TheCrew07

Rain halts Rattlers & Snappers in the sixth inning Tie game will be resumed on Saturday at 5:05 By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Beloit Snappers were tied 3-3 with two outs in the top of the sixth inning when a severe downpour halted play at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The game was suspended and will be resumed at 5:05pm on Saturday evening. The Snappers (19-29) took command of the game early with three runs in the top of the first inning against Milton Gomez. James Harris scored from third on a wild pitch for the first run. A two-out, two-run double by Joe Brizuela made it 3-0. Wisconsin (14-34) started their comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Greg McCall doubled to start the inning. Elvis Rubio reached on an error with one out to allow McCall to score from third. Gregory Munoz singled to center with two outs to drive in Rubio with the second run of the inning. Rubio doubled to start the Wisconsin fourth inning and Munoz drove in Rubio with a one out single to tie the game 3-3. Gomez settled in after the first inning and retired nine in a row after a Joe Bennie single in the third inning. Gomez was behind Brizuela 2-0 with two outs in the top of the sixth when it began raining hard enough for the umpiring crew to call for the tarp. The grounds crew got the infield covered just before the heaviest of the rain hit the stadium. Friday's game will be picked up where it left off when play resumes on Saturday evening at 5:05pm. The game will be played to a conclusion. There will be a thirty minute break before the start of the regularly scheduled nine-inning game. The gates to Neuroscience group Field at Fox Cities Stadium will open at 3:30pm. The starters for the for regularly scheduled game on Saturday night are Orlando Torrez (0-1, 5.46) for the Timber Rattlers and Heath Fillmyer (0-4, 7.33) for the Snappers. It is 1985 all over again on a Festival Foods Saturday! Timber Rattlers players and coaches will don caps and jerseys based on those of the 1985 Appleton Foxes for the second game as part of Back to the Future Night. The hats and jerseys will be available in a silent auction with the proceeds being donated to the Wisconsin Parkinson Association. Fans will also be able to get their picture taken with a DeLorean on display in front of the ballpark, too. Stick around after the game for a fun Fireworks display courtesy of FOX 11. If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to catch the action. The radio call for both games is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 4:45pm. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio. The game will also be available to MiLB.TV subscribers. MyNEW 32's Sports Showdown will televise the second game on Saturday night. Wisconsin Partial Boxscore Milton Gomez... so many moving parts of his delivery but there's some skill to him, he's just so inconsistent with every part of his delivery. For example tonight in the 1st he threw a perfectly located FB on one pitch, then missed everything by 3 feet low and outside on the next and the pitch went to the screen. The wild pitch which scored the run was a FB that hit 2 feet in front of home plate and skipped past McCall, he had no chance. Wisconsin Partial Recap

So we're back to making "true fan" arguments again? I cancelled my limited season package (I live 2.5 hours from Miller Park) after 2008 because it obvious where this was going. Read or don't read the posts, but calling out posters for their "fandom" is over the top from my perspective. I can understand being tired of the Brewer act, that's where I am and why I spend most of my time on the minor league side.

Well I hate to invoke the "J" word again but there's limited upside, he's a #3 best case. FB 91-93, 2 average to above average secondary pitches (flash plus but not plus), and so-so control. When it comes to college pitchers I'm skeptical that their secondary stuff is going to improve to plus if they don't have it. After if it was that easy to have plus stuff every pitcher would have it. There's nothing wrong with MLB average stuff, but I'm not looking for #3s, I'm looking to fill out the top of the rotation. Of course the so-so control scares me off in the 1st round as well since control is the #1 thing I'm looking for in pitchers, just like the ability to make contact is the #1 thing in hitters which is why I argued vehemently against Gatewood at #12 last year. If the guy isn't a 60 from the control or contact side I'm moving on, I believe a pitcher can learn to command his pitches if he has good FB control. I would rather take a control guy with stuff but a so-so FB than a guy with a big FB and none of the rest. Ideally the pitcher has control, FB, and stuff in the 1st round. I'll sacrifice FB velocity for better stuff which is why I talk about setting the sites on #2s in the first round (unless we're picking in the top #5 and even then it has to be a year with that kind of pitcher available), I want impact pitching first, I'm not looking for Aces, give me a rotation where 4 of 5 pitchers are #2s and we're going to legitimately compete for a WS. Later on in the draft I'm looking to latch onto 1 plus tool.... FB velocity, good stuff with projectable velocity, raw power, all around elite athleticism.... what have you. I have a very narrow window of talent I'm looking for in the first round because I don't believe the Brewers can develop control in pitchers and I'm not sure anyone can teach a player how to put a bat on the ball.

