Your 2007 Helena Brewers -- Latest: Nice Article on R.J. Seidel from LaCrosse Winter Tour

[MTBrew]

you know, i really have to give a thumbs up to gm paul fetz, the elmore ownership and the sponsoring businesses

the realtionship with the kids in town is excellent

pre-game they have a promotion that acknowledges grade school students and their teachers while they throw out the opening pitch(es)as well as having local "little league" teams take the field with the brewer players

its great to see the players hi-fiving the kids and the big smiles of all involved. ive got to believe the players are enjoying it as well, as it seems as if most all of them have been involved at one time or another

for me it keeps things real and in perspective and is one of the reasons i really enjoy the minor league game. i still follow mbl but have lost interest as the salaries escalate as fast as the "injuries"

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.courierpostonline.com...002/sports

 

Timber Creek grad Tyson soaks up spotlight

Courier-Post Column (Cherry Hill, N.J.) by Jessica Ryan

 

Nick Tyson enjoys being in the spotlight.

 

And he performs well in it.

 

This season, the Timber Creek High School graduate started his professional baseball career as a reliever for the Helena Brewers (Brewers, Rookie League). Now, Tyson has taken a spot as a starter for Helena.

 

Tyson pitched 11 innings of relief in five games before making his first start on July 14 and then making two others. He has a 3-0 record.

 

"I like to perform in front of a crowd," Tyson said. "I think they originally wanted me to start, but wanted to see how I would react to the surroundings."

 

As a starter, he has performed well, pitching 16 innings -- including five shutout innings in his July 20 start. He has a 2.81 ERA as a starter, striking out 11 and walking just one.

 

Converting from reliever to starter wasn't tough for Tyson, it was an exciting move.

 

"I was always taught to be a starter, reliever and a closer. Being a starter is really different because you might have three pitches. But since you're going to be in longer, you don't want to show them all in the first inning. As a closer, you can just bring everything in one inning."

 

He said that his pitching coach at Helena hasn't had to do anything except tweak little things in his mechanics.

 

"They just want me to get stronger."

 

Tyson said pitching professionally gives him a bigger stage than he had in college (Lake City Community College in Lake City, Fla.) or high school, where he became the first Chargers player ever to be drafted when Milwaukee selected him in the 32nd round in 2006.

 

"You'd have about 25-to-50 fans at a high school or college game, but at our home games we have about 1,500. At our away games, that seems like nothing because they had about 3,000."

 

Tyson likes big crowds, but he'd rather pitch a home game.

 

"Just being at home and being able to throw the first pitch of the game is exciting," he said.

 

And the first time he stepped onto the field?

 

"I felt like I couldn't breathe," Tyson said.

 

Playing professional baseball also is giving Tyson a fresh perspective of the country by taking him to parts he may never have had the opportunity.

 

"If it wasn't for baseball, I never would have come out this way," Tyson said. "I'll be out back listening to music and six or seven deer will just walk by and you can see the mountains out the window. It gets pretty hot here, it was about 100 degrees and it feels like the sun is right on top of you because you're in the mountains."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

http://www.sun-herald.com/breakingnews.cfm?id=2950

CHS grad homers in first pro at-bat
By Glenn Miller, Sun-Herald.com (FL)

Matt LaPorta was in a place called Kindrick Legion Field in the town of Helena in west-central Montana and about to do something he had never done before - bat in a professional baseball game.

It didn't take long for the Charlotte (FL) High School graduate to show why the Milwaukee Brewers took him with the seventh pick of the first round of the June draft. The right-handed slugger cracked a homer in his first pro at-bat on July 30 in a game against the Missoula Osprey.

"Guys are looking around after he hits it and saying, 'Now that's what a first-rounder does,' " Helena Brewers manager Jeff Isom said.

LaPorta didn't wait long to hit his second home run, bopping another one Thursday. He knows about homers. LaPorta is the University of Florida's all-time home run leader with 74. He homered in his final Gator at-bat and in his first as a pro.

"Every time I hear that it still gives me the chills," said Rick Weston, an uncle of LaPorta. "To end your amateur career with one and start your professional career with one, I don't know if it's ever been done."

It had been a while since LaPorta had homered before his first one in the Pioneer League.

He had been sidelined since late in the college season with a strained right quadricep. LaPorta had worked out at the Brewers' training facility in Phoenix before traveling to Helena. His first homer came on the second pitch of his first at-bat.

