TheCrew07

There haven't been many around baseball, I'm sure there's someone I'm just forgetting off the top of my head, but not a single pitcher in the Brewer organization has evaded TJ surgery with rehab. The Brewers have repeatedly tried this option with pitchers only to give up after 2-4 months and have the surgery anyway, which in the end cost the pitcher 2 seasons instead of 1. If the timing was right, like say in September, and it was a partial tear on the lower of the scale a pitcher could probably rehab it and be okay for the next season, you just don't see that combination of factors very much. Pitching injuries generally seem to be frontloaded on the season, I've always been kind of curious as to why that is.

I forgot something else, I've actually forgotten about it everyday since he first played, but Johnny Davis has the best walk up music ever. This is not safe for work, but bringing back old school gangsta rap for the walk up music is just straight up awesome. MH posted Chris' blog post with the walk up music but I missed it and was caught totally by surprise when he came to the plate. Ive been on an old school rap/hip-hop trip on the iPod ever since, thanks Johnny!

Sounds Drop Series Finale, 5-1 Nashville Concludes Road Trip With 3-5 Record Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/2/6/71611526/cuts/Nelson_Jimmy_taken_by_Mike_Strasinger_3cztte6f_0omddvao.JPG (MIKE STRASINGER ) DES MOINES, Iowa - Despite a quality start Thursday afternoon from Sounds starter Jimmy Nelson (1-1), the Nashville Sounds were on the losing side of 5-1 game against the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park. After cruising through five scoreless innings and finding a big double-play in the fourth, Nelson ran into trouble in the sixth inning. Shortstop Javier Baez provided the big hit for Iowa: a two-run home run over the 18-foot wall in right field. The homer scored Matt Szczur, who reached on an infield single to lead off the frame. Nelson followed the home run by giving Josh Vitters a free pass and surrendered his third run to Iowa on Chris Valaika's RBI-double to the left field wall. Nelson took the loss, his first, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings of work. He struck out six and walked three. First baseman Hunter Morris gave Nashville the initial 1-0 lead with his RBI single in the fourth inning, but the Sounds failed to score again, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The two-out drive into left-field scored Eugenio Velez, who reached base on a ground-rule double and stole third. Velez, two-for-three, has recorded a hit in each of his six starts this season, while Morris continues to contribute as well with hits in six of his last seven. Outfielder Elian Herrera provided two of Nashville's seven hits in the contest; both singles. He also swiped a pair of bases. Reliever Brad Mills pitched a scoreless seventh inning, before Michael Blazek entered in the eighth to allow Iowa their final two runs via two hits and two walks. I-Cubs right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks (1-1) scattered five Nashville hits over seven innings, allowing one run en route to his first victory of the season. The loss in the series finale concludes the Sounds' season-opening road trip, in which they went 3-5. The Sounds home opener, presented by PPG Porter Paints, is scheduled for Friday, April 11 at Greer Stadium against the reigning PCL Champion Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA-Royals). Nashville sends RHP Hiram Burgos (0-1, 6.23) to the hill opposite the Chasers LHP Danny Duffy (1-0, 3.00). Sounds broadcaster Jeff Hem has the call on 102.5-FM "The GAME". Nashville Boxscore Jimmy Nelson was very efficient through the first 3 innings but the game started to tilt on him in the 4th. I had just tuned in at the conclusion of the T-Rats game and that opposite field HR Baez hit was into a very stiff wind... it was an absolute blast, I have a feeling we're not going to like facing him much at the big league level. Micheal Blazek just didn't have it in his inning, he must have been leaving FBs up as he was inducing swings and misses but still getting hit hard. No prospects had a multi-hit day. Nashville Recap The Sounds had an opportunity to land a big punch out of the gate... Nashville Top of the 1st Elian Herrera singles on a ground ball to right fielder Brett Jackson. With Eugenio Velez batting, Elian Herrera steals (1) 2nd base. Eugenio Velez walks. Caleb Gindl grounds into a force out, third baseman Christian Villanueva to second baseman Arismendy Alcantara. Elian Herrera to 3rd. Eugenio Velez out at 2nd. Caleb Gindl to 1st. Robinzon Diaz grounds into a double play, pitcher Kyle Hendricks to shortstop Javier Baez to first baseman Chris Valaika. Caleb Gindl out at 2nd. Another double play killed the mini rally in the 6th. Nashville Top of the 6th Elian Herrera grounds out, second baseman Arismendy Alcantara to pitcher Kyle Hendricks. Eugenio Velez singles on a ground ball to shortstop Javier Baez. Caleb Gindl singles on a line drive to right fielder Brett Jackson. Eugenio Velez to 2nd. Robinzon Diaz grounds into a double play, shortstop Javier Baez to second baseman Arismendy Alcantara to first baseman Chris Valaika. Caleb Gindl out at 2nd. Nashville Gameday

