Your 2011 Brevard County Manatees -- Latest: OF Scott Krieger hometown article

[Mass Haas]

Davis getting it done

Manatees outfielder off to scorching start in first FSL season

by Mark DeCotis, Florida Today

 

Khris Davis' success so far this Florida State League baseball season can be traced to two things: preparation and paying attention.

And they've paid off. Following Monday's 3-1 loss to the Lakeland Flying Tigers in which Davis went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, he was leading the Brevard County Manatees in six categories. He was first in batting average (.349), on-base percentage (.402), slugging percentage (.605), total bases (52), runs batted in (22) and home runs (5).

He also was tied for the team lead in hits (30) and was one of five position players with just one error. Across the Advanced-Class A league, the left fielder was fourth in RBIs, fifth in total bases, one of four players tied for third in home runs, and ninth in batting average.

Davis' efforts are resonating with Manatees Manager Jeff Isom, for whom Davis played in 2010 at entry-level Class A Appleton, Wis.

"It's no surprise the start that he's got off to here, from my standpoint," Isom said. "He just continued to build on the success he had last year."

Davis, 23, hit .280 in 128 games in Appleton in 2010 with 128 hits, 26 doubles and 22 home runs after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of Major League Baseball's 2009 amateur draft.

"He seems like a more polished hitter this year," Isom added. "He gets himself in hitting counts and he's got a great eye."

That success didn't just fall out of the sky for Davis, a Glendale, Ariz., native who played college ball at Cal State Fullerton. It's the result of a lot of hard work, and he'll be the first one to admit that.

"A lot goes into my routine," he said before Monday's game. "A lot of it's preparation. Whether it's getting in early in the cage and getting some extra swings, making sure I'm staying on my workouts in the weight room. I'm a big believer in you create your own luck and I've gotten lucky quite a few times."

He's created that luck by staying in the game mentally, something that Isom certainly has noticed.

"He studies pitchers," Isom said. "The other day . . . Khris Davis watched and watched and watched and he had guys in scoring position and he said 'I know this guy's going to throw me a split-finger.' He left it up and (Khris) hit it to right center field. He was sitting on a pitch.

"That's him, being ready already. He already had that at-bat in his mind before he got up there. He was prepared. He does that on a regular basis."

That's what it takes in a league as tough as the FSL where hitters face pitchers who are considered top prospects with better fastballs and breaking stuff in bigger ballparks.

Those challenges can derail the best hitters at times, but Davis remains on track.

That being said, Monday's game was only the 25th for the Manatees in the 140-game marathon that is the FSL season. Many more hurdles remain.

"It's a long season," Davis said. "Just worry about getting better everyday, that's all I can do."

To that end, Davis wants to get stronger and continue to work on his defense because A ball is a means to an end.

"The ultimate goal is to play in the big leagues," Davis said. "Just get better and have fun coming to the ballpark."

Brevard County Manatees outfielder Khris Davis leads the team in a number of offensive categories. / Photo courtesy of Dennis Greenblatt, Brevard County Manatees

 

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20110503&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=105030326&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0

[battlekow]

Regarding Scooter Gennett getting pulled from Wednesday's game and not playing yesterday, Jim Breen says: "I'm told it's just a routine couple days off; no injury."

Not sure I buy that, and it's more than a little reminiscent of his situation last year.

[battlekow]

Kevin Goldstein on Khris Davis: "Dude just hits, wish he was at higher level."

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' Morris: The game's the easy part

by Mark DeCotis, Florida Today

VIERA -- Hunter Morris knew exactly what was looming as he walked into the Brevard County Manatees clubhouse around 1:00 PM on Tuesday: two grinding Florida State League baseball games in 24 hours, a 7:05 PM game that night and a 10:35 AM game Wednesday morning.

FLORIDA TODAY followed Morris as he prepared for the quick turnaround.

'Groundhog Day'

If nothing else, professional baseball, especially at the minor league level, is about development and the only real way to develop the talent needed to play at higher levels and eventually reach the big leagues is repetition, repetition and more repetition.

"It's like Groundhog Day," Morris, a 6-foot, 2-inch, 200-pound Huntsville, Ala., native who played three years of college ball at Auburn, said as he walked to the batting cage for the first of two trips. It was five hours before Tuesday's first pitch.

The 20 to 25 swings in the cage beyond right field were followed by about 70 groundballs Morris fielded from Manager Jeff Isom, initially on his knees to force him to concentrate on using his hands.

Then there was stretching and conditioning in the 90-degree heat, more infield practice, batting practice, more infield practice as the second group of players hit, then on to practicing base running as the third group hit.

"The game's the easy part," Morris said before heading into the clubhouse for a pregame meal, some relaxation and the day's second trip to the cage.

By the time Morris returned, it was after 6:00 PM and his stint as designated hitter in the opener of the four-game series with the Charlotte Stone Crabs was still an hour away.

It's all part of becoming a ballplayer.

