Your 2008 Helena / Arizona Brewers -- Latest: RF Chris Dennis

[Mass Haas]

Please keep in mind that there are multiple articles and interview links posted in the Draft Pick Signing Thread on this Minor League Forum. We imagine that if you're interested in this thread, you've already reviewed all the news there. If not, be sure to do so.

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Coppell product Watten drafted by Brewers, solid in debut

BY JUSTIN THOMAS, Star Community (Plano, TX) Staff writer

 

Former Coppell pitcher and shortstop Trey Watten thought there was a chance the Milwaukee Brewers would select him on Day 2 of the 2008 Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.

 

But, he didn't know for sure until he saw his name scroll across a draft tracker on the internet.

 

Milwaukee selected the Abilene Christian University pitcher with the 218th pick of the draft. He was the 16th selection of the seventh round and the 16th pick on Day 2.

 

"The Brewers called me in the morning and let me know they were thinking about picking me in the earlier rounds of the day," Watten said. "I've been waiting my whole life for a chance to play baseball professionally so when I saw my name come across my family and I were real excited. Everyone was jumping around. I would say it was half a feeling of excitement for getting drafted and the other half relief that I was drafted. Now, I can just go out and play."

 

Watten said he spoke to many teams and filled out what seemed like hundreds of questionnaires, but he thought the Brewers showed the most interest all along.

 

Once he was drafted, it didn't take Watten long to figure what he wanted to do.

 

"I signed the day I got drafted," Watten said. "I liked the contract they offered and I wanted to get out and start playing. I flew out two days later to start rookie camp."

 

Following camp Watten was assigned to play advanced rookie ball for the Helena, Mont. Brewers. Watten said many of the draftees with collegiate experience go to the advanced rookie team in Helena, while many high school draftees head to the Arizona Brewers, a rookie team in Phoenix.

 

Watten was selected following a successful junior season at ACU that saw him post 10 wins with a 2.56 ERA in nearly 100 innings. He was the second-highest player selected from ACU. Bill Gilbreth was selected in the third round by the Detroit Tigers in 1969.

 

Watten said one of the biggest changes since being drafted is changing his priorities.

 

"I'm enjoying playing everyday as a job," Watten said. "It's a full day at the ballpark and a different mindset. For the first time, I am putting baseball ahead of school. Usually, it is get your school work done and then you can go play baseball."

 

Making transitions is something Watten has become accustomed to. At Coppell, Watten was a pitcher, but was mainly the Cowboys starting shortstop. It was in the infield where Watten played his freshman year at ACU, before transitioning to the mound for his sophomore and junior seasons.

 

It appears Watten is making the transition to rookie ball as well. He earned the win in his first start with Helena, tossing six shutout innings June 20 in a 10-0 win against Missoula. He surrendered just three hits and didn't walk anyone while striking out four.

 

"I'm facing the best of the best now," Watten said. "I'm not facing players with medal bats anymore, but Montana is 5,000 feet up there so the ball can carry. Guys can hit it out with one swing of the bat. My goal is to keep my mind focused and make as good of pitches as I can."

[Mass Haas]

Link includes Steve Wendt's audio calls of Mike Roberts home run and triple

 

Brewers' Roberts plates five in pro debut

 

Mike Roberts couldn't possibly have been more nervous Tuesday afternoon, an hour before beginning his life as a professional ballplayer. Off the field for more than a week and unsure how his debut would play out, Roberts struggled to even hit the ball in batting practice.

Then he homered on the first pitch he saw in his first game.

Roberts made a seamless transition from college to the pros as he homered, tripled and drove in five runs in his pro debut to power the Helena Brewers to a 15-8 victory over the Missoula Osprey at Ogren Park Allegiance Field.

Selected by Milwaukee in the 38th round of last month's First-Year Player Draft, Roberts homered in his first pro at-bat, launching a three-run shot to right field in the second inning off Missoula starter Rafael Quezada.

