Your 2007 Huntsville Stars -- Latest: Katin Ready for Camp

[Mass Haas]

Sorry, mis-post deleted....

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...amp;coll=1

 

STARS SPOTLIGHT: BO HALL

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

Position: Pitcher

 

Age: 26

 

Hometown: Ormond Beach, Fla.

 

Stats: 5-1, 3.07 ERA in 23 appearances, one save, 40 strikeouts in 41 innings

 

Years with Stars: First

 

Equipment: Rawlings glove

 

OK, you're from the Daytona area. NASCAR fan or not? "Growing up there, I love it. Go every year (to the 500)."

 

Favorite driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

 

So, good move for Junior to leave DEI? "It's either going to be really good or really bad for him. I don't think it'll be anything in the middle."

 

Favorite player: Bo Jackson

 

You're also Bo: "That's where I got my nickname. My real name is Jeremy. Growing up I played all the sports and I was pretty decent at them. He was really big then, so people started calling me that. The only person who doesn't call me Bo is my mom."

 

If you could trade places for a day with another athlete, it would be: Tiger Woods. "He plays golf for a living and I like to play golf. He basically has anything he wants."

 

How good a golfer are you? Eight or nine handicap.

 

If you weren't a baseball player, you'd be: teacher or coach.

 

Best movie seen lately: "Shooter"

 

Favorite TV show: "Baseball Tonight"

 

Most annoying celebrity: Paris Hilton

 

Funniest person on earth: Chris Rock

 

Favorite vacation spot: "My sister went to Tahiti and brought back some cool pictures. It might be there."

 

Sloppiest teammate: "My locker is next to Lindsay Gulin and it's pretty much a mess every time we go in there."

 

Who's your road roomie and what's a big secret about him? Jeff Housman. "He doesn't wake up until it's time to go to the bus. He never gets out of bed."

 

Best subject in school: English

 

Worst subject: Math

 

Car you drive: Chevy Tahoe

 

First baseball memory: "It has to be my first T-ball game. It got rained out. Now every time we get rain, we talk about how when we were kids we hated rainouts. Now we pray for them."

 

The schedule: The Stars continue their five-game road trip at Jacksonville tonight, then play an 11:05 a.m. game Wednesday. The next home game is Saturday, against Chattanooga.

[Mass Haas]

Well-earned...

 

MiLB.com:

 

Southern League Pitcher of the Week

Derek Miller, Huntsville

2-0, 2.13 ERA, 2G, 2GS, 12.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 SO

 

The Stars have struggled since their 12-game winning streak was snapped on July 21, but apparently the 25-year-old Miller never got the memo. Miller accounted for both of Huntsville's wins last week, including a much-needed victory at South Division-leading Jacksonville on Tuesday, giving up three earned runs and whiffing five in the win. The Winchester, Mass., native again got the Stars out of a rut on Sunday, tossing seven shutout innings and striking out seven in a win against Chattanooga to help Huntsville end the week tied with the Lookouts atop the North Division standings.

[Mass Haas]

Baseball America honors Sollmann, Parra:

 

http://www.huntsvillestars.com/news/news.asp?newsId=1304

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site:

Heether Named Hitter of the Week...Again --

http://www.huntsvillestars.com/news/news.asp?newsId=1309

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.al.com/stars/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/1187083143280980.xml&coll=1

 

Stars spotlight: Lindsay Gulin

Brad Shepard, Huntsville Times

Position: Starting pitcher

 

Age: 30

 

Hometown: Issaquah, Washington

 

Stats: 11-4 with a 3.21 ERA

 

Year with Stars: First

 

What equipment do you use? Rawlings glove and "(Corey) Thurman's bat and batting gloves. They've got a couple hits in them."

 

Growing up 15 minutes from Seattle, are you a big fan of the professional teams? "I have to support my teams. I love the Sonics. I'll try to make it to as many games as I can."

 

Who was your favorite: Shawn Kemp or Gary Payton? "Oh man, I love both those guys. I'm a big Gary Payton fan. He's my favorite, but Kemp was probably the most fun player to watch in the NBA."

