Your 2010 Brevard County Manatees -- Latest: Scarpetta talks about improved control

[battlekow]

Miscik's mission is to keep Manatees competitive

Mark DeCotis/Florida Today

 

VIERA -- Brevard County Manatees Manager Bob Miscik has a simple

measuring stick in the complicated business that is long-season Class A

minor league baseball.

In the Florida State

League where rosters constantly change, where stadiums that host Major

League spring training often overmatch hitters and where many times

players are dealing with failure for the first time, Miscik can break

things down with a singular judgment.

"It all comes down to, are you still competing?" he

said. "Just go out there and compete. We know you are going to fail

sometimes. It's part of the process.

"The danger is when they stop competing."

On paper it might

appear this season's edition of the Manatees are not competing, sitting

in fifth place in the six-team FSL North with a 14-22 record. But that's

not the case.

"Honestly,

I'm pleased in some areas," Miscik said. "We're playing pretty decent

defensively. Pitching-wise we haven't settled in yet . . . some guys

just going through the learning process. I think we can do better

pitching-wise and I think we will."

And despite the fact that the Manatees have only two

home runs as a team in 36 games heading into Monday night's matchup with

Palm Beach, Miscik isn't concerned.

"This is a tough park to hit in . . . part of it is

this park, part of it we don't have much power," he said. "But we're

actually doing decently in other areas offensively. We're up there (in)

top half in batting average (fifth of 12 teams at .261).

"As far as individuals go, we've got some guys doing

fairly well."

Shortstop

Matt Cline ranks fourth in the league in hitting with a .351 average

and outfielder Erik Komatsu is 13th at .321.

All in all, it hasn't been a bad beginning for what

the parent Milwaukee Brewers organization knew would be a young team.

"We're probably where

we thought we would be at this point," Miscik said. "I don't mean just

wins and losses, the fact that we've lost more than we've won. I mean

where guys are at developmentally.

"We knew coming in we had some inexperience and guys

were going to get an opportunity here. At this point, some guys have

taken that opportunity and have developed and are on the right track.

Other guys are a little slower in doing that."

 

And that's where Miscik's experience -- he has been in the game as a

minor league player, coach, field coordinator, player development

coordinator and manager since 1980 -- and the experience of his coaches

comes in.

"Obviously when you're in A ball, you have a little

more patience with guys," he said. "But the clock is ticking with each

player. You have to at some point produce in a fashion that would help a

higher-level team win."

But

a player also has to show he can measure up under the wilting pressure

of professional baseball before he can help anyone win, and that takes a

deft touch to determine when to push a player or when to pull the plug.

"Generally speaking,

we want people just to compete," Miscik said. "And this process, some of

these guys are dealing with failure the first time and the first thing

that happens when they start failing is they lose their competitiveness.

"And we have to

constantly say, 'This is natural. This is not high school, this isn't

college. It gets a little harder every step.' As long as a person is

competing, then we have their back. We're going to stick with them.

"If they're out there

competing and they come the next day and try to work on whatever didn't

work and try to make some improvements, develop some, that's the

process. We're going to keep going, win or lose."

[battlekow]

IF Matt Cline and Sergio Miranda and OF Erik Komatsu were selected to the FSL All-Star Game, which is hosted by BC at Space Coast Stadium on June 12th.

[Mass Haas]

From the Manatee Press Release:

 

Matt Cline is currently sixth in the league in hitting at .333 and third in the league in on-base percentage at .436 through play on Wednesday. He was selected in the 22nd round of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by Milwaukee.

 

Erik Komatsu currently leads Brevard County in six offensive categories, including doubles, stolen bases and slugging percentage. He also leads the Florida State League with 59 hits heading into play on Thursday. He was selected as a post-season All-Star while playing for the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer League in 2008.

 

Sergio Miranda is currently tied for fifth in the league with 33 runs batted in and has struck out just 15 times in 180 at-bats so far in 2010. He was a 13th round pick of the Chicago White Sox in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

 

Brevard County will be hosting the 2010 Florida State League All-Star Game at Space Coast Stadium on Saturday, June 12 at 7:35 PM (6:35 Central). It is the third time that the Manatees have hosted the FSL All-Star Game and the second time in the last three seasons.

 

For more information on the Brevard County Manatees and the 2010 Florida State League All-Star Game, visit www.manateesbaseball.com .

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Brevard County trio an All-Star hit

BY MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY

 

VIERA -- The Florida State League standings don't reflect it, but the Brevard County Manatees are getting their share of hits and have their share of All-Stars.

