Link Report for the Pioneer League Finals -- HELENA BREWERS, CHAMPIONS!!

[And That]

Cody Hawn of course was the star of the evening. I still contend he's the better pure hitter between he and Hunter Morris (although Morris very well could have posted Nintendo-numbers had he began his pro career in the Pioneer League).

Given Hawn's strikeout rate in Helena, I'm not sure he would have done any better than Morris in Appleton. I think this debate won't have some clarification until some time next year.

 

Garman (despite his walk totals) and Marzec are definitely on my radar, as is Neda. The Brewers sure seem to be stockpiling good groundball pitchers.

[MTBrew]

colbyjack,

First congratulations to the 2010 Helena Brewers!

Pitching and defense win titles. After they made the playoffs I felt very positive that they could win the whole thing.

I've kind of stayed away from on-board comments this year but have been very pleased with the attitude of the club and the preparation for each game. It may be just this group of players but the baseball IQ seemed very high this year and they played with a purpose all season long. This, in my opinion, was a direct reflection on Joe Ayrault's (and staff's) leadership and his pre-season declaration of team goals - 1. to make the playoffs, 2. to win the division and 3. to win the league title. The players bought into it and played team baseball thru the end. In an era of "me first" egos it was a real pleasure watching these guys. I hope that the organization recognizes Ayrault's talents, he's an excellent manager and teacher. Its really important to have good coaching and to develop a team attitude at this level. Props to Elvin Nina too, he's done an outstanding job the past 3 years. I would like to see all 3, including Yost, back next year.

As for the players, once again its all pitching. Not to take anything away from what the team accomplished but I am not seeing any impact position players on their way to Mil. (Interesting, the last Helena team to win the league title was 1996, and I can't recall anyone from that club making the show.) I do agree with your assessment of Neda, and feel he could become a MLB backup. As he got more comfortable his hitting improved. I hate to project pitching but as noted Thornburg could be a jewel, in addition to his heat he is also a competitor. Nelson is a horse as is Miller. I also like Alex Jones as a sleeper. When "on" Evan Frederickson had the best stuff of anyone.

Anyway, it was a fun summer in Helena, now the long 9 months until next June.

[battlekow]

I also like Alex Jones as a sleeper.

I was going to add Jones to Marzec and Garman as far as guys who could solidify Wisconsin's bullpen next year. He's gotten lost in the shuffle a bit, but I know colby liked him as a sleeper post-draft. Is his slider as good as some of the scouting reports we've heard?

[battlekow]

Final (game two): Helena 14, @Ogden 3

Hawn, Helena sweep to Pioneer crown

John Parker/Special to MLB.com

The Helena Brewers broke out their bats Thursday night to win their first Pioneer League title since 1996.

Designated hitter Cody Hawn collected two home runs and a career-high eight RBIs in the 14-3 rout of the host Ogden Raptors. Helena swept the Rookie-level Finals in two games.

A sixth-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in June, Hawn led the Brewers with 13 longballs and tied for the league lead with 61 RBIs in 65 regular season games. He had never driven in more than four runs in his 69 games as a pro.

"I had an eight-RBI game in college that was actually pretty similar, with a slam and a two-run homer," Hawn said. "But to do it in a championship game is extra special."

Hawn's huge night eclipsed the seven RBIs that Orem's Casey Haerther collected in the decisive third game of the 2009 Finals, in which the Owlz beat the Missoula Osprey, 13-10.

The Raptors led the league in hitting (.298), scoring (494) and home record (26-12) and had All-Star right-hander Red Patterson on the mound. They had also gone 6-1 against the Brewers during the regular season. But from the first inning on Thursday, the game was all Brewers.

After leadoff man Rob Garvey struck out, Shea Vucinich -- who entered the game 1-for-15 in the postseason -- singled to left field. Hawn followed with a two-run blast to left.

Helena went down quietly in the next two frames, but sent nine men to the plate in the fourth, scoring six runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman. The inning was capped by Hawn's two-out grand slam off Raptors reliever Jake McCarter.

"Both [home run pitches] were up and away. It seemed like they were trying to pitch me that way in Game 1, so I went with it and tried to get good wood on them," Hawn said. "And it helps to come up with runners on base."