Rattlers shutout West Michigan to win second straight game Pena & Coulter deliver RBI hits in ninth for 3-0 victory By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattler COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Thursday's game between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and West Michigan Whitecaps at Fifth Third Ballpark moved at a quick pace and the Rattlers had the finishing kick. Wisconsin scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to break a scoreless tie and pick up a 3-0 win over the Whitecaps. Jose Pena and Clint Coulter had the big hits for the Rattlers. Tristan Archer and Barrett Astin combined on the three-hit shutout. Archer tossed five scoreless innings as the starting pitcher and allowed just two hits while walking three and striking out four. But, West Michigan starter Chad Green also kept the Timber Rattlers off the scoreboard. Francisco Castillo singled with one out in the first inning. Then, Green retired the next 14 batters he faced. The Rattlers (4-3) almost got to Green in the top of the seventh. Pena singled with two outs. Coulter was next and he lined a deep drive to left-center. The ball hit on the warning track and bounce over the wall for a ground rule double. Pena, who would have scored easily, was sent back to third base. Then, Green got the final out of the seventh inning to keep the game scoreless. The Rattlers broke through against the West Michigan bullpen in the ninth. Francisco Castillo started the frame with a single. One out later, Taylor Brennan reached on an error and that chased reliever Matt Davenport. The Whitecaps (3-4) brought in closer Montreal Robertson to face Pena with the game on the line. Pena dropped the first pitch from Robertson down the line in left for a double to score Castillo with the game's first run. Coulter followed with a line drive double down the line in left on the very next pitch to score Brennan and pinch runner Michael Ratterree. The knock by Coulter put the Rattlers up 3-0. Astin, who came on in the bottom of the sixth to relieve Archer, tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the Caps. Astin allowed one hit and struck out three over his four scoreless inning to earn his second win of the season. The victory was the second straight for the Rattlers, who are 2-1 in the first three games of their current six-game road swing. Wisconsin continues their road trip with a three-game series at South Bend. Game one of the set with the Silver Hawks at Four Winds Field is Friday night. The Timber Rattlers send Victor Diaz (0-0, 3.00) to the mound as their scheduled starting pitcher. The Hawks plan to counter with Adam Miller (1-0, 0.00). Game time is 6:35pm CDT. Catch the action on AM1280, WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. WP: Barrett Astin (2-0) LP: Matt Davenport (0-1) TIME: 2:01 ATTN: 1,931 Wisconsin Boxscore I really like this team, what a victory this was. Tristan Archer walked too many batters, but the overall pitching line from the game was excellent with just 6 baserunners in 9 innings. Barrett Astin has had a nice start to the season, he's yet to walk a batter and has struck out 7 in his first 9 innings. Francisco Castillo, Jose Pena, and Clint Coulter, all had multi-hit games. Pena (1), Angel Ortega (1), and Coulter (2) provided the XBHs, all were doubles. To cap it off the team played excellent defense with no errors and turning 3 double plays. So I'm not sure how discuss this topic, but it's been on my mind all season as Chris has been regularly talking about it. The T-Rats aren't exactly knocking the cover off the ball thus far, and part of that course has been the pitching they've faced, and to come away with a series win against the Whitecaps was huge. However there has been at least 1 bunt single in every game, that in itself isn't an issue, every player should know how to bunt and handle the fundamentals of the game and they need to generate offense somehow, but when the Rattlers are only getting 5-6 hits per game that's a significant portion of the actual offensive production. The problem I have is that since it's kind of a focus for Garcia, Davis, and Castillo, the production won't translate as the hitters move up the chain towards MLB. Even for special runners which 2 of those guys are, can they really speed their way into a MLB career in the modern era of baseball? I look at a guy like Hamilton who wasn't bunting even with his speed, he was swinging away, and focusing on becoming a hitter instead of focusing on using his speed. In A ball the "bunt your way on philosophy" can bump up a player's average and OBP enough to make it worthwhile, maybe even through A+, but is it really going to help the player on a regular basis once they get to AA, AAA, or MLB? How well will it translate moving forward? I hope everyone understands what I'm getting at, I'm not trying to belittle the talent or skill it takes to bunt for a hit or Erickson trying to manufacture baserunners and victories, I'm just not sure that production will translate as the players advance through the system. I guess maybe the best way to say this is that I'm offering a word of caution when evaluating some of the guys on this WI roster. Wisconsin Recap Good work all the way around here on the inning ending double play. West Michigan Bottom of the 3rd Harold Castro walks. Curt Powell grounds out, third baseman Steven Halcomb to shortstop Angel Ortega to first baseman David Denson. Harold Castro to 2nd. Javier Betancourt walks. Raph Rhymes strikes out swinging and Javier Betancourt caught stealing 2nd, catcher Clint Coulter to first baseman David Denson to third baseman Steven Halcomb to second baseman Francisco Castillo to pitcher Tristan Archer to second baseman Francisco Castillo. The T-Rats should have broken through in the 7th, the Ground Rule Double cost them a run. Wisconsin Top of the 7th David Denson grounds out, shortstop Javier Betancourt to first baseman Dominic Ficociello. Taylor Smith-Brennan strikes out swinging. Jose Pena singles on a line drive to left fielder Raph Rhymes. Clint Coulter hits a ground-rule double (2) on a line drive to left-center field. Jose Pena to 3rd. Steven Halcomb grounds out, third baseman Brett Harrison to first baseman Dominic Ficociello. What a 9th inning against one of the strongest arms in all of A ball. Wisconsin Top of the 9th Francisco Castillo singles on a fly ball to center fielder Tyler Gibson. David Denson lines out to center fielder Tyler Gibson. Taylor Smith-Brennan reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Dominic Ficociello. Francisco Castillo to 2nd. Pitching Change: Montreal Robertson replaces Matt Davenport. Jose Pena doubles (1) on a line drive to left fielder Raph Rhymes. Francisco Castillo scores. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 3rd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-runner Michael Ratterree replaces Jose Pena. Clint Coulter doubles (3) on a line drive to left fielder Raph Rhymes. Taylor Smith-Brennan scores. Michael Ratterree scores. Steven Halcomb singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Montreal Robertson. Clint Coulter to 3rd. Angel Ortega grounds into a double play, shortstop Javier Betancourt to first baseman Dominic Ficociello. Steven Halcomb out at 2nd. Wisconsin Gameday

