colbyjack

Final: Huntsville 2, Tennessee (Diamondbacks) 4 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Back-to-Back Jacks Sink Stars Chris Carter and Stephen Drew hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and power Tennessee to a 4-2 win over Huntsville Thursday night in the final game of a four-game set at Smokies Park. The Smokies won the last two games of the series to gain a split and improved to 28-38 in the second half, while the Stars slipped to 29-37 in the second half. Huntsville won the season series 12 games to nine, including eight out of 11 at Joe Davis Stadium. Adam Haley walked to lead off the sixth inning and was forced out at second base on a ground ball hit by Dan Uggla. The Stars had a chance to turn a double play but second baseman Callix Crabbe dropped the ball on the transfer and never made a throw to first base. Carter then walloped a 3-1 Glenn Woolard offering onto the hill above the outfield wall and grassy berm area to give the home team a 3-1 lead. The ball was high in the air and hugging the line and was very close to being foul. Woolard thought the ball was foul and argued with first base umpire Will Robinson after the inning was over and was thrown out of the game. Drew then slammed the next pitch for a home run to right field to push the home team?s lead to 4-1. The two Smokies also homered, in reverse order, in the first inning against Woolard back in Huntsville on Saturday night. Tennessee starter Enrique Gonzalez was taken out after six innings during which he gave up just one run on five hits and two walks. The right-hander fanned five and picked up his 11th win of the season in his last start. Elvin Nina tossed a scoreless seventh inning before Bill White took over in the eighth. The left-hander walked Tony Gwynn, jr. and Kennard Bibbs before Adam Heether grounded into a double play. Brandon Gemoll walked and White was taken out in favor of Mike Schultz, who gave up a base hit to Enrique Cruz that scored Gwynn, jr. to trim the lead to 4-2. Nelson Castro then flied out on the next pitch to end the inning. Schultz worked a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save of the season. The Stars begin their final home series of the season Friday night with right-hander David Bradley taking the hill against Chattanooga right-hander Josh Hall. Coverage gets underway at 6:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: Bibbs blast last night is rewarded with a big bump up the lineup to the 2-spot. He and Gwynn each with 2 walks in the game setting the table. Gwynn scored twice and strikes out in his other two at-bats. No one in the lineup has more than one hit. Woolard pitched well until the 6th. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: Woolard gives up back-to-back home runs in the 6th, one a solo shot by Stephen Drew. The Stars should have scored more than one run in the 8th with Gwynn and Bibbs leading off the frame with back-to-back walks. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1

Final: Delmarva (Orioles) 4, West Virginia 5 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power hold off Shorebirds Charleston, WV (September 1, 2005) ? The West Virginia Power held off a late surge by the Delmarva Shorebirds in the ninth inning of Thursday night?s game, and went on to beat the Shorebirds by the final score of 5-4 in the final game of the season at Appalachian Power Park. The scoring started in the first inning when Angel Salome scored on a wild pitch to give the Power a 1-0 lead. Delmarva tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning on Jake Duncan?s RBI groundout. The Shorebirds took their only lead of the game in the fifth inning on Paco Figueroa?s RBI single. The Power took the lead for good, scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Angel Salome tied the game on an RBI single and Hasan Rasheed gave the Power the lead on a clutch, two out, two run single. The Power added another run in the seventh inning when Angel Salome reached on a fielder?s choice knocking in Charlie Fermaint. The Shorebirds did not go away quietly. Juan Gutierrez came through with a pinch-hit two run double with two outs in the ninth inning to make it a 5-4 game. The game ended with the tying run in scoring position for Delmarva when Paco Figueroa grounded out to Alcides Escobar. Dane Renkert (1-0) earned the victory, Ben Stanczyk (10) earned the save and Carlos Perez (11-8) obtained the loss. The Power are 32-32 in the second half after the win and the Shorebirds move to 40-25 with the loss. The Power will begin the final four game series of the season against the Lake County Captains on Friday night. The Power will throw right-handed pitcher Yovani Gallardo (7-3, 2.90) and the Captains will counter with left-handed pitcher Chuck Lofgren (5-4, 2.57). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. West Virginia Box Score: LHP Derek Miller continues to pitch well, going 5.1 innings giving up a couple of earned runs. Kevin Roberts may be on a stricter pitch count at this point in the season given the amount of innings he tossed at the University of Houston. Angel Salome with one of his finest nights since joining the Power, going 3 for 4 and falling a home run short of the cycle. Alcides Escobar, Will Lewis and Hasan Rasheed all with two hits on the evening. Oddly enough, no one else did have a hit in the lineup. Stanczyk with an ugly 9th, but gets the job done to notch his 10th save of the year. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Rasheed's 2-run single in the 6th the biggest hit of the evening. Stanczyk ran into his trouble in the 9th after he had already recorded two outs. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Final: Daytona (Cubs) 1, Brevard County, 7 Brevard County Box Score: Tim Dillard continues his impressive season, winning his 12th game of the year while going 6 without allowing an earned run. He keeps his WHIP down as well allowing only 5 hits and one walk while striking out 6. Joe Thatcher does a nice job in relief pitching 3 scoreless innings. Steve Moss, who goes 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored, and Drew Anderson, 3 for 4, stand out offensively in this one as the Manatees continue to make a late push towards the playoffs. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1 Brevard County Game Log: Three of Dillard's inning went 1-2-3. This game was tied through the top of the 6th before the Manatees struck for 3 runs in both the 6th and the 8th to put this game away. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_breafx_1

