colbyjack

Who would have guessed in April that the Power would be the only affliliate in the postseason, and playing for championship. Who would have guessed at midseason that the Power would have even made the playoffs? Their second half turnaround from top to bottom was very impressive. Congrats to the Power. There's been a lot of talk of both sides moving on from their current relationship, but I have really enjoyed following this team the past several years and hopefully their 2nd half surge (yes, pun intended) continues.

Brewers need wins. Giving CC fewer starts (if games are rained out later) is not a way to get more W's. Exactly. Don't try to get cute putting together the most ideal matchups. Just try to win as many games as possible with your best players on the field. I talked about this last night with a buddy of mine, but as of right now, CC will pitch the last game of the season against the Cubs the way the schedule/rotation stacks up right now, meaning he gets more starts than anyone else (at least since he was acquired). And that could mean Sheets is working on a day or two of extra rest come playoff time.

I just want to point out that all Mass said was that there was a chance Adams could skip low-A, which certainly is possible given his relative polish and age. I'm guessing he at least opens '09 at low-A since he finished this year at Helena, as the Brewers typically bump their players up one level at a time, but I'm guessing he'll be one of the first bumped up to BC if that happens, and you never know where the organization will place him should he have a strong camp next spring, not to mention the instructional camp this fall. I know I've mentioned this before, but one scout I talked to this summer who works the Midwest really likes/liked Adams arm (he really liked Odorizzi as well), and felt he was a steal where the Brewers got him (he was better his sophomore year, and could have been a first round pick had he replicated that success).

No suggestions on the area since I've never been near there (although I know there are some beautiful national parks in that area), but make sure you let the Helena staff know if you go. I know they have expressed interest in meeting Brewerfan.net folks in the past, and their radio announcer (Steve Wendt) seems like a pretty cool guy. Depending on where Lawrie debuts, you might have a chance to see him in Helena since the Brewers typically are a little more conservative with their initial placements (especially if they intend to groom him as a catcher).

While he hasn't hit very well in recent years, he has always been much better vs. RHPs as a LH hitter, which would seem to fill the void at 3B in a platoon situation since Branyan went down. Having a proven, "professional" type hitter like Lamb come off the bench certainly doesn't seem like a bad thing, and of course Melvin has had some reclammation-project type success with former Rangers.

Gimmie all your Lovin' and Girlfriend are two great rockin' recommendations given the context. Hootie has no clue what jammin' means (but he's pretty good on Sesame Street) http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. Here are a few I can think of: Beginnings - Chicago Dance the Night Away - Van Halen (this is also a song played during Brewers radio games leading in from commercial breaks) Bad Time - Grand Funk Railroad (a more playful Love Jam)

There has been a lengthy Gallardo discussion here: http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?t=13662

PG Crosschecker and Baseball America have started to post their top prospect lists for all of the summer leagues. I'm going to include the link to PGCC's coverage since they go deeper in almost every league. I handled the Northwoods League again this year, with Missouri OF Aaron Senne getting top honors. http://www.pgcrosschecker...pects/summer_leagues.aspx This link shows the top prospect from every league, with the additional links eventually providing the scouting reports to the top 10, 25 and even 100 (Cape Cod League) prospects for all of the summer leagues out there.

I respect MTBrew's opinion on the rankings, since he obviously had a chance to see guys like Dykstra and Komatsu play this year, and had some troubling things to say about pretty much the entire Helena team, which I hope is more of a reflection of a young and inexperienced coaching staff than a collection of players that need a giant kick in the rear-end. Dykstra has a ton of tools and is one heck of an athlete, and it is also important to note that he is somewhat new to playing the OF on a regular basis, and I think someone (battlekow?) has noted that he may move back to the IF to be tried at 2b in instructional camp. Although it was difficult to watch him finish the season so poorly, although with so few ABs, a bad mini-slump can cause any player's numbers to tumble in a hurry. Komatsu has incredible bat speed and obviously knows how to hit, but is on the shorter side which limits his upside which is where the Gindl comparison comes in. That has nothing to do with character, although I'm glad to hear both you and wvpowerblkwl praise Gindl for his work ethic and intangibles. As for Lawrie falling, battlekow already noted that he's someone without a position, which never helps, and it also doesn't help that he's from Canada, as scouts had to do their homework to see this guy play regularly. Plus, good, talented players fall further than they should in the draft all the time for reasons a lot more difficult to explain than the usual financial reservations. At this time last year (and even today) people were wondering how Tim Alderson fell to the 22nd overall pick in the '07 draft.

I agree, I thought Farris would tear up WV. But I think Louis is just pointing out that finishing just below .300 is pretty impressive considering he was hitting right around .200 for far too long. Farris is never going to have much power, but you're right in that his plate discipline should be further along for a player with his background.