"It was the first pitch. I guess I just swung and hit it," Roberts said. "It got out and I didn't think think it was going out. It was pretty exciting. "I was real nervous. I don't think anyone isn't nervous in their first pro at-bat."

Roberts joined the Brewers last week but wasn't activated until Tuesday. He said he got exactly what he was looking for from Quezada.

"I was looking fastball and if he had thrown me a slider or some breaking pitch, I was done," he said. "He threw a fastball, I swung, and good things happened."

The VMI product reached on a fielder's choice and scored in the fourth, lined a two-run triple in the fifth and reached on an error and scored again in the seventh.

Catchers don't leg out a lot of triples and Roberts said it was a rarity for him.

"I hit another fastball. It just got out there to the fence, and I just kept running," he said. "I don't think I had more than two or three in college, so this is a new thing for me."

Roberts became the second Virginia Military Institute player to be drafted by the Brewers after Michael Bowman went in the ninth round.

"It's kind of been a whirlwind. It's probably like that for everyone," Roberts said. "It's been a lot different. I didn't have my hopes up to get drafted because once you get your hopes up and something bad happens, it really stinks. But I was happy, I was ecstatic. It's great, I'm really blessed to be able to play baseball."

The catcher's big debut highlighted a season-high in runs for the Brewers, a day after they were no-hit by a trio of Osprey pitchers.

"I've been around for a week, I've just been watching," said Roberts, who had to finalize his contract with the Brewers. "I hadn't seen pitching in a week and half."

None of that seemed to matter when Roberts finally stepped to the dish.

"In BP, I was terrible. I was really worried about how the game was going to go," he said. "I didn't have my hopes up. But after the first at-bat, I was OK; it's baseball. It's a lot different, but something I've been playing since I was 5 years old.

"That's all I kept thinking -- relax and have fun. Honestly, I just wanted to have fun today, and I did."

Roberts had a big junior season at VMI in 2008, hitting .298 with nine homers and ranking second on the Keydets with 44 RBIs. The Prince George, Va., native finished with a .480 slugging percentage and .372 on-base percentage.

Roberts said he was planning to call his parents back on the East Coast after the game.

"I called my parents before, I told them they better stay up," he explained. "They said that everyone at home will be listening to the game online."

Cody Adams (2-1) struck out four and held the Osprey to one hit over three innings of scoreless relief for the win. Trey Watten allowed six runs on eight hits over four innings in his third start.

Roberts said he felt partly responsible for the early runs allowed.

"I hadn't caught any of the guys that pitched tonight, so that was a challenge," he said. "I think it showed in the first inning; we gave up five runs. It was definitely different, but it's fun."

 

Mike Roberts homered in his first pro at-bat and drove in five runs Tuesday. (Photo courtesy VMIKeydets.com)

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/07/02/MOyeo9Qx.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Jim Breen of BrewersNation with a nice Q&A with 2008 4th round LHP Josh Romanski, who chipped in as Helena's DH as needed. Apparently Romanski is nursing an injury he alludes to but doesn't detail, that is keeping him from making his mound debut.

 

Josh has been busy. We learn more in a second interview he conducted this week over at BrewCrewBall. Definitely worthwhile, it's something how the two chats don't really overlap or repeat much. (Josh's groin is sore, by the way.)

[Mass Haas]

MiLB Honors:

 

Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week

Efrain Nieves, Helena

1-0, 1.38 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO

Nieves has been lights-out since being roughed up in his first start of the season and has now won four consecutive decisions for Helena. He earned no decision Tuesday night against Idaho Falls, despite allowing just one earned run on four hits in six innings while striking out six. The southpaw did get the victory Sunday against Casper, giving up only three hits and one run in a season-high seven innings for the Brewers.

[battlekow]

There will be quite the coterie of intriguing young starters at Helena once Jake Odorizzi moves up and joins Nieves, Cody Adams, and Trey Watten, along with the eternally frustrating Dominican contingent of Rolando Pascual, Wily Peralta, and Santo Manzanillo. Maybe having Nick Tyson along to give them sage advice (e.g. "Try not to give up two hits per inning in full season ball") will help out.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Ball in the Family

By Mike Hardman, Hanson (MA) Town Crier

The sounds of baseball fill the Delaneys' household on a nightly basis.