"After I saw the first pitch, I felt relaxed and comfortable," LaPorta said.

And then crack. ...

Did he use a special bat? Was the bat ash or maple? What size bat did he use?

"I honestly don't even know," LaPorta said. "I grabbed one and started swinging."

It worked. Things often work out for LaPorta. His uncle Rick, who resides in For Lauderdale, knows about LaPorta's athletic gifts and work ethic.

"Been following him since he was state champion in BMX bike racing when he was 7 years old," Weston said. "I thought that would be his sport."

It's been more than size, strength and coordination that propelled LaPorta to this point.

"Even as a small child he was driven," Weston said. "He couldn't stand to lose. He really was the one. He didn't want anyone to beat him."

Weston recalled taking a car trip with his nephew and a friend, Nate Spears, now a minor-leaguer in the Chicago Cubs' organization.

They were in high school. Whenever they took a break, they'd get out of the car, swing a broken golf shaft and swat bottle caps, which was proof of uncanny eye-hand coordination.

"They could smack it like it was a watermelon," Weston said. "I said, 'Let me try it.' " Weston tried but couldn't hit the caps with the shaft.

LaPorta, meanwhile, isn't getting carried away with hitting bottle caps with golf shafts, or his first-round selection.

"It's a great honor and privilege and blessing to be selected that high," LaPorta said. "I try to realize it's only a steppingstone. It's not a milestone. Making it to the big leagues is my goal."

So, what's next? The Pioneer League is rookie level. When will he be ready for Class A or Double-A ball?

"I just need to play," LaPorta said. "They'll move me up when it's time."

If he keeps hitting homers, that time will come soon.

[battlekow]

If Nate Spears can hit bottle caps with a golf club shaft as well at Matt LaPorta can, that doesn't say much for LaPorta. Unless they were only right-handed bottle caps.

[Mass Haas]

Helena Press Release:

Topps Names Gindl Player of the Month

HELENA - Topps named Helena Brewers outfielder Caleb Gindl as its Topps Player of the Month in the Pioneer League for his achievements and contributions during the month of July as Helena secured a playoff berth. The Helena Brewers earned a playoff spot by winning the first half in the Pioneer League's North Division and Gindl was a pivotal force in the Brewers' surge in the standings.

Gindl, who is in his first professional season, hit .404 in July. Although Gindl played in just 15 games during the month, the 18-year-old had 23 hits and 15 RBIs. Gindl had six multi-hit games last month including a season-high four hits on July 23 against the Casper Rockies. In addition to his offensive accomplishments, Gindl did not commit an error in the field during the month.

Gindl, a resident of Pace, FL, currently leads the league in batting average (.397), on-base percentage (.431) and is second in slugging percentage (.630); he also leads the Brewers with 35 RBIs.

[homer]

How many Player's of the Year has Helena had recently? It seems like every year a Brewer wins or comes close to winning.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=519436

 

Chasing A Dream

Wilson charts course in minor leagues

By Loren Amor, Harvard Crimson Staff Writer

Many boys dream of someday becoming a Major League baseball player. As the years go by, most of those dreams dissipate, leaving only a few with the hope of making it to The Show. But for some, like former Harvard third baseman Steffan Wilson, the dream is worth holding on to, no matter how remote it may seem.

 

After being selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 28th round of the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft on June 8, Wilson chose to sign a contract with the Brewers, thereby forgoing his senior season with the Crimson. For Wilson, it meant the opportunity to play professionally and chase a promotion to the big leagues, his goal since the first time he picked up a bat.

 

A TOUGH DECISION

 

Despite being named the Ivy League's best professional prospect by Baseball America before the 2007 season, Wilson's choice to leave Harvard early was hardly clear-cut. His junior campaign was subpar by his standards and failed to live up to the preseason hype. Although he batted .331, he managed only three home runs and 17 RBI with a .484 slugging percentage-all career lows for the powerful right-handed hitter.

 

Had Wilson stayed with the Crimson another season, he might have been able to improve on those numbers and, consequently, his draft status.

 

"It was definitely a tough decision and I talked to [Harvard coach Joe Walsh] about it," Wilson said. "He was supportive of whatever I decided to do. It's tough because I lived with some of the guys on the [Harvard] team and I loved living with those guys."

 

But in the end Wilson made the jump. He signed a minor league contract with the Brewers and was assigned to the organization's rookie-level affiliate, the Helena Brewers, in the distant Pioneer League.