A busy man

Baseball is just part of who Hunter Morris is, but it's also his job and he approaches it as seriously as one would expect.

He arrives at the ballpark early and stays late. He didn't arrive home in the Suntree condo he shares with his wife Macie and six-month-old son Tripp until after 11:00 PM on Tuesday, following a post-game session in the weight room.

And with an early arrival time looming for Wednesday's game, there was precious little time for replaying his 2-for-5 effort of two strikeouts, a single, a triple, two runs batted in and two runs scored. It was sleep -- good but not enough -- wake up, some brief family time, errands and back to the ballpark by 7:45 AM.

It's all part of the routine -- major-league dreams at minor-league pay -- win or lose, day game, night game or something in between.

That the Manatees won 7-0 Tuesday to break an eight-game losing streak was more pleasing to Morris than his night at the plate.

But that routine and preparation -- and working on what needs improvement -- is paramount.

"Their starter had good stuff," Morris said after the game about the two strikeouts. "When you're throwing 97, 98 with a good breaking ball and throwing your changeup for strikes, you've got to go out there and battle. Those are the guys you just take what you can get.

"It certainly could have been better. To bounce back the next two . . . It's big for me to cut down on the strikeouts and continue to prepare myself . . . I think in the long term your preparation has a lot to do with your success."

Love of the game

Morris is no stranger to what it takes.

"To be honest, a lot of the summer ball I played growing up and even in college prepared me," he said. "Travel ball when you're growing up, there's no practice, you just play. When you're younger, you're 12 years old, you're playing four, or five, six games in a day you can handle it, and you're excited to play the sixth one just as much as you were to play the first one."

The excitement of the game has not ebbed, but the level of talent required to be an everyday player in pro ball demands skills refined through repetition.

"It's a grind," Morris said. "There's nothing easy about it, especially when you're not going well. When you're playing well, everything seems to be a little bit easier.

"At the same time, we're professionals. We have to do this every single day, no matter how it's going on the field. You still show up, you still do the same things and . . . you prepare yourself the same way."

And Morris' preparation includes an emphasis on his defensive skills at his primary position of first base and his occasional time at third base.

He's confident enough in his hitting -- he was batting .297 after Wednesday -- and as a lefthander carries a certain amount of value and appeal. But unless he can play the field effectively, he knows his progression could stall or even end.

Glove is the key

"I think I can hit at any level right now, with time," said Morris who hit safely in 25 of his first 31 games and reached base in 26 of 31. "Defense is what's going to separate (me). I've got to continue to work on that."

Morris believes he must put more time into it -- after all he was tied for the team lead with eight errors -- and that's why he volunteered to have Isom empty three-quarters of a big ball carrier with ground ball after ground ball.

And while ups and downs are an acceptable part of hitting in pro baseball, inconsistency in the field is a career killer.

"There shouldn't be peaks and valleys in your defense," Morris said. "You should be able to go out and play solid defense every single day. And until I'm comfortable with doing that, I have to put in that much more work."

But that defensive work can't come at the expense of the offensive work. It just means a longer, busier day for Morris, all before the games even begin.

In the end though, what happens in the games will determine where Morris ends up and he realizes he can't press or get outside of himself or put what could be crippling pressure on himself to the point that the game consumes him.

Preparation pays

By Wednesday morning, after a Tuesday of preparation that had him feeling good and a productive night, Morris began his routine once again.

He showered, as he always does upon arriving at the ballpark, dressed and then headed -- where else -- but to the batting cage for early morning swings and then a back field for -- what else -- more ground balls from Isom with his fellow infielders.

The latter was vital since aside from staying sharp, he was playing first base and even though the grounds crew had given the field a good, early morning soaking, Morris expected it would play harder and subsequently quicker after the third or fourth inning.

In the end, while Morris went 1-for-4 with an infield single and an errorless day at first with nine put outs and an assist, the Manatees lost 5-3, dropping their ninth game in their past 10 up to that point.

Following 2 1/2 hours in record heat, Morris still had weight work to do before enjoying a rarity in the FSL, a late afternoon and a night off before rolling into the clubhouse at 1:00 PM Thursday to begin all over again.

After all, more than 100 games -- or more than 900 innings and many, many more ground balls and batting practice pitches and weight work -- remained.

And while the defeat didn't make the prospect any more appealing, it's all part of the bigger picture.

"We're professionals, we've got to find a way to get out and play with the same intensity, the same aggressiveness no matter what the circumstances," Morris said.

"They had guys that came out and played great. We had a couple guys that swung the bat really well on our side today. I wasn't one of them. That's one of the things. You roll with it, you learn from it.

"This isn't going to be our last early game after a late game."

 

Full photo gallery focuses on Hunter Morris' preparation, plus more / Tim Shortt, FLORIDA TODAY

[TooLiveBrew]

"I think I can hit at any level right now, with time,"

 

There's a headscratcher for ya.

