Your 2009 Helena / Arizona Brewers -- Latest: Eric Arnett Audio Interview

[Mass Haas]

Setting up this thread in advance -- articles on the newly-signed players will be posted here...

Helena Independent Record:

A group of new Helena Brewers are set to arrive in Helena today, as the squad gears up for a mini-camp prior to the season opener June 23.

Players from the Arizona Brewers are set to fly into the Helena Regional Airport shortly after 11:00 AM. The players have been competing in pre-season games in the Arizona League. Those athletes who were just drafted by the Brewers will likely fly in from their home towns.

The Brewers’ mini-camp is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday, when most of the players will have arrived in the Queen City.

[battlekow]

Jeff Sackmann studies Eric Arnett's workload.

[TheCrew07]

Wow, an outing with 145 pitches, and another outing with 142? I probably shouldn't even look at stuff like this because it just makes me angry, how can college coaches totally disregard the rest of a player's career? It's no wonder so many college arms flame out, I have no use for PAP, but if he was drafted by the Brewers out of high school with pitch counts that high I'd be going crazy. How about protecting the player's career a little bit?

 

edit. I wouldn't have a problem with Arnett pitching a relief role the rest of the season.

[ILuvDaBush]

Arnett pared down the amount of pitches he throws this year, and really just works off his fastball. Like the article says, it's not nearly as bad if he simply threw non-stop fastballs. I don't really see cause for concern. Then again, I would be quite happy if they fast-tracked Arnett's ascendency by putting him in the bullpen, while also still leaving the door open for him to be a starter.

[Never Outhustled]

Wow, an outing with 145 pitches, and another outing with 142? I probably shouldn't even look at stuff like this because it just makes me angry, how can college coaches totally disregard the rest of a player's career?

You'd think the NCAA would do some legislation about this, but they've never cared 1 bit about their athletes.

 

One of the things I liked about Arnett is he's only been abused like this for 1 year. Other top college pitchers have been abused like this for 2 or 3 years.

 

Also, while I still think letting a 21 year old throw 140 pitchers is irresponsible, you do have to remember these guys are only pitching once a week, not every 5th day. Arnett had good rest before and after his long outings.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

They have arrived

By JASON SCOTT - Helena Independent Record

 

Brewers pitcher Chad Robinson spoke for all his team members Tuesday.

 

"I'm just itching to get back out there, to get back on the mound," the Las Vegas native said.

 

Team members flew in Monday from Arizona, then took a bus ride to Kindrick Legion Field to drop off some equipment. The returning players also got to soak in the cosmetic changes to the ballpark.

 

Thanks to a city grant in the offseason, the field has new lights, a new scoreboard display and a revamped clubhouse.

 

"It's like night and day," Robinson said of the changes to the park. "It looks great."

 

This year is different than previous seasons, as the Brewers will hold a minicamp this week, weather permitting. The camp will be a unique opportunity to flesh out starting players and a strong rotation and might help the Helena squad's chances this season.

 

At least 18 team members walked off the plane from the Grand Canyon State into much cooler weather.

 

"It's like 106 degrees in Arizona right now, so this weather is nice," said catcher Derrick Alfonso, who is coming back for his second year in Helena.

 

Each Helena player has a different mindset going into the season, but most came down to a common goal.

 

"My goal for this year? Win," said Rico Salmon. "Not lose, like last year. Being behind by 12 games, I don't want that. Obviously I want to do better, but winning is the big thing."

 

Alfonso echoed his teammate's sentiments.

 

"For me, it's all about winning," said the 23-year-old. "My goal is to try to help this team win a championship again."

 

Alfonso and Salmon aren't the only returners this year. Among others, they are joined by a Helena favorite, Cutter Dykstra. Brewer fans might do a double take when they see where the son of Phillies great Lenny Dykstra is playing this year.

 

"I've come back in a position change," the former centerfielder said. "When I was in Appleton (Wis.) they told me they wanted me to play second base. I came back to Arizona and started playing second. I kind of knew a change might have been coming. I'm happy with it now. I think second base fits me more as a player and I'm much more comfortable."

 

Dykstra has a promising chance to work with a former major league infielder in head coach Rene Gonzales.

 

"I'm really excited this year because he played infield in the big leagues for a while and he can really help me throughout the year at second base," Dykstra said. "I'm excited to have that kind of knowledge there to help guide me through."

