Your 2009 Huntsville Stars

[battlekow]

link

Pitchers: Left-handers Casey Baron, Chris Cody, Bobby Bramhall, Jeremy Jeffress, David Welch and Derrick Ellison and right-handers Jeremy Jeffress, Mark Holliman, Donovan Hand, Robert Hinton, Michael McClendon, Juan Sandoval and Josh Wahpepah.

 

Catchers: JR Hoff and Jonathan Lucroy.

 

Infielders: Chris Errecart, Shane Justis, Yohannis Perez, John Raburn and Vinny Rottino.

 

Outfielders Chuckie Caufield, Charlie Fermaint, Freddy Parejo and Adam Stern.

 

Disabled list: Pitchers Omar Aguilar, Alex Periard and Brae Wright, infielder Michael Garciaparra and outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

[greeg35]

jeffress ambidextrous. I like it.

[battlekow]

Haha, yep. And "Mercedes Roque" managed to make the Manatees, maybe as the bullpen car.

[And That]

Have to say, that's one of the worst AA squads the Brewers have fielded in quite some time. With Cain, Aguilar and Periard on the DL, it is Jeffress, Lucroy and not much else top end talent.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser's starsboxscore.com:

 

Well it looks like I'm going to miss Wednesday's exhibition, too.

 

Thanks to brewerfan.net (actually Adam McCalvy of MLB.com), which beat me to a final roster this year. The Stars will start out with five players on the disabled list....... No wonder it took so long......... Here it is. It will also be on the 'standings' link later.

 

PITCHERS

Casey Baron

Bobby Bramhall

Chris Cody

Derrick Ellison

Donovan Hand

Robert Hinton

Mark Holliman

Jeremy Jeffress

Michael McClendon

Juan Sandoval

Josh Wahpepah

David Welch

 

CATCHERS

J.R. Hopf

Jonathan Lucroy

 

INFIELDERS

Chris Errecart

Shane Justis

Yohannis Perez

Johnny Raburn

Vinny Rottino

 

OUTFIELDERS

Chuckie Caufield

Charlie Fermaint

Freddy Parejo

Adam Stern

 

DISABLED LIST

Omar Aguilar, rp

Alexandre Periard, sp

Brae Wright, sp

Michael Garciaparra, inf

Lorenzo Cain, of

 

I remember sometime in the early '90s this many starting out the year on the DL.. Brae, I understand, underwent Tommy John surgery and will be out all year....... The Stars opening day roster includes three former Southern Leaguers: Shane Justis, who hit .266 last year for Jacksonville; Mark Holliman, who, as a member of the Tennessee Smokies, pitched a no-hitter against the Stars two years ago; and Adam Stern, who is back in Double-A for the first time since hitting .322 (3rd best in the Southern League) for the Greenville Braves in 2004.

 

Of the five returning pitchers, I'll be keeping a watch on Jeremy Jeffress (2-1, 5.52), David Welch (11-4, 3.90), and Juan Sandoval (2-6, 3.30, 20 saves)....... Depending on how long Welch stays with the club, he has a shot at making his mark on the all-time victory list (he needs four), ERA, if he has a good season, and innings pitched (he's short a little less than a hundred)....... Sandoval is already tied for 7th with Matt Childers on the all-time saves list. He could add to that and needs 14 to pass Todd Revenig. If manager Bob Miscik makes him his closer........ Robert Hinton, with 69 appearances over two seasons, is the likeliest to last the longest. He'll crack the all-time list in games pitched with his 10th appearance. He is already 18th in relief innings pitched....... Jeffress is the most interesting to watch. He'll probably have a full season with the Stars under his belt. The fireballing right-hander who struck out 115 hitters in 94 innings divided between Brevard County and Huntsville, is the best pitching prospect in the Brewers' organization and the 4th overall, making him also the highest-ranking prospect on the team.

 

And what of the others?

 

Lorenzo Cain, of, 6th

Jonathan Lucroy, c, 10th

Alexandre Periard, rhp, 13th

Omar Aguilar, rhp, 21st

 

Although they did not make Baseball America's Top 30, newcomers to the pitching staff Casey Baron, Bobby Bramhall, Chris Cody, Derrick Ellison, and Mike McClendon won their spots with a good spring....... In six appearances, Baron gave up three runs on seven hits in 9 1/3 innings, struck out nine and walked two....... Bramhall, a lefty, had a sparkling 2.51 ERA for the Manatees last year, leading the staff. He had one rough outing in Arizona, but erase that, and you have one earned run allowed in five innings........ Cody, another lefty, is also coming off a fine season at Brevard (4-5, 1.83). He came up from West Virginia earlier in the '08 season, where he logged a sub 2.00 ERA in just five games. He continued that excellence in Arizona, where he pitched 11 scoreless innings over three appearances, striking out 12. He should be a good one and one to watch this season....... Ellison was scoreless in his first four appearances this spring before Birmingham touched hiim for three runs on three hits in two innings in a 15-8 Huntsville win. He also had a good year at Brevard last year, a team that finished in the middle of the pack in the Florida State League in ERA (3.86)....... McClendon was the reverse. He turned it around after his first bad inning in Arizona, then threw eight scoreless innings. With Baron, he was one of the Manatees' leaders out of the bullpen, throwing in 45 games.