[tyguy20204]

He means that he could adapt his offensive game to any level, given time. His defense, not so much. But he's working on it.

[TooLiveBrew]

I know, just the juxtaposition of "right now" with "with time"

[CheezWizHed]

Maybe we have a Yogi Berra-lite on our hands... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[TooLiveBrew]

Is Hunter Morris a legitimate 1B prospect? If they bump him to AA later

this year; could they reasonably expect him to be in the bigs at some

point in 2012? If so it would be another internal option at 1B other

than Gamel. I see Morris has a ton of doubles power; will that

eventually translate to HR or is he more like Overbay? Also looks like

he needs to start taking some walks as well

 

fondybrewfan's post in the 5/17 Link Report thread. I don't recall ever seeing anything close to definitive on Morris's defense. I know I was a bit surprised that the Brewers would try a college first baseman at 3B, but this *is* the Brewers, after all.

 

Is the 3B work due to anything more than the Brewers trying to maximize Morris's potential value -- like possibly not having enough raw power to project well at 1B? Or is it due to him actually having tools that project well there? The best I can remember (at least I think I'm not making it up) was that some scouts/a scout reacted pretty sarcastically to Morris working at 3B. It's something I would've read in the MiLB forum, but that's all I can really recall.

 

 

EDIT: Here's a comment from Jim Callis (posted 11.2.10 by battlekow) in response to the question 'Can we possibly see [Morris] break camp in ST?'

- "No, that's way, way, way too early. Morris has good lefthanded power, but he's at least a season and a half away. At least."

 

Obviously that's only about his bat. Here's what Toby (AndThat) had to say about Morris in the same ('10 AFL) thread:

- "I think the Brewers really like Hunter Morris. Like, REALLY LIKE Hunter

Morris. Don't know about the 3B thing, though. His comments about

playing third is akin to just wearing another glove makes me think that

defense isn't his thing. Scouts agree. Which makes him the prototypical

Brewers prospect."

 

Maybe AndThat's comment is what I was remembering, but I swear there was something pretty sarcastic or negative from an anonymous scout about Morris playing at 3B at some point. And, fwiw, I couldn't find the comment AndThat is referring to. There's one that I admittedly only read & didn't hear in an interview for inflection or context, but Morris made the comment that he felt more comfortable at 3B than 1B, & that he was keeping 4 gloves in his locker at that time in order to play multiple positions.

[battlekow]

Brewers pitching prospect Rogers continues to battle

Tom Haudricourt/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It would be perfectly understandable if Mark Rogers asked "Why me?"

At the very least, Rogers should be allowed the indulgence of wondering aloud, "What next?"

Those questions, among others, undoubtedly crossed the mind of the Milwaukee Brewers' pitching prospect in recent weeks. After recovering from two shoulder surgeries that cost him a couple of years of minor-league development, the 25-year-old right-hander bolted all the way to the big leagues last September, making a successful, if brief, debut with the Brewers.

But, right when he appeared on the cusp of great things, Rogers was set back in training camp this spring by shoulder stiffness. As if that weren't enough, his health took a more bizarre turn after he reported to Class AAA Nashville when he began experiencing numbness in the fingers of both hands.

Rogers was diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, an affliction that would seem more normal for a computer geek than a pitcher. He was shut down for three weeks but when his return to action became a debacle Sunday, the decision was made for Rogers to go to high Class A Brevard County to regroup.

"It's frustrating, I can tell you that," Rogers said in a telephone interview from Florida. "I'm sure it's frustrating for the Brewers, too. But I've been down much tougher roads before."

Those tough roads began in 2007 when Rogers underwent major shoulder surgery that forced him to sit out the entire season. When the shoulder did not improve significantly, another procedure was performed that forced him to go on the shelf for all of '08 as well.

So, the 2004 first-round draft pick knows what it's like to face adversity. That doesn't make it any easier to embark on another round of it, however.

"I didn't want to believe it," he said. "But I knew something was wrong with my hand. I went out there and I wasn't myself. I had trouble gripping the ball.

"This is so rare (for a pitcher). It would be easy to ask why this is happening to me now. But I'm excited about getting it right. Where I was with this wasn't doing anybody any good."

That became evident Sunday when Rogers returned to action for Nashville after a three-week DL stint. He pitched a clean first inning but ran into a buzz saw in the second, surrendering eight runs before being removed with two outs.

That disastrous outing left Rogers with a 0-2 record and 13.20 earned run average in five starts for the Sounds, with 21 hits and 22 walks allowed in 15 innings.

"It was a cool day and I sat on the bench for about 25 minutes before going back out," he said. "My wrist tightened up again and I couldn't get a good grip on the ball. Something had to be done."

Rogers talked it over with Brewers officials and the decision was made to send him to Brevard, where the Florida climate is warmer and the pressure a bit less to perform. He made it clear the move was not a demotion but a calculated plan to help him get past the carpal tunnel syndrome and back to being the Brewers' top pitching prospect again.