I'll just say that whatever strategy involves only pitching a promising young pitcher in a blowout loss is friggen dumb. If he's not getting regular bullpen work how's going to improve as a pitcher? Side sessions with the pitching coach? Are they even doing that? Toss the kid out there and let's see what he can do, is 1 inning really going to torpedo every possible Brewer's victory? Because he's a rookie, and hasn't pitched above A ball, he's destined to fail? Even the Twins pitched Santana enough to get him 86 innings over 30 games (5 starts) in 2000. If he's on the roster you have to use him to keep progressing as a player, it's really that simple. I'm sure Wang is fine being on a MLB roster and all of the perks that come with it, but if you don't use you him then you are essentially blowing a year of his service time for nothing, and the roster is already short handed as is. If Milwaukee isn't going to use him then they have no trade leverage at all. Pittsburgh knows that the Brewers keeping him around is handicapping the roster and they also know that they can get him back for basically nothing. The Pirates can demand whatever they want in trade and it would likely be more than the Brewers would or should give up for a rule V pickup. Pitt is absolutely loaded with talent up and down their minor league chain, they don't need him anywhere near as much as the Brewers do who are short on impact pitching, the Pirates are holding all the cards here. The Brewers should have learned something from the way they handled the Enrique Cruz situation.

Six-run third propels Rattlers to win Rattlers beat Whitecaps 6-1 By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers received three clutch two-out hits in the third inning on Wednesday night and three pitchers made the big inning more than enough. The Rattlers beat the West Michigan Whitecaps 6-1 at Fifth Third Ballpark. Wisconsin (3-3) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning. Two walks and a hit batsman by West Michigan starting pitcher Kevin Ziomek put a Rattler on every base. Ziomek got out of the frame with a strikeout and a popup. West Michigan (3-3) took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Dominic Ficociello came to the plate with runners at first and third with one out in the bottom of the first inning and smacked a single to drive in a run for a 1-0 lead. The Rattlers, who went 1-for-15 and stranded 12 runners in Tuesday's loss to the Whitecaps, looked like they might let another chance go by in the third inning. Omar Garcia walked and Chris McFarland singled to start the inning with runners on first and second. But, they were just on second and third with two outs. Clint Coulter battled from a 1-2 count, fouled off three two-strike pitches, and drew a walk to load the bases. Jose Pena made the work pay off with a sharp single to left that drove in Garcia and McFarland and put the Rattlers up 2-1. West Michigan starting pitcher Kevin Ziomek walked David Denson to reload the bases and was replaced by reliever Jon Maciel. Rafael Neda greeted Maciel with a two-run single and Omar Garcia followed with a two-run double to put the Rattlers up 6-1. Wisconsin starting pitcher Tyler Alexander struggled to get through the first inning, but only allowed one hit and retired the final eight batters he faced before leaving the game with 70 pitches in four inning. He struck out five to set a single game high as a professional. Taylor Williams took over for Alexander in the bottom of the fifth and pitched four scoreless innings. Trevor Seidenberger pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game. The final game of the three game set at Fifth Third Ballpark is scheduled for Wednesday. Tristan Archer (0-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. West Michigan will counter with Chad Green (0-0, 9.00). First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am CDT. Tune in for the broadcast starting with the pregame show at 10:40 am. Wednesday's game is also available on IHeartRadio and MiLB.tv. WP: Taylor Williams (1-0) LP: Kevin Ziomek (0-1) TIME: 2:39 ATTN: 1,693 Wisconsin Boxscore Tyler Alexander started this game much the same way he finished his first appearance. However once the T-Rats put up that 6 run 3rd Mehring must have mentioned 4 or 5 times over the remainder of the game how different Alexander was pitching with the big cushion. Taylor Williams was on his game again, allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk in his 4 innings. The offense had a nice day early against last year's 2nd round pick for Detroit Kevin Ziomek though the party really started after Jonathan Maciel came into the bases loaded jam and allowed all of his inherited runners to score. Unfortunately after the early outburst the T-Rats only had 2 baserunners the rest of the game on Angel Ortega's bunt single and Jose Pena's walk. WI managed just 5 hits in the game and Ortega had the only multi-hit effort, though the Rattlers did take 7 total free passes as a team, including an impressive 9 pitch AB from Clint Coulter talked about above. Wisconsin Recap The T-Rats could have gotten out to a quick start with bases loaded and 1 out but couldn't make it happen, they didn't even get a ball into play in fair territory. Wisconsin Top of the 1st Omar Garcia called out on strikes. Christopher McFarland walks. Michael Ratterree walks. Christopher McFarland to 2nd. Taylor Smith-Brennan hit by pitch. Christopher McFarland to 3rd. Michael Ratterree to 2nd. Clint Coulter strikes out swinging. Jose Pena pops out to first baseman Dominic Ficociello in foul territory. Wisconsin Gameday