 

Behind the plate, J.R. Hopf will back up prospect Jonathan Lucroy, who is behind Angel Salome on the depth chart.. Lucroy hit .310 for West Virginia, winning him a promotion to Brevard, where he picked up where he left off and hit .292. Technically, he still needs to work on blocking pitches for his batterymates and blocking balls in the dirt, but his quick release allowed him to throw out 45% of all baserunners trying to steal on him. Former Star Brian Moon with a stick. He's more advanced offensively than defensively, so we should see a .280-.290 hitter here........ Hopf, who started the season last year with the Stars, but played only 16 games, was 11-for-26 (.423) this spring for the Stars with four doubles, a triple, a HR, and six RBIs.

 

Four returnees in the infield. The new guy, Shane Justis, came to the Stars in the minor league phase of last December's Rule 5 draft. He didn't hit for a high average in Arizona, but he drove in ten runs....... Chris Errecart is bouncing back from last year's wrist injury, which took him out after July 4. He was hitting .291 at the time, but after he came back, he hit just .137 and struck out 34 times in 87 at-bats (.391) down the stretch........ Yohannis Perez is known as the shortstop who was sent down to Brevard in 2007 to make room for Alcides Escobar, now the Brewers' top minor league prospect. Perez got a late July look, but was hitless in eight at-bats and was sent down. We'll see how he's improved this year in, what looks to be, a full season........ Johnny Raburn and Vinny Rottino are coming back, as already reported. Raburn hit .245 for the Stars in 2004, then went to the Rays in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft that December. He played in over 200 games for the Montgomery Biscuits, hitting .284 in 2005 and .297 the following year, then wound up back in the Southern League for the Carolina Mudcats in 2007. Last year, he was back in Montgomery. But he's gotta find the pop back in his bat. Between the Biscuits and the Mudcats the last two years, he hit just .238. Raburn fills the gap at 2nd base, and can play the outfield, while the Stars wait for Eric Farris to arrive........ Rottino spent the last three seasons with Nashville, with a cup of coffee spent in Milwaukee each of those seasons. But with each season came decreasing success at the plate, although his RBI numbers increased with each campaign. From a .314 season in 2006, he went to .289 in 2007 and .260 in 2008. With the Stars, he was primarily a 3rd baseman, but the Brewers wanted to get him behind the plate more and that's where he was most of the time for the Sounds. He'll be back at third this year for the Stars.

 

The outfield is what gives me the most concern this year. Until Lorenzo Cain returns, there's no history of any pop there, although Freddy Parejo had a surprising season, coming off a .219 year at Brevard in 2007. Parejo got off like a firecracker, hitting .421 in April -- the hottest start in Stars history! Despite a .230 May, he stayed fairly consistent and wound up with a .275 average and struck out only 59 times in 334 at-bats (17.7 %) ....... What will fans get though from Chuckie Caufield and Charlie Fermaint? Fermaint, a 4th round pick in 2003, had only seven hits in 51 at-bats in Arizona. In his last two years at Brevard, he hit .210 (in 47 games) and .212 (122 games). He's a contact hitter who needs to be more patient at the plate. He stole 27 bases last year, but I see him hitting in the #6 or #7 hole most of the time....... Caufield, a 39th-round pick in 2006, had a better spring, hitting safely in 10 of the 13 games he played for the Stars. Ryan Crew (#40) and Derek Miller (#47) were lower choices in Stars history, but Caufield hit well until he got to Brevard. Last year, he hit just .235 for the Manatees. His power and on-base averages also fell off the cliff. So here's hoping Caufield, from the Oklahoma panhandle, can surprise us the way Parejo did last year.

 

A pre-game parade for the Huntsville Little Leaguers will precede the Stars-Braves game on Friday, April 17. The little guys will be on the field thru the National Anthem.

 

