Your 2008 Nashville Sounds -- Latest: Big Game Worn Jersey Sale (EBAY)

[Mass Haas]

Sounds Announce Opening Day Roster

The Sounds have it all set up to click on a player's name and get a complete detailed player history. Nobody in all of minor league baseball, absolutely nobody, does it better than Assistant General Manager - Communications & Baseball Operations Doug Scopel and the Sounds.

 

Nashville Sounds Roster

 

Notice that veteran minor league RHP Ben Howard was signed on Friday. Here's Howard's career stats, last pitching in the big leagues with Florida in 2004.

[Mass Haas]

From Rotoworld:

 

Brewers reassigned LHP Chris Narveson, RHP Steve Bray, INF Ozzie Chavez and INF Abraham Nunez to minor league camp.

We imagine both Narveson and Bray would have made the Tigers, not to mention a couple of other teams, but there was no room in Milwaukee's pen after the team loaded up on veteran relievers. Bray is the better bet to contribute in relief come June or July, but Narveson is adequate protection for the rotation.

 

You knew about the above earlier, but I just wanted to comment on Steve Bray. How many teams are absolutely kicking themselves for passing on him in the Rule 5, and how lucky did the Brewers get in keeping him within the organization?

 

From the Nashville site:

In his first five pro seasons, Bray has posted a 2.97 career ERA and struck out 352 batters while walking only 79 in 348.2 innings.

 

We were all calling this last November pre Rule 5. Fortunately, 29 other GM's missed the boat.

One thing's for sure, unless real bad things happen, Bray will be added in-season this year or immediately after the '08 campaign.

[logan82]

How bad is Nix that we still have him? I would think he is out of options by now so he would have had to pass through waivers again.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

I didn't know Hernan was moved to the outfield

[Mass Haas]

Nix was signed to a minor league deal this offseason (non 40-man), so options were not an issue after this past spring training.

[logan82]

Nix was signed to a minor league deal this offseason (non 40-man), so options were not an issue after this past spring training.

I am still surprised he wouldn't have tried to go to a different team where he would have had a chance to compete for a MLB spot. I am not sure if he is good enough, but I would think somewhere that doesn't have 5 guys at then MLB level plus at least 1 minor league player ahead of him would have been preferable. Don't get me wrong, I am glad he stayed I would actually prefer him to TGJ, almost.

[bork]

The Brewers, who have been looking for another starting pitcher for Class AAA Nashville, claimed right-hander Richie Gardner on waivers from Cincinnati and assigned him to the Sounds' roster.

From Haudricourt's blog. No word on a corresponding move.

 

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2008/03/31/brewers-claim-pitcher-for-nashville.aspx

[Mass Haas]

MLB.com -- Yovani to start the Sounds opener, cool...

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewer's logjam leaves Sounds' veterans waiting their turn

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

Call it a bottleneck.

As the Nashville Sounds open Pacific Coast League play Thursday at New Orleans, five of the players on their 24-man active roster are headed into their third or fourth season with the Milwaukee Brewers' top minor league affiliate.

With so many youngsters beginning to assume prominent roles with the Brewers, though - eight of the big league club's 25 active players are 26 or younger - talented players are starting to see a logjam in the organization.

 

"I guess we were fortunate early on with the Brewers' situation when we first got drafted and how fast we were able to move up," said Nashville first baseman Brad Nelson, 25, who first joined the Sounds in 2005 as a fifth-year professional and has since hit 30 home runs and driven in 121 with the club. "Some of those guys are up in the majors now.

 

"We have been here a few years."

 

Nelson's "we" also includes Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino, relievers Steve Bray and Mitch Stetter - all 27-year-olds - and starter Zach Jackson. The 24-year-old left-handed Jackson will take the mound Thursday against New Orleans, marking his second straight Sounds' Opening Day start - a dubious achievement matched by Bill Dawley (1978-79) and Rodney Imes (1990-91).

 

"It's bittersweet," Jackson admitted of his assignment. "It's nice to be the first guy up, but you don't want to be breaking any records for consecutive Opening Day starts at Triple-A."

 

Of the five, Jackson, Rottino and Stetter have all spent some time in Milwaukee during their professional careers. Bray, meanwhile, is the only one who is not a member of the Brewers' 40-man roster. As a result, his minor league contract would have to be purchased by the team in order to call him up to the major leagues.

