Link Report for Wed. 4/25 -- Walkoff, Wisconsin!

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu:

 

All times are Central

 

Nashville: Idle

 

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Huntsville: LHP Dan Merklinger at Mississippi (Braves), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Huntsville feed from the MiLB main audio page

 

I-Phone friendly audio link

 

Alex Cohen is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars; follow him on Twitter @alexmcohen. It's fantastic that Huntsville is returning to what will be a traditional broadcast format this year. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast.

 

MiLB.TV subsciption note: A total of 24 Stars' games (in Jacksonville and Tennessee) will be broadcast.

 

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Brevard County: RHP Brooks Hall at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 5:35 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio for this series...

 

Once again this season, Brevard does not have its own audio coverage. It appears two teams in the Manatees North Division (within which the majority of games are played) have audio, and all six teams in the South Division have audio (at least for their home games), so there will be opportunities to listen to approx. 70% or Brevard's games this season, just all from the opponent's perspective. There are no Florida State League games on MiLB.TV this year.

 

**********

 

Wisconsin: RHP Andy Moye at home vs. Dayton (Reds), 6:15 PM pre-game, 6:35 gametime

 

Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM

 

Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio.

 

MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; Wisconsin is one of only two (Great Lakes) Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV; Chris' call provides the audio. So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, all Timber Rattlers home games, and 24 Stars' road games (one Helena series this summer, too).

[Mass Haas]

FYI, it'll be Brandon Williamson for Brevard tonight, not Brooks Hall. Hall will likely be eased into a bullpen role to begin his season.

[Mass Haas]

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens with box score / game log links:

 

Huntsville

 

Brevard County

 

Wisconsin

[Mass Haas]

STANDINGS:

 

AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division

 

AA - Southern League North Division

 

Florida State League North Division

 

Midwest League Western Division

[Mass Haas]

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter.

[Mass Haas]

Interesting Baseball America article about the expanded AAA and AA rosters this season.

[TheCrew07]

Many readers of this forum also follow draft and will remember the Cubs reaching for Hayden Simpson in the 2010 first round. The selection was roundly criticized at the time both on the web and here on our own draft forum.

 

BA takes a look at how that pick is turning out.

 

Simpson's career stats.

[TheCrew07]

Another interesting blog post from BA's Daily Dish from yesterday.

 

Median Age in Each MiLB League

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Stars an imperfect 10-10 in this young season but 'playing good baseball,' Coles says

By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- It wasn't a team meeting with voices so loud and language so harsh as to melt the paint off the clubhouse wall. But Huntsville Stars manager Darnell Coles felt it necessary to do some preaching - and teaching - postgame Tuesday afternoon.

 

"Today was the first day you got knocked around," Coles told his players. An unnecessary reminder, perhaps, considering their lackadaisical 8-1 loss to the Jackson (Tenn.) Generals.

 

However, the loss was "a teachable moment," he said.

 

"You understand it. You don't necessarily want those things to happen. But when they do, you continue to play. You play the right way. You get on and off the field. You continue to make the plays," he said.

 

It left the Stars 10-10 at the end of this first homestand of the season. They head today to Jackson, Miss., for a five-game set with the Mississippi Braves.

 

If there is some consolation, it was the first time in this young season the Stars weren't really in the game. (Fourteen of the 20 have been decided by one or two runs.) Credit some of that to good pitching from the Generals' Danny Hultzen, who picked up where teammates left off on Monday night. The Stars had a 16-inning stretch of only one run and four hits the past two games.

 

Coles is not lobbing out any alibis but did stress that "we're a little nicked up." They have already had more than their share of injuries.

 

Brock Kjeldgaard, potentially the team's top power hitter, suffered a broken finger while breaking up a double play and will be sidelined six to eight weeks, according to Coles.

 

Outfielder Kentrail Davis, considered one of the Brewers' top prospects, has been sidelined since April 11 with a hamstring injury. Infielder Jeff Bianchi is also nursing a sore hamstring; ditto Dan Merklinger, the most experienced pitcher, who is due to return today.

 

"There are no excuses. Injuries are part of it," Coles said.

 

It may well be revealed that this 10-10 start came in even tougher circumstances. First, the long haul of 10 road games immediately after spring training. Then the incumbent hassles of moving into new digs. And, finally, Jacksonville and Jackson - against whom the Stars went a combined 4-6 - might prove to be the best two teams in the Southern League this half.