Nice to see co-winners of the player of the year award. They're both deserving, and I'm sure some may make a case for a third. The pitcher of the year award is much tougher, because no one in the system stood out, at least not statistically. I hope I'm not spoiling anything, but Omar Aguilar could have been a legitimate candidate for this award given his success over two levels. He has steadily progressed through the Brewers system, and put up some very encouraging numbers this year while tossing quite a few innings (63.2) for a closer, even though he did pitch multiple innings more than big-league closers do. Plus, he finished the year incredibly strong, giving up only one earned run over the last month of the season. Tough year to choose though. Here's hoping the herd of arms the team drafted this past June will make this award more interesting/exciting at this time next year.

I just want to point out that the P50 isn't a hot list. Just because Gamel had a slow last couple of months doesn't mean he slides out of the #1 spot, and it also doesn't mean he's a horrible prospect. The errors were still high, but they still were down from last year, and that is what the minors are all about: Getting better from one year to the next, which no prospect in the Brewers system has done as well as Gamel has since joining the organization. FYI, it's Lucroy, not LuCroy.

The T-Rats announced their '09 schedule a couple of days ago for those looking to get a jump on season tickets: http://web.minorleaguebas.../28/KP9wsTbr.jpg?sid=t572

Definitely thanks for sharing lexi. I would like to pretend I'm surprised, but the writing was on the wall as soon as he got bumped to Nashville. I wonder though if you meant he will be with Milwaukee, as they will be in Pittsburgh tomorrow. I'm guessing in Milwaukee is the right call, since rosters don't technically expand until Monday.

Tanner Scheppers, who was a 2nd round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates and could have gone in the top 10 picks overall in last June's draft had it not been for an arm injury that shut him down, has decided not to return to Fresno State and instead will rehab and pitch in an independent league next spring: http://www.fresnobee.com/...ulldogs/story/827773.html The story reveals that the Pirates offered $800k, but Scheppers wanted $1.2M. Scheppers as well as Aaron Crow will add two incredibly talented arms to what looks like an already pitching heavy draft in '09, at least from the college side. Relief pitcher Scott Bittle, who the Yankees were unable to sign, is returning to Ole Miss after an incredible junior year, and adds yet another intriguing arm to the '09 draft crop.

Yeah, $500 isn't bad at all for re-finishing a floor of that size. And matching color/quality of an existing wood grain/treatment is no easy task.

Wow, that is impressive http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

I wasn't trying to suggest that Brantley is a "replacement" like Cain is just offering a possible reason as to why his name isn't listed on the roster at this point in time. If it is simply an error, than so be it, but I wouldn't doubt if it is due to a paperwork formality.

From Mass above: Again, this scenario makes the most sense to me, as I don't think the Brewers bumped Gamel up to AAA just to get his feet wet in preparation for '09. He'll be in Milwaukee by early next week, and Brantley will take his place in the AFL.

Scott Boras working his magic once again: http://www.baseballameric...aft/news/2008/266761.html And here I just gave the Pirates props for getting Alvarez in the fold. Poor Buccos...hopefully this drama will be resolved quickly.

If the 2008 Brewers win the World Series, therefore becoming without a doubt the best team in the history of the franchise, 26 years from now we can still talk about it incessantly while obsessing about the team's current uniforms, which the team of the future of course will wear on Friday nights while handing out bobblehead dolls of Ned Yost and Ted Simmons, making sure no one forgets about 1982.

Final: Great Falls 3, Helena 5 Helena Site Game Summary: Brewers Stay Hot The Helena Brewers won their fourth straight game Tuesday night as they beat the Great Falls Voyagers 5-3. Brewers starter Cody Adams went seven strong innings to pick up his fourth win on the season. Adams gave up eight hits but only one run while walking two and striking out six. John Delaney led the Brewers offensively, going 2-2 with two walks and a solo homerun in the seventh inning. Brock Kjeldgaard blasted his 14th homerun of the season and Erik Komatsu tripled in the contest. The Brewers managed just six hits in the game but pushed five runs across the plate. Adam Arnold earned his fifth save of the season in two-thirds of an inning. The Voyagers had nine hits on the night, led by Jesus Avila who went 2-4 including a double. Tyler Kuhn also doubled while teammate Johny Celis hit his fourth homerun on the season. Joshua Billeaud suffers the loss for Great Falls, his first on the season, as he gave up four hits and four runs in six innings of work. Helena improves to 31-35 while Great Falls fall to 32-34 overall. The teams square off again Wednesday in Helena. Helena Box Score: Brock Kjeldgaard continues his encouraging transition to the batter's box with a 2-run shot in the 1st to get the scoring started early for the H-Crew. John Delaney with the biggest night offensively, with a pair of hits (including a solo shot), runs and walks. As noted above, Cody Adams looks as though he's determined to finish the season strong in the K dep't with a solid overall effort. Santo Manzanillo made Toby proud tonight! http://web.minorleaguebas...008_08_26_grfrok_helrok_1 Helena Game Log: It's funny to see just how short Manzanillo's leash was in this game, as he records an out and follows that with a walk, a wild pitch, another walk, and he's gone. http://web.minorleaguebas...008_08_26_grfrok_helrok_1

Final: Jupiter 8, Brevard County 0 Brevard County Box Score: I swear, every time I help out with the link report duties, the 'Tees get 3-hit. Sorry everyone! There's really not much to talk about with this one, but if it makes anyone feel any better, Sean West is one of the Marlins better prospects... http://web.minorleaguebas...008_08_26_jupafa_breafa_1 Brevard County Game Log: http://web.minorleaguebas...008_08_26_jupafa_breafa_1