 

Of course, the Boston Red Sox are must viewing. There's nothing unusual about that here in Red Sox Nation, but the voices coming out of their computer is an entirely different story.

 

If it's early in the evening, the Altoona Curve are booming through the computer speakers, with Jason Dambach calling the games on WHPA in western Pennsylvania.

 

Naturally, that's followed by Steve Wendt doing the Helena Brewers in Montana on KPAC later in the evening.

 

Why is a family in Hanson following the Altoona Curve and the Helena Brewers on the Internet? It's because their sons, Jason and John, are playing minor league baseball this summer.

 

"Every night, we have Jason on," Gary Delaney said during an early evening interview. "We'll click on John later on and we have the Red Sox on TV."

 

With Jason's Eastern League game with the Curve vs. the Trenton Thunder playing in the background, Gary and Terry Delaney are in the middle of listening to the game as Jason went one for four with a double in an 8-0 loss in New Jersey.

 

Even losses, though, don't take away from what the Delaneys are experiencing.

 

"It's wonderful," said their mother. "Not too many families get to experience this."

 

Gary jokes about having their lives revolved around listening to their sons' game, but out in the Pioneer League in the West, there is one player who really appreciates it.

 

"We're two hours behind out here," John said. "They probably hear my first two at-bats, but then it gets too late. I know they have the computer speakers up real loud so they can hear it in the bedroom."

 

On the same night Jason's team lost to Trenton, John's Brewers dropped a tough 4-3 to the Idaho Falls Chukars. John went 0-3 with a walk and almost beat out a ground ball to second base in the eighth inning before being called out on a close play.

 

Jason has been playing in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization and will be playing in the Eastern League All-Star Game at first base. He was batting .300 last week in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, with six homers and 38 RBI.

 

In June, John was drafted in the 25th round by the Milwaukee Brewers after a standout career at Quinnipiac College.

 

While the Delaneys have been through this before when Jason was drafted, it didn't make John's selection any less of an accomplishment.

 

Watching at the house, the father and son celebrated after they saw John was headed for a summer in the Brewers' farm system.

 

"It was pretty exciting, to say the least," Gary said. "I had gone through it before, but I had forgotten what (it) was like."

 

After a stint at the Brewers' mini-camp at their spring training site in Arizona, John was sent to Helena to play for the Brewers' team in the Pioneer League. He's starting at third base and batted leadoff last week against Idaho Falls.

 

Playing in Maryvale, Arizona was a different experience for the former Xaverian High standout.

 

"We were up at 5:30 (a.m.) and at the ballpark by 7," said John, a 5-10, 185-pounder infielder. "It was hot, but not humid. It was like it would be a 110 here (Hanson).

 

"It's nice out here (in Montana). The temperatures are in the mid-80s and very comfortable."

 

With his brother going through the experience before him, John knew what to expect in his first year of professional baseball. It also helped that he spent last summer playing in the Northwoods Summer League in Michigan.

 

"My college coach (Dan Gooley) told me that it would be a chance to see a different part of the country," John said. "I really enjoyed it."

 

The experience of playing a 65-game schedule over the summer got him used to the long bus rides all over Michigan and the upper Midwest. He also adapted well to the grind of playing every day, something that already is paying off this year in Montana.

 

Besides, his brother is only a phone call away.

 

"He's been a big plus me," John said. "I can talk to him about what I'm going through. You have to stay positive, no matter if you go 0-4."

 

His brother made what can be a very difficult transition from playing a full schedule in the spring and then going right into professional baseball games every day.

 

"Jason wore down quickly after the long college season and then it went into the short (professional) season," Gary said. "John is a little more durable and he was used to the long bus rides and long days (from being in Michigan). John learned a lot from that experience."

