Your 2015 Helena / Maryvale Brewers

[Mass Haas]

Multi-Talented Harrison Concentrating on Baseball with Brewers

By Ben Kaplan, KFBB Sports Director

 

Coming out of high school Monte Harrison was more known for his hands in football and high flying dunks in basketball. The former four star wide out committed to play at the University of Nebraska, until he decided to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers after being drafted in the second round of the 2014 MLB draft.

 

"It's just a love for the game," said Harrison. "I can come out here and do something everyday that I love. I kind of enjoy doing it, just to know I can kind of goof around with guys and relax compared to the other sports."

 

Having almost chosen a career in football, Harrison's hands as a receiver have always been his best trait. And as a center fielder for the Brew Crew now, it's a skill he still uses.

 

"It's actually kind of the same thing," said Harrison. "Whether it's catching a punt, or just tracking a fly ball down, or a deep ball in the game it's kind of all the same thing. You've still got to run down and get the ball. And I'm very comfortable doing so."

 

"There's no question about it, it enhances his game tremendously," said Brewers manager Tony Diggs. "Hopefully it helps his reads and routes as well when he has to find the ball off the bat."

 

It's those hands and athleticism that makes Harrison the number four ranked prospect in the Brewers system according to Bleacher Report. And during his time in Helena he's working on turning that raw talent into a polished product on the field.

 

"Dual athletes, things come naturally for them," said Diggs. "I think the hardest thing they have to do is that they have to learn how to focus on one thing now. And I think baseball, because it's his chosen profession now, he's got to learn how to focus on it."

 

"Baseball is a different sport," said Harrison. "You can't just go out there and let your god given abilities work for you. You actually have to think and react to things. But at the end of the day it's all about 'What do you see this guy in the future as?'"

 

The Milwaukee Brewers see Harrison as one of their top outfielders of the future. He's hoping to star in the bigs one day, but for right now, he's happy to be starring for the Brewers in Helena.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers' first-round pick ending his slump in Helena

Ryan Collingwood, Helena Independent Record

 

Photos by James Ridle, Blackfoot Media Group, at the link

 

Jake Gatewood knew the onset of his professional baseball career would have its share of trials.

 

His father, Henry Gatewood -- a second-round pick by the Dodgers in 1982 who played eight years in the minors before topping out at Double-A -- was as good a point of reference as any.

 

The young Gatewood was a first-round selection by the Brewers in the 2014 MLB Draft who cemented his decommitment to the University of Southern California by signing a $1.83 million dollar contract out of Clovis (Calif.) High School.

 

A fruitful career in the pros was never a guarantee, Henry would remind his 6-foot-5, 190-pound son, whose size and power had already drawn comparisons to youthful versions of Alex Rodriguez and Troy Tulowitzki.

 

But those who saw Gatewood swing the stick at the junior portion home run derby at the 2013 MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field or the Under Armour All-American homer derby -- he won both while recording a few tape-measure blasts -- figured he was on pace to be on an MLB roster soon rather than later.

 

In his second year in the Brewers organization, however, Gatewood finds himself playing rookie ball in Helena after starting his 2015 campaign a rung up the ladder at Single-A Wisconsin. But after batting just .227, where 49 of his 128 at-bats resulted in strikeouts, while battling a knee injury he suffered while fielding a ground ball, he was demoted.

 

His first few games in Montana weren't impressive, either. He started out 1 for 19 at the plate. But Gatewood, the fifth-rated prospect in Milwaukee's system, has shaken the slump.

 

In his last 48 at-bats, Gatewood is hitting .333 and has totaled a league-leading 10 doubles -- eight of which came in a week.

 

"I've never had that many doubles in such a quick span. At (Wisconsin) I only had, like, two," Gatewood said with a laugh.

 

The 19-year-old has been batting anywhere from the 3 to the 5 spot in the Brewers' lineup, and has had a feast-or-famine start since his touted California prep baseball days.

 

In 2014, on the Brewers' Arizona League team, Gatewood batted .206 with 42 hits and 32 RBIs in 50 games, but struck out 71 times. In his total 399 at-bats in the Brewers' organization, he has stuck out 149 times.

 

At the start of Helena's season, he admitted he was still going through a bit of a learning curve.

