Your 2008 W.V. Power -- Latest: A Brief Catch-Up with Harvard Grad Steffan Wilson

[Mass Haas]

Yeah, that's a pretty good week --

 

South Atlantic League Offensive Player of the Week

Eric Fryer, West Virginia

.682 (15-22), 5 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB, 1.091 SLG

If Fryer had left any doubt with five RBIs, three multi-hit games and 10 hits in his week's first five games, Sunday sealed the deal. That game single-handedly raised Fryer's average by 18 points, as the outfielder went 5-for-5, hitting three doubles and driving in six runs. Amazingly, none of Fryer's five hits came against left-handers, who he is hitting a healthy .457 against this season. Instead, it raised his split against right-handed pitchers from .317 to .340, and in a week, a 45-point increase in batting average leaves Fryer waiting for statistic eligibility, as he would lead the league in hitting with a few more at-bats.

[Tbadder]

Was Fryer moved off of catcher because he wasn't able to progress at the position or because others had proved to be defensively superior?

[TheCrew07]

I thought it was a numbers game thing initially, now it looks like they liked his tools and he's made a nice transition. I have to be honest, I never thought he'd hit this well. It's always nice when a prospect jumps up his game and surprises me.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power's Gindl using his bat rather than arm for success

by Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

If some professional baseball scouts had it their way, Caleb Gindl would be pitching to minor league hitters rather than hitting against minor league pitchers.

 

A left-hander whose fastball can reach 95 mph, Gindl was a hot commodity and top prospect at Pace High School in Florida.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers selected Gindl as an outfielder in the fifth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. The Boston Red Sox and other teams had other ideas for him, however.

 

"I could have gone as a pitcher," said Gindl, who was the 161st overall pick and received a $144,900 signing bonus from Milwaukee.

 

"Boston called me in the fifth round and wanted me to go as a pitcher, but I told them, 'No chance would I do that.'

 

"I love to hit and I love to play, and that's what I want to do. One day, if I don't make it as a hitter, I might try to go back and make it as a pitcher. As of right now, I just want to hit and play."

 

Gindl is doing exactly that this season for the West Virginia Power, the Brewers' low Class A South Atlantic League affiliate.

 

Gindl and his teammates had a much-needed and much-appreciated off day Tuesday.

 

"I feel like I'm more involved in the game playing right field and getting to hit every day," said the 5-foot-8, 185-pound Gindl, who will turn 20 on the second-to-last day of the season (Aug. 31).

 

"Pitching is one of those things ... I couldn't see myself loving to pitch. But I love to play baseball and I love to hit. Pitchers are out there every five games. Position players are out there every day."

 

Gindl is the 10th-ranked prospect in the Brewers' farm system, according to the 2008 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.

 

"Gindl has tremendous pitch recognition for a young hitter, enabling him to hit both fastballs and breaking balls," according to the publication's analysis of the outfielder. "His stocky build and line-drive power remind some of Brian Giles. Some clubs considered drafting him as a left-handed pitcher, so his arm plays well in right field.

 

"The Brewers like his makeup and maturity. Whether Gindl will have enough home run power to play an outfield corner in the majors remains to be seen. He's close to maxed out physically and limited in terms of speed and athleticism."

 

Milwaukee promoted Gindl from Helena to West Virginia last September after he won the Pioneer League batting title with a .372 batting average.

 

He also recorded a .420 on-base percentage and .580 slugging percentage with three triples, five home runs, 22 doubles, 40 runs and 42 RBI in 55 games at Helena last year to earn All-Star honors. He whiffed 38 times and walked 20 times.

 

Gindl joined West Virginia for the last two games of the SAL Championship Series against Columbus.

 

Gindl was on the Power's opening day roster this season and has played in all but one game.

 

Like most of his teammates, this is his first full season in professional baseball. The rigorous schedule can cause wear and tear on a player's body and mind.

 

Gindl has handled it fairly well. He is hitting .268 with seven home runs, 25 doubles, 48 runs and 50 RBI. He is first among his teammates in strikeouts with 96 and second in walks with 38.

 

"It was a big-time struggle in the first half," said Gindl, who is hitting 15 points higher in the second half (.279 compared to .264). "It seemed like I was on a rollercoaster ride the whole time -- up, down, up, down.

 

"Looking back on it, I think it's going to make me a better player (by) having to deal with that and coming through that and turning things around after that.