 

For John, the adjustment to pro ball has been making sure he gets his rest, eats right and gets in his off the field workouts. In the meantime, he's getting another chance to experience living in another part of the country.

 

"It's a beautiful out here," he said. "There are two mountains right behind the ballpark.

 

"The air is really thin out here. The ball flies off the bat."

 

Going into last Tuesday afternoon, John already had the first two homers of his career, while playing in the infield and batting in the lead off spot for the Brewers.

 

"It was good to get the homer out of the way early," John said.

 

"Like all of the hitters going from college baseball to the professional league, it's a matter of switching from the aluminum bats to wooden ones.

 

"The biggest adjustment is the old wooden bats," John said. "This level is the first time we are using wood and the pitchers have the advantage. The college players aren't use to the wooden bats."

 

After playing shortstop for the Quinnipiac Bobcats, where he batted .463 for All-New England Conference first team honors, Delaney is playing more of a utility role with the Brewers (although he has started every game at third base after an early season injury to a teammate).

 

"I was expecting to do that," he said. "I have no problem with it. I knew I was going to have to learn the different positions."

 

There also was the matter of getting used to the pros. After the loss to Idaho Falls, John's batting average dropped to .195, with two homers and 11 RBI. (Having since hit .359 in his last ten games, he's at .274 for the season.)

 

His 6-foot-3, 220-pounder older brother went through the same thing after signing with the Pirates in 2005 after a standout career at Boston College High and Boston College. Playing in the rookie league at Williamsport that year, Jason batted .213 in 55 games.

 

"Playing baseball, whoever you are, you're going to have 0-4 days," John said. "It was a little tough lately, but I had a lot of bad luck. I've been hitting the ball hard."

 

Still, he's in a position he's dream about since roaming the Hanson fields as a youngster.

 

"It's not bad to be playing professional baseball in Montana," said John with a laugh.

 

And it all started with the youth baseball games in his hometown.

 

"I played with the same guys growing up and we always had a good team, always competitive," he said. "I had a lot of coaches who all knew a lot about baseball."

 

When it was time for high school, John went to Xaverian Brothers in Westwood where he was named Unsung Hero as a senior on the 2004 Division 1 state championship team.

 

"(Head coach) Gerry Lambert had played over at Holy Cross and he knew what was going at the college level," John said. "Quinnipiac helped me learn more. It was very good for all four years."

 

After his junior year at Quinnipiac and the summer in Michigan, pros were taking a close look at John during the Bobcats' winter sessions.

 

"I had a good year and I tried not to worry about the scouts," he said. "It was a positive year for me when the season ended. I was expecting to get drafted."

 

Both the Brewers and the Atlanta Braves showed the most interested. Delaney was expecting to go around the 25th round. After he saw he was drafted, the Brewers called right away and told him that they were ready to sign him.

 

"It was a big relief," John said. "Rene Mons (the Brewers' East Coast scout) called me and then came down and signed me."

 

And that's when the sounds of baseball in the Delaney household extended all the way to Montana.

 

***

 

John's brother Jason is having a nice season for Pittsburgh's AA squad -- stats.

[Mass Haas]

Erik Komatsu interview at BrewCrewBall

Thanks for your efforts in putting these together, battlekow...

[Mass Haas]

Closer Rob Wooten interview at BrewCrewBall

[Mass Haas]

Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week

Lucas Luetge, Helena

2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 1 GS, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO

Though he's only appeared in five games this season, he's still managed to win four in a row. The 6-foot-3 southpaw struck out six batters and allowed an unearned run in a combined nine innings last week. The third reliever across minor league baseball to garner Pitcher of the Week honors maintained his spotless 0.00 ERA and has 13 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched this season.

[battlekow]

Happy birthday, Rob Wooten.

[Mass Haas]

battlekow with a fun Cutter Dykstra interview

[battlekow]

Former Centennial star adjusts to minor league life

By Chip Cirillo

When Corey Kemp wakes up in the morning he sees mountains in every direction.

