Your 2013 Brevard County Manatees

[Mass Haas]

Indications are that we will begin to see some formal minor league roster announcements as early as Friday 3/29 or Saturday 3/30.

 

Feel free to link to any formal notices you see here.

 

As you might know, we use the "Your 2013" threads to post and link to feature stories that are outside the scope of game activity covered in the Daily Link Report.

 

One thing folks will notice this year is that we'll be providing less of the "link PLUS copy-and-paste" and just going with links in many of our threads. While in the long-term, this will impact the archive aspect of the site as some of those links go dead down the road, it will also make it much easier for all providing the news, as formatting the copy-and-paste was among the more tedious and time-consuming aspects of the forum each day.

 

These threads have become among the most popular for viewing here, and we look forward to kicking them off formally.

[Southern Leaguer]

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130330&content_id=43555338&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t503&sid=t503

[Mass Haas]

Thanks, prior link was the preview article, here's the actual full roster.

 

Just-turned 27-year-old RHP Andre Lamontagne is a cool name to see, several of us were on that bandwagon once. He's missed most of the past two seasons which included shoulder surgery.

[battlekow]

Couple nice outfield sleepers in McMahan and Stang, though a year in Space Coast may put them into a coma rather than waking them up.

[LouisEly]

Good to see Lamontagne back. He was looking very good at Huntsville before the injury. Interesting that both Nick Ramirez and Cody Hawn are at Brevard. Will Hawn try to move back to 3B?

[DHonks]

I wonder if Lamontagne will be used as a starter or reliever. He was a good closer until converting to the rotation

[Mass Haas]

Manatees rotation indicated via Twitter

 

Bradley, Gagnon, Hall, Goforth, Barnes.

 

Barnes will pitch behind Hall this Saturday, then slot in regularly after the first rd.

[Mass Haas]

Link includes video interview

 

Pain-free, Manatees pitcher is back where he started

Lamontagne, 27, committed to comeback after arm injuries stalled career

by John A. Torres, Florida Today

 

At the end of the day, the only thing that wards off the sickening closed-throat feeling of regret and self-doubt is the ability to look in the mirror with the knowledge that you gave it your best.

 

Not easy to do when your friends have settled down nicely into their lives: careers, homes, families and your right arm is betraying you at every turn.

 

But that’s what drives Andre Lamontagne, a man among boys playing baseball for the Brevard County Manatees. Lamontagne, a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher coming back after missing the past two seasons due to arm injuries, is practically a senior citizen in the Florida State League, where most players are barely old enough to drink legally.

 

The average age of players in the FSL, high Class-A ball, is 23.

 

His right arm and four-pitch arsenal — fastball, slider, deuce and change-up — were good enough to catapult him from rookie ball to low A-ball, to high A-ball and finally Double-A during his first full season of pro ball in 2010. It was a magical ride up the ladder and there seemed little doubt Lamontagne would soon be pitching at Miller Park for the Brewers.

 

But that was before the betrayal, before the right shoulder started getting sore, nearly derailing all of his boyhood dreams permanently. Nearly, but not quite. The 2011 season was spent doing physical therapy, trying to strengthen certain muscles, an attempt to chase the pain away. It didn’t work and the 2012 season was lost to shoulder surgery.

 

The shoulder wasn’t the only thing hurting.

 

“It was tough. I had big aspirations for 2011 and it was rough seeing a whole lot of guys I played with make it to the Major Leagues,” he said the other day from the dugout at Space Coast Stadium while his teammates took batting practice. “If you dwell on it too much then it becomes frustrating. But I tried not to let it get to me too much and just focus on the work, on the rehab and just getting better.”

 

Even now, even though he is basically starting all over again, pitching for the Manatees the way he did in 2010, Lamontagne never gave walking away a single thought.

 

“It was definitely tough not having a whole lot of money and rehabbing,” he said. “There was a lot of stress and it was very tough but I knew this was my career and this was what I wanted to do and felt that if I had given it up and gotten a job then I wouldn’t have been able to look back and say I gave it my best shot.”

 

So, the 27-year-old minor leaguer reported to spring training and did just that. He worked hard, stayed behind when the team broke camp and then after a precautionary stint on the disabled list to begin the season, is pitching for the Manatees.

 

“It’s good. I’m pain-free,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that I gave it my best shot and I have and it feels great.”