 

Heading into Friday night's game against the Fort Myers Miracle, the Manatees (17-30) had three hitters in the league's top 13 in batting average: shortstop Matt Cline (.336), outfielder Erik Komatsu (.322) and infielder Sergio Miranda (.314).

 

And those three players were named to the league's North Division All-Star team for the June 12 game at Space Coast Stadium.

 

Komatsu was tied for the league lead in hits -- 59 -- and was ranked seventh in steals with 13.

 

Cline was fourth in the league in hitting at .333 and fourth in on-base percentage at .435.

 

Miranda was tied for sixth with 33 runs batted in and has struck out just 16 times -- as have Cline and Komatsu -- with Miranda's coming in 185 at bats compared to 183 for Komatsu and 143 for Cline.

 

In short, they are having noteworthy -- and All-Star caliber -- seasons.

 

"It feels awesome, after working out in the offseason," said Miranda who played 82 games for the Manatees last season. "I lost 25 pounds. It's been good that all that work is paying off."

 

For Komatsu, the All-Star selection follows him missing all but 26 games in 2009 thanks to a broken wrist and a torn hamstring. But he has bounced back in the midst of the grind that is Advanced Class A baseball.

 

"It was a rough year last year," he said. "My first year in pro ball (2008) I played pretty much every day in Helena, Mont. This year . . . I'm just trying to stay healthy and just trying to stay on the field.

 

"It's a higher level (here). There's no doubt about it. The pitching's much better."

 

Cline, who also broke in at Helena and played 32 games for the Manatees in 2008, also is adjusting.

 

"It gets to you," he said about the FSL's demanding, play-nearly-every-day schedule. "But you've just got to find a way to grind through it and just know when to do extra work and when to take some time off."

 

Players not selected as All-Stars will get three days off in June, but naturally the Manatees trio welcomes the opportunity to trade time off for the extra, showcase game.

 

"To me it's another game, so I'm going to go out there and I want to win," Cline said. "I don't want to go out there and lose just because it's the All-Star game. I'm going to go out there and compete."

 

Ditto for Komatsu.

 

"I'm not going to out there and just lollygag," he said. "I'm going to try and do my best."

 

There's another aspect to the game as well for the honorees who, because of their selection, could have an opportunity to become leaders.

 

"We were talking about this the past few days," Miranda said. "We're the guys, we need some leaders on this team in general and obviously to have this honor, it can help us in that area a little bit.

 

"But we have to actually do it the right way. We have to show how we respect the game. That would carry to the other guys too."

 

2010 Brevard County Manatees All-Stars

 

MATT CLINE

Age: 24

Born: Anaheim Hills, Calif.

College: Cal State Long Beach

Bats: Right; Throws: Right

 

ERIK KOMATSU

Age: 22

Born: Camarillo, Calif.

College: Cal State Fullerton

Bats: Left; Throws: Left

 

SERGIO MIRANDA

Age: 23

Born: Richmond, Va.

College: Virginia Commonwealth

Bats: Switch hitter; Throws: Right

 

Brevard County Manatees players (left to right), Sergio Miranda Erik Komatsu and Matt Cline will represent the team at next month's Florida State League All-Star Game. (Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY)

 

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20100529&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=5290320&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

 

Of course, for the photographer's symmetry, Matt Cline holding his bat as though he were a left-handed stick. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[battlekow]

Familiar face returns to Manatees' clubhouse

Mark DeCotis/Florida Today

 

Being back in the Brevard County Manatees clubhouse is the last place

Logan Schafer figured he would be in the 2010 baseball season.

But there he has been

for four games and will be for an undetermined period, trying to regain

his timing and his feel following a left groin tear and a hernia. The

injuries, suffered in a winter program game before spring training, have

cost the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Year

valuable time in his attempt to move up the organization ladder,

especially since he had been extended an invitation to the Major League

spring camp.

Now,

following day after frustrating day on a training table and in and he

could be forgiven if he began searching for the nearest exit.

But that's not

Schafer's nature.

"My

expectations right now, until I get back to 100 percent, aren't too

much based on my performance but a lot on getting my legs underneath

me," he said before the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against

Bradenton. "Trying to stay healthy for a while and trying really just to

get myself going back to where I should be."

It will be a long climb.

"It's interrupted his year, it's a pretty important

year for him," said Manatees Manager Bob Miscik.

"He's, right now, trying to get back to where he

needs to be. And when you're coming into a season when other people are

in mid-season form and you're back to square one, spring training type,

it's difficult. He's going to be playing catch-up and it's going to add

to his frustration.

"It's

hard to come back in the middle of the year."