MLB Mock Draft 2015: Version 4.0 May 29, 2015 by John Manuel Color me uninspired if it goes this way.

Well other than him not having a plus pitch and profiling like a #3 there's this: There's plenty not to like about him for the Brewers in the first round. He'd be fine in the 20s, but I'd rather go with greater upside at #15.

Alfredo Rodriguez, Gold Glove Shortstop And Rookie Of The Year, Leaves Cuba May 28, 2015 by Ben Badler

Rattlers close road trip with a shutout win at Cedar Rapids By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/9/1/6/127261916/cuts/5_May28_Medeiros_z1xhdkjd_oobfpono.jpg Kodi Medeiros struck out five and allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings in Wisconsin's 6-0 win at Cedar Rapids on Thursday night. (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Ann Mollica) CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers finished their eleven-game road trip with a 6-0 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Perfect Game Field on Thursday night. Kodi Medeiros and David Burkhalter combined on the 4-hit gem to end the long trip on an up note. Wisconsin (14-34) scored in the second inning for the early advantage. Alan Sharkey doubled with two outs and took third on a wild pitch by Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Jared Wilson. Brandon Diaz drove in Sharkey with a sharp single to center and the Rattlers were up 1-0. Francisco Castillo, who had three hits and a walk on Thursday, made it 2-0 with a leadoff home run in the top of the third inning. The homer was the first of the season for Castillo. The duo of Sharkey and Diaz combined on another two-out rally in the fourth inning. Sharkey singled with two away and Diaz blasted a two-run home run to left-center for a 4-0 lead. Sthervin Matos added to the lead with an RBI single on the top of the fifth. Castillo singled to start the inning, moved to second when Carlo Leal was hit by a pitch, and scored on the Matos single. Wisconsin's final run came in the top of the seventh. Leal tripled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Matos. That was more than enough for Medeiros. The Brewers first round pick in the 2014 draft set a new single game high as a professional for innings pitched with seven. He allowed two hits, walked one, hit one, and struck out five. Cedar Rapids (30-18) did get a pair of hits in the ninth inning off David Burkhalter, but he struck out four over his two innings of work to finish off the shutout. The duo of Medeiros and Burkhalter pitched three times on the road trip and combined to allow just five runs over 26-2/3 innings. Wisconsin won all three games that Medeiros and Burkhalter pitched on the trip. Wisconsin ended the trip at 5-6 and the win on Thursday marked their first win over the Kernels in nine tries this season. The Timber Rattlers return home to Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday night to face the Beloit Snappers in the first game of a four-game series. Milton Gomez (3-2, 5.06) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Beloit has named Kevin Johnson (1-4, 5.64) as their starter. Game time is 6:35pm. The first postgame fireworks display of the season is here! Stick around after the game on a North Shore Bank/Y100 Family night and enjoy the fireworks. North Shore Bank has sweatbands for the first 500 kids who are 12 & under to attend this game. Children 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Molina Healthcare after the fireworks. If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to catch the action. MyNEW 32's Sports Showdown will televise the game starting at 6:30pm. The radio call is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio. The game will also be available to MiLB.TV subscribers. HOME RUNS: WIS: Francisco Castillo (1st, 0 on in 3rd inning off Jared Wilson, 0 out) Brandon Diaz (3rd, 1 on in 4th inning off Jared Wilson, 2 out) WP: Kodi Medeiros (2-2) LP: Jared Wilson (4-1) TIME: 2:22 ATTN: 1,957 Wisconsin Boxscore If I had to sum up this game in a succinct phrase it would be, "It's about time!". David Burkhalter has come a long way since the first month of the season, I said early on that I liked him more than Zach Quintana the 2012 3rd rounder and I still believe that wholeheartedly. He's pitched well enough that he's actually going to get the start next time this duo is up and Medeiros will go in relief. Kodi Medeiros also had his best pitching performance since the home opener, he's really backed off the gas, working mostly upper 80s according to what Chris was saying on the broadcast, but he got much better results. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out as we move forward. Today's line-up only had 1 hitter hitting below .200 which seems odd to post, but for much of the season the Rattlers have been rolling with at least 3 sub .200 hitters on a daily basis. The Rattlers made a trio of curious base running mistakes in the contest, but all in all a pretty feel good way to wrap up the road trip. Wisconsin Recap

Wow, at least I now have a reason to start watching the Brewers again. Baseball America should have a "What to Expect" article up on Tyler in the near future, I'm intrigued by this chain of events.

