Your 2009 Huntsville Stars

[Mass Haas]

Josh Baker:

 

Injuries and ineffectiveness, even when close to healthy. Never really showed even a glimpse of what merited the high draft pick while a pro.

 

To my knowledge, he can still call Lance Berkman his brother-in-law, though.

[Mass Haas]

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Stars reliever rebuilding confidence

By Brad Shepard

For The Huntsville Times

 

Wes Littleton is already in the Hall of Fame. Now, he's just trying to make it back to the big leagues.

 

The 26-year-old Huntsville Stars relief pitcher was on the mound for the Texas Rangers during the final three innings of a 30-3 win over Baltimore on Aug. 22, 2007. He is now in the Hall as having the save with the most run support in baseball history, as the Rangers set a modern-day runs record.

 

"It was a cool experience," Littleton said. "It was 14-3 when I came in, and I pitched the last three innings scoreless. I didn't even know I got a save."

 

Littleton pitched parts of three seasons with Texas as a side-arm specialist, compiling a 5-3 record in 80 games with three saves and a 3.69 earned run average. After being traded to Boston before this season, he was put on waivers where he was picked up by Milwaukee.

 

Littleton's struggles started in Triple-A Nashville when he went 0-4 with a 7.14 ERA before being demoted. In seven games with the Stars, he has a 4.35 ERA and, after going back to a predominantly three-quarters arm slot, he's essentially starting over.

 

"It's been a rough year for me, and it's also been a humbling experience," Littleton said. "This year has been about trying to get my mechanics back. I basically just forgot how to throw. Every pitcher goes through it at some point.

 

"It may be a little too late this year, but I feel like I'm ending strong."

 

Littleton said he made the switch to throwing side-armed midway through 2005, and he surged from there, getting called up in '06. But he lost confidence in that slot.

 

"When he drops down, he tends to be a little more inconsistent," Stars catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "He can throw more strikes when he's up top. On his out pitch - the slider - he drops down low and that's very effective. Those arm slots can create a lot of movement."

[Mass Haas]

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Still not in full swing

Wrist woes have slowed down progress of prospect Taylor Green

By Brad Shepard

For The Huntsville Times

 

The excuse is out there for Taylor Green to take, but that's not his style.

 

After breaking his wrist last August when he was hit by a pitch and missing the first part of the season while recovering from a January surgery, the Huntsville Stars third baseman hasn't been himself lately.

 

Though he started hot, finishing the first half hitting .316, he has struggled terribly since with just 22 hits in 120 at-bats entering Saturday night's game - a .183 average.

 

"The second half I've had a tough, tough go of it," Green said. "I won't make any excuses, though, about the wrist. I've noticed my grip strength is weaker on my left side, but it feels fine.

 

"I'm really looking forward to next year and having full-strength back, though. I hope the Brewers look at that stuff. I'm sure they do."

 

As the 23-year-old No. 8 prospect in the organization according to Baseball America has nothing to worry about yet. The past two seasons cemented his prospect status as he hit .327 with 14 homers and 86 RBIs for then Single-A West Virginia in 2007 and .289 with 15 homers and 73 RBIs for Single-A Brevard County last year.

 

Recently, he seems to be finding his comfort level again.

 

Roving hitting instructor Mike Lum noticed that Green had an issue with his swing, trying to make up for the strength he has been lacking while recovering. He got Green to sink down and put more weight in his legs in his stance, and he has hit .281 in the past 10 games.

 

Green's recovery process will continue after the season, too. He will play in his second-straight Arizona Fall League after the Stars finish the playoffs, and he is even learning a new position to improve his versatility. With Kevin Melillo's injury, Green has started two of the past three games at first base.

 

Manager Bob Miscik said hat experiment was in the plans, anyway.

 

"He's a third baseman, but he's going to play some first in the Arizona Fall League, so we're getting him a head start," Miscik said. "He's been working out there about a week. With the injury to Melillo, it frees up a spot to do that, but he was getting ready before that."

 

With Mat Gamel ahead of Green and seemingly poised to be the third baseman of the future in Milwaukee, Green is for anything to improve his path to the big leagues.

 

"I want to be able to play every position on the field," Green said. "I'm going to work on my agility to play a couple more positions this offseason. We'll see how it goes.

 

***

 

After breaking his wrist last August when he was hit by a pitch and missing the first part of the season while recovering from a January surgery, the Huntsville Stars third baseman hasn't been himself lately.

 

That was one of the most frustrating moments of the off-season -- if Taylor Green doesn't go to Fan-Fest and get checked out again there, is surgery delayed even more?

[Mass Haas]

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New player Kemp will hit field mostly at DH, first base during stint in Huntsville

By Brad Shepard

For The Times

 

After his freshman year at Tennessee Tech, Corey Kemp decided to go to junior college for a year and transfer to a major Division I university because he wanted to play with the best.