 

Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas acknowledged the uniqneness of having five players set to spend their third seasons with the same Triple-A club.

 

"Usually by the time you get up here, you're older - might be a free-agent type, might be leaving," he said.

 

Each of them, though, has had some success during previous Nashville stints.

 

Rottino has hit .303 with 20 homers and 97 RBI since arriving in 2005, while Stetter, as a left-handed specialist, has a 4.37 earned run average with four wins in 102 appearances. Jackson has compiled 15 victories during parts of the 2006 and '07 campaigns. Bray is 7-2, with a 1.54 earned run average in 63 appearances.

 

Although they've all been solid at times at the Class AAA level, they've all got some work ahead of them to make that next step.

 

"You can't control what's going on up there," Jackson said. "You've just got to take care of business down here. We're all still fairly young, not old by any means. We're the next ones up on the ladder. we've got to wait for our chance."

 

The extra experience should be an advantage for the sounds and for the individual players, Kremblas said, particularly Nelson and Rottino.

 

"As a pitcher, you're pretty much doing what you're going to have to do for anybody," he said. "As a position player, you can get the idea of what your manager wants, what his philosophy is, things like that. That'll be the biggest thing for our new guys that haven't played for me before - getting used to my style, how aggressive I am."

 

[bork]

I noticed that Laynce Nix isn't in the Brewerfan player index. I guess he was never added back when he re-signed.

[Mass Haas]

I noticed that Laynce Nix isn't in the Brewerfan player index. I guess he was never added back when he re-signed.

 

All set, thanks.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Branyan itching for another shot at majors

By Pierce W. Huff

NOLA.com Staff writer

 

He has a lengthy bio, and lately his travels in major and minor league baseball read like something out of an atlas, but Nashville Sounds infielder Russell Branyan still believes in himself and his dream of making it back to the big leagues -- to stay.

 

But Branyan is realistic enough to realize that the Sounds possibly represent his last chance at the bigs.

"I'm 32 years old, and I'm back down in Triple-A, and I've got an opportunity," he said.

And at this point in his career that's all Branyan can ask for.

Branyan, who plays third, first and the outfield, was in four organizations last year. He started the season on the bench for San Diego and was released midway through the season. He was picked up by Cleveland and played one game for the Indians' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, and then was placed on waivers and traded to Philadelphia for cash. He played for the Phillies for two weeks and then was designated for assignment and traded to St. Louis, where he finished the season.

"It was a tough year," he said.

Branyan filed for free agency a month after the season and signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in February.

"I think the Brewers are a quality organization, and that's one of the reasons why I came back," he said.

Branyan landed with the Brewers, who had acquired him in 2004, because he had a tough time latching on to another team.

That's why playing with Nashville is so important. The Brewers gave him an opportunity to play for the Sounds, and he wants to make the most of it.

It's the kind of fate few would have figured for Branyan after he broke into the major leagues with Cleveland in 1998. He batted .232 with 24 home runs and 54 RBIs for the Indians in 2001.

Branyan was traded to Cincinnati during the 2002 season and hit .244 with 16 home runs and 39 RBIs in 84 games for the Reds. He was traded to Milwaukee in 2004 and was a platoon player for the Brewers for two seasons.

Branyan played with Tampa Bay in 2006 and batted .201 with 12 home runs in 64 games.

Then came Branyan's season of travel.

"There was no consistent playing time at all," he said. "It was a tough year. I couldn't get into any kind of rhythm."

And that's what Branyan hopes to get with Nashville this season as he tries to slug his way back to the major leagues.

Branyan led off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit, leadoff double off the center-field wall against Zephyrs right-hander Robert Paulk in his only at-bat Sunday, a 4-0 victory for the Sounds.

"It was a first-pitch fastball," Branyan said. "I was trying to stay through the ball, because it's early in the season, and not do too much with it. I was taking what he was giving me."

Branyan hopes to play for the Brewers this season, but he'd be willing to leave if another team gives him a chance at the majors.

"I'm just trying to get my game back and my legs underneath me," he said. "I'm trying to get my swing back to where if there is a major league team out there that needs a left-handed bat and a guy who plays a corner position, then they'll see me as the guy, whether it's with the Brewers or another major league team."

