Your 2015 Brevard County Manatees

[WV Brew]

Preston Gainey could have got in. Not many relief pitchers were put on the team though. Compare him to Alberto Tirado:

 

ERA: Tirado 1.77, Gainey 0.71, BAA: Tirado .231, Gainey .172, WHIP: Tirado 1.21, Gainey 0.68. Tirado did have more innings pitched and maybe that makes the difference.

[Mass Haas]

Via Reviewing the Brew -- Nice little Q&A interview with Wei-Chung Wang

[Mass Haas]

Salas and Gainey Added to FSL North All-Star Team

By Dave Walkovic / Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/9/7/4/130974974/cuts/Salas_Gainey_960540_lopcly83_223eojcs.jpg

 

Salas and Gainey are the fifth and sixth Manatees to be named All-Stars. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

The Florida State League announced on Tuesday that Brevard County right-handed pitchers Javi Salas and Preston Gainey were added to the North Division roster for the 2015 Florida State League All-Star Game at Tradition Field in St. Lucie on June 20.

 

Salas is 5-4 with a 2.60 ERA (19 ER/65.2 IP) in 11 games and 10 starts this season. In 65.2 innings pitched, the righty has surrendered just 62 hits, 18 walks and two home runs. He has struck out 45 and opponents are batting .246 against Salas.

 

Salas' best outing came in his only relief appearance on April 17 against Dunedin. After Jim Henderson threw a scoreless first inning, Salas tossed eight shutout frames to complete the shutout and collect the victory. He has won three of his last four starts and has allowed just three runs in 20.0 innings during the three victories.

 

Salas was selected by Milwaukee in the 10th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Miami. He tossed a perfect game on 3/4/14 against Villanova University. It marked the second perfect game in program history (Kevin Sheary, 3/14/87) and just the 23rd perfect game in Division I history since 1957. His brother, Jorge, broadcasted the perfect game for WVUM, the student-run radio station. Salas' father, Raul, played football as a defensive end at Lafayette College.

 

Gainey is 2-2 with one save and a 1.05 ERA (3 ER/25.2 IP) in 16 relief appearances this season. He has not allowed more than one run in any appearance this year. Gainey did not allow his first earned run until May 16. Opponents are hitting .191 on the year against Gainey.

 

Gainey was a Midwest League midseason All-Star in 2014 as a member of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He was selected by the Brewers in the 11th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the United States Naval Academy.

 

Salas and Gainey are the fifth and sixth Manatees to be named All-Stars. Right-handed pitcher Jorge Ortega, second baseman Chris McFarland and outfielders Clint Coulter and Victor Roache were also selected to represent Brevard County in the FSL's 54th All-Star Game. Roache was promoted to Double-A Biloxi on Monday.

[TheCrew07]

I mentioned it quite a bit last year when Gainey was hitting 94-95, but his off season training has been tremendous if he jumped up to 97-98... he's gaining 3 MPH per off season (maybe less because guys usually throw 1-2 MPH harder in relief). He never had enough control as a starter but he's very intriguing as a reliever. He might become my new Viramontes...

[WV Brew]

Mid Season stats for the lazy (rank in the FSL):

 

OBP:

 

11) Garrett Cooper .356

18) Clint Coulter .347

 

SLG

 

3) Victor Roache (now gone to Biloxi) .448

5) Clint Coulter .443

21) Garrett Cooper .390

 

Batting Average

 

12) Garrett Cooper .282

18) Chris McFarland .277

 

OPS

 

7) Clint Coulter .

9) Victor Roache

 

Walks

 

1) (Ta da!) Taylor Brennan 36

9) Clint Coulter 29

 

ERA

 

3) Jorge Ortega 1.78

9) Javi Salas 2.41

8) Barrett Astin (just rubbing it in)

 

WHIP

 

1) (Ta da!) Jorge Ortega 0.82

10) Javi Salas 1.14

 

Innings Pitched

 

1) Jorge Ortega 76.0

4) Javi Salas 74.2

12) Brandon Woodruff 71.0

20) Wei-Chunge Wang 68.1

 

Really dominate that stat. Not sure if it's good or bad though.

[Mass Haas]

RHP Cy Sneed tweeted this link to an article about is college pitching coach. It's an interesting read on the influence coaches/ life mentors can have on these young men.

[Mass Haas]

One of the more disappointing spring assignments for a player had to have been LHP Stephen Peterson being assigned to Brevard County for a third season, instead of getting to take part in the Biloxi winning road trip fun. It hasn't seemed to faze the ever-positive Peterson...

