Your 2015 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

[Jenkins5]

Dustin Demuth has to feel like an old man amongst his non-catcher position player peers.

 

Born in 1995 (Decending Youngest to olders) 19-20 year old season

Gatewood -September (19 all season)

Harrison - August (19 all season)

Neuhaus - June (19-20)

Diaz - April (20)

Aviles - March(20)

Denson - January (20)

 

Born in 1994 (descending) 20-21 season

Rubio - July (20 most of season)

Munoz - February (21)

 

Born in 1993 21-22 season

Jose Pena - March (22 all season)

 

Dustin Demuth born 7-30-1991 will be 24 in July

 

 

 

A decent amount of young arms (I consider any pitcher over the 21-22 range as getting a little old for the league)

 

1996 18-19

Medeiros - May (19 most)

 

1995 19-20

Burkhalter - July (19 most)

 

1994 20-21

*Devin Williams - September (20 all) Once he recovers from injury if minor

M. Gomez - April (21 all season)

 

1993 21-22

Diaz - October (21)

Rizzo - September (21)

Ortega -April (22)

 

1992

Cy Sneed - October (22)

Ventura - April (22)

 

So you got Medeiros, Gatewood, Harrison, Burkhalter, Neuhaus, Williams, Diaz, Aviles, Denson, and Rubio will all be under 21 for nearly entire season! I remember when we had to be excited about 21-22 year old kids being here because we layed off high school kids or never pushed them really.

 

Love the aggressiveness and new approach the Brewers are taking!

[Mass Haas]

Ex-Oshkosh star Uhen ready for debut with T-Rats

Mike Sherry, Post-Crescent Media

 

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Photo by Dan Powers

 

GRAND CHUTE – Josh Uhen was a 6-year-old birthday boy when he toed the rubber at Fox Cities Stadium for the first time.

 

He's quite a bit taller now, and his right arm packs a lot more punch, but the thrill of getting to pitch close to home is every bit as exciting for Uhen now as it was 17 years ago.

 

Uhen, a former standout at Oshkosh North High School and then the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is in his third season with the Milwaukee Brewers and will start the season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

 

The homecoming has Uhen, who turned 23 on Tuesday, counting his blessings.

 

"I think it's a great experience," he said Tuesday at the team's media day. "I think it will be a fun summer, not only for me but for my family and friends involved as well. Every time I see them or come back home, they're always asking how I've been and they want to get out and see me, so I think this is a great opportunity and it will be a fun summer."

 

Even though he doesn't remember much of his Fox Cities Stadium debut throwing out the first pitch before a Timber Rattlers game, Uhen said it's exciting how his career has come full circle.

 

"I don't remember much of it," he said. "I do remember having all of my buddies and my cousins up here. I think my parents just called and asked and set it up. It was my sixth birthday, 17 years ago today, and I think it might have been opening day or one of their first games here. It's kind of cool how that all comes together."

 

One guy who knows all about playing in front of the hometown fans is Uhen's new boss, Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson.

 

The Appleton native and former Appleton West star, in his fifth season as skipper for the Class-A affiliate of the Brewers, has talked with Uhen about performing in front of family and friends.

 

"I know he's excited," Erickson said. "We've had a couple local guys in the past — Chad Pierce is one that comes to mind — and I got the chance to talk to Josh a little bit about it. Obviously, he's very excited.

 

"I know his high school baseball coach. He's sending me texts and emails all the time wondering how he's doing. He had to compete to get on this roster and he did a nice job through spring training and I'm happy that he's here."

 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Uhen was taken by Milwaukee in the fifth round of the 2013 draft after being named the Horizon League's top pro prospect by Baseball America for two consecutive seasons (2012-2013) at UWM.

 

He posted a 2-6 record with a 4.54 ERA in 14 games with the Arizona Brewers in 2013, then went 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 15 games with Helena last season.

 

While his career numbers at two rookie league stops aren't gaudy, Uhen is confident that he's on a similar career path as most young pitchers going from being a thrower to a pitcher.

 

"In college, I was throwing harder and that opened some eyes and that's what got me noticed and essentially what got me drafted," said Uhen, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011. "But as soon as you get to pro ball, it doesn't matter how hard you throw. They care about you throwing strikes and getting outs.