The Brewers released a number of players as they pare down their organizational rosters......Catcher Andy Bouchie, who was 1-for-7 for the Stars this spring, and a #7 pick in the 2006 draft, Scott Thorman, a former first base prospect with the Braves, who hit .305 for the Mississippi Braves in 2005. In 2007, he was ranked as the 7th best minor league prospect on the Braves. Thorman was a flop in two seasons in the show, hitting just .222 in 175 games, mostly off the bench...... Joe Bateman, who had a strong season last year. Started out in April as the closer and was promoted to Nashville after going 2-1 with four saves and a 2.47 ERA.. But he did not impress in his four innings in Arizona and the Brewers felt there was no room for him on Nashville's staff........ Former Stars Steve Bray and Brent Krause were released....... Krause hit just .171 for the Stars this spring, but drove in eight runs. He was added to the Stars roster at the tail end of last season after hitting .317 for St. Paul of the independent American Association. He had three hits in eight at-bats for the Stars........ Bray was 5-4 for the Stars with a 2.70 ERA in 2006. That won him a promotion to Nashville, where he had a successful year, going 5-2 with a 1.63 ERA in 42 games in a tough league for pitchers. But that didn't win him even a cup of coffee with the Brewers. The next year, the floor fell through, and he was 1-3, 4.29 with Nashville before being dropped back to Huntsville on June 26. He had only three bad outings in 21 games for the Stars, but it was enough to inflate his ERA to 4.29 with them. In his last game for the Stars, he pitched two scoreless innings against the Lookouts, September 1 - the final game of the season........ Also released was pitcher Brian Reith, a former Lookout hurler with a minor league record of 61-59, who was signed by Milwaukee as a free agent last winter, and Stephen Chapman, who was the Brewers #6 draft pick in 2004.

[Mass Haas]

The Stars play the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers at 7:00 local time Wednesday night in an exhibition baseball game at Joe Davis Stadium.

[NastyTwig]

I'm assuming that Taylor Green will be in Huntsville once he's all healed up, right? Green, Lucroy, and Cain could make that lineup look pretty darn good by the end of the year.

[BrewCrewWS2008]

ugh, that is not a great team right now oreven that exciting..... guess the fan in Huntsville will for once won't be overally spoiled with top prospect until around May or June when they get healthy and get some call ups. After that they could have a pretty decent team

C Lucroy
1B Errecart
SS Brewer (I think it won't take that long for him to be promoted)
3B Green
OF Cain
OF Fermaint Jr. (still holding out hope he can turn it around....)

Then with Jefferess, McClendon, Hand, Aguilar, Periard, these are the guys I will check the box scores for and keep a close eye on

[Mass Haas]

Just a wondefully detailed feature article from Kary Booher of Baseball America on Jeremy Jeffress, his new two-seamer, his relationship with pitching coach John Curtis, and more. Enjoy!

[battlekow]

Blurbs about Huntsville from MiLB.com's Southern League preview:

Huntsville Stars

2008 results: 73-67

2009 manager: Bob Miscik

What's on deck: The biggest change in Huntsville will be in the dugout, where Bob Miscik replaces longtime skipper Don Money. Money, the winningest manager in Stars history, was promoted to Triple-A Nashville. Miscik, who spent nine seasons in the Minors as a player, has been coaching, managing and coordinating for the Orioles, Rangers and Reds since 1990. ... The Stars also announced a two-year extension of their player development contract with the Brewers through 2010. ... RHP Jeremy Jeffress, Milwaukee's first-round pick in the 2006 Draft, figures to be back in the Huntsville rotation after going 2-1 with a 5.52 ERA in four starts to close out last season. ... Other highly touted prospects expected to see time in Huntsville include: 3B Taylor Green and C Jonathan Lucroy.

Jeremy Jeffress, RHP -- Huntsville

The Brewers' 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year can hit triple digits on the radar gun. He struck out 115 over 94 innings at two levels last summer.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Jeffress brings 102-mph heat

Top prospect has fastball to behold

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

Since you may not be able to see Jeremy Jeffress' fastball tonight, keep your eye on the reading from the radar gun on the left-field scoreboard.

 

As the Huntsville Stars face the Mobile Bay Bears at Joe Davis Stadium, Jeffress will be the opening-night starting pitcher. And he brings a fastball that leaves hitters to conclude, "It sounded fast."

 

"It's a special fastball," said first-year Stars manager Bob Miscik.

 

It's that special fastball - one that has peaked, according to Jeffress, at 102 mph when he was pitching for Single-A West Virginia in 2007 - and one that makes Jeffress the top-rated prospect on the Stars' season-opening roster.

 

Baseball America ranks the 21-year-old Jeffress - a first-round draft pick in 2006 - as the No. 4 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system.

 

"His promise is his fastball," Miscik said. "He can really run it up there. It's a hard pitch to hit. If he can find a second pitch he can use in the strike zone and be consistent with it, he's going to be very tough.

 

"If he can get three pitches in the zone, he's going to be in the big leagues - quickly. His fastball is dominating."

 

For now, Jeffress is happy to be tonight's starter for the Stars.

 

"There's always going to be pressure," said Jeffress, a South Boston, Va., native. "Everybody is looking for the No. 1 (pitcher) to do good. But it's all about having fun, playing your game and do what you can do.

 

"If the fans see you're playing hard, that's alll you can give them. But it's a great feeling to be No. 1 on the team."

 

As for the other top-rated prospects, this isn't 2008, when the Stars were stocked with six of the Brewers' top 10 prospects.

 

Huntsville starts this season with only Jeffress and catcher Jonathon Lucroy among the organization's top 10 prospects.

 

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain, rated the Brewers' No. 6 prospect by Baseball America, remained at extended spring training because of a hamstring injury and is expected to join the Stars soon.