 

***

 

Peterson’s drive and commitment as strong as ever

By Mike Ippolito, Your Town Crier (MA) Sports Correspondent

 

PHOTOS at article link

 

The road to the major leagues is a long one, even for the best of prospects, as any minor league baseball player will tell you. The long bus rides and long season can be a grind that some are just not cut out for, if they do not have the commitment and love of the game required to keep pursuing their dream of making their debut in a major league ballpark.

 

Stephen Peterson knows this very well, now in his fifth season of minor league baseball and his third with the Brevard County Manatees, the High Single A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The talented lefty from Wilmington has clearly proven his ability to get batters out in the Florida State League, having posted a 2.98 ERA last season and a 3.12 mark this season, along with a 17-11 career won-loss record in the minor leagues, but still, he waits for the call to move up the organizational ladder, just like so many others.

 

But what may separate the 27-year old Peterson from others trying to climb the ladder to the big leagues, and what may ultimately land him on the Brewers roster in the future is that commitment to his craft, the desire to get better, and the willingness to put in the work to make himself the best player he can be.

 

Certainly every player with the dream of ending up in the big leagues has a great commitment to the game, but it is hard to imagine anyone with a greater commitment than the former St. John's Prep and University of Rhode Island star.

 

The commitment has shown this season, as Peterson has posted a 3-2 record, with his 3.12 ERA, striking out 45 batters in 60.2 innings of work in his role as a versatile reliever for the Manatees. But with about three weeks left in the Manatees season, Peterson knows his work is far from done.

 

"I am just taking it one game at a time right now. You hear a lot from the coaches and the instructors, and how they stress the importance of the last month of the season," Peterson said. "Of course every month is important, but they try and instill in us that the most important thing is how you finish the season.

 

"You work so hard in the off season so you can finish strong. Anybody can start strong, but the key is finishing strong. I want to be as strong at the end of the season as I was in April or May."

 

And Peterson has learned a thing or two in his three seasons with the Manatees and his five seasons of minor league baseball overall. He had always taken great care of himself, as evidenced by his helping lead St. John's Prep to 2005 and 2006 Division 1 North championships, while earning Division 1 North MVP honors, before moving on to Marist and then URI, where he earned All-Conference and All-New England honors in his senior season.

 

But professional baseball is a different matter all together, and Peterson has adjusted his training routine to match the level of competition he is now facing.

 

"As I have spent more time in the system, it is probably night and day from 2011 as far as knowing what it takes to be ready for an entire season," Peterson said. "It is something you learn as you get older. You don't truly understand it until you get into that day to day grind of trying to make it through the season."

 

Peterson has certainly made it through this season pretty well, even as the Manatees have struggled at times on their way to a 20-27 record in the second half of the season after going 29-40 in the first half of the Florida State League split schedule.

 

"Obviously it's a little disappointing to not be playing as well as we could be, but regardless of where we are in the standings, you still go out there and play as hard as you can every night," Peterson said. "The biggest thing in the minor leagues is your development and trying to improve in order to get to the next level and eventually the major leagues.

 

"Just like any season I have had my ups and downs, where some days I feel great and other days not so much. That is part of the grind of the minor leagues, but it has been a good year. I enjoy helping out in multiple roles and to be relied upon whenever possible."

 

As one of the more senior members of the Manatees, Peterson has also taken on the role of somewhat of a mentor to the team's younger players. Peterson enjoys this role, but also says that not much has changed in his approach to his teammates from his rookie year to this season.

 

"As one of the guys who have been around for a while, I always try to make sure I do the best I can to help out the younger players, whether they have questions on the field or off the field," Peterson said. "But even in my first year I always tried to be like that. I have always wanted to be the type of teammate that is looked at as doing the right thing, whether I am one of the older players or one of the younger players."

 

Peterson credits his team first attitude to his family, starting with his parents and including all of his cousins, including current Wilmington Town Moderator Rob Peterson.

 

“Rob has always been like an older brother to me, and other than him I was older than all of my other cousins, so I tried to set a good example for them in the same way Rob did for me, in terms of how you go about your business and how you conduct yourself” Peterson said. “That is something I learned from my parents and I try to be like that not only with my family, but with how I approach everything.”

 

Peterson was back in the area recently for Rob’s wedding, but he will be back in Wilmington for a much longer stay when his season is over. It will be great to be home and see family and friends, but it will not mean he will be taking it easy, as he will soon begin preparing for next season, as he awaits word on where in the Brewers organization he will be playing.

 

“I usually take about a week off, and just sort of adapt to being home,” Peterson said. “I take some time to see friends and family, but then it is back to work. Hopefully I can finish up the season strong here and see where I am after the season, and then we will see where the spring takes us.”