 

They’re still baby-steps on the road to the big leagues. But, put enough baby steps together and who knows?

 

“I’m not thinking that far ahead,” he said. “I’m just trying to get stronger and continue being pain free. Whatever happens happens. I saw what happened during my first year so I know it’s possible. What keeps me here is the love for the game. Hopefully one day I can get to the Major Leagues. I know it’ll be a lot sweeter than if I made it before.”

 

Major Leagues or not, Lamontagne has already crushed any possibility of that sickening closed-throat feeling that comes with regret.

 

That’s the first, maybe the most important, ‘W’ in the column.

[Mass Haas]

Gagnon finds comfort zone on the mound

Mike Parsons, Florida Today

 

Perfection. Every pitcher at every level strives for it, it is what they hope for in every outing.

 

For Brevard County Manatees starting pitcher Drew Gagnon, it was a reality earlier this week.

 

Gagnon threw seven perfect innings Wednesday afternoon against Bradenton, throwing 84 pitches, 56 for strikes before being replaced to start the eighth inning. He has now tossed 12 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings heading into Monday night’s home game against Charlotte.

 

“Everything was working that day,” Gagnon said this week about the dominating performance. “I have figured it (my changeup) out the past three starts. I need that to be successful.”

 

And he has been all of that. In those 12 1/3 innings of work, Gagnon has struck out 15 hitters while allowing just two hits and two walks.

 

And he says a lot of it is his changeup.

 

“I had not been able to throw is consistently for strikes,” Gagnon said of the first few starts of the season. “Now you can call it any time you want and I can throw it for strikes, and most of the time make them swing and miss.”

 

And this is not the first time that the California native and third round pick in 2011 has been in this kind of zone.

 

Last season at Wisconsin, he started the season in similar fashion. And at the end of last season, which finished in Brevard, he was named the best control pitcher in the organization by the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

The ironic thing is last season another control pitcher got on a run like this and was promoted. He is Hiram Burgos, who is now in the Milwaukee Brewers rotation. A point that is not lost on Gagnon.

 

“The pitching coach (Mark Dewey) says it a lot. He announced the other day that one year ago Hiram was playing here and now he is starting for the Brewers. It is definitely something we all know and see and strive for,” Gagnon said.

 

If Gagnon can continue to throw the way he has, it will not be long before he gets his call and heads to Huntsville, just like Burgos last season.

 

From there, who knows.

[Mass Haas]

Impressive trainer / pitcher teamwork here, nice "bonus" piece from the Manatees staff:

 

In it for the long "Hall" with TC

By Andy Towne / Brevard County Manatees

[Mass Haas]

Mittelstaedt's path back up to Double A may be a shorts story for Manatees

Outfielder/third baseman seeks quick fix for his smooth swing

by Michael Parsons, FLORIDA TODAY

 

T.J. Mittelstaedt is working hard to get back home.

 

After all, 25 days with three shirts and a couple of shorts is a tough road for anybody.

 

But Mittelstaedt knows it is just a matter of time. He just needs to be patient and put in the work. The 25-year-old from California has been doing a lot of that lately, working hard with hitting coach Ned Yost IV every afternoon on his swing since being demoted from Double A.

 

“I am trying to get a consistent path towards the ball,” Mittelstaedt said of his swing.

 

He does have a track record of being a good hitter. Last season was the first time he did not hit at least .280 as a pro — he hit .258 with nine home runs with the Brevard County Manatees before getting called up to Double A.

This season, he started in Double A, but struggled with consistency and was sent back to Brevard to work on things.

 

“Once I get my head still again, my path (to the ball) will definitely come back,” Mittelstaedt said. “Once I keep my posture and my head stays still, I can get hot real quick.”

 

And he has shown signs of doing just that. In the past seven games with the Manatees, Mittelstaedt has at least one hit in six of them. He is showing off that power as well with two home runs in the past four games.

 

“Probably 10 days ago, I was at a point where I thought I was close, but looked at the video and my head was moving a lot, so we have polished that up and got my head to be more still,” said Mittelstaedt, who has played third base and the outfield this season.

 

But more than that, he is working on becoming a more consistent hitter.

 

As he is quick to point out, it is a process.

 

“There is nothing you are going to do that is going to be so extraordinary that you are going to automatically move up. You can have a 3-for-4 game and have three home runs ... you are not going up because of that,” Mittelstaedt said.