 

"I didn't have really control of any pitches coming out of the draft. But after being in pro ball for two years, working with the pitching coaches and the staff, they've really toned down my mechanics and not necessarily toned down my (velocity), but got me throwing strikes with all three of my pitches and made my mechanics a lot more sound, which is the biggest thing. And I think that's what they're looking for. The velo can come back, but right now it's more so about throwing strikes and getting outs."

 

Gary Lucas, who is in his first season as pitching coach for Wisconsin, said Uhen's career arc is no different than what most young pitchers go through after they get drafted.

 

"Josh is one of those guys, he's just like a lot of them," Lucas said. "They've got stuff. They can do a lot of good things tool wise. But they have to become pitchers and that's going to take a little bit of time."

 

Uhen, who will pitch out of the bullpen for the Timber Rattlers, is willing to put in that time, and he's grateful that he will get to do it close to home, where his parents, Kevin and Cheryl, and his sister, Alyssa, will be able to watch him chase his dream.

 

"I think I'm blessed with the opportunity in such a unique situation to come home and play in front of my family and friends," he said. "My sister, she's a park ranger, so she has seasonal jobs just like me. She's moving down to Arizona to work at the Grand Canyon and it worked out where I get to see her for about a month here, which is cool because I don't get to see her that often."

[Mass Haas]

Miller Park Prospects -- 2015 Preview: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A)

[bork]

It looks like they dropped Rizzo, Hudgens and Mejia from the roster.

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Outfielder Monte Harrison discusses his football past and his goals this summer with the Rattlers.

 

Harrison will make impact in outfield for Rattlers

Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media

 

GRAND CHUTE – At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Monte Harrison looks like he could swap his baseball cap for a yellow helmet and blend in with the rest of the Green Bay receivers at the Don Hutson Center.

 

His tall, powerful frame is almost identical to that of the Packers’ Jordy Nelson, and he may be just as fast, if not faster.

 

Football, though, is in Harrison’s past, and he’s looking to find a permanent home in baseball.

 

Harrison has the multiple tools to do that.

 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ starting center fielder is a high-ceiling prospect with off-the-charts athleticism. Harrison was a three-sport standout at Lee’s Summit West High School in Missouri, where he made the Kansas City Star’s all-metro first team in baseball, basketball and football.

 

As a playmaking wide receiver and a four-star recruit, Harrison caught 60 passes for 1,007 yards and scored 28 touchdowns his senior year, leading Lee’s Summit West to the Missouri Class 5 state championship.

 

On the court, Harrison scored 15.7 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds for a Titans team that placed third at state.

 

And on the diamond, Harrison hit .433, while driving in 35 runs in 90 at-bats.

 

Harrison was recruited by several big-time college football programs before committing to play both football and baseball at the University of Nebraska. Former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was so excited about landing Harrison that he stated his intentions of starting Harrison at wide receiver as a true freshman.

 

But Harrison never became a Cornhusker. He received a $1.8 million signing bonus from the Milwaukee Brewers after being selected with the 50th overall pick in the 2014 First-year Player Draft, and turned his attention to baseball.

 

“It was somewhat of a tough decision,” said Harrison. “I loved playing football and I loved watching Nebraska play football. I was a guy who could go up and get the ball, run his routes and make plays. But I think everyone knew exactly what I wanted to do, and that’s play baseball. To be honest, baseball wasn’t my first love when I was younger. But it grew on me, especially when I got to high school and started playing in traveling teams.”

 

Don’t expect Harrison, 19, to return to the gridiron, because baseball clearly seems to be his future. Harrison is rated by Baseball America as the Brewers’ fifth-best prospect, and got off to a promising start in his pro career last season in the Arizona Rookie League. A right-handed hitter, Harrison batted .261 with a home run, 20 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 34 attempts.

 

“I bring a lot of energy and try to be a leader,” said Harrison. “You can’t play baseball if it’s boring to you and that’s what a lot of people complain about, baseball being boring. That’s why I try and bring a lot of energy and fun to the game.”

 

Harrison is projected as more than just a speedster. He has a strong throwing arm and the Brewers believe he has the body to develop power.

 

“He’s a nice combo of strength, power and speed, and he can throw,” said Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson, who calls Harrison the best athlete the Brewers have drafted in his seven years with the Timber Rattlers. “He’s learning how to steal bases right now and how to read pitchers and their tendencies. But the ball comes off his bat pretty good.”

 

Erickson also likes Harrison’s hustling, high-energy approach to the game.