 

"I just came out here and tried to go with the same approach I went with last year. It's a better league with better pitchers. That's for sure. It took me a while to make adjustments, but I made them and I'm trying to turn things around."

 

Gindl said he might make a mound return if his pro career depends on it.

 

"Maybe I could do it," Gindl said. "But, hopefully, I don't have to, especially with me being 5-8. It would be tough to make it. There aren't a lot of short pitchers."

[battlekow]

A high school lefty that throws 95 and he was only going to go in the 5th round? His stature knocked him down that far, I imagine?

[TheCrew07]

I wondering that too, just like I was wondering about Lawrie's 46" vertical leap... NBA players don't get off the ground that well. I was wondering if that was a typo, like should have been 92, and Lawrie's vert 36...

[Mass Haas]

LHP Lucas Luetge interviewed at BCB

[Mass Haas]

First-hand account from Charleston at BCB

Thanks for the report -- hooray Pedro Lambertus! Evan Frederickson worried me from the moment I read the first scouting report on him weeks ago...

[TheCrew07]

Frederickson in the mid 80s... what? If he was running up the ball up there in the low to mid 90s like Z said he threw on draft dayI wouldn't have anything to say as he irons out his control... but how can you only throw 12 strikes throwing in the mid 80s? He must have some serious mechanical issues, he's almost a real life Wild Thing at this point.

[Mass Haas]

Both so good they share the honor --

 

South Atlantic League Co-Players of the Week

 

Steffan Wilson, West Virginia

.600 (15-25), 11 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB, .920 SLG

Wilson took advantage of cellar-dwelling division opponent Hickory last week, racking up 12 hits, two home runs and seven RBI in a four-game sweep of the Crawdads. He went 3-for-4 in the opener Thursday before crafting back-to-back four-hit games over the weekend. He had a home run and four RBIs Saturday with another long ball and two more runs driven in Sunday. Wilson didn't limit his production to the series with Hickory, though, as he also had a 3-for-5 game Monday against Delmarva. The third baseman out of Harvard is batting .298 with 18 homers and 86 RBIs on the year for the Power.

Curt Rindal, West Virginia

.550 (11-20), 11 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SO, 1 SB, 1.000 SLG

Rindal was providing the backup for Wilson in that sweep of Hickory, collecting nine hits, two home runs and 11 RBIs himself in the four-game set. The first baseman had three hits and three RBIs in the opener Thursday, two more hits and a home run Friday, three hits Saturday, and another homer Sunday to go along with four runs driven in. Rindal raised his average to .261 in the process. With Wilson and Rindal leading the lineup, the Power outscored the Crawdads 47-11in the sweep.

[Mass Haas]

Steffan Wilson Interview at BrewCrewBall

Interesting takes on some of his teammates as well, particularly Lee Haydel...

[Mass Haas]

Who was saying Brewer organization pitching is down this year? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Third award this week...

South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week
R.J. Seidel, West Virginia
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO
It has been a good first full season for Seidel, with many milestones being passed. The La Crosse, Wisc., native put a new one behind him last week by posting back-to-back scoreless starts for the first time as a professional. Needless to say, it resulted in back-to-back wins for the big right-hander, who pushed his record to 9-5 for the season. Seidel was dominant over six innings against Greenville on Monday, but even better five days later versus Lexington, shutting down the Legends by scattering four hits over seven innings. Seidel has been at his best in August, posting a 2.35 ERA in five starts as he's pushed himself to an impressive 6-1 record in the second half.

[Mass Haas]

This one was a no-brainer...

 

South Atlantic League Offensive Player of the Week

Caleb Gindl, West Virginia

.429 (12-28), 8 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SO, 1 SB, .857 SLG

It's the nature of the beast, that good performance equals high expectations. So in 2007, when Caleb Gindl was the Pioneer League batting champ with a .372 average, big things would be expected from the then 18-year-old. So when Gindl hit .263 in April, it wasn't enough, even for a teenager making his full-season debut. It hasn't really been enough until this second half, during which time Gindl is batting .341. He has 32 extra-base hits during the span, with four of his 13 homers on the season coming this week. However, in terms of his performance matching the preseason expectations set for him, nothing was more important than his two hits on Aug. 20, which pushed his average up to .300 for the first time since Opening Day.