The Brewers struck again for six runs on six hits in the fifth. Hawn delivered a two-RBI single with the bases loaded.

Helena's own All-Star starter, Matt Miller, held the Raptors scoreless for four innings before yielding a three-run shot in the fifth to Nick Akins, who led the circuit with 15 regular-season homers.

Miller (2-0) went five frames, allowing three runs on six hits. He fanned four and walked a pair.

Helena reliever Eric Marzec tossed a hitless sixth, followed by Jimmy Nelson, who scattered two hits and two walks over two scoreless frames. Southpaw Brian Garman struck out one in a perfect ninth.

Hawn, who batted three times with the bases loaded, was robbed of perhaps two more RBIs when Ogden second baseman Casio Grider made a diving play on his sharply hit grounder in the sixth.

Hawn was hardly alone in battering the Raptors pitching staff. Carlos George collected three hits, Michael Walker singled twice and drove in a pair of runs and Vucinich scored three times. The Brewers went 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position and outhit Ogden, 15-8.

Kenneth Allison, who went 2-for-5 with a double, was one of a handful of Brewers to win their second championship of the season. He was a member of the Arizona Rookie League Brewers, who won their league title on Aug. 31.

Patterson (0-1) took the loss for the Raptors, allowing six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He fanned five and did not walk a batter.

Helena manager Joe Ayrault, the co-Pioneer League Manager of the Year, captured the crown in his first season in the Milwaukee organization. He spent the previous three campaigns managing the Sarasota Reds in the Florida State League.

He guided the Brewers past the circuit's top two regular season teams -- Great Falls and Ogden -- to capture the Bob Wilson Trophy. It was Helena's fourth Pioneer League title overall and first since beating Ogden in the 1996 Finals. The club also won in 1984 and 1995.

For Hawn, the whole championship season was special.

"The last three months been above and beyond everything I thought and hoped," he said. "There was something special about this team. Even back when we started, we had a unique chemistry. They're a great bunch of guys. It makes winning tonight that much better."

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/09/16/AjL6ObPT.jpg

Cody Hawn (Bill Mitchell/Four Seam Images)

Helena box score

Awesome! Any win would have been fantastic, but a complete bludgeoning is particularly enjoyable. Congrats and thanks to all the Brewers, and especially Hawn on his outstanding season. We'll see you guys in Appleton in the spring.

Helena play-by-play

[MTBrew]

Jones slider is the real deal. I also thought his command was very good.

He is also very intimidating with that side arm delivery. Hitters that would stand in there tho could get the bat on the ball. It will be interesting to see next year when he faces more advanced hitters.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Jones move up beyond Wisc. coming out of spring training.

Garman and Marzac will definitely help Wisc, I am just not sure how high their ceiling is.

[battlekow]

Raise a toast to the Brewers

Amber Kuehn/Helena Independent Record

OGDEN, Utah — Cody Hawn may have just played his last game in a Helena Brewers uniform.

Helena’s designated hitter Thursday made a strong argument for a promotion, hammering out two home runs—one a grand slam—and batting in eight runs to lift the Brewers to their first Pioneer League Championship in 14 years.

Helena beat the Ogden Raptors 14-3 at Lindquist Field to capture the franchise’s first title since 1996. That one also came against Ogden, when both teams were Milwaukee affiliates.

“Unbelievable,” first-year Helena manager Joe Ayrault said when asked to put his feelings into words. “I couldn’t ask for a better staff here in Helena.”

The Brewers did what they had to do to make sure they took care of business in two games. Not wanting to lose and be forced to play a Game 3, Helena cleared out the hotel and loaded the bus before coming out to the ballpark. The team wanted to head back to Helena on Thursday night, and they wanted to head back with rings.

“This was above and beyond what I expected it to be,” Hawn said of his first pro season. “I knew there was something special about this group at camp, our chemistry was just amazing from day one.”

Ogden had gotten the best of Helena in the regular season, winning six of seven. This one was never within reach for the Raptors, as Hawn hit a two-run, opposite field shot off Ogden starter Red Patterson in the first inning to stake the visitors to an early lead.

Little did the Raptors know, the player affectionately known in the Brewers’ clubhouse as ‘The Cheetah’ was just getting started.