 

“It is the consistency, and I have struggled with going up and down. I have to keep my swing consistent.”

 

That is where he hopes his hard work comes in. And Mittelstaedt is putting in the time. He is hoping it leads to “good days.”

 

Mittelstaedt is focused on one thing — getting better every day. He knows if he gets better every day, then the results will happen.

 

“You just need to keep having good days,” Mittelstaedt said. “It is the consistency of not worrying about what happened, just get better every day.”

 

And that will lead him back home, where he has more than a couple of pairs of shorts.

 

T.J. Mittelstaedt hopes to get back to Double A soon, on his way to the majors. / Michael Parsons/FLORIDA TODAY

 

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20130524&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=305240037&Ref=AR&MaxW=300&Border=0&Mittelstaedt-s-path-back-up-Double-may-shorts-story-Manatees

[Mass Haas]

Pierce off to good start for Manatees

by Steve Clark, The Reporter Media

 

By his own admission, Chad Pierce doesn’t bring anything overly special to the pitcher’s mound.

 

The Fond du Lac native now pitching for the Brevard County Manatees, the advanced Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, doesn’t feature a 95 mph-plus fastball or a slider that sends hitters running back to the dugout. His curveball and change-up may be above average pitches but not the caliber that have scouts drooling in the stands.

 

What Pierce does have is the ability to get opposing hitters out. And has he tries to make a name for himself to keep rising through the organization, he believes that will help him stand out.

 

“I’m not overpowering at all, but the majority of the time I’m able to throw three pitches for strikes and that’s key at this level or any level,” Pierce said in a phone interview before a game against Clearwater this past weekend. “I think being able to keep guys off my fastball, whether it’s with a change up or a curveball, if I keep doing that hopefully it can set me apart from other guys and hopefully, this season or next season get up a level.”

 

After a rough start to the 2013 season, Pierce has found his groove on the mound.

 

Over his last eight appearances, the right-hander, who pitches mainly out of the bullpen, has allowed just one run in 20 1/3 innings and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 14 2/3 innings.

 

For the season, he is 2-1 with a 2.36 earned run average and has allowed just 18 hits, while striking out 39 in 34 1/3 innings.

 

“The last couple games, I’ve taken off a little bit after a couple rough ones early on in the season,” Pierce said. “Overall a good start to the season and something I’m looking forward to all year long.”

 

The biggest key for him — and something every pitcher deals with — is staying away from walks. That played a role in his slow start when he allowed eight earned runs in his first 14 innings of work this season.

 

“They don’t like to see guys walk a lot of people. I did early in the season and that really bugged me,” Pierce said. “It’s a long season so you need to be able to weather some storms, the ups and downs. … If you have a bad outing, the next one, you just get back on the bump and get after it.”

 

With Pierce’s help, the Manatees are currently in second place in the Florida State League’s North Division, one-game behind Dunedin, a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate.

 

It shouldn’t be any surprise that this group is near the top of the standings since the bulk of the roster were members of the Midwest League Champion Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last year.

 

It’s not something that the team relives with regularity, however, the experience of being a part of a championship winning team has definitely carried over to this season.

 

“We’ll talk sometimes about last year, but last year is in the past and this year we’re trying to win a championship here,” Pierce said. “We’ve got a great clubhouse. That helped us last year and we’re able to relive it this year just by the way we are with each other.

 

“We won in the past and we believe in ourselves and I think that will carry over into this season and it has so far.”

 

The only thing that hasn’t carried over for Pierce is the fans in the stands backing him personally.

 

He said family and friends regularly made the jaunt up Highway 41 to Fox Cities Stadium last season to watch him play for the Timber Rattlers, which obviously doesn’t happen this season.

 

As much as he misses the support, he believes playing in Florida may be tougher on his family than on him.

 

“They were able to live a dream last year. Not often do you get a chance to watch your sun play pro ball or even college ball so close to home and my parents were fortunate enough to see me play a lot,” said Pierce, who played collegiately at UW-Milwaukee. “For me, it’s the same thing no matter where I am. You have to go out and there compete.”

[Mass Haas]

Ramirez connects with starring role

Manatees' infielder has hit 14 home runs avoiding bad pitches

by Michael Parsons, FLORIDA TODAY

 

This weekend is going to be a big one for Nick Ramirez.