But, based on what Schafer, 23, has experienced, he

believes he's up to it. And he has a solid fix on what's important.

"When I get healthy --

I'm not going to say 100 percent -- but when I get healthy . . . I will

never take a day for granted, a pitch for granted, an at-bat for

granted," Schafer said.

"When

you have your health you don't even think about it, it's like the

furthest thing from your mind. But when you're laid up on a table for

3 1/2, 4 months and now I'm just trying to get my legs back, because I

didn't have spring training or anything. It's just tough."

But he believes it's

also made him stronger for what lies ahead, which could include surgery

on the hernia at season's end.

"I can easily say it's one of the hardest times I've

had in my life," he said. "It's been mentally taxing. Obviously, the

physical pain you go through, it is what it is. Everyone goes through

those things. The mental hardships I've had to sit and kind of struggle

through . . . has been really the toughest part."

Schafer's goal is to get to Class AA Huntsville where

several of his 2009 Manatees teammates and manager Mike Guerrero are

now assigned, but he realizes he can't rush it.

"It's not so much I've got to go 2-for-4 tonight or

I've got to do this," he said. My expectations are I can get myself to a

point where I can get comfortable quickly and get myself back ready to

play every day."

 

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20100609&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=6090344&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

(Craig Rubadoux/Florida Today)

[Mass Haas]

Congratulations to RHP Michael Fiers, who has been named a replacement all-star for Saturday night's mid-season classic at Space Coast Stadium. He'll join Erik Komatsu, Matt Cline, and Sergio Miranda.

[Mass Haas]

Congratulations to RHP Michael Fiers, who has been named a replacement all-star for Saturday night's mid-season classic at Space Coast Stadium. He'll join Erik Komatsu, Matt Cline, and Sergio Miranda.

This MiLB.com All-Star roster page indicates that initially RHP Wily Peralta was named to the squad as a late addition, but two days later (and one day after Peralta had a middling 4.2 inning start), Michael Fiers was named to replace Peralta. Hopefully Wily's back right after the break just fine.

 

[Mass Haas]

Here's your info as the Manatees and Space Coast Stadium host the 2010 Florida State League All-Star Game

 

Date / Time: Saturday June 12th, Game Time is 6:35 PM Central

 

Coverage: SpaceCoastBaseball.com's Stephen C. Smith will have the call (listen here) with a pre-game of 6:00 PM Central

 

Manatee Participants: Representing the North Squad, INF's Matt Cline and Sergio Miranda, OF Erik Komatsu, RHP Michael Fiers

 

Box Score / Game Log: LINK

 

Post-game "Link Report"-style coverage will be within this thread.

 

MiLB.com preview

[Mass Haas]

Link Report Game Post

 

FSL South All-Stars Top 5th

• Defensive Substitution: Kody Kaiser replaces center fielder Brett Jackson, batting 1st, playing center field.
  
• Pitcher Change: Michael Fiers replaces Brayan Villarreal.
  
• Xavier Scruggs homers (1) on a line drive to right field.
  
• Sean Ratliff singles on a line drive to center fielder Kody Kaiser.
  
• Richard Racobaldo strikes out swinging.
  
• Isaias Velasquez grounds into double play, shortstop Gustavo Nunez to first baseman Rawley Bishop. Sean Ratliff out at 2nd.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Satin lifts South past North in 10 innings

BY BRIAN McCALLUM, FLORIDA TODAY

 

MELBOURNE — Rarely does redemption come so quickly, but it was that kind of night for Josh Satin.

 

The St. Lucie Mets infielder made the error that allowed Brevard County's Matt Cline to make his own contribution in the Florida State League All-Star Game at Space Coast Stadium, but it was in a losing effort, a 5-4 South victory in 10 innings.

 

Satin, trying to turn a double play to keep the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, couldn't get his throw from second to first base. Cline reached, driving in teammate Erik Komatsu with what was then the go-ahead RBI.

 

"It was in the dirt," Cline said of the throw. "You can't assume a double play, so I just busted my butt trying to get down there."

 

Another run came home on the error, giving the North team a 4-2 lead that didn't last.

 

In fact, it didn't last long at all. In the top of the next inning, Satin came to the plate with one runner on and sent the pitch out of the park. He finished with three RBI on the night, offsetting his seventh-inning mistake enough to earn the Top Player award.

 

Satin had a game-winning, run-scoring single to end the game in the 10th inning.

 

The game was played before an announced crowd of 4,133.

 

It was the first such experience for Cline, who played for the Manatees for two months in 2008. In his second stint in Brevard, he made his first professional all-star game.