 

“He loves to compete,” said Erickson. “I remember one day in spring training when he hit a routine fly ball to left. The left fielder lost the ball in the sun, and he’s standing on third base. Now a lot of guys would have made it to second and there’s some guys who you have to chew on for not getting out of the box. But there he was standing on third. That shows you how much he likes to compete.”

 

Harrison aspires to be a multi-dimensional Adam Jones-type player, and won’t mind the hard work it may take to reach that level.

 

“I love coming to the park and learning something new every day,” said Harrison. “I had a lot of fun last year in rookie league. Got to hang out with a lot of cool people and learned a lot of things.”

 

Timber Rattlers hitting coach Chuckie Caufield is one the instructors that Harrison will be learning from this summer, and the two have already built a solid relationship.

 

“Oh, I love Chuckie — Chuckie’s the man,” said Harrison. “I know I haven’t known him too long, but we already have a great relationship and I’m looking forward to working with him and learning more about hitting.”

[Mass Haas]

Article link includes video interview with Kodi Medeiros

 

First-round pick Medeiros adjusting to pro game]First-round pick Medeiros adjusting to pro game

Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media

 

GRAND CHUTE – It will likely take weeks for Kodi Medeiros to get comfortable with Wisconsin's cool spring temperatures.

 

When you grow up in Hawaii, dealing with 35-degree days can be tougher than facing Miguel Cabrera with the bases loaded.

 

Time, though, is on Medeiros' side. He's just 18 years old and figures he'll adapt to the weather, just like he'll adjust to Midwest League hitters in his first full season of professional baseball with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers will be watching his development closely after making Medeiros the 12th overall selection in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

 

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound lefty is scheduled to start Wisconsin's 4:05 PM home opener Sunday against Peoria. Medeiros probably won't pitch longer than five innings in his Rattlers' debut, since manager Matt Erickson plans to use pitching tandems early in the season.

 

"I'm really excited and honored to throw the home opener," Medeiros said. "Hopefully, all goes well."

 

Medeiros didn't come cheap. He originally committed to Pepperdine University, but decided to turn pro after receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus from the Brewers, plus another $240,000 to pay for his college education.

 

Medeiros has a low-to-mid-90s fastball — with excellent movement — and a big, breaking slider along with a change-up. He throws from a rather low three-quarters arm slot.

 

"That gives me a lot of movement on my fastball," Medeiros said. "My slider is my best pitch. It's a sweeping breaking ball that I throw about 79-to-82 (miles per hour)."

 

Medeiros will have to improve his control after walking 13 in 17 2/3 innings and throwing five wild pitches with the Arizona Brewers in Rookie League play last summer. But he had an impressive 26 strikeouts in compiling an 0-2 record with a 7.13 earned run average.

 

"His ball dances all over the place," Erickson said. "He's not a real big guy, but he's an athletic kid and he's got a unique three-quarters arm slot. His ball sinks and cuts. There's been a tremendous amount of contact by hitters pounding home plate, so he's going to get a lot of ground balls."

 

Medeiros performed exceptionally well in a showcase event at Miller Park prior to the draft, which convinced the Brewers to invest their first-round pick in him. In his senior season at Waiakea High School in Hilo, Hawaii, Medeiros compiled a 7-1 record with an 0.97 ERA and 83 strikeouts and 14 walks in 43 1/3 innings. He also hit .486 with a home run and 13 RBI.

 

"He's really shown that when he throws it over, he's going to get some results early in the count," Wisconsin pitching coach Gary Lucas said. "He has a lot of movement to his pitches and like any young pitcher with tools, he's probably thinking about overpowering hitters when really it's just about outs.

 

"I think that's the lesson to be learned with time. We want to get him on the track to not just be a thrower, but a pitcher. He's got stuff and he's got movement, but he epitomizes a lot of young pitchers we have on our staff. He might have to just gear it down a little and just be functional in the strike zone and pitch to contact, rather than maybe trying to overpower and embarrass hitters. A lot of them here that have youth and tools are going to do that on a given at bat, a given inning or a given night."

 

Medeiros is the highest-drafted player to be selected out of high school from Hawaii, and hopes to follow in the footsteps of St. Louis pitcher Kolten Wong and Boston outfielder Shane Victorino, both native Hawaiians. Wong was a first-round pick out of the University of Hawaii in 2011 and was also raised in the Hilo area on Hawaii's Big Island. Victorino was a sixth-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Wailuku High School (Maui) in the 1999 MLB draft.