Not sure what you mean, many sites pegged him as a sleeper to watch. He was a college reliever converted to starter, who struggled in Helena that first year, so he's going to be a wait and see guy for many prospect watchers, but his name is consistently out there. He also gets a ton of love on this forum, I talked about and broke him down in great detail over the course of last season.

Sounds Roughed Up In Iowa, Lose 6-1 Infielder Taylor Green Goes Yard To Record Nashville's Only Run Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/9/8/71491198/cuts/Molleken_Dustin_taken_by_Mike_Strasinger_x7hxf9bv_hvobater.jpg (MIKE STRASINGER) DES MOINES, Iowa - The Nashville Sounds failed to keep up with the Iowa Cubs Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park, losing by a 6-1 margin: the team's largest deficit of the season. Tied 1-1, the I-Cubs took control of the game by scoring two runs off Sounds starter Johnny Hellweg (1-1) in the fifth inning. The 6-foot-9 hurler surrendered a wild pitch to score Arismendy Alcantara, who reached base on balls and moved to third on Javier Baez's double over a leaping Kevin Mattison in centerfield. Iowa's first baseman Chris Coghlan drove a fly ball to right field for the sacrifice to score Baez and put the Cubs up 3-1. Hellweg took the loss, his first, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks over five innings of work. He fanned a total of five I-Cubs before reliever Alfredo Figaro started the sixth inning by allowing Brett Jackson a lead-off home run. Figaro remained in the game and was touched for a two-run homer in the seventh inning off the bat of Josh Vitters. The dinger scored Baez, 2-for-4, who singled into right-field earlier in the frame. Dustin Molleken finished up for the Sounds by striking out the side in the eighth. Nashville scored their only run in the second inning when Taylor Green, 2-for-3, lifted a solo home run over the right-center field wall. Green's two-out bomb is his first and the team's fifth of the young season. I-Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Pimentel (1-1) helped his own cause in the home half of the second inning, slapping a two-out single through the infield to drive home Coghlan and level the game. Pimentel held Sounds batters to three hits en route to his first win of the season, collecting 10 strikeouts along the way. Iowa pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts on the day, the most allowed by Sounds batters this season. Sounds outfielder Eugenio Velez entered as a pinch hitter for Hellweg in the sixth inning and failed to record a hit for the first time at the Triple-A level since August 11, 2013. The utility man ended last season on a 22-game hit streak and began his 2014 campaign with hits in five consecutive games. Hunter Morris, 0-for-4, also saw his five-game streak end today. The Sounds conclude their season-opening road trip on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. in Iowa. Nashville sends RHP Jimmy Nelson (1-0, 1.50) to the hill opposite the I-Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 11.57). Sounds broadcaster Jeff Hem has the call on 102.5-FM "The GAME". The Sounds home opener, presented by PPG Porter Paints, is scheduled for Friday, April 11 at Greer Stadium against the reigning PCL Champion Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA-Royals). Nashville Boxscore Johnny Hellweg didn't have a great day walking 4 and uncorking a WP in just 5 innings, he threw 49 of 87 pitches for strikes (56.3%). His walk rate continues to be the primary reason I think he's a reliever at the next level. Alfredo Figaro had a day he'd like back as well. Nashville Recap With just 5 hits and 1 walk there isn't much to see here. Nashville Gameday