 

The Brevard County Manatees first baseman is not only playing in the Florida State League All-Star Game tonight, he also will be in the Home Run Derby.

 

But his selection was not a given. The California native struggled to find his stroke early in the season, hitting .245 with four home runs and 41 strikeouts in the first month.

 

“I was swinging the bat really well (in the spring) and came here and thought I would be doing the same thing,” the left-handed hitter said before a game earlier this week. “Once the season started and things started to count, I started pressing and trying to do too much. That started getting the whole swing at bad pitches started and I was getting myself out. Probably a month ago, I really just tried to do less, relax and let my abilities take over.”

 

The other thing he has focused on is hitting better against lefties.

 

“Early in the season, he had his battles with lefties, but I really think he has turned the corner against left-handed pitching,” Manatees manager Joe Ayrault said. “He has really made some adjustments at the plate and that is what the minor leagues is all about. He has really put in the extra work and doing a good job.”

 

The extra work has paid off as Ramirez heads into tonight’s game in Dunedin third in the Florida State League in home runs with 14 and has cut down on his strikeouts.

 

It has all led to him being named one of the top players in the FSL, an accolade he takes in stride.

 

“Making the All-Star Game is a nice accolade to have, but it is also something you use to push yourself. It is hard not to try and do too much, but to be named to the All-Star team out of the whole league is a confidence boost,” the 2011 fourth-round pick said.

 

The slugger knew this season would be different from last season, where he hit .248 in Wisconsin with 16 home runs.

 

“The first thing that I heard about the Florida State League was that this is where hitters come to die, so I did not really expect very much,” Ramirez said. “Then I saw the ballparks and that is when I started to press, thinking I had to swing harder to get the ball out of the park. Now we have played in winds and it was just getting used to it, just like any other new league. I definitely heard it was not a hitter-friendly ballpark, but I feel if you hit it well, you are going to find grass, just some of those that may have fallen in may hold up here and get caught.”

 

But so far this season, when Ramirez connects, the ball has been traveling out of the park. He is just two home runs away from his career-high 16 from last season, a total he should have no problem reaching with his swing.

 

“Right now, my plan is to just stay inside the ball and not pull the ball. I know that when I pull the ball, that is when I start missing pitches and pulling off stuff and rolling over. Just trying to put a smooth swing on it,” Ramirez said.

 

Brevard County Manatees first baseman Nick Ramirez is starting to find his groove, earning an All-Star Game spot. Photo For FLORIDA TODAY

 

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20130615&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=306150006&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Ramirez-connects-starring-role

[Mass Haas]

PHOTOS AT LINK

 

***

 

Healthy Garfield earns all-star berth

by David Lassen, Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise

 

Cameron Garfield has his career back on track, and he has the all-star status to prove it.

 

The catcher from Murrieta Valley lost large portions of the 2011 and 2012 seasons to a dislocated kneecap, but he’s enjoying a healthy first half of the 2013 season with the Brevard County Manatees, the Milwaukee Brewers affiliate in the high-A Florida State League.

 

Through Tuesday, the 22-year-old Garfield is batting .246 with 24 extra-base hits — seven of them homers — a .433 slugging percentage and 29 RBIs for the Manatees. That has earned him a spot on the North Division team in Saturday’s FSL All-Star Game in Dunedin, Fla.

 

He’ll be one of two Inland players in that game, the other being catcher Austin Barnes (Riverside Poly), who will represent Miami’s Jupiter, Fla., affiliate on the South team. (Barnes was the subject of an Alumni Spotlight profile last season.)

 

Garfield returned from his knee injury midway through the 2012 season and had a strong finish to the year with the Brewers’ Midwest League team, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. In 66 games at Wisconsin, he batted .298 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs.

 

“It was really gratifying,” Garfield said. “It was a long road, a lot of downs during that time. But it was nice getting healthy, going through the process and getting on the baseball field and having fun. And the numbers show for themselves when you’re having fun and just going out there and helping the guys win.”

 

In the offseason, Garfield worked to strengthen his left quad, an area of concern after the knee injury, which reflected his No. 1 goal for 2013, “just staying healthy and trying to get out on the field every single day, letting my abilities be able to put up the numbers that I know I can.”

 

That’s gone well so far. He’s played in 57 of Brevard County’s 62 games, and is closing in on playing his most games since 2010, when he appeared in 102 games for Wisconsin.

