a microscopic 0.62 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 56 innings. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 42nd round of this year's Major League Baseball draft. Schreiber, though, is a level-headed type who knows that his best option will likely be heading to Purdue. "It was definitely a surprise when the Brewers called," Schreiber said. "I didn't expect to get drafted because a lot of teams knew I had a good scholarship to Purdue. I'm still keeping my options open because you never know what could happen and it's tempting, but it's about 90-10 that I'll go to Purdue."

I say it, they write it: Minor leagues: Arm injury sidelines Sherrill Mike London His abbreviated workday is 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., but A.L. Brown graduate Garrett Sherrill would give anything to be putting in eight hours at the ballpark. The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in Sherrill's right elbow - the joint that launched hundreds of wicked sliders, made him a devastating right-handed pitcher and helped him become a 12th-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers a year ago - has put him on the shelf. Tommy John surgery is a phrase the 6-foot-5 Sherrill hears often these days, but he and the Brewers are still looking at that option as a last resort. The affable 21-year-old spends the bulk of his time near Glendale, Ariz., relaxing in a luxury apartment complex that once was home to Manny Ramirez. The Brewers are putting up Sherrill and a half-dozen fellow rehabbers as they try to get back on track. Sherrill wants to believe he's on the mend, but only time will tell. "I guess I'm in a good situation to be in such a not-so-good situation," Sherrill said. "This place is really nice, 10 minutes from downtown Phoenix, but I wish things were different." A lot of people care about Sherrill's elbow because he was one of the more popular athletes to come out of Kannapolis in recent decades. He was a 1,000-point scorer for the basketball team, a kicker for the football team and a standout who dominated with his arm, bat and glove on the baseball diamond. The NPC was really something during Sherrill's time, just as it is now. West Rowan was the 3A state runner-up in 2004 and Northwest Cabarrus was the state runner-up in 2005. All you need to know about Sherrill is that A.L. Brown won the NPC tournament both of those years. Kannapolis interrupted Rowan County's domination to win three Area III American Legion championships during Sherrill's years. He was surrounded by super players, but his 26 wins on the mound and .400 batting average made him as responsible as anyone for that run. Sherrill turned down ACC schools and South Carolina to go to Appalachian State. He was a standout from the start. The Mountaineers used him often, both starting and relieving, and he finished his three-year career with 14 saves to rank No. 2 on ASU's all-time list. The Brewers admired his bulldog efforts in Boone - ASU coach Chris Pollard said Sherrill was as good a competitor as he's ever had - as well as his summer success in the elite Cape Cod League. He was the 368th player picked last June. Some nights things went exactly as they were supposed to for Sherrill out west in the Pioneer League. On July 31, he relieved in the ninth for the Helena Brewers at Great Falls and threw one pitch for a game-ending double play and save. His ERA of 4.71 last summer showed he had learning to do, but his 46 strikeouts in 361/3 innings showed he had the stuff to succeed. He was assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Class A Midwest League to start this season, but things didn't go well. "My velocity was down a little - I was 86-87 instead of 88-89 - but my stuff was pretty good and my ball had a lot of run on it," Sherrill said. "The negative was I was struggling with control and walking too many people. There were times warming up that I didn't feel quite right, but once I got out there on the mound adrenaline took over and I didn't feel anything." His last outing on May 6 was one of his best as a pro. It came in a 6-2 loss to Burlington, but he was sharp in a mop-up role for three innings. No runs. One hit. Three strikeouts. His ERA, which had looked like his shoe size, dropped to 6.10. "I felt a tweak a couple of times in that game," Sherrill said. "There wasn't any one moment where I felt a sharp pain or anything, but I knew something was wrong. "I've pitched in pain before and I could've kept throwing this time, but I knew I wouldn't be able to have the year I wanted to have and put up the numbers I wanted to put up." Sherrill informed coaches and trainers he was feeling discomfort. An MRI revealed bad news. Sherrill's UCL was partially torn, probably worn down from the repetitive stress of cutting loose all those sliders. Had the ligament been torn completely, he would have had limited options: either Tommy John surgery to replace the UCL or retirement at age 21. Instead, Sherrill finds himself in a gray area, following a program with about a 50-50 success rate and living in a plush apartment in steamy Arizona. Milwaukee trainers are optimistic Sherrill will recover with rest and careful rehab. Scar tissue eventually should heal the damaged ligament. "They've shut me down, but they don't think the tear is far enough for Tommy John," Sherrill explained. Sherrill's sophisticated rehab started with ultrasound and massage treatments. It's gotten more physical lately, with plyometrics and weights. He feels his right shoulder getting stronger. That's important because a more powerful shoulder will theoretically take strain off his elbow when he pitches. Nothing hurts in any of his workouts - unless he moves his elbow a certain way. The current timetable is for Sherrill to pick up a baseball again in late July. He'll start a conservative throwing program then. In a perfect world, he'll be back on a mound for a ballgame in front of a crowd before this season ends. Until the moments of truth arrive in late July, he'll marvel at the Arizona weather. It's 105 degrees at 10 a.m. and 108 in the afternoon. He'd like to work up a sweat running poles at the ballpark, but it's the sort of dry heat that doesn't lend itself to perspiration. Sherrill has plenty of time to think - about friends Kyle Seager and Daniel Wagner being drafted earlier this month and about former teammates Brett Bartles and Zach Ward being released by big-league organizations this year. His own dream is temporarily on hold, but it's still alive. "If the rehab and the throwing program don't work out, it's probably going to mean Tommy John," Sherrill said. "If that happens, I'll deal with it."