I'm excited about a hand full of the former DSL/international players remaining stateside; Pierre, Segovia, Lara, and Diplan.

A) They couldn't all become all stars. There were not enough openings for all of them. B) You only know they became "all-stars" because you have the power of hindsight. They could've turned into nothing and had zero trade value. If you really knew that Brantley and Cruz would be all-star caliber players..then yes, you should be the GM. Why does it always come back to hindsight? That has nothing to do with the argument being made and is being used as a crutch in all of the various threads. The "how was management supposed to know" argument goes both ways. You can't say that about the players traded away while ignoring the flip side of the argument for the player acquired. It's somewhat baffling that while people remember the playoff appearance in 2008, they seem to forget that the Mets had to collapse for the 2nd year in a row for that to happen, Sabathia or not. I'll say this as simply as I can here, then explain in great detail below, but I don't give a damn about the value traded away, I'm concerned about the total value coming back. The shorter the duration the player is around, the less likely I am to be on board with a deal. Of course there's no guarantee that prospects traded away will have successful MLB careers, but there's no guarantee that rentals or short term solutions will make enough of a difference for the MLB team either. If you look around baseball, how many "blockbuster" trades at the deadline actually made a significant impact for the club acquiring the MLB piece? Honestly... did Teixeira put the Braves over the top in 2008? Greinke with the Dodgers in 2012? Price to the Tigers in 2014? Did any of the A's acquisitions get them over the top last year? Bud Norris for Baltimore in 2013? Garza to the Rangers in 2013? It would be hard to argue that Hunter Pence's .670 playoff OPS and and .671 regular season OPS with the Giants in 2012 was a difference maker, it was their pitching, Detroit only managed 5 runs in 4 games. I think the industry and most fans vastly overrate the trade deadline in baseball, it's more publicity than substance. Sometimes even bad teams try to improve, the 20 games under .500 2004 Mets team tried to improve by swapping Scott Kazmir and other prospect for aging Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunato... neither of whom made a legitimate difference for the Mets long-term after they were acquired. It's no different than signing FAs to contracts, people seem to think you can just assume career norms for the duration of the deal but that's not the way aging works, there is a risk to those deals as well. If the player acquired is any better at all than the player he's replacing the deal is viewed as a win, but is it really that simple? The risk of selling prospects is relative, it depends on market size and the state of your farm system, or put a different way how many resources you have available for your team to plug holes, but even then the teams that are/were perennial buyers with prospect and who plug holes in FA eventually all end up in the same place... with an aging and expensive roster that can no longer compete at a high level. It's not about hindsight, it's about the risk that even one player traded away becomes a top notch talent, which is why I've never been in favor of any short duration deal, nor will I ever be. I could maybe be convinced if the Brewers won a WS with a player acquired in that manner, but they haven't and I can say with certainty that they won't in the near future. I've always wanted players with longevity, and I'll always take a prospect over a draft pick, because I can assign a value to a prospect. Sabathia was worth 5.2 WAR to Milwaukee which was incredible (4.9 pitching, .3 batting), it was one of the historically great stretches of pitching in MLB history. Michael Brantley has been worth 14.6 WAR over his career to date, including the -1.2 WAR in his 2nd short stint with Cleveland in 2010. Could the Brewers reasonably think that Sabathia would be historically good after being acquired? Is that deal ultimately a win from a player value standpoint? Sabathia became Max Walla who never made it past the Timber Rattlers. Zack Greinke was worth 3.7 WAR with the Brewers. Every player traded for him is a big leaguer... Alcides Escobar (13.2 WAR), Lorenzo Cain (13.3 WAR), Jake Odorizzi (3.6 WAR), and Jeremy Jeffress. I understand that Jeffress flamed out before finding success with the Brewers a couple of years later but the point is look at all we gave up to acquire 3.7 WAR from Zack and ultimately Jean Segura's 7.2 WAR, the bulk of which came in 2013? Was Zack a difference maker in the post season for us? Is that whole chain of deals a win for the Brewers from the player perspective? I didn't like those deals, and I've hated on just about every Melvin and Mark A. move because I was sure we were giving up more than we were getting back in terms of player value, I didn't think the Brewers were legitimate WS contenders in any of those seasons. Guys like Brett Lawrie and Matt LaPorta were douchey enough I wasn't sorry to see them go at all, but I would have rather gotten back similar young pitching talent in those trades. For me it's not so much about the players given away, it's about the long-term value that comes back. In a way I felt like Melvin crapped on me with Marcum because I felt he should have been the only target of the Overbay trade in 2006 (which of course certain posters blasted me on afterwards for using "revisionist history") and then we spent our best hitting prospect at the time to acquire him after TJ surgery and his velocity had dipped below 90 MPH, it was like a kick in the nuts. I didn't care about trading away Lawrie, I cared that we were acquiring a 29 year old pitcher with bad mechanics whom I didn't believe would stay healthy who was totally reliant on location and his change-up. I suggested a ton of trades for young pitching over the years, some would have been bad deals, some would have turned out wonderfully in hindsight but I would have rather taken a shot with those guys than gone the Bush, Jackson, Looper, Davis, Wolf, Lohse, Marcum, Greinke, and Sabathia route. The good pitchers were never going to stick around the average guys weren't going to put us over the top. I've been incorrectly labeled a DM and/or MA hater for a long time, but in truth I've just been coming at organization building from an entirely different perspective. It's never been personal, I don't even have a personal attachment to players on the MLB roster, I've come to view them as commodities or maybe resources is a better word. I'm looking to maximize the organization's talent level, not the MLB payroll, because I believe talent is the true currency of baseball, and nothing is more valuable than young impact pitching. BTW, normally I pull pitching WAR from baseball reference and position WAR from Fangraphs, but I was lazy and just used baseball reference for everything for this post.