Final, Game One: Nashville 0, Memphis (Cardinals) 1 Nashville Site Game Summary: Sounds Scoreless Streak Continues In 1-0 Loss Date Posted: 9/1/2005 MEMPHIS ? The Nashville Sounds' slide continued in the opener of a doubleheader on Thursday evening at AutoZone Park. The club's scoreless streak ran to 24 consecutive innings following a 1-0 loss to the Memphis Redbirds, Nashville's third straight shutout defeat and the team's tenth loss in its last 11 contests. Memphis first baseman Chris Duncan gave the Redbirds all the offense they would need when he led off the bottom of the second inning with a line-drive solo homer to right off Sounds starter Ben Hendrickson, his team-leading 21st roundtripper of the season. Former Sound Kevin Jarvis (11-6) combined with a pair of relievers to notch the four-hit shutout for Memphis. The teams are currently playing the nightcap. Complete results will be posted at the conclusion of this evening's on-field action. Nashville Box Score, Game One: The Sounds shut-out again? As you can guess, not much offense, and no one worth mentioning in the lineup. Ben Hendrickson with a 6-inning complete game, a solo home run being the only run he gave up. One of his better outings recently, but he still picks up the L to go to 6-12 on the season. He even picked up one of the four base hits. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Nashville Game Log, Game One: While this was only a 7-inning contest, this game was wrapped up in under two hours, and it's not hard to tell why by glancing at the game log. Again, not much worth noting as the Sounds get shut-out for the third time in three games. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 http://www.nashvillesounds.com/images/news/hendrickson.jpg

Salome is already 3 for 3 for the Power tonight, and is a HR shy of the cycle. Dillard with another strong outing for BC, going 6 innings w/ 6 K. Stephen Chapman absent from Helena's lineup again tonight. Michael Bell is back in their, despite the news that he broke his finger. Why oh why doesn't Chapman get regular playing time?

On the pre-game show Ned Yost told Ueck that Miller was scratched from the lineup with the flu, or some kind of illness. I guess he was throwing up before the game.

Brad Nelson with the bump back up to AAA Nashville, Wes Obermueller called back up to Milwaukee: Nashville Site: www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1784 Brad Nelson Rejoins Sounds Roster Date Posted: 9/1/2005 Outfielder Brad Nelson, who opened the 2005 season with the Sounds and batted .253 (68-for-269) with 37 RBIs in 75 contests before being sent to Double-A Huntsville on June 29, has been re-added to the Nashville roster for tonight?s twinbill. The Brewers? #8 prospect hit .293 (61-for-208) with six homers & 38 RBIs in 55 Southern League contests, including a .391 mark (18-for-46) over his final 12 games for the Stars. Right-handed starter Wes Obermueller, who tossed a scoreless inning in last night?s nightcap, has been recalled by Milwaukee and is expected to make a start for the club this weekend. Obermueller went 3-1 with one save and a 2.55 ERA (12er/42.1ip) in nine outings (eight starts).

Thanks Blazer. I actually noted Maybin's inclusion on Lake City's baseball team on the thread discussing some of the other top draft picks from last June. The Team USA Junior National Team has been announced. Check out this link for the rosters and player profiles: www.usabaseball.com/sport...05aab.html

My bad, faulty coding.

Lorenzo Cain has been bumped up to Helena, making his debut last night now that the Arizona Rookie League's season has finished. From today's Daily Dish at Baseball America: Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain was named the Rookie-level Arizona League MVP, even though the Brewers? entry was just 11-17 in both halves of play. Cain ranked second in the league in batting, tied for fifth in home runs and third in RBIs during a .356-5-37 season. He went 1-for-4 in his debut yesterday in the Pioneer League with Helena. The 2004 17th-round pick signed this year as a draft-and-follow.