 

Garfield had a strong start for the Manatees, earning league player of the week honors on April 22 after a seven-game stretch in which he batted .310 with four homers and seven RBIs.

 

“It was kind of a double-edged sword,” Garfield said. “It was nice having it, but then you get your name out there and every team starts pitching you differently.”

 

It may be one reason things in the Florida State League haven’t quite been what Garfield was led to expect.

 

“Everyone said this is a fastball league, you’re going to see a lot of fastballs, but I’ve been seeing it the other way around,” he said. “I’ve been getting pitched backwards a lot. You have a good week, and put up some good power numbers, and everybody stays away from you and is not really challenging you.

 

“So it’s hard to choose what pitches (to go after) and have the same approach. But it’s also a good thing — you’re getting pitched like that, you’re doing well. You just need to get a pitch you can handle and hit it somewhere hard.”

 

One thing that has proven to be true is that the Manatees’ home field, Space Coast Stadium — 340 feet down the lines and 404 to center — is a tough place for hitters.

 

“There’s some balls you think you absolutely crush,” Garfield said, “and they’re hanging out in left field somewhere getting caught.

 

“But you can’t try to change your approach. You can’t try to inside the ball and hit it down the line to right field. You have to stick with your approach and let the ball take care of itself after you hit it.”

 

While Garfield is looking forward to playing in the all-star game, he’s far from satisfied with his season to date.

 

“It was nice getting recognized,” he said. “But there’s a lot of room for improvement.

 

“I haven’t really met my expectations, but I think that’s just getting a little out of my realm. I’ve been trying to do too much here and there, and I’ve just got to take it one day at a time, one pitch at a time, and everything will fall into place.”

[TheCrew07]

Manatees get buzzed for a good cause

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' Ramirez closes in on team's home run record

First baseman needs 2 more to set single-season mark

by Michael Parsons, FLORIDA TODAY

 

There have been a lot of power hitters come through Brevard County, from Ryan Braun to Jonathan Lucroy to Kevin Millar to Hunter Morris.

 

But with two more home runs, Nick Ramirez will have hit more home runs than any other Brevard County Manatee in a single season.

 

Ramirez has hit 18 this season. Milwaukee Triple A slugger Morris holds the record, hitting 19 in 2011. He did not know he was that close to the record until he asked manager Joe Ayrault on the ride back from Palm Beach on Monday night.

 

“I had no idea I was that close,” said the first baseman, who came into Wednesday’s game hitting .261 on the season.

 

But Ramirez, who went 1-for-4 in a wet 9-3 loss to St. Lucie on Wednesday night at Space Coast Stadium, is not worried about setting the record. “It is just one of those things that if it happens, it happens,” Ramirez said before Wednesday’s game. “I am not going to go out and change my approach and drop 50 points and hit one home run in 15 games because of it.”

 

With the way he is swinging the bat, the home runs will come. Ramirez was named the Florida State League Player of the Week earlier this week, hitting .526 with eight RBIs. The slugger really got things going shortly after the All-Star break, where he won the Home Run Derby.

 

“I don’t want to blame it on that, but after the Home Run Derby I hit a little funk. I am usually the kind of person who says that the Derby doesn’t ruin a swing, but I guess I developed a couple of bad habits during the Home Run Derby,” Ramirez said.

 

So after about a week, Ramirez slowed things down, began using a heavier bat (33/34 from a 31.5) and began swinging easy. “I have been working on staying short and swinging easy,” the fourth round pick in 2011 said of his swing. “Realized after the Home Run Derby that I had a really hard swing, a max effort swing.”

 

The difference has not only led to a .438 average in the past 10 games, but his power has continued as he has hit two home runs in the past five games.

 

And it has Ramirez in a good place at the plate. “It’s not really excitement, more of a realization that I don’t have to put forth the max effort to hit the ball out of the park. If I just stay smooth and put the good part of the bat on the ball, it is going to go out rather than me trying to hump up,” Ramirez said.“I think it is going to help me down the road, when I do feel myself muscling up I can go back to that point where I got when I started swinging easy. The results showed it.”

 

And soon he could hold a record. It is all more than he thought he would accomplish when he was in spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

“I literally told myself I would be happy with 10 home runs. That is how hard, how much I heard about this league. It is not an easy place to do it,” Ramirez said of hitting home runs. “I am not going to try and do it because when I try to do it, that is when I am not very good at the plate.“

 

And lately he has been very good at the plate.