 

There is also third baseman Vinny Rottino, who has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Brewers.

 

Of course, Miscik doesn't view his team through those labels. To the manager, if you're in uniform, you're a prospect.

 

"I treat them all like they are promising major leagues," Miscik said. "And they all can be, in the right spot. I don't care if you're the so-called 24th guy (on the roster), I'm going to treat you like you've got a chance to play in the big leagues and that's going to be it.

 

Everybody else can talk about if you're a prospect or not."

[Mass Haas]

Stars win their exhibition 4-1, here's a brief recap from the UA-Huntsville perspective.

[Mass Haas]

The Huntsville Times' Mark McCarter recounts the 25 biggest moments over 25 years of Stars' baseball, as the Brewers enter year 11 in Huntsville.

 

(Linked to the "print" page for easier reading.)

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars' Rottino stays focussed

Third baseman back in Huntsville after three stints in majors

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

The ego must have been surgically removed, replaced by a pound or 10 of determination.

 

After four years since he was last a member of the Huntsville Stars, after three brief trips to the major leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers, Vinny Rottino is back.

 

You don't know whether to offer condolences for the setback or be envious of the resiliency.

 

"(Brewers infielder) Craig Counsell told me once, if you're a big league player, you'll be in the big leagues," Rottino said. "If you continually show you're a big league player, you'll be there."

 

So even in career rewind, that's Rottino's objective.

 

When the Brewers cut him during spring training, he was offered a spot at Triple-A Nashville but without the promise of playing time. Or he could go to Huntsville and play every day.

 

"I said absolutely," Rottino said. "It's a no-brainer for me."

 

And here he is, back with the Stars for the first time since 2005. But he's also an example of the cruelty of baseball.

 

Since leaving the Stars, Rottino was a Pacific League all-star each year with Nashville. There was a 24-game hitting streak last year with the Sounds. There was the honor of being named Brewers Minor League Player of the Month in August 2006.

 

There were the brief tastes of the majors each of the last three Septembers. There was the game-winning hit for the Brewers in the bottom of the 11th inning on Sept. 29, 2007.

 

And somehow, after all that, Rottino's address is again Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"I'm going to come out here every day and prove myself every day," Rottino said. "That's what you have to do in this game. You have to go out and try to get better in some aspect of the game.

 

"You have to work hard and believe you still have an opportunity to get to the big leagues."

 

If it happens, it won't surprise Stars manager Bob Miscik.

 

"He is the real deal when it comes to this type of stuff," Miscik said. "It's no fake. You talk about somebody that wants to play and do almost anything, he's the real deal.

 

"He works so dang hard, it's hard not to like him. His teammates are watching this guy and they're like, 'That's how you do it.'"

 

If Rottino has a secret weapon, it's his glove. Or, better said, gloves.

 

He started at third base in Thursday's opener and started at first base Friday night. Rottino also estimated, between his time in Nashville and in winter ball, he played 140 games as catcher.

 

And Rottino has spent time in the outfield, too.

 

But he's big to the big leagues and was in uniform last year when the Brewers made the playoffs even though he wasn't on the active roster.

 

"It was incredible. The team going to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years and me growing up in that area (Racine, Wisc.), to be part of it, it was awesome," Rottino said.

 

"It was easily one of the top moments of my baseball career."

 

With more, Rottino hopes, to come.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows --

 

Stars' Errecart not worried about lull

Batting average still down, but first baseman confident

BY BRAD SHEPARD

Special to The Huntsville Times

 

Chris Errecart managed just one hit in his first 14 at-bats this season, and the Stars first baseman isn't the least bit concerned.

 

That mental approach is an encouraging turn of events from 2008, when an injured wrist and fractured psyche turned a once-promising season sour.

 

"Last season, especially coming back from injury, I tried to do too much and took every bad game as the end of the world," Errecart said. "Now, I realize there are 140 games, and I'm trying to stay even-keeled.

 

"I think struggling was kind of a blessing in disguise."

 

Compared to last year's slump, that little lull - which ended with Tuesday's 3-for-6 performance against Mississippi - is nothing. After hurting his wrist making a swipe tag on July 4 and missing three weeks, Errecart never approached the numbers he posted through 2008's first three months.

 

Through Independence Day, the 24-year-old was hitting .290 with 13 homers, 33 RBIs and 47 runs scored. After returning, Errecart hit .138 with two homers, 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored through the final 32 games.

 

It was a stretch that landed him back in Huntsville.

 

"I think he knows he needs to put up bigger numbers than last year, especially after the injury," Stars manager Bob Miscik said.

 

"He's going to get the opportunity this year. It's a big year for him."

 

It's also a season Errecart has been preparing for ever since the last one ended. Rather than take time off, he returned to Southern California to condition with functional strength exercises.

 

He focused on rotational movements to help with his hitting, plyometric exercises to get the lower half of his body in the proper hitting position and also worked out with a speed coach and a hitting coach.