 

The Stars have proved to be the best-hitting team so far - a .277 team average - but they're only sixth in run production. However, they're eighth in ERA and eighth in fewest walks allowed.

 

All things considered, "We're playing a good brand of baseball," Coles said.

 

"Our guys continue to play hard. We won a couple of games late. We battled. And these guys are going to do that all year because," Coles added, "I'm not going to allow them not to."

 

Huntsville Stars manager Darnell Coles

 

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[TheCrew07]

I'm off this week so I'm catching up on my reading. This article got me thinking about both Nashville and Huntsville where the facilities stink. We've discussed it in the past and I would love for the Brewers to make this kind of move. I wasn't paying much attention over the winter so I apologize if this has already been posted.

 

Braves Plan To Buy Lynchburg Franchise, Move To Wilmington

Sale contingent on construction of a new ballpark

By Josh Leventhal

 

As the first Opening Day in 33 years without a Kinston, N.C., franchise in the Carolina League approaches, another longtime league member may also be on the way out.

 

The Lynchburg Hillcats, a franchise that been a part of the Carolina League since 1966, could be moving to Wilmington, N.C., after the team's owners agreed in principle to sell to the Atlanta Braves. The soonest that the move could take place would be for the 2014 season.

 

The Braves, who own all of their minor league affiliates except at the high Class A level, want to complete their collection with a team in a new ballpark in Wilmington, as part of a joint ownership with Mandalay Baseball Properties. The deal is not done, and Carolina League president John Hopkins said, "There are many more mountains to climb."

 

The biggest mountain is the construction of the new ballpark. The sale is contingent on the new park being built, and at this point the city of Wilmington doesn't know where the park would be or how it would be paid for.

The deal also requires the Braves to find a new tenant for the ballpark in Lynchburg, though it could be a franchise in a different league. None of that has been determined either, Lynchburg general manager Paul Sunwall said.

 

Mandalay Baseball CEO Art Matin said he expects some form of a public/private partnership to finance the new ballpark.

 

"Without public financing, it won't happen," he said. "So we need a significant piece of financing to come from the city."

 

Wilmington and Mandalay gave themselves six months to figure that out, after the Wilmington city council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the potential new owners at their meeting on Tuesday.

 

Wilmington mayor Bill Saffo previously said that a new ballpark will come at a price for residents. And while there was support at the city council meeting from residents donning Braves jerseys, opponents of the project are circulating a petition to require a referendum on using public money for a ballpark. Also on the to-do list is finding a location for the ballpark and determining the cost.

 

"I am optimistic we can work this through," said Matin, who was joined at the city council meeting by Braves executive vice president of business operations Mike Plant and former Braves manager Bobby Cox. "I think Wilmington as a market has terrific potential to be a strong minor league market.

 

"It has a strong business clientele, a lot of interest in baseball at the youth level, and even though there have been a couple unsuccessful attempts (at minor league baseball) in the past, I think that was more business operations than the market. I think the Braves agree with us and that is why we are pursuing it together."

 

If all the pieces come together in Wilmington, then Lynchburg will bid farewell to the Carolina League—but not to professional baseball. Sunwall said that selling the Hillcats is contingent upon the Braves helping the city find a replacement team.

 

"It would not be a Carolina League team in here . . . we would have a lesser league and possibly not as many games, but it would still be a positive for the city of Lynchburg," Sunwall said.

 

The Hillcats are community-owned by the 16-member Lynchburg Baseball Corp., a group that includes many of the original owners who have guided the franchise for little profit while spurning previous purchase offers that would have taken the team out of town. The Lynchburg metro area has a population of 246,036, according to the 2010 census, compared to 362,315 for Wilmington.

 

However, the team's longtime chairman Calvin Falwell, who long championed the cause to bring and keep professional baseball in Lynchburg, died last year. Sunwall said many of the owners felt this was the right time to sell the team, and that this is the right offer.

 

"We're going to have another team in another league. That is part of the equation," said Sunwall, who has also been part of the ownership group since 1981. "We have had other offers over the years, but it was never with a commitment to put another team in here to replace us . . . We have been in business here since 1966. We have 16 owners, and as one recently said, 'We're all getting a little bit long in the tooth.' "

 

The city financed a $6.5 million renovation of Lynchburg City Stadium in 2003 that upgraded the 72-year-old stadium into a more modern facility that includes 14 luxury suites and club seating. Part of the renovation agreement with the city stipulated that the team would pay off any remaining debt on the ballpark if it was sold, and Sunwall confirmed that the deal with the Braves will make the city whole.