I figured you were coming with that NPR piece as it was on quite a few blogs last summer and read like the oft repeated argument, but it didn't really cover the what the procedure really is. You are making a conspiracy out of something where one doesn't exist. The surgical procedure is the same for any ligament replacement and I don't see how extending any player's career in any sport is cheating... elbow, knee, ankle, or otherwise. The "medical" article you linked is behind a login so I don't have any context, or event the qualifications of the author, however the quote you used is clearly spinning the data to a predetermined conclusion. Most patients who have TJ surgery and tried to pitch through it experience velocity loss and poor performance prior to the surgery, so of course post surgery you would hope they would return to their pre-injury form. If the athlete doesn't say anything poor performance and unusual body language is generally the best indicator that something is wrong. Many high school athletes won't even be honest about their injuries because they just want to play, it's common through all levels of sport. Based on what you posted I have no idea if they considered just the year prior and following the surgery, or the entire sum total of the player's career. I would guess the former because any legitimate medical study on the subject disagrees with the slanted NPR opinion piece you chose to frame your argument around. Which is there difference here, this particular opinion wasn't based on medical fact, rather people hear stories about crazy parents suggesting their kids have a "preemptive TJ" and the true facts about anatomy, surgery, and rehab options get left behind. I can appreciate someone trying to draw a correlation between "enhancing one's body medically" and PEDs, but the problem with the argument starts with the notion that athletes who under go tendon repairs are being augmented physically. In truth they are temporarily being returned to their natural state. A pitcher may temporarily pickup a MPH or 2 over their previous max, but again without knowing how long the pitcher was actually pitching hurt that could just be the difference in pitching pain free. We may see a day when genetic engineering plays a role in enhancing athletes but that's a far cry from tying a ligament back to the bone or repairing a tear. Are we going to start calling athletes who had pins inserted into their broken bones cheaters as well? What about someone with an artificial joint, like in the hip? That's an actual augmentation... It's just a highly flawed comparison with little tangible fact to back it up.

I know it's been a bit en vogue to hate on Morris but if you take the 8 minutes to listen to that interview you will be better off for it.

Rattlers miss opportunities and fall in West Michigan Wisconsin strands 12 in 3-2 loss to Whitecaps By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had many opportunities to score on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark against the West Michigan Whitecaps. But, the Rattlers could not get the hit to break the game in their favor as the Caps picked up a 3-2 victory in their home opener. The teams traded runs in the first inning. Omar Garcia singled, stole second, and took third on a throwing error in the Rattlers half of the inning. Michael Ratterree drove in Garcia with a sacrifice fly. The Whitecaps (3-2) answered with a run in the bottom of the first. They had runners at first and third with two outs. Ben Verlander lined a single through the middle of the diamond to drive in the tying run. West Michigan starting pitcher Jeff Thompson struck out six and pitched around three walks to keep the Rattlers off the scoreboard for the rest of his 3-1/3 innings. Rattlers starter Zach Quintana also kept the Whitecaps off the scoreboard for the rest of his start. Quintana allowed four hits over four innings and left with a the score still even. Garcia doubled, his third hit of the game, to start the top of the fifth off reliever Julio Felix. Then, Ratterree drew a walk to put two on with no outs. But, Felix escaped with a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play. Tyler Linehan came on to pitch for the Rattlers (2-3) in the bottom of the sixth and got into trouble with one out. An error, an infield single, and a walk loaded the bases. Dominic Ficociello drove in the go ahead run with a single to center. Verlander made the score 3-1 in favor of West Michigan with a sacrifice fly. The Rattlers put the first two runners on base again in the top of the seventh inning. But, a strikeout, a caught stealing, and a ground out to third prevented Wisconsin from scoring in the seventh. West Michigan held a 3-1 lead heading to the ninth inning when they brought hard-throwing Montreal Robertson in to close the game. Chris McFarland started the inning with an infield single. A four-pitch walk to Angel Ortega put the tying runs aboard. Johnny Davis was next and he tried to bunt both runners into scoring position. Davis wound up beating the throw to first base for a hit and the Rattlers had the bases loaded with no outs and their 2-3-4 hitters coming to the plate. Robertson got Garcia to send a weak grounder back to the mound and threw to the plate to force McFarland for the first out. Ratterree coaxed a walk on a 3-2 pitch for drive in Ortega and cut West Michigan's lead to one run. Taylor Brennan popped up an 0-2 pitch to third for the second out. Robertson got the final out by getting Clint Coulter to ground into a force play at second base. Wisconsin stranded twelve runners in the game. They went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The only hit the Rattlers had with runners in scoring position in the game was the bunt single by Davis in the ninth. Game two of the series is set for Wednesday evening. Lefty Tyler Alexander is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. West Michigan's Kevin Ziomek is set to go for the Whitecaps. Game time is 5:35pm CDT. Tune into the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starting with the pregame show at 5:15pm. Wednesday's game is available on IHeartRadio and MiLB.tv. WP: Julio Felix (1-0) LP: Tyler Linehan (0-1) SAVE: Montreal Robertson (2) TIME: 2:49 ATTN: 7,128 Wisconsin Boxscore Zach Quintana struggled a bit in the first, he was hitting 92-93 on the stadium gun, otherwise it was a real nice debut in A ball. This West Michigan team is loaded with high draft pick pitching so it will be a good test for the youngsters out of the gate. I was disappointed in the 9th, Robertson hit 97 on the gun but wasn't throwing strikes, it was like once the bases were loaded the hitting approaches changed, with the exception of Ratterree who drew the walk to make it a 1 run game. Wisconsin Recap An incredibly busy recap, the only time the T-Rats went down 1-2-3 was the 8th. Wisconsin Gamday I know the 9 after 9 is quite a bit of work for Chris, but I hope that feature returns as we settle into the season.