 

"Baseball is very big in Hawaii," Medeiros said. "With guys like Shane Victorino and Kolten Wong getting drafted and having success, that opened a lot of doors for guys from Hawaii, especially from the Big Island. It just shows that if you put in the time and effort, you've got a chance."

 

Baseball was Medeiros' passion growing up in Hawaii, but it wasn't his lone hobby.

 

"I've been asked if I surf, but you know, I've never really done that," Medeiros said. "My favorite underwater sport is spearfishing. That's one of my favorite things to do. It's tons of fun and it's pretty big in Hawaii."

 

As for the cool Wisconsin weather, Medeiros is taking it in stride.

 

"It's different, but I've got to adapt to it and be able to pitch in it," Medeiros said. "I think I'll be fine."

[brewcrewdue80]

A buddy of mine seen the Timber Rattler Game. Said Kodi looked really good. No hitter through 6 innings. 7Ks No Walks! Only baserunner was on an error. Left with a 1-0 lead only for WI to lose 11-1 LOL. Said only had 67pitches for the start. He said it was awesome and Peoria didn't stand a chance. And claims he wont be in A ball long with stuff like that. Just really like this guy!

[Mass Haas]

Former North standout Uhen back home with Timber Rattlers

Steve Clark, Gannett Wisconsin Media

 

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Wisconsin Timber Ratttlers' Josh Uhen pitches during FanFest Tuesday, April 6, 2015, at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. (Photo: Dan Powers/Gannett Wisconsin Media)

 

The Baudelaire children experienced a series of unfortunate events in the Lemony Snicket series of children’s novels.

 

For Oshkosh’s Josh Uhen, his series of events in regard to playing baseball in Wisconsin and in relation to the Milwaukee Brewers have been nothing but fortunate.

 

His mother, Cheryl, went into labor while at County Stadium for the Brewers’ opening day in 1992, with Josh being born one day later on April 7. On his sixth birthday, Uhen threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game.

 

Uhen would star for Oshkosh North and go on to pitch for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before being taken by the Brewers in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. And now, after completing two seasons in the Brewers’ farm system, Uhen has returned to the Timber Rattlers as a member of its pitching staff.

 

“Seventeen years (after throwing out the first pitch) I’m a member of the team now,” said Uhen, who turned 23 last week. “It’s just kind of a weird series of events with me and Brewers baseball.”

 

Uhen, who made his season debut on Saturday night by going two innings with two strikeouts and did not allow an earned run, was obviously excited to return to the area where he grew up and pitch for a team he had watched as a youth in Oshkosh.

 

It also makes things much easier for family and friends to catch him in action.

 

“The last two years, I’ve been away and now they have the chance to come out and watch me play whenever they want,” said Uhen, who pitched in Helena, Mont., last season. “I just think it’s going to be a really cool experience. I think it will be a really fun summer.”

 

Uhen didn’t know of his placement with the Timber Rattlers until three days before the end of spring training. He said he texted family members immediately upon getting the news.

 

“It’s tough to tell through texts but I think they were excited,” Uhen said. “I talked to them later and they were very happy and just started asking all of the questions, if I was going to live at home and things like that.”

 

Uhen said he does plan to live at home for the season — most low-level minor leaguers group together in apartments for the season to save money — and he will have some teammates with him.

 

Brandon Diaz and Monte Harrison will be joining the Uhen household for the next couple of months, something Diaz had been pushing for since the start of spring training.

 

“Diaz would always give me a hard time about living with me, so once we got up here and settled I asked if he actually wanted to live with me,” Uhen said. “It will be fun to have those guys around and show them around Oshkosh a little.”

 

Uhen admitted that living at home will help all three save some money, but there also may be an even better advantage.

 

“My mother is a great cook and I told them that,” Uhen said. “Every opportunity she gets, she will provide us with a home-cooked meal.”

 

On the field, Uhen will be a member of the Timber Rattlers’ bullpen to start the season and his debut did come in a relief appearance. Although he had made 14 starts in his first two years of professional baseball, the hard-throwing right-hander is comfortable in his role.

 

He’s also no stranger to pitching on the sometimes chilly nights in April and early May, having layered up as a member of the Spartans and the Panthers.

 

“I don’t think I would call it an advantage, but I think I definitely have the experience of learning how to throw in the colder climate and experienced in the high school and college level,” Uhen said. “I don’t think you’re ever comfortable pitching in it, but you learn how to pitch in it.”