[Mass Haas]

Press Release:

 

THREE POWER PLAYERS NAMED POST SEASON ALL STARS

 

Lexington, KY (August 25, 2008) - Caleb Gindl, Steffan Wilson and Eric Fryer have had fantastic 2008 seasons for the West Virginia Power and on Tuesday, all three were rewarded by being named members of the 2008 South Atlantic League Post Season All Star Team.

 

Gindl, a fifth round pick in 2007 got out to a slow start after winning the Pioneer League batting title with a .372 batting average last season. However, Gindl took his game to a totally different level when the second half of the season began. Gindl was recently named the South Atlantic League Offensive Player of the week after hitting .429 with 12 hits, four homers and ten RBI during the week of August 17th. Gindl's .306 batting average is currently ninth best in the SAL. His 13 home runs are second most on the team and his 80 RBI are third most on the club. Gindl made the team as a utility outfielder.

 

Wilson made the team as a utility infielder. The second year player out of Harvard currently leads the South Atlantic League with 97 RBI. He is six RBI away from breaking a franchise record set by Jason Parsons in 1997. Wilson is also the team leader in home runs with 19. Like Gindl, he also started out slowly with a .203 batting average in April, but Wilson is hitting .323 in the second half of the season. Wilson has made starts at third base, first base, right field and left field. Wilson's .291 batting average is fourth best on the club.

 

Perhaps the most intriguing Power All Star is the guy who didn't even make the opening day roster, yet still has a great shot to win the league batting title. Fryer, a second year player out of Ohio State has been a key cog in the middle of the Power lineup. He is leading the league with his .335 batting average and he has registered 123 hits, despite missing the first month of the season. Fryer made the team as a designated hitter. He was named the Offensive Player of the Week in early June after he went 5-for-5 on July 6th against Hagerstown, capping off a home stand where he went 21-36. In addition to his .335 batting average, he has also homered ten times and he's knocked in 61 runs.

[Mass Haas]

Jim Breen and his wonderful Bernie's Crew blog with an Andy "Bull" Barch interview transcript

[battlekow]

Wilson plays anywhere, hits everywhere

Sally League RBI leader poses conundrum for Brewers

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

Steffan Wilson's baseball career has been full of unexpected twists and turns, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that the road ahead, while clearly promising, remains a bit murky.

Wilson, whom the Brewers selected in the 28th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, has been a dominant force at the plate this year for West Virginia of the Class A South Atlantic League. He's been jousting with Rome's Frederick Freeman and Asheville's Darin Holcomb for the RBI lead, in a race that will likely come down to the final game of the season. Wilson's batting average has also climbed steadily toward the .300 mark after an exceptionally underwhelming April.

It's not what Wilson has been able to do with a bat in his hand that has the Milwaukee front office perplexed, though. It's where to put the Harvard product -- yes that Harvard -- when he's on the field that has the Brewers vexed. Wilson has played first base, third base, outfield and designated hitter this season, proving to be adequate at all but a master of none.

Based on what Milwaukee has in the system ahead of him at each position, there doesn't appear to be any obvious resolution to the problem in the near future. But, it's a problem the Brewers are more than happy to have.

"I'm not sure which position he has the most promise at," said Jack Zduriencik, Milwaukee's special assistant for player personnel. "He's been exposed to all three positions and is adequate. The bat is going to be the key with this kid, and will dictate what happens. Things can change from year to year. A month ago, we had Matt LaPorta. Now we don't have him.

"A lot of things will dictate where he ends up playing, based on what we have in the rest of the system and with the big-league club. He just has to keep swinging that hot bat."

Wilson began the season at third base when Zelous Wheeler, the Power's starting third baseman, was forced over to the right side of the infield because of injuries to other infielders. When Wheeler returned, Wilson got bounced and has been a man without a position since.

While Wilson has been able to remain focused despite bouncing around the diamond, he does get frustrated.

"It's tough," he said. "I played maybe the first 30 games or so at third base and had two or three errors and was feeling great. Then they had me playing first base, they mixed in some DH and outfield. If you're not doing something every day, it doesn't come as easily. You have to start thinking more, and it isn't like second nature.

"You see the lineup card and then you can start getting mentally prepared to play the position. I've always been that way, though. I play wherever the team needs me to swing the bat a little bit. And that's been fine. My thinking is that if I can do everything, they'll find a place for me to play. It would be nice to have a position to call your own and get better at it."