With the exception of Haniger's slow start the early returns on this season have been everything I would have hoped for up and down the chain.

Sounds Burn I-Cubs With Fiers; Win 4-1 Fiers Earns Win With Sharp Debut Start Featuring 9 Strikeouts Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/0/2/2/71416022/cuts/Fiers_Mike_taken_by_Mike_Strasinger_9yotegio_zvpkrx31.jpg DES MOINES, Iowa - The Nashville Sounds bested the Iowa Cubs Tuesday night at Principal Park, riding Mike Fiers' impressive season debut and Eugenio Velez's hot streak to a 4-1 victory. Fiers (1-0) dominated the I-Cubs in his first start of the season, limiting the home team to one run on three hits over six innings of work to pick up his first win. The 28-year-old retired a stretch of 12 consecutive batters in the contest and collected nine strikeouts. Seven of his nine strikeouts on the night came in succession, which was one shy of the Pacific Coast League record of eight consecutive strikeouts set by John Montefusco in 1974 and Vean Gregg in 2010. Fiers delivered 78 pitches with 54 going for strikes. Donovan Hand took over in the seventh and eighth innings, and was followed by closer Rob Wooten, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his PCL-leading third save of the young season. The three combined for 13 strikeouts and did not surrender a walk. Offensively, outfielder Eugenio Velez continued his hot start to the season by roping a two-run double to the left-field corner to give the Sounds an early 2-0 advantage in the third inning. The hit scored Elian Herrera and Pete Orr, who both recorded two-out singles. Up 2-1 in the sixth, the Sounds regained a two-run advantage on Kevin Mattison's sacrifice-fly that scored catcher Robinzon Diaz from third base. Diaz initially reached base on a Javier Baez throwing error and moved to third when Hunter Morris crushed a double into right field. Velez, two-for-four, scored the Sounds' final run of the contest in the eighth inning after stealing third base. Both Morris and Velez increased their team-leading hit streaks to five games. Velez, who has a hit in each of his five starts, concluded the 2013 season on a 23-game hit streak. Iowa lefty Chris Rusin (0-2) was charged the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven Nashville hits. Eli Whiteside scored the Cubs' only run in the fifth inning with his RBI single. The Sounds play game three of their four-game set with Iowa on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. Nashville sends reigning PCL Pitcher of the Year Johnny Hellweg (1-0, 3.38) to the hill opposite the I-Cubs RHP Carlos Pimentel (0-1, 7.20). Sounds broadcaster Jeff Hem has the call on 102.5-FM "The GAME". Nashville Boxscore Donovan Hand committed the Sounds only error, which is basically the only thing not mentioned by the game story, and of course that doesn't in any diminish what he did on the mound. Mike Fiers return to game action was nothing less than we should have expected, he still has a big league future. The Brewers really need to let some of the older relievers go after this year because we literally have a plethora of relief options down through A+ that need to be allowed to develop. Nashville Recap Nashville Gameday

You are right. Forgot about that.... OK, scratch Estrada off the list, but Peralta & Gallardo were Brewers developmented pitchers That's whole problem, you can't develop 1 legitimate starting pitcher every 6-7 years and get over the top. While I like Peralta, he has to take a huge step forward to pitch at the level Gallardo did when he came up (at a much younger age). I've gone through and posted draft by draft analysis of impact talent in the past and don't want to recreate that time and effort here, but if you just think about the simple math... The Brewers control a player for 6+ years before FA, so depending on possible extensions you're talking a small overlap like we had from Sheets to Gallardo and now Gallardo to Peralta (hopefully). Essentially all you're doing is replacing the 1 pitcher you originally had. We need to introduce a #3 or better every other year at worst to maintain a top flight MLB rotation from within.