[WV Brew]

Jorge Ortega, Chris McFarland make FSL All-Star team

 

Smith, Garrett, Faria take FSL awards

Mets first baseman named Player of the Year after breakout season

By Sam Dykstra / MiLB.com

09/03/2015 2:32 PM ET

 

Dominic Smith was a first-round pick (11th overall) by the Mets in the 2013 Draft. (Gordon Donovan/MiLB.com)

 

As late as May 17, Dominic Smith was hitting just .194 in the Florida State League. Three-and-a-half months and a major turnaround later, he's turned his struggles into hardware.

 

The St. Lucie first baseman was named the FSL Player of the Year on Thursday with Charlotte right-hander Jacob Faria and Daytona left-hander Amir Garrett sharing Pitcher of the Year honors.

 

Smith, the Mets' No. 6 prospect, has been on a tear since struggling out of the gate. He produced a .352/.397/.472 line over 26 games in June and has hit .313/.369/.413 with four homers, 12 doubles and 40 RBIs in 63 games after the All-Star break. For the season as a whole, he leads the FSL with 33 doubles and 79 RBIs, as of Thursday, and ranks among the league leaders in average (.305, fifth), slugging percentage (.417, third) and OPS (.771, fourth). He's recently climbed into the No. 99 spot in MLB.com's overall ranking of prospects and is rated third among first basemen.

 

Faria's time in the Florida State League was considerably shorter than Smith's, but he certainly left his mark during his time with the Stone Crabs. The 22-year-old right-hander went 10-1 with a 1.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 12 appearances (74 1/3 innings) for Charlotte before being promoted to Double-A Montgomery on June 24. His 10 wins are still tied for third-most in the Class A Advanced circuit.

 

Garrett thrived in his second full season in the Reds' system since announcing he was going to drop college basketball and play baseball full-time last year. The 23-year-old left-hander is 9-7 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.23 WHIP for the Tortugas and ranks second in the FSL with 133 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings. Garrett is slotted as the Reds' No. 3 prospect and No. 76 overall and got to represent Cincinnati in its own city at this year's All-Star Futures Game at Great American Ball Park.

 

Here are the rest of the 2015 Florida State League end-of-season All-Stars as selected by field managers, official scorers and club sports writers:

2015 Florida State League Postseason All-Star Team

NAME POS TEAM MLB ORG

Willians Astudillo C Clearwater PHI

Alex Swim C Fort Myers MIN

Dominic Smith 1B St. Lucie NYM

Erich Weiss 2B Bradenton PIT

Tyler Wade SS Tampa NYY

Jeff McNeil 3B St. Lucie NYM

Chris McFarland UTIL INF Brevard County MIL

Andrew Pullin LF Clearwater PHI

Austin Meadows CF Bradenton PIT

Dylan Cozens RF Clearwater PHI

Yefri Perez UTIL OF Jupiter MIA

Matt Oberste DH St. Lucie NYM

Jackson Stephens P Daytona CIN

Amir Garrett P Daytona CIN

Jorge Ortega P Brevard County MIL

Jacob Faria P Charlotte TB

Wil Browning RP Dunedin TOR

Brad Schreiber RP Charlotte TB

Greg Legg Manager Clearwater PHI

Oliver Marmol Coach Palm Beach STL

Jeff Smith Coach Fort Myers MIN

 

Sam Dykstra is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

[Mass Haas]

Reviewing The Brew -- Q&A with LHP Trevor Seidenberger

[Mass Haas]

Gainey was among those invited to fall instructionals this year --

 

Pompano resident continues steady climb up the major league ladder

Emmett Hall, Sun-Sentinel (FL) Forum Publishing Group

 

http://www.trbimg.com/img-56152e33/turbine/fl-xnxfpg-pbf-sp-gainey-1007-jpg-20151007/450/253x450

 

Pompano resident Preston Gainey was named to the Florida State League All-Stars as a pitcher with the Brevard County Manatees, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers organization. (Submitted photo)

 

It has been a steady climb up the big league ladder in a quest to land in the majors for Pompano Beach resident Preston Gainey (MiLB Player Page). The right-hander just completed his third season with the Milwaukee Brewers organization and his progress is garnering attention.

 

The 24-year-old son of James and Amy Gainey pitches for the Brevard County Manatees in the Florida State League. His 2.70 earned run average and eight-for-eight save opportunities earned him a spot in the Florida State League All Star game. That makes it back-to-back All-Star berths for his minor league work with the Brewers organization.

