colbyjack

ILuvDaBush, you're missing the point. Scarpetta was added to the 40-man roster because he had to be. His initial contract was voided because of his injury (a torn finger tendon sheath IIRC). Jeffress has a year to go before he HAS to be added IIRC, but the suggestion that he is added to the 40-man roster to avoid MiLB testing is a good one. It really has nothing to do with "protecting" your high ceiling arms.

Casey's right, Boggs' contract signed with the D-Rays had him going to the Hall as a D-Ray. MLB stepped in and decided that it was their call, not the players, which hat a player wears going into the HOF. NFL players don't go in for any specific team.

Just curious, is this an attempt to not buy a mini-van or an SUV? I may be in the same boat in the next few years, as our CRV is growing smaller and my wife and I have sworn never to own a mini-van, as convenient as they may be. Jamie, you had a Honda CRV, right? If you're not totally turned away from Hondas, get a Pilot. I have several friends that have one and they love it. I have also heard very positive things about the Subaru Tribeca. I'm a huge Subaru fan, as everyone I know that owns one loves it and plans to own one the rest of their lives. Don't buy a new Tribeca though, as I was recently told that they didn't have many, if any, changes to the new model year, so the way to go is to buy a newer used one. You can save a lot of $$$ in doing so.

Tuesday's AL Central tie-breaker still counts towards the regular season, but here is how the draft order stacks up with the season over (for the most part). The Brewers fit in nicely at #14, as one spot lower would mean they drop two spots given the compensation pick for unsigned '09 first rounder Matthew Purke. Plus, the Brewers can't lose their 2010 first rounder should they sign a Type A FA this offseason. 1. Nationals (.364) 2nd year in a row holding the first overall pick; only the Rays have done this before, in 2007-08 2. Pirates (.385) 3. Orioles (.395) 4. Royals (.401) 5. Indians (.401) 6. D-Backs (.432) 7. Mets (.432) 8. Astros (.457) 9. Padres (.463) 10. A's (.463) 11. Blue Jays (.463) 12. Reds (.481) 13. White Sox (.488) 14. Brewers (.494) 15. Rangers (unsigned '09 first rounder Matthew Purke) 16. Cubs (.516) 17. Rays (.519) 18. Mariners (.525) 19. Twins/Tigers (.528) 20. Braves (.531) 21. Tigers/Twins (.534) 22. Rangers (.537) 23. Marlins (.537) 24. Giants (.543) 25. Cardinals (.562) 26. Rockies (.568) 27. Phillies (.574) 28. Dodgers (.586) 29. Red Sox (.586) 30. Angels (.599) 31. Rays (unsigned '09 first rounder LeVon Washington) 32. Yankees (.636)

I agree with TLB, I don't see where the thread got personal LouisEly.

People are quick to point out Brantley's speed and on-base ability, which I'm definitely not scoffing at, but remember, he had (and still has) a serious deficiency in power and also had some serious question marks about his defense in centerfield. Which means he's still a 'tweener, although he has a lot more value to an organization like Cleveland that has an all-star CF like Sizemore which essentially offsets Brantley's lack of power in LF. Gimme LaPorta's power.

Cripes, we're getting hung up on the difference between A's and A+ and B's and B-'s. Close the freakin' thread. With all due respect, as one of the more vocal critics of the Power 50, I'm a little surprised that you're as thin-skinned as you are when you put your own grades out there for everyone to dissect.

Bucci has been the surprise to me. Personally, I'd like to see them push some of the younger guys a bit, as other teams have done. He's been quite impressive. Bucci has been the surprise to everyone. He's the biggest surprise, impact prospect since Taylor Green two years ago. And overall, the Brewers have had some positive progress with their pitchers over the last year. From Bucci to Wily Peralta to Mark Rogers to Mike Jones to Chris Capuano, the team has had some encouraging arms step up over the last year. Most of those stories are tied to their health, which may also tie in pitchers such as R.J. Seidel and even Amaury Rivas. Add in a Josh Butler, a John Axford and even patience paying off in the form of Evan Anundsen, and you suddenly have a much different look to the organization's pitching depth. I've been critical of the team's pitching prospects this year, but I am starting to come around. I still remain skeptical, since most of the talent at best is at least two years away, and in that time several of these arms are going to fall off the prospect map for one reason or another, but there are quite a few different names to point to at this point in time. And I hope more and more people will still hold Zach Braddock in high regard even if he doesn't profile as a starter moving forward. Clearly his value isn't as great coming out of the bullpen, but he's still a lefty with great stuff that has proved time and time again that he's incredibly tough to hit. Pitchers like Braddock, Axford, Omar Aguilar and even some combination of soft-tossers including Baron, Wooten and Fiers could help round out the bullpen internally moving forward. That's a pretty significant turn from where the team stood a year ago. Of course they have loaded up on arms each of the past two drafts, making the situation of one Jeremy Jeffress seem less crucial to the future of the franchise. Taking so many arms has come at the cost of drafting impact bats, although the team still has a few to look forward to. Even then, it places a greater organizational emphasis, and ability, to build around Braun, Fielder and Gallardo in the years to come.