 

"When I first got (to the pros) I knew absolutely nothing," Gatewood said. "I would just go out and swing as hard as I could, doing all of the stuff that wasn't going to work in pro ball.

 

"I've slowly started to learn. I couldn't tell you how much I've learned baseball-wise and just little things. Especially hitting. You can't be tense and try to do too much. Just stay within yourself and take what the game gives you."

[Mass Haas]

Netherlands product loving every minute of pro career

Ryan Collingwood, Helena Independent Record

 

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/3d/b3d592b1-106c-5b6a-8e87-99a0975c3970/55add2c5ab7d0.image.jpg?resize=620%2C700

 

He’s had plenty of obstacles to overcome, but Helena Brewers catcher Milan Post is making his hard work pay off. Photo by Gary Marshall, Blackfoot Media Group

 

Every Tuesday, before the rigors of team meetings, batting practice and crouching his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame behind the plate the better part of the day, Helena Brewers catcher Milan Post employs a miniature syringe.

 

Five years ago, after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a doctor told a 16-year-old Post that each of his athletic pursuits would need to be shelved. The constant pain and stiffness that shot through his knees, ankles, feet and back, he said, were comparable to that of an elderly man with the bone-joint disease.

 

With enough fortitude and advances in medicine with regards to his particular malady, though, Post, now 21, finds himself as a starting catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers' rookie affiliate -- so long as he injects the tiny needle into his right thigh once a week in order to suppress his joint pain and swelling.

 

But the aforementioned disease is just one of two things that initially put Post behind the 8-ball for a career in professional baseball in the United States. The foremost reason was also out of his control -- being born and raised in the Netherlands.

 

Post, who grew up in the Amsterdam suburb of Diemen, wasn't like the majority of his peers who dreamed of lore on the pitch in the soccer-rich country. He dabbled with soccer and speed skating, but it was baseball, a sport that has recently grown in popularity in the Western European country, that suited his fancy.

 

A nudge from his mother, a former softball player and current grade school teacher, also contributed to his preference.

 

"It's more upcoming because American scouts and more Americans are coming to see (Dutch players)," said Post, who was quick to recount the Netherlands' baseball World Cup championship in 2011 over 25-time champ Cuba.

 

"I'm afraid it'll never get huge there. "

 

The energetic and affable Post named Netherlands products who've made the big leagues in America as if he were spitting out the alphabet. Former big-leaguers Robert Eenhorn, Rikkert Faneyt and the late Greg Halman, a recent Seattle Mariners pitcher who was killed in a stabbing in 2011, were the first names to come off his accented tongue.

 

He wants to be the next in a very short list of talent from his homeland to flourish in America's game, and he's all too cognizant of the odds against him which has made him appreciate every day in the low rungs of the Brewers' organization.

 

"Obviously, the goal is to be in the big leagues," Post said. "But I'm very thankful to be here. Obviously, for everyone here, this should not be the end, but it's hard (to get to the MLB). But I'm having a lot of fun."

 

Just getting his foot in the door was an arduous pursuit.

 

Every year, a band of MLB scouts make the trek to Europe for a three-week instructional league, which features 50 of the best baseball players in all of Europe and Africa. All four years, Post -- a star in his part of the world, mind you -- participated, but was never invited to join a pro ball club in America.

 

Between his nagging disease and being snubbed, it was enough for Post to temporarily step away from the game. He even enrolled in an Amsterdam college to earn a degree in architecture as he began to think of a future devoid of baseball. Two years ago, however, he and a couple of fellow Dutch standouts and their coach figured they'd try a nine-day pro baseball internship in Arizona, where they practiced with other members of the Brewers organization.

 

His international coach, Martijn Nijhoff, connected with Brewers' front office man, Charlie Greene, which gave the Dutch trio an opportunity to play offseason ball at the Arizona League facility. At the conclusion of the nine days, the Brewers liked what they saw in the under-the-radar Post -- particularly his athleticism and release behind the dish -- and extended a free-agent contract.

 

"I did not expect that at all," said Post who, before the offer, planned to start his American baseball career at junior college power San Jacinto College in Houston.