 

Gainey was a late bloomer on the pitching prospect list when he became a starting pitcher at Calvary Christian High School his senior year. He was drafted by the Brewers organization while he was at the United States Naval Academy, foregoing his final two years of college play. The prospect of playing big league baseball was something Gainey always dreamed of. With the blessing of his coaches, teammates and family, the decision was made to sign the contract and pursue the goal of pitching in the big leagues.

 

Gainey was soon hitting the radar gun consistently at 91 to 93 miles per hour. After some help from talented pitching coach Mark Klein, Gainey was being clocked at 94 to 97 miles per hour and occasionally hitting 98 miles per hour.

 

The improved fastball, an excellent slider and an improving changeup has Gainey's future looking brighter that has Klein very excited.

 

"To give you an indication how far [Gainey] has come, was when he was named the most improved pitcher in 2014 for the entire Brewers organization, which includes about 70 to 80 pitchers," Klein said. "I've worked with a lot of pitchers and [Gainey] has the most complete package of all of them. He has the ability to take direction and implement it immediately, which is incredible. The work ethic is great, he has all the physical tools and emotionally he is super stable on the mound. All he needs is consistency. He is very high on major league baseballs radar."

 

According to Klein, Gainey may be one year away from getting the call to pitch in the majors, but that call could come any time. For his part, Gainey is staying positive, keeping in shape and staying mentally ready.

 

"I've had the opportunity to see guys who I've played with and who I know very well, get the call to pitch in the big leagues and that is very cool," Gainey said. "I know my call isn't too far away. I'm very optimistic and definitely feel I have the ability. I'm at the best I've been and will continue to work hard and God-willing, when that time comes I'll be ready. It takes a lot, with travel and 142 games a season, but the door was opened to play professional baseball and I'm getting to live out a dream."

[Mass Haas]

Miller Park Prospects -- 2015 BC Manatees Season Review

[Mass Haas]

Congratulations to promising soon-to-be 22-year-old catcher Dustin Houle, who finished up his post-Tommy John surgery 2015 season with Brevard County.

 

Houle will join soon-to-be Brewer minor league free agents Pete Orr and Taylor Green (and ex-40 man roster Brewer Brock Kjeldgaard) on a Canadian National Team as described here --

 

Baseball Canada announced the names of 25 players that will represent Canada at the first-ever WBSC Premier12 that will take place Nov. 8-21 in Taiwan and Japan. The event brings together the top 12 ranked nations in the baseball world according to the WBSC ranking system. Canada is currently ranked No. 7 in the world.

 

Houle is one of five Junior National Team alumni who will make their Senior National Team debuts in this tournament.

 

Here's the full article from the Canadian Baseball Network.

 

Don't be surprised if Houle is added to the 40-man roster this fall, as he's eligible to be plucked in the Rule 5 draft for the first time. It's especially hard to picture another organization carrying such a young catcher who has missed significant development time due to injury (also did not play professionally in his draft year of 2011), but Houle is eligible, so the Brewers will need to weigh that chance. With any type of decent year in 2016, the defensive whiz (from several prior reports) is almost certain to be added to the 40-man after next season.

 

EDIT: Brett Phillips on the US squad

[Crash2303]

what- no Axford, Lawrie, Henderson or Kottaras?

[Mass Haas]

Via the Manatees website --

 

Q&A: Checking in With LHP Stephen Peterson

Petey Reflects on His Time in Brevard County

Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/9/8/128693198/cuts/IMG_1680_z177tb2v_o6xt7v14.JPG

[Mass Haas]

Q&A: Chatting with Chris McFarland

Mac talks about the 2015 'Tees and more

Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/9/9/4/124065994/cuts/McFarland_7wookl40_gtu38cx0.JPG

 

Chris McFarland collected 150 hits for the Manatees during the 2015 season. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

The voice of the Manatees, Dave Walkovic, chats with infielder Chris McFarland at the link...

[Mass Haas]

CF Omar Garcia -- hang in there, it's a translated feature article...

[Mass Haas]

Keep in mind the Brewers saw enough in RHP Kaleb Earls (Baseball Reference) to bump him right past the Timber Rattlers to the Manatees for his age 22 season in 2015, which was only his 2nd season of pro ball, and his first full season.

 

When you couple that with the 6'5" frame and the strong control (1.117 WHIP), age-appropriate level and big velocity (mentioned below), you have a prospect who is under the radar for all but the biggest farmhand diehards.