 

He wound up a second-team All-American at East Carolina.

 

That competitiveness should serve Kemp well in the Brewers organization. After being selected in the 14th round of last year's draft, the 6-foot, 240-pound catcher finds himself behind Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy at the position.

 

"Everyone's fighting for a spot on that big league team, and everybody wants to do well," he said. "Salome and Lucroy are great players, not only at the plate but behind it. All I can do is make it tough on the organization, play as hard as I can and play well."

Kemp hasn't disappointed this season, hitting .280 with three home runs at Single-A Wisconsin. He joined the Stars on Friday to provide some assistance while Kevin Melillo recovers from an arm injury.

 

But Kemp isn't helping at catcher. Instead, he has started two games at first base after splitting time there during the second half with the TimberRattlers.

 

"He's going to help out and play a little there," Stars manager Bob Miscik said. "I don't know if he's going to get any time behind the plate. I see him as being our third catcher.

 

"When he does play, it'll be against left-handed pitchers as a DH or at first base."

 

Kemp - who said he spends his free time looking up Tennessee Vols football recruits' films and watching the History Channel - may be able to enjoy a little bit longer stay in Huntsville next year. If he continues his progression, he is looking forward to returning home to play at Triple-A Nashville. He is from nearby Franklin, Tenn.

 

Regardless of where he plays, much like teammate Taylor Green, he's just trying to improve his versatility. Last year, Kemp went to the Arizona Instructional League as a catcher. This year, he will go as a first baseman.

 

Kemp is enjoying the Double-A audition. Though he hasn't gotten a hit in six at-bats, his parents - Rick and Catherine - and his fiancee Kaitlin Lewis are much closer than they were when he was in Appleton, Wisc.

 

"They were able to come to games this weekend," he said. "And now they're just a phone call away. It's awesome. Everybody wants to look up in the stands and see a familiar face."

[Mass Haas]

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Stars' Henderson set to represent

Reliever finally gets his chance to play for home nation Canada

By Brad Shepard

For The Huntsville Times

 

Though the entire world was watching, Jim Henderson couldn't.

 

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Stars relief pitcher tried to keep the TV in his Phoenix apartment on the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but all he could think of was he should be there pitching for Team Canada. His injured shoulder screaming at him reminded him why he couldn't.

 

"I remember sitting there with my arm in a sling, watching all my buddies," Henderson said. "I just turned off the TV frustrated and just went to a casino to play a little poker.

 

"It wasn't an addiction or anything," he added with a laugh. "I just needed to do something to get away from the TV."

 

A year later, Henderson will get the chance to play for his country in an international competition. On Sept. 1, the 26-year-old reliever, along with Stars second baseman Brett Lawrie, will leave to join their countrymen for the World Cup, which will start in Sweden.

 

For Henderson, it's a dream realized. After playing for Canada's junior national team, he has been asked multiple times to wear the maple leaf on his chest again. This will be the first time he's been able to.

 

"This is the first time I've been overseas, too, so I'm very excited," Henderson said. "I've been asked to play the last four or five times, but I haven't been able to because the Cubs wouldn't let me or I was injured."

 

Milwaukee General Manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash are both Canadian, so they're thrilled to send Henderson, Lawrie and former Stars Adam Stern and John Axford to Europe.

 

"Oh yeah," Henderson said, "they're excited about me going."

 

Henderson could use some fun after the past year. Last June he endured major shoulder surgery, fixing a torn labrum, rotator cuff and taking out bone spurs.

 

Rather than take a year-plus to recover, Henderson made it back in 10 months.

 

He received a rude welcome back from the Cubs.

 

"They released me," he said. "I didn't think they'd do that, but I'd seen it happen to guys before, and it's a business decision.

 

"Fortunately, the Brewers picked me up."

 

Though Henderson said it was "definitely" noticeable that his velocity wasn't back during the first half, it didn't reflect in his numbers. He had a 1.07 earned run average and 17 saves at Single-A Wisconsin before going 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA and four more saves at Brevard County before getting the call to Huntsville.

 

So far with the Stars, he's 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four games. He'd like to pitch for the Stars in the playoffs, but the opportunity to play for his country is overwhelming.

 

"I was really, really disappointed when I missed out," he said. "To come back and get the chance to do this is going to really be something special."

[Mass Haas]

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Long road for Stars' Kintzler

A month ago, pitcher toiled in independent league

By Brad Shepard

For The Huntsville Times

 

It had been four years since Brandon Kintzler won an affiliated professional baseball game when he pitched six scoreless and victorious innings for the Stars on Tuesday night.

 

Considering he felt a million miles away from a major league organization a little more than a month ago, maybe the wait wasn't as long as it seemed.