 

Uhen will have to adjust to pitching a full summer of baseball, something he didn’t have to do when he was in Arizona in a rookie-level league after being drafted or last year in Helena, when the season didn’t start until mid-June.

 

With the Timber Rattlers, which is a member of the Class A Midwest League, the season stretches 144 games. Uhen obviously won’t be pitching everyday but after throwing 92 innings in his first two seasons combined, he could approach that number in a single year.

 

“The last two seasons they did a good job of lengthening me out, getting me innings and getting me some work in,” Uhen said. “Now this year coming out of the pen, that will help, at least to start out, getting me going and help me to prepare to play for 144-game season. I definitely think I’m ready for it.

 

“My ultimate goal is to come out of the pen, throw strikes, get outs and help my team stay in the best situation it can be to get a win.”

[Mass Haas]

Gatewood hones his craft with Timber Rattlers

Mike Sherry, Post-Crescent Media

 

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The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' Jake Gatewood throws to first base during FanFest at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. (Photo: Dan Powers/Post-Crescent Media)

 

GRAND CHUTE – A precious few baseball players are able to make a rapid rise from draft pick to major league star.

 

For every Mike Trout or Albert Pujols, there’s minor league rosters filled with talented but raw players struggling day after day trying to figure out what it takes to play the game at the highest level.

 

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers shortstop Jake Gatewood thought he had it all figured out, but he quickly learned that being a first-round draft pick only gets your foot in the door.

 

“It’s extremely tough,” said Gatewood, who was drafted with the 41st overall pick in last June’s amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. “Coming from high school, you never really struggle at all. You may have one bad game all year. Going into it where pitchers every day are coming at you throwing like mid-90s, it’s really tough because it’s hard to go out and fail when you’ve never failed in your entire life before.”

 

Gatewood, a Clovis, Calif., native who gave up a scholarship to the University of Southern California to sign with the Brewers for $1.83 million, spent last summer playing for the Arizona Brewers rookie team.

 

He showed flashes of the talent that some scouts projected could make him a top-10 draft pick, hitting three home runs and driving in 32 runs in 50 games, but he also batted just .206 and struck out 71 times during his first taste of pro ball.

 

“My first rookie ball year, I didn’t understand any of that,” Gatewood said. “When I went in, I was like it’s going to be easy again. But I struggled a little bit. It was tough but at the same time, I feel like it made me an even better person and definitely a better baseball player. It made me a way better baseball player and I’m glad I experienced it in rookie ball because then it can help me earlier in my career.”

 

Fortunately for Gatewood, he had a great support system at home to help him deal with his frustration.

 

His dad, Henry, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent seven seasons in the minor leagues with three organizations, advancing to Double-A with the Minnesota Twins in 1987. His mom, Debbie, is a therapist.

 

Between the two of them, they had the tools and experience to help their son cope with his first struggles on the baseball field. But they also let him figure out a lot of it by himself.

 

“My dad, when I first got drafted, he told me that it’s not going to be easy,” Gatewood said. “It’s not high school ball where you go out and you’re mad at yourself when you went 3-for-4 because you didn’t get a hit that fourth time. He just told me to trust in the process. My mom, she’s a therapist, so the mental side she kind of helps me out a little bit. She’s just telling me that mentally it’s going to be pretty insane to deal with all the ups and the downs, so just try and stay as even as possible.”

 

There was certainly a lot of frustration last summer, but Gatewood can joke about it now.

 

“I was swinging at everything. I was swinging at the warm-up pitches in between innings,” he said with a smile.

 

Gatewood is off to a slow start with the Timber Rattlers, going 1-for-10 in his first three games with a triple, an RBI and six strikeouts.

 

Gatewood has plenty of power, having won the junior portion of the All-Star Game Home Run Derby at Citi Field and the Under Armour All-America Game Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field in 2013.

 

Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson said Gatewood’s talents are immense, but like most 19-year-olds he needs a great deal of refinement.

 

“The ball comes off his bat, no doubt about it, in batting practice,” Erickson said. “But there’s been a lot of good batting practice hitters. And, obviously, we’ve got to get him in the situation to where he can recognize off-speed pitches and be able to lay off some breaking balls out of the zone.

 

“That’s been his challenge, obviously, coming into professional baseball last summer and again this spring. We’re asking him to attack fastball and be able to recognize and take off-speed for a while until he gets two strikes. It will be up to him to be able to do that.”

