Your 2010 Nashville Sounds -- Latest: Top 10 Moments

[bork]

NOTE: This is the first of our "Your 2010 ___________ threads. There will be one for each of the full-season teams in place by Monday, when the other rosters are expected to be announced. Within these threads, you will find updates and feature news stories that don't necessarily relate to game action (those would be found within the Daily Link Reports), so it will be an active thread all season long. -- Jim (Mass Haas)

***

 

TH lists the Nashville roster. The one real surprise is 2B Eric Farris jumping up to Nashville.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/89837507.html

[madrx]

I'm surprised Cain is not starting in Nashville. It would be one thing if he was completely overmatched this spring, but he seems to have been doing fine coming back from the injury.

[paul253]

Why did they switch Mike Jones to a reliever? He made such progress last season and made it all the way up to starting in Nashville, and while he didn't blow anyone out of the water he certainly held his own. Seems like going to starting in AAA to relieving in AA is a huge step back. Does anyone have idea how he feels about the switch?

 

That being said, with a bullpen of Braddock, Wooten, and Jones, it seems like a late inning lead for Huntsville will look awfully good.

[Mass Haas]

It's a great story, but Mike Jones' 2009 numbers were hardly inspiring except that he stayed healthy. I wasn't sure he was going to survive spring cuts, to be honest.

 

The Nashville site has a nice little roster preview write-up that includes a detailed PDF convenient for printing.

[paul253]

Yeah I guess his numbers weren't all that great, but considering he went from A+ to AAA and it was his full healthy season in forever, I would have liked to see him given another year at AAA in the rotation to see if they was any improvement. Its not like we have much hope for Marck Estrada and Chris Waters making any sort of impact in Milwaukee.

 

And I see I made a mistake in my last post as Braddock is in Nashville, not Huntsville. Any word on whether he is going to be the closer?

[Mass Haas]

Our friend David Weiser would know, but this will be Mike Jones' 7th season of making an appearance in AA Huntsville, which has to be a record. If RHP Robert Hinton is assigned to AA again (not listed on the Nashville roster), that would be four consecutive seasons of spending most of his time there. Hinton will be a minor league free agent at season's end.

 

Let Braddock get his work in whenever and wherever, regardless of closing.

 

Disagree on Marco Estrada, the Brewers really like him.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's a pretty standard undistiguished type AAA rotation at Nashville, but the bullpen there is a cut above most AAA bullpens. Any number of those guys could step into a major league pen and be pretty decent. I'm glad Farris gets a chance to test himself at AAA. I think he'll do fine.

[endaround]

Estrada has some talent and it will look a lot better when Butler gets healthy. As for Farris, he's 24. Might as well see if he can do anything.

[Mass Haas]

One note from the Sounds site:

 

One roster move will have to be made before Thursday's season opener to reduce the Nashville roster to the 24-man active limit.

 

Also, while no word of a release is official, it appears as though utility infielder Ray Olmedo's acquisition may have spelled trouble for Johnny Raburn.

[JohnBriggs12]

Any resemblance between the Mike Jones the Brewers drafted in round one back in 2001 and the Mike Jones that's hanging on in AA now is likely to be purely coincidental. You don't go through the injuries he's had without losing a lot of the liveliness in your arm that made you a number one pick out of high school. That being said, he's certainly needs to be commended for perseverance. Who knows, maybe he can finesse his way into a big league job at some point if he can stay healthy over a period of time.

[brewmann04]

Here hoping Mike can turn in a realiable reliever and make his way up to 3 a and possible Milwaukee.

[DHonks]

johnbriggs, his numbers last year were eerily similar to those he had before his arm problems first began. Similar trends/rates. He's actually throwing harder now, since after signing they said he was throwing only 91 or so, whereas last year we heard multiple sources saying he touched 94 mph.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Speed hastens second baseman's promotion to Nashville Sounds

By Mark Wheeler, Nashville City Paper

Eric Farris does not like to wait around. That’s true whether it comes to the base path or his career path.

 

The 24-year-old second baseman stole 70 bases in 2009 (third among all minor league baseball players) for Brevard County of the Class A Florida State League.

 

That helped put him on the fast track through the Milwaukee Brewers’ system. He skipped right over Class AA and was picked to open 2010 with the AAA Nashville Sounds.

 

Farris says he is willing to be patient as he adjusts to the level of competition. Even so, he recognizes that his speed is one of his greatest assets and the sooner he can make good use of it the better.

