Link Report for Fri. 4/24 -- LATE UPDATES: T-Rats photos, Tempers Flare at Dunedin

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Timber Rattlers will play Chiefs at Miller Park

By Brett Christopherson

Post-Crescent staff writer

 

GRAND CHUTE - Other than the 15,000-plus fans expected in the seats, the 12,000-ton steel roof overhead and Bernie's Dugout perched high above the left field wall …

 

And the retired numbers of Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Rollie Fingers hanging inside …

 

So today's Midwest League contest between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Peoria Chiefs at Miller Park is just another game, huh?

 

Riiiiight.

 

"There's a lot of excitement going around, a lot of people talking about the experience," Rattlers infielder/outfielder John Delaney said of the finale of a four-game series that saw the first three games played at Fox Cities Stadium.

 

"The most I've ever played in front of is maybe 7,000, so 15,000 is a lot of people. It's going to be a fun time."

 

Roughly 15,000 tickets had been sold by Thursday morning, according to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Rattlers' parent club and Miller Park's main tenant.

 

Wisconsin players and coaches were scheduled to arrive at the ballpark by noon today, where they would be served lunch and given a stadium tour before beginning their normal pre-game routine in preparation for the 7:05 PM first pitch.

 

"As a whole, I know the group's excited about the opportunity," said 36-year-old Rattlers manager Jeff Isom, in his third season with the Brewers and whose professional playing career included three years as a minor league pitcher. "Myself? Absolutely I'm excited. I'm no different than the players. I want to work my way up through the organization and would like the opportunity to be in the big leagues at some point."

 

Once Thursday's doubleheader ended, Isom figured most in his clubhouse would allow their thoughts to turn to their upcoming sampling of major league life.

 

"I'll try to do everything on that mound that I do on this mound here - just take it easy and do my job," said Wily Peralta, today's starting pitcher for Wisconsin.

[Mass Haas]

Friday's Daily Menu: TGIF!!

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Link here for the live audio choices - audio will no longer archive.

 

Sorry, no audio for this Brevard County series

 

Nashville: LHP Lindsay Gulin at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:40 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Huntsville: RHP Mark Holliman at Carolina (Reds), 6:00 PM pre-game; 6:15 gametime

 

Brevard County: RHP Mike Jones at Dunedin (Blue Jays), 10:05 AM gametime

 

Wisconsin: RHP Wily Peralta (followed by RHP Cody Adams) at home in Miller park vs. Peoria (Cubs), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

[Mass Haas]

Diehard Sounds fans can actually watch the series in Memphis via MiLB.TV. The cost is $6.95 monthly, $29.95 for the season for live and archived video feeds. The Sounds will likely be on MiLB.TV approx. 15-20 times this season, I'd imagine. It does not appear single game purchases are still available any longer, and blackouts (Memphis area in this case) do apply.

[Mass Haas]

Follow Friday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Tab or New Window". Choose "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

MiLB.com now has Gameday available for AA as well as AAA this season.

Nashville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2009_04_24_nasaaa_mrbaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2009_04_24_hunaax_cmcaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2009_04_24_breafa_dunafa_1

 

Wisconsin:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_04_24_peoafx_wisafx_1&did=t572&sid=t572

[Mass Haas]

Rattler Radio Blog:

 

April 24, 2009 Game Notes

 

April 24, 2009 Timber Rattler Pitchers

 

Enjoy the big booth tonight, Chris.

[Mass Haas]

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated a few hours prior to gametime.

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 10 5 .667 - 5-2 5-3 W2 Nashville 9 6 .600 1.0 3-5 6-1 W1 Memphis 8 6 .571 1.5 6-4 2-2 L1 Omaha 8 7 .533 2.0 2-2 6-5 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 7 6 .538 - 2-2 5-4 W1 Huntsville 7 7 .500 0.5 5-5 2-2 W1 Carolina 6 8 .429 1.5 2-2 4-6 L1 West Tenn 5 9 .357 2.5 1-3 4-6 L1 Chattanooga 3 11 .214 4.5 2-3 1-8 L5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 8 5 .615 - 6-1 2-4 L1 Clearwater 8 5 .615 - 4-4 4-1 W1 Daytona 6 7 .462 2.0 3-3 3-4 L1 Lakeland 6 7 .462 2.0 5-3 1-4 L1 Tampa 6 7 .462 2.0 3-2 3-5 W1 Dunedin 5 8 .385 3.0 1-4 4-4 W1 

[Mass Haas]

Midwest League Standings

[TheCrew07]

It wouldn't hurt my feelings if Gulin, Salome, and Cain started to get on track today. Good luck to the T-Rats in their first "must win" game of the season at MP, BEAT THE CUBS!