Taking a circuitous route to reach his goal is nothing new for Wilson, though. He starred at Harvard, clearly an institution known more for producing doctors, lawyers and politicians than a large crop of professional athletes. Wilson hadn't planned on playing in the Ivy League, the opportunity just sort of materialized, and he went with it, earning a superb education while affording himself the chance to reach professional baseball.

Wilson, who grew up in the shadow of Penn State University, said Stanford was his original choice, but things didn't work out. He looked at Wake Forest, as well, but once Harvard became interested and he was accepted -- well, who can turn down Harvard?

"I visited there and it was real eye-opening," Wilson said. "I had a lot of ideas about Harvard that I guess most people have before they see it. But I met the team and they welcomed me, and it put a lot of my stress at ease.

"A lot of them were like me. You kind of fall into it because of your SATs or your grades. There were a lot of us in the same boat, and that was a big part of it."

Wilson also could have gone to Penn State, but said he needed to get out of Happy Valley. He said he wanted to go to a warm weather school, so ending up in Massachusetts proved a bit ironic. He's happy with his decision, though, and plans on heading back to Harvard next month after the season ends to finish his degree.

"Harvard wasn't even on my radar," said Wilson, who will earn a degree in government. "I asked some scouts how they viewed the program, and would I still get seen and noticed. They told me that if I could play, they would find me, and that took a lot of pressure off the table. Getting a scholarship was my main goal, though, so I could take some financial responsibility off my parents."

Wilson has done that, and figures to accomplish even more financially if he continues to hit the way he has this season. Zduriencik said the organization has no plans to force-feed Wilson through the system, and that in all likelihood he'll be in the Florida State League next season.

"He's a real physical guy with a lot of power," Zduriencik said. "We're anxious to see how he develops. He had a good year last year and has had a pretty good year this year, so we'll see if the trend continues."

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/08/29/wjwAFfrR.jpg

Steffan Wilson has played the outfield as well as both corner infield positions this year. (West Virginia Power)

[Mass Haas]

New photos, profiles on Power site

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power close out regular season with a win

by Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sports writer

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Power closed out its regular season with a 4-3 win over Kannapolis at sunny Appalachian Power Park on Monday afternoon.

 

The win was one final tune up for the Power as it prepares for its second straight South Atlantic League Northern Division playoff appearance.

 

West Virginia (77-62) will face the Lake County Captains (75-65) at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday at Appalachian Power Park in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

 

And for the second straight season, the Power will enter postseason play with the league's top hitter in its lineup.

 

Power catcher/outfielder Eric Fryer finished with a league best .335 average, edging out Charleston (S.C.) catcher Jesus Montero, who finished at .326.

 

West Virginia's Andrew LeFave led the league with a .345 average last season.

 

Fryer's unexpected batting performance wasn't too shabby, considering he started the season without a roster spot in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system.

 

When the Brewers broke spring training camp in April, Fryer, whose natural position is catcher, was left in Arizona in the club's extended spring training in hopes of working on his outfield play, while honing his batting skills.

 

That he did.

 

After spending the first month of the season in Arizona, Fryer was sent to West Virginia on May 7, where he collected 129 hits, including a 10 homers and 63 RBI in 385 plate appearances.

 

"It's just a great story," said Power Manager Jeff Isom. "I couldn't be happier for the guy. It just shows you what kind of heart and mindset he has. He was very professional, went about his business and earned the opportunity."

 

Isom, who managed Fryer last season at rookie league Helena (Mont.), was pleasantly surprised with Fryer's hitting and credits his success to subtle changes in his approach at the plate.

 

"He made some mechanical changes to his swing and fixed some things that needed to be fixed in order for him to be a good hitter," said Isom. "He worked his tail off to make those changes and he's made himself into a pretty good hitter.

 

"What impressed me most about Fryer is that when he didn't make a club out of spring training this year, he went about his business in a very professional manner. He didn't complain about anything and just went and got his work in and then when the opportunity arose, he came up here and just took off."

 

In fact, Fryer, a 10th round selection out of Ohio State in the 2007 amateur baseball draft, hit so well upon his arrival in the Mountain State, he more or less forced his way into the lineup.

 

"He wasn't an everyday player when he first got here, but we worked him into the lineup where we could," said Isom, of Fryer, who batted just .209 at Helena last season. "We tried him at DH and he started hitting the ball so well, we had to try to get him into the lineup everyday. We found him a spot in left field and he did an excellent job for us there.