Yep it's been a fun listen so far.

Wow, the Rivas hurt ran so deep I had completely buried him, I didn't even think of him till you posted. Manzanillo somehow tripped the Omar Aguilar button in my brain, the pitcher who Lucroy said had the best stuff he caught.

I'm not sure how long you've been around the board but there are people posting in this thread that have been beating the same drum for years, these are not hindsight arguments though it's convenient to frame them as such to dismiss what's being said.

A long time ago an astute poster wrote something that stuck with me about how there aren't really 2B prospects, I believe the discussion was regarding Weeks or maybe Lawrie, but it was an interesting observation. Chris transformed his body, I mean he literally came back looking like a completely different player for his 2nd go round through WI, but he's not a natural defender and had work to do at the plate. I'm thrilled that he keeps getting better but right now we have a glut of SS who are also hitting well, have better range, and are better defenders than he is. Trades may certainly thin out at that crop or maybe Rivera falls back but McFarland is pretty much in that same spot for me that Gennett was. Not that they are similar players, because they aren't, but Chris finds himself lower on the MLB pecking order simply because of the organization's SS situation. That's certainly not his fault so all he can do is continue to improve and truthfully after watching him for 2 seasons he's one of the guys who I struggle to place every time we do a list. He'll move up for me a little bit this next time, but I'm not sure how far, he's going to be an incremental guy for me if he keeps ascending.

I'd be thrilled with Rob Kaminsky who profiles like a #3 at this point, I was impressed with him last year, I saw him pitch against the T-Rats twice in person and we put the gun the on him both times. Topped out at 93, around the plate consistently, had a nice curve ball, and averagish change (he only threw a hand full but it was decent). That might be setting the bar a bit high for Lind but who knows, the Cards are a hard organization to figure when it comes to player moves. Their draft strategy is easy to get inside, their player moves, not so much.