 

"It was a really good experience to be with all these different guys," Cline said. "It was fun, even though we didn't win. It was an all-star game, but I still wanted to win."

 

Cline's own heroics came after he came to the plate following an intentional walk that loaded the bases with one out. He had a sacrifice fly.

 

"I still had the same mindset," he said of what might have been perceived as a slight by the South team. "I didn't care what the guy before me did. I just wanted to get up there and get a hit."

 

At the time, he broke the second tie in a game that was tied three times. Florida State League rules mandate a tie after 10 innings.

 

Xavier Scruggs, the designated hitter for the South, homered to lead off the top of the fifth with a shot over the right-field wall to tie it at 2.

 

In the bottom of the third, Fort Myers pitcher Billy Bullock gave up three hits to open the door for the North. Brett Jackson of Daytona drove in Tampa's Jack Rye. Gustavo Nunez of Lakeland scored to put the North ahead 2-1 on a failed double-play attempt. That broke the game's first tie.

[Mass Haas]

Look for a photo gallery link here -- first photo is for Matt Cline's friends and family

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' Miranda benefiting from offseason weight loss

By Lee Diekemper / Special to MLB.com

 

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- After batting .209 through 36 games in 2008 with Winston-Salem of the Carolina League in the Chicago White Sox organization, infielder Sergio Miranda had to do some soul searching.

 

It was one of the few times he'd ever struggled as a ballplayer, clearly his worst stretch dating back to before his days at Virginia Commonwealth.

 

"I needed to do something if I wanted to continue to play this game," said Miranda, now with the Brevard County Manatees.

 

So Miranda, who last year played infield, outfield and even caught one game, looked in the mirror and noticed he could lose some weight.

 

"I was a little bit overweight," he confessed. "I had a belly."

 

Miranda also was exhausted after the season. So he went to work.

 

Most players will say they work hard; Miranda has proof. He hit the weight room in the offseason, and included with his pushups were pushoffs -- he pushed away from the dinner table.

 

Miranda not only dropped 25 pounds, he built up his frame. Instead of being a flabby 205, he's a chiseled 180 -- stronger, leaner and better conditioned.

 

"We're halfway through the season and it feels like we just got started," Miranda said.

 

He's also quicker, a significant reason Miranda is one of the better hitters in the Florida State League. Through Tuesday, he's tied for second with 73 hits and tied for fifth with 40 RBIs.

 

"It's my first step," Miranda said. "Your first step [out of the box] is so important. Losing all that weight, my first step is now so much quicker. I have more bounce."

 

Not only is he quicker coming out of the batter's box, he's quicker in many other elements of his game.

 

"I haven't lost any of my bat speed," Miranda said. "If anything, my bat speed is quicker. That's because of my weight training. I'm stronger now."

 

That newfound strength has enabled Miranda to set a career high for RBIs. And he's only four hits from matching the total from his best season.

 

Sergio Miranda is eighth in the league with a .312 batting average. (Scott Jontes/MiLB.com)

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/06/16/MHMPVu4T.jpg

Manatees' Miranda benefiting from offseason weight loss

[TheCrew07]

If Escobar goes and plays winter ball again instead of working in the weight room I'm going to flip out, the results don't even compare. Enough with Brewers insisting on winter ball ABs against inferior competition, how about we focus on an off season strength and conditioning program to reduce injuries, improve quickness, improve speed, build bat speed, and maximize power potential?

 

I know I'm crazy for wanting to maximize athletic potential...

[Mass Haas]

Just a wonderful collection of photos taken at Monday's Manatee doubleheader by Stephen C. Smith. I had forgotten that SS Josh Prince is 6'0" -- looks taller even, he doesn't make Matt Cline look his listed 5'10'. This just in -- Angel Salome still 5'7".

[Mass Haas]

Tampa Top 3rd

• Ramon Flores grounds out, second baseman Steve Braun to first baseman Sean Halton.
  
• Ryan Baker walks.
  
• Raymond Kruml pops into double play, shortstop Matt Cline to first baseman Sean Halton. Ryan Baker doubled off 1st. (runner was in motion on the pitch)

That's the action you get to see as Stephen C. Smith's site provides video of Lacrosse, Wisconsin RHP R.J. Seidel works with catcher Michael Roberts in game two of the July 5th doubleheader against the Tampa Yankees.

[Mass Haas]

Spend five minutes watching RHP Wily Peralta toss this inning to Shawn Zarraga, from Monday evening.

 

Tampa Top 1st

• Raymond Kruml doubles (6) on a fly ball to left fielder Brock Kjeldgaard.
  
