Your 2008 Huntsville Stars -- Latest: Jersey Sale; Omar Aguilar; Angel Salome

[battlekow]

Ryan Braun may have more power, but his approach at the plate is not as advanced as Matt LaPorta's. That's what I think of when I read the phrase "polished hitter".

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Yeah the approach is definitely LaPorta's strong suit. He's not going to try to do it all with one swing and take what the pitcher gives you and hit it where it's pitched. The walk rate gets me really excited too. Getting LaPorta back at 1st base and trading Prince for 3 premium pitching prospects doesn't sound that whacky 2 years from now if LaPorta keeps this up.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Striking back

New outlook helps left-hander regain form

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

Mired in the first slump of his career last season, Huntsville Stars pitcher Steve Hammond began feeling the weight of expectations.

 

The left-hander began 2007 as the Milwaukee Brewers' No. 7 prospect after breezing through his early stops in the minors. Then, with his dream of pitching in the majors seemingly in sight, he became ordinary.

 

"I had a lot of expectations, and that was part of (the struggles), definitely," Hammond said of last season's 7-9 record and 4.69 earned run average when opponents batted .292 against him.

 

"I thought I had a good shot to make it to the big leagues last year. When you hit a rough spot, you want to get back on track as fast as you can, and I didn't."

 

The malaise lasted until late June when he was removed from the rotation for two weeks.

 

Hammond regrouped, and returned as a starter July 14, winning his next two starts by tossing 14 innings without an earned run. It started a surge of eight quality starts in his final 10 outings that dropped his ERA by nearly a run.

 

After a strong performance in the Southern League playoffs, his success has bled into this season. The 26-year-old Long Beach State product is 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA and leads the league with 58 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings.

 

"When a starter goes to the pen, usually you're not doing your job," Stars manager Don Money said. "Maybe that's just what he needed.

 

"If you're reading up on how good you are, you start wondering, 'Why aren't I winning?' Players get locked up too much in numbers."

 

Hammond said a turning point came during the final game of last year's league championship series against Montgomery. After allowing a first-inning run, Hammond was perfect for the next six innings, leaving with a two-run lead, though Huntsville ultimately lost 4-3.

 

He also exited with a new outlook.

 

"When I'm that focused, throwing it one pitch at a time, I'm not thinking about the future," Hammond said. "I was only thinking about winning that game. That's what I took from that.

 

"I pitch my best when I've got a lot of energy. That's another thing I carried over. I was excited, aggressive. I just want to pitch every game like it's the championship game."

 

Since that game, he has attacked hitters more with his change-up, quite a weapon when he's ahead in the count.

 

In Thursday's start against Carolina, Hammond was behind in the count and only had three strikeouts. Last year, such an outing may have hurt him, but this time he worked around it and lasted six innings.

 

After the game, he and new pitching coach Chris Hook watched video of his mechanics and discussed ways to improve. Even that's a vast difference from last season when Hammond was reluctant to listen to suggestions.

"He was hard-headed on occasion last year," Money said. "He thought he had all the answers."

 

With Hammond more receptive, he and Hook have hit it off.

 

"I think my job is to know a personality and adjust by person," Hook said. "I'm not hard to get along with. Steve is a hard-working guy, and I knew that the first time I met him. I know he wants to get better."

 

After Thursday's start, Hammond learned that teammate Sam Narron got the call to Triple-A Nashville, and if Hammond keeps pitching the way he has, he may be next.

 

"There's no way you can't think about it - I'm trying to pitch in the big leagues," Hammond said. "But when I'm on the mound, I have to remember the only thing that matters is the next pitch."

[Mass Haas]

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Inching Closer: Ryan Keeps Brewing
By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.
Hernando (FL) Today -- Tampa Tribune

In theory, Patrick Ryan believes playing at the Double A level puts a minor leaguer "a phone call away" from the parent club.

Indeed, advancing up the organizational ladder pushes big league dreams that much closer to reality.

Ryan, a 2001 Central High graduate now in his third full season of pro ball in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system, has begun to close in on putting on a Major League uniform.

The 6-foot, 200-pound right-hander is currently pitching for the Huntsville Stars; the Brewers' Double A affiliate in the Southern League.

Working out of the bullpen, he has permitted a run in 21.1 innings over 15 appearances, recording one win and four saves while allowing nine hits, nine walks and striking out 12.

"It's going good," Ryan said. "We're winning a lot of games. It's real fun. We've got a good team.