 

In March of 2014, after a background check and the approval of a work visa, Post became an official member of the Brewers. In his 23 games with the Brewers' Arizona League team last summer, he had 168 put-outs and five errors but, still raw offensively, batted just .108.

 

So far this season, Post has started 18 of Helena's 30 games and has upped his batting average to .213.

 

Fellow catcher Charles Galiano, one of the three catchers on the Brewers' roster, immediately noticed he was in the rare situation of sharing a position with a Dutchman.

 

"I remember looking at the roster before I got here and seeing he was from the Netherlands and I was like, 'Damn, I didn't know they played baseball out there,'" Galiano said with a laugh.

 

Galiano, who signed with the Brewers three weeks ago out of Fordham, has been impressed with Post in a variety of capacities.

 

"He's awesome," the catcher said. "Just a good dude to have around the clubhouse. Always high energy and he's a great player. He's a lot of fun to be around. A special attribute to the clubhouse, for sure.

 

"He's got a great arm and receives well. He's been giving me in tips in what the organization looks for in a catcher. He's great defensively and his bat is coming along, as well."

 

Culturally, Post admits he's still adjusting. When initially arriving to America, he was immersed in the fast-food culture he wanted to desperately avoid. At home, he'd typically make his own, healthy meals, but caught himself making nutritional compromises in Arizona.

 

Constant trips to Chipotle, which he admitted weren't great but better than alternatives, were part of the experience. Now, in Helena, he makes food at home with his host family or makes a trip to a store's deli. Human interaction has been a bit of a contrast, too.

 

"Everyone here is really nice," said Post, who likened Helena more to his home area than Phoenix. "It's not that everyone back home isn't. People here are just a lot more open, and it takes time to get used to that."

 

The list of differences between America and the Netherlands is almost perpetual. It's his story, though, that's the most American thing about him.

 

"Between having (rheumatoid arthritis) and playing pro ball in the states coming from the Netherlands," he said, "it's a true American story of working hard for an opportunity."

[torts]

oh my god Demi Orimoloye is KILLING it in Arizona. 7 RBI's and 2 more homers last night!

[Mass Haas]

Via Kyle at Reviewing the Brew -- Q&A with 17-year-old 18th round RGP Gentry Fortuno

 

Really one of the better Q&A's we've seen over the years -- nicely done, guys!

[Jenkins5]

oh my god Demi Orimoloye is KILLING it in Arizona. 7 RBI's and 2 more homers last night!

 

The "Demi God" Orimoloye or "Orimoloye the Demi God" I think are fitting nicknames since at this point he appears to be more than human. The power and base running ability at 6'3 225. He is built even thicker than Harrison for the size.

 

Teach the kid to walk more and hopefully make a little more contact and we could have a beast on our hands! No clue how he fell from late first/early second round projection to us in the middle of round 4!

[Jenkins5]

Brewers' Orimoloye dominates in Arizona

Fourth-round pick homers twice, drives in seven runs in 16th pro game

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150722&content_id=138131158&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb[/url]

 

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/2/8/138148128/cuts/demi960_vel0c5eb_27otfvr1.jpg

 

Some would expect Demi Orimoloye to be ecstatic about his two-homer game. But it was the ball he hit that didn't leave the infield that excited him the most.

 

The Brewers outfield prospect slugged two homers and plated a career-high seven runs as the Arizona League Brewers beat the AZL Dodgers, 10-5, on Wednesday.

 

Orimoloye wasted no time in getting started, slugging a grand slam to left field in the first inning for the Brewers. After bunting for a single in the third, the 18-year-old outfielder slugged a three-run homer, again to left, in the fifth. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.

 

"Good, it was real good," Orimoloye said of his day at the plate. "Today, we've been working on bunting, so after I hit the first home run, I bunted for a single, and I was actually even more happy with that because I got it down good.

 

"I was just trying to see a good pitch to hit and when I hit it [the grand slam], I knew right away. That was really exciting."

 

The fourth-round pick has been on something of a home run binge of late, launching five long balls over his last seven games for the Brewers. He's driven in 13 runs during that stretch.

 

"Mainly just laying off the curveball and getting good pitches to hit," Orimoloye said. "The first couple of games I was getting a little bit ahead of them. Now I'm sitting back and I've been really driving the ball."