“It's tough,” Ogden manager Damon Berryhill said. “But you've got to give Helena credit. They pitched well against us and neutralized our bats, and we made some mistakes with Hawn and he did what he was supposed to do.”

After Helena tacked on two more scores in the top of the fourth courtesy of Robbie Garvey’s two-run single, Ogden reliver Jake McCarter walked Shea Vucinich to load the bases. That set up the league-leader in RBIs perfectly, as the lefty Hawn sent a carbon copy of his first homer sailing out of the park to put Helena up 8-0.

“When I hit it I knew it was gone,” Hawn said.

“As Cody was rounding third he said ‘I love championship games,’ ” Ayrault said. “That just fired me up. He loves big games, the grin never came off his face. He couldn’t have had a better night for us.”

The Brewers would extend their lead to 14-0 in a six-run fifth frame, when Hawn, Rafael Neda and Carlos George each struck RBI singles.

Ogden’s only life came from Nick Akins, the league leader in home runs during the regular season. He hit a three-run shot in the fifth frame, the only real damage done to Helena starter Matt Miller, to put the Raptors on the board.

“I'm not going to say it felt bad to hit it,” Akins said. “But we didn't win the game and that's the whole point of playing.”

Miller (2-0) earned the win, his second of the postseason. The right-hander worked five innings, giving up just six hits and three earned runs while walking two and fanning four. Eric Marzec, Jimmy Nelson and Brian Garman pitched two-hit, shutout ball the rest of the way.

“Coming out and winning the first game of the playoffs was actually probably the biggest,” said Miller, who was also the winning pitcher in Game one of the Pioneer League North Championship series against Great Falls. “Neda did a great job blocking behind the plate, and our offense did a great job coming out and giving me run support.”

After beating the Raptors in Game one via 17 strikeouts by Brewers pitchers, Helena got this one done with its hitters. The Brewers finished with 15 hits in the contest and every player in the lineup reached base. George and Hawn each recorded three hits.

It was an extra special evening for five Brewers—Kenny Allison, Nick Shaw, Charly Bashara, Tony Roberts and Jose Sanchez—after they won their second championship of the 2010 season [bK: And also Alex Periard]. The Arizona League Brewers won rings for being the best at the low-rookie level before coming to the Capital City. Allison was the only recently promoted player to see action in this finale, going 2 for 5 with a double.

And a fine finale it was.

“It was fun to come in as underdogs and out as champions,” Miller said.

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/e/31/785/e31785d2-c222-11df-861e-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c9307641683d.image.jpg

Helena’s Cody Hawn, right, is congratulated by teammate Robbie Garvey (59) and others after hitting a home run on Thursday.

(Nick Short/Ogden Standard-Examiner)

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/2/e8/07d/2e807d58-c223-11df-a6c0-001cc4c03286-revisions/4c9307e17358d.image.jpg

Helena’s Greg Hopkins, right, congratulates Cody Hawn after Hawn homered during Thursday’s game.

(Nick Short/Ogden Standard-Examiner)

[CheezWizHed]

Cody Hawn may have just played his last game in a Helena Brewers uniform. Helena’s designated hitter Thursday made a strong argument for a promotion...

 

I nominate this for the "Understatement of the Year" award.

 

Congrats to our rookie level teams! Bring that attitude on up!

[colbyjack]

MTBrew, thanks for chiming in. It's always nice to hear from you and your first-hand observations. I agree with your assessment, even if I was only listening (for the most part) to the games from afar.

[Tedaldtada]

Anyone know where I can get Cody Hawn's regular season and playoff stats combined? Or do I just have to get my hands dirty? I don't think the BRef page has the combined stats.

 

Edit: Found them. http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=518776. Hawn finishes with 36 XBH's in 261 ab's. He had 38 BB's and 7 HBP's. Those numbers were good for a .960 OPS on the year, second highest in the entire system.

 

Hopefully, he can continue to have good patience and power as he moves up. The K's were not crazy high (62), so that bodes well.

[battlekow]

Anyone know where I can get Cody Hawn's regular season and playoff stats combined? Or do I just have to get my hands dirty? I don't think the BRef page has the combined stats.

 

Edit: Found them. http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=518776. Hawn finishes with 36 XBH's in 261 ab's. He had 38 BB's and 7 HBP's. Those numbers were good for a .960 OPS on the year, second highest in the entire system.