I'll have an interview up with Trevor Kirk tomorrow, but to whet your appetite, here's a pre-draft article on him that we somehow missed: CSN BASEBALL: Kirk survives, flourishes Matt Youmans Nothing was going right for Trevor Kirk as he auditioned for a roster spot on the College of Southern Nevada baseball team. He made a poor first impression, and was unsure if he would get a second chance. "I probably was about to get cut," he said. "I was a little bit scared." The freshman from Silverado High School had reason to be concerned, according to Coyotes coach Tim Chambers. "He was just terrible. He couldn't hit anything and he couldn't catch," Chambers said. "He wasn't going to make the team." Then the unexpected happened. Not only did Kirk narrowly avoid being cut in the fall, he earned a starting job in February and developed into one of CSN's top players. The second-seeded Coyotes (35-18) will play the College of Southern Idaho (31-22) in the NJCAA Region 18 tournament at 1 p.m. today in Carson City. Kirk, 6 feet and 175 pounds, barely batted his weight in the fall, when CSN played about 50 scrimmages. Chambers charted every at-bat and said Kirk hit about .180 while splitting time between shortstop and second base. "I was hitting a buck-something. It was horrible," Kirk said. "When I was playing second base, I was making a lot of errors. When I would go hit, I was scared to strike out. "Chambers was asking me a lot if I wanted to redshirt or not. That was fine because I just wanted to stay around the program. I wanted to stay no matter what. I just didn't want to get cut. I got lucky." Kirk's second chance came when Chambers moved him to right field. He adapted quickly and started to hit, and he never stopped hitting. "You could actually see it immediately in the body language," Chambers said. "It was probably the most unbelievable thing I've seen as a coach. I'm in shock." Kirk leads the Coyotes with a .366 batting average in all games. He has 30 RBIs and 28 steals in 30 attempts. Third baseman Justin Mishalow, a sophomore from Green Valley High, is third in Scenic West Athletic Conference games with a .372 average. Kirk ranks fifth, batting .367 in conference games. Second baseman Scott Dysinger, a freshman from Bishop Gorman, batted .361 in SWAC play, but he almost was cut, too. Chambers said Dysinger hit .108 in fall scrimmages. "Dysinger has been unbelievable, too," Chambers said. "We just hoped he would be a solid backup." Kirk said a change of position was what he needed. "I never really played outfield, but I like it out there. It's fun in the outfield," he said. "I sort of lost my tight ass when I went to the outfield. I knew I couldn't lose anything. I was already pretty much cut. "But now everything is good. The first part of the season, I felt like I was hitting a beach ball. I couldn't miss it." If not for Chambers' close relationship with Silverado's coaches, who recommended Kirk, Chambers said Kirk would have been cut. Kirk needed surgery on a torn labrum in his right, throwing shoulder in February 2007 and missed almost all of his junior year in high school. His only offers to play college baseball came from CSN and Western Nevada, and his stay with the Coyotes almost was cut short. "Our coaches are great. It's very fun, and it's a good program," Kirk said. "I talked to some friends who went to college other places, and they hate it. But I love it here." http://media.lvrj.com/images/3544553.jpg http://media.lvrj.com/images/3544552.jpg College of Southern Nevada right fielder Trevor Kirk, middle, relaxes in the dugout with teammates Jordan Keegan, left, and Ryan Thomas during Tuesday's practice in Henderson. Photo by Jason Bean/Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Yeah, that's a good point.