 

Through the first 16 games of his pro career, the Nigeria-born Canadian has displayed the skills that had him so highly regarded heading into the Draft. He sports a .353 average with five homers, 17 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Twelve of hits have been for extra bases.

 

"It's been real good so far," he said. "I've been seeing the ball good and I've been getting real good jumps on stealing bases. Everything has been going smoothly so far. It's a great way to start my professional career."

 

Gilbert Lara reached base three times and scored three runs while Joantgel Segovia collected two hits and two runs for the Brewers.

 

Gentry Fortuno gave up a run on three hits while walking one over two innings of relief to improve to 1-1.

[Raw Biz]

Via Kyle at Reviewing the Brew -- Q&A with 17-year-old 18th round RGP Gentry Fortuno

 

Really one of the better Q&A's we've seen over the years -- nicely done, guys!

 

Geez, he doesn't even remember Beckett playing for the Marlins? Now I feel old.

[Mass Haas]

Do yourself a favor and read this April feature from Montana Magazine

 

Helena resident has become the ultimate minor league baseball fan

By Gabriel Furshong

 

Tickets were just a couple dollars when Mary Gunstone began attending Helena Brewers baseball games in 1985, but she got into her first game for free.

 

It was Buttrey’s Food and Drug night at the ballpark and employees were given complimentary tickets. Gunstone was a baker at the store and also served as the staff photographer.

 

She took her camera to that first game, started snapping photos of the players – and never stopped.

 

In the three decades since, Gunstone has only missed two games: the first for her father’s funeral and the second for her 50th class reunion.

 

“I told them they should have it at the ballpark, but they didn’t do that for me,” she said, with a touch of regret.

 

Across the country, there are more than 200 minor league teams associated with Major League Baseball, from Los Angeles, California, to Danville, Virginia, and as the list of cities descends from large to small, there is a reverse correlation between the celebrity of the game and the intimacy of the experience.

 

Helena lies at the bottom of that list, among the Top 10 smallest markets in all of professional baseball.

 

Since 1978, Helena has hosted a team in the Pioneer League, an advanced rookie league with eight teams located five rungs down the ladder from the MLB.

 

Here, 90 percent of the tickets go for less than $8 and game-day availability is never a problem. Attendance in 2012 was just 880 fans per game, a third of the league average.

 

Gunstone, however, is one fan the Brewers have learned to count on.

 

Her commitment, especially at this low level of minor league baseball, has not gone unnoticed.

 

“It seems like every ballpark has some fan or special story about a fan who frequents those games,” said Paul Fetz, Brewers general manager. “But I’ve never in my 25 years in the game encountered a fan who does what she does, the effort she puts forward for these players.”

 

***

 

When Buttrey’s Food and Drug closed in 2008, Gunstone was forced to retire after 37 years with the store. She now spends roughly $3,000 of her pension each year to print a small photo album for every player as a season-ending gift.

 

Several years ago, she brought two of the albums to a game in a plastic grocery bag for me to see.

 

Seated in the stands, her toes barely touched the ground. Then, at 71 years old, her short stature and round frame projected a matronly appearance, and her tendency to finish sentences with a self-amused giggle only enhanced the image of a good-natured grandmother.

 

“The summer I first started I would just take different pictures and give them to (players),” she explained with a quiet laugh. “Well, that didn’t work out too well because some players would get hurt because they didn’t get one, so I decided I’d better give all the players one.”

 

Each page of the two albums, from the ’89 and ’95 seasons, contained a portrait of a player in the locker room or on the field. On the last pages were portraits of Gunstone herself, standing tall and wearing a proud smile.

 

“If I’m not here then they ask where I’m at,” she said, looking up from the albums. “I feel like I belong to the team.”

 

Gunstone shares the joys and heartaches of the seasons with the team, too.

 

Take for example, the 2013 league championship game.

 

By mid-September that year, the Brewers had completed an impressive run to a 10th league championship berth in 36 years. They were knotted at one game apiece in a three-game series with the Idaho Falls Chukars, an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The deciding game was scheduled for Sept. 16, at Kindrick Legion Field in Helena.

 

The morning dawned dreary and cold.