"I'm doing good, hanging in there. The hitters are a lot better, a lot more patient. They have a lot better idea of what pitch they want to hit. If they don't get their pitch, they're probably not going to swing. It's important to get ahead. If you fall behind they're going to hit you."

Cut above

Ryan, who turns 25 on May 31, resides in Plant City, but still has Hernando County roots. His stepfather and mother, Nelson and Rene Snow, live in Brooksville.

Following a strong collegiate career at Embry-Riddle University, the Brewers selected Ryan in the 19th round of the 2005 amateur draft.

He went 5-2 with a 1.87 earned run average in his first pro season with the Class A West Virginia Power.

Last season he split time with the Power and Brevard County Manatees, a higher-level Class A club, going a combined 5-3 with a 2.30 ERA and five saves. He struck out 75 batters in 82 innings.

Though he has done some closing, realistically Ryan projects himself as a set-up man based on his stuff. This year he has worked on improving his pitching repertoire.

"I'm working on my fastball command a lot more," Ryan said. "I want to be able to throw my fastball down to both sides of the plate. That's what I've been working at all year so far.

"I'm able to throw inside to righties, which I've had a problem with since I started playing. I finally figured it out. I gave up on my two-seamer (fastball). Now I throw the cutter (fastball) in to righties.

"I'd say I'm on my way. There's always stuff you've got to work on. I'd like to be able to throw my off-speed pitches for strikes more than I do, but my fastball command is coming along a little better."

Though he concedes the thought of making the Brewers, or even just moving up Triple A, looms in the back of his mind, he noted that he tries "to take care of business and hope everything else takes care of itself."

It doesn't matter to him what role he plays out of the bullpen, so long as he gets the opportunity to pitch. Meanwhile, he'll keep trying to improve and waiting on that phone call.

"I'd like to get my walk ratio down a little bit," Ryan said. "I'd like to keep my groundball ratio where it is. I'd like to keep getting groundballs."

[twobrewers]

Recent chat wrap with Jim Callis.

 

Angel Salome is a legitimate catcher - not just a hitter. True or False?

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/sn2.gif Jim Callis: True.

I've never seen Salome play - so it is nice to hear a few positive reviews regarding his catching ability.

[And That]

Salome certainly has the skills. I think if Callis would have been pressed further, he would have noted that Salome still needs some work. But he wasn't and it's nice to see Jim Callis typing nice things about our guys. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Gamel wants defense to match bat

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

Huntsville Stars third baseman Mat Gamel is dominating the Southern League in hitting, but all he wants to talk about is his glove.

 

His defensive deficiencies consume him, but rather than deflect criticism, Gamel seems driven by it. He wants to shake the "defensive liability" label with which some have branded him.

 

"I know that I'm capable at third base, but I know I've got to prove it to (the Milwaukee organization), and I'm up to that challenge," Gamel said.

 

At least now, he's not trying to prove it to himself.

 

Last year at Single-A Brevard County, the former fourth-round draft pick batted .300 and turned heads with his 33-game hitting streak. But he also committed 53 errors, most in the minors, and lost confidence.

 

Stars manager and former Gold Glove third baseman Don Money has worked with Gamel on his footwork to improve his throwing.

 

Gamel had mechanical issues last year setting his feet, causing him to drop his arm and airmail throws. This season, although he has made 11 errors, Money said only two of them were throwing miscues.

 

"To me, I think he's playing well (compared to) what I heard in the past," Money said.

 

Gamel is pleased with his progress. He knows he has a long way to go, but his approach and confidence have improved.

 

"Last year, it was more of a mental thing than anything," he said. "It's like when a pitcher gets the yips and can't throw strikes. I've been more consistent this year, I think. I make the routine plays pretty regularly.

 

"This year, I'm not saying, 'Oh God, don't hit me the ball' out there. I want the ball every single play. I want to prove I can play third base in the big leagues."

 

The 22-year-old's improvement is being monitored by Milwaukee's front office.

 

Milwaukee assistant general manager Gord Ash said Money and Brewers roving infield instructor Garth Iorg have praised Gamel's defensive strides, saying his future is still at third base.

 

"Our preference is to have him at third base and be an everyday, accomplished major league third baseman," Ash said. "When you look at need, that's what we will need, because we have a pretty crowded outfield, and first base looks pretty locked in (with Prince Fielder).

 

"He certainly has great athletic ability and a strong arm. He just needs to work on getting his mechanics smoothed out."

 

The normally easygoing Gamel's grip tightened and knuckles whitened on the bat when he was asked about a potential position change. He takes that personally, he said.