[JoeHova]

I wonder if Russ has ever gotten any offers from the Japanese league? If Tuffy Rhodes can be the home run king there, Russ seems like he would be a good fit. He could make a lot more in Japan than he can in AAA. Of course, maybe NPB is no bigger a fan of the three true outcomes than MLB.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stocker sticks to plan

Cholla grad was close to quitting last year before Brewers called

By Sarah Trotto

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

 

Rosters list Mel Stocker, a Cholla (AZ) High School graduate, at 5 feet 10 inches and 160 pounds.

 

After Stocker debuted in the major leagues last season, Ken Griffey Jr. made sure to poke fun at the Tucson native's small stature.

 

Welcome to the big leagues, buddy.

 

"He thought my number was a little too big for me to be wearing because I was one of the smallest guys on the field," said Stocker, who was donning No. 52 when the Milwaukee Brewers made him a late-season call-up.

 

Valued for his speed, defense and ability to steal bases, Stocker hopes to earn another chance in the majors after last September's brief stint.

 

He returned home this week for Nashville's four-game series against the Sidewinders at Tucson Electric Park. The Sounds are the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate.

 

"You don't really worry about what the people ahead of you are doing" in the majors, said Stocker, who flied out as a pinch hitter in Nashville's 10-6 win Wednesday night. "You worry about what you can personally control - how I play and how I go into every day."

 

A veteran of seven minor-league seasons, Stocker planned to explore a career outside of baseball if he failed to reach the majors by age 27.

 

In the off-season, he works as a personal trainer in Panama City, Fla.

 

Then last Sept. 1, two weeks after he turned 27, the Brewers promoted Stocker. He had hit .255 with 35 stolen bases at Double-A and wasn't on Milwaukee's 40-man roster. In less than a year, he went from playing independent-league ball to aiding the Brewers in a pennant race.

 

"I kinda thought there was no chance, but in baseball there are many chances at many different things, and I tried to make the best of it," said Stocker, who turns 28 on Aug. 15.

 

Against the Reds, Stocker met and dined with his childhood idol, Griffey.

 

"He's a guy who pretty much talks to everyone, doesn't treat you like you're a rookie," Stocker recalled.

 

He awaits his first big- league hit - he went 0 for 3 and went 4 for 4 on stolen-base attempts in nine games.

 

In his first Triple-A season, Stocker hopes to steal at least 40 bases. He is batting .297 and has four stolen bases in 17 games.

 

"He's really good in the outfield and creates a lot of havoc on the base paths," Nashville manager Frank Kremblas said. "He doesn't try to do too much; he's not going to be a guy who drives the ball, so he tries to keep the ball out of the air."

 

About 40 of Stocker's friends and family attended Wednesday's game. The series marks the first time he has played in Tucson since college.

 

After two seasons at Pima College, he headed to Arizona State.

 

"They offered me a scholarship," Stocker said. "It was a real easy choice. I always dreamed of playing at ASU and I talked to the people over at UA. They kinda blew me off and I get a call from ASU saying they have a position for me."

 

Photo by David Sanders / Arizona Daily Star

 

http://www.azstarnet.com/ss/2008/05/08/238037-1.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Press Release on Lindsay Gulin -- PCL Pitcher of the Week

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Turnbow trying to regain form with Sounds

Pitcher's career takes different turn

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

As he stood atop the mound at Wrigley Field that night in late April, Derrick Turnbow knew he was already on a short leash.

 

Three days earlier, the Milwaukee Brewers' pitcher and Middle Tennessee native appeared in a game against the Florida Marlins and failed to record a single out, walking two batters and giving up a base hit before his manager pulled the plug.

 

On this night in Chicago, Turnbow was brought in during the eighth inning with his team trailing 13-5. Under the lights, in front of thousands of fans and millions more watching on television, Turnbow's nightmare season turned from bad to worse.

 

Again, the right-hander, who pitched at Franklin High School and was a big league All-Star less than two years ago, failed to last an inning, giving up six runs on four hits and four walks before being sent to the showers.

 

"I felt like I was always one more bad game away from getting sent down or released," Turnbow said. "Pitching under that kind of pressure doesn't lead to good things."

 

And sent down he was.

 

These days, Turnbow has traded in the glitz and glamour of the big leagues for the relative anonymity of minor league baseball in Nashville. Instead of regular appearances at luxurious Miller Park in Milwaukee, he plays his home games at aging Greer Stadium, where he's struggling to regain his control - and his confidence.