 

Gunstone hadn’t missed a game all season and despite the bad weather, arrived at the park an hour early. By the third or fourth inning, the gravel parking area, wedged between a Coca-Cola distribution center and the third base bleachers, would be filled with the voices of grade-school boys zigzagging between parked cars in pursuit of foul balls.

 

But an hour before game time, the lot was nearly empty.

 

Inside the park, a young man in a Brewers jacket and cap was hastily toweling off seats in the front row of the 82-year-old grandstand.

 

Gunstone sat nearby, perched on a metal folding chair in her usual pre-game spot just above the home dugout, nose-to-nose with the safety netting behind home plate.

 

As always, she wore a Milwaukee Brewers warm up jacket and a Helena Brewers ball cap, which seemed to float on top of her curly grey hair.

 

“Every time they win a championship, they’re always out of town,” she said. “And I told them once that I’d like to see it done here.”

 

Sitting on the edge of her seat, fidgeting with her camera lens, she was the picture of a fretful parent as the players began their warm up tosses.

 

It was easy to see why her maternal instincts were triggered.

 

A review of the 35-man roster revealed an average age of 23, and while a major league payday may be in store for a few of them, their chances of playing even one game in the big leagues hovers around 7 percent. For now, they’re just kids making less than minimum wage, wondering whether they’ll need to find a second job in the off-season.

 

“I’ve lived in Helena all my life and never married so I adopt these kids all summer.” Gunstone said. “This is my family here, the kids I call them.”

 

***

 

It was a few minutes before the first pitch of the deciding game and people were flowing into the park steadily, most with blankets under their arms.

 

The sun had dipped below the Continental Divide to the west and a low fog engulfed the lights, creating four dewy halos above the outfield grass. The temperature was 48 degrees at first pitch and fans could see their breath as they settled into orange plastic seats, recycled from the Oakland Coliseum and still marked with the green and yellow Athletics logo.

 

The game started slowly, but a 0-0 tie was broken in the top of the fourth after a Brewers error, a walk, and a three-run homer by the Chukars catcher, Frank Schwindel.

 

The Chukars tacked on three more runs in the next two innings for a 6-0 lead by the seventh inning stretch.

 

The game’s announcer began to lead a disheartened crowd in a chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Some fans were singing despite the shutout, but Gunstone sat silently at the end of her row.

 

“Oh, I’m so sad I could just cry,” she said. “They’re just giving it to them. But I have to support them anyway.”

 

It took only 20 more minutes for the season to end and even less for 1,500 people to clear out of the tiny ballpark. By the time the trophy was presented to the Chukars manager, there was only a sprinkling of dejected fans left and Gunstone sat among them.

 

***

 

The following spring arrived late after a long winter that dumped heavy snowfall in almost every mountain range across Montana. The gates of Kindrick Legion opened for the first game of the 2014 season on June 16 in a light but steady rain.

 

Gunstone was already at her post, hovering above the home dugout in a navy blue poncho that covered her head-to-toe. She leaned on the handles of a walker and when she turned I could see plastic tubes resting under her nose, leading to a green oxygen tank at her feet.

 

“I had two cataract surgeries in March and got pneumonia in April,” she said with a ragged voice. “One doctor sent me to another doctor and finally I said, ‘You’ve gotta get me healthy, baseball season is coming!’ ”

 

Though her cheeks were sunken, her smile was just as warm as it had been the season before.

 

At game time, the Brewers picked up where they left off nine months earlier and by the seventh inning stretch, the Missoula Osprey, an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate, were leading 8-2.

 

The drizzle had grown into a steady rain and Gunstone had abandoned her folding chair to seek shelter under the roof of the grandstand.

 

As we sat down for the bottom half of the inning, I noticed a silver ball-and-glove pendant on her cap.

 

“That was a gift from Tristan’s parents,” she said, removing her hat to see the pendant for herself.

 

Tristan Archer was a right-handed pitcher who threw 38 innings with the Brewers in 2013. Gunstone met his parents at Kindrick Legion one evening early in the summer. She took pictures of Archer all summer and gave them to him to share with his parents.

 

Late in the season, a card arrived to the ballpark addressed to the “photographer lady.”

 

The pendant was tucked inside with a note from Archer’s parents, reading “Thanks for all the photos of Tristan. He sure loves you.”