Lorenzo Cain receiving some honors as the Arizona Rookie League MVP. From today's Daily Dish at Baseball America: Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain was named the Rookie-level Arizona League MVP, even though the Brewers? entry was just 11-17 in both halves of play. Cain ranked second in the league in batting, tied for fifth in home runs and third in RBIs during a .356-5-37 season. He went 1-for-4 in his debut yesterday in the Pioneer League with Helena. The 2004 17th-round pick signed this year as a draft-and-follow. Congratulations to Cain on the honor and for his promotion to Helena. Cain, Darren Ford and Derek Miller are all faring well as draft & follow signees from this spring. Cain joins Angel Salome as organizational MVPs for their respective leagues.

2006 draft standing as of 9/1/05: +/- ranking reflects how teams have risen/fallen in the last month 1. Royals (.328) -1 2. Rockies (.391) +1 3. D-Rays (.410) 4. Pirates (.414) 5. Mariners (.424) 6. Giants (.447) 7. D-Backs (.452) -3 8. Dodgers (.459) 9. Reds (.470) +2 10. Orioles (.470) -2 11. Cubs (.474) -4 12. Rangers (.481) -5 13. Tigers (.485) +4 14. Brewers (.489) +1 15. Blue Jays (.500) -1 16. Padres (.500) +5 17. Nationals (.519) -5 18. Mets (.523) +4 19. Marlins (.526) -2 20. Twins (.526) 21. Astros (.530) -2 22. Phillies (.534) +3 23. Indians (.556) +5 24. Angels (.561) -3 25. Braves (564) -3 26. Athletics (.568) +1 27. Yankees (.568) +3 28. Red Sox (.588) +2 29. White Sox (.611) -1 30. Cardinals (.634) +1

Bell has a broken finger, Kenny was hit on the hand yesterday and Chappy probably had the day off. Thanks Raul Duke. Although it seems like Chappy gets a lot of days off. He seems to be swinging somewhat of a hot bat, and if there is nothing wrong with him physically I would like to see him in the H-Crew's lineup more often. I apologize for no box score on the Manatees game that was finished from the night before. It is nowhere to be found, and no details from Brevard County's or Vero Beach's web-site about when the 2nd game may be made up.

Final, Game One: Brevard County 8, Vero Beach (Dodgers) 5 From the Vero Beach Dodgers Site: Dodgers Complete One - Sort of... 08/31/05 - The Vero Beach Dodgers were able to finish the sixth innings - and thereby complete - the suspended game from Tuesday, but rain cancelled the nightcap. The Dodgers lost to the Brevard County Manatees 8-5 for the team's 12th loss in the last 15 games. However, Blake Dewitt delivered his second straight 3-hit game and Jamie Hoffman hit his first home run for Vero Beach. The Dodgers play at Tradition Field in St. Lucie Thursday and Friday before returning home Saturday night at 7:00 PM. Tuesday's game was suspended in the second inning with Vero trailing 7-0. Jarod Plummer relieved Julio Pimentel to start the action in today's game and excelled in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed just three hits and one run to keep Vero Beach in the game. Hoffman's home run came in the third for the Dodgers' first run of the game. Vero closed the gap in the fifth when Hoffman tripled with one out. DeWitt doubled him home and Matt Kemp walked. One out later Athony Raglani sinlged in both baserunners to pull the Dodgers within 8-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Edwin Bellorin led off with a single and Mayke Cabrera's pinch hit moved him to third. Hoffman beat out a fielder's choice that scored Bellorin and DeWitt singled him to second. That brought up Kemp and that's when the rain began. Despite a downpour, play continued until Kemp bounced out to third base, ending the inning and, as it turned out, the game.

Final: Helena 4, Great Falls (White Sox) 7 Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...105_03.txt Brewers fall to White Sox IR Staff - 09/01/05 The Helena Brewers didn't find a warm welcome in Great Falls on Wednesday, falling 7-4 to the White Sox. It was the Brewers' second straight loss and fifth in seven games. Helena's lead over Billings and Missoula is just three games. Helena (19-11) took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning but the White Sox broke through for five runs in their half of the frame to get the win. Brad Willcutt hit a two-run home run to left field in the top of the sixth inning to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead. Helena added to that in the seventh when Jose Jimenez scored from third on a bases-loaded walk by Freddy Parejo. Great Falls answered with five runs, including a three-run home run by Rolando Acosta with one out. Helena starter Rafael Lluberes pitched four and two-thirds innings, giving up four hits and two runs, but the White Sox got to reliever Josh Louis for four runs in one and two-thirds innings to get the win. Helena Box Score: Newsflash: Michael Brantley failed to reach base. Bradley Wilcutt's 2-run HR in the 6th provides half of the offense in this one. Lorenzo Cain's name appears in the box score, as his success at Arizona garners him a promotion to Helena to end the season. I do have to ask...where is Bell, Holmberg and Chapman? All three have been hitting the ball well lately, and shouldn't sit despite any roster crunches. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1 Helena Game Log: The H-Crew went quielty almost every inning this evening. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_grfrok_1