• Jose Pirela grounds out, second baseman Matt Cline to first baseman Sean Halton. Raymond Kruml to 3rd.
  
• Corban Joseph strikes out swinging.
  
• Bradley Suttle grounds out, pitcher Wily Peralta to first baseman Sean Halton.

We all underappreciate the two-man umpiring crews -- here's to you as well, gentlemen!

 

Video courtesy of Stephen C. Smith's site.

[1e Corbeau]

RHP Cody Scarpetta with some (mixed) love for his 21 IP scoreless streak from prospect talking heads today on Twitter:

Kevin Goldstein[/url'>]No. 3 or 4 starter. RT @HardBraun: @Kevin_Goldstein what kind of ceiling does scarpetta have?

Jim Callis]One of my favorite Brewers prospects. No. 2 ceiling, more realistic No. 3. RT @UeckerPowell: Cody Scarpetta has 21-IP scoreless streak going

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

'Tees hurler in a groove

Cody Scarpetta hasn't allowed a run this month

BY MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY

Cody Scarpetta has not been in a giving mood lately.

 

The Brevard County Manatees right-hander has not allowed a run in his last 21 innings on the mound, quite a turnaround from earlier in the season.

Scarpetta had allowed 23 runs in 29 innings before beginning the scoreless streak over his final four innings against Lakeland at home on June 24. Since then, he pitched five innings at Dunedin on July 2, seven innings against Dunedin at home on July 8 and five innings against Charlotte at home on Wednesday, all without allowing a runner across the plate.

In his last three outings, he has allowed only six hits over 17 innings while striking out 25.

"It feels pretty good," Scarpetta said of his streak, attributing it to a mechanical adjustment to his lower body.

"Before my leg, my knee would kind of fly open, like a door flying open. We've been trying to stay closed, keeping that knee closed, going down straight down to the ground."

Scarpetta, whose father Dan pitched in the Milwaukee Brewers organization from 1982-89, was drafted by the Brewers in the 11th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Guilford (Ill.) High School. An intimidating presence on the mound at 6 feet, 3 inches and 240 pounds, he's in his first season with the Manatees, the Brewers affiliate in the long-season Class A Florida State League. The FSL is considered one of the most challenging levels, if not the toughest, in A ball.

Scarpetta believes the secret to success in the FSL comes down to one thing: executing pitches.

And it's his fastball, clocked as high as 96 mph, that he has been executing most effectively. In fact, on Wednesday, his first 42 pitches were heaters.

"My big thing, I feel like if I can command the ball, I should have success, and that's what I've been doing so far," Scarpetta said.

However, a pitcher doesn't live by heat alone, and Scarpetta is aware he needs to refine his secondary pitches -- his changeup, his curve and his cut fastball.

Scarpetta also is aware of maintaining his confidence through the ups and downs of the 140-game season, and his efforts have not escaped notice from his teammates, who have joked with him about it. His next opportunity to both extend his streak and impress his teammates comes Monday at Palm Beach.

 

Pitching coach Fred Dabney, who worked with Scarpetta on the adjustment, credited the pitcher for being able to adapt and make the most of the change.

 

"It was a simple adjustment that took a little bit of time for him to get it down," Dabney said. "Once he got it down, he's taken it and run with it and is getting more consistent every day with it."

And now that Scarpetta is comfortable, Dabney can see Scarpetta's consistency and confidence increasing and, with them, his results.

"Cody's got outstanding stuff," Dabney said.

That may be the case, but there's one more weapon in Scarpetta's arsenal that he is using: his memory, or lack thereof.

"I know (about the streak)," he said. "I'm just taking one game at a time. You kind of have to have amnesia going from the last game to the next. You've just got to stay on the routine you've been on, what works for you."

And that's obviously working for him.

 

 

Scarpetta stats

Record:[/b] 4-8
ERA:[/b] 3.70
Games:[/b] 17
Innings pitched:[/b] 822/3
Hits:[/b] 73
Runs:[/b] 39
Earned runs:[/b] 34
Home runs allowed:[/b] 3
Walks:[/b] 44
Strikeouts:[/b] 92
[/b]

Brevard County Manatees pitcher Cody Scarpetta hasn't allowed a run in his past three outings. (Dennis Greenblatt, for FLORIDA TODAY)

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20100717&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=7170325&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

Back in May, the Brewers extended their agreement with Brevard County through 2012, as detailed earlier in this thread.

 

It now appears the club may benefit from some negotiated impovements at Space Coast Stadium between the county and the Washington Nationals, who conduct spring training there --

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Nationals request upgrades

Field replacement tops team's 35-item list for Space Coast Stadium

BY MARK DeCOTIS • FLORIDA TODAY

The Washington Nationals have submitted a 35-item list of what they believe are necessary capital improvements to Space Coast Stadium in advance of 2011 spring training.