 

Wilson's move surprised some in scouting circles.

 

"He's not a prospect," said Keith Law, ESPN.com columnist and senior baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., via e-mail. "I was shocked that he came out early, especially after that bad junior year."

 

But despite some negative evaluations, those closest to Wilson-including his Harvard coaches and teammates-fully endorsed his decision, insisting that by going pro Wilson is now where he belongs.

 

"We all knew from watching him take [batting practice] every day that he's been a pro hitter ever since he showed up at Harvard," said rising senior pitcher Shawn Haviland.

 

A NEW START

 

Wilson made a big first impression in the Pioneer League. After mediocre showings in his first few games, Wilson went on a tear, bringing a seven-game hitting streak into Helena's July 14 game against the Casper Rockies. In his first at-bat, he smashed a two-run shot over the left field wall for his first professional home run. The next day, he hit two more longballs. By the time July came to a close, Wilson had established himself as a power threat and a mainstay in the Brewers lineup, finishing up the month batting .389 with five home runs and 22 RBI. His hitting prowess helped Helena secure a berth into the Pioneer League playoffs as the first half's North Division champs.

 

"I've enjoyed watching him play," said Steve Wendt, Helena's Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations and the voice of the Brewers on local radio. "He plays extremely hard every day. He handles himself in a very professional manner."

 

Wilson's torrid run has abated lately, and his batting average is down to .352 through August 14. But according to Wendt, struggling is just as much a part of the learning process for a young player as success.

 

"He was so hot that the baseball gods aren't going to let you stay like that," Wendt said. "You can tell [Wilson] is a rookie level player because he's pressing a little bit right now, but I'm very impressed with how he handles himself."

 

On top of adjusting to the professional game at the plate, and moving to Montana, Wilson has also had to adapt to the lifestyle of a minor leaguer. So far, it appears that the transition has been a smooth one. Without having to deal with the academic rigors that he faced at Harvard, Wilson is now able to focus solely on baseball.

 

"I joke with him. I say, 'This must be easy now that you don't have to worry about your course load at Harvard,'" Wendt said. "You see a lot of these guys where it is kind of a weight lifted off their shoulders."

 

Wilson has also enjoyed some of the perks of the pro game.

 

"We clinched [the Pioneer League playoff berth] and there was champagne waiting for us in the locker room," he said. "We don't get to do that in college necessarily. Just the way pro ball is run in general is a style I really like."

 

CLIMBING THE LADDER

 

Although Wilson has found success with the Brewers thus far, he has no designs on playing rookie ball forever. Like every other player toiling in the minors, Wilson hopes to some day make it to the big leagues.

 

How realistic those hopes are remains to be seen.

 

At 6'1 and 220 pounds, Wilson certainly has the build of a major leaguer, and he has shown the ability to drive the ball with power. He has also played extensively at first base as well as third, demonstrating his versatility in the field. But with no shortage of slugging corner infielders in the minor league ranks, Wilson will have to prove himself at every level and distinguish himself from the rest of the pack.

 

"[Playing in the majors is] everybody's dream," Wilson said. "It's tough because when you get here you see so many good players. The minor league system is absolutely necessary to see who can keep climbing the ladder."

 

Wendt thinks that while Wilson's rise through the system may not be meteoric, he may have the talent to one day latch on with a major league team, whether it's Milwaukee or another club.

 

"To me Steffan's a guy who can make it to the higher levels of the minor leagues and from there you never know," Wendt said. "The goal is to get to the major leagues and not always with the team who drafted you."

 

Wilson has little to refer to in the way of precedent: There are only a handful of former Crimson players in the minor league system and the last Harvard product to reach the major leagues was Jeff Musselman '85. If Wilson wants to make it out of the Pioneer League, he will have to become somewhat of a pioneer himself and create his own identity as a pro.

 

"Hopefully I'm able to push through it and do it," Wilson said. "Maybe only in dreams, but right now it's a dream just to be playing."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/08/30/sports/b01083007_1.txt

 

Five questions with Caleb Gindl

By CURT SYNNESS Helena Independent Record Sports Writer

The late Dizzy Dean, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and major league baseball broadcaster, was renowned for his colorful (albeit incorrect) grammar. His favorite expressions when describing a good hitter were, "He's lookin' awful hitterish up there, he's standin' at the plate confidentially!"

And Ol' Diz, were he around to see Caleb Gindl, would no doubt be quick to express those words in characterizing the Helena Brewers' right fielder.