 

"With guys that throw that hard, they're really prone to mechanical errors that can keep them from throwing strikes," said Mark Pickle, Turnbow's high school coach. "That's always been a battle with Derrick, keeping consistency with what he's doing mechanically."

 

A rough year

 

Without question, it's been a tough year for Turnbow.

 

In December, he was among scores of current and former baseball players named in the Mitchell Report on steroids in baseball. His use of the performance-enhancer androstenedione - a substance legal for big leaguers at the time - was detected in a 2003 drug test as he prepared for the 2004 Olympic baseball team, the report said. Turnbow was barred from the team under international competition rules.

 

But the negative publicity stemming from his naming in the report was only the start of his recent troubles.

 

After a reasonably strong year as the Brewers' set-up man last season, Turnbow was moved into a mop-up role in 2008 and couldn't regain his form.

 

Over 6 1/3 innings, he issued 13 walks with just five strikeouts, while posting a 15.63 earned run average.

 

No longer able to wait for him to turn his fortunes around, the Brewers' sent him and his $3.37 million salary to Triple-A Nashville.

"It's tough, especially when you've been in the closer's role and in the setup role and feel like you've pitched well enough to be back in that setup role and before you even get out of the spring, you're not in that setup role," Turnbow said. "It takes a toll on you mentally, just one hit after another. There's only so much you can take before mentally it just wears you down and gets to you, affects your performance.

 

Walks hurting Turnbow

 

He joined the Sounds on May 12 in Las Vegas and pitched in the final two games of the series. It was more of the same. Turnbow issued five walks and allowed a hit with no strikeouts, giving up two runs in one inning of work for an 18.00 ERA.

 

"One thing that's killing me is walks," he said. "You're trying not to walk guys because you know bad things happen. You're pitching not to walk guys instead of pitching to get guys out. You get to the point where you just have to get away from it for a while and try to get back on track and get it going again."

 

After his career as a fireballing pitcher at Franklin, Turnbow was a fifth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997. After a stint with the Anaheim Angels, he settled into a rhythm with the Brewers, converting 51 of his first 55 career save opportunities and playing his way onto the 2006 National League All-Star team.

 

The Brewers and Sounds hope that pitching on a more consistent basis will allow Turnbow to regain that All-Star form.

 

"This gives him an opportunity to get himself righted in, obviously, a less pressured situation," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "If he can get himself righted, he either comes back to Milwaukee and helps us out or he becomes a tradeable asset. I think there's nothing but good that can come out of it.

 

"I think he's a guy that just needs to get in a zone and once he's in there, he'll stay in there."

 

The plan with the Sounds is for Turnbow to get the ball out of the bullpen at least three times a week. His only appearance in the last six Sounds games was last Thursday, when he walked four batters in two-thirds of an inning.

 

"Guys like that need to get as much work as possible," Nashville pitching coach Stan Kyles said. "Command being the problem, he needs to be out there and can't take long days off when you're not getting any work. We'll make sure he gets regular work here and gets a chance to get himself back together and clear his head a little bit and hopefully be a serviceable major league pitcher again."

 

Turnbow sees a silver lining in being able to work in front of family and friends who still live in Middle Tennessee.

 

"I'm just trying to get back to having fun again," he said, "pitching and getting away from all the other stuff, the pressure of being in the big leagues, just for a little bit."

 

But, Turnbow adds, make no mistake: "I'd rather be in the big leagues. That's for sure."

 

Photo by GEORGE WALKER IV / THE TENNESSEAN

 

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080527&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=805270338&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

As they've done in the past, the Sounds site with a questionnaire format with their players. Up first,

 

Getting To Know Your Sounds: Brad Nelson

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Seneca Valley grad returns to Milwaukee Brewers as a long-relief specialist

Thursday, June 05, 2008

By Jim Rodenbush, Tri-State Sports and News Service

Zach Jackson kept missing his chance to pitch at PNC Park.

In 2001, during his senior year at Seneca Valley High School, he was set to participate in a pre-draft workout at the brand new ballpark, but the event was rained out.

In 2006, Jackson made his major-league debut with Milwaukee just three days after the Brewers completed a four-game series in Pittsburgh. By the time the Brewers returned, Jackson was back in the minor leagues.