 

Another returner, Shawn Zarraga, said he looks forward to working to better know Helena and its inhabitants.

 

"I'm used to a small town, because Aruba is what, 100,000 people?" he said. "I would love the environment as it is, if it's small. It's family oriented.

 

"People know everything about you and you know everything about them," Zarraga, a newly designated first baseman, said with a smile. "There's some pros and cons with that."

 

More players are scheduled to arrive today, first-time players coming in from their hometowns after finally signing the pro baseball contract they've always dreamed of.

 

Whether it's for fortune or fame or love of the game that the players strive for, everyone will know his place before next Tuesday's opener against the Missoula Osprey. The mini camp, which is open to the public, will give fans and coaches like Gonzales a chance to see what this year's crop of Brewers looks like.

 

"It's going to be fun playing here," Zarraga said. "A new city, a new town. New people."

 

Photo by Eliza Wiley Independent Record The first round of Helena Brewer's made their way off the plane Monday at the Helena Regional Airport. More of the team will be coming in today and they will begin a training camp later this afternoon also.

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/16/sports/top/50spl_090616_brewers.jpg

[DHonks]

Chad Robinson...wasn't there a rumor that he was released?

[battlekow]

Chad Robinson...wasn't there a rumor that he was released?

I remember at the beginning of last year not being sure why he wasn't on any rosters, but it turned out he had shoulder surgery. He also had shoulder surgery in high school.

 

As for Zarraga, that pretty much takes the value out of his bat. So much for being a sleeper.

[battlekow]

Furman's Lind Signs Free Agent Contract With Milwaukee Brewers

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman shortstop Connor Lind has signed a free agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, the club announced Monday.

Lind, a four-year letterman and three-year starter for the Paladins, has been assigned to the Brewers' Arizona League affiliate in Phoenix.

This past spring he started in 53 of the Paladins' 55 games, hit .263, and fielded at a .958 clip - the highest mark among Southern Conference shortstops. He set a Furman season fielding percentage standard for shortstops in 2007 with a .960 mark and also recorded a new school career standard for the position (.956) over his four seasons of play.

As a junior he hit a career high .322 in helping Furman to a school record 33 wins as part of a 33-24 season that included a 17-10, third place Southern Conference regular season finish.

The Burr Ridge, Ill., product graduated from Furman in May with a degree in business administration.

 

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/furm/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/1798591.jpeg

[battlekow]

Arnett, Bushue and Dugan Get Their Assignments

Matt Forman

One year, a world of difference.

That's the best way to summarize Eric Arnett's turnaround from 2008 to 2009.

A season after moving between the bullpen and the starting rotation in which he went 4-5, 5.45 in 66 innings of work, Arnett's 2009 numbers were staggering-12-2, 2.5, 108 innings-en route to garnering All-American and co-Big Ten pitcher of the year honors.

The result?

The Brewers picked Arnett in the first round with the 26th overall pick. Before the season, Arnett couldn't have expected to be drafted highly, if at all. In the offseason, Arnett, 6-foot-5, worked out with Tom Crean and the Hoosiers' basketball team.

The added endurance and strength helped Arnett on the hill. He added several miles per hour to his fastball and become a workhorse at the top of head coach Tracy Smith's rotation. In 14 games started, he totaled six complete games.

The biggest challenge Arnett had to overcome was control. In 2008 he averaged 5.18 walks per nine innings. This year, he averaged 3.28 by throwing one more walk in 42 more innings.

What's next for Arnett?

After signing a $1.2 million signing bonus with the Brewers on Sunday, Arnett is headed to Rookie-level Helena in the Pioneer League. Play begins June 23 and the Brewers open with the Missoula.

[battlekow]

JSU's Miller signs with Brewers

Times Staff Reports

 

Former Hokes Bluff and Jacksonville State pitcher Mitch Miller has signed a free-agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, the major league team announced Monday.

Miller was a four-year letterman for the Gamecocks and led the team with 62 career appearances on the mound. He posted an 0-1 mark this season with a 6.37 ERA while earning saves against Middle Tennessee and UAB.

The senior threw 121 1/3 innings during his Gamecock career with 82 strikeouts and seven career saves, while posting a 3-5 career record.