Kernels rally to beat Rattlers Matos, DeMuth homer for Wisconsin By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/2/0/0/127093200/cuts/5_May27_Matos_WEB_2evyspgx_0i8rqdi0.jpg Sthervin Matos homered and drove in two runs for the Timber Rattlers on Wednesday night at Cedar Rapids. (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Ann Mollica) CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a 2-0 lead on Wednesday night at Perfect Game Field, but it wasn't enough. The Cedar Rapids Kernels rallied to tie the game in the fourth and take the lead for good in the fifth on the way to a 7-3 win over the Rattlers. Wisconsin (13-34) grabbed the lead in the second inning. Sthervin Matos hit a two-run home run to left-center to give the Rattlers a 2-0 advantage. The Kernels (30-17) tied the game in the fourth inning with two runs off Cy Sneed. The inning started with a walk to Max Murphy. He took second on a slow roller to second base. Pat Kelly followed with an RBI single to center. Sneed struck out the next batter, but allowed a two out single to Tyler Kuresa. Then, Blake Schmit singled to drive in Kelly with the tying run. Cedar Rapids took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Nick Gordon doubled and TJ White walked. Sneed threw a wild pitch to move both runners up a base. Murphy singled to center to chase in the go-ahead runs and Sneed from the game. Dustin DeMuth brought the Rattlers back to within a run in the top of the sixth inning. The left-handed first baseman cracked a leadoff homer to right on the first pitch of the frame and Wisconsin was only down 4-3. But, the Kernels responded against reliever Tyler Linehan in the bottom of the sixth. Brett Doe doubled, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kuresa. Cedar Rapids added to their total in the seventh inning. Gordon walked, stole second, and took third on a grounder. That ended Linehan's night. Gian Rizzo became the third Wisconsin pitcher and he gave up back-to-back- RBI doubles to Murphy and Jorge Fernandez. Those hits put the Kernels up 7-3. The Rattlers didn't get to Kernels starting pitcher Felix Jorge after the DeMuth homer. Jose Velez and Luke Brank combined to work the final three innings in scoreless fashion to close out the game. Greg McCall had three hits for the Wisconsin offense, but the Rattlers dropped their fourth straight game. Wisconsin is also 0-8 against the Kernels in 2015. The final game of Wisconsin's 11-game road trip is Thursday night at Perfect Game Field. Kodi Medeiros (1-2, 5.03) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jared Wilson (4-0, 2.58) is the starter for the Kernels. Game time is 6:35pm. Catch all the action on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio. HOME RUNS: WIS: Sthervin Matos (3rd, 1 on in 2nd inning off Felix Jorge, 0 out) Dustin DeMuth (3rd, 0 on in 6th inning off Felix Jorge, 0 out) WP: Felix Jorge (3-2) LP: Cy Sneed (2-6) TIME: 2:41 ATTN: 2,237 Wisconsin Boxscore Cy Sneed has been so dependable it's shocking when he drops a clunker like this one. As I was out doing my usual Wednesday thing tonight so I don't have any tidbits or insights from the broadcast on this one. Wisconsin Recap

Boo! I wonder how good this team would be with actual home games?

Do you mean on this site or nationally because I was very complimentary of him last year.

I find this thread slightly amusing given how little love Escobar got from the board in that 2008-2010 range. Orlando doesn't have the range that Alcides had, nor the arm, both are probably 1 notch down which is still pretty darn exciting. Both Rivera and Arcia looked like Escobar at times, both can make the spectacular play on occasion, though I think Rivera is a slight step up from Arcia. I'll say this again, people having always talked about Arcia's BB:SO ratio and I honestly believe that in his case it was a negative. His hand eye coordination is so exceptional that when he was in WI he put way too many horrible hitters pitches in play for weak outs. I'm talking the kind of pitches 99% of MWL hitters don't come close to getting a bat on. He would guess, get totally fooled, and still manage to make contact. He didn't always have plate discipline, he's learning it, which is why his results are ascending as he moves up the chain. His offensive ceiling is far above Escobars. Alcides has a .649 career OPS, I think Orlando has legitimate .750+ potential because he's going to hit for a higher average and will take more walks, thus having significantly better OBP. Or put another way if he has a .350 OBP I believe he'll be able to SLG .400. I've also said this before but I think Orlando's bat speed is going to surprise people... he doesn't have to jerk it down the line to get it out of the park, he hit HRs to the LC alley in WI. Not only does he have a different body but he also has a different kind of swing than his brother Oswaldo. Will he generate more lift as he matures? I have no idea, but I don't think he has to be a successful MLB SS. Counting stat wise I like Orlando to be a perennial 4 WAR player (fangraphs), I thought Escobar had a reasonable shot to be in that 3-4 WAR range per year as well but his offensive production has varied wildly with his batting average. I would have pegged him to be more consistent in that .270-.290 range year to year.