 

There has also been some question about where Gatewood will play in the field as he matures. At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, some scouts believe he eventually will grow out of the shortstop position and wind up at third base or even a corner outfield spot.

 

“He’s a big kid and I don’t think he’s going to get any smaller,” Erickson joked. “But, yeah, I see him as a shortstop as of right now. He’s got nice hands. He’s not tremendously quick with his feet, but he’s very agile, especially for a big man. He‘s shown great body control and you definitely need body control to play that position as you’re going to make plays and throws off-balance and from all different angles. He’s shown quite a bit of athleticism and body control.”

 

Two of Gatewood’s favorite baseball players are Troy Tulowitzki and Manny Machado. Tulowitzki, at 6-3, has played shortstop for the Colorado Rockies for 10 years. Machado, also 6-3, came up with the Baltimore Orioles as a shortstop but now is playing third base.

 

Gatewood wants to be a shortstop, but he knows there are no guarantees.

 

“I love playing shortstop,” he said. “I grew up playing it. Dad tried to make me a catcher. It didn’t work out. I love shortstop so much. I’ve always been a big shortstop, so I’ve always dealt with the rumors. I understand that it’s definitely a possibility if I fill out a little more, but for me I just got to keep working hard.”

[Mass Haas]

Via Miller Park Prospects -- Scouting Snapshot: Monte Harrison

[Mass Haas]

Bob Brainerd's first Timber Rattler profile of 2015, featuring RHP Cy Sneed, via Time Warner Cable's page, which means more really good reads with pun-filled headlines.

 

Cy-chologist on the Mound

[nodakfan17]

Ten Maryvale Brewers (and one DSL Brewer) are bypassing time in Helena to join Wisconsin.

How does that compare to previous years? I gather 10 prospects bypassing Helena is more than the typical number. If so, is that a testament to the promise of some of these prospects, or does it indicate an overall lack of depth in the Brewers' farm system?

[TheCrew07]

Players don't normally don't skip Helena and only of couple of prospects have ever skipped past A ball with mixed results.

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO via NBC26: Timber Rattlers Kodi Medeiros off to hot start in snowy conditions

[Mass Haas]

Via SBNation -- Prospect Review: Monte Harrison, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

[Mass Haas]

Struggles in minors don’t make former Husker recruit Monte Harrison pine for football

By Jon Nyatawa / Omaha World-Herald staff writer

 

Suggested audio at the link (author interviewed about his visit with Harrison)

 

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Prized prospect Monte Harrison, resting on the dugout’s top railing, popped out some sunflower seeds as two girls raced down the first-base line in motorized kid cars and an LED-encased ferris wheel revolved out in left field.

 

His bat was in the rack. His glove rested in its cubby.

 

He’d been given Thursday off.

 

That meant Harrison had plenty of time to agonize over a devastating loss in his family. He could also ponder the missteps that have led to some frustrations at the plate (he’s struck out 44 times in 84 Class A at-bats). It’s a kind of unrelenting mental purgatory that can consume a young player with an unrealistic vision of the path to success.

 

But the 19-year-old Harrison prepared himself for tough nights like Thursday.

 

The one-time Nebraska football recruit, who chose pro baseball over the allure of campus stardom last summer, is a consensus top-five prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization. He secured a $1.8 million signing bonus after getting selected 50th overall in the MLB draft.

 

Yet he didn’t break a sweat Thursday as his Wisconsin Timber Rattlers lost their seventh straight game in a beguiling ballpark nudged up against the banks of the Mississippi River.

 

“Sometimes you have to experience the bad to appreciate the good that comes next,” Harrison said. “It’s happening now to me. That’s good, I feel like.”

 

Things will start to click, he said.

 

That’s the message from Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson. Every young hitter out of high school has to adjust to seeing pitchers routinely command secondary pitches. There are new things to learn each day — at the plate and in the field.

 

Harrison certainly has the potential.

 

“He’s really the top end of the scale,” Erickson said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a better athlete, an all-around tool guy, than him.”

 

Harrison just has to keep working for the breakthrough. He knows that.

 

He’s heard all the locker-room stories. About a guy named Clint Coulter who reached Class A, got sent down, then came back up last year and started smoking the ball (he blasted 22 homers for Wisconsin last year). About one of his teammates, Tucker Neuhaus, who batted .231 in two seasons of rookie ball — and then joined the Timber Rattlers and posted the squad’s second-best batting average so far this year (.325).