A 6-foot-3 right-hander, Miller was recognized as a Class 4A first-team all-state selection following his senior season at Hokes Bluff in 2004.

Miller becomes the third Jacksonville State player to be picked by a Major League Baseball team this year, joining third-round draft pick Ben Tootle (Minnesota Twins) and 36th round draft selection Jason Zylstra (Minnesota Twins).

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GT&Date=20090616&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=906169988&Ref=AR

JSU | Steve Latham

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Minicamp underway

By JASON SCOTT - Independent Record

 

Scott Krieger and Derrick McPhearson are both from Baltimore. They arrived in Helena on the same flight. Still, after coming from one of the toughest cities in the East, the two new outfielders didn't know a thing about each other until they got settled in with the Helena Brewers on Monday.

 

On Tuesday, Krieger, McPhearson and about 25 others showed up at Kindrick Legion Field for the first day of a minicamp led by Brewers manager Rene Gonzales and his coaching staff. The goal of the camp is to evaluate the level of talent each player brings to the team.

 

It also lets them get to know each other.

 

Krieger, 23, who played with George Mason University this season, said that though he's understandably an Orioles fan, he was happy to be drafted by the Brewers.

 

"I haven't been here too long, but it seems like a nice place," said Krieger of Helena, adding that he likes the idea of having the camp in the town the team will play in. "It should be a chance to get closer to these guys and enjoy the summer. And hopefully we can win some games."

 

McPhearson, who came from Hampton University in southeastern Virginia, just completed extended spring training. He got to learn from Gonzales during spring training, as the coach worked with the players before traveling to Helena last week.

 

"He's the greatest," the 23-year-old McPhearson said of Gonzales. "He's a good coach and he expects you to come to work every day. He knows we're young, and he likes to have fun. But when it's time to get down to work, he's all about business."

 

McPhearson and Krieger agreed that coming from a place where crime is an everyday thing to the relatively calm Queen City would be a nice change.

 

"The west side of the city, that's pretty rough," said McPhearson. "It's pretty cool to come somewhere like Helena."

 

The team members - those who have showed up already - heard from Gonzales before breaking into groups for drills. Outfielders worked on barehanded plays, routine plays and baserunning. The infielders worked on ground balls, double plays and situations. The pitchers worked in the bullpen, on a footwork drill and rotator cuff workouts.

 

Hitters got what they wanted: batting practice.

 

"Gonzo" (the coach's nickname around the field) threw BP himself, tossing pitches from 45 feet for another drill-like activity. Hitters practiced their bunts before working on hit-and-run situations, followed by simulated circumstances like having a man on third (hit the ball up the middle) and hitting with the infield in (hit the ball anywhere on the ground).

 

"(The camp) is designed for us to get a feel for the guys, especially the new guys," said hitting coach Ned Yost. "All we've seen are pictures and stats on Web sites for some of them."

 

This year marks the first time since 2006 the Brewers have held a minicamp. The team has in recent years brought everyone together in Arizona for a short camp and then moved them up right before the season starts.

 

This year, the players will have an advantage, said Yost.

 

"They get to play on the field," he said. "They get to be here an extra week, to get to know Helena earlier. They also get to know their host families and build a relationship with them."

 

The camp isn't all hard work. Players have fun and get a chance to get to know each other. Pitcher Rico Salmon got some harassment from his teammates for making an error during a bunt drill, eliciting a chuckle from Gonzales. Fielders shagging balls during BP grouped up in the outfield and joked around.

 

The Brewers are scheduled to continue the camp throughout the week. Other activities might include a lifting program, some downtime and drills, drills, drills.

 

"We're at the point where everybody's evaluated," said Chris Ellington, an outfielder from Fort Worth, Texas. "I guess we've got like a week, so we'll see how it goes."