 

But the Brewers have been adamant that they need to develop all-around players after finishing 25th in major league fielding percentage last year. Gamel knows that, especially after Ryan Braun - who was the MLB's worst defensive third baseman statistically - was moved to left field.

 

"We know some of these guys can hit, but we need to know can they be the complete player, and that's important," Ash said. "It's that way with Gamel and (Stars right fielder Matt) LaPorta. That's why they are where they are."

 

Gamel's focus on defense this year hasn't hurt him at the plate. He is currently in the top three in the Southern League in batting average, home runs, RBIs, hits, runs, total bases and slugging percentage.

 

His renewed dedication is evident, according to coaches and teammates. Even girlfriend Julianne Marie has noticed.

 

"He feels like that is tattooed onto him now, all those errors," she said. "He does have to overcome that, but he knows it. Once it gets in his head, it's bad, but he tries not to think about it. He's much more focused this season, and everybody sees that."

 

Such a commitment amazes Marie considering for the first three months they were dating, she didn't even know Gamel played baseball.

 

They began seeing each other last year on Thanksgiving night when Gamel had just returned to his Jacksonville, Fla., home after winning MVP in the Hawaiian Winter League. Marie saw this shaggy-headed guy she went to high school with wearing beach clothes and thought he was just another surfer.

 

Then, in mid-February, he took her home to meet his parents and she saw all his baseball pictures and awards.

 

"He doesn't even tell anybody," Marie said of Gamel's career. "He's probably the most humble person I know."

 

Marie and Gamel's parents are still in the dark at some of his accomplishments, which they hear second-hand. Just last week, the Brewers discussed calling up Gamel to be a designated hitter in an interleague series against Boston. Though Gamel found out about it after the fact, he didn't tell anyone.

 

As exciting as that promotion would have been, he said he is more concerned right now with becoming a complete player.

 

"I'll take it to heart and keep working," Gamel said. "You can't take a day off up there.

 

"I'd rather them realize the improvements I've made on defense. I've made 10 or 11 errors, which isn't great, but it's better than it has been."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Hand-picked for a promotion

By Jeff McIntyre,

Times Daily (Northwest Alabama) Assistant Sports Editor

 

There will likely be more fans at Joe Davis Stadium today than the Huntsville Stars typically draw on a Sunday afternoon.

 

That's because many fans will be making the short drive from Hatton to watch a local product pitch on a big stage.

 

Donovan Hand, a former Hatton and Jacksonville State standout, will make his Class AA debut today when the Stars host Birmingham at 2:05 p.m.

 

"I figure I'll have between 100 and 150 people from my extended family there," Hand said. "It's amazing how many people have supported me throughout my career. I'm sure I'll be a little nervous, but I've been in similar situations before. I've just got to go out and do what I get paid to do."

 

Hand earned a promotion to Huntsville by compiling a 4-2 record and an ERA of 2.31 with the Brevard County Manatees of the Class A Florida State League. He was informed of his promotion Friday morning and immediately packed and hit the road headed to Huntsville.

 

It was the third promotion in less than a year for Hand, who was drafted in the 14th round by the Milwaukee Brewers last year.

 

Hand said developing another pitch has been the key to his success this year.

 

"I had been getting by with my fastball and change-up, but I needed a slider," he said. "This year in spring training, I learned how to throw a good hard slider, and it has been my go-to pitch. That has been the biggest difference for me this year."

 

Hand, who turned 22 in April, said he is looking forward to playing in Huntsville.

 

"It's a good situation for me," he said. "It's nice to play so close to home, but it is also nice because I know most of the guys on the team. I practiced with most of them in the spring, so it's not like last year when I came in not knowing anyone. There are some outstanding prospects at Huntsville.

 

"The best thing is that it will be so much easier for my family to see me play. My parents drove 26 hours last year to watch me in Montana, and now they will be less than an hour away. I'm looking forward to being around my brother, who is 17, and trying to be a good role model for him."

 

Hand said he is pleased with the progress he has made in his short time in professional baseball. He expects to spend the rest of the season in Huntsville and said he wants to keep doing the same things which have got him to this point.

 

"It's amazing to think that I was pitching in the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) Tournament at this time last year, and now I'll be pitching in double A," he said. "I'm just trying to keep it all in perspective. I know I'll be excited when I take the mound, but I have to harness that emotion and do my job.

 

"I just thank God for everything he has done for me. It's been an unbelievable ride so far."