PG also has the players for 2016 ranked already and have churned out articles regarding those guys

Yes low 3/4, which is basically just above side arm, and both pitchers you mention would be the extreme best case example, Medeiros throws from that same slot. Obviously different handed than Russell, but the same slot.

Yost was here for the rebuilding so that number is skewed some but since 2008 when the team got over the hump they have had 4 managers including Sveum. The only spots with stability in this organization have been Reid Nichols (player development) and Doug Melvin... I would actually argue that both of those guys have needed to go for a long time. It's not just from a manager standpoint, look at the revolving door at the all of the coaching positions, there hasn't been stability anywhere. You want to win consistently? That's great... but how do we get there? I think successful organizations, regardless of enterprise or market, have similar qualities: Are the same principles being pushed and developed at all levels of the organization? Is there a consistent message from day to day, coach (management) to coach (management), level to level, and year to year? Do the coaches (management) believe in that message? Can they teach it? Is there continuity of leadership? Do they get along or are they trying to stand on the shoulders of the person next to them to advance? The Brewers in general have operated in a haphazard manner for the better part of Melvin's tenure, just plugging holes and making moves to appease the fanbase. There has never been a consistent philosophy or discernible plan other than Melvin's mantras which are repeated around here all the time... 1) the object is to be average or better at every position, 2) pitchers are worth more in trade in season, 3) position players are worth more in the off season, and 4) we are always looking to improve our team in season. Honestly, I take issue with all of those as the practical application of every issue has stunk from my point of view. #1 only limits the overall ceiling of the team, they will win games but never be great. #2 & #3 might have been in true in the 90s but I think if you look at when trades have happened over the last 15 years it has more to do with a player's peak trade value than a time of year. #4 just arbitrarily limits the moves the organization is willing to make because what they are really saying is we're looking to buy a short term solution to patch a hole that's popped up since opening day. If you look at the best franchises in baseball over the last 10 years they all have 1 thing in common... stability. The GM, the manager, the coaches, the organization... everyone is moving in a single direction, have been in place for a long time, they know where they are going, and they know how to get there. The players have been the issue from the start, people were complaining about all of the stupid mistakes going all the way back to when the most recent Brewer core was young and learning in MLB in the mid 2000s. The Brewers don't have a plethora of smart baseball players, in truth the Brewers most talented players have been the most frustrating from a mental mistake standpoint. You can make players better in that regard, but you won't "fix" them, they have to be capable of doing that for themselves, and I believe to certain extent decision making under pressure is a gift. Some people are just going to be better than others. The true problems with the Brewers have pretty simple; flawed roster construction and a lack of direction as a franchise, and no "winning as many games as possible each year" isn't direction, it's abstract. That's why every year Melvin targets the previous season's deficiencies and the organization appears to blow with the wind. That's why coaches and managers are continually scapegoated and nothing really changes. Fans generally don't get attached to the coaches but rather to the players, so it's much easier to continually call for the manager's and certain coaches heads than face the reality of the situation. I think it would be easier for people to truly understand if everyone had actually coached for a decade at a level where winning matters. It's pretty easy to "think" you know, but the in my experience the truth is usually much different than the perception. If there is a way to make dumb players smart, soft players tough, and so on I would love to hear to it because I've spent the better part of my adult life listening to the best minds I know debate these issues without any concrete solution. You can help them improve but not change who they are, that has to come from within the athlete and becomes a question of personal motivation.

I think assuming any Latin kid is going to buik up the right way is a stretch, winter ball kills any chance of hitting the weights. His brother has a completely different natural body type so I think it's fair to at least hope he could develop into a double digit HR guy naturally.