 

Being a Seattle guy, how tough was it to be released by the Mariners last year? "The only tough part was when it didn't work out, it was real disappointing. The whole time I was like a little kid. Just to share a locker with a guy like Jamie Moyer, a guy I try to pitch like, was really great."

 

Favorite baseball movie: "For Love of the Game"

 

Least favorite: "They're all good."

 

Are you reading anything now? "Yeah, I'm reading 'The River Why,' and I really like 'The Magus.' I'll pick up anything if it's interesting."

 

What's a fun fact about you that few people know? "I was on the U.S. Olympic badminton team from the time I was 14 until 18. I lived it. I spent a year living in the Olympic Training Center training and didn't play baseball. My dad built the first badminton-only club in western Washington."

 

Why didn't you stick with it? "You can't really pay the bills and get rich playing badminton. I enjoyed them both, but I loved baseball more, I guess. I played badminton since I was like 4 years old."

 

You're one of the married guys on the team, right? "I've been married for three years (to Traci), but we've been dating since we were freshmen in high school. We've been together like 15 years."

 

How'd you meet? "I was going home to spend the night at a buddy's house, and we met on the school bus. We just started hanging out, dating and just never quit."

 

I have to ask you what you think of Barry Bonds breaking the record: "Obviously, he hasn't been caught doing (steroids), but I'm going to give some more credit to all the people who put their names in the history books who are obviously clean."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/mmccarter.ssf?/base/sports/1187082983280980.xml&coll=1

 

Hot at bat and in soap

Hardy shows signs his hitting is back on track

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com

Huntsville Times

 

"She can warm up with me any time." That was a simple line of dialogue, delivered with a mischievous look. Probably not destined to go down into history with "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" or "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."

 

Or even " 'When you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that goin' for me. Which is nice."

 

You know.

 

Something from one of the classics.

 

The lascivious line came from Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy, even if it sounds like Vince Vaughn.

 

It's one of the perks when your team is baseball's flavor-of-the-month. And when it plays near the fictional city of Genoa City, Wis., the setting for the soap opera, "The Young and The Restless," which debuted on TV only shortly after test patterns were invented.

 

Hardy and teammates Bill Hall, Chris Capuano and Jeff Suppan briefly appeared in an episode that aired in June. You can YouTube it at your own risk. The gist is they are meeting one of the city poohbahs and are suddenly interrupted by an attractive blonde, the actress Michelle Stafford, who apparently knows more baseball than Peter Gammons. When she's finally ushered from the room, J.J. delivers his timeless dialogue.

 

The brush with Hollywood was also a perk of success and health.

 

When the show was filmed, few players were having a better season than Hardy. He rode a 19-game hit streak the first month of the season, batting .418 with eight homers and 23 RBIs.

 

Or, as the exuberant, starstruck Y&R blonde gushed in the scene, "His bat is on fire this year."

 

Alas, "I got off to a really good start and I've been going downhill ever since," Hardy said, hanging out in the visitors' clubhouse last weekend when the Brewers played at Houston.

 

"I'm trying to get back to where I was at the beginning of the season. But I'm definitely not complaining about where I'm at."

 

His bat was on fire this past weekend in Houston. He went 6-for-13, with a pair of homers and three RBIs. He's batting .274 for the season with 20 homers and 66 RBIs, putting him second in the NL among shortstops in the latter two categories.

 

After missing much of last season with an ankle injury that ultimately required surgery, Hardy's "main goal (was) just to stay healthy and play as much as I can and see what I can do. I haven't been able to know what I can do for a whole season up here."

 

"People didn't expect it," general manager Doug Melvin said of Hardy's hot start. "They didn't see it coming because he didn't play that much the year before.

 

James Jerry Hardy was the world's oldest 19-year-old when he played for the Huntsville Stars.

 

Next week, he'll hit the quarter-century mark, having already accomplished a cameo appearance in a soap opera and in a Major League All-Star Game; the "Young and Restless" director gave Hardy more work than did St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa, who didn't send J.J. into the game until the ninth.

