Kottaras' contract purchased from Nashville, Nieves outrighted & accepts assignment

[Mass Haas]

Kottaras returns to majors with Brewers

by Greg Sullivan, The Tennessean

 

Catcher George Kottaras, called up from the Nashville Sounds to rejoin the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, knows what it’s like to be the new guy.

He is now in his second season with Brewers after two seasons with the Red Sox, where the 28-year-old said he was constantly soaking up knowledge from big league veterans.

In his 29-game stint in Nashville, though, he was the veteran. And while it was his hot hitting that helped earn his call-up, his experience and willingness to work with young pitchers also helped.

“Everyone’s been there so you kind of feel for the younger guys,” Kottaras said. “You try and be as much of a mentor as you can.”

But the way a catcher guides pitchers in the high minors, he said, depends on the pitcher.

“Some guys need motivation. Some guys need calming down. Once you learn what they need, it makes it a whole lot easier.”

Kottaras grew up near Toronto and played organized softball before he started playing baseball when he was 15.

“I had to start from scratch and learn the game,” Kottaras said. “It was a crazy road, but here I am.”

While he struggled offensively at times in his career, he left Nashville on a torrid streak and was hitting .343 with four home runs and 21 RBI.

Kottaras started this season in Milwaukee but was quickly sent down when Jonathan Lucroy was activated from the disabled list. Now he will replace Wil Nieves as the Brewers’ back-up catcher.

Nieves has been struggling at the plate. He has the most at-bats (50) in the majors this season without an RBI and was out-righted to the Sounds’ roster.

“He’s been in the big leagues a couple years,” Sounds Manager Don Money said of Kottaras. “You get sent down and it’s depressing, of course, but at some point you have to forget about that and earn your way back to the big leagues. How you do that is call good games, do a good job and hit.”

Nashville’s pitchers said they enjoyed having a veteran backstop.

“As far as mechanics and stuff, he may come out there and say, ‘You’ve got to finish,’” lefty Chase Wright said. “That can be important in a big situation with runners on base. He comes out and tells you that and then…Bam. Groundball double play and you’re out of the inning.

“It makes it that much easier when you know you can believe in a catcher and trust what (sign) he puts down. That helps a lot.”

 

Nashville Sounds catcher George Kottaras was called up to the majors by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. (SAMUEL M. SIMPKINS/THE TENNESSEAN)

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DN&Date=20110616&Category=SPORTS04&ArtNo=306160055&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0

[Pack Attack]

I didn't see any sarcasm directed at Wolf. I should've just let Pack Attack speak for himself.

You are 100% correct. Was sarcasm & not directed at Wolf. Some people need to lighten up! Just having a little fun.

[cwolf2012]

Why is it not okay to direct sarcasm at Wolf anyway? If it's funny, who cares?

[COOOOP]

How will Randy Wolf explain this to his son?

[endaround]

The problem is that sports radio was blaming Wolf for Nieves which just isn't true and so the thought invaded online forums. And so people can be defensive about it. Sort of similar to how if Rock says soemthing on a broadcast it becomes the truth for a segment of fans.

[DuWayne Steurer]

The problem is that sports radio was blaming Wolf for Nieves which just isn't true and so the thought invaded online forums. And so people can be defensive about it. Sort of similar to how if Rock says soemthing on a broadcast it becomes the truth for a segment of fans.

It may not have been Wolf's fault that Nieves was on the roster, but it was Wolf's fault that Roenicke was put in a position to use Lucroy in day games after night games if they didn't fall in line with Wolf pitching. It is Wolf's fault that catching playing time is getting dictated by him, and not the manager. You can put that partly on Roenicke for not having the nuts to just say "Lucroy is catching today, period".

 

It's one thing for superstars to get pandered to. Wolf is not a superstar.

[Raw Biz]

I thought this was pretty funny:

http://ronroenickestolemybaseball.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/nieveswillcatch.png?w=405&h=594

[Fear The Chorizo]

boy, I'd hate to be the kid who got the thrill of unwrapping a brand new baseball bat for his/her birthday, only to find out it was the Will Nieves model

[monty57]

boy, I'd hate to be the kid who got the thrill of unwrapping a brand new baseball bat for his/her birthday, only to find out it was the Will Nieves model

Why? He'd be the only kid in the neighborhood who could outhit the player named on his bat http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[monty57]

So in his first appearance, George has shown his proponents and critics to both be true. He let a ball get by, allowing a run to score, and followed that up with a 2-run HR.

[battlekow]

Nieves accepted his assignment and played for Nashville tonight.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Yeah, and he batted 2nd. LOL. That's hilarious. He also went 0-4 with a K.