Rattlers can't solve Gonsalves Cedar Rapids starter Ks 12 over six innings in 4-1 win By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/3/4/126890134/cuts/5_26_Leal_Article_nceh3p5z_3fp9mx5d.jpg Carlos Leal went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Timber Rattlers on Tuesday night at Cedar Rapids. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers fell behind early and could not dig their way out of the hole at Perfect Game Field on Tuesday night. Then, Stephen Gonsalves struck out twelve over six innings as the Kernels beat Wisconsin 4-1. The Kernels (29-17) sent eight men to the plate in the first inning against Wisconsin starting pitcher Devin Williams. Tanner English drew a leadoff walk and went to third on a hit and run single to left by Nick Gordon. The duo pulled a double steal with Gordon taking second and English racing home when the throw went to get Gordon. The return throw to the plate was late and English scored the first run. Trey Vavra continued his hot hitting with a double to left to drive in English. Jorge Fernandez capped the inning with a two-out RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Wisconsin (13-33) had issues with Gonsalves early. The lefty retired the first nine Rattlers he faced in the game, including eight via strikeout. Dustin DeMuth and Francisco Castillo had back-to-back singles in the top of the fourth inning and when Gonsalves hit Carlos Leal with a pitch Wisconsin had the bases loaded with two outs. But, Gonsalves recorded his tenth strikeout of the game to get out of the fourth inning. Williams walked the first two Kernels he saw on eight pitches in the bottom of the fourth inning and he was replaced by Luke Curtis. Curtis would walk Gordon to load the bases before Zach Larson's sacrifice fly drove in a run. Curtis got out of the inning without another run scoring. The Timber Rattlers got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning with help from the Kernels defense. Sthervin Matos drew a one out walk from Gonsalves. Then, Elvis Rubio sent a slow roller towards right, but second baseman Pat Kelly cut the ball off and made a good throw to first. However, first baseman Tyler Kuresa missed the ball to allow Rubio to reach. Then, Matos rounded second base too far and was caught in a rundown. But, the throw to second was wild and Matos wound up on third after the second error on the play. Carlos Leal cashed in Matos with a bloop single to right field, but that was all Wisconsin would get against Gonsalves. The lefty got a force play at second and his twelfth strikeout of the game to complete his night. He walked one, hit one, and the run charged to him was unearned. In two starts against the Rattlers this season, Gonsalves is 2-0 with 23 strikeouts, four hits, two walks, and no earned runs allowed in 13 innings. Wisconsin reliever Angel Ventura pitched well over the final three inning as he kept the Kernels off the scoreboard and struck out six while doing it. But, the Kernels got two perfect innings - with three strikeouts - from Michael Cederoth and a 1-2-3 ninth - with one strikeout - from Cam Booser to keep the Rattlers from mounting a comeback. Wisconsin is 0-7 against the Kernels this season. Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night at Perfect Game Field. Cy Sneed (2-5, 1.81) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Felix Jorge (2-2, 2.13) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 6:35pm. Catch all the action on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio. WP: Stephen Gonsalves (5-1) LP: Devin Williams (0-3) SAVE: Cam Booser (5) TIME: 2:40 (1:07 delay) ATTN: 1,081 Wisconsin Boxscore Well I meant to post some thoughts earlier but accidentally posted them in the "in game thread here". In addition Cedar Rapids has just owned the Rattlers this year, Chris was talking about it during the game and the Kernels have only lost 1 game to a WI team all year (1 to Beloit) and the T-Rats are averaging way over 10 SOs per game against this pitching staff this season, with 16(!) tonight. Add Devin Williams to the ever expanding list of T-Rat players who will need to grow into their role, there were no impressive velocity readings relayed from him tonight, I remember Chris mentioning 90 a couple of times and obviously the early results on the mound haven't been stellar for him. On the other hand Angel Ventura continues to impress, I meant it when I said I thought he had the best secondary stuff on this team behind Medeiros, only he controls it better. This WI team just doesn't have an identity because there's no consistency... we've had offensive clubs, a few real strong pitching clubs, some teams that were a good mix including the MWL championship season, but with the lack of consistency this team loses a different way every night, there's nothing Erickson can hang his hat on. WI is now far and away worst offensive club with a .217 BA, the next worst is Peoria at .234. OPS wise the Rattlers are 40 points worse than Peoria hitting a paltry .597, it's not pretty. On the pitching side somehow Beloit and Fort Wayne are exceedingly terrible so the Ratters are 3rd worst in terms of Runs, Earned Runs, WHIP, and ERA. They are 5th worst in Walks, and finally next to last in Strike Outs. There is plenty of talent on this team, it's maybe the most physically gifted team the Rattlers have fielded, but it is also the most raw team, there's very little polish anywhere. Or put another way there is just a ton of growing that needs to happen as these guys progress through the rest of this season and up the chain towards MLB. We knew this coming in, many of us thought the placements of Gatewood and Medeiros were reaches from the start, I'm honestly surprised by the struggles of Harrison and Denson. It will be interesting to see what happens with this group after the draft. Wisconsin Recap

Hmm, I meant to post those thoughts on the T-Rats on the minor league forum, sorry.