 

But he said the biggest help came from Karrie Klassen, a self-professed performance breakthrough coach who has worked with NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce, among others.

 

Their sessions lasted two or three hours once a week but the lessons, Errecart said, have endured.

 

"She tells me just to take it day-by-day and see the bigger picture," he said. "We sort of clicked right off the bat.

 

"I think I've always been the type of person who tries to be a perfectionist, and especially in baseball, you can't be. Struggling like that made me realize I needed to do something about it."

 

The Stars are depending on reaping the dividends. Despite his slow start, Errecart had a torrid spring training, and he is being counted on as a run-producer in the middle of the Huntsville lineup.

 

"We need him to produce, Miscik said, "and I think he will."

 

Errecart is in no hurry to be promoted, either. He still feels like he has unfinished business with the Stars after finishing 2008 batting .247.

 

"I think being back here is a fresh start," he said. "It's sort of a blessing being back. I ended last season on a sour note, and I'm trying to take this year and really flourish."

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Times:

A familiar player from the past was batting sixth and playing right field for Huntsville. Drew Anderson, who hit .305 in parts of 2006-07 with the Stars, was re-signed by the Brewers.

Cincinnati released Anderson two days before the season started when the Reds reassigned Johnny Gomes to Triple-A Louisville to take his roster spot.

"I went home that day and got to talking with my agent and searching for interested teams," he said. "It was really an eventful week."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Football days behind him, Caufield tackles the minors

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

Huntsville Stars outfielder Chuck Caufield prefers you didn't pay much attention to the fact he raised his batting average 350 points in three days.

 

"That's what happens when you don't have very many at-bats," said Caufield.

 

It was also the product of getting off to a slow start in this week-old season.

 

"He's more concerned with the process than the result," Stars manager Bob Miscik said.

 

If that sounds like a certain football coach in the state, it should be noted that Caufield was a highly recruited football player coming out of Ada, Okla.

 

A quarterback and defensive back in high school, Caufield was rated the state's No. 10 football prospect as a senior and entertained scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Tennessee, among others.

 

"I was decent," Caufield said.

 

And he had decent football bloodlines, considering his father, Charles, played for the NFL's Houston Oilers and Philadelphia Eagles.

 

Yet Caufield said his father encouraged him to play baseball. A high school knee injury also made baseball more appealing.

 

A 39th-round pick in 2006, Caufield started the season 0-for-7, but has gone 7-for-13 in the next three outings, including two hits in Thursday night's win over the Mississippi Braves. That's a batting average jump from .000 to .350.

 

"I've just been trying to do the same thing, put the barrel on the ball and I caught a few breaks with a couple of infield hits," Caufield said.

 

"I try to stay humble as possible in anything I do. You don't want to go around rah-rah or parading around about it. It's coming to come sometimes and sometimes it's not going to be there. I try to stay on an even keel."

 

He's got a fan in Miscik - and not just because Caufield's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth yielded a 4-3 Stars win on Wednesday.

 

"He's a first-class individual and his make-up is off the charts," Miscik said. "The way he works and approaches games is how you would like all players to work and approach games. He's perfect in that area.

 

"Does whatever you ask him. You don't have to tell him a second time. And he does it the best he can and he does it with enthusiasm."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Spending cuts leave Stars radio-free

Huntsville first team in Southern League to drop from the dial

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

In their silver anniversary season, the Huntsville Stars have been forced to confront a dubious piece of history - going without radio broadcasts for the first time since the team began play in 1985.

 

Becoming the only non-radio team in the Double-A Southern League was a harsh financial reality for Stars general manager Buck Rogers, who said the club couldn't afford to buy airtime this season.

 

"You can't spend what you don't have," Rogers said. "I don't work for Uncle Sam. There is no bailout coming. That was our approach."

 

The Stars had one season remaining on a three-year deal to broadcast games on WUMP-AM 730. But the team and radio station ended the contract under what Rogers termed a confidential agreement.

 

"We wish it could be on radio, but we have some hard costs we have to pay in other areas," Rogers said. "The UMP are great people to work with and we want to get back on next year. That's our goal."

 

Rogers said he had received only "four or five complaints" about the team's disappearance from the dial. WUMP's general manager Bill West said staffers told him the station has yet to receive a single complaint.

 

"The demand, I don't think, is there for the radio portion. Usually when we take something away that is wanted, we get a ton of calls."

 

Stars broadcasts now exist solely online, with play-by-play announcer Brett Pollock calling games on HuntsvilleStars.com.

 

"Our coverage is exactly the same - the same Brett, whatever commercials he sold he's running (and) we're sending him out on the road," Rogers said.

 

While that doesn't help much if you're driving around town, Pollock said the quality of internet broadcasts have improved this year.

 

"Everybody I've talked to said the actual sound quality is much, much better than it has been in years past," Pollock said. "We're real happy to hear that.

 

"I know it's a little tough for people, but the majority of the people listen on the Internet as it is anyway. That's kind of the way things are going."

