Your 2010 Huntsville Stars

[battlekow]

Baron trying to recapture last season

James Peters/Gazette.net (Maryland)

 

 

Coming off his best season as a professional, Casey Baron, a left-handed

relief pitcher, has struggled in the early going for the Huntsville

(Ala.) Stars, a Southern League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

 

Baron earned a spot in the Southern League All-Star Game last summer,

going 4-6 with a save and a 2.42 earned-run average in 52 innings at

Class A and AA.

 

 

Things have not gone so smoothly in 2010, with Baron compiling an 8.71

ERA in 10 1/3 innings of relief.

 

 

"My stuff is a little flat," Baron said. "I've got to work on my arm

angles and get leverage back on the ball. ... Everything went right last

year. I've just got to focus on what I need to do and whatever happens,

happens. I have to worry about getting my stuff the way it was last

year."

[battlekow]

Stars press release:

 

Amaury Rivas named Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Month

 

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. – Huntsville Stars starting pitcher Amaury Rivas (4-2, 2.23 ERA) was named the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. He had a 0.90 ERA and allowed only 15 hits in 30 innings pitched. His record for the month was a solid 4-0.

 

Stars Manager Mike Guerrero said, "(Rivas) has strong command of his pitches. He's been throwing the ball very aggressively and he can really execute his plan. He helps us win ball games."

 

Rivas was also the Southern League Pitcher of the Week from April 19-26.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brewers' Gamel back in Huntsville for rehab

By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- It's cruel how the Baseball Gods can treat you.

 

You're finally in the majors. You're anointed as a fixture in the lineup for the next decade. Then, with a rude whoosh, the rugs gets yanked out from under you.

 

Mat Gamel should be the Milwaukee Brewers' third baseman right now. Instead, up crops a tear in his throwing shoulder, a pretty jarring speed bump on his career path.

 

"Sucks," said Gamel, "to put in a word. It's awful. But it happened. Now we've got to battle through it and get back to where we need to be, to achieve the ultimate goal."

 

The prescription: Rest and rehab.

 

The latter, Gamel is pursuing while back in the familiar threads of the Huntsville Stars. Arguably the league's most dangerous hitter in 2008 while with the Stars, Gamel will spend an indefinite period of time in Huntsville.

 

Gamel batted .329 with 19 homers and a league-leading 96 RBIs in 127 games in 2008. He was a Southern League All-Star and Topps named him its Minor League Player of the Year. He made his major league debut that September, then split last season between Triple-A Nashville and Milwaukee.

 

Gamel wasn't the only familiar face back in a Stars uniform. Outfielder Drew Anderson was sent down from Nashville, and pitcher Casey Baron has gone on the disabled list. Pitcher Josh Butler, who was with the Stars last season, is also here on a rehab assignment.

 

"All is well," Gamel said Wednesday night as rain pelted Joe Davis Stadium and washed out the series opener against Birmingham. "Basically I'm trying to get at-bats and trying to get back to where I need to be."

 

The injury was "kind of a freak thing" with no one traumatic moment that caused it. It was more wear-and-tear than anything, he said. But there is no pain in his throwing now and no set-backs.

 

Nor is there any mental obstacle, no worrying about the what-ifs.

 

"You can't worry about it," he said. "You can't come out playing, hoping not to get hurt. You've just got to go. The tentativeness, you take care of that while you're (in extended spring training in Arizona) doing rehab."

 

Since injury is an intrinsic part of sports, there's no shortage of members in a support group, and Gamel said "plenty of guys have talked to me, helped me stay positive through it all."

 

He was in Arizona with veteran pitchers David Riske and Chris Capuano, both of whom were rehabbing from elbow injuries.

 

"Talking to those guys, them coming off injuries, they're able to stay positive, who why can't I?" Gamel said. "Just picking their brain, having those guys keep you a little sane, it helps out too, knowing you're not going through this alone.

 

"I'm just trying to take it day by day and get back to playing."

 

Brewers' Mat Gamel continuing rehab

Photo by Eric Schultz/Huntsville Times

 

http://media.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/photo/mat-gameljpg-29b0d450105ad6c9_medium.jpg

[paul253]

Nice article but I disagree with one thing. Mat Gamel should not be the Brewer's third basemen right now. Casey McGehee has more than earned that position. Mat Gamel should be in Nashville, learning a new position.

[Invader3K]

Nice article but I disagree with one thing. Mat Gamel should not be the Brewer's third basemen right now. Casey McGehee has more than earned that position. Mat Gamel should be in Nashville, learning a new position.

I agree...like perhaps first base or right field?

[TooLiveBrew]

McGehee has earned a starting spot. His poor fielding certainly shouldn't have earned him the 3B spot. Broken record time, but my scenario is Gamel at 3B & McGehee at 1B after Fielder is traded, which I hope happens during this season.