 

“If you want to be great, it takes time,” Harrison said. “Sometimes it happens quicker. Sometimes it takes eight years. Who knows what’ll happen?”

 

This life is what he wanted, really. That’s even true during those long bus rides and those restless nights spent on a grungy motel’s lumpy bed. Some germ-conscious teammates buy sleeping bags for peace of mind.

 

“I slept in like eight layers of clothes once,” Harrison said.

 

That’s how you stay humble, as you position yourself for the future, he said.

 

He said he never looks back. What’s the point?

 

The Huskers wanted the 6-foot-3, 220-pound talent to play receiver. Harrison signed a letter of intent. Had he made it to campus, he would have roomed with De’Mornay Pierson-El, who enjoyed a breakout freshman year.

 

“If I wanted to go to Nebraska, I would have went to Nebraska,” he said. “Yeah, I had the thought of going. But everybody knew what my dream was. Even they knew. And now that all those (coaches) are gone, it was definitely the right decision.”

 

Harrison established some friendships along the way, though. He still chats with Pierson-El pretty often. He was on the Memorial Stadium sidelines for the Purdue game last November because he wanted to see some of his buddies. He and Michael Rose-Ivey are both from the Kansas City area. He connected with NU quarterback Tommy Armstrong. There are others, too.

 

“You’ve got relationships that you want to keep,” Harrison said. “Now that I play baseball, it doesn’t change anything. I’m happy for them.”

 

But he said he hasn’t picked up a football in a year. The former three-sport standout at Lee’s Summit West High School in Missouri is a full-time baseball player.

 

“I’m living the dream,” he said. “Or trying to live the dream.”

 

Some days are harder than others.

 

Harrison batted .261, drew 31 walks and stole 32 bases in 50 games at the rookie ball level last year. He started slowly this season in Class A — he did have a two-homer night on April 22, but has been slumping since.

 

Harrison tweeted Thursday that his grandmother had passed away. Moments later, he stepped into the batting cage and attempted to focus on the intricacies of his swing. He’d be placed on the temporary inactive list Friday.

 

You can bet that whenever he rejoins the team, though, he’ll bring the same optimistic attitude that’s stabilized him through 2015.

 

“You just have to try not to do too much,” Harrison said. “When people force, that’s when they get off track. At the beginning of the year, I feel like that kind of happened. Now I’m starting to get back on cue.”

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Hawaii new station checking in on LHP Kodi Medeiros

 

Breakfast matinees with Chris Mehring -- five-hour time difference to the island...

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO via WeAreGreenBay.com: Rattlers Carlos Leal Back At Home Behind The Plate

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ARTICLE LINK: What a good read via Tim Froberg of the Post-Crescent as the video interview with Timber Rattlers 3B Tucker Neuhaus from Friday's Link Report is an expanded Q&A in print today. Tim calls Neuhaus "a well-spoken 19-year-old mature beyond his years". Along with Neuhaus' production this spring, Tucker should now be on everyone's radar as one of their favorite farmhands to follow. No mention of it here, but via twitter, we know he is engaged to be married as well. Keep it rolling, young man.

[Mass Haas]

Posted May 6th:

 

Brewers place Timber Rattlers LH starting pitcher Zach Hirsch on the 7-day DL. If you listen to Manager Matt Erickson in Tuesday's postgame interview (Rattler Radio Blog link), you'll learn that the club planned to skip his spot regardless of this placement.

 

Hirsch (25 in July) was the only Wisconsin starter without a tandem partner, perhaps this will be part of the plan of balancing guys' innings. In other words, there's no immediate indication that Hirsch has a serious injury.

 

North alum Hirsch 'on the mend' and optimistic

Eyes quick return to MWL after elbow setback

By Kevin Druley, Kane County Chronicle

 

http://www.kcchronicle.com/_internal/cimg!0/ggcvo7s5icrk4k3gd2met1eh1n2uv5m

 

St. Charles North and Nebraska product Zach Hirsch, 24, is in his second season with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. (Photo provided by Ann Mollica/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers)

 

Swanky accommodations await St. Charles North alumnus Zach Hirsch during a four-day visit to Pheasant Run Resort this weekend.

 

If this sounds like a staycation, think again. It’s simply a Hirsch homecoming with a caveat.

 

A left-hander in the Milwaukee Brewers organization for almost a year now, Hirsch and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will be in town for a four-game series against the Cougars beginning Friday.

 

Stays of such length typically would all but assure Hirsch a start, but a roadblock comes in the form of recent tenderness in his pitching elbow.