 

Though the Carolina League will leave if the Wilmington project goes through, Sunwall said is he confident professional minor league baseball will not leave the city. Other leagues that make sense geographically for Lynchburg are the South Atlantic League or the Appalachian League.

 

"It's too early to go that far yet," Sunwall said. "As soon as Wilmington is ready, that will be the first thing we are going to be asking. The final details have not been finalized and probably won't be until we know what happens in Wilmington."

[Tedaldtada]

No T.J. Mittelstaedt for the second straight day.

[Tedaldtada]

Tampa (Yankees) 7 Brevard County 2

 

Box Score

 

A close game until late, the Manatee offense was, again, nearly sterile. C Shawn Zarraga was 1-3 with a BB. Cody Hawn was 1-3 with a 2B and BB. Nick Shaw was 1-2 with a 2B and a BB. Franklin Romero Jr had 2 hits from the 9-hole.

 

Shaw actually left the game for a pinch hitter in the 7th. He was gunned at 3rd trying to stretch his double in his previous at-bat, but he did not come out for a few innings afterward. Hopefully he is okay. We also await news on T.J. Mittelstaedt's whereabouts.

 

Recently added Brandon Williamson was very good in the start. 6 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 0 BB 3 K 5:9 GO:FO. Williamson retired the first 11 batters in order. I really do not know much a him as a prospect but if he keeps up the good work, I am sure we will learn much.

 

The best prospect in the game for the Manatees, Brooks Hall, came in to pitch the 7th making his first appearance in 2012. He got nicked up a bit, but with an assumed tight pitch count, he wasn't really allowed to settle in. Final line: 1 2/3 IP 2 H 2 R 1 ER 1 BB 3 K 1:1 GO:FO. Hall was pretty good last year in WI considering he was likely a full 2 years below the median age in the Midwest League. Still, there is nothing dominant about his numbers (4.13 ERA .279 BAA 5.7 K/9). Methinks he needs to take another step stuff-wise to really put himself on the map. The lack of Manatee media coverage will not help shed light on the situation either.

 

Casey Medlen let the game get out of hand in the end allowing an inherited Hall runner to score in the 8th, then allowing 3 more in the 9th.

 

Game Log

 

Hall's halves.

 

Brevard County Bottom of the 7th

 

Pitcher Change: Sean Black replaces Zachary Nuding.

Franklin Romero Jr. pops out to third baseman Rob Segedin.

Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Juan Sanchez replaces Nick Shaw.

Juan Sanchez grounds out, pitcher Sean Black to first baseman Kyle Roller.

Reggie Keen doubles (5) on a line drive to right fielder Shane Brown.

Cody Hawn walks.

Miguel Velazquez grounds into a force out, third baseman Rob Segedin to second baseman Kelvin Castro. Cody Hawn out at 2nd.

 

Tampa Top of the 8th

 

Juan Sanchez remains in the game as the shortstop.

Kelvin Castro strikes out swinging.

Rob Segedin walks.

With Kyle Roller batting, Rob Segedin steals (2) 2nd base.

Kyle Roller called out on strikes.

Pitcher Change: Casey Medlen replaces Brooks Hall.

JR Murphy singles on a ground ball to left fielder Miguel Velazquez. Rob Segedin scores.

Eduardo Sosa doubles (4) on a ground ball to left fielder Miguel Velazquez. JR Murphy to 3rd.

Tyson Blaser strikes out swinging.

[TheCrew07]

Final: Wisconsin 4, Dayton (Reds) 3

 

Hopkins homers in ninth to end Rattlers losing streak

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

GRAND CHUTE, WI - Greg Hopkins broke a 3-3 tie with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers a 4-3 victory over the Dayton Dragons Wednesday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The win ended a three game losing streak for the Rattlers and started a six-game homestand with a bang.

 

Wisconsin (11-9) scored first with an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Dayton starting pitcher Stalin Gershon mishandled a grounder from Yadiel Rivera and rushed a throw to first. The errant toss allowed Max Walla to score from second for a 1-0 lead.