Final: Delmarva (Orioles) 3, West Virginia 0 West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power shutout by ShorebirdsCharleston, WV (August 31, 2005) ? The Delmarva Shorebirds scored three runs in the top of the first inning of Wednesday?s game against the West Virginia Power and never looked back, beating the Power 3-0 at Appalachian Power Park. Quincy Ascencion laid down a sacrifice bunt and got to first base on a throwing error committed by Power pitcher Greg Kloosterman and the errant throw allowed Paco Figueroa to score. Jason Fransz drove in Gary Cates during the next at bat on an RBI single to give the Shorebirds a 2-0 lead. With runners on first and third base Arturo Rivas grounded into a 6-4-3 double play allowing Quincy Ascencion to score the final run of the game. Josh Potter (4-3) earned the victory, Justin Hennington (15) earned the save and Greg Kloosterman (4-19) obtained the loss. The Power are 31-32 in the second half after the loss and the Shorebirds move to 40-24 with the win. The Power will conclude the final four game series of the season at Appalachian Power Park with the Delmarva Shorebirds on Wednesday night. The Power will throw left-handed pitcher Derek Miller (2-1, 4.21) and the Shorebirds will counter with left-handed pitcher Carlos Perez (11-7, 4.20). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. West Virginia Box Score: The big-league Brewers big win must have meant that the lil' Brewers were meant to pay on this day. Again, not much offense, while Kloosterman picks up his 19th loss. I can't even imagine any other minor league pitcher being within 5 losses of 19. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: Kloosterman with an ugly first before mowing down batters in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Kloos' is replaced in the fifth after retiring the first two batters in the inning. Despite hanigng in there, the Power never give him any help. No wonder he has 19 losses. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

Huntsville Site Game Summaries: Stars and Smokies Split Twin BillClint Goocher and Casey Daigle combined on a three-hit shutout in Tennessee?s 3-0 victory in the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday night at Smokies Park. The Smokies stopped a seven-game slide and improved to 27-38 in the second half, while the Stars slipped to 29-36 in the second half after taking game one, 5-4. Huntsville lost a six-game win streak and a three-game road winning streak, matching season-highs in both categories. Jarred Ball led off the home first inning with a walk, stole second base, stayed there as Dan Uggla walked with one out before the two pulled off a double steal and then scored the first run of the game on a ground ball out by Chris Carter. Huntsville starter Carlos Villanueva struck out Stephen Drew to end the inning and retired the next 12 hitters he faced before exiting after five no-hit innings. The right-hander suffered the loss to drop to 1-2 after yielding a lone run on two walks with three strikeouts. Tennessee tacked on two runs in the sixth inning against Keith Stamler on a Carter sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single by Drew. Villanueva singled with one out in the third and was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the inning trying to score on a Nelson Castro double. Smokies? starter Clint Goocher, who broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff double in the sixth, did not give up a hit the rest of the way and went 6 1/3 innings to grab his eighth win of the season. The southpaw struck out five, walked one and beat the Stars for the first time since May 7. Huntsville?s only other threat occurred in the sixth inning when Guilder Rodriguez walked as a pinch-hitter, moved to second on a Callix Crabbe sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a Castro ground out and was left there when Adam Heether flied out. Daigle earned his 19th save by getting two outs with two pitches. The Stars had tagged Goocher for 19 runs on 28 hits over 11 innings in his last three outings against them. Gerrit Simpson opened the seventh inning on the hill for Huntsville in game one and promptly surrendered a leadoff double to Marland Williams and a single to Jarred Ball that sliced the Stars lead to 5-4. However, Simpson struck out Noochie Varner, retired Adam Haley on a ground ball out and got Dan Uggla to fly out to end the game and earn his fourth save with Huntsville. Josh Habel went six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks to pick up his third win of the year. The southpaw won for the first time in nine starts with the Stars and has registered all three of his wins over the Smokies. Tony Gwynn, jr. hit the fourth pitch of the game for a home run, his first of the season and just the fourth of his career, to give the visitors the early lead. Kennard Bibbs hit a two-out, solo home run in the second inning, his first of the year and just his third career long ball, to make it 2-0 Huntsville. Stephen Drew got the game tied in the home second with a two-run home run, his third since joining the Smokies and second against the Stars. The Stars regained the lead for good in the third inning on a bases loaded single by Enrique Cruz that scored Guider Rodriguez and added two more runs on a two-out single later in the frame by Jeff Winchester, who knocked in his 28th and 29th runs of the season. Uggla clubbed a solo home run in third to pull the home team within 5-3 and knock in his league-leading 87th run. The series wraps up Thursday night with Huntsville right-hander Glenn Woolard taking the hill, while the Smokies will counter with right-hander Enrique Gonzalez. Coverage gets underway at 6:00 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Final, Game One: Huntsville 5, Tennessee (D-Backs) 4 Huntsville Box Score, Game One: Tony Gwynn Jr. and Kennard Bibbs with their first home runs of the season, in the same game? Say it ain't so... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Huntsville Game Log, Game One: Gwynn Jr. leads the game off with his dinger, Bibbs follows in the 2nd with his. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Final, Game Two: Huntsville 0, Tennesse (D-Backs) 3 Huntsville Box Score, Game Two: Carlos Villanueva with a no-hitter through 5 but he still picks up the loss. Three hits, two of which go for extra bases, and a walk makes up the offense for the Stars this evening. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_2 Huntsville Game Log, Game Two: The Stars were mowed down all night in both games tonight. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_2