 

Happily, he gets more respect in Genoa City - and Milwaukee - than in St. Louis.

[Mass Haas]

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STARS SPOTLIGHT: DEREK MILLER

Brad Shepard, Huntsville Times

 

Position: Starting pitcher

 

Age: 25

 

Hometown: Pelham, N.H.

 

Stats: 5-1, 4.01 ERA in eight starts

 

Year with Stars: First

 

Equipment: Rawlings Pro Preferred glove and "whatever bat the team issues me."

 

Was there anything special about growing up in New Hampshire? "Not really. Pelham's a very, very small town. It's about half an hour from Fenway (Park in Boston)."

 

So, being a Red Sox fan, where were you when they finally broke through and won the World Series? "I remember I was watching it when I was in college (at the University of Vermont). I just felt like a big weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I don't know. I wasn't part of the team or anything, but it was like that."

 

I know you're a Brewer now, but do you still love the Red Sox? "I always watch every night on 'SportsCenter' to see how they're doing, but since we're living down South, I don't get to watch many games."

 

What did you do for fun growing up? "I played baseball, and I grew up playing hockey as well. If it wasn't baseball season, it was hockey season."

 

Worst hockey injury: "In practice, I got tripped into a bunch of kids, and one of the kid's skates sliced me. I had 40 stitches in the bottom of my leg."

 

What's it like being married (to wife Robyn)? "Home is a fun atmosphere. She's a Yankees fan, and we have a 7-week-old son, Nolan Ryan Miller."

 

So, I take it you're a big fan of the Ryan Express, too: "Oh yes. Any time I can watch tape on him, I do. He's the most dominating pitcher I've ever seen."

 

With the new baby, what's your sleep schedule been like? "Lately, he's been good because he's sleeping through the night. But my wife and I have an agreement that I'm off-duty the night before I pitch."

 

What did you buy with your first pro baseball check? "I didn't buy anything other than pay off some school loans. I was picked in the 47th round, so it wouldn't have gone too far."

 

Favorite baseball movie: "Field of Dreams."

 

What kind of car do you drive? Silver 2000 Ford Mustang

 

Did you have to deal with any injuries around that time? "I had Tommy John surgery the year of my draft eligibility."

 

Your out pitch: Curveball

 

You got a degree in what subject at Vermont? Early childhood education

 

You look a lot younger than 25: "Everybody looks at my ID and is like, 'Wow, you're 25!?' It's something that'll benefit me in later life, I guess."

 

What are the offseasons like having to support a wife and child? "I do a lot of extra work. I've painted, roofed for a summer. You need money to live in the world, so I do whatever to help my family."

 

What's one of the jobs you had growing up? "I worked for six or seven years at Chunky's Cinema Pub. You could watch movies, eat dinner and get a bucket of beer. It was a pretty cool place."

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Booster Club:

The "Rocky" is named for 1985 and 1986 player Rocky Coyle. Established in 1992, this award is not intended to be a most valuable player award, nor is it based on players' statistics. It is given to the player who "best exemplifies the hustle, team spirit, and love of the game of baseball as demonstrated by Rocky Coyle." All Stars players are eligible to receive the "Rocky" regardless of number of games played or the player's status (promoted, traded, disabled, etc.). The Boosters vote on the award by secret ballot and the winner isn't known until the prsentation at the End-of-Season Banquet.

 

The 2007 winner is Guilder Rodriguez.

 

The "Eagle" is named in honor of Bob Bennett who won the award the first two years it was given. Bob is a full-blooded Lakota Souix whose Indian name is "One Eagle". The award is not intended to be a most valuable pitcher award, it is given to the pitcher who is a role model for the young fans, displays team spirit and sportsmanship, and whom the Boosters most enjoyed watching pitch during the season. All Stars pitchers are eligible for the award regardless of number of games played or the pitcher's status (promoted, traded, disabled, etc.). The Boosters vote by secret ballot and the award isn't known until the presentation at the End-of-Season Banquet.

 

The 2007 winner is Sam Narron.

 

Congrats to both players.