 

“Not throwing this time,” Hirsch said, “but hopefully the next time.”

 

The Cougars and Timber Rattlers share the Midwest League’s Western Division, so Wisconsin will make three more visits to Fifth Third Bank Ballpark this season – from June 16-18, July 8-9 and July 18-20.

 

With respect to the buzz sure to swirl around Geneva during a potential Hirsch start, Timber Rattlers pitching coach Gary Lucas hopes Hirsch will be off the disabled list and in position to climb to Advanced-A Brevard County of the Florida State League in 2015.

 

“His character and makeup are through the roof,” Lucas said. “I’ve been impressed with him since spring training and how he’s gone about his business. And that’s where it starts. I know he’s had some arm issues in the past, but he’s on the mend now.

 

“He’s at that age we want to get him squared away and pass him on to higher levels, hopefully, before the year is out.”

 

Hirsch, 24, joined the Brewers as a 19th-round draft pick out of Nebraska in June 2014 on the heels of a resurgent senior season. Recovered from an injury to his non-throwing wrist that cost him the final 31 games of his junior season, he struck out 50 batters in 52 1/3 innings over 31 relief appearances.

 

Before the wrist troubles, Hirsch redshirted his first collegiate season following February 2010 elbow surgery, but had ascended into Nebraska’s starting rotation by 2012.

 

He described his latest setback as “just a little elbow tenderness,” something he sensed after pitching 6 1/3 innings of eight-hit, five-run ball against Quad Cities on May 2.

 

“A little something didn’t feel right, and I felt like I needed to say something,” Hirsch said. “We have a great trainer here and he’s taken great care of me, so I have a lot of faith that I’ll be good to go here in a couple weeks.”

 

Being the elder statesman of Wisconsin’s starting staff allows Hirsch the freedom to work without a tandem partner, as much of the rest of the Timber Rattlers’ pitchers do, per an organizational philosophy.

 

He has pitched at least six innings in each of his five MWL starts, striking out 24 and walking two in 31 1/3 innings. Hirsch is 1-3 with a 4.02 ERA, working with his usual pitch repertoire and hovering between 86 to 89 mph with his fastball velocity, occasionally touching 90 to 91.

 

“It’s still fastball, curveball, changeup,” Hirsch said, “just hopefully a little better stuff than when I was in high school.”

 

That’s a bit of self-deprecation, of course, but working alongside Lucas has helped boost many intangibles, including confidence.

 

Predominantly a reliever during an eight-year Major League career with the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos and California Angels, Lucas earns distinction not just with his experience, but by being left-handed.

 

Hirsch admits “I haven’t had many” southpaw pitching coaches. His current one is confident Hirsch will be in position to work with many others in the Brewers organization after beginning his pro career with Short-A Helena (Montana) in 2014.

 

“He’s ready to take off,” Lucas said. “He gets healthy here, I think that he’s on his way and can play catch-up pretty quick.”

 

North head coach Todd Genke and pitching coach Terry Ayers remain in touch with Hirsch, and even allowed him to use school facilities for a spring training tune-up.

 

Hirsch spent the offseason in Nebraska, which figured to send a few more familiar faces to Fifth Third Bank Ballpark this weekend before his recent injury.

 

“I’m sure some of them will still come out,” Hirsch said. “It kind of stinks that I won’t be able to throw, but to me, obviously, the most important thing right now is to be healthy.”

[Mass Haas]

Bob Brainerd's latest Time Warner Cable Timber Rattler profile comes on the heels of the Post-Crescent's effort on 3B Tucker Neuhaus.

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VIDEO via WeAreGreenBay.com: Timber Rattlers shortstop Jake Gatewood stands at 6'5'' and is hoping to become the tallest player in that position in the major leagues one day. Local 5 Sport's Lily Zhao has the story.

[Mass Haas]

LINK: Cameron Kmen is a Cubs blogger, but he provides us with some sweet scouting-style video and analysis from Saturday's Timber Rattlers game (Monte Harrison, Jake Gatewood, and Kodi Medeiros).

[Mass Haas]

High and Mighty - Bob Brainerd's latest Timber Rattler player profile feature is on Jake Gatewood.

[Mass Haas]

FEATURE ARTICLE: A must-read from Tom Haudricourt, with plenty on LHP Kodi Medeiros, and the Helena plans for SS Jake Gatewood and OF Monte Harrison