MLS is a little off; with playoff stats added in, Hawn finished at .315/.412/.564 (976 OPS). He had 23 doubles and 15 homers in 273 AB/318 PA.

[Tedaldtada]

So he did lead the system in OPS. Awesome year for Cody!

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

BREWIN WITH KUEHN: Team chemistry was key to Helena's Pioneer League championship

By AMBER KUEHN, Helena Independent Record

The Helena Brewers are Pioneer League Champions, but not because they had the best team ERA or best batting average. They didn’t.

A large reason the Brewers were able to bring the trophy back to the Capital City for the first time in 14 years was because of an immeasurable factor—something that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, something often forgotten in a sport that places so much emphasis on individual performance.

 

Team chemistry.

 

First-year Helena manager Joe Ayrault talked about it from the first day he set foot on Kindrick Legion Field, stressing the importance of camaraderie and coming together for a common goal. He’d mention it after almost every game, especially wins.

 

Occasionally, I’d throw a quote in my story about the team’s chemistry, but more often than not I’d toss it aside as cliche.

 

It wasn’t until talking to Cody Hawn after Thursday’s victory over Ogden in the Pioneer League Championship Series clincher, that I truly understood. Something he said jogged a memory that I had long since forgotten.

 

“I knew there was something special about this group at camp, our chemistry was just amazing from day one,” Hawn told me over the phone.

It reminded me of a rainy day in June, one of the first scheduled practices, and players were still just becoming acquainted with one another. I went out to the ballpark hoping to talk to Ayrault about what pitchers had stood out so far, and who was swinging the bat well. But because of the weather, the skipper hadn’t gotten to evaluate his new club much at all.

 

Instead, that day’s work out had consisted of sitting in the clubhouse, as each player went around the room and told his teammates something about himself. Ayrault stressed to the group of young 20-somethings that this would be their family for the next few months. He told them of how he still kept in touch with many of the guys he played ball with.

 

Even before knowing the kind of talent this team possessed, the Brewers’ new leader knew it would be important that this was a tight-knit group.

###

 

Before long, it was obvious this was a special group of kids. Helena came from behind to win its first three games against Missoula, showing heart and grit and never giving up when the deficit seemed insurmountably large.

 

As the Brewers won eight of their first nine games, you got the feeling they were playing this hard so as not to let their teammates down. Even more than that, you got the feeling they didn’t want to disappoint their manager. After all, he had their backs during every game — even if it meant being ejected.

 

It wasn’t long before, like any team, the Brewers would hit a skid. They had fallen out of first place, and seemed to be stuck hovering right around .500, and one began to think maybe that’s all they were — a mediocre team in a Pioneer League full of parity. Ayrault would say that’s just baseball, that every team is bound to have its ups and downs. Even through the toughest of times — a six-game losing streak comes to mind — Ayrault never lost confidence in his team, and it became clear through interviews that his players hadn’t lost confidence, either.

 

Even as the Brewers took their time clinching the final postseason spot—falling out of first place and missing a shot at the second-half North Division title to settle for a wild card berth — it was like they knew they were destined to win a ring.

 

They’d have a handful of new players to help them. As five guys — Charly Bashara, Kenny Allison, Nick Shaw, Tyler Roberts and Jose Sanchez — were promoted to Helena after winning the Arizona League Championship, a player who had been with Helena all year was asked if that changed the dynamic in the clubhouse. After all, this was a close group of guys, many of whom carpooled together to practices or dined out with one another after games.

 

Like any player thinking of the good of the team, this one told me that the new guys only made things better. The competitive fire increased, he said, because these guys talked about how great it felt to win a championship. Now, 30 other athletes were hungry to experience that same feeling of being the best.

 

###

 

Upon first meeting Ayrault, it was almost impossible not to like the guy. The outdoors enthusiast was fired up to be in Montana, and ecstatic to start teaching young players the ins and outs of baseball. He had a smile that never seemed to leave his face, and an attitude that made you want him to succeed.

 

His players bought into his team-first mentality. His staff bought into it as well. Seeing the end result—they won the Bob Wilson Trophy by beating Great Falls and Ogden, teams with the top overall records—it’s hard to imagine Helena buying into anything else.