 

Helena Brewers hitting coach Ned Yost, left, works with outfielder Scott Krieger on a hand-eye-coordination drill during Tuesday's minicamp at Kindrick Legion Field. The Brewers are participating in their first minicamp since 2006. (Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

http://www.helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/17/sports/top/50spl_090617_brewers.jpg

 

Helena Brewers manager Rene Gonzales talks with his new players Tuesday afternoon during their minicamp at Kindrick Legion Field. (Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/17/sports/top/50spl_090617_brewers-2.jpg

 

 

Helena Brewers pitchers Adrian Rosario, right, and Jake Odorizzi work on a footwork drill during Tuesday's minicamp at Kindrick Legion Field. (Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/17/sports/top/50spl_090617_brewers-3.jpg

 

 

Batting practice was underway during Tuesday's mini-camp at Kindrick Legion Field. (Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

 

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/17/sports/top/50spl_090617_brewers-4.jpg

 

 

Helena Brewers outfielder Chris Ellington works on a barehanded drill during Tuesday's minicamp at Kindrick Legion Field. (Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/17/sports/top/50spl_090617_brewers-5.jpg

 

 

Helena Brewers outfielder Derrick McPhearson works on a barehanded drill during Tuesday's minicamp at Kindrick Legion Field. (Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/17/sports/top/50spl_090617_brewers-6.jpg

[TheCrew07]

Agility ladders... I love it!

[Mass Haas]

Please keep in mind that this Helena roster could still be in a state of flux prior to Tuesday's Helena opener and Sunday's Maryvale opener. We won't even attempt to notify you about an official "Maryvale" roster until Monday, because that's when MiLB.com will update its AZL Brewer roster page (we believe). Our Brewerfan Player Index won't include all updates until after next Tuesday as well.

 

But the good folks in Helena passed this roster as of June 18th along to us, and "Voice of the Helena Brewers" Steve Wendt (great to have Steve back for another season), also informs us that Shawn Zarraga has been working out as a catcher, not a first baseman as the Helena newspaper press reported, so we'll see how that develops.

 

For the links below, 2009 draftees will be linked to their official post in our draft forum, and others will be linked to their MiLB.com Player Page, which includes 2008 stats --

 

Pitchers (14)

Arnett, Eric

Bucci, Nick

(Brief suspension for an HBP at Huntsville is apparently complete, Bucci should be officially transferred off the Stars' roster soon)

Bueno, Kristian

Burgos, Hiram

Currie, Robert

Herrera-Rusova (Rusova), Ivan -- former Pirates farmhand

Jeffers, Ben

Krestalude, Damon -- brief time with Brevard complete

Lamontagne, Andre

Odorizzi, Jake

Pokorny, Jonathan

Robinson, Chad

Rosario, Adrian

Salmon, Rico

Catchers (3)

 

Alfonso, Derrick

Garfield, Cameron

Zarraga, Shawn

Infielders (6)

 

Dhanani, Kyle

Dykstra, Cutter

Fatse, Peter

Paciorek, Joey

Prince, Josh

Trejo, Edgar

 

Outfielders (4)

 

Arias, Hitaniel

Ellington, Chris

Krieger, Scott

McPhearson, Derrick

 

Now there are probably some members of the organization that you may have questions about, players that you'd expect to be in Helena vs. Maryvale, that you don't see listed here. Let's not speculate on any releases or such until things shake out next week. Heck, you might even see players listed above shifted back to Arizona. We'll find out for you. Players could be held back by injury as well. Thanks.

[battlekow]

Interesting that Arias made the Helena cut but Garcia didn't.

[TheCrew07]

Wow am I the only who had totally forgotten about Robinson? I wonder if I'll be looking at the roster next year and think, "ohh yea, Romanski.."

[Boy Jeenius]

Arias in Helena is cool....for now. Hope he does great. However, 4 college OF's drafted 1(A),5,7,8. Guessing here that some OF shake ups between coming between Maryvale, Helena and Appleton.

[MTBrew]

I caught a couple days of mini camp this week...

Arias was splitting time at 1B and RF.

Dykstra looked good, focused, appeared to have filled out, more mature.

McPhearson is very athletic, seemed to get the bat on the ball, not a lot of power, pretty good arm and OF instincts.

Was nice to see Trejo healthy, he absolutely raked in BP, was moving fluidly, seemed to be way ahead of everyone else as far as being game ready.

Didn't see any of the pitchers throwing off the mound, although I was impressed with the physical size of them, big kids.

It was great having a mini camp in Helena again. I think its a good idea. The weather has been pretty good and the players seemed to be enjoying each other and the coaching staff, relaxed atmosphere.

[brewpitch]

Didn't realize Krestalude's time in Brevard was going to be that short. Interesting.

[paul253]

No Seth Lintz in Helena?

but if he was drafted by the Brewers out of high school with pitch counts that high I'd be going crazy. How about protecting the player's career a little bit?