The former Centennial High School baseball star must feel like he's on vacation as he takes in the scenery of Helena, Mont. He's a catcher and a designated hitter for the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer Baseball League, an advanced league for rookies.

"Helena is very scenic," Kemp said. "It's the capital of Montana, but it's one of the smaller cities actually in Montana. It's a nice, little place, and everybody is really friendly and everybody loves baseball here."

Kemp, a 14th-round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers in June, is starting his professional career in baseball's backwoods, playing in small cities like Casper, Wyo.; Orem, Utah; and Idaho Falls, Idaho.

"A lot of these places are in the middle of nowhere - literally," Kemp said. "That's what you kind of deal with in the minor leagues, long bus rides in middle-of-nowhere cities. Our shortest bus ride is an hour and a half, which is wonderful, and then there's one to Wyoming that was eight hours."

In movies like Bull Durham, minor league players play cards and guitars to pass the time, but the Brewers have entered the electronic age.

"Everybody is on their iPod or their iTouch or a PSP or their laptop or the movies one after another on the bus," Kemp said. "Our managers, Rene Gonzales and (former Nashville Sound) Paco Martin, like to watch movies. They're nice buses and they've got little TVs on either side."

Kemp was off to a good start with a .298 batting average, 18 RBIs and three homers in 32 games through Thursday. The long bus rides don't seem to be bothering him, judging by his .352 average on the road and .250 clip at home.

One of his biggest adjustments is going from the metal bats that are used in college to the wooden ones used in the minors.

"You don't get the metal bat hits," Kemp said. "You don't get jammed and maybe get a blooper over the shortstop's head. The balls are going right in front of the shortstops now. A lot more broken bats and hurt hands."

Kemp said the pitchers in the Pioneer League are comparable to Conference USA, where he played with East Carolina the past two seasons.

Games are every day

Another big adjustment has been the grind of a long season. Helena's only days off come on rainouts because the Brewers have a game scheduled every day from June 17 until Sept. 5, a span of 81 consecutive days.

"It's tough to play every day," Kemp said. "I understand now why they say being in the minor leagues is one of the toughest professions in professional sports because it's every day. You don't get a break. You play every single day, and you're at the field for eight or nine hours a day."

Kemp developed shoulder tendonitis late in the college season so he's been spending a lot of time at DH to give the injury time to heal.

The Pioneer League might seem like it's a million miles from the big leagues, but several major-league stars began their pro careers there including George Brett, Pedro Martinez, Andre Dawson, Cecil Fielder, Andres Galarraga and Gary Sheffield.

Kemp and his teammates have been following Milwaukee from 1,400 miles away as the Brewers seek their first playoff appearance since 1982. Milwaukee manager Ned Yost's son, Ned IV, is one of Helena's hitting instructors.

"He keeps up with it, and (Milwaukee's games are) always on in the clubhouse," Kemp said. "It's exciting to see them make a run at it. They made a couple trades and tried to get some key people in for a playoff run."

Kemp and two of his teammates are staying with a host family in Helena. Expectations are higher in the minors than college.

"It's a different world in pro baseball," Kemp said. "At the catching position, you have to get used to calling your own game and running it from behind the plate. They expect you to know the situation and put on the right play and call the right pitch and set up the defense the right way. It's a lot different, but I'm getting used to it."

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20080803&Category=COUNTY09010507&ArtNo=808030414&Ref=AR&Profile=1895&MaxW=180&Border=0

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Lawrie digging for gold

Leith Dunick, Thunder Bay Source

 

He came, he saw, he conquered. And while he was at it, Brett Lawrie put a fright into guests at the Super 8 hotel across the street from Port Arthur Stadium, bashing three baseballs into Darryl Strawberry territory during last month's Warm Up to the Worlds friendly against Chinese-Taipei with the ease of a seasoned veteran.

 

But unlike Strawberry, who turned the trick during the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks Northern League days as a member of the St. Paul Saints, Lawrie is not on the downside of a drug-fueled career, working his way back for one last gasp in the big leagues.

 

No, the 18-year-old Lawrie is definitely a star on the rise.