One thing's for sure - when Gindl is at the plate, a person definitely gets the sense they may be looking at a future big leaguer.

Gindl is currently the Pioneer League's leading hitter. He is scalding the ball at a .367 clip. He is third in the league in slugging percentage, with a .578 mark, close behind teammate Steffan Wilson's .579. Gindl has played in 48 games, and leads Helena with 38 runs batted in, 36 runs scored and three triples. He is No. 2 on the club in home runs, with five, after the eight taters by Wilson; hits with 66, trailing Jonathan Lucroy's 72 hits; and 17 doubles, behind Lucroy's 18.

Gindl, who will celebrate his 19th birthday on August 31, was Milwaukee's fifth round draft choice right out of high school. As a centerfielder and pitcher with Florida's Pace High School, his team won the state championship his junior year, and lost in the state semifinals as a senior. In 2006, he batted .484, belted eight homers and drove in 50 runs in 34 games. This year, he upped his average to .545, posting five homers and 45 RBI.

In his first professional season, Gindl has achieved seven contests so far with three hits or more. He has a pair of four-hit games to his credit, against Casper and Missoula. His first home run came June 28, at Kindrick-Legion Field versus the Osprey.

Gindl described his wheelhouse as being "a low and inside fastball."

At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, the stockily built Gindl possesses pretty decent foot-speed. In the weight room, he bench presses 60-pound dumbbells (120-pound total) for seven reps per set. He said that his hobbies include hunting whitetail deer and river fishing for largemouth bass back in his home state of Florida.

Q 1. Who is your favorite major leaguer?

A: Ken Griffey, Jr. He's the one I look up to the most, being a lefty-lefty outfielder and all. I love the way he carries himself.

Q 2. What is the highlight of your career, to date?

A: Hitting my first home run as a pro, against Missoula. I always wondered what it would be like. It's a feeling I've never felt before, and I'll never forget it.

Q3. How does Helena compare with your hometown of Pace, Florida?

A: They're about the same size, actually. This is a nice town and a beautiful place, but there's no place like home. I miss Pace.

Q4. What part of your game needs the most improvement for you to get to the bigs?

A: There's always room for improvement everywhere, but I'd say my base running and outfield play. And I need to work on hitting the curveball better.

Q5. Any plans for college?

A: After my baseball career is over, yes, I plan on going to college. But first, my number one goal is to get to the big leagues.

[Mass Haas]

Helena Press Release:

Four Brewers Named to All-Star Team

Gindl, Lucroy, Farris and Mercedes Tabbed for Pioneer League Honors

 

 

Helena- The Pioneer League named its 2007 All-Star Team on Thursday and four Helena Brewers were among the honorees. No other team placed as many players on the honor roll as Helena. The All-Star team is selected by Pioneer League field managers and included Helena outfielder Caleb Gindl, catcher Jonathan Lucroy, second-baseman Eric Farris and pitcher Roque Mercedes.

Caleb Gindl, who will turn 19 years-old on August 31^st, currently leads the league in batting at .367. The Pace, FL resident has homered five times and has knocked in a team-high 38 RBI. Gindl is currently second in the Pioneer League in on-base percentage at .418 and fifth in slugging at .578. Gindl was a fifth round draft pick by Milwaukee this June.

Jonathan Lucroy leads all Pioneer League catchers with a .340 batting average (currently sixth league-wide). The third-round pick by Milwaukee has homered twice and knocked in 33 RBI. Lucroy, who starred at University of Louisiana- Lafayette, leads the team and is fifth in the circuit with 18 doubles.

Second baseman Eric Farris is currently batting .308 with 15 doubles, one homer and 29 RBI. Farris leads Helena and is sixth in the Pioneer League with 15 steals. The fourth-round pick from Loyola Marymount (CA) University is leading second baseman in fielding percentage at .976. He has committed only six errors this year.

Right-handed pitcher Roque Mercedes is second in the league with seven wins and currently is seventh in ERA among starting pitchers with a 3.76 mark. Mercedes, a native of La Romana in the Dominican Republic, is third in the circuit with 76.0 innings pitched and fourth with 64 strikeouts.