A Cranberry resident, he finally got his opportunity last month. In front of a throng of supporters, this 25-year-old left-hander pitched two innings in relief and allowed two runs during Milwaukee's 8-4 loss to the Pirates on May 22, which wrapped up a three-game series.

"I'm just thrilled to be here," said Jackson in the Brewers' clubhouse before the game. "It was one heck of an experience, just getting called up to the major leagues two years ago. There was still a void there, not getting to play at PNC Park during that time."

The Brewers brought up Jackson from Class AAA Nashville May 16 and sent left-hander Mitch Stetter to the minor leagues. Jackson made his season debut May 18 when he pitched 1²/₃ scoreless innings of relief in an 11-7 loss at Boston.

Milwaukee traveled to Pittsburgh that night, and Jackson got to enjoy a day off in his hometown before the Brewers started their series with the Pirates. Besides spending time with his family and friends, Jackson also paid a visit to his former high school team.

"It's been awesome to see all of the familiar faces," Jackson said, "and they've all come out to the yard to support me. They've been waiting just as long as I have to see me play in Pittsburgh."

Jackson's second go-round in the major leagues had a different look to it. In 2006, he made seven starts for the Brewers, going 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA in eight appearances. This time, he was used exclusively as a reliever.

He actually made the move to the bullpen while still in Nashville after struggling at the start of the season. In all, he was 1-3 with a 6.98 ERA in 10 games with the Sounds, but had a 2.92 ERA in five appearances as reliever.

"I had a tough start to this season," Jackson said. "The Brewers now see me as a long-relief guy, a bullpen guy. It's new territory to me. But with the start I had, it couldn't have been better timing. It gave me the opportunity to basically start over in the bullpen. It was a blessing."

Jackson said he immediately took to the new role.

"The scouts and coaches told me they saw a difference in me so quickly," Jackson said. "I just changed as a pitcher. It's a different mentality. I know I can start. But I don't have the mind games now of, 'I need to keep these pitches in my back pocket for the third time through the lineup.' In the bullpen, you just have to do whatever it takes to get outs."

Back in 2001, Jackson was a 50th-round selection by the Chicago White Sox before going on to pitch at the University of Louisville and then Texas A&M. He was the 32nd overall pick in the 2004 draft, chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Less than two years later, he was in the major leagues. Jackson hopes to be back with Milwaukee in the near future. He was recently sent back down to Nashville

"You don't want to just be here," he said. "You want to be here, you want to stay, you want to contribute, you want to help the team win. I'm anxious to get out there. I want to take advantage of every opportunity I'm given. I feel like I have something to prove."

[Mass Haas]

You'll need to register for online voting, but here's MiLB.com's Pacific Coast League All-Star Ballot

[Mass Haas]

Kremblas, Paxson Named To All-Star Staff

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds get an all-star after all - their manager

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Recognition doesn't always come when it's merited.

 

As the official announcement came Thursday that Nashville's Frank Kremblas would manage the Pacific Coast League's team in next month's Triple-A All-Star game, his Sounds owned the worst record in the PCL.

 

"Honestly, I feel like I don't deserve it," said Kremblas, who in 2007 was named the league's manager of the year after leading the Sounds to an 89-55 mark- the best in the PCL - and a third straight division crown.

 

While Nashville has competed for the league title in each of its first three years as the Milwaukee Brewers' top affiliate, though, the team is currently competing to stay out of the league cellar.

 

With Thursday's 6-3 win over visiting Oklahoma, Nashville's 29-45 record matched Tucson's for the worst in the PCL.

 

"The players we have here aren't performing to the level they want to or expect to," Kremblas said prior to the win. "I take some responsibility for that.

 

"I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job this year. For some reason, we've had a bad first (73) games. We're hoping to turn it around."

 

The managers for the major league baseball All-Star game represent the teams that were in the previous year's World Series, and the NBA All-Star game coaches are from the winningest teams in each conference as of a predetermined date. However, there is no established protocol for selection of the Triple-A All-Star managers.

 

From a performance standpoint, Kremblas might have been more worthy of the honor prior to last summer's game. The Sounds took a 55-35 record into the all-star break.

 

"I'm glad we were able last year to execute more consistently," he said. "The mental toughness hasn't been there this year. We've had way too many mental mistakes."

 

Factoring into the Sounds' inconsistency has been an unstable roster. Nashville has undergone 76 transactions this season - an average of more than one per game. The team had 81 regular-season transactions all of last year.