"By coming here, I'm able to step back from the situation and address what's going on," he said. "The No. 1 priority is to get healthy and back to 100% again. My shoulder and elbow feel great, but my wrist isn't where we want it to be.

"It's gotten a lot better from where it was, and I'm confident with the approach we're taking it will continue to improve. It's just a matter of getting it 100% and building my pitch count. The Brewers wanted me to be right before I pitch again and I appreciate that."

He lasted only 12/3 innings and gave up three runs Friday in his first outing with Brevard County.

Rogers isn't sure how the condition evolved. There was some thought that it was the residue of a virus, but the complete story remains something of a mystery. But it was the last thing he expected after recovering from the shoulder stiffness that set him back in camp.

"It's all new to me, which is what made it alarming," he said. "I felt it a little bit in spring training and the more I threw, the more I felt it.

"It is what it is. I just need to take care of business and get healthy. I don't want any more setbacks. Hopefully, I'll get some more ideas on treatment. I'm not recovering from outing to outing like I should be because I can't do a lot with my wrist. I wear a splint on it when I'm not pitching so I can't even lift a 5-pound weight.

"I think Florida is going to be good for me. I want to build up my strength in my forearm and wrist. I think this is the best plan for me."

Rogers still remembers the exhilaration of making his big-league debut last September, hearing the roar of the crowd at Miller Park when he got out of a first-inning jam against Florida with a strikeout. In four outings covering 10 innings, he compiled a 1.80 earned run average with 11 strikeouts.

That showing put him atop the list this year to replace any starting pitcher who was sidelined for any reason. But, when Zack Greinke was sidelined with a cracked rib at the start of the season, Rogers was in no position to step in after falling behind in spring camp.

"After what I've been through, this is a minor setback," said Rogers. "Getting back to the big leagues is the ultimate goal. That's where I want to be."

http://media.jsonline.com/images/mjs-61883192(2).jpg

(Getty Images)

[Tedaldtada]

Dude, I just feel for the guy. Freaking numbness? Can't grip the ball? Yea, that will hurt a pitcher a little bit. It seems to Mark is going to need a miracle to get past this.

[TheCrew07]

The more I think about Rogers' injury, the more I wonder about misdiagnosis.

 

As if that weren't enough, his health took a more bizarre turn after he reported to Class AAA Nashville when he began experiencing numbness in the fingers of both hands.

How does a pitcher get carpal tunnel in both hands that kept getting worse? I just can't help but wonder if there is a more serious nerve issue going on here? It wouldn't be the first time... it took the Brewers 2 years to diagnose Braddock correctly.

 

I've been around locker rooms my entire life, that's part of being a coaches' kid, but I don't recall an injury that affected both hands at the same time that wasn't spinal/neck in nature. In fact, I've never heard of a such a thing as Mark is going through myself, carpal tunnel just doesn't seem to fit, it's a repetition injury, and how is he getting a repetition injury on his glove hand? Now apparently his left hand has healed but his right hand is in a splint between starts? If it's that bad, why is he throwing at all?

 

Thoroughly confused.

[uwisfan]

yeah, like Lyme's disease?

[TooLiveBrew]

Oh, man. Hang in there, Mark. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Mass Haas]

Manatees ace growing into roleby Mark DeCotis, Florida Today

As the Brevard County Manatees top pitcher and one of the best in the Class A Florida State League, right hander Nick Bucci isn't one to rest on his laurels.

The 6-foot, 2, 180-pound 20-year-old Sarina, Ontario, Canada native has a team-best 2.42 earned run average among starters -- good enough for third best in the league as of Wednesday. And while his won-loss record is a pedestrian 3-2, it doesn't reflect what he has meant to the struggling Manatees.

"He's been kind of that stabilizer for us," Manatees Manager Jeff Isom said. "He goes out there and he's going to give you a competitive outing.

"I've been very impressed. I had him last season (at Class A Wisconsin) and he had success . . . but he would at times struggle with command with the fastball. But the difference between Bucci last year and this year is he's able to command his fastball in any count, inside, outside and then also being able to drop in a breaking ball for a strike when he needs to as well."

Bucci has pitched a team-high 52 innings -- eighth best in the league -- in nine games, eight of them starts. He has struck out 45, tied for seventh best in the FSL, and allowed 45 hits, 29 pitchers surrendering more.

"He's really established himself as one of the top pitchers in this league," Isom said. "He's improving every outing . . . it seems like his last four or five outings, it just continues to get better. You see a different ball club when he's out there. You know you have a chance every time he takes the mound."

That's generous praise, but then again Bucci has earned it with a lot of effort. He began his professional career as a 17-year-old for the Milwaukee Brewers in the Arizona Fall League, where big league teams annually get a good look at players they consider top prospects.

From there, he pitched for Helena in the Pioneer Rookie League and briefly for the Brewers Double A team in Huntsville in 2009 before appearing in 26 games (6-7 won-loss record, 3.51 ERA) for Wisconsin in 2010.