Idaho Falls first baseman Clint Robinson was named MVP of the league while Great Falls righty Juan Moreno was named Pitcher of the Year. Great Falls manager Chris Cron was named the top skipper. Other honorees follow: 3B Jay Brossman (Orem), SS Jaime Pedroza (Ogden), OF's Salvador Sanchez (Great Falls) and Jovanny Rosario (Ogden), DH Michael McKennon (Billings), and P's Jhoulys Chacin (Casper), Luis Montano (Billings) and Robert Fish (Orem.).

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.centredaily.com/sports/story/202812.html

 

Wilson makes decision to turn pro pay off after fine rookie season out West

Guy Cipriano, Sports Writer for the Centre Daily Times (Pennsylvania)

 

Steffan Wilson encountered two distinct kinds of mountains when his summer started.

 

There were those gigantic western land masses, bigger than anything the State College High School graduate's eyes have ever witnessed.

 

"I went hiking with a friend in Utah," Wilson said, "and it felt like you were on top of the world."

 

Baseball mountains also greeted Wilson.

 

He started his professional career with a Helena (Mont.) Brewers team that included seven players selected in the first 10 rounds of this year's draft.

 

The numbers seemed like mountains because the Milwaukee Brewers waited until the 28th round to select Wilson.

 

"I didn't know what to expect," he said. "My brother did it and that gave me confidence, but you show up and there are guys who are third-rounders and first-rounders all trying to do the same thing."

 

It didn't take Wilson, whose brother Jon played in the Texas Rangers system, long to find his place.

 

He enjoyed his new surroundings. He received ample playing time in Helena.

 

He ended the regular season hitting .328 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs to help the Brewers qualify for the Pioneer League Playoffs. Helena opened the postseason late Sunday night against Great Falls.

 

The season has erased any uncertainty Wilson encountered about turning professional.

 

Wilson hit .331 with only three homers during his junior season at Harvard, numbers that turned a preseason Top 100 college draft prospect according to Baseball American into a mystery. Wilson broke a hamate bone in his wrist before his final season at Harvard and solid performances in the Ivy League and prestigious summer Cape Cod League in 2006 forced teams to pitch Wilson differently.

 

"It's definitely nice to have this kind of season after a relatively average college season," he said.

 

Wilson, 21, picked the perfect time to return to his 2006 form.

 

He didn't enter professional baseball with a defined position. Helena manager Jeff Isom used Wilson at first base, third base and left field during the regular season. The moves allowed Wilson to appear in 50 games and receive 182 at-bats. He parlayed the plate appearances into a .612 slugging percentage which ranked fourth in the eight-team Pioneer League.

 

Wilson played third base at Harvard. But the position was primarily occupied by Zelous Wheeler, a 20-year-old who hit .300 during the regular season. First base also turned into a crowded spot because of the emergence of Curt Rindal, a 35th-round draft pick who hit .324 in 49 games.

 

"That has been the toughest things about this summer," Wilson said. "Our third baseman who plays every day has made unbelievable strides and the same with our first baseman. They are having a lot of success.

 

"But I have stayed focus and done some things that I haven't done in the past. I played left field and I'm versatile enough that if one of our catchers goes down I can be a backup catcher."

 

The organizational competition won't stop once Wilson leaves Helena. The Brewers have drafted and developed enough talent in recent years to construct one of baseball's best farm systems.

 

Wilson will likely begin his second professional season with the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. Still, he knows nothing is guaranteed.

 

The Rangers released his older brother this year, so Wilson has a connection to the cruel side of the game. Jon, a pitcher who reached High-A Bakersfield, is currently in graduate school at Vanderbilt.

 

"There are some guys who can really play that are on slower tracks because the guys ahead of them can play," Wilson said. "It's about what they need a higher level. If there's no need, you can be stuck somewhere. I saw it with my brother. They brought up a younger guy and there was no room for him at a higher level."

 

Competition doesn't intimidate Wilson.

 

Once the playoffs end, he will fly back to State College, grab his car and return to a place as competitive as any in baseball.

 

Wilson is one year from obtaining his Harvard degree. He will complete one of his remaining two semesters this fall.

 

It's a transient life, yet one Wilson enjoys. His summer memories include belting a walk-off homer for the first time and facing former Lewistown High School star Kalen Gearhart during a game in Ogden, Utah, last month.

 

And, of course, Wilson will remember the western scenery.

 

"Baseball has been doing that for me my whole life," he said. "I have played on basically every state on the East Coast. Now, I have been to Arizona, California, Utah, Montana and other places out west. That's what I love about it. I wouldn't be half as traveled without baseball."