Nashville Site Game Summary Sounds Blanked Twice By Redbirds, 3-0 & 1-0 Date Posted: 8/31/2005 MEMPHIS ? The Nashville Sounds continued their freefall on Wednesday evening at AutoZone Park, suffering a pair of shutout losses, 3-0 and 1-0, at the hands of the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds in a doubleheader that made up Monday?s rainout. The Sounds (71-67) have lost 12 of their last 14 games and currently lead the PCL American Conference Northern Division by only 1 ½ games over Omaha, their smallest lead since June 18. The back-to-back shutout losses are the first suffered by Nashville since May 23-24, 2004 during a West Coast trip to Sacramento and Fresno. The Sounds have not scored in their last 17 innings of action. Right-hander Wes Obermueller worked one scheduled inning for Nashville in the nightcap and hurled a scoreless frame, allowing one run, two walks, and recording one strikeout. Dennis Sarfate (0-1) took over in the second for the Sounds, making his Triple-A debut, and took a hard-luck loss after allowing the game?s only run on just one hit, a single, in his five innings of work. Bo Hart gave the Redbirds all the offensive support they would need in the nightcap when he drove in Memphis starting pitcher Jeremy Cummings with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, giving Memphis its 1-0 advantage. Cummings (7-1) tossed 5 2/3 scoreless frames to earn the victory for the Redbirds and combined with reliever Tyler Johnson, who picked up his seventh save, on the three-hit shutout. In the evening?s opener, Memphis starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (9-10) held Nashville to only three hits over six innings of work to lead the Redbirds to a 3-0 victory. Brian Falkenborg came on to record the final three outs and earn his second save of the season. Redbirds third baseman Tim Hummel gave the home team a 1-0 lead when his RBI single off Gary Glover in the bottom of the second inning scored Chris Duncan. Hart gave Memphis some breathing room in the sixth with a two-out, two-run single to shortstop off Glover that brought in Hummel and John Nelson to up the advantage to 3-0. Glover (6-4) worked all six innings of the opener for the Sounds, giving Nashville its first complete game of the season, but took the loss after allowing three runs on eight hits. Trent Durrington stole his 26th base in the first contest to pull into a tie for sixth in the PCL. Vinny Rottino started the opener at first base for Nashville, the utility player?s fourth starting position in five games with the Sounds this season. He previously appeared at catcher, third base, and left field. The teams play a second consecutive doubleheader at 6:05 p.m. CT on Thursday evening to wrap up the four-game series at AutoZone Park. The Sounds will send right-hander Mike Meyers (6-4, 5.424) to the mound in the opener to face former Sounds right-hander Kevin Jarvis (10-6, 3.50), who will start for Memphis. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (6-11, 5.11) mans the bump for Nashville in the nightcap opposite a yet-to-be-named Redbirds hurler. Final, Game One: Nashville 0, Memphis (Cardinals) 3 Nashville Box Score, Game One 4 hits and 2 walks by the Sounds, not many offensive highlights to find in this one. Gary Glover goes the distance in a 7-inning game despite walking 5. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Nashville Game Log, Game One Top pitching prospect Adam Wainwright was dealing all game. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_1 Final, Game Two: Nashville 0, Memphis (Cardinals) 1 Nashville Box Score, Game Two: No offense to speak of in this one. Dennis Sarfate pitches very well in his AAA debut despite picking up the loss: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 2 BB. Wes Obermueller only goes 1 inning...please don't tell us he's heading back to Milwaukee to start... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_2 Nashville Game Log, Game Two: The game logs are even more indicative of how ineffective the offenses have been recently at all levels. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_mrbaaa_2