 

Topping the list -- and most likely the only item to be immediately addressed -- is replacement of the original stadium playing surface, drainage and irrigation repair, and new sod for bullpen areas with a starting date of no later than Sept. 20.

Time would be of the essence since the work would need to be completed and new grass laid down before the onset of cold weather.

County spokeswoman Kimberly Prosser said the county manager's office asked the Nationals to prioritize the 35-item list, which the team did.

"The priorities list will go to the Board of County Commissioners later this month for permission to bid," Prosser wrote in an e-mail. "After that, an RFP (request for proposals) would be issued."

Five items the Nationals say the county, which owns the stadium, has identified as necessary but most likely will be delayed are: Sidewalk repair; continuing installation of waterproofing system in the concourse area; repairing the batting cage roof; emergency exit light replacement; and updating the structural evaluation of the stadium.

The items were submitted in a letter dated May 14, 2010 from the Nationals Director of Florida Operations Thomas Bell to Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten. In the letter, Bell requested improvements be completed by Jan. 15.

Bell said the organization would not comment on the improvements issue.

Under a lease that expires in 2017, the team pays for stadium operations and maintenance while the county is responsible for capital improvements.

The capital improvement money comes from taxes paid by tourists on lodgings -- not local property taxes -- that are earmarked for the stadium and promotional activities.

Kalina Subido, [/b]International Marketing Manager of the Brevard County Tourism Development Council, which administers the tourism tax, said the TDC in June recommended the Board of County Commissioners approve $316,000 for 2010-2011 work.

 

The current list of improvements, including field replacement, is estimated to cost more than $2 million. Replacing the field alone is expected to cost about $316,000.

 

The average time from advertisement to opening of bids is 30 days.

The stadium hosted its first spring training game in March of 1994. The Nationals, who succeeded the former Montreal Expos franchise, began holding spring training at the Viera stadium in 2005. They are under contract to train there through Dec. 31, 2017.

Brevard officials have spent nearly $5 million on the stadium since 2006. Improvements included new seats, canopy and roof replacement, new electronic scoreboard, video board, stadium paint, gate signs, monument sign (front marquee), team store remodel, locker room renovations, padding replacement, fence repairs, ceiling tile replacement, mold remediation, renovated concession stands, new lighting, batting cage upgrades, and sidewalk repairs.

Charlie Baumann, president of the Brevard County Manatees, the Milwaukee Brewers Class A Florida State League affiliate that subleases the stadium from the Nationals, lauds the big league team's efforts to upgrade the facility.

"They've done a magnificent job in working with the county and improving the stadium to where it enhances the fan experience," Baumann said.

"It's a really nice place. We're really thrilled to have the facility we have."

The Manatees have input through the Nationals on stadium improvements.

"There's always ways to improve the fan experience, we'll let the Nationals take the lead on that one," Baumann said.

 

Here's the list of 35 requested improvements.

[Never Outhustled]

That's a good article on Scarpetta. Its a relief any time we see evidence of our pitching coaches helping develop a pitcher.

[battlekow]

Manatees glide back to Brevard

Mark DeCotis/Florida Today

 

The road-tested Brevard County Manatees return home tonight after a 10-game trip that covered 11 days. And they not only survived, they thrived, finishing with a 7-3 record that has kept them in the thick of the Florida State League North race.

 

The Manatees beat St. Lucie 5-1 Wednesday night to remain two games out of first place following a rough first half of the season that saw them finish last with a 27-42 record. Now, with 100 games in the book, their cumulative record is 46-54.

 

The difference, according to Manatees manager Bob Miscik, has been simple.

 

"We've walked less people, we've continued to make plays and we've gotten timely hits," he said as the Manatees rode the bus south to Port St. Lucie on Wednesday afternoon.

 

"We're trying to get better every day, let the results take care of themselves."

 

And he ties the results to a team effort.

 

"Everybody's been contributing," he said. "When I say everybody, I mean the entire roster, all 25. It's been people who have been added as well. When they come, they've done a good job."

 

That good work has led to the improvement and a noticeable upgrade in the players' attitudes.

 

"We were struggling to find an identity for a while there, kids in their first full season of pro ball," Miscik said. "Now they have gotten more confident. We'll see where it leads us."