Now, he's making an impression with the Manatees with the possibility of advancing back up to Huntsville looming as it does for all quality Advanced A players.

But he's not concerned with that. There are more immediate challenges ahead.

"Overall, I'm definitely pleased with how things are going," he said. "In saying that, there's obviously a long season ahead, there's a lot of things I need to work on, a lot of things I need to do to become better as a pitcher."

Bucci is focusing on sharpening his changeup and continuing to develop his curveball as he works about 100 pitches a game.

He also sharpens his mental game by taking walks on the beach near his Cocoa Beach home, continuing to prepare himself for the long, hot, humid summer and the competition in the FSL which will only increase as players adapt and continue to strive to survive or thrive.

"It's definitely a step up from last year for the most part," Bucci said. "But all in all if you pitch your game, things can go the right way."

They have so far and he can lean on the experience he gained setting out on his own as a 17-year-old playing baseball for a living in another country and learning how to be a professional.

"You learn things, I kind of got it all out of the way when I was 17, 18," he said.

"I kind of matured."

[battlekow]

Contact part of game

Mark DeCotis/Florida Today

VIERA — A clean play.

That was the verdict on Wednesday night's home plate collision between Florida Marlins runner Scott Cousins and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey that resulted in a serious injury to Posey.

Cousins bowled Posey over in scoring what proved to be the winning run in the 12th inning of the Marlins' 7-6 victory. While the play will be debated far and wide outside the lines and the clubhouses, there was no such feelings among Brevard County Manatees this week.

"Sometimes, it's just a freak accident, your leg's in the wrong spot, you get kind of turned around a little bit," said Darnell Coles. Coles played 14 years in the big leagues as an outfielder and infielder and is now a roving instructor for the Manatees' parent club, the Milwaukee Brewers.

"The runner . . . slid directly into the plate, didn't go out of his way, wasn't malicious with an elbow or anything like that. Buster wasn't blocking the plate, he kind of comes in, boom, the collision was what it was. I didn't see any ill intent on either side."

That the collision occurred with the game in the balance might have played a role in how Cousins came down the third base line and what players are coached to do in that situation.

"With the game on the line, it's probably a little different than the first inning if you're scoring the first run of the game type of thing," Coles said.

"There's no certain code of ethics when it comes to that. I think everybody understands how to play the game. When you can avoid a collision you try and avoid it, but in that situation I don't think it was avoidable."

Manatees catcher Sean McCraw saw the collision from a unique perspective, having been bowled over a few times in his pro career. If he is rounding third and trying to score and the catcher is blocking the plate, he knew exactly what he would do.

"I'm not sliding," he said. "I have a better chance (of scoring) by trying to run him over and knock the ball loose than a hook slide.

"To me, if a catcher's going to block the plate, the catcher should be willing to get hit, he should be ready for it."

The Brewers teach their catchers on how to handle such plays.

"We're taught to try to give the runner the plate, let him see it," McCraw said. "If you get them on their mind to think slide, and then take it away, your odds are better.

"If you're blocking the plate as he's rounding and he sees that he has nowhere to go, you better be ready for it."

Manatees outfielder, Logan Schafer, the Brewers Minor League Player of the Year in 2009, who played against Posey in Hawaiian Winter Baseball, didn't see anything wrong with the collision.

"It was a clean play," said Schafer, who was with Brevard on a rehab assignment. "It looked like, from the runner's angle, . . . like Posey might have caught the ball and was applying the tag even though he dropped it.

"Posey looked like . . . he thought he had it (ball). His leg just got caught under him and it's something that happens. It's a shame, but everyone's trying to win a ballgame. You never know when one game could take you to the playoffs whether it's in May or September."

Brewers runners also are coached on how to approach such a situation.

"It depends on what you're given," said Schafer. "If the catcher's not giving you any of the plate and he already has the ball or you feel like he has the ball and he is applying the tag, yes, you have to try to jar it from him somehow.

"If he's giving you an open lane to the plate, there's no reason to go after him."

It's all part of being a catcher.

"You're in the line of fire right there," said Manatees Manager Jeff Isom, a former minor league pitcher. "It's scary.

"You're expected to stay in there and do what you can to save that run. It's unfortunate what happened."

[battlekow]

Rogers hoping cortisone shot helps wrist

Adam McCalvy & Audrey Snyder/MLB.com

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers' top pitching prospect opted for a cortisone injection Friday to address carpal tunnel syndrome in his right wrist. If that does not work, right-hander Mark Rogers may have to consider a surgical fix, assistant general manager Gord Ash said.

Rogers, Milwaukee's first pick in the 2004 Draft and a veteran of shoulder surgery, has been bothered by wrist pain in his outings for Triple-A Nashville and was eventually sent to Class A Brevard County. He surrendered three runs on four hits and three walks in his first outing there May 20 and was placed on the disabled list. After his injection, Rogers reported to the team's training facility in Phoenix to begin a throwing program anew.