 

“The (AAA) pitchers have more experience than in single-A so it may take a few weeks to get a feel for stealing,” Farris said. “But I want to be a table-setter on offense.”

 

He was just one of the newcomers who drew attention during the Sounds’ media day Tuesday at Greer Stadium.

 

Nashville opens the season Thursday at Iowa. Its first home game is 7:05 p.m. on April 16.

 

Left-handed pitcher Zach Braddock, considered one of the top five prospects in the Brewers’ system, made the more traditional move from Class AA, where he had a 1.79 ERA in 26 games last season.

 

“The main thing I want to improve on is handling the workload and maintaining it,” Braddock said. “I want to be a viable relief option whenever they call my number.”

 

Regardless of where they were a year ago, Farris and Braddock both expressed deference to the veterans, a group that includes third-year outfielder Brendan Katin, one of nine players who spent all of 2009 with Nashville, and pitcher Tim Dillard, a Nashville resident who did two short stints in the Major Leagues last summer.

 

After all, at 22 years old, Braddock is the youngest player on the current roster. Catcher Angel Salome (23) is the only other one younger than Farris.

 

“With the older guys it’s all about respect,” Braddock said. “They put in their time as professionals and deserve it.”

 

Katin, who is 27, plans to make the youngsters earn his respect before he reciprocates.

 

“I’ll just be hard on (the newcomers),” he joked, “make their lives miserable.”

 

Still, it’s easy to see why Farris made the big jump that he did.

 

In addition to all his stolen bases, he was Florida State League’s top fielding second baseman and was among the top five in hits (third), batting average (fourth) and runs scored (tied for fifth). Not only that, he led all minor leaguers with 26 sacrifices.

 

In four years of professional baseball, he has been an All-Star twice.

 

“I’m here to learn a lot from the veterans,” Farris said. “I just want to be the guy that plays solid defense and is willing to learn.”

 

Expect him to do so quickly.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Nashville Sounds get new AAA faces

Eric Farris, top base-stealer, joins Sounds

By Maurice Patton, THE TENNESSEAN

 

Speed plays at any level.

 

That's the basic concept that explains the Milwaukee Brewers' decision to place infielder Eric Farris on the Sounds' roster to open the 2010 season.

 

Last year, Farris stole 70 bases in 76 attempts at Brevard County, the Brewers' affiliate in the Single-A Florida State League. But without playing a single game at the Double-A level, Farris likely will get the nod at second base when the Sounds visit Iowa in Thursday's Pacific Coast League season opener.

 

"I know it's "A" ball, but he still stole 70," Nashville Manager Don Money said Tuesday.

 

Farris is one of three Sounds making their Triple-A debuts this season, joining pitchers Zach Braddock and Mike McClendon. Braddock and McClendon spent some time at Double-A Huntsville in 2009.

 

Farris, 24, played three seasons at Loyola Marymount and was a three-time All-West Coast Conference selection before the Brewers picked him in the fourth round of the 2007 draft. He has stolen 123 bases since turning pro while hitting .302.

 

"He runs well, but he's not a burner, for all the bases he stole," Money said. "He gets good jumps."

 

Farris also was 3-for-7 at the plate with the Brewers in spring training.

 

"Skipping Double-A is a pretty big deal," Farris said. "I'm happy the organization has confidence in me (that) I can handle this level. I don't want to let them down. There's some nervousness, but excitement at the same time."

 

Braddock posted 22 strikeouts with just three walks and a 2.87 ERA in 15.2 relief innings at Huntsville. McClendon had a 3.30 ERA, 57 strikeouts and 20 walks in 84.2 innings out of the Stars' bullpen.

 

"There are going to be a lot smarter hitters, more advanced guys," McClendon said. "It's going to be fun to go out there and do what I can."

 

Braddock is the only member of the Baseball America Brewers' Top 10 prospects list on the Sounds roster.

 

He is the organization's No. 7 prospect, having moved exclusively into a relief role last year.

 

Joe Koshansky takes batting practice at Greer stadium on Tuesday. The Sounds season starts Thursday. (Photo by JOHN PARTIPILO / THE TENNESSEAN)

 

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20100407&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=4070378&Ref=AR&Profile=2073&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

From Nashville's site -- Media Day

 

Photo gallery -- one photo of Angel Salome in throwing motion is nice

 

Tim Dillard audio interview

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Tim Dillard tries new approach to majors

By Maurice Patton, THE TENNESSEAN

 

Tim Dillard is a member of the Sounds pitching staff.