 

The Manatees, an affiliate of the National League Milwaukee Brewers, have three hitters in the top 12 of long-season Class A Florida State League statistics. Outfielder Erik Komatsu is third with a .321 average, infielder Matt Cline is 10th at .284 and first baseman Sean Halton 12th at .282. As a team the Manatees are ranked eighth out of 12 teams at .251.

 

Pitching-wise, the Manatees are eighth with a 3.87 earned run average. They still rank second in walks allowed with 387 and rank sixth in strikeouts with 762.

 

Heading into Wednesday they were 10-5 at home in the second half and 9-7 on the road, riding a four-game win streak and winning seven out of their last 10.

 

That's all fine and well but Miscik expects more.

 

"I know we have much room for improvement," he said. "So we can still get better."

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' Komatsu benefiting from lifestyle changes

By Lee Diekemper / Special to MLB.com

 

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Most Minor Leaguers consider good statistics and a bump up the organizational ladder a successful season. Just the fact that Brevard County Manatees center fielder Erik Komatsu is playing makes this season a success.

 

It doesn't hurt that Komatsu is tagging the ball with regularity.

 

Entering Tuesday's game against Dunedin, the Cal State-Fullerton product was second in the Florida State League with a .321 average. Last year, Komatsu was just hoping to get in a game; he battled the injury bug and the bug won.

 

"My main goal this season was just to stay healthy," Komatsu said. "Last year, I was hurt all year. I only played in 26 games."

 

Komatsu's series of injuries actually began before the 2009 season opened. Selected by the Brewers in the eighth round of the 2008 Draft, he was set to play for Class A Wisconsin of the Midwest League when, facing a college team in an exhibition game, he suffered a concussion during a collision at third base.

 

When he was finally cleared to play, Komatsu wasn't healthy for long. On the first swing of his first at-bat of the season, he snapped a bone in his wrist. While rehabbing in the Rookie-level Arizona League, he blew out his hamstring. Perhaps trying to rush back, Komatsu repeatedly pulled the same muscle.

 

"I was pulling my hamstring and I did it so much I tore it," he said.

 

So when he reported for Spring Training this year, Komatsu had one simple goal -- staying healthy.

 

"This is really my first full [professional] season," he said. "I always felt like my talent would show if I could only stay healthy."

 

And it has.

 

In an attempt to avoid injuries, Komatsu changed his lifestyle. He went through a heavy lower-body weight-lifting regime during the offseason to make sure his hamstrings would withstand the rigors of a full spring and summer.

 

Then, Komatsu made a concerted effort to eat right. It's made a significant difference, he said.

 

"I try to eat as healthy as I can. Sometimes, it's hard," he admitted. "You get out of the stadium at 11 p.m. and there's not much open but fast food and [pizza]. You have to find a way to eliminate as much as possible the bad stuff you are putting in your body. You have to hydrate and eat well for the next day.

 

"In this [Florida] climate, you have to sleep with a gallon of water by your bed."

 

So far, the precautions have paid off, much to the chagrin of FSL pitchers.

 

"I can't afford to miss another 100 games," Komatsu said.

 

Erik Komatsu is second in the league in batting, OBP and runs scored. (Photo by Scott Jontes/MiLB.com)

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/08/11/Zk3NX3Pa.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

New Space Coast Stadium field will be a mix of materials

BY MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY

 

Replacing the original, 16-year-old playing surface at Space Coast Stadium shouldn't be complicated. After all, all crews will have to do is dig up the old stuff and replace it with new stuff.

 

But there will be lots of new stuff: 103,000 square feet of turf/sod, 60 tons of infield clay, 4,500 tons of sports field sand, 6 tons of clay conditioner, and 125 tons of warning track stone, all to cover the 158,500 square feet that comprise the baseball field.

The stadium is used during spring training by Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals, who lease it from Brevard County, and in the summer by the Single-A Brevard County Manatees of the Florida State League.

The Nationals' lease runs through 2017, and they have made overtures to at least two other locations in Florida this year. On April 2, they toured City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, which the Boston Red Sox will leave following spring training in 2011 in favor of a new facility in Lee County. And on July 26, as Brevard officials were mulling whether to approve the new playing surface, Nationals president Stan Kasten wrote to Osceola County officials expressing interest in possibly moving the team's spring training site.

Kasten would not comment on the letter.

The new field, which the Nationals have been seeking for two years, is necessary because of its age, the uneven surface caused by years of mowing, and its increasing inability to absorb water. To that end, workers will inspect and perform necessary repairs on the drainage and irrigation pipes that lie below organic material that has built up through 16 years. That material prevents the field from draining properly in times of heavy rain, turning the whole place at times into a swamp.