 

"He turned himself into a pretty good outfielder out there. The way he hit the ball just forced us to play him somewhere."

 

For Fryer, a batting title was the last thing on his mind when he joined the club.

 

"It's a huge honor," said Fryer. "I didn't come in here expecting to do anything like that. I just wanted to have a good season and hit around .300. I guess I just got hot at the right time and pretty much stayed hot throughout the year. It's been kind of a dream season for me.

 

"I got my share of breaks like other guys do, but I was able to hit to all fields a lot better this year. I hit the ball to right field more consistently this season, but I was able to still turn and hit the ball inside."

 

Power Notes: West Virginia is 5-7 against Lake County this season ... Power pitcher R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51 ERA) will get the start in game one of the series, with Evan Anundsen (12-8, 4.28) taking the mound in game two, which is slated for Friday night at Lake County ... September Big League call ups were good for a handful of former Power players as catcher Angel Salome, third baseman Mat Gamel and shortstop Alcides Escobar joined the Brewers' roster from Class AA Huntsville, (Ala.).

[Mass Haas]

Captains and Power Playoff Preview

MLB.com (Lake County Staff)

(Charleston, WV) - The Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians affiliate) open postseason play for the first time since 2003 on Wednesday at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) in Charleston against the West Virginia Power, the Class "A" Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. In game one, the Captains will send RHP Joey Mahalic (7-6, 4.19) to the mound to face the Power's RHP R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51).

 

The series will be a best of three games with game two being played at Classic Park in Eastlake on Friday September 5th at 7:05 PM. Game three, if necessary, will be played on Saturday September 6th also at Classic Park at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central for each).

 

The series will feature two teams with different strengths. The Captains, who won the first half title, are a team that relies on great pitching, good defense and speed and timely hitting. The Power is a club that has outstanding hitting, great speed and good pitching.

 

The Captains won the regular season series winning seven of the twelve meetings. The Captains were 3-0 at Appalachian Power Park but 4-5 at Classic Park in Eastlake.

 

The Captains are among the league leaders in most pitching categories. They finished with the third lowest ERA (3.44), and allowed the fewest hits in the SAL by thirty hits, allowed the second fewest runs and were ranked fourth in the league in strikeouts. The one category they hope to improve on in the playoffs is walks, which is a category that they also led the league in.

 

Offensively the Captains had the fifth lowest batting average but the sixth highest on base percentage due to the fact they drew the second highest amount of walks in the league. The Captains ranked seventh in the league in runs scored and fifth in the league in stolen bases. Individually, the Captains Matt Brown finished ranked sixth in the SAL with a .308 batting average and 11th in the league in hits. Karexon Sanchez led the club in home runs with twelve.

 

The Power led the SAL in most offensive categories in 2008. They were the league leaders in batting average, on base percentage, hits, and runs scored. They were third in stolen bases and fifth highest in home runs. West Virginia had three of the top twelve hitters in the league and had three hitters in the top ten in hits.

 

Eric Fryer won the batting title (.335), led the league in on base percentage (.407) and was second in slugging percentage. Steffan Wilson was second in the league with 100 RBI's, second in runs scored with 91 and tied for fifth in the league with nineteen RBI's. Caleb Gindl was eighth in the league in batting average, third in hits, and fifth in on base percentage. Lee Haydel ended up the season fifth in batting average and eighth in stolen bases.

 

The Power pitching staff was ranked eighth highest in the SAL in ERA and allowed the eighth highest amount of runs. The staff allowed the sixth lowest amount of hits but walked the sixth highest amount of batters.

 

The winner for the series will play the winner of Southern Division Championship series between the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) and Asheville Tourists (Rockies). The SAL Championship series is best of five games with the first two games being played in the Southern Division Champions stadium beginning of Monday September 8th.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power's Gindl shows maturity beyond his years

West Virginia opens SAL playoffs tonight

by Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sports writer

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia Power outfielder Caleb Gindl is just three days removed from his 20th birthday.

 

Age is relative. The left-handed Milwaukee Brewer prospect is already playing with a confidence and baseball maturity that's normally reserved for more seasoned professionals.

 

Gindl displayed great plate discipline as a first year player at rookie league Helena (Mont.) last season, where he led the Pioneer League with a .372 batting average.

 

This season, Gindl relied on his deep self-confidence to help overcome a sluggish start.