 

Archer finished the season with a respectable 3.08 earned run average and was promoted to the Single-A team in Appelton, Wisconsin.

 

It’s unlikely that Gunstone will ever see him again, but she wore the pendant proudly as she looked out onto a rain-soaked field full of new faces. Out of a 32-man roster, only two men had played in Helena the previous year.

 

“They don’t know me yet,” she said, chasing the sentence with her characteristic giggle. “But they will.”

 

***

 

http://montanamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/mary-1.jpg

 

July 24th (Montana magazine) -- We were very saddened to hear of the passing of Mary Gunstone last week. Mary was featured in our May/June 2015 issue in a feature that introduced us to her passion for the Helena Brewers baseball team.

 

***

 

God bless you, Mary -- you represented so much about what the game of baseball can represent -- Jim (Mass Haas)

[Mass Haas]

Brewers 1st rounder Trent Clark is focus of this feature on sudden financial riches for young athletes; a fine read

[ewitkows]

Man have Lara's number come back to earth. Hope he finds his stroke again soon

[Mass Haas]

From Wed. 8/20's Link Report --

 

Huge game ball to 36th round RHP Jordan Desguin, who stranded three of starter Nash Walters' 2nd inning baserunners, and then followed up with four additional scoreless frames.

 

***

 

All falls into place for Desguin

After making switch to pitcher two years ago, Newport Harbor alum turns pro and signs with Brewers

By Steve Virgen, Daily Pilot (Fountain Valley, California)

 

http://www.trbimg.com/img-55d6b969/turbine/desguin-jpg-20150820/525/349x525

 

Jordan Desguin (Newport Harbor High), a Florida Gulf Coast University pitcher, decided to turn pro last month after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 36th round in June. (Linwood Ferguson / Captive Photos / August 20, 2015)

 

The summer of 2013 turned out to be a season of change for Jordan Desguin. Or as Desguin put it, something happened that was just meant to be.

 

While playing summer baseball for Feather River Community College, which is located in Quincy, Calif., Desguin saw three pitchers suffer injuries. Desguin, who played shortstop basically his whole life while growing up in Newport Beach, was asked about his pitching. That's when the change started.

 

Desguin offered that he had a decent knuckleball and he could throw pretty hard. Apparently, that's all he needed to begin the transition to pitcher.

 

"It felt right and it felt good," Desguin said Wednesday, talking about his switch to pitcher during a phone interview. "I asked myself, 'How long can I play baseball?' I realized I can play baseball a lot longer as a pitcher."

 

Turns out pitcher was where he should play. Maybe this was really meant to be. After standout seasons at Feather River and Florida Gulf Coast University, Desguin, 21, made the big decision to turn pro since the Milwaukee Brewers drafted him.

 

The right-hander was picked in the 36th round of the Major League Baseball Draft in June. Last month, he carefully weighed his decision whether to return to FGCU or begin a pro career with the Brewers organization.

 

"I saw it as a great opportunity," Desguin said of turning pro. "I felt this was the year to go. It just felt like the right move. I had a lot of confidence."

 

Where did that confidence come from?

 

Desguin not only had confidence as a pitcher, but also as a pure athlete. He had successfully made the switch for that reason, because he could rely on his athleticism.

 

However, Desguin denied taking all of the credit for his recent success.

 

"It was very challenging," Desguin said of switching from shortstop to pitcher. "I don't think any switch is easy in baseball. But I felt confident in my abilities. Yes it was hard, but I also feel like it was pretty smooth. But to credit me is not correct. I think I was lucky enough to be surrounded with great coaches. Being surrounded by them is what made it so easy for me. It was truly meant to be."

 

While growing up in Newport Beach, Desguin never really thought pitching would be his ticket to play professional baseball. He mostly played shortstop, growing up as a coach's son, in the Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. program. His father, Joel, was also a head coach at Newport Harbor High before Jordan played there.

 

Jordan played for Evan Chalmers, then three years for Patrick Murphy while with the Sailors. Jordan had a big season his senior year, earning first-team All-Sunset League honors in 2012. He was bound for Florida State, where he spent a year before transferring to Feather River, led by Coach Terry Baumgartner.