[Mass Haas]

The blog BrewersNation has a nice interview with Voice of the Stars Brett Pollock

[Mass Haas]

Southern League Press Release:

 

(May 26-June 1)

Hitter of the Week

MAT GAMEL, 3B, HUNTSVILLE STARS

Among the most feared hitters in the minor leagues through the first two months of the season, Gamel continued his assault on Southern League pitching with a league-best .920 slugging percentage during the week. He hit safely in each of Huntsville's six games, extending his on-base streak to 46 consecutive games dating to April 13. The 22-year-old Gamel batted .480 (12-for-25) to improve his overall average to .383, good for fourth in all of Minor League Baseball, and his six RBI during the week moved him into a tie for the league lead with 48. A native of Neptune, FL, Gamel matched his season high with four hits in a 3-0 win at Mobile on Tuesday. He then homered in three consecutive games, capped by a go-ahead, two-run blast in a 6-3 victory over the BayBears on Friday. On Saturday, Gamel closed out May - a month during which he batted .387 with eight homers and 28 RBI - with a single in four at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

AB		R		H		2B		3B		HR		RBI		SB		AVG
Gamel	25		7		12		2		0		3		6		0		.480

[JJHardy7]

Just last week, the Brewers discussed calling up Gamel to be a designated hitter in an interleague series against Boston. Though Gamel found out about it after the fact, he didn't tell anyone.

 

Has anyone else seen or heard anything about this? This if the first I've seen anything regarding Gamel getting called up.

[trwi7]

Has anyone else seen or heard anything about this? This if the first I've seen anything regarding Gamel getting called up.

 

Yeah, they wrote stuff about it. That's when Ned said "He likes the bench the way it is right now." Something along those lines but they discussed bringing up Branyan, Nelson or Gamel to DH.

[Mass Haas]

One of the reasons Jim Powell is such a fine broadcaster and good guy is that Brewerfan suggested to Jim that he arrange a phone interview from Chattanooga with David Welch for the Milwaukee pre-game interview today, and he immediately agreed and set about to make it happen. Surely it must have been a nice bonus for David -- here's the audio, fantastic stuff -- thanks, Jim & a very well-spoken David.

[battlekow]

I heard that interview live and enjoyed it. I think our first round pick from last year should officially change his name to "LaPorter".

[Mass Haas]

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times -- Blog Entry

 

ATLANTA -- A funny thing happened on the way to Atlanta. A Huntsville Stars pitcher threw a no-hitter.

 

I snuck out of town on Monday, to spend time in Chattanooga with my mom and my daughter, who snuck a long weekend from work and flew home for a visit. Then I was headed here to cover the Braves for a couple of days.

 

Tuesday morning, when I picked up the Chattanooga paper -- where I worked for 17 years, back in the days when we all wore fedoras with PRESS cards in the brim and people always yelled "Extra! and "Stop the presses!" -- I saw where the Stars' David Welch threw a no-hitter against the Lookouts.

 

It was the second game of a doubleheader and my buddy David Paschall barely had time to squeeze in three paragraphs in his story in the Chattanooga paper, since it ended almost at midnight Eastern. I knew, with our deadlines, we'd not have much on it either. There's no worse feeling for us than to be watching history and have no time to report it adequately.

 

I did a quick lunch at Nikki's, a small diner near downtown that's a Chattanooga landmark. (Onion rings the size of hula hoops. Fried shrimp the size of your fist. Cheeseburgers so good, you can rest one on your forehead and your tongue will slap your face silly trying to get to it.)

Then I called Don Money, the Stars' manager, to have him track down Welch for me.

 

I rushed by the team's hotel out near The Big Mall as it is unofficially known and immediately found pitching coach Chris Hook. Money came down to the lobby, then Welch wandered in from lunch. I figured I might have a little 500-word second-day follow up to the no-hitter, then I'd head on to Atlanta for the regularly scheduled column.

 

Except it turned out that Welch was celebrating his 25th birthday, he has a son named Maddox, semi-named for Greg Maddux, he's from Australia and he was a terrific interview. So the 500 word story went to about 1,000. Still, hope you'll check it out today.

 

Meanwhile, I'm in Atlanta. And I have stuff in the trunk of my rental car. And the battery on the remote control is dead. And I can't find a keyhole anywhere. The first person to e-mail me to tell me where the secret truck-opening button in a Pontiac Grand Prix is wins, well, my everlasting appreciation.