 

Having impressed scouts since donning the tools of ignorance behind the plate, the Langley, B.C. native in June became the highest Canadian position player yet selected in the annual Major League Baseball draft - and just the sixth first rounder ever - going 16th overall to the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

"He's an exceptional talent, obviously," said Greg Hamilton, the Canadian junior coach lucky enough to be able to ensconce a talent the likes of Lawrie into the clean-up spot every time the national team hits the field.

 

"From a team perspective he gives you a guy that just has incredible athletic confidence. It's always nice to go into a ballgame knowing he's probably better than anyone they have over there. His teammates know that most days, and he delivers every day."

 

It's that consistency, mixed with tremendous power, above-average base running abilities, hand strength and a quick bat that attracted MLB scouts. As many as six teams were considering taking him, and at the time Lawrie would have been happy to have any of them remove him from the talent pool. As it stands, he's pretty excited to be joining the Brewers organization.

 

"I couldn't be more thrilled. It's a once-in-a-lifetime moment that happened and I'll never forget the moment I heard my name called. Leading up to it, there was a lot of hard work done, but there's still a lot of hard work to be done, so I just have to carry it on, keep squaring it up and just try to help Milwaukee win," said Lawrie, who is trying to push his professional career out of his head until summer's end, after the Beijing Olympic Games.

 

Yes, Lawrie is the youngest member of the Canadian Olympic baseball team, joining the likes of former Major Leaguers Rheal Cormier, Stubby Clapp, Adam Stern and Chris Reitsma on Terry Puhl's squad that hopes to win gold starting Aug. 13 against China.

 

How could they say no, given Lawrie's pedigree and the likelihood he'll be leading Canada into international competitions for the next decade or so.

 

Last year he hit .421 with four doubles and five RBI at a world junior qualifier in Mexico. This summer he hit at a .500 clip with eight homeruns and 24 RBI in eight games in the Dominican summer league, including five dingers in a double-header against Seattle Mariners prospects.

 

"There are not too many people who get the chance, let alone at any age, get to play in the Olympics," Lawrie said. It's just an honor to be on the team and be asked to go with the guys there. We're going to go after the win, we're going after a gold," said Lawrie, who hopes the Midas touch runs in the family.

 

"I'm going to be there with my sister (Danielle). She plays for the national softball team. So she's going to be there, my mom and dad will be there, so it's going to be a lot of fun."

 

Lawrie isn't sure what his role will be in Beijing, stating he'll suit up at any position he's asked if it means contributing on the field.

 

"I don't care. I'm just real glad I'm on the team and that they want me there," he said.

 

Days before leaving for the Olympics Lawrie signed a deal with the Brewers, a contract that included a $1.7-million signing bonus. They plan to introduce him to Brewer fans in September.

 

Larry Walker, look out. Your place in the Canadian baseball record books could soon be in jeopardy.

[battlekow]

Lawrie isn't sure what his role will be in Beijing, stating he'll suit up at any position he's asked if it means contributing on the field.

The in-game commentary from NBC's baseball blogger last night indicated that Lawrie will play mainly OF/DH for Canada.

 

[battlekow]

I recorded Lawrie's first Olympic at-bat for posterity.

[Mass Haas]

Did that get ruled safe on fielder's choice? Cool. Is there audio with that, battlekow, or is it just my PC somehow?

 

Thanks a lot.

[battlekow]

Yeah, he was safe on a FC. As for the sound, no, it's not your PC. My sound card doesn't support audio recording, and I'm having a really hard time getting the built-in alternative on my capturing program to work, so for now, no sound. If I figure it out, I'll go back and update it. But don't worry, you're really not missing anything, because there aren't any announcers.

[Mass Haas]

Nick Tyson's turn to chat with battlekow at BrewCrewBall

 

Within the interview, they touch on RHP Wes Etheridge's situation, as it appears that his placement on the Temporary Inactive List was not related to bereavement or family leave. The 2007 12th rounder may have left the team on his own. Hopefully we'll learn more down the road. Don't let that bit of news sidetrack you from enjoying another fine interview with one of the Brewer prospects.