I'm not sure, but maybe. I got these from the Joint Drug Agreement (ha): Does that mean that if the Brewers added Jeffress to the 40-man, his suspension would be nullified?

No, players not on 40-man rosters aren't part of the MLBPA. I'm wondering why MiLB even tests for marijuana at all if MLB doesn't bother to.

I don't know about absolutes, but I do know that players with elbow ligament injuries sometimes don't experience a loss in velocity but do lose their control.

Fun fact: I just learned that the (MLB) All-Star Game counts as a game in a player's suspension if he was selected to it.

Yeah, that's what I meant. He'd be banned for life from MLB and the affiliated minors. He could play in the independent leagues, but it be moot whether we held his rights or not. EDIT: I'm not sure I'm right. MLB doesn't test for drugs of abuse, but I don't know if a lifetime suspension procured in the minors would extend to MLB or not. Reading up on it.

Jose Garcia, Allixon Cequea (oddly playing first base), and Tyler Roberts are all having good nights for Maryvale. They've each walked once and each have two hits, and Cequea has a double.

I can't tell you how annoying this is: Nashville Top 1st Jason Bourgeois singles on a ground ball to left fielder Dee Brown, deflected by third baseman Blake DeWitt. Alcides Escobar out on a sacrifice bunt, catcher JD Closser to first baseman Sergio Garcia. Jason Bourgeois to 2nd.

It wouldn't matter. He'd be perma-banned.

I didn't know Brock Kjeldgaard held the Pioneer League record for strikeouts in a season.

I see what you did there.

Hey, the forums are back up! Billings' control isn't anywhere near as good as it was last year, when he posted a 15/1 K/BB in 12 innings; he's at 6/6 in 6 innings so far this year.

Josh Prince doubled in Cutter Dykstra (good to see him playing) in the third inning and amazingly did not try to steal third base.

The Manatees literally walked off: Brevard County Bottom 9th Carlos Corporan singles on a line drive to right fielder Shane Peterson. Brent Brewer called out on strikes. Lee Haydel hit by pitch. Carlos Corporan to 2nd. Eric Farris grounds into a force out, second baseman Colt Sedbrook to shortstop Domnit Bolivar. Carlos Corporan to 3rd. Lee Haydel out at 2nd. Eric Farris to 1st. With Logan Schafer batting, passed ball by Paul Vazquez, Eric Farris to 2nd. Blake King intentionally walks Logan Schafer. Zelous Wheeler walks. Carlos Corporan scores. Eric Farris to 3rd. Logan Schafer to 2nd. Hey, Chris Errecart was back in the lineup tonight for the first time since the 11th.

Wow, I didn't realize that the homer he allowed tonight was just his second on the year. Nuts. He'll be a top-100 prospect next year.

Aguilar with two shutout innings allowing one walk with two strikeouts. Tied 3-3 with the Manatees coming up in the bottom of the 9th. Peralta struggled a bit in the 6th, allowing two hits and his first walk, but got out of it without allowing a run and with another strikeout, 10 now. Very impressive.

Nine strikeouts through five innings now for Peralta. Still no walks. Josh Prince walked to lead off Helena's game and (predictably) tried to steal, but was thrown out.

Logan Schafer's having a good night, 2-3 with a double and a walk. Omar Aguilar's on to relieve Anundsen in his first appearance since getting demoted. Chris Archer is shutting down the T-Rats. He came over from Cleveland in the Mark DeRosa trade. He's walked four but allowed no hits through four innings. Nashville's game is listed as "Delayed Start: Other". Aliens?

Well, it's in the 4th inning for Huntsville, I guess the box score guy is having some problems. It's 5-0 Stars after an RBI single by Shane Justis. Lucroy is 0-3.