 

***

 

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No big celebration for no-hitter

Stars' Welch takes Monday's 2-0 shutout in stride

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com or visit his al.com blog at http://blog.al.com/mccarter

Huntsville Times

 

CHATTANOOGA - This is how David Welch celebrated two major milestones in his life:

 

With a wee-hours-in-the-morning, two-block walk to an all-night mini-mart for an adult beverage.

 

"I went down to the gas station, got a couple of beers and came back to my room," Welch said. "I had two and it was lights out."

 

That's how Welch, a native of Sydney, Australia, celebrated his 25th birthday, 9,200 miles from home.

 

That's how Welch, a Huntsville Stars pitcher, celebrated the first complete game no-hitter of his life.

 

Wow. Like New Year's Eve at the senior citizens' home. Two beers. Lights out.

 

He barely squeezed the no-hitter into his birthday, tiptoeing in just before midnight Eastern time in the 2-0 seven-inning victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts Monday in the second game of a doubleheader. He struck out six, walked two, was perfect through 5 2/3 innings, faced only 22 batters and didn't even need a miraculous defensive play, as most no-hitters seem to.

 

Basically, he was lights-out.

 

No one-pitch pony

 

In the Chattanooga first, Cody Strait and Eric Eymann popped to second base. Sean Henry struck out. Things were already clicking smoothly between Welch and catcher Carlos Corporan. Not once would Welch shake off one of Corporan's signs.

 

"They're as one right now," said pitching coach Chris Hook.

 

In the second, Daniel Dorn and Justin Turner struck out and Drew Anderson flew to left.

 

Though he came into the game 6-1, Welch had been relying too much on his fastball until Hook told him flatly, "Listen, you can't pitch with one pitch in Double-A." So, said Hook, "he's really embraced the change-up and his curve ball, which he was so much in love with, has become his third pitch."

 

In the third, B.J. Szymanski struck out, Chris Denove grounded to short and Travis Wood popped up to second.

"I really started thinking about (a no-hitter) at the end of the third, when I had gone through the lineup and I was fixing to face the No. 1 hitter again," Welch said. "It was in the back of my mind."

 

In the fourth, Strait whiffed, Eymann grounded to short and Henry hit a smash to Mat Gamel at third, the first hard-hit ball of the evening.

 

"In the fourth inning, in a seven-inning game, you start thinking about (a no-hitter)," manager Don Money said, "because you only have three innings to go."

 

An Internet audience

 

It may be the only two-Aussie no-hitter in American pro baseball history. On Aug. 5, 2005, Melbourne native Simon Beresford started for the Brewers' Helena farm club in the Pioneer League, then Welch followed in a four-man no-hitter against Billings.

 

Welch had been an amateur hot-shot Down Under, traveling extensively on national teams as a high school player. He decided to come to the U.S. to attend Tyler (Texas) College but the school suddenly de-emphasized its baseball program. Two Tyler players, also Australian, transferred to Texarkana College. The Tyler coach put in a good word for Welch, and he tagged along.

 

Welch continues to live in Queen City, Texas, a town of 5,000 or so. It's a reverse Crocodile Dundee deal. Instead of the man from the Outback going to a big city in the U.S., city-boy Welch is out in the sticks, learning to hunt and fish.

 

In the Chattanooga fifth, he shot down Dorn and Turner on routine grounders, Anderson on a fly to right.

 

Fans were trying to jinx him. "You've got a no-hitter going!"

 

Though superstitious teammates were growing skittish around Welch, "I was just joking around, talking to the guys," he said. At one point, he even asked a solemn Gamel, "Do you know what's going on?"

 

In the sixth, Szymanski flew out, Denove grounded to second and pinch-hitter Chris Valaika walked on a borderline pitch.

 

Kelli Welch was listening to the game on the Internet. She said a cuss word or two.

 

When David and Kelli were pondering names for their first-born, who arrived 3 1/2 months ago, they were thinking about baseball names.

"Kelli said, 'Let's call him Pedro.' " David went through a few more names, finally coming to "Maddux." "I like that," Kelli said. "If it's a boy, that's it." They modified it to Maddox, with an O.

 

Maddox was still awake when his mom started her fussing and he began giggling. He was laughing louder than he had in his life.

 

"It's not funny," Kelli said to her baby. "He just lost a perfect game."

 

Welch helps his cause

 

Welch was the lead-off hitter in the Huntsville seventh, having escaped trouble in the sixth when Strait flew out. The Lookouts brought on newcomer Sean Watson, who was registering 93 to 95 mph on his warm-up pitches.

 

"I'm like, 'You've gotta be kidding,' " Welch said.