 

Again.

 

This spring marks the fourth consecutive year Dillard has been with the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. While it's not the ideal place for an aspiring major leaguer to spend the season, he's aware his situation could be a lot worse.

 

"I was just lucky to make the team," said the right-handed reliever, who as a starter last season led the Sounds with 11 victories. "We had so many good guys in spring training (that) I was just battling and hoping for a job here."

 

Dillard and his wife, Erin, moved to Nashville after his first season with the Sounds and have remained year-round residents, helping ease the disappointment of not making the Brewers' major-league roster out of spring training.

 

"Any time you get to play where you live, it's a blessing," said Dillard, who grew up in Saltillo, in northeast Mississippi. "We didn't really have a place we called home. We came here and she felt this was where we were supposed to live and I felt the same way.

 

"The ultimate goal is to play in the big leagues. But to play here, sleep in my own bed and see all my friends and family, that's just wonderful."

 

But while his 25 wins in three Sounds seasons are tied for fifth-most in franchise history, Dillard hasn't been able to match that success for Milwaukee. In 15 appearances with the Brewers over the 2008 and '09 seasons, Dillard is 0-1 with a 6.27 ERA, with 11 walks and six strikeouts in 182/3 innings.

 

In an effort to make him a more viable candidate for the major-league roster, the Brewers have adjusted Dillard's motion.

 

"He was more on top. Now he's a little lower on the side," Sounds Manager Don Money said. "On top, he had a good arm and he was never hurt. He just wasn't getting the job done when he went to the next level."

 

In four spring training appearances with the Brewers, Dillard allowed four earned runs over 3 1/3 innings (10.80 ERA) with a loss, a save, four walks and three strikeouts.

 

"He's still getting used to the new delivery," Nashville pitching coach Rich Gale said. "The stuff is there. The ball is coming out of his hand nicely, with life and sink. He's trying to get a consistent feel for his slider, his changeup and his command.

 

"When you throw from a different arm slot, that's the biggest thing."

 

For the former junior-college catcher, it's just the latest in a series of changes.

 

"In '08, I had a 2.00 ERA here in the bullpen, and the next year, they wanted me to be a starter," he said. "Now, they want me to throw sidearm in the 'pen. But … whatever they want me to do, whatever role they want me to fill, I'll do it."

 

Sounds pitcher Tim Dillard has changed his delivery to try to make the Brewers. (Photo by JOHN PARTIPILO / THE TENNESSEAN)

 

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20100408&Category=SPORTS0401&ArtNo=4080333&Ref=AR&Profile=2215&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[CheezWizHed]

That is why I keep rooting for Dillard. He has a good attitude and keeps at it, even when the club kind of jerks him around.

[Mass Haas]

Tom H. with injury updates he posted Sunday AM --

 

Medical report: Left-hander Chris Capuano continued his comeback from a second Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery by pitching two simulated innings Friday in extended spring training in Arizona. The plan is for Capuano to pitch in a couple of games there before reporting to Class A Brevard County later in the month.

"He reported no discomfort in the elbow," said assistant general manager Gord Ash. "He appears to be doing well."

Third base prospect Mat Gamel, who suffered an impingement in his right shoulder during spring training, took batting practice Friday and ground balls in extended camp. He will see a doctor on Tuesday to seek clearance to begin playing in games there.

Outfielder Adam Stern, who played so well during exhibition season for the Brewers, suffered an oblique strain in his second game with Class AAA Nashville and went on the disabled list. He was replaced on that roster by catcher Patrick Arlis.

Stern's injury leaves Nashville with only three healthy outfielders - Trent Oeltjen, Brendan Katin and Norris Hopper.

[Mass Haas]

Sounds site -- Getting to know Brendan Katin

[Mass Haas]

Unless you've been sheltered from national news the past few days, you're aware of the deadly and devastating flooding in Nashville --

 

CNN Report (obviously many other news sources can be referred to)

 

Doug Scopel, the Sounds' Director of Baseball Operations & Communications, was kind enough to answer our inquiry about Greer Stadium.

 

Thanks, Doug. You take care -- wishing the best to the people of Nashville from Brewerfan.