 

Nick Ramirez is close to breaking the Manatees' single-season home run record. (Submitted to Florida Today)

 

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130718/SPORTS/307180026/Manatees-Ramirez-closes-team-s-home-run-record

[Mass Haas]

Peterson continues his success in minor leagues

By Mike Ippolito, Tewksbury (MA) Town Crier

 

Stephen Peterson is a lot like most Wilmington residents. The Wilmington native and 2006 graduate of St. John’s Prep grew up a fan of all the Boston sports teams, especially the Bruins. He enjoys occasionally heading down to Ristuccia Arena to watch his beloved Bruins practice. Even though he went to St. John’s Prep, he takes great pride in the great athletic traditions in the town of Wilmington.

 

Yes, he is just your every day Wilmingtonite. Except for one thing. Some day, in the not too distant future, he may very well be taking the mound at Fenway Park, and many other ball parks around the major leagues.

 

Peterson is a relief pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, currently in his third year of professional baseball after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Brewers in 2011 after graduating from the University of Rhode Island.

 

He has steadily climbed the ladder through the Brewers organization in his first three years, starting in the Arizona Rookie League in 2011, followed by a fine championship season with the Class ‘A’ Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last season, before moving on to the Advanced ‘A’ Florida State League’s Brevard County Manatees this season.

 

With Brevard County Peterson has continued his upward spiral with a 3-0 record to this point in the season, posting a 3.00 ERA. He has appeared in 29 games for the Manatees, good for second on the team, and is averaging nearly a strikeout per inning, with 40 strikeouts in 44 innings.

 

Making his season even more impressive is that he is coming off knee surgery last August, putting him through a painful rehabilitation as he fought be to ready for the start of the season. Bruins rehabilitation coordinator Scott Waugh worked closely with Peterson as he prepared for spring training. As it turns out he has been more than ready, getting off to a strong start to the season and carrying it well into the second half.

 

“It was a long rehab process and it was a lot of hard work,” Peterson said. “Scott put me though a lot of hard work so I would be set for the season. I felt great coming out of spring training. I haven’t really changed anything from last year. I talked to the coaches to help me work on things, but mainly I worked hard to be mentally and physically prepared for the season.”

 

The hard work has paid off for Peterson and his teammates, as the Manatees are within 1 ½ games of the Florida State League’s North Division lead for the second half of the season. The Manatees missed out on the first half division title by just a half game to the Dunedin Blue Jays.

 

“We would have liked to win the first half to qualify for the playoff spot, but we are excited now to be playing well in the second half,” Peterson said. “We’ve got a little more than a month to go and I think we have a really good shot at the playoffs.”

 

Peterson of course has been a big part of the Manatees success, being used in a variety of roles, even picking up one save on the season. But mainly he is called upon when the opponent is threatening in the late innings of a ball game to help preserve a lead or keep his team close so they can attempt to come back.

 

“One of the things they told me going into the season was to be ready for anything so I have been ready for whatever role they have for me,” Peterson said. “Whether that is the beginning of the game, or late in the game. All different kinds of situations. When you are working your way up like I am you want to be put in every situation and face as many different hitters as you can.”

 

Brevard County manager Joe Ayrault knows what an asset he has in his bullpen in the versatile Peterson.

 

“He is someone we can use in any situation,” Ayrault said. “His off speed stuff is coming along well to go along with his fastball. He’s got great composure and he is very durable. He attacks the hitter and he has been very consistent for us. He is a good guy to have on the team.”

 

Peterson made the conversion to the bullpen in his first year in the Brewers organization after being a starter in high school and college. He has made the transition smoothly and he hopes to continue his success as he moves further up the organizational ladder.

 

After stepping up a level in each of his first three seasons in professional baseball, he is hoping to continue his climb next season and in years to come.

 

“Every year you want to take the next step,” Peterson said. “If you prepare yourself the right way and do the right things and work on what the organization wants you to work on, you will have success and continue to move up, hopefully eventually all the way to the big leagues.”

 

Like every player in the minor leagues, that is the ultimate goal for Peterson of course, to someday be taking the mound in a major league stadium. Peterson continues to work towards that goal, but he also knows he must take care of the business at hand with the Manatees before he can think about moving up to the next level, let alone the big leagues.