 

On the first pitch, Welch swung just as the ball hit catcher Denove's mitt. Both Denove and ump Toby Basner laughed. Watson was "pumping fastballs past me," but ran the count to 3-2.

 

"I think the ball was past me, but I dropped the bat down and it hit it. It was a line drive past the first baseman," Welch said. He hustled all the way to second base, then later scored the second Huntsville run.

 

When Mike Welch, David's father, called from Australia early Tuesday morning, forget the no-hitter. The first thing Mike said was, "You got a double, huh?"

 

In the Chattanooga seventh, Eymann walked. Henry drilled a grounder to shortstop Alcides Escobar, who cashed it in for a 6-4-3 double play. Welch sent Dorn fishing for a curve ball in the dirt for strike three, then jabbed his fist into the blue-black sky.

 

Teammates rushed the mound from their positions, from the dugout, even making the 100-yard dash from the bullpen. Said Welch, "You can't describe (the feeling)."

 

In Sydney, his mom Narelle, a high school teacher, was at work. "She was," David said, "in middle of class screaming." Mike had listened to the game and read an Internet account, but phoned because "he still wanted to hear from me that I did it," David said.

 

The Stars left the ballpark and drove through a sleepy city. Nowhere to party near their hotel. Just an all-night mini-mart to provide refreshments.

 

"From celebrating my birthday on my own (away from family), to doing that," said Welch, "it kind of made it a really good day."

[Mass Haas]

Brett Pollock, if you're reading, the MiLB.com audio archive blanked out your entire interview with David Welch from Tuesday's pre-game, sorry...

[Mass Haas]

If you didn't see this coming, head to your optometrist now --

 

Southern League Pitcher of the Week

David Welch, Huntsville

2-0, 0.69 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO

Want a sure-fire way to earn a Pitcher of the Week award? Throw a no-hitter. The Stars' Australian lefty started his week doing just that in the second game of Huntsville's Monday doubleheader against Chattanooga. Welch didn't allow a hit over seven innings, striking out six batters. On Saturday, Welch followed up the no-hitter with another win, his league-leading eighth, working six solid innings against West Tenn. He allowed two runs -- one earned -- over six innings against the Diamond Jaxx, and the offense gave him seven runs of support. Welch has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his 13 starts this season.

 

(Photo by Tony Farlow/MLB.com)

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/06/09/Nje7Ig3C.jpg

[Mass Haas]

New photo of Angel Salome at AA, courtesy of the Stars

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/06/09/mFePRQvW.jpg

[Mass Haas]

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G-a-r-c-i-a-p-a-r-r-a spells pressure

By BRAD SHEPARD, For The Huntsville Times

 

When your big brother is a six-time all-star and you're hailed as his clone coming out of high school, the expectations can feel like a vice-grip. Such was the lesson for the so-called next Nomar.

 

He has the same facial features, the same dark complexion and the same sportswriter's spelling nightmare last name.

 

But the Huntsville Stars' newest addition - reserve infielder Michael Garciaparra - wants to make one thing clear to folks, and it's something he had to realize for himself:

 

He isn't Nomar.

 

"People expect you to live up to that name, but you don't have to put up those numbers to be in the big leagues," said Garciaparra, the 25-year-old brother of the six-time all-star Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman.

 

"I'm Michael, and that's what you get. That name's not going to get you to the big leagues. It's just a name on the back of your jersey."

 

After seven seasons, four organizations and 11 minor league towns, now it's just another name fighting for a roster spot.

 

Following an oblique injury this season, Garciaparra was waived by Baltimore. He recently signed with the Brewers organization, where he's had two hits in four at-bats so far with Huntsville.

 

"We needed a versatile player willing to accept the role of an occasional participant," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said.

 

"Mike had the ability and experience to handle the job."

 

Throughout the younger Garciaparra's career, the name he's so proud of has been an albatross of sorts.

 

As a first-round draft pick of Seattle back in 2001, the then-160-pound shortstop was immediately saddled with expectations. In addition to being a first-rounder and signing a $2 million bonus, the organization instantly compared him to his brother.

 

"He doesn't run as fast as Nomar, but he really looks a lot like him when he takes ground balls," Mariners vice president of scouting and player development Roger Jongewaard told USA Today. "He hits like him (Nomar)."

 

Nevermind that he was a raw, undersized 18-year-old fresh out of high school.

 

"Absolutely, it was extra pressure," Garciaparra said, "and I added it to myself."

 

He struggled during his first full season in Wisconsin in 2003, hitting .243 with two homers and 50 errors. When injuries hampered him in 2004, his stock plummeted.