 

His hometown paper brings us up to date below, link provided while still active, text below for archiving purposes:

 

Also, Earls was featured in two audio interviews on Manatees radio last season --

 

April 15th

 

June 3rd

 

***

 

Earls ready to show stuff in spring training

By Larry Hilliard, Gaffney (South Carolina) Ledger Sports Editor

 

It didn’t take long for Kaleb Earls to regain his swag after missing some time with an injury.

 

In his first full season in the minor leagues, the 6-5 right hander from Blacksburg posted a solid 3.15 ERA in 2015.

 

But there were some shoulder problems mixed in.

 

“Last season started off good, then I was injured and out for three to four weeks,” Earls said. “I went through the process to get back from a shoulder strain. I did everything to get the strength back, and the arm felt strong.”

 

Pitching in high Class A for the Brevard County Manatees, the 22-year old reliever gave up 42 hits, struck out 27 and picked up six saves in 45.2 innings. More impressive, perhaps, is that he allowed only nine walks, and batters hit just .241 against him.

 

Velocity has never been an issue for Earls, even when he was young. His fastball has been clocked at 96 mph.

 

But the Brewers believe that some minor mechanical improvements could help his control, which, considering his size and makeup, would make him even more difficult to hit.

 

“They want me to command all my pitches,” he said.

 

Earls was drafted in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014.

 

He had a 2.08 ERA with three saves and 24 strikeouts in 17 innings for the Brewers’ Rookie League team. He also pitched for the Brewers’ affiliate in the Pioneer League, posting a 3.60 ERA in only five innings of work.

 

To prepare for the season, he’s been working out at Planet Fitness and has begun throwing to a former catcher in the San Diego Padres organization at the Upward facility in Spartanburg.

 

“I’ve been working hard and am in the best shape of my life,” Earls said. “It’s just up to me to put up the results.”

 

Earls will be leaving for the Brewers’ spring training facility near Glendale, Ariz., in either late February or early March.

 

If he impresses the organization this spring, he hopes to be pitching for the Brewers’ Double A team in Mississippi.

 

“That’s my goal, if I do what I’m supposed to do,” Earls said.

 

Earls was an all-region selection at Blacksburg. He also helped Post 109 to the 2011 American Legion World Series.

 

As a junior at Limestone, he posted a 4.15 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 82.1 innings.

[Mass Haas]

As per Donald Rieber Jr. (link), of Brevard County Manatees Examiner, lead play-by-play man Dave Walkovic has left the Manatees job. We wish Dave the best.

 

Media Director Dave Walkovic stepped down earlier this offseason, accepting a position with the United Soccer League's Louisville City FC. We wish both Smith and Walkovic the best of luck in their new endeavors.

 

Looks like the news was first posted with a single tweet on December 3rd.

 

In that first link, you'll notice Kyle Smith, another "friend of Brewerfan" over the years, is no longer the Manatees' GM.

 

The Manatees' online front office directory currently shows no Media Relations presence, we'll ask around, and learn (hopefully) that Manatees' home (and nearby road) games will continue to be broadcast online. Fellow Brevard County broadcast team member Jerry Durney (those guys did a great job with limited resources down there) now lists his Twitter byline as "@BCManatees alum".

 

If the 'Tees go back to the days of no online audio, the biggest loss would be for family and friends of the 2016 team, many of which would have been spoiled by the Timber Rattlers' impressive media presence.

 

Two quick reminders on the Manatees -- the Brewers are tied to them as a Player Development Partner only through the 2016 season. Based on talent level, the organization is poised to be very strong at High-A in 2017, which will hopefully entice any potential Carolina League affiliate to hook up with the crew. Otherwise, it would be a situation to remain in the Florida State League or (gulp) head back to the California League after escaping High Desert years ago.

 

We've been updating you for years on the situation with Brevard County's Space Coast Stadium situation -- the Manatees are literally homeless after this coming season.

[Mass Haas]

If the 'Tees go back to the days of no online audio, the biggest loss would be for family and friends of the 2016 team, many of which would have been spoiled by the Timber Rattlers' impressive media presence.

 

Bummer, just learned officially no online audio for the Manatees in 2016. They had done a great job archiving their audio interviews in the past, too.

 

There should be opponent audio for about 1/3 to 1/2 of the season's games, but that doesn't provide a Brewers perspective on things.

 

Here's the current MiLB affiliation association list throughout all levels.

[Mass Haas]

You'll find a feature Q&A on LHP Stephen Peterson here, as noted it's been three consecutive full seasons in Brevard County, he could be Mayor of Viera at this point (or at least lead the Board of Selectmen for the town).

 

Hoping he gets to perform at Biloxi and beyond, would be a great story.

 

Not to mention he shares my Massachusetts roots...