 

"I didn't think it was realistic," said Kintzler, who was pitching for an independent league team, the St. Paul Saints, on July 22.

 

"I'd always heard of guys getting called up, and I was like, 'Wow, I wonder what that call is like.' "

 

Kintzler found out first-hand a day after starting in the American Association All-Star game where he was routinely hitting 91-94 miles per hour. The Brewers purchased his contract, and two days later, he reported to Huntsville.

 

One minute, Kintzler was the ace for the independent leagues' version of the Yankees, with an 8-3 record and 2.79 earned run average. The next, he was a call away from the big leagues.

 

"They told me they were sending me to Double-A ball," Kintzler said. "I was like, 'Cool. I've never even been past A-ball.' "

 

The 25-year-old Las Vegas native played collegiately at Dixie State Junior College in Utah before getting drafted in the 40th round by the Yankees in 2003. He decided to go back to school instead and, in '04, he was taken by San Diego in the 40th round again.

 

After Kintzler signed, he played a couple of injury-laden seasons in the Padres organization. He was released in 2005 and had arthroscopic shoulder surgery, which sidelined him for the entire 2006 season. When nobody picked him up, he signed with the Northern League's Winnipeg Goldeyes, where he won the league's rookie of the year award.

 

When nobody on the team was getting signed in the big leagues, he asked to be traded after going 7-6 two years ago. His contract was purchased by St. Paul, and he got noticed after half a season. In seven games with the Stars, he is 1-1 with a 5.26 earned run average and has looked good at times since moving from the bullpen to the rotation.

 

"He has thrown the ball well with the exception of two or three innings," Stars manager Bob Miscik said. "His stuff is pretty good. I'm happy with him.

 

"Somebody liked him enough to sign him. He commands his fastball pretty well, it seems. He has late life on it and has a good breaking ball to use effectively and is learning to mix his change-up in there. He throws strikes and works both sides of the plate with it."

 

Miscik said Kintzler should be in the Stars rotation the rest of the season, and the pitcher just has to shake his head thinking of being in the thick of a Double-A playoff race.

 

"When you come out of affiliated baseball, you're like, 'I'll be out of (the independent leagues) in no time,'" he said. "When you get there, you feel farther away from everybody. I never thought I'd be here this year.

 

"It's been a long road; just a lot of work paid off."

[Mass Haas]

Link to the thread in the Trading Post Forum about game worn jerseys available, these look to be 2008-2009 combos for the most part.

[Mass Haas]

 

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy of the Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee Brewers AA) executing an amazing double play at 3rd base. I have played and /or followed baseball all of my life and I cannot remember seeing a catcher do this. Great heads up play and exceptional athleticism.

[Tedaldtada]

Without knowing who the baserunner is, it looks like Lucroy has some ok wheels. Sweet.

[And That]

I like how Lucroy blocked third base with his knee/catching gear and totally nailed the guy in the face. That's a pretty unique play.

[TheCrew07]

Wow, a sweet play and very nice camera work.

[battlekow]

Jonathan Lucroy at #13 is the only Brewer to make Baseball America's Top 20 Southern League Prospects list.

[colbyjack]

Similar to the FSL, the SL is also a deep league, and usually is, when it comes to prospective talent. That means a ranking of 13 is pretty high praise for Lucroy.

 

For those that don't have access to the scouting reports, he was praised for his approach and his ability to make hard contact, although it is noted that we shouldn't expect much power (not that any of that is a surprise). His defense continues to draw mixed reviews, with some questioning his arm strength, yet others called him MLB ready, praising his technique, footwork and release. He threw out 40% of opposing baserunners this year (and without looking I think he threw out something like 47% of runners last year between WV and BC), so he obviously has a knack for gunning down would-be base-stealers.

 

Coupled by some of the recent comments from Gord Ash as noted in a different thread, I'm really anxious to follow Lucroy in the AFL, as it could be his final tune-up before a surprise promotion to Milwaukee if he swings the bat and handles the star-studded cast of pitching well.

[Mass Haas]

This update is from Huntsville GM Buck Rogers:

 

Stars fans, we received word from Pitcher Bobby Bramhall's family that Bobby is doing well after undergoing 'Tommy John' surgery earlier this month:

 

Bobby is doing well. He is in the post-op elbow brace and his range of motion is improving in physical therapy. He will go to Phoenix to the Brewers spring training facility on Sunday November 29th and start his rehab program. He will stay until mid-December and come home for a month. Then he will return to Phoenix in January for the remainder of the spring and summer seasons.

 

So the lefty will miss his "age 24/25" season, we wish him well during the long rehab. He found some success out of the pen late last season.

[battlekow]

Rick Peterson could fix Casey Baron in five minutes.

[Mass Haas]

Our old friend David Weiser summarizes all things Stars from this offseason at his http://www.starsboxscore.com/.