[Mass Haas]

Sorry for the late post -- you have until about 8:00 PM Central Monday to bid on a major Helena Brewer jersey auction (actually old-time Milwaukee jerseys worn by Helena players) on EBAY:

 

Helena Brewers Jersey EBAY Auction

[pogokat]

got the anundsen one...anyone else jump on this?

 

and if you bought the lee haydel one out from under me yesterday, booo...

[DKM4Boston]

got the anundsen one...anyone else jump on this?

 

and if you bought the lee haydel one out from under me yesterday, booo...

I got Bryson's, but I made sure to jack up the price on Anundsen's http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/wink.gif. LaPorta's went for $270.58.

 

[pogokat]

yeah, i had my eye on the laporta, but i wanted one i could wear...and i wasn't spending that kind of cash...i wound up spending 104, so it was a 30 buck premium for a player on the p50..not so bad...

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/01/11/sports/00lead.txt

 

Former Central pitcher Seidel already has stories to tell as a Brewers minor leaguer

By JOEL BADZINSKI / La Crosse Tribune

R.J. Seidel didn't get a chance to finish his no-hitter last summer, but he got a pretty good story out of it; one he enjoyed retelling Thursday as the Milwaukee Brewers' winter tour stopped in La Crosse.

Seidel, a former Central High School star who was selected by the Brewers in the 16th round of the 2006 draft, made his third pro start for the club's Helena, Mont., rookie team on June 30, 2007.

The game unfolded almost perfectly for Seidel, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, and he had a no-hitter through six innings with a pitch count around 85. Meanwhile, the team's entire coaching staff was sending text messages to Brewers Minor League pitching coordinator Jim Rooney.

What should we do? They asked. Let the kid keep going or shut him down?

After all, most minor league pitching coaches would rather ride through Antarctica on a bus with no heat than spoil a young pitcher's arm.

So with no word back from Rooney, Helena manager Jeff Isom sent out a reliever to pitch the seventh. Seidel's night was over.

"That's when he texted back and he said I could keep going," Seidel said.

Regardless, the summer of '07 was a successful one for Seidel, who has started to generate buzz in the Brewers organization as one of its top prospects in the low minors.

Seidel, 20, went 4-0 with a 3.07 ERA in 12 games, including eight starts, and opponents batted .207 against him. Seidel struck out 36 batters with 16 walks in 41 innings.

"I was kind of keeping an open mind the first couple of months, learning how things work," Seidel said. "The season is a real grind and you have to condition your body, especially your arm. Overall, I felt I had a pretty good year."

Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash, who headlined the team's visit to La Crosse, said young pitchers like Seidel have to show they can rise above the grind of the minor leagues.

"It's about consistency and it's about learning how to prepare yourself," Ash said. "It's a long season, a daily grind. (Seidel) made a lot of headway last year and pitched a lot of good games. He has all of the tools and in the brief encounters I've had with him, he has the intelligence and is coachable, which are determining factors for making it to the next level."

Seidel, who turned down a full scholarship offer from Arkansas and accepted a $415,000 signing bonus from the Brewers in August, 2006, said he never expected to go into professional baseball and blow the ball past hitters the way he did in high school. That mindset came from his father, Dick Seidel, a who was a Yankees farmhand in 1982-83.

"Everybody pitches in the 90s here," Seidel said. "It's about changing speeds and moving it around and I've started to learn that. I know I'm not going to overpower guys anymore. I have to learn to pitch and not just to throw."

According to Baseball America, Seidel is doing well in that respect. The publication recently singled him out as having the best changeup in the Brewers farm system.

"I didn't throw the changeup a lot in high school," Seidel said. "My first time in instructional league (in 2006), I started working on it a lot. The key is just to keep the same arm speed. It's seemed to really work for me well."

Seidel had one setback during his first pro season, a bout with tendinitis in his right biceps. It kept him out for about three weeks in June and July.

"I had never been injured before and I was pretty down in the dumps there for a while," Seidel said. "I was able to come back and pitch well and my confidence went back up from there."

Seidel pitched in the fall instructional league in Phoenix again this fall. He said the Brewers haven't indicated where he'll start next season, but he believes he's earned a promotion to the Low Class A team in West Virginia.

"That's what I'm hoping for," Seidel said. "I am real excited. The first year is the toughest thing to do and now I know what to expect and hopefully I can keep doing what I've been doing. I'm looking forward to it."

 

Click here to hear Seidel talk about his six-inning no-hitter last June.