 

***

 

"We are very fortunate here, Jim. Greer is in really good shape flood-wise, compared with a lot of the other homes, venues, businesses, etc. around town (which you’ve obviously seen or read about in the news). I don’t want it to sound like we weren’t affected at all, because we were. But nowhere near the levels of what people are seeing on the news.

 

Greer is in a location far away from the rising rivers that have caused the majority of the latest flooding and our property line is on a bluff with a railyard below, so water pretty much ran off the field and parking lot areas.

 

Honestly, we could’ve played baseball here last night if the Sounds were home. There’s some general cleanup to be done, of course, but we have no standing water or anything like that."

 

***

 

The Sounds don't return home until Tuesday the 11th. It seems like getting the fans back in a baseball mood instead of a survival and property-saving mood will be tougher than dealing with specific stadium issues.

[battlekow]

Injury updates from Haudricourt:

 

Third base prospect Mat Gamel went down with a shoulder injury

during the Brewers' camp and also has not returned to action. Gamel,

who tore the latissimus dorsi muscle behind his right shoulder, is

getting at-bats in extended spring training but has not progressed

sufficiently with his throwing to play the field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"He's hitting and

fielding but no throwing yet (in a game)," said Ash. "He's in a

throwing program. We're optimistic that he'll be activated before the

end of the month."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right-hander Josh

Butler, who soared all the way from Brevard County to the majors

last year, also suffered a shoulder injury in spring camp and was shut

down. He threw live batting practice in extended spring training Friday

and should get back on the mound there this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"He's in the

process of building himself back up," said Ash. "He's making great

progress."

...

Second baseman Eric Farris made so much progress at Brevard

last year, the Brewers jumped him past Huntsville to Nashville to open

this season. A fourth-round draft pick in 2007, Farris had just got

going at the plate with a seven-game hitting streak when he suffered a

sprained knee ligament in a collision at the plate last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It's similar to

what Cain had last year," said Ash. "Cain was out two months and we're

expecting the same with Farris."

...

Nashville outfielder Brendan Katin isn't considered a

major-league prospect but is one of the top sluggers in the minors, with

67 homers over the previous three seasons. Katin suffered torn knee

cartilage shortly after the season began and had surgery Thursday. He is

expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

 

[battlekow]

Gamel frustrated by slow progress

Adam McCalvy/MLB.com

PHOENIX -- Injured Brewers prospect Mat Gamel vowed to be back in

action before the end of the month and minced no words about his

affinity for extended spring training.

 

 

"This is awful," said Gamel, who is rehabilitating a shoulder injury. "I

hate this."

 

 

Gamel has been working at the Brewers' facility in west Phoenix, so he

dropped by Chase Field on Saturday to visit the rest of the team before a

game against the D-backs. He hasn't played at full strength since early

March, when Gamel tore a muscle behind his right shoulder.

 

 

He is hitting with no problem, and has asked Brewers officials to send

him to an affiliate to serve as a designated hitter. He was told to

remain at Maryvale Baseball Park until his shoulder is completely

healed.

 

 

"I've never been through anything like this, and it's tested me," Gamel

said.

 

 

He played catch at 105 feet this week, which represents progress. Gamel

has also been taking ground balls at third base, but is restricted from

throwing across the diamond.

 

 

The 23-year-old remains one of Milwaukee's top prospects, but the past

year has not gone smoothly. He struggled with sporadic playing time

after a midseason callup last May and carried the slump back to Triple-A

Nashville.

 

 

Club officials have said Gamel would have had a very good chance to make

the big league team in Spring Training if not for the injury.

 

 

"I feel like I'm getting there," said Gamel, who thinks he will be

playing for an affiliate before the end of May.

 

 

"That's the goal," he said. "If if was up to me, I would have been out

of here already."

[battlekow]

Lefty Braddock suffers rare rough outing

Adam McCalvy/MLB.com

 

PHOENIX -- Brewers left-handed pitching prospect Zach Braddock was

lighting up the Triple-A Pacific Coast League until Sunday, when

Braddock was the one being lit up.

 

The 22-year-old had not allowed a run in eight outings spanning 13 1/3

innings but was touched for eight runs Sunday in two-thirds of an inning

in a 15-12 Nashville Sounds loss at Albuquerque. Braddock entered with

23 strikeouts vs. six walks and an .095 batting average, but he allowed

his eight runs on five hits and two walks.

 

 

Fellow lefty Mitch Stetter, who was promoted back to the Majors on

Sunday, has a feeling Braddock will bounce back.