[wvpowerblkwel]

Wooten picks up save #3 today! Could be a very good spot for him....seemed really "consistent" when he was here.....reminded me a little of Joe Thatcher.

[NastyTwig]

Hmm... So Gindl absolutely destroys RHP, but only hits home runs against LHP? I'll take it.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 5, Dunedin (Blue Jays) 3

Brevard County Box Score

Except for one particularly ugly inning for Mike Jones (he was fine otherwise), a good day all around; Caleb Gindl a big three-run bomb to go with two singles -- the kid is simply raking; Logan Schafer singled thrice; Steffan Wilson went deep for the first of what should be several this season (even in those FSL ballparks) for a key insurance run; four shutout innings out of the bullpen; on the surface, it sure appears that Martin Maldonando is a more-than-solid defensive catcher, despite a passed ball today; Manatees now 4-0 vs. Dunedin this season...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Never Outhustled]

it sure appears that Martin Maldonando is a more-than-solid defensive catcher, despite a passed ball today; Manatees now 4-0 vs. Dunedin this season...

Agreed. Usually the box score will double credit a caught stealing, calling it both a CS and a PO, but the game recap reveals Maldonado actually picked the Dunedin leadoffman off 1st in the 1st inning with a snap throw, then threw him out trying to steal 2nd in the 4th.

[TheCrew07]

nashville hitless through 4.

 

Holliman lit up bad for Huntsville but Lucroy is 2 for 2 and pushing .300 again. Cain not in the lineup... boo! Caufield had cooled off lately but has a hit. The Stars are leading in the 5th.

 

Lawrie with a costly error and WI is down 2 to 1 going into the 4th, and he singled again further ruining his stellar XBH percentage.

[True CryM]

Any word on Mark Rogers?

[trwi7]

Just got back from the Rattlers game (Rattlers won 5-3.)

 

Wily Peralta was consistently 92-94 on his fastball and hit 97 in the first inning. He struggled a little with control as the game went on and ended up walking 3. He showed a pretty nice slider as well in the 82-84 range and what looked to be a couple changeups that was a swing and miss pitch from the two times he threw it.

 

Brandon Ritchie was okay. 88-91 on his fastball usually. The gun hit 96 one time, not sure if that was accurate. Showed a breaking ball in the 77-78 range.

 

Cody Adams was pretty disappointing to me. He threw about 35 pitches and I can't remember what the number was exactly, but almost the same number of balls and strikes. The scouting reports I've read have said his fastball is usually in the low 90s and occasionally in the mid 90s, but throughout his three innings he was consistently in the 87-89 range. The highest reading he got was 92. He did have some nice sink on it however.

 

Cutter Dykstra looked okay at the plate. Not so great in the field. First batter of the game was a line drive at him. He started to go back on it and realized it was in front of him so he had to come back and dive for it just barely grabbing it before it hit the ground.

 

Lawrie looked decent at the plate as well. A couple of hard hit ground balls, a couple snuck through for hits. One was iffy, Flaherty went into the hole to get it and bobbled it. Would've been a close play had he fielded it cleanly, but they ruled it a single. He looked fine to me on defense. He had a play where he ranged way into the outfield grass towards first base and made a strong throw just late. Don't worry about his error either, it was a wide throw on a steal attempt that he got a glove on but the runner was coming in on him and he had to jump and try to catch the ball and it got away.

 

John Delaney impressed me. He's not very big, but he hit it hard a few times tonight.

 

Michael Marseco is tiny. I mean unbelieveably tiny. He's listed as 145 pounds and I even doubt that. He was pretty good at SS, but awful with the bat. He's never going to hit. His best hope to make the majors is learning a couple other positions (SS, 2B, CF) and be a defensive replacement/pinch runner imo.

 

Kjeldgaard had a good game. Worked the count, got a couple of walks and hit an absolute bomb about 5 rows up in the second deck in right field.

 

Very nice crowd tonight. 17,880 and for the most part they were loud and into the game.

 

Oh yeah, and the Rattlers are totally the Brewers affiliate. They had the bases loaded and no outs twice in the game and scored one run. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[battlekow]

Trwi7 said pretty much everything I wanted to say regarding the T-Rats. Peralta did indeed show impressive stuff, despite the command problems. After he allowed the two runs, he walked the next batter, which prompted a mound visit. He then impressively carved up Josh Vitters with a bunch of inside stuff to get the K and end the inning.