Unless you have a source which you can link to I think you need to revisit that statement. I haven't read up on TJ surgery in a couple of years but a temporary 1-2 MPH increase is not dramatic nor unnatural. It's the difference between a tight tendon and tendon which has been loosened up or someone who was holding back because his arm was that sore prior to surgery. Furthermore how is TJ surgery any different than ACL reconstruction surgery? Finally completely torn tendons do not properly heal, there's no mechanism in the body to affix them back to the bone or naturally tie them back together. Not to mention it takes an incredibly long time for partial tears to heal because there is very little blood flow through our joints. So again, provide a link and some evidence to back up your statements, everything I've posted can be found through simple google searches. This article probably sums it up best: Tommy John surgery–fact and fiction P.S. - I understand your larger point about cheating but painting TJ surgery as something it's not by passing along misinformation is misleading at best.

I'm sure there's a developmental component to this but Jungmann wasn't close to the pitcher he was being billed as, Melvin set the bar way too high when he mentioned off the cuff that Taylor might contribute on the big league level right away which posters here latched onto. (In fact that's not a statement I'd ever saddle on a MLB draft pick.) I've analyzed Jungmann to death over the years and my opinions on him haven't changed since the first time I closely watched him pitch in the College WS regionals. I won't rehash all of that here, but this is a recent post on him I made on the draft forum which basically summarizes what I saw without getting into the pitch by pitch specifics. The biggest part of the Brewer's problem developing pitching is correctly identifying impact talent from the start. If amatuer scouts like me can see that a guy doesn't have much upside then what exactly are the Brewer's looking at? I think their pro player scouting department is pretty good, but the amateur scouting both for the draft and internationally has left a ton to be desired over the years. I won't argue that Brewers aren't good at developing pitchers but I think that's a moot point if there aren't pitchers worth developing. It's not like they can turn a Mike Fiers into a Justin Verlander, you're just hoping they can get the most of each guy. The Brewers have a history of drafting players who's velocity actually decreases, that's the most telling sign I can think of, you'd actually expect the reverse to be true.

The Japanese league is like AAA, hooray for being productive there? You seem to be drawn to players of limited talent (relative to their peers, not you or I) who overachieve, not just on the big league level, but in the minors as well. While Melvin is fond of continually recycling the same players, and I would guess that a big part of that is he becomes too attached to his players, I'm certainly not going to be excited about the same names coming back around just because a player was once productive and is a good guy. At least all of the TX guys were "new" to us, but unless McGehee is a serious upgrade over what we have at 1B, what's the point? It's no different than the K-Rod claim people like to make that he's "single handedly restocking the farm system" when he's not and in fact the player he was traded for isn't even playing baseball right now. Like many things discussed on this site people will favor the devil they know rather than the one they don't know and I don't think Melvin is any different. The bottom line here should be if a player's production will be *that* much better than the guys he's replacing to justify his cost? I firmly believe that for many of these issues being discussed the perceived marginal upgrades aren't worth the cost. I use the word "perceived" because in many cases I think the root issue is what I discussed in the paragraph above and the production may in fact be a wash if both players were given an equal opportunity.

Once again I say the biggest issue here is that RR is going to continually run the same arms out there day after day and they won't last. The team is going to start making better use of the entire roster because they don't have positional flexibility because of the 2nd and 1st base situations, and they don't have bullpen flexibility because the workload isn't being evened out at all. We really need a starter to go 8 innings the next time through the rotation and get the most used part of the BP a day off. I've never bought into into set role theory, nor do I agree on pitching every guy 1 inning each day... it's not just the pitches they throw in the inning they pitch, it's the cummalitive effect of warming up every day as well. I'd rather roll a guy like Thornburg more than 1 inning if he has it going on, he was a starter and can easily handle it (as I would for any reliever). Let him eat 2 innings every other or 3rd day if possible. I see no reason to pull a reliever who just breezed through his first inning of work, not really even if his spot in the order comes up. If he's hot that day let him go!