A fun little story to read on the Stars' bullpen from Baseball America. Interesting that this doesn't even occur at the Stars' home stadium. Baseball America's Daily Dish August 31, 2005 Of all the stories to come out of relievers with too much time on their hands, the Huntsville Stars deserve credit for originality. Members of the Stars' bullpen started digging a hole. They ended up building a garden behind the right-field wall at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn., home of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. But not just any garden. It's a Zen garden, a sanctuary for pitchers and a memorial to baseball, says Alec Zumwalt, the Brewers righthander who has acted as the bullpen's de facto spokesman. "It all started with a hole that Jerome Gamble dug, then we lined it with plastic and filled it up with water," Zumwalt wrote in an email. "One thing led to another and ideas started to fly. The next thing we knew, we had something special on our hands. The West Tenn grounds crew helped maintain the garden between the Stars' visits, and provided the tools for them to build it in the first place. The pitchers added to the mood by writing quotations from books or movies on the rocks that form the garden's boundary. Perhaps the strangest quote was added by Jeff Winchester quoting Ivan Drago from Rocky IV in a very non-Zen-like moment: "If he dies, he dies." Soon, the Stars came up with rules for entering, such as taking off your hat inside the ring of rocks; no tobacco or spitting; and show respect for the garden by helping keep and maintain it. "It became a place to sit down and gather your thoughts before you pitch," Zumwalt said. "We joked around, wrote rules up there, throw a penny in for good luck, get ready and then go." While Zumwalt refers to it as a Zen garden, he says there's no religious connotation, instead calling the area a shrine to baseball. "It's something not normal that you see at a baseball field," he said. "We thought it was hilarious and we got positive feedback on it and that's why we contacted people." Sadly, Zumwalt has had to leave the garden behind. He?s been promoted to Triple-A Nashville, where he?s posted a 4.35 ERA in 10 innings. West Tenn has four more home games, against Mobile, for opposing pitchers to enjoy the garden. The relievers involved have included Gamble, Winchester, Zumwalt, Matt DeWitt, Brett Evert, Andy Pratt, Gerrit Simpson, Keith Stamler, Mitch Stetter and Glenn Woolard, as well as reserve catcher John Vanden Berg. http://www.baseballamerica.com/images2005/zengarden450300.jpg The Stars bullpen stands around their achievement in gardening

Final: Missoula (D-Backs) 12, Helena 3 Link while active, text follows: www.helenair.com/articles...105_01.txt Brewers fall to Osprey, lead shrinks to three games By KEVIN SHIVELY - IR Sports Writer - 08/31/05 The Missoula Osprey showed the Helena Brewers that they weren't the only ones who could post big wins.[ The Osprey responded to Helena's nine-run win Monday by beating the Brewers 12-3 on a blustery Tuesday night at Kindrick Legion Field. The win brought the second place Osprey (16-13) only three games behind the Brewers (19-10). A second half win would put the Osprey in the playoffs. "Every game in this last stretch is big," said Missoula catcher Mike DeCarlo. "Right now we feel like we can play with anyone." They proved that against the Brewers, winning two in the three game series. Tuesday night, the Osprey were able to string several hits together and collected five hits in the second inning when they built a 5-2 lead. After the second, Helena pitcher Robert Wooley allowed only one hit and threw four scoreless innings but it was not enough to stop the Osprey who are battling Billings for a place in the Pioneer League playoffs. Wooley gained accuracy as he went, striking out the side in the sixth, his last inning on the mound. He had eight strikeouts in the game. In the seventh, Brandon Parillo took the mound and hit the first three batters he faced. With the bases loaded, the lefty settled down and struck out the next two. Will Crouch managed to put bat to ball and singled to shortstop Ryan Crew. Crew made an athletic snag, but then tried to flip the ball behind his back and threw it away. Two runs scored on the play and Parillo struck out the last batter to get out of the inning. In an attempt to save their pitching, the Brewers put outfielder Adam Mannon on the mound. Mannon, who pitched a couple of innings while playing in West Virginia, gave up a two-out grand slam to designated hitter Steve Mena. Mena was 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. The Brewers, who only had seven hits in the game didn't manage a single extra base knock. The Brewers scored two of their three runs in the first inning. Darren Ford crossed the plate on a ground out from Stephen Chapman, and Michael Brantley scored on a single from Ned Yost. Brantley was 1-for-2 with three walks and Ford was 2-for-5. Helena will travel to Great Falls tonight for a pair of games before heading to Missoula for a four game series later this week. "We play the Brewers four more times this season," said DeCarlo. "We've got to make sure we win both series." Helena Box Score: Michael Brantley finishes with three walks in this one, proving that the plate discipline exhibited in Arizona was no fluke. How many times have the Helena Brewers been unable to record a single extra-base hit this season? www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1 Helena Game Log Are the Helena Brewers running low on fresh arms, or is Mannon getting a look as a pitcher? The 9th inning grand slam didn't mean much as the H-Crew was unable to re-group after Missoula's 5-run 2nd. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