 

I'm glad someone else noticed the 96 reading on Ritchie, too. I was scratching my head at that one. Kjeldgaard's homer was completely crushed. He's clearly got a good idea of what he's doing up there as well; I hope they push him aggressively to see if they have anything there.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 12, Carolina (Reds) 9

 

Huntsville Site Game Summary

 

More Ninth Inning Magic for Stars

Huntsville Takes Seesaw Affair to Close Series in Carolina

By Brett Pollock / MiLB.com

Adam Stern delivered a two-run single to snap a tie in the ninth inning and propel Huntsville to a wild 12-9 win over Carolina Friday in the last of a five-game set at Five County Stadium. The Stars grabbed the last two games and three out of five to improve to 8-7 and move into first place, while the Mudcats dipped to 6-9. The win was the first for the Stars not decided by a run, though all but two of their games have been decided by three runs or less.

 

Vinny Rottino led off the ninth with a single against Federico Baez, who then fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt by Chuck Caufield and threw the ball into center field, allowing Rottino to advance to third base and Caufield to second. Johnny Raburn walked to load the bases before pinch-hitter J.R. Hopf flied out. Stern then chopped a ground ball off the glove of the second baseman Michael Griffin against a drawn-in infield that chased home Rottino and Caufield and pushed Raburn to third, from where he would score on a Shane Justis fly ball. Robert Hinton then tossed a scoreless bottom of the inning to earn his first save of the season. Baez suffered the loss to drop to 1-2 after throwing a scoreless eighth.

 

Chris Heisey led off the home first with a home run, his fourth of the year, and the Mudcats added another run in the inning on a Logan Parker sacrifice fly. Chris Kroski, who had just one hit in his first 22 at-bats, led off the home second with a long ball and Juan Francisco added a monstrous two-run clout later in the frame, his second of the series, to stake Carolina to a 5-0 lead.

 

Huntsville hopped right back into the game in the third with four runs, highlighted by a two-run Kevin Melillo single and a Rottino sacrifice fly. Carolina answered back in the bottom of the inning with Parker's leadoff long ball that extended the home team's lead to 6-4. Carolina had hit only eight home runs in 13 games prior to slugging four in the first three frames.

 

Stern's two-out walk jump started a five-run uprising in the fourth, as he came into score on a double by Justis that cut the Carolina lead to one. Melillo followed with a walk and scored, with Justis, on a two-run double by Jonathan Lucroy that gave the visitors their first lead at 7-6. Drew Anderson singled with two outs to knock in Lucroy and knock out the starter Misael DeJesus and then scored on a single by Caufield that finished the Stars biggest scoring inning of the season.

 

DeJesus was charged with nine runs, six of them earned, on six hits and four walks. Stars' starter Mark Holliman was lifted from the game after a one-out double by Zack Cozart in the fourth and followed to the hill by Josh Wahpepah, who threw scoreless relief through the sixth.

 

Wahpepah left with two runners on and one out in the seventh and was replaced by Casey Baron, who struck out Shaun Cumberland before a Croski single plated Todd Frazier to cut the lead to 9-7. Pinch-hitter Eric Eymann reached with an infield hit to load the bases and Donovan Hand was brought on to face Heisey, who sliced a single into right field to chase home two runs to get the game tied at nine. Holliman was charged with six runs on eight hits, while walking two and fanning four and not figuring in the decision for a third straight turn. Wahpepah allowed two runs on two hits and three walks in three innings in his longest relief stint of the season. Hand earned his first win with an inning and a third of scoreless relief.

 

The Stars open a five-game series Saturday night in Chattanooga with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress taking the hill against Lookouts' right-hander Jesus Castillo. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 PM central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Wow, did you get all that -- excellent recap as usual by Brett; 29-year-old Canadian Adam Stern dominant again in the leadoff spot, on base four more times, now 9-for-9 in SB attempts as well; Stern, Shane Justis, Kevin Melillo and Jonathan Lucroy, the top four in the order, combined to reach base 14 times plus a sacrifice fly; no pressure on Lucroy, huh -- just handle the staff and hit cleanup, kid...

 

Huntsville Game Log

Hungry? Plenty to digest here...

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Second Baseman Hernan Iribarren

Hernan suddenly an occasional # 3 or # 5 hitter, discusses his bunting proficiency as well; fantastic English and communication skills, good for Hernan, still not quite yet 25 years old...