 

I'm a little late on this, so I apologize. I can understand the frustration over his use, but a college coach's job is to win games, not to ensure his players have a good career afterward. I'd be willing to guess Arnett didn't ask to be taken out of those games only to be denied by the coach.

[JJHardy7]

I'm a little late on this, so I apologize. I can understand the frustration over his use, but a college coach's job is to win games, not to ensure his players have a good career afterward. I'd be willing to guess Arnett didn't ask to be taken out of those games only to be denied by the coach.

 

I agree with this. I don't want to, but I do. A lot of college players will never be legit prospects. I do think there is some abuse though that is pretty clear. A few weeks back a relief pitcher (from Texas I think) threw over 160 pitches in a very long extra inning game. Now that is just flat out abuse. I think the guy was supposed to be drafted high this year, but I don't recall the name of the player.

[brewpitch]

A few weeks back a relief pitcher (from Texas I think) threw over 160 pitches in a very long extra inning game. Now that is just flat out abuse. I think the guy was supposed to be drafted high this year, but I don't recall the name of the player.

Autin Wood. 169 pitches. He threw 12 1/3 no hit innings that game (13 total). Taken by Detroit in the 5th round.

[battlekow]

Eric Arnett is pitching on Wednesday.

[BoKnowsBall]

So does that mean that Odorrizi gets the number one nod?

[Mass Haas]

Other articles today archived from Tuesday's Link Report --

 

Brewers kick off season at home against Missoula

Kindrick gets a makeover

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Pitcher Arnett living the dream

By AMBER KUEHN - Helena Independent Record

 

Eric Arnett remembers going to school when he was younger and teachers would ask him the age-old question.

 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

 

"You say professional baseball player and they kind of laugh," said Arnett, the Milwaukee Brewers' top draft pick. "But in the back of your mind you think, well that's what I'm really going to do."

 

And here he is, dream fulfilled, sitting in the dugout at Kindrick Legion Field on a sunny Thursday afternoon, staring out at the mound he'll be standing on, at least for awhile, as a pitcher for the Helena Brewers.

 

"It's a dream come true for me," Arnett said. "Everyone wants to be a professional baseball player when they're little and to actually have that dream come true is pretty remarkable."

 

The 6-foot-6 righthander just finished his junior year at Indiana University and received a $1.2 million signing bonus after Milwaukee made him the 26th overall pick in this year's draft.

 

His workload is likely to be limited in Helena after playing a lot of innings with the Hoosiers this past season as their go-to hurler. Arnett said he'd never been to Montana before now.

 

"It's a beautiful place and everyone seems pretty nice," he said. "Hopefully I'll get to know more people as the season goes on."

 

Arnett grew up in Pataskala, Ohio, a small town outside of Columbus, where he was a three-sport athlete at Watkins Memorial high school, playing footbal and basketball in addition to his time on the diamond. He holds the school records at Watkins for home runs in baseball and receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions in football.

 

At one time Arnett thought he'd play football in college.

 

"I think the day professional scouts starting coming to my high school (baseball) games is when I think I realized maybe I should just focus on baseball," he said.

 

"That's why I ended up going to Indiana and I think things turned out pretty well."

 

This season Arnett earned Big Ten co-pitcher of the year in addition to a first team All-Big Ten selection. He was a finalist for the College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year award and a semifinalist for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award. Arnett became the first pitcher in school history to be named conference pitcher of the year in addition to earning All-American honors.

 

"It was a big year for me," Arnett said. "My first two years were average, a little disappointing to me, but this year I was able to put it all together and ended up having some pretty good outcomes."

 

Arnett tied Indiana's record for wins, posting a 12-2 record with a 2.50 ERA, the lowest for a Hoosiers' starter since 1993. He also tied the school record for strikeouts, fanning 109 batters. His perfect 7-0 record in conference play also set a school mark.

 

Arnett attributed a couple of things to his sudden success on the mound.

 

"I did get physically stronger, my pitches were a little bit better, but I think mainly the confidence I had coming into the season was probably the main thing," he said.

 

Second, he worked out frequently in a strange place for a pitcher - on the hardwood.

 

"I actually ended up playing basketball my junior year with the Hoosiers," Arnett said.

 

While he never actually saw minutes in a game, Arnett walked on and practiced just as much as the next guy on the basketball squad.