"To be honest with you, we're not 100 percent sure what's underneath (the playing surface)," said Thomas Bell, the Nationals' Viera-based Director of Florida Operations.

"Our groundskeeper says there's been some modifications. We're really interested in getting it out and inspecting everything, the irrigation, the drainage."

 

Specifications call for removing the existing turf and organic material below it to a minimum depth of 6 inches.

 

"Years of cutting the lawn, it just builds up," Bell said of the material.

"The core sample they took, they estimate 8 to 10 inches of organic material that does not allow the field to percolate, which is one of the reasons we are having so much water intrusion into the building. It doesn't percolate through the field, it goes into the stadium. It will remedy that issue. It also will remedy . . . especially focusing on third and first base, you'll see these enormous crowns that we take out, but every year you get this steeper and steeper grade."

The cost to replace the field is estimated at $295,954.

The Brevard County Commission recently approved spending $316,000 in tourism tax money to replace the field and perform other work. Bids were due to the county Facilities Department by 2 p.m. Thursday. Work is scheduled to begin at the conclusion of the Manatees' season next month. The Nationals are hoping for completion by mid-to-late October or early November to allow sufficient grow-in time for the Certified 419 Bermuda sod. Bid specifications call for completion in 75 days.

"It will promote the best growth, it will give us a nice, level playing surface and it will help the field percolate which will help curb some of the water intrusion into the building," Bell said of the project. "That's really what we're trying to do."

The stadium field will be replaced in stages with the outfield being completed first. The crushed stone warning track will be dug out to a minimum depth of 4 inches -- and replaced -- and will maintain its width of 15 feet upon completion.

The infield will be the final piece in the puzzle, with workers replacing the clay and leveling it to the level of the outfield turf.

The current sod from the entire field will be recycled, most likely being used to build several new sports venues in the county in a project spearheaded by Rusty Buchanan of Space Coast Sports Promotions.

 

Locations of the venues and their use still are being discussed, according to Buchanan.

 

Pitcher Jason Bergmann, who appeared in 24 games at Space Coast Stadium as a Manatee in 2004 and who has participated in spring training with the Nationals every year since their inception in 2005, can speak to field conditions.

"I never viewed the playing surface as a detracting factor from the field, I always felt it was a well-manicured field," said Bergmann, who now is pitching for the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, N.Y.

"The grounds crew did a tremendous job with the amount of rain that field takes every year. I never had any problems with the playing surface, it was well-manicured grass, it kind of felt like a little golf course you were playing on."

Keeping the field, especially one in its rambunctious teenage years, in that good shape takes a lot of work, keeping the six full-time members of the grounds crew busy throughout the year.

Thus, assistant grounds crew director Ken Berger of Melbourne is looking forward to the new surface.

"As far from a standpoint of working on a new field, it's going to be nice to work on a smooth surface again," Berger said.

"You don't see the ups and downs, the undulations, and rolls the field has unless you're a ballplayer or probably a groundskeeper."

The fact there are undulations and rolls on the field is a creature of 16 years of rain, mowing, top dressing, and everything else inherent in maintaining the surface.

The grounds crew most likely won't be involved until contractors are finished and the fine, final touches are necessary to bring the field into compliance with Major League Baseball standards.

Then the white glove treatment begins all over again.

[battlekow]

Dan Merklinger named FSL Pitcher of the Week

Frank Longobardo/Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. --- The Florida State League announced on Monday afternoon that Brevard County Manatees starting pitcher Dan Merklinger was named the league's pitcher of the week for the period of August 16-22.

 

In two starts last week, Merklinger went 2-0 with a 1.12 earned run average in 16 innings pitched. He struck out 17 hitters and allowed nine hits, while not walking a single batter.

 

On August 16, Merklinger went eight innings and allowed one run on four hits in Brevard County's 4-1 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays.

 

Five days later in Daytona Beach, the South Orange, NJ native was magnificent again, as he threw eight innings and allowed one run on five hits and struck out 12 batters in a 15-2 Manatees victory. His 12 strikeouts was one shy of tying his highest single-game total of the season (13 against St. Lucie on July 28).

 

In his last ten starts, dating back to June 30, Merklinger has not allowed any more than three earned runs in any of his starts, leading to a 2.10 ERA over that span.

 

His strikeout-to-walk ratio has also been exceptional since June 30, as he has struck out 6.81 batters per walk (75 strikeouts/11 walks). He also leads the Manatees with 126 innings pitched.

 

Merklinger was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Seton Hall University. He is the first Manatee in 2010 to be selected as a Florida State League Player of the Week.

[Tedaldtada]

Man, I always forget the Merk was a high pick.