 

Final: Memphis (Cardinals) 2, Nashville 1

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link, text follows --

 

Sounds End Road Trip With Last At-Bat Loss

MEMPHIS - Joe Mather delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to provide the Memphis Redbirds with a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Friday evening at AutoZone Park in the finale of a four-game series.

 

Despite the loss, the Sounds (9-7) finished a successful first road trip of 2009 with a 6-2 record and split their four-game set against the 'Birds.

 

Memphis first baseman Nick Stavinoha opened the ninth by greeting Sounds reliever Wes Littleton with a single to left. After a groundout and an Allen Craig walk, Mather ripped the right-hander's 2-2 offering up the middle for the game-winning knock.

 

The Nashville offense managed only a season-low three hits in the contest, which featured just eight total knocks between the clubs.

 

It was a pitcher's duel in the early going as Nashville starter Lindsay Gulin and Memphis starter Clayton Mortensen combined to allow zero hits over the contest's first four frames.

 

The Sounds broke through in the top of the fifth. With one out, catcher Carlos Corporan ripped the game's first hit, a triple to right, before Gulin drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Tony Gwynn, who extended the PCL's longest hitting streak of the year to 14 games with an RBI single to left to bring home Corporan with the tilt's first run.

 

Gulin worked five hitless frames to open the contest but departed after throwing 92 pitches. He walked four batters and struck out a pair in his outing.

 

Memphis took advantage of the left-hander's departure as shortstop Tyler Greene greeted Sounds reliever Matt Ginter with an infield single, breaking up the no-hitter. However, he was promptly caught stealing by Corporan.

 

Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman made his second rehab appearance with Nashville when he took the hill in the bottom of the seventh inning.

 

The all-time Major League saves leader got off to a rough start as David Freese led off with a single up the middle before Craig doubled to left. Joe Mather followed with a sacrifice fly to the wall in left, plating Freese to knot the score at 1-1 and leaving Hoffman with a blown save in the contest.

 

Redbirds reliever Jess Todd (1-0) was the beneficiary of Mather's last at-bat heroics, picking up his first win of the year after working a hitless inning and striking out two batters. Littleton (0-2) took the loss for Nashville.

 

Outfielder Cole Gillespie made his Class AAA debut for the Sounds in the contest. He started in left field and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases.

 

AUDIO: Cole Gillespie Catch

 

Have to admit, I've always thought it was Gillespie with a hard "G"; Voice of the Sounds Chuck Valenches pronounces it "Jillespie" here, which may be just a matter of it being Cole's first AAA game -- clarification, anyone?

The Sounds open an eight-game homestand on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium with the 6:00 PM opener of a four-game series against the division-rival Iowa Cubs (AAA-Cubs). Right-hander Mike Burns (2-0, 3.71) will man the bump for Nashville to face Iowa right-hander Jose Ascanio (0-0, 0.71).

 

Nashville Box Score

Hopefully Trevor Hoffman has all his early season runs allowed out of his system; catcher Carlos Corporan productive offensively and defensively every time he's in the lineup -- take note, Wes Littleton's just not right, apparently since spring training with Boston...

 

Nashville Game Log

The polar opposite of the Stars' game log above -- a light snack...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Wisconsin 5, Peoria (Cubs) 3

Wisconsin Site Game Summary

 

Rattlers win Border Battle

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

MILWAUKEE, WI - The border belongs to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers after a 5-3 win over the Peoria Chiefs in front of 17,880 at Miller Park on Friday night. Wisconsin first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning to put the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ahead for good.

Wisconsin (7-6) scored first for the first time in the series. The first three batters of the bottom of the first inning reached to load the sacks. Kjeldgaard lined a hard one-hop shot to short that was turned into a 6-4-3 double play, but the runner at third scored for a 1-0 lead.

But, Peoria (5-8) scored a couple of runs in the top of the third. Junior Lake tripled with one out and Rattler starting pitcher Wily Peralta walked Tony Campana. During Josh Harrison's at bat, Campana broke for second. The throw was late, but second baseman Brett Lawrie missed the catch. As the ball trickled into right-center, Lake streaked for home and scored to tie the game. Harrison would knock in Campana with an RBI grounder and the Chiefs were up 2-1.

An RBI grounder by Nelson Perez in the top of the fourth inning extended the Peoria lead to 3-1.