[battlekow]

Still on the run: Haydel making impact in minors

Ryan Arena/L'Observateur (LaPlace, LA)

 

On the baseball diamond, speed has long been considered Lee Haydel’s

best asset.

 

Fittingly, his ascent through the Milwaukee Brewers’

minor league system has been a swift one. The Riverside alumni has been promoted in each of his four pro seasons since being

drafted in the 19th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Amateur

draft, and currently plays for the Double A Huntsville Stars in Alabama.

 

Haydel

has played for the Single A Advanced Brevard County Manatees, the

Single A West Virginia Power, and the Rookie League Helena Brewers.

 

His

pace in each has been strikingly steady. He hit .295 with West

Virginia, and has never hit less than .276. He’s stolen 34 and 39 bases

in full seasons and 12 in a 62 game rookie ball campaign.

 

This

season, he’s hitting .289 for Huntsville, with eight steals, 12 RBIs and

21 runs scored. His on-base percentage, if kept up, would be a career

high at .352.

 

“So far, I’m pretty happy with how things are

going,” said Haydel. “It could be better, but there are four months

left. It’s baseball, and it’s a long season.”

 

That his numbers

have remained steady, and even improved, is a testament to the work that

Haydel has put into his game as a pro. That much is clear because, as

Haydel says, the jump to Double A brings a sharp bump up in competition.

 

“Guys

know how to pitch at this level,” said Haydel. “They can locate on both

sides of the plate. They have command of their off-speed stuff. They’ve

got three solid pitches.

 

“And at the plate, everyone makes more

solid contact. The play is just more consistent overall.”

 

Those

who followed Haydel at Riverside can’t be too surprised at his pro

success. In 2006, he hit .473 and was a key cog for the Rebel baseball

team that won the Class 2A state championship under then-coach Steve

Stropolo. As he is in the pros, Haydel was a staple in center field for

Riverside, an All-State performer who also played wide receiver on the

football team and was a star sprinter on the track team.

 

In all

sports, his speed was a prime asset. Coming out of Riverside, he was

clocked at 6.39 seconds in the 60-yard dash.

 

It certainly

supports his defensive play in center, and also on the bases — he has

stolen 93 bases over his 352 minor league games.

 

While he’s

maintained his base-stealing prowess from his days in Reserve, he’s had

to make some adjustments.

 

“The higher up you get, the more you

realize that you have a lot to learn,” said Haydel. “You’re learning

which counts to run in, if he’s holding you, just little tweaks here and

there.”

 

He says that not much has really surprised him through

his minor league career, partially because he never had an idea of what

to expect to begin with.

 

But one thing that has helped is that

even through all of his travels so far — he hasn’t remained on the same

team over two seasons yet — many of the same core guys he entered rookie

ball with have been promoted right along with him.

 

“You see them

every single day,” said Haydel. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of these

guys real well.”

 

Of course, so is working toward a potential

Major League career. Haydel still likely has another level, Triple A, to

go before a potential call up to the Brewers, though some have made the

jump straight from Double A.

 

But in the meantime, things aren’t

so bad.

 

“It’s just the fact that I get to play baseball for a

living,” Haydel said. “You have to love that.”

 

http://lobservateur.com/content/articles/2010/05/26/sports/doc4bfc223fed8d2293834907.jpg

(SpaceCoastBaseball.com)

[Mass Haas]

Rogers proves to be a shining Star

By Benjamin Hill / MLB.com

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- "How the heck are ya?!"

 

This is how a conversation with Huntsville Stars general manager Buck Rogers often begins, a question delivered in a jovial tone and at a staccato clip. And once this preliminary greeting is out of the way, don't be surprised if he launches into a rapid-fire monologue about the latest goings-on at Joe W. Davis Stadium -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

The seemingly indefatigable Rogers is one of Minor League Baseball's most outsized characters, a man driven by a desire to succeed and a seemingly endless supply of Diet Mountain Dew. Over the past 13 years, he's been responsible for some of the most irreverent and attention-getting promotions in the industry -- offering fans lifetime season tickets in exchange for team tattoos, setting the World Record for most consecutive first pitches prior to a ballgame, and holding a "Car Survivor" contest in which fans vied to win an automobile by living in it.

 

This is a man who, when at a loss, will take a rare pause and earnestly inquire "WWVD"?

 

What would Veeck do?

 

When life gives you lemons

 

Given that he boasts the same name as an iconic fictional space explorer, it is perhaps fitting that Rogers now works in a city that boasts a proud aerospace history (NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is located here).

 

But Huntsville is one of the Southern League's toughest markets. While other Alabama franchises, such as Mobile and Birmingham, play in cities that are drenched in baseball history, Huntsville's citizenry does everything it can to make college football a year-round sport. And Joe W. Davis Stadium is a thoroughly nondescript facility -- while certainly adequate for the purpose, it possesses a no-frills, utilitarian nature and is thoroughly lacking in modern amenities and accoutrements.

 

In a situation like this, creativity is a survival technique. And creativity is exactly what Rogers and his staff display on a nightly basis.

 

I attended Thursday's game in Huntsville, which the visiting BayBears won, 7-4. But of more interest to me was the evening's promotion. The Stars partnered with local TV station Fox 54 in order to offer an unbeatable ticket deal -- those who flashed the pitching sign of "5-4" at the box office (five fingers and then four fingers) received a ticket for the absurdly low price of 54 cents. The station advertised the deal heavily over the past several days, and the result was a robust walk-up crowd.

 

Inside the cramped ticket window, assistant general manager Babs Rogers led a team of four ducat-selling employees. Babs is Buck's wife, and she is possessed of an equally enthusiastic demeanor. Amidst the sounds of rolls of pennies being cracked upon (most fans did not have exact change), Babs directed fans to her corner window.

 

"I can help someone!" she cried out. "Baby's in a corner, and it's lonely down here!"

 

When fans informed Babs they wanted the 54-cent ticket deal, she would ask "What's the sign?" Most took that as a cue to flash the appropriate number of fingers, but some responded with a blank stare. (One woman said, "A pitching sign, right?" and proceeded to signal for a curveball).

 

And some fans weren't aware of the ticket deal. Those who did not mention Fox 54 were summarily charged $8. While a fair price in most situations, in this case that amount sounded exorbitant.

 

"Cha-ching!" exclaimed Babs after one $8 sale. "Some real money, just in time to send this team out on the road!"

 

Also adding to the walk-up crowd was the fact that it was "Thirst-Aid Thursday," featuring $2 20-ounce draft beers. Not surprisingly, this special is especially popular among the area's college students (Buck says that Joe W. Davis Stadium on Thursdays is "the hottest singles scene in Huntsville, especially once we reach the fifth inning.") Those truly committed to this unbeatable special could be seen in the stadium wearing commemorative t-shirts, which featured a drawing of a beer keg and the slogan "I'd Tap That."

 

In short, it was just another night at the Huntsville Stars game. For those keeping score at home, one could purchase a ticket and two beers and still have change left over from a $5.

 

"Buck Rogers and the Stars couldn't be a better match, and no one else in this town is willing to do the crazy stuff that he does," said Fox 54 sales assistant J.J. Vincent, who was roaming the stadium to take pictures of fans holding a banner bearing the station's logo. "When people say to us 'The Huntsville Stars' we say 'Buck Rogers.' For us, the association really is that strong."

 

Never stop adapting

 

Buck, who says he is "50 going on 16," is a strong proponent of creativity amongst the entire staff. He believes that young employees with fresh ideas and boundless enthusiasm are crucial to the success of a franchise, and he has no qualms about doling out difficult tasks to interns so they may learn the ins and outs of the industry in a short amount of time.

 

Yet Buck's own path to the Minor Leagues was hardly typical. His executive career did not begin until 1997 as an employee of the now-defunct Fayetteville, N.C.-based Cape Fear Crocs of the South Atlantic League. A proud member of the 82nd Airborne, Buck was living on a military base in Fayetteville and began attending Crocs games because of the $1 Military Monday ticket special. He became enamored with the logistics of game operations while watching these contests, to the point in which he began assisting the club's staff as opposed to watching the game. This led to a job.

 

From Fayetteville, Buck moved on to the Daytona Cubs and the Brevard County Manatees (both Florida State League franchises). He is now in his third season in Huntsville, working tirelessly from his windowless, imminently cluttered office at Joe W. Davis Stadium.

 

Along the way, Buck developed a 15-point promotional philosophy that he shares with his staff members. While many are straight to the point ("Is it fun?"; "Is it feasible?"; "What will happen if we don't seize the moment?"), others are more esoteric. Take the "8-Ball Syndrome", which Buck illustrates by drawing a numeral "8" on a sheet of paper.

 

"Sometimes an idea's not going to work, and you're going to get stuck," he said, before turning the "8" on its side so that it resembled an infinity sign. "But if you can be unselfish with your ideas and pass them around and keep on tweaking them to infinity, then eventually you're going to get it right."

 

And this is the underlying principle of Huntsville Stars baseball -- Rogers and his staff are endlessly tweaking a less-than-ideal situation as they work toward getting it right.

 

"It's a wild life," said Rogers of working in Minor League Baseball. "Sometimes it feels like we're breaking all the rules, but as long as we're all having fun and putting butts in the seats then I don't really care."

 

Buck Rogers specializes in irreverent and attention-getting promotions. (Benjamin Hill/MLB.com)

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/06/04/PYtbMvFL.jpg

[twobrewers]

The seemingly indefatigable Rogers is one of Minor League Baseball's most outsized characters, a man driven by a desire to succeed and a seemingly endless supply of Diet Mountain Dew.

He is clearly drinking a Diet Coke in that picture. That made me laugh.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars featured on Minor League website

By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- A writer from the Minor League Baseball official website visited Joe Davis Stadium Thursday night for the Stars' game against Mobile.

 

It's interesting to see an outsider's perspective. The writer, Benjamin Hill sees the stadium in less than glowing terms:

 

But Huntsville is one of the Southern League's toughest markets. While other Alabama franchises, such as Mobile and Birmingham, play in cities that are drenched in baseball history, Huntsville's citizenry does everything it can to make college football a year-round sport. And Joe W. Davis Stadium is a thoroughly nondescript facility -- while certainly adequate for the purpose, it possesses a no-frills, utilitarian nature and is thoroughly lacking in modern amenities and accoutrements.

 

However, he's way off-base on the comparisons between Mobile and Birmingham.

 

And there's another difference in his "wow!" look at some promotions that the more jaundiced among us believe are just hokey. (Or, in the case of last Saturday's rain-delay "burp-off" between youngsters, just in plain bad taste.)

 

It was a flattering piece for GM Buck Rogers (though, Buck, if Buffalo Rock, the Pepsi people, are your "official" beverage, why do you pose holding up a Diet Coke can???).

 

The feeling here is, if these promotional efforts were so good, the Stars would be at the top instead of bottom in attendance. Still, the Stars' woes start at the top, in absentee, apathetic ownership, something the writer didn't address in his story.

[TheCrew07]

Yea it's absentee and apathetic ownership that keeps people from coming out to see Fielder, Braun, Yo, Hart, Escobar, Weeks, LaPorta, Gamel, Cain, Lawrie, etc, etc... what about an apathetic fan base that doesn't attend games no matter how much talent is on the roster? No bias in that Huntsville Times story at all.

[Mass Haas]

Manhattan (NY) College:

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Manhattan College Athletic Department will highlight former Jasper baseball standouts during the summer tracking their progress within their respective minor league organizations. The series will keep fans up to date in the Jaspers quests to reach the Major League. The first installment features Chris Cody ‘06 who is playing within the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

 

Cody’s looking to re-tilt the lever

By Ronak Patel

 

A pitcher in professional baseball goes through a constant pendulum of successes and failures.

 

Some days, you’ll have your stuff working; you’re hitting the strike zone, befuddling hitters. But there will be starts when despite how hard you work, your stuff won’t work.

 

It’s this part of the lever that ex-Jaspers’ great Chris Cody (2003-06) is working through right now with the Huntsville Stars, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Cody, who was traded by the Detroit Tigers organization to the Brewers for Jose Capellan in 2007, is 2-6 with a 5.36 ERA through his first 10 starts on the season.

 

“I haven’t gotten off to the start I would prefer,” said Cody, who’s 26 years old and was drafted by the Tigers in the eighth round of the 2006 MLB Draft. “It’s not really how you start but how you finish. That’s kind of the morale you have to go by in a long season.”

 

The southpaw Cody, who holds Manhattan records for strikeouts (295), wins (29) and complete games (19), went 13-9 last year between stops at Huntsville and Nashville, the Brewers’ Triple AAA team. He sported a combined ERA of 3.90 and struck out 102 batters in 152.1 innings pitched. Cody went 5-1 at Huntsville while going 8-8 in Nashville.

 

The 150-plus innings were a career-season high for Cody, who’s pitched 475 career innings in Minor League baseball. A pitcher will see his workload increase with a jump from college to the pro ranks. Thus, Cody has learned to take care of his body and arm to withstand the ailments that accompany a pitcher’s navigating his way through a long season.

 

“It’s a grind physically and mentally,” said Cody about the rigors of a long baseball season. “This is my fourth full season, so I’ve kind of learned the ropes of how to stay fresh mentally and physically.”

 

“You learn your body; you learn how to take care of yourself. Even though you might feel great early on, it’s important to get treatment and cure something that might be nagging you that you regularly wouldn’t think twice about. It will come back to haunt you in the long run if you ignore it.”

 

Jaspers’ coach Kevin Leighton knew early on he had something special in Cody, who is not exactly a physical-looking menace on the mound given his 6-foot, 190-pound frame.

 

“Nobody wanted him out of high school,” said Leighton. “He’s another guy you see off the field, he’s a quiet guy. You would never think he’s a professional baseball player.

 

“But when you put him on the mound; all of a sudden he’s a different type of kid. He’s that quiet-type kid that just competes and he’s the type of kid who all his life he’s been told ‘he doesn’t throw hard enough, he doesn’t do this well enough’, and yet he’s getting it done year-after-year. He doesn’t get rattled easily.”

 

Cody’s calming persona is why he’s not fretting over his early season turbulence.

 

“I’ve been around pro ball for four seasons and you learn there are a lot of talented people out there,” said Cody, who led Manhattan to a 4-1 victory over Nebraska and current New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. “You know what it is like to be a big fish in a small pond and then you become a small fish in a big pond.

 

“What I’ve learned is I need to stay even-keeled; not get too high when things are going well and not get too down when things are going bad.

That’s the most important lesson you can learn in this game. But it’s also one of the hardest lessons to learn.”

 

The lever on the pendulum may be tilting in a new direction for the first time in Cody’s career, but he’s tackling it head on.

 

“I’ve had a lot of success early on in my career and recently. I’ve ran into some bumps on the road,” said Cody. “I’ve learned about myself and how to deal with failure. I think I am handling it well. It’s a grind, a long season; you’re going to have a few struggles.”

 

And as Cody admits, it’s not the worst thing for a ballplayer to go through some pitfalls.

 

“I’m playing pro ball for a living,” said Cody. “A bad day for me is better than most people’s good days at their job.”

 

Back in the day --

 

http://www.gojaspers.com//pics31/640/HZ/HZALONQOFFMLNMC.20100604203544.jpg

[battlekow]

Well, the Brewers neatly avoided the Salome bit, didn't they?

 

Stars roster in flux

Mark McCarter/Huntsville Times

Chemistry a concern with 58 moves this season

For the next stage of any renovation at Joe Davis Stadium,

perhaps a revolving door should replace the thick, metal

door to the Stars' clubhouse.

The Stars have played 55 games this season, including Friday

night's rain-delayed series finale against Mobile,

which ended after press time after starting two hours late.

 

http://ads.al.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.al.com/xml/story/Huntsville/s/sstars/@StoryAd?x

They have had 58 transactions this season - players being

placed on the disabled list, reactivated, moved up from

Single-A Brevard County, down from Triple-A Nashville or, as

in the case of 25-year-old Chris Errecart on Thursday,

simply released.

This past week, pitcher Mark Rogers was sent to Nashville on

Tuesday and back to Huntsville Thursday. Coming back with

him was outfielder Chuckie Caufield, who had gone up to

Nashville last Friday.

For a manager like Huntsville's Mike Guerrero, who

spoke so grandly of the "good chemistry" as his

team was being assembled during spring training, this must

feel like an experiment gone awry.

"Chemistry plays a big part in baseball," Guerrero

said Friday, waiting out the long rain delay. "When you

get a group of guys headed in the same direction, it creates

momentum. Right now, we've had so many injuries, so

many guys in and out. But that's part of the game

also."

To some extent, it's just been shaking up the same

deck. For all the transactions, 18 players on the current

roster were on the opening-day roster. The Stars have had 21

every-day players (Juan Sanchez, anyone?) and 17 pitchers

(not counting three position players called in to mop up) on

the roster. All of last season, the Stars had only 49

different players.

Some of the moves have been necessitated by a major league

club still trying to find its own way, especially pitching.

The Brewers are second in the league in homers and batting

average, but next-to-last in ERA. They took something of a

shotgun approach in signing veterans for its Triple-A team

(which has had 39 different cast members itself).

Guerrero noted that "chemistry means so much at

catcher." Especially so with a relatively young

pitching staff.

When Angel Salome, the 2008 Southern League batting champ,

gets a start at Tennessee tonight or later in the 10-game

road trip on which the Stars have embarked, he will become

the fifth catcher to start for Huntsville.

"The biggest part, a lot of these guys have never been

at this level before," Guerrero said. "It'll

take them a while to do the adjustments they need to

make."

If they'll only stick around a while.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Southern League Notebook: Even cheap beer, tickets do little to help Huntsville Stars boost attendance

By Jeff Elliott, Jacksonville.com

Last Wednesday afternoon, the Jacksonville Suns had their smallest crowd of the year — 1,559 fans — for a businessperson's special.

 

With the small crowd, most in attendance could hear the expletive-filled tirade that Carolina manager David Bell unloaded on fill-in umpire Mario Seneca when Seneca ruled that a Mudcats runner left third base too soon on a fly out to the outfield.

 

If a manager or player were to duplicate Bell's outburst at most an Stars game in Huntsville, Ala., chances are everyone in attendance at the game would likely hear it.

 

While the Suns drew their smallest turnout last Wednesday, that's about an average crowd in Huntsville. Through 27 home games, the Stars have drawn a total of 45,060. The Suns drew more than that (47,228) for the just-completed 10-game homestand.

 

Huntsville was also home for the same 10-day period, and the Stars had a total of 11,851 fans for nine games (one game was rained out and made up as part of a doubleheader the next day), an average of 1,317. Four of their nine games failed to top 800 as the Stars announced attendance figures of 651, 752, 527 and 722.

 

One of the Stars' biggest turnouts during that homestand came last Thursday. Not only was it "Thirst-Aid Thursday," where fans could purchase 20-ounce draft beers for $2, but the Stars organization teamed with local TV station Fox 54. Any fans who flashed the pitching sign of "5-4" at the box office (five fingers and then four fingers), could receive a ticket for just 54 cents.

 

According to a story on MLB.com, the station advertised the deal heavily in the days leading up to the promotion with the hopes of attracting a big walk-up crowd. The total turnout for beer night and a 54-cent ticket — 2,189.

 

But the TV station seemed more than pleased with the results.

 

"Buck Rogers [Huntsville's general manager] and the Stars couldn't be a better match, and no one else in this town is willing to do the crazy stuff that he does," Fox 54 sales assistant J.J. Vincent told MLB.com. "When people say to us, 'the Huntsville Stars, we say Buck Rogers.' For us, the association really is that strong."

 

Jacksonville once again leads the Southern League in attendance with an average of 5,397 per game, about the same number the Stars draw for a five-game home series.

[battlekow]

Despite Late Start, Prospect Lorenzo Cain Climbing Brewers' Ladder

Jim Henry/FanHouse

 

Major League Baseball scouts travel the country, near and far, in search of talent. And that talent was on display during the league's annual draft, which started Monday and ended Wednesday.

 

Lorenzo Cain certainly remembers when the Milwaukee Brewers selected him as a draft-and-follow pick out of Madison County High School in northwest Florida in the 17th round in 2003 -- just three years after he played baseball for the first time.

 

In fact, Cain showed up for his high school tryouts without a glove or cleats and was in a shirt and shorts. Talk about dressed for success. Cain has traveled a remarkable path in his six seasons as a professional.

 

Cain, 24, currently starts in center field for the Huntsville (Ala.) Stars, the Double-A affiliate of the Brewers in the Southern League. He was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster last fall and is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the organization. His .331 batting average is second best in the Southern League.

 

"I've come a long way since Madison County," Cain told FanHouse.

 

"But thinking back those were some of the best times, and you can never forget those times. Baseball was something I fell in love with right away and I just loved the game. There was so much to learn -- I didn't even know all the rules -- but it was something I enjoyed doing and really that's all I wanted to do."

 

Cain, known for his athleticism, work ethic, quick learning curve and friendly smile, is steadily rising among the ranks of the most highly regarded Brewers minor leaguers. He is a three-time all-star selection and was one of the Robin Yount Award winners for the Brewers' organizational Players of the Year in 2004.

 

Still, Cain's rapid development hasn't come without challenges. He's finally healthy after struggling with injuries in 2009.

 

Cain began last season on the disabled list after a hamstring injury in spring training. Four days after being activated, he tore a knee ligament on April 23 while diving for a fly ball. That sidelined him until July. He was limited to 60 games at three levels of Milwaukee's farm system and batted .218 with a .277 on-base percentage.

 

"I was frustrated at first because I had worked so hard and was very excited for the season," Cain recalled.

 

"To go down was tough, but I had to get over it and move on. My mom talked to me and helped me keep my head up and stay focused. Now I am running like I used to."

 

If not for the injuries, Cain might have entered this season as one option to open the year in center field on the big-league team. Instead, the Brewers traded for Minnesota's Carlos Gomez, who is also just 24 years old and is under team control for four more years.

 

The Brewers also are high on Logan Schafer, a third-round selection in 2008, who played center field below Cain in the system in 2009 but won the organization's Minor League Player of the Year honor.

 

Even so, the Brewers remain impressed with Cain, who was with the big-league team in spring training. He got in 14 games, with 21 at-bats, for a .286 average, including a game-winning two-run homer against Colorado in mid-March.

 

"I loved the opportunity and it was very exciting," Cain said.

 

"It shows they believe in me as a player. I am going out each day working hard and not trying to put too much pressure on myself. Just go out and play your game. If they need help on the big league level, they will call. You just have to make sure you are ready for the opportunity."

 

Cain credits a strong family support system that includes his mom, an older brother and his grandparents for his success. Cain's mother worked two jobs and he didn't have enough time to play sports until his freshman season at Madison County High, located 40 miles east of Tallahassee.

 

Cain was cut from the freshman basketball team but he made the junior varsity baseball team as a sophomore -- despite having to borrow the sport's essentials. There was plenty to learn, but Cain was willing. Doug Reynolds, Milwaukee's Florida scout, convinced the Brewers to select Cain in 2003 as a draft-and-follow pick.

 

Cain played that year at Tallahassee Community College, where he hit .344 with a team-leading 19 steals.

 

Cain signed with the Brewers just before the 2004 draft, and the club sent him to the Arizona Rookie League. It was his first time away from home, but Cain felt at home on the field. He earned league MVP honors as he hit .356 with five homers, 37 RBI, 45 runs scored and a league-best 73 hits.

 

Once a raw, gangly teenager, Cain has blossomed into a 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect. And he hasn't lost sight of his dream -- the same one shared by players in this year's MLB Draft.

 

"The minor leagues are tough, it's a grind and it's not easy, though most people might think it is," Cain said.

 

"But you deal with it and you come out and play hard and hopefully move up as quickly as you can. This is what I love doing."

 

http://www.blogcdn.com/mlb.fanhouse.com/media/2010/06/lorenzo-cain-200aj061010.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Morris signs Brewers deal; Milwaukee GM Melvin watches Stars stumble

Former Grissom standout Hunter Morris signs Brewers deal

Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- On his way to Huntsville, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin bumped into a Huntsville resident arriving in Milwaukee.

 

Hunter Morris, the former Grissom High star and the 2010 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year for Auburn, has signed his contract with the Brewers, according to Melvin.

 

"He looks like a ballplayer," Melvin said after a quick meeting in the lobby of Miller Park, where Morris was undergoing a physical.

 

Morris, a first baseman, will report to the Single-A Wisconsin Rapids Timber Rattlers in Appleton and work out a few days before being activated some time this weekend.

 

The fourth-round draft pick received a reported $218,700 signing bonus, less than what he'd have received from the Boston Red Sox, who made him a second-round pick in 2007 out of Grissom.

 

Melvin would not rule out the possibility that Morris could make a season-ending cameo appearance for his hometown Huntsville Stars, but said that "we need to let him get his feet on the ground before we'd ever bring that up. It depends. We've had guys, being a college player, if he goes in there and swings the bat well, it'd be something we'd consider."

 

Melvin is making his second visit of the season to watch the Stars, who began a five-game homestand with the Montgomery Biscuits Wednesday night in a game delayed by more than an hour by rain - and with the stadium scoreboard not in operation until the fourth inning despite an 11-day break since the previous home game.

 

The Stars dropped a 9-4 decision to Montgomery, Huntsville's fourth straight loss and the 10th in 15 games in June.

 

"It's been a rough year because of injury," Melvin said of the Stars, who entered the evening at 29-36 and a three-game losing streak. "Throughout our whole system it's been a big problem. We've had them all over the place, from the big league team on down."

 

Melvin called the injuries "an opportunity" for other players.

 

Melvin said he "is not here looking at anybody in particular," but said that outfielder Lorenzo Cain, "once he got healthy, he looks like he's doing well" and is pleased with the development of 20-year-old second baseman Brett Lawrie "making the big jump (from low Single-A). He got off to a slower start but he's performing very well."

 

The injury bug hit the Stars even before the season began, losing outfielder Logan Schafer, last year's organization player of the year to a groin injury. He has recently fractured a bone in his foot and will be out for the season.

 

Pitcher Jeremy Jeffress, a No. 1 pick, has returned from a 100-day suspension for violation of baseball's drug policy, his second such suspension. He's in the bullpen at Appleton and Melvin expects him to remain there "for a long period since he hasn't pitched in so long."

 

Catcher Angel Salome, who led the Southern League in batting in 2008, is at Class A Brevard. Once on the cusp of the majors, he has asked the Brewers to let him play other positions, having seen Jonathan Lucroy leapfrog him on the organization ladder.

 

Salome is playing outfield though Melvin said "he still needs to continue to catch some, too. He knows that he controls (his future). We give them the opportunity to perform at certain levels and a player's performance will help us make a decision on them. Sometimes they're easier than others."

[Tedaldtada]

I have never seen Maas Haas so depressed. I feel your pain too, man. It hurts worse when you follow a guy for soooo long (Salome), or when it's a guy coming off a POY for the org. (Schafer), or a supposed fast track college guy who gets demoted to EST (Arnett). It's amazing that all three have happened to us.

 

Let's see what these draft picks can do!

[brewmann04]

This is just sicking what going on hopefully this will not affect Cain moving up to 3a. Mr Schafer rest and get healthy for next year season we really need to see you healthy and moving up the ladder.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Salome is playing outfield though Melvin said "he still needs to continue to catch some, too. He knows that he controls (his future). We give them the opportunity to perform at certain levels and a player's performance will help us make a decision on them. Sometimes they're easier than others."

Hearing that Salome "still needs to continue to catch some" is good to hear. Salome's prospects would look a lot nicer if he was moved into a hybrid utility role. Backup catcher getting 1-2 starts per week. Getting him some time at RF, LF and maybe 1st base.

 

I don't know if playing multiple roles like that would end up making things worse for him mentally.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Looking at the Stars at the halfway point

Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- Middle of the season and the best that might be said of the Huntsville Stars is they've been barely middle of the road.