 

The Rattlers added to their lead with two runs in the third inning. Walla hustled his way into a one out double and one out later Jason Rogers drove in Walla with a single for his tenth RBI of the season. After Yadiel drew a walk, Brandon Macias doubled into the left field corner. The play looked like it would score both Rogers and Rivera, but the ball rolled under the fence for a ground rule double. Rogers scored, but Rivera had go back to third base. Still, the Rattlers led 3-0.

 

Dayton (10-10) rallied to tie the game with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. Rattlers starting pitcher Andy Moye walked the first two batters of the fourth inning. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base. Steve Selsky doubled to drive in two.

 

In the fifth, the Dragons loaded the bases with no outs against Moye and Ryan Wright drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. The fly ball was deep enough to move the runner at second to third and an error on the play sent the runner from first to second. The call went to Jacob Barnes in the Rattlers bullpen to keep the game tied.

 

Barnes got out of the inning with the game still even on a pair of line drives right at Rattlers infielders.

 

Wisconsin needed bullpen help again in the eighth inning. Barnes walked two batters with two outs. Seth Harvey entered the game and struck out Kyle Waldrop looking at a 3-2 pitch.

 

In the top of the ninth, Theo Bowe tripled with two outs, but was left stranded to set the stage for Hopkins.

 

The right hand hitter crushed a 1-1 pitch from Jimmy Moran high over the left field wall for a game winning homer. Wisconsin has three walkoff wins in eleven home games this season.

 

The Rattlers and Dragons meet in game two of the series on Thursday night. Matt Miller (0-3, 6.75) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Justice French (3-1, 2.91) is set to start for the Dragons. Game time is 6:35pm

 

Thursday night is a College Night and a Sluggers Sports Bar Thirsty Thursday presented by 95.9 KISS FM. For college night, students may take advantage of $1 reserved bleacher tickets just by showing their college ID when they purchase the ticket. As part of Thirsty Thursday, all fans can enjoy 16oz soda and beer for just $2. After the game, those in attendance can take their ticket stub to Sluggers Sports Bar - located in Super Bowl on Northland Avenue - to win Miller Lite drinks and prizes.

 

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, tune in on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. The game is also available on MiLB.TV.

 

HOME RUN:

WIS:

Greg Hopkins (1st, 0 on in 9th inning off Jimmy Moran, 0 out)

 

WP: Seth Harvey (2-0)

LP: Jimmy Mora (1-2)

 

TIME: 2:51

ATTN: 1,076

 

Wisconsin Box Score

It's good to see the T-Rats right the ship after 2 very disappointing losses in South Bend. The Rattler pitching wasn't great, but it was good enough to set the stage for Hopkins' heroics. Andrew Moye's final line was 4.1IP allowing 5H, 3ER, and 3BB against 4SO. He also picked off a runner at 1st base. As Chris mentioned above Jacob Barnes pitched the next 3.1 giving up 2 hits and 2 walks against 1 strike out. Seth Harvey went the final 1.1 giving up 1 hit and striking out 3.

 

Max Walla went 3-2 with a double, a walk and a stolen base, Jason Rogers went 3-4 with a double, likewise for Brandon Macias who also went 3-4 with a double. The only hit for Gregory Hopkins in the game was his HR, but you couldn't ask for more in that situation. Chadwin Stang committed his first error of the season and Tyler Roberts gunned down the only runner who tried to steal a base.

 

Wisconsin Play By Play

[TheCrew07]

Final: Mississippi (Braves) 9, Huntsville 1

 

Stars Scorched By Braves in Series Opener

Huntsville loses third consecutive game.

 

PEARL, MS.- With eight runs in a span of two innings, the Mississippi Braves rolled to a 9-1 victory over the Huntsville Stars in the five-game series opener at Trustmark Park on Wednesday night.

 

After the Stars tied up the game in the second inning at 1-1 with a solo home run by third basemen Andy Gonzalez, the Braves bats took over. Led by a pair of RBI singles by third baseman Joe Leonard and catcher Christian Bethancourt, Mississippi opened up a 4-1 lead after three innings. Then, in the fifth, a sacrifice fly by shortstop Andrelton Simmons, a pair of RBI singles by left fielder Adam Milligan and right fielder Todd Cunningham and a 2-run double by Leonard again gave the Braves their final lead that they did not relinquish.

 

Overall, the Stars arms were unable to handle the bats for the opposition for second consecutive game, giving up a season-high 16 hits on the night. Five Braves players had multi-hit games, led by Leonard and Bethancourt with three apiece.