Thanks for the head's up DHonks. Since it is the last day of the Arizona Rookie League, they must have been anxious to wrap things up. Final: Arizona Rangers 12, Arizona Brewers 7 Arizona Box Score: As DHonks noted, Lorenzo Cain, one of the lone bright spots on the Arizona club, with two walks in the game. He went 0-2, but added a sac fly. Alirio Ledezma, the less heralded of the two (Roque Mercedes) relatively big-name international signees from last offseason, with the only respectable pitching line, another bright spot on this club. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1 Arizona Game Log: Get your fix while you can. This may be the last year of the Arizona Rookie League. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_brrrok_1

In progress, Game Two: Delmarva (Orioles) 1, West Virginia 2, bottom of the 3rd Justin Barnes the starter in game two, as Kevin Roberts pitched in relief in game one. In Progress: Missoula (D-Backs) 5, Helena 3, bottom of the 6th Wooley gave up 5 ER in the 2nd, but has pitched through the 6th, with 8 strikeouts. Michael Brantley continues his presence on the bases, going 1 for 1 with 2 walks, leading to two runs scored.

West Virginia Site Game Summary: Power take two from DelmarvaCharleston, WV (August 30, 2005) ? The West Virginia Power extended their winning streak to four games with a pair of victories over the Delmarva Shorebirds on the final Two-For-Tuesday at Appalachian Power Park. The Power erased a four run deficit and won the first game 7-4 and they took the second game by the final of 3-1. In game one Jason Fransz smashed a two run homer in the top of the first inning to give Delmarva the early advantage. Arturo Rivas made it a 4-0 Delmarva lead when he hit a two run double in the top of the third inning. The Power cut the lead in half when Grant Richardson smacked a two run single in the bottom of the third inning. The Power scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead and they never looked back. Hasan Rasheed, Agustin Septimo, Hernan Iribarren and Angel Salome all contributed with RBI singles. The Power plated the final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Hasan Rasheed hit his second RBI single of the game. In game two Delmarva was the first to score when Jason Fransz drove in Paco Figueroa on an RBI single in the top of the first inning. Angel Salome and Hasan Rasheed both hit RBI singles to give the Power a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Brendan Katin provided the Power with an insurance run on a two out RBI single in the bottom of the third. In game one Kevin Roberts (2-2) earned the victory, Ben Stanczyk (9) earned the save and Radhames Liz (1-3) obtained the loss. In game two Justin Barnes (9-2) earned the win, Robert Hinton (13) earned the save and Luis Ramirez (9-7) obtained the loss. The Power are 31-31 in the second half after the wins and the Shorebirds move to 39-24 with the losses. The Power will continue the final four game series of the season at Appalachian Power Park with the Delmarva Shorebirds on Wednesday night. The Power will throw left-handed pitcher Greg Kloosterman (4-18, 5.28) and the Shorebirds will counter with right-handed pitcher Josh Potter (3-3, 5.27). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. Final, Game One: Delmarva (Orioles) 4, West Virginia 7 West Virginia Box Score, Game One: Mark Rogers owes his offense dinner after they bailed him out of 4 rough early innings so he avoided picking up his 10th loss on the season. Roberts and Stanczyk pitch three scoreless innings in relief, as Stanczyk notches his ninth save of the year. Fermaint and Iribarren ignite the Power's offense at the top of the order with two hits a piece. Hasan Rasheed stays hot with a 3-3 night, scoring 2 and driving in 2. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 West Virginia Game Log, Game One: Rogers decides to follow in Doug Davis' footsteps this evening. With 2 outs in the first, Rogers walks a batter and gives up a 2-run HR. He did get a couple of double plays during his 4 innings of work and was also aided by having a runner gunned down at home plate on an attempted double steal. Quickly look at the game log to see how much faster the 5th, 6th and 7th innings went. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1 Final, Game Two: Delmarva (Orioles) 1, West Virginia 3 West Virginia Box Score, Game Two: Justin Barnes one out away from a complete game. No problem, Robert Hinton comes in, records one out, and picks up his 13th save of the season. Salome, Richardson & Rasheed each with two hits, Gamel strikes out twice in two at-bats. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_2 West Virginia Game Log, Game Two: Barnes cruises through the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings. He was removed in the 7th with two outs and one on, not in a jam, but likely was lifted more due to his pitch count than perceived struggles. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_2