 

Even when he hit .298 with six home runs in 84 games during 2005, he battled injuries. When he really broke out in 2006, going from rookie ball to Triple-A with the Mariners and hitting over .300 at every stop through 74 games, he again got hurt.

 

After a while, his trips to the disabled list became as frequent as Nomar's.

 

"They're really weird injuries, too," said Garciaparra, who trains with his brother in the offseason. "It's not like we don't take care of our bodies and work out a lot and do everything right, either. It's one of those things you can't control."

 

Despite the injuries, Philadelphia picked him up off waivers after 2006 and added him to its 40-man roster.

 

Just when his major-league goal seemed within reach, Garciaparra couldn't relax and saw flashes of his old self, the one who enlisted help from sports shrinks and thought too much.

 

"I reverted back to the old status because I was trying to do a little too much - seeing Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins and knowing that I could be that next guy," Garciaparra said. "I was doing well about halfway through the season and just hit a wall."

 

On Monday, Garciaparra sat in a Double-A dugout, talking about making it to the place where guys like Craig Griffey and Brad McCann couldn't - the same league as their more-famous brothers.

 

"I think if you're the younger brother of a guy in the big leagues, there's got to be some added pressure," Stars manager Don Money said.

 

"Whatever Nomar is doing, they expect you to do everything as good or better.

 

"Sometimes, the switch goes on later for other people, and for others, sometimes the switch is stuck down."

 

Garciaparra is trying to generate enough at-bats to flip that switch. Though he still battles the doubts, he constantly reminds himself he's only 25.

 

"There's a guy like Chris Coste who I played with last year," Garciaparra said of the Phillies' 35-year-old catcher. "With stories like that and guys like that ... you can still stick around this game and play for a while. There's still time, and there's still hope."

[battlekow]

Is "Garciaparra" really that hard to spell?

[Tedaldtada]

haha, yea, not really.

[Mass Haas]

Southern League Press Release:

 

Topps Southern League Player of the Month Award

 

MARIETTA, GA - Huntsville Stars third baseman Mat Gamel has been named the Topps Player of the Month for May, as selected by the Southern League field managers. The Topps Company of New York, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, presents the award each month to the top performer in each of the 10 full-season leagues.

 

Batting third in one of the minors' most potent lineups, Gamel ranked third in the Southern League with a .387 average and second with 28 RBI during the month. He also paced all of Double A with 48 hits and 83 total bases for the Stars, who batted .306 in May to become the Southern League's first team to collectively hit over .300 for a full calendar month since June of 2005.

 

Gamel singled on May 1 to extend a hitting streak to 16 games, a mark that stands as the longest in the league this season. He also singled on May 31 to extend his on-base streak to 46 games - a streak that was lengthened to a minor league season-best 53 games before being broken on June 8. In between those singles, Gamel pounded out 19 extra-base hits and produced 17 multi-hit games, including a dozen in the month's final 19 days.

 

A native of Neptune Beach, FL, Gamel established a personal season high with five RBI in an 11-3 victory at Montgomery on May 4. Four days later, he began an 11-game hitting streak that featured five homers and 11 RBI. Another double-digit hitting streak was born on May 22, when he singled twice to kick off a 13-game streak.

 

Consistency is nothing new to Gamel, who put together a 33-game streak while with Class-A Brevard County last year. It fell just three games shy of matching the longest hitting streak in the Florida State League's history. In 2008, Gamel has accounted for three of the league's first 16 hitting streaks lasting more than 10 games.

 

The 22-year-old Gamel homered in three straight games both from May 8-10 and May 28-30, and his 13 home runs through the season's first two months left him just four shy of matching his career high. Gamel had nine home runs in 128 games with Brevard County last year before topping Hawaii Winter Baseball with eight during the offseason.

 

In his first full campaign after being selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, Gamel belted 17 home runs for West Virginia of the South Atlantic League in 2006. An integral piece to Huntsville's drive for a fourth consecutive half-season title in the Southern League's North Division, Gamel hit safely in all 11 games against division rivals in May. Through June 10, he was leading the

Southern League with a .376 average and 59 RBI while ranking second with 14 homers for the first-place Stars.

[TooLiveBrew]

So what's the plan with Gamel? Isn't a .376 BA over 260+ Double-A ABs enough to warrant a promotion? Or is there a more subtle, salary-related plan with this? It seems both Mat & Matt (LaPorta) have nothing left to prove about their abilities to hit Double-A pitching.