 

Batting just .260 in mid-June, Gindl heated up at the plate by hitting safely in 32 of his last 40 games, while raising his batting average to a regular season ending .307.

 

"He came here as a 19-year old and held his own in the first half, but he just knew he was going to hit .300," said Power Manager Jeff Isom, who managed Gindl last season. "He's said that to the coaching staff numerous times throughout the season. He just believes in himself and knows he's going to hit .300, and by gosh, he sits here and he's hitting over .300 this season.

 

"He's got unbelievable hand-eye coordination, and just has a knack for putting the barrel of the bat on the ball.

 

"He's just a very mature 20-year old kid and he has a little bit of an idea about what he's doing at the plate. He's only going to get better as time goes by."

 

Gindl will try to continue his torrid hitting tonight when the Power squares off against the Lake County Captains in Game 1 of the South Atlantic League Northern Division best-of-three playoffs at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The first pitch is slated for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central), with West Virginia right-hander R.J. Seidel (9-5, 4.51 ERA) taking the mound against the Captains' Joey Mahalic (7-6, 4.19). Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) are scheduled Friday and Saturday at Lake County.

 

For Gindl, the key is sticking with a batting approach that, despite some hard times, is already a proven winner.

 

"I just hung there and kept doing the same things that I've been doing all year," Gindl said. "Finally, things just switched for me. It took a long time and a lot of hard work in the cage, but I really didn't do anything different.

 

"Every baseball player goes through spells where you're hot, or you're cold. I just kept waiting all year for my time to come around. I knew there would be a time where I would just get hot and locked in at the plate. I waited all year and finally in the last month, I started to really get locked in."

 

And Gindl has been locked in on both right handed and left handed pitching.

 

Gindl finished the season with a .294 average against right-handers, and a stunning .343 average against southpaws.

 

"If there's any time I'd like to get hot, it's in the last month of the season, said Gindl. "It's not how you start. It's how you finish. I just wanted to finish strong."

[Mass Haas]

MiLB.com has a three-minute Caleb Gindl interview video feature.

[Mass Haas]

On MiLB.com's home page right now (bottom right), you can vote for photo of the year -- let's keep infielder Matt Cline's photo in the top spot!

[Mass Haas]

Chance to meet and greet R. J. Seidel in LaCrosse on Sunday the 23rd. Let us know how it went if you attend...

 

LINK

 

Scherzer featured guest at Loggers' Winter BBQ

By LaCrosse Tribune staff

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Max Scherzer, the first La Crosse Loggers alumnus to make the Major Leagues, will be the featured guest at the Loggers' 7th Annual Winter Baseball BBQ on Nov. 23 at the Best Western Midway Hotel, the Loggers announced Friday.

 

La Crosse natives Jon Mueller (Cubs) and R.J. Seidel (Brewers), both pitchers in the minors, will also appear at the event. Scherzer, a right-hander, played for the Loggers in 2004 and was a Northwoods League South Division All-Star.

 

He pitched for Team USA in 2005 and after finishing his college career at Missouri, he was selected in the first round (11th overall) of the 2006 Major League Draft by Arizona, making him the highest draft choice with NWL ties.

 

Scherzer made his big league debut on April 29 against Houston, pitching 4 1/3 perfect innings of relief with seven strikeouts.

 

He split the rest of this summer between Class AAA Tucson and Arizona, working through a shoulder problem and finished 0-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 16 appearances (seven starts) with 66 strikeouts in 59 innings for the Diamondbacks.

 

Tickets for the Winter BBQ are on sale at the Loggers' main office on Caledonia Street. Cost is $5 for adults and kids 12 and under will be admitted free. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m.

 

For more information, contact the Loggers at (608) 796-9553.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

By Rudy Coggins

Goldsboro (North Carolina) News-Argus

 

Milwaukee Brewers manager Doug Melvin felt fortunate that Rob Wooten remained available when the 13th round of the Major League Baseball draft began last June.

 

Wooten wasn't so sure.

 

The Fremont, N.C. native started having second thoughts when he sat on the bench for two-plus weeks with Helena (Mont.) on the Rookie League scene. It took two weeks for Wooten to get his physical completed and each day he missed valuable time in the bullpen.

 

Wooten called his mom, Terry, every day.

 

"If Coach (Mike) Fox wanted me right now, I'd run back to Chapel Hill," said Wooten, who starred for two seasons with the Tar Heels.