I just want to point out that the MWL is 16 teams deep, so landing three prospects among the top 20 is a very good thing. I agree with battlekow's assessment that Peralta seems low, although that has more to do with my own opinion that he's a better prospect than Scarpetta, but otherwise it is encouraging to see so many high profile arms (Lasker in the AZL, Odorizzi, Arnett and Bucci in the Pioneer League, with the BA chat mentioning that Heckathorn would have been in Arnett's range had he pitched enough to qualify) making the lists in all three of the leagues that the Brewers have affiliates with that have been covered so far. And that probably will continue in the FSL with Rivas and Rogers if he qualifies (maybe Anundsen as well). This is probably my favorite BA feature of the year, as you really get a sense of how some of the Brewers top prospects stack up against other teams'.

My associate at Perfect Game, Allan Simpson, has scribed an incredible two-part story addressing, as he puts it, an uninspiring 2009 season, and a troubled overall state of the game. He adds several suggestions of how to change it, from top to bottom, doing so in the second part pointing to the NHL (not the more popular comparisons to the NFL and NBA). You may not agree with some of his points, but you have to give him a lot of credit for the amount of time and effort he put into this feature. Please take the time to read both of these from beginning to end: Part 1 Part 2

I'll be at Coors Field a week from today on Wednesday, September 30th. I'm taking the entire family, and am curious who else plans on being there. We'll be on the first level (I'm not sure what they call it there) on the 3rd base line/in left field.

Somewhat of a draft order update, as Tanner Scheppers signed today with the Rangers, as expected. I saw it reported earlier today that Aaron Crow is expected to sign with the Royals in the next day or two, meaning neither one will count towards compensatory picks in the first and supplement first rounds next June.

Here's to seeing one more Link Report beyond this one in 2009.... Boo-urns. Allow me to be the first to once again thank our esteemed link report artist, MassHaas, for another fine season keeping us all up to speed on the day-to-day events of the Brewers minor league affiliates, from Joan Abreu to Shawn Zarraga, and everyone (and everything) in between. Your dedication is truly unmatched. I just wish one of these affiliates would have gone a little further, not just for the link report to survive another day, but because you deserve it. I also need to say that the tone of your posts over the last week reminded me that you truly care for all of the Brewers affiliates, placing an importance on the teams as well as the players, which is something not too many people around here do. No one can question your desire to see this franchise win, from top to bottom. A tip of the cap to you my friend!

BA named Jason Heyward as their 2009 minor league players of the year, coming off of yet another huge season in which he finished the year at AAA. Now, I realize LaPorta was traded for Sabathia, a trade that I personally would make 10 times out of 10 since CC picked the entire team on his back and carried them to the postseason. However, how sweet would it be to have Heyward in the system right now? Since Melvin was adamant not giving up so many top prospects in the CC deal, you have to wonder if some other collection of talent could have been offered to land him. I only bring this up since LaPorta was a surprising pick in 2007, with many to most (myself included) hoping that Jason Heyward would be the team's pick at #7. How the guy fell to #14 still boggles my mind. I didn't bring up this topic again to re-visit the Sabathia trade, but to give Heyward, and those that religiously followed the 2007 draft, some props.

2B-**LAWRIE or FARRIS?** - I was really unsure what they'll do here. Doubt they send Lawrie back down, but they have to move Farris up, right? I'm not aware of Farris being able to play any other position. I'm not going to comment on your projections at this point in time (other than that I would be somewhat surprised to see Arnett skipped over low-A), but this is really going to be an interesting situation to follow into next spring. As you already noted, Lawrie can't go back down, right? And there's no way Farris doesn't move up, unless they bump him to AAA. The only other situation that I can think of with the two playing on the same team (with Lawrie sticking at 2B) is that Farris could move to SS to increase his value as a potential future utility player. He has played SS in the past, and while 2B is clearly his best position, increasing his versatility could be huge for both Farris and the Brewers, even if he's only asked to play there in a pinch moving forward. Unless the Brewers think they have Albert Pujols on their hands with Lawrie and have him open next year in Milwaukee... As someone else mentioned on another thread, how Schafer and Cain are handled at the AA level is also an interesting situation to follow. You have to believe the team would like to keep both in CF, and I'm guessing one is going to be in AAA to open the 2010 season. I wouldn't be surprised if that player were Schafer, even if he is a level behind Cain at this point in time. However, another big fall in Arizona could turn us all around once again.

I'm always glad no one got hurt in the playoffs, as stats don't even count. I'm shocked Helena is still playing as well. Not to pile on, but one could argue that none of the stats really count in the minors. Should prospects not participate in all-star games or the Arizona Fall League? Development requires the players to play the games, which of course puts them at risk of getting injured. You can't get better and magically ride the bench to the big leagues. As for Cutter Dykstra, I'm halfway between the points MTBrew and X ellence are arguing. On one hand, I agree with X that the tools are there for Cutter to succeed. But on the other hand, he has been a disappointment since being drafted. There have been some bright spots, as he did hit well at times last summer and finished strong this year, but for the son of a former MLB player that supposedly was more polished than the average Joe, he's a lot more like an average Joe based on the reports we've heard from both Helena and Appleton. He needs to have a good year with the T-Rats next year to put himself firmly back on the prospect map, otherwise he's going to be subject to a lot of scrutiny (if he isn't already).