Nashville Site: Sounds Rained Out Again In Memphis Date Posted: 8/30/2005 MEMPHIS -- Unplayable field conditions resulting from rains related to Tropical Storm Katrina have forced the second consecutive postponement of the series opener between the Nashville Sounds and Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park on Tuesday evening. As a result, the teams will play back-to-back 6:05 p.m. doubleheaders on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Right-hander Gary Glover (6-3, 2.93) will start Wednesday's twinbill opener for the Sounds before right-hander Dennis Sarfate (NR) makes his career Triple-A debut for Nashville in the nightcap. Memphis will counter with right-handers Anthony Reyes (7-6, 3.82) and Adam Wainwright (8-10, 4.66). The Sounds will enter play on Wednesday with a magic number of five or four, pending the results of second-place Omaha's contest against Iowa this evening.

Final: Huntsville 9, Tennessee (D-Backs) 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Heether Helps Stars Hammer SmokiesAdam Heether collected four hits, scored three times and knocked in a pair of runs to push Huntsville past Tennessee 9-2 Tuesday night in the opener of a four-game set at Smokies Park. The Stars won their fifth straight game to improve to 28-35 in the second half, while the Smokies lost their sixth in a row to fall to 26-37 in the second half. Huntsville has fashioned its? first five-game winning streak since beating Mississippi on April 27 and taking the next four games at home over the Smokies. Noochie Varner delivered a pinch-hit double in the seventh inning to score Matt Morgan to slice the Stars lead to 3-2 before Jarred Ball walked and manager Don Money removed starter Ty Taubenheim after 6 1/3 innings of work. Stephen Drew sent a line drive off of Jerome Gamble and the relief pitcher was able to pick the ball up on the infield grass in between the mound and first base and retired Drew at first for the second out of the inning, as the runners advanced one base. Gamble then struck out Dan Uggla, the league leader in runs batted in, on three pitches to end the inning. Doug Slaten took over for starter Tony Pena in the eighth inning and hit Heether to open the frame. Brad Nelson followed with a single to move Heether to second base and Enrique Cruz followed with a base hit to plate Heether and push the visitors lead to 4-2. Brandon Gemoll dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up one base and Kennard Bibbs delivered Nelson with a sacrifice fly to left field that chased Slaten from the game. Mike Schultz, a right-hander, was brought in to face the righty-swinging John Vanden Berg, who foiled the strategy by doubling in to right field to score Cruz to push the visitors lead to 6-2. The Stars tacked on three runs in the ninth against Schultz on a run-scoring double by Heether and a two-out, two-run single by Gemoll. Gamble went on to retire six of the next seven hitters he faced, including setting down the side in order in the ninth, to earn his fifth save of the season. The right-hander has gone 13 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run over his last six appearances. Taubenheim was charged with two runs on eight hits and grabbed his second win with Huntsville and his first since August 2 at West Tenn. Pena was charged with three runs on 10 hits over seven innings and suffered the loss to drop to 7-12. The right-hander is 0-2 with two no-decisions in four starts against the Stars this season. Heether doubled twice and singled twice and reached base in all five of his at-bats. He became the seventh Stars? hitter to collect four hits in a game this season and has hit safely in all seven games he has played in since joining the team. Every Huntsville hitter had at least one hit in a 17-hit attack, the most the Stars have mustered in a game since a season-best 20 against Montgomery on July 31. The series continues Wednesday afternoon with a doubleheader caused by Monday night?s rainout. The Stars will go with left-hander Josh Habel and right-hander Carlos Villanueva, while the Smokies will counter with right-hander Adam Bass and southpaw Clint Goocher. Coverage gets underway at 4:15 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: As noted in the game summary, every starter (outside of the pitcher) had at least one hit, with 6 of the 8 starters with at least 2 hits. Heether and Nelson with the big lines today, as Heether reaches in all five plate appearances. Nelson's 3 hits put him back to .300 (hooray!). Heether continues to hit the ball well, with 4 hits of his own, 2 of those being doubles. Taubenheim picks up his second win since his promotion. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: This game was a lot closer heading into the 8th. The Stars do a nice job producing 3 runs in both the 8th and 9th innings. Let's hope the Stars can get out of Tennessee before Stephen Drew re-discovers his stroke. www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_tenaax_1