"The idea was to put him in Brevard, let him get comfortable and then let him climb back up the ladder," Ash said. "As soon as he is able to do that, he will."

Rogers' 2011 season has so far been a frustrating follow-up to a highly successful 2010 in which he rose all the way to the Major Leagues and posted a 1.80 ERA in four Brewers appearances.

[battlekow]

Manatees' Scooter Gennett hoping to zip to majors

Mark DeCotis/Florida Today

VIERA — Playing in the competitive environment of Florida high school baseball might have laid the foundation for Brevard County Manatees second baseman Scooter Gennett.

But it certainly didn't completely prepare him for what he is experiencing in his second year of minor league baseball.

"I can't say that anybody would ever be fully prepared for the minor leagues," said Gennett, who was drafted out of Sarasota High by the Manatees' parent club, the Milwaukee Brewers. "But I was pretty close."

People who follow the Brewers closely share that feeling. The Bernie's Crew blog at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website ranked Gennett as the organization's No. 1 prospect, and Baseball America ranked him as the fourth-best prospect and projected him to be in the big league starting lineup at second base by 2014.

That's all fine and good, but it doesn't exert any pressure on Gennett.

"All that stuff, that's someone's opinion," he said. "It's always nice to get recognized. No more pressure than if I was 30 on that list or not on the list.

"It's not like if you're on top of that list it gives you the right not to work hard to get better every day."

Already an offensive threat, Gennett is putting in the work to both continue his development as a hitter in the High Class A Florida State League and improve his defense. That he is second on the team in errors with 10 is a concern, but something the Manatees believe can be fixed.

"I've seen him improve his daily routine," said Manatees manager Jeff Isom, who also had Gennett on his Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers team in 2010.

"Every day. Him understanding that he has to come out here and want to get better. He's focused every day now. He's had a lot of success on the offensive side. We needed to work on the defensive side and he's really committed himself this year toward that. We're seeing him improve daily."

Heading into the weekend, Gennett was hitting .272 with 52 hits in a team-leading 191 at-bats. He also is the sparkplug on the top of the order who has set the table numerous times for the mashers hitting behind him.

It comes down to confidence and attitude and Isom believes Gennett is stout on both accounts.

"He's a confident kid," Isom said. "He's a guy who is tremendously talented on the offensive side and very confident on the offensive side. There's not a pitcher in his mind that can get him out.

"He's going to get out, but he's a guy that's going to hit over .300 any league that he goes to. He's got tremendous hand-eye coordination."

Gennett naturally doesn't disagree with Isom's assessment.

"I feel like I've always been that way," he said. "If you feel like you're going to get beat by a guy, it's almost a mindset. There's no way this guy gets me out.

"I always enjoy it when I know the guy threw a good pitch and I missed it, just tip my hat. I'm not mad. Of course I'm not happy.

"It's a lot better getting out against really good pitching than getting yourself out against not so good pitching."

Gennett has been getting his hits, much to the enjoyment of parents Joe, a former Houston Astros scout, and Tina along with older sister Kristen, who come to Brevard as much as possible to see him play.

And it was his mother who was indirectly involved in him getting his nickname. Gennett's given name is Ryan, but he hasn't answered to it since he was a young boy when his mother took her self-described somewhat defiant son to the police station for a lecture on seat belt use.

He had his favorite cartoon character Scooter and took the name when the police officer asked him what his name was.

"I said 'Scooter Gennett' and that was the first time she ever heard it," he said of his mother. "After that I wouldn't answer to Ryan because I felt like I would get in trouble. It kind of just stuck from there."

If he has his way now, the label "top prospect" or "big leaguer" might be a better fit.

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20110530&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=105300323&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0

(Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

[YoungGeezy]

Hopefully he can find the bat again soon, its been a tough last week or two for him offensively

[Mass Haas]

Brock Kjeldgaard named FSL Player of the Week

Edmonton, Alberta native slugged four homers in seven games

By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. -- The Florida State League announced on Tuesday that Brevard County Manatees outfielder/first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard was named the league's player of the week for the period of May 23-29.

 

In seven games last week, Kjeldgaard hit .434 (10-for-23) with one double, four home runs, eight RBI and seven runs scored. He also stole three bases during the week.

 

Kjeldgaard, 25, had a .519 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage during those seven games. The Edmonton, Alberta native raised his on-base percentage 31 points, batting average 35 points and slugging percentage 97 points during the week.

 

He ranks in the top three in five offensive categories for Brevard County in 2011, including home runs, RBI, stolen bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Kjeldgaard's 10 homers currently put him fifth in the Florida State League.

 

He was drafted by the Brewers in the 34th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as a pitcher.

 

He was converted to a position player beginning in 2008 and to date has hit 61 homers in his minor league career, including 27 with the Manatees.