The Rattlers rallied in the bottom of the fifth. Michael Marseco started the inning with a double. Cutter Dykstra followed with a double to left that drove in Marseco. Two outs later, Dykstra was at third and Kjeldgaard stepped to the plate. The right-handed first baseman drove an 0-1 pitch from Aaron Shafer over the Timber Rattler bullpen in right field for a two-run homer and a 4-3 Wisconsin lead.

Kjeldgaard gave the Rattlers a 5-3 lead when he drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Jim Henderson closed out the Chiefs with a scoreless ninth.

The Timber Rattlers begin a four game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa. Michael Bowman (0-0, 4.50) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Gary Daley (1-0, 1.12) is set to go for the River Bandits. Game time is 6:00 PM.

 

Wisconsin Box Score

Peoria 0-for-10 with RISP, T-Rats 5-for17; five shutout innings from the bullpen, among them Cody Adams three innings; sometimes you can just sense which low-A kids are going to be solid all the way up the ladder through AAA at least, and infielder John Delaney seems poised for a minimum Adam Heether / Chris Barnwell-type run...

 

Wisconsin Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link (includes Brock Kjeldgaard photo from Helena in 2008) while active, text follows:

 

Rattlers defend big club's turf

By Mason Kelley / Special to MLB.com

When Cody Adams took the mound in the sixth inning, he needed a minute to catch his breath. His Wisconsin Timber Rattlers teammates had just staked him a one-run lead, but he couldn't help but take a look around Miller Park before gathering himself.

Adams admitted he didn't truly settle down until Peoria's Michael Brenly grounded out to shortstop. But once he shook off the nerves, he threw three scoreless innings Friday to help the Rattlers defend the Milwaukee Brewers' home field with a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs in the third installment of the Border Battle.

"It was unbelievable," said Adams, a 2008 second-round draft pick. "It's what everybody dreams for and hopes to do on a regular basis one day. I just did my best and tried to soak it in without the butterflies getting to me."

Before the game, Rattlers players toured the stadium and took batting practice in the park they one day hope to call their home field. Brett Lawrie, one of the Brewers' top prospects, said he was quickly able to get over the nerves of playing in front of a crowd of 17,880.

"Obviously, the thought goes through your mind, but you're obviously playing the game at the same time, so you want to keep the focus," said Lawrie, the 16th overall selection in last year's Draft. "It's the same game, just baseball, and we went out there and battled and finally came away with the win."

The Border Battle was first held in 2003, when the Beloit Snappers, then the Brewers' Class A affiliate, played the Timber Rattlers. That first game featured future big leaguers like Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks. The teams played again the following season before taking a break that lasted until Friday.

The Rattlers struck first when former Pioneer League All-Star Brock Kjeldgaard hit into a double play in the first inning that scored 2008 second-round pick Cutter Dykstra.

Peoria -- the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs -- plated a pair of runs in the third and another in the fourth to take the lead and set the stage for one of the bigger moments of Kjeldgaard's career.

After Dysktra cut the Rattlers' deficit to one with an RBI double, Kjeldgaard stepped into the box with two outs. He slugged a two-run homer to right field and put Wisconsin ahead for good.

"With the amount of fans and the excitement that was here, everything surrounding the game, it was a pretty big thrill for me," said Kjeldgaard, who felt like he was missing pitches early in the game. "I was just looking for a pitch to hit."

"We needed it," added Lawrie, who contributed three hits. "He came through. I couldn't get it done that at-bat before, so it was good to have him behind me. He got a pitch he could handle and he punished it."

Adams, Lawrie and Kjeldgaard all admitted the game was a highlight of their brief careers, a snapshot of what they hope is their future, a chance to join the likes of Fielder and Weeks. Until then, however, they'll continue to enjoy these moments.

"It's unbelievable," Adams said. "It takes your breath away."

[Mass Haas]

Link, text follows:

 

Prospects get taste in Border Battle

Timber Rattlers face Chiefs in Class A game at Miller Park

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

 

MILWAUKEE -- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were like kids in a candy store on Friday. A really, really big candy store.

 

The Brewers' new Class A affiliate, a young club stocked with prospects, made the two-hour trek to 42,000-seat Miller Park to host the Peoria Chiefs in what was billed as a "Border Battle." The game, between Brewers and Cubs affiliates, was an officially sanctioned Midwest League affair, and it gave fans in southeast Wisconsin an opportunity to see the next wave of talent riding toward the big leagues.

 

Players didn't exactly mind the extra road trip.