 

Still, Rogers hopes the Stars return to radio in 2010, describing the broadcasts as an "image thing" needed to emulate major league teams.

 

"I'd love to get back on the UMP for next year," he said. "Businesses are finding new ways to stay in business. We're a small business.

 

"If I can get the sponsors, I'll be back on (radio) tomorrow."

[Mass Haas]

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Wrapping It Up, With Emotion

Brett Pollock, Voice of the Stars

 

The Stars wrap up their season-opening 10-game homestand tonight with the annual Little League Opening Night ceremonies in which area youngsters have the opportunity to come to the ballpark in uniform and walk around Joe Davis Stadium and, maybe even dream about what it might be like to play here one day. I think we all started dreaming of playing in the big leagues when we first took to the field as youngsters and, although, I was never good enough to do that, I do feel very fortunate to have the chance to become a broadcaster and watch and get to know many future big leaguers.

 

On a personal note, this is a very emotional day for me with the Phillies honoring their legendary announcer Harry Kalas, who was the inspiration for me to get into the broadcasting business. I consider myself exceedingly fortunate to have not only grown up listenting to him during the Golden Era of Phillies baseball but to also have met him early in my career and told him that HE WAS THE REASON FOR ME CHOOSING THIS PROFESSION. I worked in double-A baseball for six years in El Paso, TX and was also fortunate to interview him three different times over the phone while doing a pre-game sports talk show, including once shortly after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. It truly is amazing to see the outpouring of emotion for someone on the surface who was a baseball broadcaster, but really so much more. As Governer Rendell so aptly put it, "he was always there." That is the beauty of baseball throughout the long, six month season, during wins and losses, ups and downs and wherever you may be tuned in, the voice of the team is always there.

[Mass Haas]

A Brewerfan first -- linking to a high school newspaper article (although I think much of the text is from the News & Record newspaper) but there are lots of quotes and info here in this story about Jeremy Jeffress returning to local territory (for him) when he pitched in Carolina last week --

 

Former Comet Standout may be headed to Majors

April 23, 2009

By Dale Trent of Halifax Co High School

 

ZEBULON, N.C. - Former Halifax County pitching standout Jeremy Jeffress appears to be on track for a possible call up to the majors by September.

 

Jeffress (0-1, 2.45 ERA) took the loss Monday night when Double A Carolina routed Huntsville, 12-3 Monday night.

 

But the very shaky Huntsville defense proved the culprit. Jeffress departed after four innings in the Mudcats' Southern League home opener, after allowing three hits, four unearned runs, and three walks. Jeffress fanned four, but struggled with his control at times.

 

Nevertheless, the hard-throwing righty - Jeffress was clocked at 99 mph with his fastball - appears to be making satisfactory progress with the Milwaukee Brewers' AA franchise at Huntsville.

 

Officially, Jeffress threw 82 pitches, with 43 strikes, against the Mudcats.

 

He struggled at times with 3-2 counts, and escaped early trouble before the Mudcats capitalized on defensive failures during a four-run third inning.

 

Huntsville pitching coach John Curtis noted afterwards, "It was some difficult circumstances out there. Some errors jacked up his pitch count there in the third, but overall, I thought he did pretty well.

 

"We were hoping to get five or six (innings) out of him tonight. He was right on schedule there until the defense kind of let him down a little bit. I told him tonight that he was under pressure, trying to get six outs in an inning, that's pretty tough," said the Huntsville coach.

 

Jeffress had a little trouble with his curveball against the Mudcats, but control issues aren't as much concern now as in the past.

 

"He was aware that he'd gone to a few more 3-2 counts than he normally does, and we've got to work on that a little bit, needs to close 'em out a little earlier. But, overall, I thought he did well. It was a matter of his defense let him down," said Curtis.

 

Curtis said, "I'm pleased with the progress he's making, and he's coming along.

 

"I really hope to see him in the big leagues in September."

 

Milwaukee, which made the National League playoffs last year, has floundered early in the National League Central.

 

Curtis noted, asked about Jeffress' projected path, said, "We need him up there (the majors). It's just a matter of ... consistently answering the bell, and showing he can get 30 starts under his belt."

 

There are no signs of lingering fatigue from Jeffress after he was shut down early in Arizona last fall.

 

Jeffress showed consistent velocity from 91-95 mph. Curtis said, "we're not overly concerned about his top velocity now, it's the consistent velocity. I think he can pitch at 92-93 and he had a broad range the last time out.

 

"But the big thing is for him, he's got great action on his two-seam fastball right now, and just shorten the counts and get the outs sooner," said Curtis.

 

Jeffress has 14 strikeouts and 10 walks in 11 innings this season.

 

"Fastball command is the big thing, but he's shaping up his curveball and change," said Curtis. "The big thing now is just consistency," said Curtis, who expects Jeffress to be in Huntsville all summer, before the possibility of getting a few starts in the majors once rosters are expanded.