 

 

"I watched him the first couple of times he threw, and by the third

time, I was out in the bullpen laughing," Stetter said. "We're all

laughing. He's out there striking guys out. He's throwing his fastball

right by guys. I think his fastball kind of explodes out of his hand and

then explodes at the end. Guys couldn't catch up to it.

 

 

"It's crazy. Every time he pitches two innings, he strikes out at least

four. We're down there [in the bullpen] counting them. We're down there

laughing because he throws it right by guys."

 

 

Stetter got the call on Sunday to replace injured reliever LaTroy

Hawkins because he was on the 40-man roster and has Major League

experience, general manager Doug Melvin said. Braddock isn't on the

40-man roster.

 

"Mitch has the experience. We have Atlanta coming up with some

left-handed hitters, and Mitch has faced them," Melvin said. "Braddock

is throwing well. But when Mitch went down, he didn't go down because he

wasn't throwing well."

[battlekow]

Estrada, rotation have Sounds resonating with fans

Chris Jackson/MLB.com

 

The reason for the Nashville Sounds' early success this season has been

easy to identify.

 

It's all about the pitching for the Brewers' top affiliate, and it

starts with the starters.

 

Nashville has sent out the same five pitchers to start every game so far

this season, a rarity and a luxury in Triple-A.

 

"This is one of the better rotations I've been a part of," said

right-hander Marco

Estrada. "Everyone gets along real well. That helps."

 

 

The Sounds (18-11) were leading the Pacific Coast League with a 2.96 ERA

entering Saturday's game at Albuquerque, but the Isotopes prevailed,

14-2. Over the weekend, Nashville's ERA jumped to 3.75.

 

 

The pitchers have had to carry the load as the Sounds rank 10th in

batting average (.257) and 14th in on-base percentage (.324) in the

16-team league.

 

 

It is all the more remarkable that Nashville has been able to find

success as each of the five starters joined the Brewers organization

fairly recently.

 

 

Estrada (1-2, 3.55 ERA) was claimed off waivers from the Washington

Nationals in February.

 

 

Right-hander Kameron

Loe (4-1, 2.41) signed as a free agent in December after

spending 2009 in Japan.

 

 

Left-handers Chuck

Lofgren (4-2, 4.31) and Chris

Waters (3-0, 3.26) also arrived in December, Lofgren via the

Rule 5 Draft from the Cleveland Indians and Waters as a free agent.

 

 

Fellow southpaw Chase

Wright (2-1, 4.59) is the longest tenured starter, having

joined the Brewers in a trade from the New York Yankees in February

2009.

 

 

Wright said the current rotation bonded in the latter days of Spring

Training in Arizona this March.

 

 

"Everybody gelled, and it just seemed from Game 1, the starter went out

there and pitched well," Wright said. "We all fed off of that, each

trying to outdo one another. We're just trying to pitch deep into games

and give our team a chance to win, and right now we're definitely doing

that."

 

 

Estrada agreed that the group has pushed one another along.

"I think that's what makes us better. We all see how well one guy is

doing, and it makes you want to do just as well," he said. "We get along

so well, we talk to each other and we let each other know what's going

on."

 

 

With the exception of Lofgren, each of the starters has spent time in

the Majors.

 

 

Loe went 19-23 with a 4.77 ERA from 2004-'08 with the Texas Rangers.

Waters made 12 starts for the Baltimore Orioles in '08-'09. Wright

started twice for the Yankees in '07. Estrada made 15 appearances with

Washington in '08-'09.

 

 

"I think that's why we're all here, to get (back to the Majors), stay

there and make a career up there," Wright said. "It's something where

you don't know how many opportunities you're going to get. If you do get

that opportunity, you've got to take advantage of it."

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/05/09/CWLaSPTK.jpg

The Brewers acquired righty Marco Estrada off waivers from the

Nationals.

(Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)

[sveumrules]

Club officials have said Gamel would have had a very good chance to make the big league team in Spring Training if not for the injury.

That line in the Gamel piece really threw me into quite a zim-zam. I mean, really? He would have had a good chance to make the big league club and do what exactly? Take Inglett's roster spot and 16 pinch hit appearances? Really? Start the two games at third that Counsell has this year? Really? Play the six innings of first base that Edmonds and Kottaras have gotten late in blowouts so he could practice for next year? Really? REALLY?