 

“It is something that you obviously think about,” Peterson said. “Every day on the field there has to be a purpose to what you are doing. You can’t take a day off, especially for someone like me who signed as a free agent. You are always trying to prove people wrong, and you are always trying to get better every single day to reach that ultimate goal.

 

“But right now we are just worried about doing as well as we can as a team to try and make the playoffs. We are a close team and we have a lot of the same guys who won the Midwest League title last season, so we would love to get to the playoffs again. There are no individuals on this team, we just want to keep winning together.”

 

That being said, Ayrault knows that Peterson will be one of the individuals on the team that he will be counting on most down the stretch of the second half of the season.

 

“He is a good team leader and he comes to the ball park every day with a good attitude and ready to play,” Ayrault said. “He is able to come in for us in key situations and get guys out. He is definitely somebody we will be counting on the rest of the season.”

 

As happy as Ayrault has been with Peterson’s performance this season, Peterson has been thrilled to play under his guidance, as well as that of pitching coach Mark Dewey.

 

“They are both unbelievable guys. They are two of the best manager and pitching coach I have ever had,” Peterson said. “It’s just everything that they do, from the way they treat you to the way they talk to you. The players pick up on that and feed off of that. With their positive attitude, we are always excited to take the field.”

 

Peterson has also had quite the influence on Ayrault, or at least on his five year old son.

 

“He bought my son his first hockey jersey, a Bruins jersey, and he has brainwashed him into being a Bruins fan,” Ayrault joked. “But he will not convert him to the Patriots. My son is still a Redskins fan like me.”

 

With any luck Peterson will reluctantly say good bye to the Manatees coaching staff at the end of the season and he will have a new manager and pitching coach next season at a higher level of minor league baseball. But wherever he is, one thing he will always remember is where he came from.

 

“It’s always great to talk to you guys (at the Town Crier) and to talk baseball,” Peterson said. “I always enjoy catching up on what is going in Wilmington and I always like coming home. It is a great sports town and I love spending time there.”

 

Who knows? Maybe someday he will be spending his off-season in Wilmington on a break from the big leagues.

 

Wilmington resident Stephen Peterson unloads a pitch for the Manatees, the Milwaukee Brewers Single A Baseball team during a game this season. (courtesy photo).

 

http://i.imgur.com/LObSCVb.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville native Jed Bradley has 'homecoming' with Stars delayed by injury

by Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Homecomings shouldn't happen this way. They should come with parades and parties, not with pain.

 

Jed Bradley was born in Huntsville and pitched his senior season for Huntsville High. When the Milwaukee Brewers made him a first-round draft pick in 2011, it seemed ordained he'd become the second native of the city to play for the hometown Stars. When that happens, barring something miraculous, it'll be in 2014.

 

Bradley, a 6-foot-4 lefthander, has returned to Huntsville from Class A Brevard County and was in the Stars' clubhouse on Friday afternoon. He'll be around the team this homestand against Mississippi. However, he'll be under the care of the Stars' medical staff, his season likely ended by a shoulder injury that could well necessitate surgery.

 

"I was looking forward to coming home," he said. "It means advancement in my career, getting to live in my hometown and live with my family. But I didn't sit around and dream about it."

 

Bradley was 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA at Brevard County in 16 starts this summer.

 

As for the injury, "It's part of the trade," Bradley said. "It's unfortunate. It's always a hassle, but that's the way things go. It's something you'll have to deal with in your career so move forward with it and get back on the field as quick as possible."

 

On May 21, 2011, 16 days before Bradley would be drafted, Grissom High product Hunter Morris came to bat for the Stars against Montgomery to make history as the Stars' first Huntsville native. It was a brief cameo promotion for Morris, who returned as a full-timer in 2012 and proceeded to win the Southern League MVP award.

 

Bradley and Morris had brief conversations in spring training about playing at home.

 

"He obviously had an incredible year," Bradley said, "kinda being the mayor."

 

Bradley was born in Huntsville, but the family moved several times, including to Michigan, before returning here in time for Jed's senior year at Huntsville; he then missed much of the season following an appendectomy, making only six starts. The whole Bradley gang is here now, though, father Will, mom Lori and sisters Hallie and Sarah, as well as grandparents and uncles.

 

Bradley wound up at Georgia Tech after attending a baseball camp there his senior season "by chance" and performing well enough to be offered a scholarship.