 

As a pitcher at Feather River, Jordan Desguin made it seem as if he had been pitching all his life. He was named Golden Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year after leading the Golden Eagles to the conference title. He finished the season with a 6-2 record and a 2.28 earned-run average, and he led the conference in strikeouts with 74.

 

Then it was on to Florida Gulf Coast. There was a reason he was drafted.

 

Desguin went 6-1 in 20 appearances last season, which was tied for the most victories on FGCU's staff. He held opposing batters to a .216 average, best on the team. He finished with a 3.63 ERA and struck out 58, which was second on the team.

 

"I was pretty confident I would get drafted," Desguin said. "I thought there was interest from multiple teams. Then I felt that after talking with my parents and other people that this was the year to go. I learned a lot at Florida Gulf Coast, thanks to my pitching coach Pete Woodworth. He taught me a lot about pitching. He's big on the mental side of the game. I got more mentally strong. He made more of a difference than anyone could've done."

 

Desguin made an impact on FGCU before leaving the Eagles for the Brewers.

 

"He's a special arm, a special kid," FGCU Coach Dave Tollett told the Naples Daily News. "We're not only losing a good player, but a great kid and a leader on the team."

 

Desguin now hopes to make an impact with the Brewers. He's 2-2 with the Arizona League Brewers. He has a 1.77 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings.

 

"I'm on a five-man rotation," Desguin said. "I pitch once every five days. Basically I show up at 1 p.m. and have a game at 7 every night. I'm working out and just getting better. I'm making sure I'm always lifting correctly, doing all that good stuff.

 

"It's a dream come true. I don't have to worry about school or tests. It makes it a lot easier to enjoy baseball and work at it. It's now just baseball, baseball, baseball."

 

Desguin hopes it stays that way for a long time.

[Mass Haas]

Via MLB.com:

 

Brewers prospect Orimoloye rising fast

 

***

 

FYI: Don't be surprised at all (so we're told) when the Baseball America Arizona Rookie League top prospect rankings come out -- it will be Brewer-heavy.

[Mass Haas]

In four games with the Team Canada Junior Team at the U-18 World Cup in Japan (Canada is 2-2 thus far in the first round and has qualified to move on to Round Two), Brewers' OF Demi Orimoloye is 2-for-13 with eight K's, one walk, one stolen base.

 

Stats page

 

Standings / Results

 

Lots of info via Baseball Canada's home page (victories over Taipei and Italy, losses to South Korea and Cuba)

[Mass Haas]

Via Reviewing the Brew -- Maryvale's Gentry Fortuno Wraps Up Rookie Year

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Happy 19th birthday to RHP Marcos Diplan (Gallardo deal).

 

The Rangers' Dominican $1.3 million bonus baby signing had a solid but not spectacular season with Helena in 13 appearances (seven starts), and while he did walk 21 in 50.1 innings (and 14 wild pitches), he also fanned 54, and did so while being over three years younger than the average Pioneer League player.

 

Can't wait for the 2016 reports from Timber Rattler attendees.

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Baseball America ARIZONA LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS

 

1. Trent Clark, of, Brewers 11.

3. Gilbert Lara, ss, Brewers

5. Demi Orimoloye, of, Brewers 15

 

Baseball America PIONEER LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS

 

4. Marcos Diplan, rhp, Helena (Brewers)

6. Monte Harrison, of, Helena (Brewers)

15. Jake Gatewood, ss, Helena (Brewers)

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BA Arizona/Pioneer Leagues Prospect Chat

 

Harry (Phoenix, AZ): What were your thoughts on Nash Walters during his time in the AZL? Was he picked at the right point in the draft?

 

Bill Mitchell: Nash Walters was picked by the Brewers in the 3rd round from high school ball in Texas. He's still very unrefined and may need another year of rookie ball, but there's a lot to like in the young Texan. The fastball sat 89-93 and he should add more velocity as he fills out and learns how to use all his body to pitch. The Brewers manager remarked that Walters is a hard worker who pays attention to the little details.

 

James (Helena): I watched Helena this summer and saw lhp Jake Drossner throw a very nice game. How does he stack up in the Brewers system????