Final: Albuquerque 9, Nashville 8 Nashville Site Game Summary: http://www.nashvillesound...news/news.asp?newsId=2853 Sounds Come Up Short Against Isotopes, 9-8 NASHVILLE -- Nashville Sounds pitchers gave up seven walks that turned into six runs in a 9-8 loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes on Tuesday night at Greer Stadium. The Sounds mounted a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning after being down by four runs and had the tying runner on first base, but Vinny Rottino flew out to center field to end the game for Nashville. Sounds starter Chris Narveson (6-13) matched a season-high with nine strikeouts, but he also gave up a season-high eight runs and five walks in just 4 2/3 innings of work. All five batters that Narveson walked ended up scoring for the Isotopes. Nashville's bullpen almost turned in another spotless effort, but Luis Pena gave up a run after walking two batters and giving up a double in the ninth inning. Despite giving up a run tonight, the Sounds relief corps has only allowed two earned runs over the last 22 2/3 innings. Both teams came out of the gate strong including two runs for Albuquerque in the first inning. Narveson walked two straight batters before right fielder Brendan Katin misplayed a fly ball to load the bases. A passed ball scored Jai Miller from third base before Michael Ryan knocked a run-scoring double to right field to score Tagg Bozied. The two runs came off only one hit with one of the runs being unearned. The Sounds responded with a four-run rally in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Tony Gwynn led off with a double, and Chris Woodward and Joe Dillon took back-to-back walks before Katin made up for his error with a three-run homer, his 16th of the year, to right field on a 3-2 count off Isotopes starter Chris Seddon. Adam Heether and Mat Gamel then knocked back-to-back singles before Vinny Rottino brought Heether in to score on an RBI groundout to first. The single for Gamel was his first career Triple-A hit. Albuquerque narrowed the lead to one in the top of the third inning after Miller led off with an infield single, reached second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a fly ball, then finally scored on a groundout from Dallas McPherson. The Isotopes then took a four-run lead in the top of the fifth inning with a five-run rally off Narveson. Two walks led to an RBI double from McPherson before Ryan belted a three-run shot over the center field wall off Narveson. The longball was Ryan's sixth of the season, and Sounds reliever Nic Ungs came in for Narveson after he allowed a walk to Chase Lambin in the next at-bat. Ungs was unable to get out of the inherited jam, as Lee Mitchell hit an RBI double to center field to cap the scoring on the inning. Nashville got back on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning when Gamel and Rottino knocked back-to-back, two-out singles before Carlos Corporan added a third single off Isotopes reliever Steve Woodard to score Gamel from second base. Pinch-hitter Brad Nelson brought the tying run to the plate but was unable to keep the inning alive after he flied out to center field. Seddon (10-9) picked up the win for the Isotopes despite giving up four earned runs in five innings, and Brandon Villafuerte picked up his sixth save of the season after shutting down the Sounds rally in the ninth inning. Ungs and Joe Bateman combined to throw 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball for the Nashville bullpen before handing the ball over to Pena in the ninth inning. The teams will continue the series on Wednesday afternoon with a 12:00 p.m. matinee at Greer Stadium. Lefty Troy Cate (2-3, 5.53) will start for the Sounds against right-hander Tim Corcoran (0-0, 4.50) for the Isotopes. AUDIO: Mat Gamel Two-Run Single: http://www.nashvillesound...2008/Highlight%208-26.mp3 Nashville Box Score: As noted above, Gamel shows up big with a 3-hit game at the AAA level, along with 2 RBI, as Adam Heether also has a 3-hit night. Brendan Katin has the biggest hit, a 3-run shot in the 1st inning, while adding a sac fly later in the game giving him a 4 RBI evening. Although I must say I didn't realize Katin had as many errors this year as he did, committing his 10th in the OF tonight (Gwynn with his 6th!). If Gwynn wouldn't have been picked off of 2nd base after leading off the game with a double, Katin's dinger could have been a salami. http://web.minorleaguebas...008_08_26_albaaa_nasaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: The Sounds did their best to get back in this one late against a familiar face (Steve Woodard), thanks in part to Gamel's 2-run single in the 9th, but Narveson's troubles in the 5th were too much to overcome. http://web.minorleaguebas...008_08_26_albaaa_nasaaa_1

Stars, Mudcats Rained Out The first game of the scheduled doubleheader between the Stars and Carolina Mudcats Tuesday night was suspended by unplayable field conditions in the bottom half of the fourth inning. The Stars lead the game 4-1 and will come to bat to begin the home fourth when play resumes Wednesday at 5:05 pm central time. The game will be played to its' seven inning conclusion and will be followed by another seven inning contest. If both games get played, the teams will finish four of the scheduled five games in the series. The Mudcats magic number to clinch the second half North Division title remains at three, as second place Tennessee was also rained out Tuesday. Coverage on Wednesday will begin at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on Sports Radio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com.