 

"If this doesn't get you excited, I don't know what does," Timber Rattlers center fielder Cutter Dykstra said during batting practice. "We were walking through the tunnel and all of us had our bags, and it's a pretty long walk. One of the guys said, 'Get to the big leagues, and you won't be carrying your bag through here anymore.'"

 

Baseball history says that only a handful of the players will make the jump from A-ball all the way to the Majors. But the Timber Rattlers are stocked with players with a very good chance, including seven of the Brewers' 30 best Minor Leaguers, as rated by Baseball America.

 

It makes Wisconsin one of the youngest, most prospect-rich teams in the league. That's no coincidence.

 

"We wanted to put our best foot forward," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said.

 

The Brewers are in the first season of a four-year player-development deal with the Timber Rattlers, who play about 100 miles north of Miller Park at Fox Cities Stadium. Before the Brewers came to Appleton, Wisc., the team had been a Seattle Mariners affiliate since 1993.

 

Among the Wisconsin hitters to watch are 2008 first-round draft pick Brett Lawrie and second-rounder Dykstra. The pitchers include Wily Peralta and Cody Adams, both of whom pitched in the Border Battle, plus 2008 supplemental first-round pick Evan Fredrickson and big right-hander Cody Scarpetta. The lone Rattler on Milwaukee's 40-man roster and Wisconsin's Opening Day starter, Scarpetta matched his professional best by striking out 10 batters in a win on Wednesday over Peoria. Brewers officials considered altering his schedule so he could pitch at Miller Park on Friday, but instead kept him on his regular routine.

 

"This is just night and day to what we're used to playing with," Scarpetta said, looking around Miller Park. "It's a good thing for our team and our organization."

 

The new partnership was on display to about 20,000 fans on Friday, who paid $10 per ticket or $15 for one ticket to the Border Battle and another for a game in Appleton. Rattlers players dressed in the visitors' clubhouse -- the home digs were off-limits because the Brewers return on Monday -- and Peoria players used an auxiliary locker room.

 

The concept of the Border Battle was first introduced in 2003, when the Brewers-affiliated Beloit Snappers, featuring Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Manny Parra, faced the Timber Rattlers in front of more than 15,000 fans. The event was staged again in '04 with the same two teams, but then went on hiatus beginning in '05, when the Brewers moved their "low" Class A affiliate to Charleston, W.Va.

 

"I've been here before, but it's still a thrill," said Lawrie, who visited after he signed with the Brewers last summer. "This is where I want to be, and where I want to be quickly."

 

With the plethora of prospects, many with less than a year of professional experience, the Timber Rattlers' season will likely focus more on developing players than securing victories. But Brewers officials felt it important to stock the team with players on the way up instead of trying to pile up wins with older free-agent pickups who have little chance of progressing to the Majors.

 

"There was only one move we made there with winning in mind," Ash said. "And that was signing a veteran back-of-the-bullpen guy."

 

That would be Jim Henderson, a 26-year-old who has pitched as high as Triple-A. He was looking for work after the Cubs released him late in Spring Training. He is more than three years older than any other player on the team, and Brewers officials figured it was important to have someone with experience in the closer's role.

 

Milwaukee's affiliates are 2-0 in previous Border Battles. Parra led the Snappers to a 4-2 win over Wisconsin in 2003 in front of 14,447 fans who paid $5 each, and left-hander Dana Eveland, who now pitches for the A's, worked seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 Snappers win in '04.

 

The idea is to reinstate the Border Battle as an annual event, Ash said. Nichols was all for that idea, and so was Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom.

 

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for myself and the club here," said Isom, a former pitcher who played three Minor League seasons but never advanced above Class A. "We might have five or six guys [make it to the Majors], and that's it. For those guys it might be no big deal, but for the other guys who don't make it, this is something that they'll remember."

[wvpowerblkwel]

Is no-one else paying any attention to the numbers Caleb Gindl is putting up? He got off to a slow start last year and worked all season to get the average over .300....but this year .380 at this point with 13 RBI's and a couple bombs...not a bad start,especially in BC. Looks like Huntsville OF could use a bat right now to me! Oh, by the way, for those of you who haven't seen him play...he doesn't really have any defensive issues that many of the other prospects are labeled with...he has a gun for an arm in RF!

[Mass Haas]

Is no-one else paying any attention to the numbers Caleb Gindl is putting up?

Caleb Gindl a big three-run bomb to go with two singles -- the kid is simply raking

 

Hello our West Virginia friend -- as copied form above, just about every day!