 

In seven games last week, Kjeldgaard hit .434 (10-for-23) with one double, four home runs, eight RBI and seven runs scored. He also stole three bases during the week. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2011/05/31/s4Hy7ASh.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Three Manatees selected for 2011 FSL All-Star Game

Khris Davis, Gennett and Bucci will represent Brevard County

By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees

VIERA, Fla. -- The Florida State League announced on Thursday that outfielder Khris Davis, second baseman Scooter Gennett and starting pitcher Nick Bucci were selected from the Brevard County Manatees to represent the North Division in the 2011 Florida State League All-Star Game in Clearwater on June 18.

 

Davis is currently fifth in the league in slugging percentage at .524, fifth in on-base plus slugging at .921 and sixth in runs batted in with 40. He is also currently first or second on the Manatees in 11 offensive categories.

 

The Glendale, Ariz. native has hit safely in 34 out of 49 games this season and has reached base safely in 43 games. Davis reached base safely in 18 straight games from May 11-May 29.

 

Davis was drafted in the 7th round of the 2009 Major League First-Year Player Draft by the Brewers out of Cal State Fullerton. He was named both a mid-season and post-season All-Star in the Midwest League with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2010.

 

Gennett is currently tied for second on Brevard County in hits and is in the top five on the team in three other offensive categories. He hit .318 in the month of April and has the longest hitting streak so far in the Florida State League this season at 16 games.

 

The Sarasota, Fla. native was drafted in the 16th round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Brewers out of Sarasota High School. The 21-year-old was named both a mid-season and post-season All-Star with Wisconsin last season. Baseball America listed Gennett as Milwaukee's fourth-best prospect heading into the 2011 season.

 

Bucci is currently fourth in the league with a 2.29 earned run average and is tied for seventh in the league with a 1.15 WHIP. He also leads the Manatees in innings pitched and strikeouts.

 

The Sarnia, Ontario native has a record of 4-2 and has pitched his best at Space Coast Stadium with a 4-1 record and a 1.85 ERA at home. Of the nine starts he has made so far, six of them have been quality starts.

 

He was selected by the Brewers in the 18th round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of St. Patrick High School in Ontario, Canada.

 

Khris Davis (left), Scooter Gennett (center) and Nick Bucci (right) were selected to represent the Brevard County Manatees in the 2011 Florida State League All-Star Game in Clearwater on June 18. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2011/06/02/oTCJfFDq.jpg

[Mass Haas]

A gentleman named Jim Donten posted a nice photo gallery with individual shots of several Manatees.

 

Shawn Zarraga is big (in a solid way), Scooter Gennett isn't big, Kyle Heckathorn walks off the mound after his worst pro outing, and Mike Brownstein rocks the 'stache.

[Mass Haas]

Wow, this must be a first for a Brewers farmhand -- back-to-back!

 

Florida State League Player of the WeekBrock Kjeldgaard, Brevard County

.348/.375/.913, 6 G, 8-for-23, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 RS, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 SB, 1 CS

Brock is back, as Kjeldgaard claims this honor for the second straight week. The Milwaukee prospect went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a pair of stolen bases Wednesday, and he singled and scored the next day, but it wasn't until the weekend that he broke out the heavy hitting. On Saturday at the Daytona Cubs, Kjeldgaard ripped two solo home runs. The two teams moved to Brevard County to start a new series on Sunday, but Kjeldgaard liked doing things the old way: he once more socked two solo homers in the opener.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers Prospect Gennett Has No Regrets

Sarasota High grad Scooter Gennett has been named a league all-star in each of his first two seasons of professional baseball

By Chad Brockhoff, Sarasota Patch

BRADENTON - A recent four-game series at McKechnie Field only reaffirmed Scooter Gennett's conviction that he made the right decision for himself.

Gennett had just completed a three-year run at Sarasota High, which included a 2007 Class 6A state championship, when the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 16th round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Whether to honor his national letter of intent with Florida State or join several of his national showcase and all-star game brethren in pursuit of the dream was a deadline decision that weighed on Gennett.

"I had just to be honest with myself," Gennett said before the host Bradenton Marauders completed a four-game sweep of his Brevard County Manatees. "The biggest question is what if something was to happen. If you go to college and get injured, you just passed up the opportunity of a lifetime. I had to make sure that whatever decision I made I could still go to bed at night 20 years from now."

Signing on the last day that draft picks could ink professional contracts, Gennett was unable to play at the Rookie or Short-Season Class A levels in 2009. He played with the Brewers' team in the Arizona Instructional League that fall and went to spring training as a 19-year-old in 2010.

Gennett did well enough in spring training to earn a spot with the Brewers' Class-A affiliate in the Midwest League. He played in the league's all-star game and was named to the league's postseason all-star team after batting .309 with nine home runs, four triples, 39 doubles, 55 RBI and 87 runs scored in 118 games for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Someone in the Brewers organization had taken notice, and Gennett was among the minor league players to finish out Cactus League games for the parent organization last March. One game against the Oakland Athletics provided the 5-foot-9, 164-pound left-handed hitting second baseman with a story for his future grandchildren.