[Mass Haas]

Salem (Mass.) Observer:

 

Rising Star - Pelham alum moving through Milwaukee's system

http://www.yourneighborhoodnews.com/salem/2007/08/images/30-rising-star.jpgBY SAPNA PATHAK

He thought winning every game he started as a freshman at Pelham (New Hampshire) High School was a fluke.

 

But after repeating the feat three more times, former Pythons pitcher Derek Miller couldn't help but recognize his baseball abilities.

 

"After my first two seasons at Pelham (High School), I had no losses, but I still didn't really think anything of it," said Miller with a laugh. "But then junior and senior year, I didn't lose either. Somewhere along there I realized this baseball thing could be something I should really go after and see what happens."

 

What happened was Miller, then one semester away from graduating with a degree in early childhood education from the University of Vermont, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, the first leg of what he hopes is a journey to the Major Leagues.

 

This season, Miller was promoted to Double-A Huntsville, Ala., where the hurler earned Pitcher of the Week honors during the week of July 30. The UVM standout won both his starts that week, after officially joining the Stars on July 5.

 

He's 6-2 following a 4-0 shutout on Sunday, Aug. 26. In that game, Miller fanned six in six innings, allowing three hits and two walks. In the process, he helped Huntsville maintain a three-game lead in the Southern league's North division.

 

His rookie season brought Miller to Montana, where he pitched for the Helena Brewers before being promoted to Single-A West Virginia as a member of the Power rotation.

 

In season two, Miller moved to the Florida State League and the Brevard County Manatees, where the New England native got his first taste of playing ball in the South.

 

"Oh, man, it was so less stressful," said Miller about being able to rely on consistent warm weather. "I wouldn't have to worry about how I was going to get to the gym that day because there was so much snow on the ground. My wife and son even moved down here last year, so we're able to spend the offseason in Florida this year."

 

As much as he looks forward to a sunny offseason, Miller was fast to say winters will be missed. And Miller was just as quick in crediting former Pythons manager Joe Connors, who no longer coaches at PHS, for instilling the confidence and poise Miller now brings to each start.

 

"You have to keep your head about you," said Miller. "Back in high school, I didn't realize it, but playing with coach Connors and having success then helped me learn how to handle it now. I didn't take myself too seriously back then, and that's helped me stay relaxed and confident that I do belong here."

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site:

Huntsville Stars outfielder Brendan Katin was named to the 2007 Southern League Postseason All Star Team announced earlier today as voted on by the league's field managers, radio announcers and print media.

Katin, 24, is tied for the league lead with 23 home runs and leads the league with 90 RBI, 13 more than his nearest rival. The Ft. Myers, FL native is curerntly batting .259 and has started 106 of the Stars 132 games in the outfield.

Katin is the first Huntsville player since Brad Nelson in 2004 to be named to the league's post-season all star team.

Montgomery swept the player awards with 3B Evan Longoria capturing the league's Most Valuable Player and RHP Chris Mason was named the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher.

[Mass Haas]

This article discusses the current situations of four minor leaguers from the Fort Myers, Florida area, including Brendan Katin. Some interesting insights into their in-season salaries and off-season jobs as well. The specific passage on Katin is below:

Fort Myers High graduate Brendan Katin, 25, played for the Huntsville Stars of the Double-A Southern League last year. He's been a pro for three years, rising through the ranks but not yet where he wants to be - in the majors. He led the Southern League with 24 homers last year.

That makes him feel good about the future, about the chance that someday he'll be in the majors. He allows himself to daydream about the call to the majors.

"Every day," Katin said.

He's spending the winter in West Palm Beach. He's working out and working. Katin has an off-season job installing fire sprinklers. With the average Double-A salary around $1,500 a month, off-season employment is advisable, if not fun.

"It's terrible," Katin said of his job. "You go to a job site where you're on the low end of the totem pole. I'm getting up at 5:45 every day, working to 4, 4:30. Get a snack and work out."

Soon, though, he'll report to spring training with other Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguers, pursuing the big-league dream, when his job once again will be playing baseball and not installing fire sprinklers. A real job makes him appreciate his baseball job.