 

"At Indiana, basketball is pretty much the main focus there," he said. "You get looked at a little differently if you're on the basketball team rather than if you're just on the baseball team. It was a great experience."

 

More than anything, Arnett said he learned a better work ethic.

 

"I was probably one of the worst players on the team, but you just have to work yourself up from the bottom layer," he said. "I think that helped me a lot, just how hard you have to work to get where you want to be in baseball."

 

Not only did it help him build his physical strength and stay in shape for baseball, Arnett was able to develop a close relationship with Indiana's head basketball coach, Tom Crean.

 

"He helped me out a lot, especially with the whole (draft) process," Arnett said. "He knew a lot of Brewers guys and contacted them."

 

Arnett was among about 150 people at a sports bar, watching the draft, when he heard the news that his long-time dream had officially come true.

 

"The place went kind of crazy when they heard my name on TV," he said. "It means a lot when you're a team's number one pick, it shows how much faith they have in you."

 

While a confident Arnett thought he had a solid chance of getting drafted, he admitted he never imagined he'd be a team's top pick. He said there may be some who question whether or not he was deserving, but he plans to let his pitching silence the doubters.

 

"At the beginning I think there definitely were some (doubters) and probably still some today," he said. "I'm sure there were people that didn't expect me to go in the first round and I'm sure there are some who were expecting me to go."

 

Arnett knows the challenge he'll face now as a minor leaguer trying to work his way up to the bigs. And he expects the transition from college to pro ball to be similar to the jump from high school to college.

 

"It's definitely going to be a little more challenging," he said. "Hitters are going to be better, but on the flipside you've got better fielders behind you. It'll be interesting to face some of the top recruits in the nation and some of the top prospects and see how I do against them."

 

Some players work their way through the ranks fairly quickly, but for others it is a long, slow climb.

 

"Anywhere from two to three years, I'd be happy with that," Arnett said. "But only time will tell and we'll see how it works out."

 

Arnett has put in time studying major leaguer pitchers past and present to try and better his own game.

 

"I always liked Nolan Ryan, just watching film on him and how he took the mound everyday," Arnett said. "Other than that I've enjoyed watching a lot of different teams, a lot of different pitchers, and try to take something from everyone and try to build off that."

 

As for Arnett, he's more of a get-after-it kind of guy, he says.

 

"I definitely use my fastball a lot," Arnett said, adding that he's had throws reach speeds up to 97 mph. "Get ahead of guys and the strikeouts will come."

 

With all of Arnett's success, the memorable moments are endless. But surprisingly, the game he remembers most didn't happen at the collegiate level.

 

"Actually the one I always remember came from high school when we won the state playoffs and faced the number one team in the state," he said, noting that he played some shortstop at the prep level. His most memorable moment in this one didn't come from the mound, but rather at the plate.

 

"I got a walk-off double to win the game," he said of the extra-inning affair.

 

Arnett, who was a general studies major at Indiana, said he was always banking on a baseball career and hadn't given much thought to what he would do if it didn't pan out.

 

Now, he feels fortunate to be able to make a living playing the game that he loves.

 

"Just the atmosphere baseball brings," he said, speaking of why it's his favorite sport. "Everyone's always having a good time out in the stands. It's not a timed game so you can control the whole pace of the game and then when you're pitching you're in control out there."

 

The Brewers feel comfortable letting Arnett take the reins. Steve Wendt, director of broadcasting and media relations for the Helena Brewers, said as long as Arnett stays healthy he'll pitch his turn every time.

 

"He logged a lot of innings at Indiana," Wendt said, adding that it's anyone's guess as to how long Arnett will be in Helena. "With Eric it's case sensitive. Once the organization feels he's ready for a higher level, then we'll provide him the best possible situation."

 

Wendt said Arnett will be evaluated by every person in the organization and scouting reports will be passed along. But even if they only have him for a short time, the Brewers are glad he's a member of their roster right now.

 

"He's got a big body, a strong body; he's that athletic prototype," Wendt said. "He's exactly the type of guy you want on your team."

 

Helena Brewers pitcher Eric Arnett stands on the mound at Kindrick Legion Field last week during minicamp. (Photo by Lisa Kunkel Independent Record)

 

http://images.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/articles/2009/06/23/sports/top/50spl_090623_arnett.jpg