Sounds Drop Series Opener In Iowa, 4-1 Velez Homers For Lone Nashville Run Nashville Sounds DES MOINES, Iowa - The Nashville Sounds were on the short end of a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Iowa Cubs on Monday evening at Principal Park in the opener of a four-game series. The loss was Nashville's third in a row after opening the season with consecutive wins. Eugenio Velez (2-for-4) continued his strong start to the season for the Sounds, swatting a one-out solo homer off I-Cubs starter Tsuyoshi Wada in the second inning to spot the visitors a 1-0 lead. Velez has hit safely in each of his four contests (7-for-13, .538) after concluding the 2013 campaign with a 22-game hitting streak. Right-hander Ariel Pena got off to a good start in his Nashville debut, holding Iowa hitless through the first four innings before the I-Cubs broke through in the home half of the fifth. Brett Jackson legged out a triple to right before knotting the contest at 1-1 when he trotted home on Eli Whiteside's ensuing RBI single up the middle. Pena took a no-decision in his Sounds debut after striking out eight batters while holding Iowa to one run on a pair of hits in five innings of work. The right-hander threw 77 pitches on the night. Iowa took a 4-1 lead in the sixth when third baseman Christian Villanueva slugged a three-run homer to right off Sounds reliever Kyle Heckathorn (0-1), who was added to the club's roster earlier in the day. The right-hander retired the first two batters of the frame before allowing a two-out single and issuing a walk prior to giving up Villanueva's first longball of the year. Wada (1-0) earned a win with a quality start for Iowa, limiting the Sounds to one run on three hits while fanning eight in his 6 1/3 innings of action. Following the Velez homer, Nashville put only one run into scoring position until the ninth, when the Sounds mounted a two-out rally against Blake Parker. With two down in the top of the ninth, Velez singled to right and moved to third on a double by Hunter Morris (2-for-4) to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the person of pinch-hitter Jeremy Hermida. However, Parker fanned the veteran slugger on four pitches to quell the threat and nail down his first save of the year. The teams continue the series with another 6:35 p.m. matchup on Tuesday evening. Right-hander Mike Fiers will man the bump for the Sounds to make his season debut. Iowa will counter with left-hander Chris Rusin (0-1, 12.27). Nashville Boxscore I'm completely torn between how happy I am with Aerial Pena's start to the season and how much I despise losing to the Cubs at any level. Of Pena's 77 pitches mentioned in the story above 46 of them were for strikes. If it wasn't for Aerial walking and allowing a triple to Brett Jackson it would have been a completely dominant outing. With so many non prospects on this roster I'm struggling to find anything to talk about most nights that isn't covered in the game story. Nashville Recap I would have liked to see Pena come out for the 6th, he was probably on an 85 pitch count though, this was the ballgame. Iowa Bottom of the 6th Defensive switch from center field to right field for Elian Herrera. Pitching Change: Kyle Heckathorn replaces Ariel Pena, batting 3rd, replacing right fielder Caleb Gindl. Kevin Mattison remains in the game as the center fielder. Arismendy Alcantara strikes out swinging. Javier Baez lines out to third baseman Irving Falu. Matt Szczur singles on a ground ball to third baseman Irving Falu. Matt Szczur advances to 3rd, on a throwing error by third baseman Irving Falu. Chris Coghlan walks. With Christian Villanueva batting, Chris Coghlan steals (1) 2nd base. Christian Villanueva homers (1) on a fly ball to left field. Matt Szczur scores. Chris Coghlan scores. Brett Jackson singles on a ground ball to second baseman Eugenio Velez. With Eli Whiteside batting, Brett Jackson steals (1) 2nd base. Eli Whiteside flies out to center fielder Kevin Mattison. Nashville Gameday

Scroll down to the "Quick Pitches" portion of the article for many divisional prospect updates. The video is on some White Sox prospects. Minor League Roundup: Hawkins Is Starting Fresh (VIDEO)

A very detailed look at the pitching in the Cubs system

Newcomb finally had a bad game and gave up 4 earned runs, ending his scoreless streak. Nick Burdi was lighting up the radar gun, my goodness College Draft Prospects Stat Roundup: Week 8 BA started doing these draft focus articles, kind of like a poor man's version of what PG has been doing for years. Good information regardless A Day In The Life: Jakson Reetz (VIDEO)

I wouldn't go overslot and blow 2 1st rounders for Rodon... too many miles on that arm already. I was actually glad when he was going to be the first pick. He's a guy that would have been better off going pro out of highschool. Between his college season and team USA that's a ton of innings, he threw 132.1 for NC State alone last year as a Sophomore. There are some college programs which are really good at developing players and then there are programs that use up a guy and send him on. Many of the programs who abuse their arms are also the higher profile programs in the country, which is probably why so many of those pitchers don't make it. They were abused in HS and then abused again in College by people who best case didn't know any better and worst case only care about their career victory total as a coach. Many of these really good college pitchers are pushed past 130 pitches in big games, it's borderline criminal, when you consider all of the money and the career they are risking... Rodon is extremely talented but also comes with plenty of red flags, if you can get him for slot then by all means draft him, but there's a solid chance that his inconsistent mechanics, periodic arm problems, and heavy workload will submarine his career. He's not a guy you can risk losing another 1st round pick for, especially after giving one back last year. Remember it's not just the pick, it's the pool money the team loses as well and to me that pool money is just as if not more important than the single draft pick. I like Rodon but I'd have to be convinced he's a LH Verlander for me to take such a high risk drafting him at 12 with very little chance of signing him and I just don't see it. I'm really bummed that the guy I settled on right away in Aiken is performing so well, it's completely selfish of me, but I really want a projectable lefty sooo bad. Maybe we can nab a steal later in the draft like Sean Newcomb.

I hope he gets cured of that high leg kick right away, that's an awfully complicated timing mechanism.

Tyrone Taylor could make me a very happy man, I love what he's done in the first week. Now to just keep up a high a level of production for the entire season and we have something special.