His mom laughed.

 

"I thought it was a long run," she said, which drew laughter from the audience at Fremont United Methodist Church on "Rob Wooten Day."

 

Wooten's wife, Katie, encouraged him to deal with the adversity.

 

"Don't you give up and come home," Wooten recalled of the conversation with his newlywed wife.

 

He didn't.

 

"Once I got back on the mound and started having that competitive edge again, I knew this was what I like to do," said Wooten.

 

And becoming part of the team helped Wooten, who still owns several pitching records at Charles. B Aycock, relax more.

 

"It was tough at first because you really don't know what people's strengths and weaknesses are, and you didn't have that chemistry," said Wooten. "You didn't have people waiting for you on the top step of the dugout when you got a big strikeout.

 

"It's a much-more relaxed atmosphere."

 

Wooten adjusted to the culture shock of minor league baseball and once he started to play, he felt right at home. The right-hander posted a 0.00 earned run average in four appearances and earned two saves with Helena.

 

The Brewers' organization immediately moved Wooten to the West Virginia Power of the Single A South Atlantic League. Wooten logged 30 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings and surrendered six earned runs. He compiled a 1-0 record in 10 appearances and finished with a 2.38 ERA.

 

Wooten knows he's there to focus on pitching and getting better each day, instead of trying to juggle classwork and baseball as he did while at UNC. He works on the fundamentals each day, throws fastballs in bullpen sessions, sprints and long-distance runs.

 

The Power coaching staff is developing Wooten as a closer, which is a role he relished with the Tar Heels. Unlike other Major League closers, Wooten relies on his location and off-speed stuff.

 

"Whatever role they put me in, I could care less," said Wooten, who currently lives in Sanford. "Whatever they tell me to do, I'll do it."

 

The 6-foot-1, 208-pounder has increased his workout routine since the new year started, and will workout each day until spring training begins March 14 in Phoenix, Ariz. Wooten won't know his assignment until the Major League rosters are set.

 

"My job is go into spring training, bust my tail and do everything right," said Wooten. "I liked to get moved up to High A (Brevard County, Fla.) and Double AA (Huntsville, Ala.). At least, that's the rumors."

 

Wooten feels like he's been in a whirlwind since reporting to Helena once the College World Series ended. He's found time to relax and has taken on speaking engagements.

 

"That's really cool and it doesn't get old," said a grinning Wooten. "Right now, I'm really enjoying it and taking it all in.

 

"I just want to have fun."

 

And blossom in his career.

[Mass Haas]

Putting together this post reminds me how exciting it will be when you locals have the Timber Rattlers in April.

I don't even get a chance to watch visiting Brewer affiliates in the Northeast here any more (since the AAA move to the PCL), so it was a kick for my daughter and I to say hello to slugging 1B / 3B / OF Steffan Wilson (two-year stats), just as he was wrapping up a kids' hitting clinic locally here in southeastern Massachusetts.

Congrats to Steffan (currently at #44 on the Power 50), who just completed his studies at Harvard. I've met and shook the hands of Brewer farmhands before, but a Harvard graduate of any occupation? Probably a first.

He signed my Manatees cap -- I'm not a big memorabilia guy, but that was pretty cool, and I reminded him to avoid the frustration of death valley at SpaceCoast and work the ball to right-center http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

He was wearing the tannish Power cap, which was nice to see on a ten degree day in Massachusetts. I also had a Power cap with me (black) which he got a kick out of, I'm pretty sure. There aren't a lot of Brewer farmhand "stalkers" in the Northeast, I hope this brief hello didn't qualify me as one. Just an appreciative fan....

A reminder that many of our Brewerfan Player Index pages include links to articles and interviews featuring specific players, and that Steffan has been featured in several of the most detailed and interesting. Here's his Player Index page with those links, and yes, there's still some Ben Sheets to his appearance (see the BrewCrewBall interview link photo).

As my 5'8", 170-ish self can attest, Steffan looked primed for pre-camp in two weeks at his listed 6'1, 220. Should he or Brewers' management stumble upon this post, I just want to thank him again for his time, as he was extra courteous. My daughter was wowed by the facility, which is part of a Nokona Sporting Goods manufacturing complex here.

Finally, it wasn't part of our brief chat, but Wilson is the first "Steffan" to play professional baseball ever, minor or major leagues. So you learned something today http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif.