Your 2010 Huntsville Stars

[Tedaldtada]

I gotta say, I believe him when he says he has been working his butt off on D. I hope that's not just lip service. I love the futures game. Scouts galore, and now with Twitter, there should be an endless supply of tidbits coming from that game.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Southern League Notebook: Huntsville's Cain raises eyebrows

By Jeff Elliott, Jacksonville.com

 

If Huntsville outfielder Lorenzo Cain could hit against the Jacksonville Suns more often, his rise to the major leagues would be quicker.

 

The Madison County (FL) standout hit .500 against the Suns in the first series between the teams. He hit safely in the first four games of the current series, with a combined six hits in 18 at-bats, to give him a .421 average in nine games against Jacksonville this season.

 

Cain's hot start against the Suns in April rose his average to .364 and it's been at least at .320 since the first week. He's currently at .321.

 

"I have been pretty consistent. We all go through some slumps but I've just tried to stay consistent, not have big ups and downs and stay even-keel as much as I could," Cain said. "I'm still working on my plate discipline. That's something that can always improve, so I've been working hard on that."

 

Cain, 24, is in his sixth season with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization since the Brewers drafted him in the 17th round of the 2004 draft. He was drafted a year before in the same round but elected not to sign, opting instead to attend Tallahassee Community College for a year.

 

Cain said he didn't sign then because he wasn't prepared to begin his professional career.

 

"I didn't start playing baseball until my sophomore year. I didn't play any sports at Madison County until then; I just helped out around my house," Cain said. "When I did start playing, it was for a 2A school, so I didn't feel I was ready for pro ball out of high school.

 

"But I'm a fast learner and I've been able to pick it up since the Brewers selected me. Who would have ever thought I would be at this level right now? I've come a long way and I'm just trying to keep it going and keep moving up."

 

Cain is listed among the team's top-10 prospects and was added to Milwaukee's 40-man major league roster this spring.

 

Cain was also a fan favorite at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on Saturday as about 20 family members and friends made the trip from Madison to watch him play.

[Mass Haas]

Buck Rogers, Stars' GM:

SOUTHERN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 2010 NORTH DIVISION ALL-STAR TEAM

 

MARIETTA, GA - The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs has announced the North Division roster for the 2010 Southern League All-Star Game, which is scheduled for July 12 at Joe Davis Stadium Huntsville, Alabama. Players were selected by a vote of Southern League field managers, radio broadcasters, general managers and print media. All players on Southern League rosters as of June 11 were eligible in the voting. The 2010 North Division All-Star team is listed by position alphabetically as follows:

 

Pitchers: Austin Bibens-Dirkx Tennessee, Ryan Buchter Tennessee, David Cales Tennessee, Hung-Wen Chen Tennessee, Tom Cochran Carolina, Steven Hensley West Tenn, Kenley Jansen Chattanooga, Matt Klinker Carolina, Amaury Rivas Huntsville, Anthony Varvaro West Tenn

 

Catchers: Robinson Chirinos Tennessee, Steve Clevenger Tennessee

 

Infielders: 1B Johan Limonta West Tenn, 2B Jake Kahaulelio Carolina, 3B Corey Smith Chattanooga, SS Carlos Triunfel West Tenn, UTL IF Mike Costanzo Carolina

 

Outfielders: OF Sean Henry Carolina, OF Lorenzo Cain Huntsville, OF Tony Campana Tennessee, OF David Sappelt Carolina, UTL OF Trayvon Robinson Chattanooga

 

Designated Hitter: Blake Lalli Tennessee

 

The Southern League will announce the South Division All-Star team on June 30. Starting lineups for the North Division will be released on July 1, followed by the starting lineups for the South Division on July 2. The following players were chosen for the North Division All-Star team but will be unable to participate due to a promotion received after voting began or selection to the Futures Game, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 11 in Anaheim, CA.

 

P Jesus Castillo (P) Chattanooga, 3B Alex Liddi (F) West Tenn, SS Dee Gordan (F) Chattanooga, OF Carlos Peguero (F) West Tenn, P Brandon Kintzler (P) Huntsville, P Michael Pineda (P)West Tenn, 2B Brett Lawrie (F) Huntsville, OF TY Wright (P) Tennessee

 

F - Futures Game

P - Promoted

[Mass Haas]

The formal press release:

 

FOUR STARS SELECTED TO REPRESENT HUNTSVILLE IN ALL-STAR GAME

 

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. - The North Division roster has been announced for the 2010 Southern League All-Star Game. Four Huntsville Stars were listed on that roster. However, only two will be in uniform for the game.

 

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain, second baseman Brett Lawrie, pitcher Amaury Rivas, and closer Brandon Kintzler were all selected to represent the Stars by a vote from Southern League field managers, radio broadcasters, general managers and print media.

 

Stars manager Mike Guerrero said, "This shows hard work is paying off. It's good for [these players] to be recognized going to the All-Star Game."

 

Cain leads the Stars in batting average (.325) and on-base percentage (OBP) (.408). He is fourth in the league in overall batting, just behind Jacksonville's Brandon Tripp (.326). His .408 OBP puts him third in the league and second among active players. He has six triples on the year, second in the league to Lawrie (10).

 

Rivas has been the Stars' ace for a better part of the season. He was 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in the month of April, earning Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors for April 19 - 26 and the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Month nod. Rivas is currently 6-5 with a 2.96 ERA.

 

Lawrie, who is batting .300 (92-for-307) with six home runs, 21 doubles and a Southern-League leading 10 triples, was also selected to represent the Brewers in the MLB Futures Game in Anaheim on July 11. Therefore, he will not participate in this year's Southern League All-Star Game.

 

Closer Brandon Kintzler, who was with the Stars until a promotion to Triple-A Nashville on June 7, will also not be a participant in this year's game. He recorded a save in each of his 10 opportunities while posting a 0.70 ERA with a 1-0 record with Huntsville. In eight games with Nashville, he is currently 1-0 with a 4.05 ERA. He has recorded two saves and has yet to surrender a run at home.

 

Pitching coach John Curtis said it's great to see "two pitchers who deserve the honor and distinguish themselves with their stuff and command" get the All-Star title.

 

The rest of the roster includes catchers Robinson Chirinos and Steven Clevenger (Tennessee), Johan Limonta (West Tenn) at first base, Jake Kahaulelio (Carolina) at second, Corey Smith (Chattanooga) at third, Carlos Triunfel (West Tenn) at shortstop, outfielders Cain, Tony Campana (Tennessee), Sean Henry (Carolina), and David Sappelt (Carolina). Blake Lalli (Tennessee) will be the DH with Mike Costanzo (Carolina) as the utility infielder and Trayvon Robinson (Chattanooga) as the utility outfielder. The pitching staff includes Rivas, Tennessee's Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Ryan Buchter, David Cales, Hung-Wen Chen, Carolina's Tom Cochran and Matt Klinker, West Tenn's Steven Hensley and Anthony Varvaro, and Chattanooga's Kenley Jansen.

 

The South Division roster will be announced tomorrow.

 

Stars manager Guerrero, hitting coach Al LeBoeuf, and Curtis will be the coaches for the North Division. Jacksonville's Corey Hart, a former Brewer minor league coach, and John Duffy will co-manage the South Division. The umpire crew will consist of Tripp Gibson, Jordan Baker, Chris Segal and Quinn Wolcott.

 

The Southern League All-Star Game will be played at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville on Monday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $10 general admission and $12 reserved.

 

For more information, visit www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

From GM Buck Rogers:

 

Huntsville Stars 2B Brett Lawrie will play in the Futures Game in Anaheim on Sunday (7/11), then catch an early morning flight back to Huntsville to get back in time to play in the Southern League All-Star Game Monday night (7/12).

 

Won't miss that game in front of the home folks, after all...

[battlekow]

For Cain and Lawrie, two very different roads to the All-Star Game

Aaron Morse/Huntsville Stars

 

Just call Huntsville Stars’ outfielder Lorenzo Cain “The Natural.”

 

It’s not often a player can start playing baseball in high school and eventually end up on an all-star team, much less a major league club’s 40-man roster. But that’s exactly what the relentlessly upbeat 24-year old outfielder out of Tallahassee Community College has accomplished.

 

Cain laughs when asked what led him to baseball. “I don’t tell too many people this, but I got cut from my high school basketball team,” Cain said. “I was tired of just going home every day after school; I wanted something to keep me busy.”

 

Hitting was never an issue, which is impressive considering as Pete Rose once said, “It’s a round ball and a round bat, and you got to hit it square.” But fielding was another matter. “I played third base in high school and I was terrible,” Cain said with a grin. “So one of the biggest challenges was finding a position I was comfortable playing.”

 

He did exactly that at Tallahassee, shifting to center field where he could most take advantage of his plus speed. But there was still more to learn.

 

“I didn’t know how to crow hop,” Cain said. “So that was something that required an adjustment in how I threw the ball.”

 

The Brewers made Cain their 17th round draft choice in 2004, which came as no surprise to many, but stunned Cain.

 

“I wasn’t expecting to be drafted at all,” he said. “I mean, my game was so raw at that time, it was a pleasant surprise.”

 

Cain didn’t watch baseball very much growing up, but since taking up the sport has modeled his game after one man: Torii Hunter.

 

“I love watching him play,” Cain said. “I want to be able to play the outfield just like him.”

 

Cain tracks balls down in the gaps with an ease that belies his relative inexperience. Asked if he’s ever robbed anyone of a home run like Hunter does routinely, he flashes a smile and says that he has, but that Hunter is on a whole different level.

 

The man they call “Lo-Cain” credits his mom with keeping him focused throughout high school and college as well. She was able to see him play with the Stars when they were in Jacksonville last week for a six-game series.

 

Cain is currently on the Brewers’ 40-man roster, but his rise to the Southern League All-Star game has not been easy. Like so many young players, injuries have slowed him down at times. In particular 2009 was a rough time as he only hit .218 in the minors. This came the year after he got a cup of coffee in triple-A with the Nashville Sounds.

 

“Taking care of my body has got to be priority number one right now,” Cain said. “I have to do everything in my power to avoid another trip to the disabled list.”

 

But for now, it’s full speed ahead as he prepares to represent the Stars on July 12 as the All-Star Game comes to Huntsville.

 

Just call Stars’ second baseman Brett Lawrie “The Chosen One.”

 

The Brewers have a lot of hope and money riding on the 2008 first round draft pick out of Brookswood Secondary (Langley, British Columbia). He received a bonus of 1.7 million dollars upon signing, and so far he’s been just as good as advertised.

 

Lawrie, 20, talks a mile a minute and likes to joke about his short attention span.

 

“I have a really hard time watching a baseball game all the way through,” Lawrie said. “Growing up I liked to watch individual players; I didn’t really have a particular team I rooted for.”

 

Lawrie has often been characterized as a hitter without a position, something he cringes at.

 

“I know I have to work on my defense, but I can play anywhere they need me to,” Lawrie said. “I can play third, catcher, second base, whatever they need.”

 

Currently Lawrie is holding down the fort at second base and improving every day. He says that he loves watching Dan Uggla and Dustin Pedroia play. Their combination of powerful hitting and slick glove-work is something that appeals to the Southern League’s total bases leader.

 

Lawrie comes from a family of athletes. His sister Danielle recently graduated from the University of Washington, where she led the Dawgs to the 2009 NCAA softball national title.

 

“Oh yeah, it was a pretty competitive household growing up,” Lawrie said. “Nowadays we’ve kind of gone our separate ways, but when we were younger we definitely pushed each other.”

 

Lawrie says he’s never tried to hit a pitch from his sister. He smiles and says that she’d probably get him the first few times, but he’d make the necessary adjustments.

 

The confident infielder played in the MLB “Futures Game” last year at age 19, and said it was an amazing experience.

 

“It was the same day as that softball game they play with all the baseball legends, so I got to meet a few of them,” Lawrie said. “This year, with the game in Los Angeles, I expect there to be even more star-power at All-Star Weekend.”

 

Lawrie’s schedule is about to get hectic, as the Futures game is a little earlier this year, allowing him to play there and play in the Southern League All-Star game.

 

“It’s very exciting to have the game in Huntsville,” Lawrie said. “Normally that would mean I wouldn’t have to go anywhere, but I don’t mind the flight to LA and back.”

 

Cain and Lawrie’s backgrounds are very different, but they share a few similar qualities. Cain has his trademark grin while Lawrie always seems to have a twinkle in his eye.

 

Both love almost every minute of their journey to the big leagues. But Cain does caution those fans who think it is all fun and games that the minor leagues are definitely a grind. The long bus trips to Jacksonville, Carolina, and other SL destinations are taxing.

 

“You have to have serious mental toughness to make it through a minor league season,” said Cain.

 

Lawrie agrees and says now that he plays baseball for a living, he tries to avoid it as much as possible during his rare off days.

 

Like Cain, Lawrie played a lot of basketball growing up; he played all the way through high school. Despite his avoidance of baseball on days off, America’s national pastime remains the Canadian’s favorite sport.

 

He makes no bones about his goal for the remainder of the season.

 

“At the start of the year my goal was to begin the season in Double-A,” Lawrie said. “I’ve accomplished that, I’ve hit the ball well, and now my goal is a September call-up to the major leagues.”

 

Confident? Yes. Realistic for the youngest player on the Stars? Quite possibly.

 

The Stars have already seen catcher Jonathan Lucroy promoted first to Nashville, then to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, another young player, Starlin Castro, formerly of the Tennessee Smokies, became the first player born in the 1990’s to play in the majors when he debuted with the Chicago Cubs this year.

 

“The Natural” and “The Chosen One” aren’t far behind.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Stars' Caufield has made plenty of contact at Joe Davis

John Turner, The Huntsville Times

 

Chuckie Caufield has been the Joe Davis Stadium hitting machine this season.

 

He just doesn't know why or how.

 

"For the most part, I do the same things at home and on the road," the Stars' 26-year-old outfielder said. "I carry myself the same. I don't change anything in my daily life."

 

Caufield isn't sure how his home-field OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.084 entering Tuesday's game was more than 350 points higher than his road OPS.

 

"I couldn't even have told you my OPS was that good at home," said Caufield, now taking a closer look at the stat sheet. "I can't explain it."

 

He also can't rationalize how he upped his batting from .231 to .283 during his last homestand, going on a hitting tear that landed him Southern League player of the week honors.

 

"Maybe it's my bed," he finally said. "I don't know. I couldn't tell you."

 

Whatever it is, it's working. Caufield, in his fifth season in the Brewers' minor league system, is on pace to break career highs for on-base percentage and slugging, thanks in large part to his performance on the Stars' last homestand. The University of Oklahoma graduate tallied 10 hits, 12 RBIs, seven runs and a pair of home runs during the breakout series against Montgomery, helping the Stars take four of five contests.

 

"The more I kept hitting, the more I felt like I was in the zone," Caufield said. "It was a super confidence level. I honestly felt like I couldn't get out."

 

Caufield didn't get the start in Tuesday's series opener against Chattanooga but subbed in during the seventh inning, going 2 for 2. In a 9-3 loss, the Stars could have used him earlier.

 

Caufield laced a double down the left-field line on his first at-bat, scoring one batter later to make the game 7-3. His next hit came in the eighth inning, pushing his batting average to a season-high .299.

 

The Lookouts took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning before their pitcher, Mario Alveraz, was ejected by home plate umpire Chris Segal when his first pitch hit Huntsville's Brett Lawrie. The beanball set off a series of arguments, ultimately resulting in the ejection of Chattanooga coach Carlos Subero.

 

The contest cooled down from there, but so did the Stars' hitting. After scoring one run in the bottom of the first, Huntsville pushed across just two more, falling to 35-42 on the season. Mark Rogers (3-6) took the loss for Huntsville.

 

Stars' outfielder Chuckie Caufield has been playing his best baseball at home this season.

 

http://media.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/photo/d1caufield-0630jpg-85449004ced6b11c_small.jpg

[Mass Haas]

2B Brett Lawrie and CF Lorenzo Cain will not only be All-Stars, but starters, in the Southern League All-Star Game July 12th in Huntsville.

 

They will bat 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

 

Make us proud, Huntsville, and bang out ol' Joe Davis that night.

[battlekow]

Huntsville’s starters heating up in the summer months

Aaron Morse

 

Normally as the weather gets hotter, hitters really get into the swing of things. But for the Huntsville Stars, it’s been their starting pitching in recent weeks that has stood-out thanks to a series of impressive performances.

 

In the recent series against Chattanooga and Tennessee, Huntsville’s starters went a combined 4-1 with a 1.29 ERA. The team itself has been up and down, going 5-4 during that time span.

 

For the starting pitching it’s been quite the hot streak, something the Stars hope can be maintained as the second-half of the SL season rolls along.

 

Josh Butler epitomizes the turnaround. The former second round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2006 draft has moved quickly up the Brewers’ farm system since being acquired in a trade for Gabe Gross in April of 2008.

 

Last year he started the season in High-A Brevard County and ended it in “The Show” where he made three appearances, all out of the bullpen.

 

“It was awesome, it was a dream come true,” Butler said. “It’s more than words can say; it was everything I hoped for and more.”

 

An impingement in his elbow prevented him from starting 2010 in Double or Triple-A as he was supposed to do; so it was off to Brevard County for a rehab assignment.

 

The 25-year old right hander was hit hard there before coming to Huntsville and throwing four shutout innings in his first outing with the Stars.

 

But he dropped his next three starts, giving up four runs each time and walking eight batters in 15 innings. Even when he pitched well, such as a June 19 win over Montgomery, his control remained an issue as he walked five batters in 5.2 innings despite not giving up a run.

 

All of a sudden though in his last two starts it’s like he’s flipped the switch and he’s looked too good for Double-A. Butler’s only walked two batters in his last 13 innings of work and has not surrendered an earned run in his last two outings.

 

“Over the last couple starts I’ve been feeling a lot better,” Butler said. “My velocity has been getting back up there and my control has been a lot better than how I started off this year, and the combination of the two has put me where I am now.”

 

It’s not like he’s been doing it against cupcake lineups either. Chattanooga and Tennessee are two of the three top run-producing offenses in the league, and Butler was able to shut both of them down.

 

“Focusing on my two-seam fastball, making sure I get the sink on it (is important),” Butler said. “With that comes the sharpness on my breaking pitches, and that should carry me back to where I was last year.”

 

Amazingly, Butler does not own the most dominating performance during the recent run of success.

 

LHP Chris Cody turned in arguably the best pitching performance of the year in a July 2 win over Chattanooga. He went eight shutout innings, matching staff ace Amaury Rivas for the longest pitching performance of the year for the Stars. He struck-out eight, the most batters he’s whiffed this year, while only walking two and surrendering four hits.

 

It seemingly came out of nowhere. Cody, 26, entered the game coming off one of his worst outings of the year as he gave up seven runs in 3.1 innings against Jacksonville on June 26.

 

In response, pitching coach John Curtis suggested a key adjustment prior to the game that might just help the lefty turn his season around.

 

“Before the game started Coach Curtis and I spoke about what we can do differently than in previous outings,” Cody said. “(He suggested) the use of the cutter.”

 

Primarily, Cody uses a two-seam fastball to try and locate low in the zone.

 

“For whatever reason that hasn’t been working for me lately, so I went in and changed it up; I used my cut fastball as my primary weapon,” Cody said. “It kept them off-balance, made them a little uneasy and that made all the other pitches that much more effective.”

 

Cody’s experienced success at the Southern League level before as he went 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA last year for the Stars. He says that he hopes his most recent start can be a springboard to a turnaround this season. He’s recently been placed on the temporary inactive list, but when he returns he’ll continue to be a key to the Stars’ success in the second half.

 

Hard-throwing right-hander Mark Rogers and Southern League Mid-Season All-Star Amaury Rivas probably have the most potential for long major league careers among the Stars’ starters.

 

Rogers, 24, a former first round draft pick by the Brewers, has battled injuries over the years. But his velocity is back up this year; it’s only been a matter of getting his control in line. He walked five against Tennessee on July 4, but you can get away with that when the opposition only manages one hit. Moving forward, Rogers, who generally only goes five innings, needs to figure out a way to avoid slow starts. His ERA in the first inning sits at 7.20, compared to his season ERA, which is 3.78.

 

Rivas, 24, has been as dominating as usual in recent weeks, tossing a complete game (seven innings) shutout June 30 against Chattanooga and beating the Smokies for the second time this year on July 5. He’s been Mr. Consistency; his ERA has only been over 3.00 in one start this year, and he currently sits at eighth in the Southern League with a 2.66 ERA in 2010.

 

23-year old Lucas Luetge, recently promoted from Brevard County, got a spot start during the two most recent series and only gave up one earned run. Meanwhile Michael Bowman, 23, was the only starter really to suffer a hiccup, surrendering four earned runs in 5.1 innings of work July 3 against Chattanooga. But even Bowman’s start is a little deceiving. His first five innings were excellent, as he only gave up one run, but in the sixth inning things unraveled a bit as the Lookouts scored three to take the lead.

 

Can the Stars’ starters’ recent success continue? It won’t be easy. They face a red-hot Chattanooga squad for four games before the All-Star break. Recently promoted Michael Fiers takes the hill on Wednesday and Bowman will look to join the run of dominating performances on Thursday. After that Rogers and Rivas will look to help the Stars get their second consecutive series win. Fans won’t see Butler or Cody until after the All-Star break. The other question that will have to be answered is who loses their spot in the rotation once Alex Periard, who has been very consistent this year, comes off the DL? Promotions for Butler and Rivas remain a distinct possibility as well.

 

There’s still a lot of work to be done if the Stars want to make a run to the Southern League Play-Offs, but recent returns from the starting rotation should give fans a lot of hope.

[battlekow]

I really like Michael Bowman, but...

RHP Michael Bowman named to North Division All-Star Team
Huntsville Stars

 

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. – Huntsville has added another Star to the North Division All-Star Team. RHP Michael Bowman will join Stars second baseman Brett Lawrie and RHP Amaury Rivas on the roster as a late addition.

 

In 2010, Bowman is 7-7 with a 5.82 ERA (50 ER in 77.1 innings) in 16 starts. He threw one complete game (five innings) on June 27 in a rain-shortened loss to Jacksonville, 6-0.

 

Stars and North Division manager Mike Guerrero said, “I’m extremely happy for him. He’s been working hard to make progress with his pitching. This experience [of being an All-Star] can keep motivating him to continue improving.”

 

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Brandon Kintzler were also selected to the All-Star team but due to promotions to Triple-A Nashville, they will not play in the midsummer classic.

 

Tickets to the 2010 Southern League All-Star Game are on sale now! General admission is $10 and reserved tickets are $12. Show your Redstone Federal Credit Union check or credit card at the ticket office to receive four FREE general admission tickets. Limit four per household. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. but the gates open at 5 for an exhibition game with the Miracle League at 5:30 p.m.

 

Visit www.huntsvillestars.com for more information.

[TheCrew07]

I agree BK, he's been below average, how is he on the All-Star team?

[Mass Haas]

The Southern League is only a ten-team league, and its All-Star game is in-house, so it's not like some of the other All-Star games that go league vs. league. So five squads squeeze into one. They also play their ASG later than most, which makes little sense since the best AA players tend to get promoted pror to mid-July. The rosters get pretty watered down.

 

You can understand the effort to give Huntsville another player (pitcher) as the host team this year. Michael Bowman over Mark Rogers makes little sense here, and that's overlooking the other four North Division squad candidates. Heck, they could have rewarded Donovan Hand for his relief efforts and that would have been fair.

 

Congrats to Michael, though Mike Guerrero was reaching for the right words in offering his good wishes.

[YoungGeezy]

I guess congrats on the All-Star game....not so much on the not so great season. He's given up 9 bombs and an ERA nearing 6.00, You'd think Rogers would make the most sense if they just wanted another Hometown pitcher, otherwise Hand like mentioned above, Hinton has been not to bad, Cody has pitch just as good if not better. Reminds me of the MLB all star game with their "pitty" picks for teams like the Pirates when they don't have anyone voted in. I really shouldn't be such a downer about this but it is a head stratcher for sure. Any who congrats Michael!

 

Kind of wish the spot would hae went to Gindl, he is having a quite but really respectable season. Out of anyone on the team I'd think him or Rogers would have been most deserving for that last spot.

[battlekow]

Brett Lawrie comes in at #15 in Baseball America's midseason update of their prospect list:

Just 20, Lawrie was leading the Southern League in

hits (102), extra-base hits (39), triples (11) and total bases (164).

He's a well-rounded, aggressive offensive player who remains indifferent

defensively. Some reports also indicate his throwing arm has declined,

meaning he may be more of a left fielder than a right fielder if he has

to move off the dirt.

[paul253]

The July 6th article mentions that someone will have to lose their spot in the rotation once Alex Periard comes off the DL. Is there a chance someone instead gets promoted to Nashville? Butler and Rivas would seem like good candidates for that.

[battlekow]

Dan Szymborski's ZiPS projection system pegs Brett Lawrie for a .249/.308/.387 MLB line next year and forecasts a peak performance of .266/.329/.422, comparing him to Ray Durham.

[tyguy20204]

Personally, I think that peak line is underselling Lawrie quite a bit.

[sveumrules]

Ray Durham | Age 21 | Birmingham | 271/338/367

 

Brett Lawrie | Age 20 | Huntsville | 295/359/473

 

Chew on those numbers Szymborski.

[homer]

How can you tell a guy's arm is declining when he plays 2nd base?

[pete]

I haven't seen Lawrie much, but when I did he was throwing that sidearm flip. Now is the time to lose that is my opinion.

[BrewCrewForever]

That peak performance projection for Lawrie seems almost insane. I would think he has a lot more upside than that.

[dadofandrew]

It has him near his peak at 21. Zips is apparently 6 years off.

[Mass Haas]

DVR Reminder -- 5:00 PM Central, Futures Game with 2B Brett Lawrie, ESPN2

[BrewCrewForever]

Lawrie will be playing 2B and leading off for the World team.

[tyguy20204]

Lawrie just had diving play towards center field, showed great range. He didn't convert, as his throw bounced and the first baseman couldn't scoop it, but it was an impressive play nonetheless. He definitely looks like he has the athleticism to play out there, obviously I'm basing this all on one play....

 

He almost beat out a groundball to the pitcher in his second at bat. He's fast.