"It makes me look so forward to going out to the season," Katin said. "It makes the season a lot more fun."

[twobrewers]

Wow. I didn't realize they made so little in the minor leagues.

 

But then, I suppose $1500 a month with no expenses helps. I would love to see an in depth listing of what all of the Brewers farmhands do in the off-season. It would be interesting to see what all of their part time jobs are.

[DrWood]

that $1500 a month seems low, but I'm only basing it on my memory of what the minor league portion of the contracts of major league veterans are. I thought a goodly number make six figure salaries in the minors.

[pogokat]

in aaa, the average salary is 80k...everywhere else it's much lower...guys in low a ball make 12ish k

 

thats why signing bonuses are so important...if you only get a 5 k signing bonus out of high school, you aren't making squat until you hit AAA...

[erbacaine04]

in aaa, the average salary is 80k...everywhere else it's much lower...guys in low a ball make 12ish k

 

thats why signing bonuses are so important...if you only get a 5 k signing bonus out of high school, you aren't making squat until you hit AAA...

Which is now why you can Understand why Prince was so upset when his dad took Most of his 5 million dollar signing bonus........

[colbyjack]

Prince's signing bonus was $2.4 million.

[DrWood]

seems like it would be a good investment to give some of those late draft picks $20k or so to live off during the offseason. They could concentrate on conditioning, etc. Or, have dormitories in AZ where they could stay.

[Tbadder]

80K in AAA. I'm flabbergasted, truly. Man that is excessive.

[agent39]

Wow. I didn't realize they made so little in the minor leagues.

 

But then, I suppose $1500 a month with no expenses helps. I would love to see an in depth listing of what all of the Brewers farmhands do in the off-season. It would be interesting to see what all of their part time jobs are.

It's not expense free. They have to pay for food/rent/utilities etc...... That 1500 doesnt go real far. And the guys without an agent or have a bad agent need to pay for their own equipment too.

[DrWood]

minor leaguers still get a per diem, don't they? that should take care of food. I can't believe they aren't comp'ed bats and gloves by the manufacturers.

[Cyanogen5]

When I was at Grad school at Purdue 4 years ago I made less that $1200 a month...and had absolutely nothing comped for me. It wasn't easy, but I wouldn't say I was destitute either...I just could go out quite as often as I might have liked too. $1500 seems pretty good for a 20 year old kid who is playing baseball. Certainly not excessive, but definitely manageable.

[DrWood]

katin is 25. if he only gets $1500 for 7 months, that's a lot less than your $1200 for 12 months. And I'm sure you did get "comp'ed"--tuition and all goods and services that go along with it, such as cheap entertainment, health care and food available at school.

$1500 a month for someone who would otherwise be in college seems quite reasonable. For someone who wants to live as a real adult human being, it's not nearly enough. And Katin was a late-round pick so he probably didn't get much of a bonus.

[twobrewers]

Wow. Thanks for the insight agent39.

 

I'm kinda feeling pretty good today about my lack of baseball skills.

[brewcru1]

80k in AAA is a skewed number. Players that sign out of the draft and play their way up through the minors to AAA get paid WAY less than that. The AAA salary minimum is $2,150 per month ($10,750 per season since players get paid only from April through August/early September). Most drafted players get paid between that amount and $2,700 at Triple A, based off their playing experience.

The 80k is skewed by 6-year free agents that make $10k-15k per month in the minors, players on option, and players outrighted from ML contracts either during the season or during previous seasons (eg Brad Nelson the previous 2 years). All the Andy Abads and RA Dickeys of the world inflate the AAA average.

Players in A ball do not make $12k as previously stated. Most of them make $1,200-$1600 per month for 5 months. That's $6k to $9k per season.

All minor league players get paid a per diem of $20 a day on days they play on the road. Keep in mind they also have to pay clubhouse dues of $6-$15 per day (both road and home), leaving them with few food options with the remaining money. They do, however, usually get a clubhouse spread of PB and jelly sandwiches and fruit at the lower levels. AAA and AA they might get something a little nicer, usually a hot meal of some sort (lasagna maybe)