"The one game I entered in the seventh," Gennett said. "In the ninth inning, we were down by a run with two outs and a runner at first base. For some reason, all the fans start chanting my name. I don't know why. I'm some minor-league guy wearing No. 90 on my back. I said, 'Okay, I can't let them down now.' I hit a line drive down the left field line. The next guy (Anderson de La Rosa) came up and hit a walk-off home run. It was a great experience."

Starting the 2011 season with the Brewers' Class-A Advanced affiliate in the Florida State League, Gennett batted .318 in the month of April for the Manatees and strung together a league-best 16-game hitting streak. His average had dropped to .257 in the midst of his team's four-game series against the Marauders, but he has hit safely in each of his last five games entering Monday.

"I think I've struck out three times in my last 60 at-bats," Gennett said. "I've been hitting the ball hard, but it's just been one of those times where you can't find holes. I would be much more concerned if I was striking out a lot more and not even putting the ball in play. I'm starting to drive the ball and feel a lot better. It's just sticking with what got me here."

Playing a series in his own backyard for the first time in his professional career enabled Gennett to stay in his family's Sarasota home. On May 31, his parents surprised him with the news that he had been named to the Florida State League's Midseason All-Star team.

"They came in and told me that I had made the All-Star Game," Gennett said. "I said, 'Wow, how did that happen with the way I've been hitting?' It's nice to get recognized and play in an event like that."

Gennett estimates that between 25-30 of his friends and family members attended each of the Manatees' four games against the Marauders. An experience that may have been a two years away had he chosen the college route.

"I know that if I would have went to Florida State for two or three years that I would have more to offer with that short right field fence (at the Seminoles' Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium)," Gennett said. "I may have been drafted higher and had more money offered to me, but the real money is in the big leagues. I just have to stay focused on that, and the decision won't matter."

 

***

 

The artcicle link includes a photo gallery with six photos of Scooter worth your while, including this one --

 

http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/294ec44cabcfc0ca013306dabbe376d8

[Mass Haas]

Leaving mound proves best medicine for KjeldgaardOnce a pitcher, now a position player enjoying success in advanced A ball in Florida

By MORRIS DALLA COSTA, The London (Ontario) Free Press

 

Three years ago when the Milwaukee Brewers organization came to Brock Kjeldgaard and told him he was no longer a pitcher but would become a position player, he wasn't particularly thrilled.

Now he realizes it could have been the best thing that happened to him.

Kjeldgaard, born in Alberta but raised in London, is now playing the outfield, all three positions, first base and recently third base for the Florida State League Brevard County Manatees in advanced A ball.

 

NOTE: We don't remeber that third base stint, and Baseball Refernce does not show it.

Right now, the 25-year-old, six-foot-five, 245-pounder is ripping it up.

He was named the league's player of the week the last two weeks in succession. He has 14 home runs, third in the Florida State League. He's hit eleven of those 14 since May 18.

"It's been going well," he said while preparing for a game against Dunedin.

That is a classic understatement.

Kjeldgaard is hitting .267 in 50 games. He has 35 RBIs to add to the 14 home runs.

In a six-game stretch, he hit .348, with four home runs, two two-run homer games in succession. He has had four multi-homer games this year. He is five homers short of the Manatee single-season record.

 

NOTE: Now four home runs shy after another Wednesday night.

He was drafted in the 34th round by the Brewers in 2005 as a pitcher and has 65 home runs in his minor league career.

"It's always kind of tough to make a position change," Kjeldgaard said. "There are more guys who make the position change from position player to pitcher if you have a strong arm. I know lately there's been more players that have gone from pitcher to position player. It takes a little time."

Kjeldgaard hadn't hit in a game for almost three years.

"It was almost a good thing for me now that I look back," he said. "It wiped clean everything I did and I started from scratch. I got instruction and I learned a better way to go after it."

While he's pleased now, he took a while to get to that feeling. But reality kicked in for him.

"I was shocked because it wasn't my decision," he said. "But after it settled in I thought I had a couple of tough years pitching. This could be good. I could get a fresh start. It's worked out for the best so far.

"I like hitting more than pitching. I just like being in every day. It was tough when I was pitching because if you are in the bullpen, you might not pitch for six or seven days. As a position player I've been lucky to be in there almost every day."

While he's pounding the ball pretty well right now, it took some time for Kjeldgaard to find his hitting rhythm.

But he made some adjustments focusing on a consistent swing.

"It carried over into the game," Kjeldgaard said. "It's nice because I had a rough start to the season, that makes it more special. It's kind of nice to show them what I can do."

The boost a player gets mentally is almost as important as the boost he gets physically.

"When you get a little streak you have it in your mind that you can do this kind of thing," Kjeldgaard said.