 

battlekow, you should know that I've heard form folks, including some of the affiliate broadcasters, about how much they enjoy and learn from your interview series. Considering the sheer volume you've done, it's clear that the players are all very familiar with the series, have seen that the interviews are well-done, insightful, and thus, more and more players have been willing to chat with you. Once again, you should be commended and thanked -- again.

[battlekow]

Touching Base: Jesse Orosco's kid shows promise on farm

By JESSE SPECTOR

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Sunday, August 17th 2008, 10:30 PM

OREM, Utah - As Jesse Orosco sits in the stands behind the dugout on the first base side, he's wide-eyed as he surveys the rookie-level minor-league stadium on the campus of Utah Valley University and thinks back to his own days as a prospect nearly 30 years ago.

"This is better than Triple-A when I played it," Orosco says. "This is incredible."

Orosco has been dazzled this summer all over the West, having seen other Pioneer League parks in Ogden, Utah and Missoula, Mont. This summer, the major leagues' all-time leader in games pitched has become the No. 1 fan of the minor-league Missoula Osprey, the entry-level affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. That's because his son, Jesse Orosco Jr., is a reliever for the club after being selected in the 38th round of the June draft.

The younger Orosco - a righthander, unlike his father - got off to a rocky start in his pro career, allowing eight home runs in his first eight appearances. But he's strung together five straight scoreless outings, and seems to have turned a corner. His total stats - 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 30.1 innings - are beginning to look much better.

"It's all about experience and making mental changes," Orosco Jr. says. "No matter where you come from, it's a whole different game than where you played before. I came out here with things to learn and I'm getting better at going out there and getting it done."

Orosco really got it done on June 30, when he pitched three innings in Helena, Mont., to earn his first professional win - as part of a combined no-hitter with two other Missoula pitchers. But that outing hardly went to his head.

"Sometimes guys come in and try to do too much and be more than who they are," says Osprey pitching coach Steve Merriman. "But Jesse has come in and grabbed a hold of a lot of things that our organization would like pitchers to do. His last several outings have been fantastic and he's done nothing but just get outs and give us big innings when we've needed them. He's done a phenomenal job and been fantastic to work with."

Raves about Orosco's attitude and comportment are nothing new. They go all the way back to his childhood in major league clubhouses with his father.

"I remember my teammates, the feedback telling me that he was a great kid in the clubhouse, and that made me feel proud as a dad that I did my job," says the elder Orosco, who listens to his son's games on Internet radio in San Diego when he's not traveling to see him pitch. "I hear from the guys here now in the clubhouse, now that he's a professional, that Jesse's fun in the clubhouse and a very humble kid having a great time."

Another kid in the clubhouse way back when was Cutter Dykstra, Lenny's 19-year-old son - who is also in the Pioneer League after the Brewers drafted him out of high school. The younger Dykstra and Orosco didn't know each other growing up, as their fathers were both traded away from the Mets, but as Cutter said, "It kind of hit me that's kind of cool that our dads both won the World Series together in '86."

Dykstra doubled and homered against Orosco on July 3, the only time they've faced each other. And while Orosco Sr. never put any pressure on his son to become a ballplayer, this might be a little different.

"Cutter's gotten the better of Jesse, and Jesse better learn his repertoire a little better because he's getting him," the father says with a laugh. "Maybe later on they'll get up the ladder and see how it goes. Right now it's fun to watch."

[Mass Haas]

Helena OF Erik Miller at BCB

To Erik's dad, I think I've edited "Eric" to the proper "Erik" in every game story we've copied this year, doing you and your son proud...

[BrewCrew Fan]

Thanks for the name correction. Mom says great and now if she can just get his birthplace changed from Scottsdale to Santa Monica, CA. she'll be happy. I couldn't resist the Artie logo and I'll see if I can't find some Artie memorabilia for battlekow.