 

After Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Montgomery Biscuits, Huntsville's fourth win in a row, the Stars are 33-37 after the first half of the season, the seventh-best record in the 10-team Southern League.

There was a marischino cherry topping on this win. It prevented Montgomery from winning the Southern League South division title, some long-awaited revenge after the Biscuits beat Huntsville in the 2006 and 2007 league championship series.

Manager Mike Guerrero said the mini-streak will "hopefully that's jump-start us to apply to the second half."

Asked for one word to describe the team, he said, "Adjustments."

Another word to describe the Stars might be "inconsistent," and to some extent they are entertwined. The nucleus of this team coasted to the first half title in the Class A Florida State League and finished with 79 wins. But the young players have proven the theory that the jump from Class A to Class AA is the biggest in the game.

The inconsistency makes Huntsville a tough team to grade. Nonetheless, here's the first-half report card:

Offense: C

The Stars are batting .262, and despite hitting .278 with runners in scoring position have still left more men on bases than all but one team. There is little power; no one has more than six homers. Brett Lawrie leads the league in hits and triples and is batting .297. Lorenzo Cain is at .320.

Defense: C-

The Stars often don't make routine plays and they've given up the third-most unearned runs. After being spoiled by great defensive players in past seasons, from the ancient days of shortstop Walt Weiss to the recent vintage of Tony Gwynn Jr. in centerfield, there is no dazzling defender.

Starting pitching: C

This may be generous, as the current rotation is 20-24 with a 4.31 ERA. One highly frustrating point: Huntsville has yielded 57 first-inning runs, often putting the Stars in an early deficit.

Bullpen: B-

The closers -- particularly the since-departed Brandon Kintzler -- have been solid, at times superb. However, the middle and long relief corps has been undependable. Huntsville has given up 54 sixth-inning runs -- often the time when a starter is replaced after reaching a pitch limit.

Off-the-field: D-

They have averaged only 1,616 per game, worst in the Southern League by nearly 400 fewer fans per game than West Tenn. It's still 102 more fans per game than last year, when the Stars failed to even break the six-figure attendance level, when they were 150th among 176 minor league clubs, from Class AAA down to low-A, according to ballparkdigest.com.

Team management and ownership have responded to those figures by providing even fewer big-event promotions for fans, like regular fireworks nights, entertainer appearances or corporate events this season. It's a shoestring budget that's become a Catch-22. Not making enough money to bring the extra pizzazz, not enough pizzazz to bring people to the ballpark.

There is more cause for optimism for the Stars than the franchise itself.

"The guys are starting to act like a team," Guerrero said. "They're working together and pulling each other out. This will be a pretty tough ball club to beat once they've made the adjustments and learned to trust themselves."

 

Huntsville Stars manager Mike Guerrero

Photo by Michael Mercier/Huntsville Times

 

http://media.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/photo/guerrero-4jpg-2427aa100050d2c3_large.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Usually a 4th outfielder, soon-to-be 27-year-old Chuckie Caufield made use nicely of his extra AB's this past week and parlayed it into Southern League Player of the Week honors.

 

Way to go, congrats.

[Mass Haas]

Buck Rogers:

 

"I'll take no-brainers for $100, Alex."

"The answer is ...Chuckie Caufield."

Buzzzzz

"Who is the League's Player of the Week?"

"Correct."

 

Here's the message from the Southern League Office:

 

Hitter of the Week

Chuck Caufield - Huntsville Stars

 

When the Stars came home to Huntsville June 16, they gave the first game to Montgomery, but Chuck Caufield gave the fans quite a show over the next four games. On Thursday, he sent a homerun out of left field in the bottom of the fourth. The next day he came out swinging and brought in an RBI off of his second inning single, then brought in two more teammates with a homerun in the third. He singled in the fifth and doubled in the sixth to send two more to home plate. On June 19, he doubled again in the bottom of the first and tripled off of a fly ball in the fourth for two more RBI. With six total extra-base hits and a .955 slugging percentage for the week, Chuck Caufield sent the Biscuits home dazed and confused. Caufield was born in Ada, Oklahoma and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006.

 

For the week:

At-Bats: 22

Runs: 7

Hits: 10

Runs Batted In: 12

Doubles: 3

Triples: 1

Home Runs: 2

Batting Average: .455

 

We also will add that Chuckie was on-deck in the bottom of the 8th Saturday night needing a home run to hit for the cycle. He didn't get that at-bat, but both Chuckie and Brett Lawrie were one component away from cycling Saturday night. Congratulations, Chuckie!

[Mass Haas]

McCalvy - Brett Lawrie named to the Futures Game -- 2nd consecutive year, representing the world via the Great White North...

[Mass Haas]

John Sickels with thoughts on Brett Lawrie in his blog post

[Mass Haas]

Lawrie Excited to Showcase Talent

Connor Shreve, Huntsville Stars