[TheCrew07]

The difference in Gamel's case is that I believe Money has helped him tremendously... I don't mind him sitting in AA all year while he works on improving his defense. I know the young man can hit, his glove is going to determine his ultimate value. LaPorta on the other hand, I don't think it makes a difference where you work on your OF skills.

 

Looking down the road I don't think sitting in AA hurts either player's status at all, depending on what happens with the big club, both could realistically make the jump and hit MLB pitching, both could spend next in year in AAA, or both could sit in AAA until they are passed super 2 status and get the call. This is going to be interesting off season for sure, I'm as intrigued by this situation as I was with Yo and Braun last year.

 

I think the likely scenario is that LaPorta gets bumped and Gamel works all year with Money in AA as the Brewers desperately need him to stick at 3B.

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com:

 

Gamel to stay at Double-A Huntsville

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

HOUSTON -- The Brewers are content to let third-base prospect Mat Gamel rake in the Double-A Southern League.

Gamel was named the league's Topps Player of the Month in a vote by Southern League managers after he batted .387 in May with 28 RBIs. Hitting at the heart of one of Minor League Baseball's best offensive teams, Gamel entered Wednesday batting a league-best .376 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs.

Triple-A Nashville lost its third baseman late last month when the Brewers promoted Russell Branyan to the Major Leagues. Nonetheless, Gamel is staying put.

"We discussed that at the Draft [last week], and the feeling is that we should let him stay at Double-A," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "Double-A, especially the Southern League, is a very solid pitching league, and we're probably going to leave him there and let him have an outstanding year there -- let him dominate."

The Brewers have taken this tack before. Corey Hart, Milwaukee's current right fielder, spent all of 2003 at Huntsville, leading the league with 149 hits, 40 doubles and 94 RBIs, and winning Southern League MVP honors.

"The Southern League is a very good development league," Ash said. "In our opinion, there's not a whole lot to gain by moving [Gamel] to Triple-A at this point."

Leaving him at Huntsville extends Gamel's defensive work with Stars manager Don Money, a former Brewers third baseman and a four-time Major League All-Star. Money set a Major League record in 1977 with 261 straight errorless chances at third base, and he still holds a Major League mark with 88 consecutive errorless games at that position, a record he set in the 1973-74 seasons.

Gamel, 22, remains a defensive work in progress. He was charged with 15 errors in his first 64 games this season, an improvement from 2007 at Class A Brevard County, where he committed 53 errors in 128 games. Most of those mistakes were throwing errors.

"That's a big factor," Ash said of the Gamel-Money partnership. "He's shown improvement there, and Garth Iorg, our roving infield instructor, has seen him there and told me there is no doubt in his mind that [Gamel] will play third base in the big leagues.

"That was one of the goals we laid out in the beginning of the year -- that by the end of the season, we had to firm in our minds whether he could or couldn't. It's certainly leaning to the view that he can play third base and he can play it well."

The Brewers selected Gamel, a left-handed hitter, in the fourth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. He went three rounds after the Brewers used the fifth overall pick on Ryan Braun, another third baseman with an advanced bat and raw glove.

Gamels' Huntsville club entered play Wednesday with a one-game lead in the Southern League North Division with five games remaining in the first half. The Stars batted .306 in May to become the Southern League's first team to collectively hit over .300 for a full calendar month since June 2005.

Gamel and 2007 first-round Draft pick Matt LaPorta have gotten most of the attention. LaPorta was tops in the Southern League with 18 home runs through Tuesday, followed by Gamel's 14. Gamel leads the league in RBIs, with LaPorta five behind at 54.

Huntsville players owned the league's top four batting averages, with Gamel leading the way and followed by catcher Angel Salome (.372), center fielder Michael Brantley (.337) and shortstop Alcides Escobar (.333). The team also owned four of the top six spots in terms of OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), with Gamel (1.097) again leading the league, followed by LaPorta (third, 1.028), Salome (fourth, 1.000) and first baseman Chris Errecart (sixth, .888).

"There's some guys that are having very good years that aren't getting any notoriety whatsoever because they pale in comparison to some of their teammates," Ash said, who named second baseman Michael Bell and Brantley as examples.

With Gamel staying put and Branyan in the big leagues, the Triple-A Nashville Sounds will continue to play musical third basemen. Adam Heether, Brad Nelson, Eric Munson and Chris Woodward all have seen action there this season.

Mat Gamel leads the Southern League in batting, RBIs, slugging and runs scored. (Tony Farlow/MLB.com)

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