 

For the Stars, LHP Dan Merklinger was tabbed with the loss after giving up eight runs in 3.1 innings, falling to 0-2 on the season.

 

For the Braves, LHP Jose Lugo earned his first win of the season after giving up a run and two hits over 5.0 innings. Mississippi RHP Gary Moran also pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in relief.

 

On offense, the Stars were limited to seven hits or less for the third game in row. Huntsville has also lost all three games.

Game two of a five-game series between the two teams will begin tomorrow as Huntsville will send RHP Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 2.01 ERA) will square off against Mississippi RHP Zeke Spruill (2-1, 3.38 ERA). First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Well hopefully Thornburg can help get things back on track tomorrow because this was pretty putrid. Merklinger's line isn't worth discussing, all you need to know is that his season ERA has ballooned over 9. R.J. Seidel relieved Dan giving up 5H and 1ER in his 2.2 innings, his ERA is exactly 6 after today's game. I understand that ERA isn't a good way to evaluate pitching, but in this case it tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the season both players have had thus far. Jesus Sanchez managed a clean 7th even though he gave up a hit and walked 2. Robert Wooten finished the game striking out 2 in his only inning of work.

 

The Stars only managed 4 hits in the entire game, the opposing pitcher Jose Lugo is a 28 year old who still doesn't have a single MLB appearance in his career. Other than Gonzalez HR mentioned above Hunter Morris doubled for the only other noteworthy offensive performance. Unfortunately Lee Haydel's hit streak came to an end with an 0-fer. Stars also committed 2 errors, both fielding, one by Josh Prince and the other by Domnit Bolivar.

 

Huntsville Play By Play

Please move along, there's nothing to see here...

[Mass Haas]

Manatees drop series opener to Yanks

By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. - Looking to start fresh after a 0-6 road trip, it became the same old song and dance for the Brevard County Manatees as they fell 7-2 to the Tampa Yankees on Wednesday night at Space Coast Stadium. It was the 'Tees seventh straight loss.

 

Making his first start with the Manatees, Brandon Williamson gave Brevard a quality start. He went six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, while striking out three and did not issue a walk.

 

Brevard County (8-11) has received quality starts from its starting pitchers nine times this season, but the Manatees are just 3-6 in those games.

 

The 'Tees did get on the board first in the bottom of the second thanks to back-to-back, one-out RBI singles by Scott Krieger and Shea Vucinich as Brevard County took a 2-0 lead.

 

Williamson's only two runs allowed on the night came in the top of the fifth. The inning began with Tampa's J.R. Murphy reaching on a fielding error by Nick Shaw. Two batters later, Tyson Blaser singled to put two on with one out. Shane Brown then doubled to left to clear the bases and tied the game at 2-2.

 

Brooks Hall, who saw his first action of 2012 since being activated from the disabled list, relieved Williamson in the seventh. After getting Murphy to pop out to second, he allowed back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Jose Mojica reached on a Vucinich error and the Yankees (10-9) took a 3-2 lead.

 

Hall would get two more outs in the eighth and leave a runner on second that Casey Medlen would inherit. The first batter Medlen faced was Murphy who singled to left to make it a 4-2 advantage for Tampa. The Yankees padded their lead in the ninth with three runs - on three hits and an error - off Medlen.

 

Brevard County's offense remained stagnant as the Manatees struck out ten times and went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The 'Tees left nine men on base and on five separate occasions they left runners in scoring position with two outs.

 

The Manatees will call upon 2011 first round draft pick Taylor Jungmann (2-2, 3.18) to halt their losing streak on Thursday night at 6:35 PM (5:35 Central) against the Yankees. Jungmann is looking for his first win since April 10.

 

Tampa will send Michael O'Brien (2-1, 5.79) to the hill. In O'Brien's last start, he allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings of work against the Daytona Cubs.

 

Manatees starting pitcher Brandon Williamson allowed one earned run in six innings. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

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[TheCrew07]

9 after 9 for 4/25

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Media Notes

 

Appleton Post-Crescent Video Interview with Walk-Off Man Greg Hopkins as part of their game story (photos also)

 

Full Post-Crescent Photo Gallery

 

Rattlers Radio Blog -- "Nine After Nine", always a must-read, and the home game means

[Mass Haas]

Not much fun standings-wise, but the Rattlers are only a half-game out of first place...

[Mass Haas]

Thoughts and customary fine photography via Brad Krause from Wed's. rattlers walkoff