 

He pitched the Yellow Jackets into the NCAA regionals as a junior, going 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA and earning second-team All-ACC honors.

 

He was the 15th player chosen in the draft - three spots behind current Stars pitcher Taylor Jungmann; the Brewers had two first-round choices - and made his Brevard debut last season, going 5-10 before being shut down late. He had what Brewers officials called "a tired arm," and Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin said last year Bradley is "a hard worker, almost to the point where he works too hard."

 

Now, more work is beginning.

 

"You stay day-to-day," Bradley said. "You form a plan about how to get better, and stay positive as much as you can. A lot of times, your mind tends to get negative and you start to wear yourself down when things aren't going the way you want them to. That's where your plan comes into play. You stay with it and stay positive and move forward."

 

Jed Bradley, during an appearance earlier this year at Brevard County (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

http://imgick.al.com/home/bama-media/width620/img/sports_impact/photo/bradley-at-brevardjpg-674b2f855d6a8c64.jpg

[LouisEly]

Hopefully the shoulder situation explains the performance, but shoulders are more difficult to fix and come back from than TJ surgery.

[Mass Haas]

Even without playoffs, Manatees opened some eyes

Michael Parsons, Florida Today

 

The Brevard County Manatees wrap up the 2013 season tonight in Daytona Beach.

 

And after just missing the first-half title by a half game, you could say this season was a disappointing one for the club.

 

But you would be wrong.

 

“Overall, a good year,” Manatees manager Joe Ayrault said before a recent game. “Coming that close in the first half, missing by a half game was tough, but seeing the guys get better and guys move up and have success, a few of them have really opened eyes. That is good to see.”

 

Don’t get Ayrault wrong, he is as competitive as the next guy and wants to win, but his job is to teach and help the players improve as well. And that is one thing this team has done.

 

“I am a guy who comes to the ballpark expecting to win every day, too, but these guys give their best effort every day and have worked hard all year,” he said.

 

That hard work has paid off as numerous players have been called up to Double A, some even reaching the major leagues. Hiram Burgos began his season with the Manatees and made six starts (1-2) with the Milwaukee Brewers over the summer.

 

Of course, Francisco Rodriguez began his comeback here and he did so well with the Brewers that he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

 

Kevin Shackelford is another pitcher that has opened some eyes. He is pitching out of the bullpen at Double A now.

 

“Shackelford is one of the guys that really came on in the bullpen, moved up to Double A. His velocity has jumped and his slider is coming along and doing a really good job,” Ayrault said.

 

Offensively, the team has seen some growth as well with Nick Ramirez becoming a much better hitter and D’Vontrey Richardson doing it all in the second half of the season as the Florida State graduate looks like he has a bright future in the game.

 

“Managing a guy like that, with those tools is great to be around. Fun to watch. You see him improving every day with the experience that he gets in the field,” Ayrault said of Richardson. “His approach at the plate, very very professional. He has a nice, line drive approach. There is just a different sound when the ball comes off his bat. I am glad he is back with us, he is really making a name for himself.”

 

So, at the end of the day, the Manatees will not be heading to the playoffs this season but have definitely accomplished a lot of their goals this season just the same.

[Mass Haas]

Seamheads.com:

 

Stephen Peterson: Adversity Just Another Obstacle for Milwaukee Brewers’ Prospect

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Adam of the @BrewerNation Twitter account interviews Mitch Haniger.

[Mass Haas]

Via BrewCrewBall -- No Manatees on Baseball America's list of the Top 20 Florida State League prospects

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO / PRINT Report -- Cody Scarpetta Encouraged About Comeback

 

This will be the second year back from May 2012 Tommy John surgery for the 6'3" 250 lb. RHP, who turned 25 last August (MiLB player page).

 

Scarpetta is not on the 40-man, and is out of minor league options. He'll be eligible to be taken in Rule 5 next month, but is an unlikely candidate at this point. This is the final year the Brewers control Scarpetta's rights, so if he impresses in 2014, he could be re-added to the 40-man roster next fall, but would then have to make the big league club to stay in spring 2015. The Brewers could also try to persuade Scarpetta to stay with another minor league deal for 2015 next fall if need be, but that's getting way ahead of things at this time.

[brewmann04]

Here hoping the Kid has a healthy season the brewers can always use pitching.