Mike, you (and others) make a good case for Schafer, but you also made it sound as though I was hating on Schafer, which I wasn't. I just think Gindl's accomplishments in the power category, in that league that suppresses offense as much as it does, is very impressive, especially at his age. I really don't think there are any other pitchers in the conversation other than Anundsen and Rivas.

As good as Schafer and even Farris were at BC this year, it would be hard to give either one of them the nod over Gindl. I'm guessing Rivas and Anundsen will co-own the pitcher of the year award much like Gamel and Escobar did last season.

A bar by me that I frequent after Brewers games has Three Floyds' IPA on tap, and it is very, very tasty. I'll definitely be looking for their other labels, so thanks for the heads up.

Lagunitas A while back a friend had mentioned Lagunitas to me, and I recently found it at a bar on the East side (the Nomad). I found it again at Sendik's and have tried a few of their beers. I gotta say, I though they were just ok (I was anxious to try their IPA, and it certainly didn't reach out and grab me like my favorite IPA's do). I'm going to keep my eyes open for the other companies you mentioned. Some of the liquor stores by me do a really good job getting hard to find beers. I'm going to miss the American Beer Festival by a day, as I get into Denver on the 27th. Ando Calrissian, if you can, drive up to Fort Collins to check out these microbrews if you hadn't planned to do so already. New Belgium's brewery is really, really nice, and they have a few people that work there (or at least they did) that are from Wisconsin that are quick to talk Brewers and Wisconsin brews. Odell is making a new brewery to rival New Belgium's, but I think they just broke ground. They have a great line of beers, consistently better than New Belgium's (although I know we've had the discussion before that New Belgium beers are good, not great -- Odell pushes greatness).

razzzor, I'll send you a PM as well, but I have some bobbles from Beloit that I would be willing to trade. Let me know, thanks. Would anyone be willing to scan the magnet schedule? My summer schedule requires that I plan ahead, so I'm always anxious to see who plays when and where.

MTBrew, sorry, you can probably tell it takes me a while to circle back, although I do remember scanning the last thread and not remembering seeing your comments on Heckathorn and others. Too much Eric Farris debate taking place...http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. Anyway, thanks for your comments, they're always appreciated!

Braddock threw a grand total of 4 pitches tonight. In his last outing, which was 4 days before tonight, he threw 6 pitches. I guess it would be an extreme understatement to say they are being cautious with him. While this may be true, check out the game log. Braddock was brought in to get the Stars out of a jam, which he did, to give the team to tie or go ahead in the top of the ninth. If they are being cautious with him, they certainly did so in a pretty big in-game situation, and he very well may have brought back in the bottom of the 9th for all we know if things had gone better. Check out the BC game...they're making up for a few rainouts tonight.

I'm taking my family to Denver at the end of September, and yes, a trip to Coors Field to check out the Rockies vs. the Brewers has already been arranged. Any other suggestions? I have a 3-year old and a 4-month old, so I have trips to the zoo and science museum planned. I also am taking a day to head up to Fort Collins to check out the microbreweries there (again). The nights are mostly planned as I have some random family in the area. I was there last September and we visited Red Rocks and the Aquarium. We might do a trip to the mountains, but our 3-year old might be bored out of his mind by that. Any suggestions for sites to see or places to eat are greatly appreciated. We're staying by the old airport in the SE quadrant of the city (by Englewood). Thanks in advance!

Hopefully Cutter Dykstra's, and even Cameron Garfield's, late season surge will carry into next year, and Kentrail Davis should be a nice boost as well, although I know we thought the same thing about Brett Lawrie, who of course didn't debut until opening day this year with Wisconsin, and he alone couldn't carry the offense. I do think the pitching staff could be very good, but I agree that the lineup looks as though it will struggle to score runs. The Brewers definitely need to do a better job finding the late-round Kenny Holmberg's and Tony Festa's of the world that can help solidify the lineups at the lower levels, although it sounds as though the coaching staff at Helena may have some issues as well. At first my response is that the focus on pitchers hurt the lineups at both Helena and Wisconsin this past year, but the Brewers still had quite a few intriguing bats mixed in the early rounds the last two years. Injuries to Jose Duran and Erik Komatsu haven't helped, and you would think that 2nd rounder Max Walla would be more polished than what he showed in AZ. Logan Schafer and Brett Lawrie appear to be fast-tracked, and Kentrail Davis will probably join them. Khris Davis and D'Vontrey Richardson get forgotten about when talking about options to help reinforce the lineups at either Wisconsin or Helena. MTBrew, I mentioned this in a thread a few nights ago (and if you replied to it I apologize for missing it), but have you seen Heckathorn throw yet? If so, what did you think?