 

HCHS has never had a pitcher with as much raw potential as Jeffress, a former No. 1 pick for the Brewers. It's clear the former Comet, assuming he stays on the proper path and avoids injuries, could be the first HCHS player since consolidation in 1954 to reach the major leagues.

 

Right now, there are growth steps ahead.

 

Jeffress said his work was "pretty good."

 

He added, "I established the plate, established the outer half of the plate. I think I did pretty well.

 

"The defense, that's going to happen some nights, you can't be too much about that."

 

Jeffress had a terrific outing last time out against the Mississippi Bay Bears, retiring the last ten batters he faced, seven by strikeout, including punching out the side in order in the second, according to press notes.

 

On Monday, Jeffress got through the first two innings unscathed, but had a difficult third inning.

 

It was part of a lousy game defensively by Huntsville, which got blown out after Jeffress' departure.

 

The Mudcats capitalized on four Huntsville errors overall, including two throwing errors by the Stars in the third inning.

 

With one out in the third, pitcher Dallas Buck reached on a wild throw by shortstop Yohannis Perez.

 

Chris Heisey followed with a chopper to third with Kevin Melillo sailing a force-out throw to second base over Shane Justis' head for another error.

 

Zach Cozart followed with a tough, bad-hop single to left to score Buck.

 

Following a strikeout and a walk, the Mudcats' Logan Parker drilled a three-run triple on a high fastball to left to put Carolina ahead 4-1. Parker hit a high fastball, and sliced the pitch to the centerfield wall. A fleet-footed major league outfielder might have had a play on the ball, but not here.

 

"It might have been a catchable ball, but this field, the ball flies here. You can't really judge if it's a home run or if it's going to hit off the wall. I just left it up, I thought I was going to get him up, but he just put some wood on it," said Jeffress.

 

Jeffress took the troubles in stride afterwards, refusing to sulk about the defense.

 

The former HCHS standout enjoyed the backing of a spirited local cheering section. His parents, Fred and Yolanda Jeffress, were on hand, along with about 15 family members. Also, HCHS head baseball coach Kelvin Davis and his two varsity assistants, Kenneth Day and Shawn Torian, also came to the Mudcats' park here. Jayvee coach Dennis Seamster also made the trip.

 

"I thought he did a good job. He was around the plate all game," said Davis.

 

"He's still got the velocity.

 

"The defense definitely let him down, but I thought he looked good on the mound."

 

Davis added, "I saw some good things in him tonight."

 

Jeffress also batted once, laying down a decent sacrifice bunt that helped the Stars manufacture a run in the top of the third.

 

Jeffress also surrendered a leadoff double to the Mudcats' Todd Frazier in the second, but worked out of trouble, thanks to a sparkling 5-4-3 double play.

 

Then, the HCHS graduate got into trouble in the third.

 

"As long as just battle, and keep doing what you're doing, there's nothing else you can do. Just do the same thing you've been doing. You get some good progress and you get some bad progress," said Jeffress.

 

Assessing his progress, Jeffress continued, "I established my two-seamer for first pitch strikes now. I think the command on the fastball is coming along, and I just have to get one of my off-speed pitches in the zone."

 

Jeffress elaborated, "the curveball wasn't that good tonight, it was all right on some pitches. I got a strikeout on a curveball. The changeup was awesome; I liked the changeup tonight. I think that went real well."

 

Jeffress said he is prepared for any call up, at any time.He's going through growth issues, playing with new teammates rolling in and out of Huntsville.

 

"It's a great team, we're all focused on one thing, and that's winning," said Jeffress, whose teammates are off to an inconsistent start. "The hitters in this league, they're more patient. You just need to establish every pitch in the strike zone and just work ahead.'

 

"I feel pretty good about tonight ... The errors are going to come, you can't do nothing about them," said Jeffress.

 

The overall adjustment, with more family support, seems to working well.

 

Jeffress noted, "I feel comfortable with everything I'm doing now."

 

As for the future, Jeffress seems energized when the possibility of his major league debut comes up.

 

"I'm trying to knock that door down for the big leagues. I'm trying to knock it down, not just knock on the door, tell them that I'm ready, I'm trying to knock it down and get to the league. That's my main goal.

 

"I'm saying June, right after the all-star game, I'm hoping they see that I've got a lot of progress, I've matured a lot," said Jeffress.

 

http://www.thenewsrecord.com/images/uploads/jeffress2.jpg

[marty22]

Does anyone think he'll actually be up this year? I could MAYBE see a September call-up if he gets to nashville in June or something, but he'd have to have a great year to get to MIL in my opinion.

[And That]

He doesn't have to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason (or next offseason either)... unless he forces his way on to the Brewers club this year, he won't be called up.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Soft-tossing Cody still effective

Southern League's pitcher of the week does it without heat

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

Chris Cody leaned against a wall in the Huntsville Stars clubhouse Thursday, striking a most unimposing look.

 

Hitters get much the same view when they look at Cody on the mound.