 

Sounds infielder Callix Crabbe, however, thinks Kremblas is being too hard on himself.

 

"It's unfortunate we're not winning for him," said Crabbe, a member of last year's team who returned last month after opening the season with San Diego. "But he's deserving. Forget about coaching, managing: he's a great teacher. He's the best."

 

Along with Kremblas, Sounds trainer Jeff Paxson will be on the PCL staff for the July 16 game in Louisville. The staff will be rounded out by Omaha hitting coach Terry Bradshaw and Sacramento pitching coach Rick Rodriguez.

 

The International League stars will be managed by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Dave Miley, who holds the Louisville franchise record for managerial games and victories. Miley, who managed the Sounds for part of the 1992 season, will be assisted by Syracuse Manager Doug Davis and Louisville Manager Rick Sweet.

[Mass Haas]

Thanks to rightfieldbleachers.com and other sources who pointed to this magazine profile of Vinny Rottino.

[Mass Haas]

The Nashville Site with a detailed update on Lindsay Gulin and Vinny Rottino being named PCL All-Stars

Gulin's statistical season has pretty much flown under my Link Report radar completely. Vinny is the only repeater from the 2007 PCL All-Star squad.

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/images/news/allstars08.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Wrong-way Sounds stumble from first to worst

By STEVE SILVER

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

What a difference a year makes.

 

After posting the best regular-season record (89-55) in the Pacific Coast League last year and winning their third consecutive American North division title, the Nashville Sounds sit last in the PCL with a 34-53 record after Thursday night's 5-1 loss at Memphis.

 

Trailing the division-leading Iowa Cubs by 18 games with 57 games left in the season, the Sounds will have to pull off nothing short of a miracle to claw their way into the playoffs.

 

But before they can even ponder such a turnaround, they must first shift their focus to actually focusing on the field.

 

"Consistency has been our problem in every aspect," said Sounds outfielder Tony Gwynn, one of 10 returning players from the Sounds' 2007 run to the PCL finals. "We have the talent, but we just need to be more consistent. It's all mental. It's concentration. It's focus. We used to do all of the little things that go unnoticed, well. But this year, I don't know."

 

One not-so-little problem that has plagued the Sounds all season is errant pitching.

 

In 2007 the Sounds gave up a league-low 118 home runs in 144 games. Entering Thursday's game, the Sounds had already been blasted for a league-high 106 home runs in just 86 games. The team ERA was 4.98, while last season the Sounds boasted the lowest team ERA in the league at 3.57.

 

"I know it probably looks bad compared to last year, but I still feel like we have a great group of guys here," said pitcher Tim Dillard, who was 4-0 record and a 1.91 ERA in 20 appearances out of the bull-pen entering Thursday's game.

 

Poor pitching, however, is only part of the problem.

 

Lack of production

 

Not only have the Sounds allowed the most home runs in the PCL, but they have also hit the fewest (69). That's a steep drop from the 159 home runs the Sounds belted last season.

 

"We're definitely not as experienced as last year, but I think as the season wears on, the younger guys will relax and realize they can play at this level," Manager Frank Kremblas said. "You can't play your best when you are unsure of yourself."

 

The team's inability to hit home runs and its .259 batting average, which ranks 13th among 16 teams in the PCL, has translated into fewer runs.

The Sounds have been outscored 465-394 this year. At this point last season, the Sounds were pounding opponents 433-346.

 

"Numbers are numbers. We can't worry about that," Gwynn said. "We have to just focus on each individual series from here on out. If we can get on a roll, then who knows what can happen."

 

That could be a tall order for a team that won just one series outright in the month of June. But if the Sounds are going to try to hone in on an individual series, then this weekend's homestand against the Round Rock Express (40-47) is a solid opportunity to get back in tune.

 

Although Nashville is not exactly benefiting from the familiarity of Greer Stadium with a 17-22 home record, the Express are second to last in the American South division, with a meek .256 team batting average going into Thursday night. The two squads split a four-game series last week in their only previous meeting.

 

"If we start winning series like we lost them in the first part of the season, then we'll finish just fine," Kremblas said.

 

Jeff Adkins/The Tennessean/File Photo

Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas has watched his team struggle this season.

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080704&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=807040375&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=318&Border=0

 

[Mass Haas]

These may have been around quite a while, but just noticed them now -- mini video baseball cards from the Tennessean