 

Bill Mitchell: Drossner's name didn't come up in any of my Pioneer League discussions, but the Brewers 10th round pick from Maryland had a nice pro debut with Helena. Check back with me in a couple of weeks after I hopefully have a chance to see him in instructional league.

 

Nathan (Wisconsin): So many Brewers in these two lists! Who's your favorite of them?

 

Bill Mitchell: You're right --- the Brewers dominated both rookie league lists this year as well as having a significant number of prospects ranked in the AZL last year. I'm a big Monte Harrison fan. He's just so freakishly athletic that if he continues to develop the baseball skills he'll be a stud. Hopefully the fractured ankle will heal completely and he won't lose anything, but even if he does he'll still be the most athletic guy on most fields. With that said, I am also a big Marcos Diplan fan and look forward to watching his development.

 

hurtado (everywhere, man.): Demi Orimoloye seemed to fall in the draft, did he redeem himself any or is it just rookie ball?

 

Bill Mitchell: Originally projected as a 1st round talent, Orimoloye fell to the 4th round after a sub-par performance in his last high school year. He certainly opened eyes in the AZL with a very nice debut season and was just one part of a very good 2015 draft by Milwaukee. He needs to make better use of his hands and become more selective at the plate (that 39-3 K-BB rate is a little scary), but he's got plenty of tools and athleticism.

 

a guy (a place): Tyrone Perry seemed to play fairly well. Does he have any upside or is he just a minor league 1b?

 

Bill Mitchell: Perry, taken by the Brewers in the 14th round from his high school in Lakeland, Florida, flashed some of the best raw power in the AZL this summer. With that said, conditioning is the number one priority for Perry. His milb.com page lists his weight as 265, but the recent Brewers instructional league roster has him at a more accurate 300 pounds. Carrying that much weight on a 6-2 frame won't work long term, so it's imperative that Perry drop a lot of pounds in order to have a pro career.

 

Dave (New York City): Hey, Bill. Thanks for taking the time to Chat! Any love/buzz for Brewers' 2015 draftees George Iskenderian and Conor Harber?

 

Bill Mitchell: No mentions on Iskenderian (7th round pick from Miami) or Harber (16th round pick from Oregon). I saw the latter during his time in juco ball and saw something to like, albeit with a delivery with effort, but that was a couple of years ago. Like I said about Drossner a few questions back, check with me after I get to see the Brewers instructional league team.

 

Roy (Indiana): Lots of Brewer prospects. Which ones are likely to open at Wisconsin?

 

Bill Mitchell: Harrison and Gatewood should get another crack at the Midwest League. Diplan will likely get there but maybe will stay behind in extended spring training in order to manage his innings. Of the AZL guys I'd put my money on Trent Clark breaking camp with the Wisconsin team, but Gilbert Lara and Orimoloye would be better served with at least a partial year at Helena.

 

Tyler (WI): Of the six brewers between the two lists, how many would you expect to make top 100 prospects lists in the near future?

 

Bill Mitchell: I'm not involved in the process for determining the top 100 for BA, so I checked in with prospect maven Matt Eddy back at Baseball America world headquarters. He believes that Clark has a good chance at the top 100 and that Gilbert Lara and Diplan may get some consideration.

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Steve (San Francisco): Joantangel Segovia (Brewers) looks like he has the hit tool, but zero power. How does he project?

 

Bill Mitchell: Segovia got some consideration for the AZL list despite moving up to Helena mid-season and then getting hurt. The kid can flat out hit, makes good contact and does all the little things well. It's more gap power right now. The factor that kept him off the list is that scouts don't see a carrying tool, but if he keeps hitting like he has done in his first two seasons then he's certainly one to watch.

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Miller Park Prospects -- Arizona Rookie League Recap

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Miller Park Prospects -- Helena Recap

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Latest Rattler Radio podcast with Chris Mehring and Kyle Lobner discussing Trent Clark, Malik Collymore and much more

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Via the Timber Rattlers' site --

 

Frosty Microbrews: New Beginnings & Fresh Starts

Trent Clark and Malik Collymore starting in the Brewers system

By Kyle Lobner / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

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LINK

 

Catching Up With Fordham's and Milwaukee Brewers' farmhand catcher Charles Galiano

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Via 27OutsBaseball-- Player Profile: Demi Orimoloye