 

He's only 6-foot tall, and at 180 pounds he does less damage to the scales than any other pitcher on the Stars. Cody's fastball isn't going to scare hitters either - topping out at about 85 mph.

 

But somehow, this smallish pitcher with the smallish fastball is getting huge results.

 

"That's the key to being a pitcher, having confidence," Cody said. "You have to have that swagger about you."

 

Check out this swagger: Cody is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 21 innings. On Monday he was named Southern League pitcher of the week.

 

"The best thing about him is that he's not afraid to pitch inside," Stars manager Bob Miscik said. "That sets up everything else."

 

The Stars are 4-0 in games Cody has started - a string that will be on the line tonight when Cody goes against the Tennessee Smokies.

 

But this is nothing new for Cody and his not-so-fastball.

 

In 51 minor-league games coming into the season, Cody had an ERA of 2.12 with 261 strikeouts in 285 innings.

 

Still, can Cody keep advancing toward the majors the way his numbers suggest in spite of the numbers on the radar gun?

 

"He'll go to the next level and see if it's good enough," Miscik said. "He is what he is."

 

You won't find Cody listed among the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects - not with an 85 mph fastball. Of course, among the 16 pitchers in the Brewers' top 30 prospects as rated by Baseball America, none have an ERA close to Cody's career mark - now at 2.06.

 

"That's all right," Cody said. "That's the way it's always been. It doesn't really bother me. I just let the numbers do the talking.

 

"A lot of people like the radar gun and I've never been a radar gun type of guy."

 

And given the choice between a big ERA or a small fastball, it's a no-brainer.

 

"For me to worry about my velocity when I'm putting up zeroes would be pretty foolish," Cody said. "When my fastball starts getting hit hard, then maybe I'll start worrying about how hard I'm throwing."

 

Relaxed as Cody sounds about his pitching, that's how he pitches - delivering the ball with a smooth, easy motion that actually makes his fastball seem a bit faster than it really is.

 

"It's not a max-effort deal," Miscik said. "It's loose and the ball gets on you a little quicker than the hitters think. That's the deceptive part."

 

While Cody mixes in his fastball, his best pitch is a change-up that Miscik said is "above average." Cody also has developed a cut fastball.

 

But with pinpoint control with the fastball on the inside corner, Cody keeps getting outs.

 

"There's a lot of stuff I can still work on, that's for sure," he said. "I'm not perfect. But luck has been on my side."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Heether rolls with demotion

Back from Triple-A, infielder hopes Stars will provide at-bats

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, paul.gattis@htimes.com

 

It seemed ironic that Adam Heether met for more than 30 minutes with Huntsville Stars manager Bob Miscik on Saturday afternoon.

 

After all, the Stars' first-year skipper is more a stranger to Huntsville than Heether.

 

But after spending 2008 and the first month of this season with Triple-A Nashville, Heether has returned to the Stars - where he spent parts of 2005, 2006 and all of 2007 - with the promise of more playing time.

 

"Even though you don't want to go back a level, it's what he should do," Miscik said. "And I think he realizes it."

 

Heether's 2009 debut with the Stars was rained out Saturday. A doubleheader against the Tennessee Smokies is scheduled for 5:00 PM today at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

To make room for Heether on the roster, struggling first baseman Chris Errecart was demoted to Single-A Brevard.

 

Though the 27-year-old Heether is dropping down to Double-A, he's bringing a positive outlook.

 

"I don't really feel like it's a step back," he said. "It's another step closer to where I want to be. It's the only way I can process it. I'm just looking forward to playing baseball."

 

An 11th-round selection by the Brewers out of Long Beach State in 2003, Heether was one of the Stars' top hitters in 2007, batting .299 with nine home runs and 62 RBIs. He posted similar numbers last year for Nashville at .272 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs.

 

Playing time grew scant this season with the Sounds, as Heether got only 24 at-bats in the first month - though he was hitting .375.

 

So Heether accepted a demotion at the suggestion of Nashville manager Don Money, who was the Stars' manager when Heether played in Huntsville.

 

"Don Money threw it out there and when I thought about it, I said I'm all for it," Heether said.

 

It's not unlike the decision Stars infielder Vinny Rottino made at the end of spring training. He was offered the chance for occasional playing time in Nashville or to play every day with the Stars.

 

"It was by choice," Heether said. "I'm here to play and I want to play. If this is where I need to be and this is where they want me, let's play."

 

The Stars can use an offensive spark, ranking last in the Southern League in runs (87) and home runs (five) and next-to-last in batting average (.232).

 

Defensively, Heether, has moved to shortstop after playing third base during his earlier stint with the Stars. Heether's arrival in Huntsville will come at the expense of Yohannis Perez, whose playing time "will be diminished," Miscik said.

 

Said Heether: "It's kind of opened some eyes and let some people know I can play middle infield."

[Mass Haas]

Consider Yohannis Perez your new version of Guilder Rodriguez.