[battlekow]

Former players gaining experience in minors

Grant Abston, Sports Editor

Former ACU baseball players Mike Elkerson and Trey Watten proved they belong in their time at ACU, but now the two must prove they belong on a bigger stage.

 

Watten and Elkerson received minor league contracts in June and are getting a chance to fulfill their dreams after leading the Wildcats to a 44-17 record and their fourth straight 40 plus win in 2008.

 

"I just enjoy playing, but it is a different experience because you are playing against the best of the best," said Watten. "I don't know what I would be doing if I wasn't playing; I don't regret it at all."

 

Watten was drafted on the second day of the Major league Baseball's first-year player draft in the seventh round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Watten became the second highest Wildcats drafter behind Bill Gilbreth, a pitcher for the Wildcats who was drafted in the third round by Detroit in 1969.

 

Watten was drafted as a pitcher after only pitching for two seasons for the Wildcats. He went a perfect 10-0 his sophomore year with a 3.00 ERA and was second on the team with 75 strikeouts. Watten was voted first team all-LSC South Division as both a pitcher and a utility player and earned LSC South Division Player of the year honors.

 

Watten improved his draft stock by following up his sophomore year with a stellar senior season. Watten led the Wildcats with a 10-3 record and a 2.56 ERA and was atop the LSC lead with 113 strikeouts. Watten was voted first team all-LSC as a pitcher and earned co-pitcher of the year honors. He was also voted first team all-America as a designated hitter after hitting .377 with five home runs and 45 RBI.

 

"They called me before the draft but did not call me on draft day," Watten said. "I got a call early on the second day and they told me I was going to be picked so I got online and watched it on the computer."

 

After signing his contract, Watten flew to Ariz. And participated in mini-camp before heading to Montana to join his team, the Helena Brewers. Watten is currently 3-2 with a 5.29 ERA and has been working as a relief pitcher to keep his number of innings pitched down. After the season ends, Watten will get a week off before heading to Ariz. where he was invited for instructionals and then will participate in a six-week winter workout program.

 

"The margin of error is a lot smaller," Watten said. "If you leave the ball over the plate here the more they hit it and the farther it goes. It's been hard, but good, and it's made me better."

 

Elkerson signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves after having one of the best offensive seasons in ACU history. Elkerson, a senior outfielder, finished the season batting .424 with 22 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs and 86 RBIs. Elkerson set new LSC records with 11 hits and 202 total bases. His 86 RBIs, 21 home runs and 195 total bases set new ACU records and his 27 career home runs broke the old mark of 26.

 

"When I first got there I was really quiet because there were a lot of new people," Elkerson said. "I've had a great time meeting new guys and going to new places, it's been a great experience."

 

Elkerson earned first team all-LSC honors as well as winning player of the year on his way to winning first team all-America honors. But after the season, he went undrafted before signing a free-agent contract. After signing with the Braves, Elkerson flew to Virginia and started mini camp with the Danville Braves, where he is currently batting .228 with one home run and 11 RBIs.

 

"I enjoy it a lot," Elkerson said. "The coaching is really good and they have a lot of experience themselves, but I hope to progress and keep going higher up in the league."

 

Watten and Elkerson will finish their first season in early September and will either attend instructionals or begin offseason training soon after. To follow Watten and Elkerson, go online at milb.com.

[battlekow]

In a shocking development, no Brewers made the postseason AZL All-Star team.

[Mass Haas]

Look for the following when Pioneer League All-Stars are formally announced:

 

Brock Kjeldgaard, Pioneer League All-Star First Base

 

Erik Komatsu, Pioneer League All-Star Outfielder

 

Corey Kemp, Pioneer League Honorable Mention Catcher

[battlekow]

http://i22.ebayimg.com/04/i/001/01/12/97e8_1.JPG

I bought this card on eBay for $1.75, and Arias has rewarded me with two XBH in two days. Interestingly enough, it lists his birthday as 9/21/94 instead of 9/20/90, which would make his sub-.200 batting average a lot more impressive as he'd be all of 13 years old.