Your 2005 Helena Brewers -- Latest: No-Hitter a Top Moment

[Mass Haas]

Pioneer League Player of the Week

 

Angel Salome, Helena

6 G, 26 AB, 8 R, 12 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .462 AVG, .533 OBP, .846 SLG, 1 SB

 

The Helena Brewers were the only team to make it through the first full week of the short-season schedule without a loss, thanks in large part to their catcher, Angel Salome, who had a pair of four hit games and a three-hit game on his way to a .462 average, two homers and 11 RBIs in six games. The Brewers' 2004 fifth-round pick out of George Washington High School in the Bronx, Salome homered and drove in a pair of runs in each of his first two games before going 4-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs in a 17-5 drubbing of Missoula on June 23. The 5-foot-7 backstop capped off the week with another 4-for-5 performance, hitting two more doubles and driving in three runs. For the week, Salome led the Pioneer League in average (.462), hits (12), RBIs (11), on-base percentage (.533) and extra-base hits (six).

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...505_04.txt

 

5 Questions

By CURT SYNNESS - IR Sports Writer

 

As the Helena Brewers battle for their first Pioneer League championship in a decade, two of the team's more influential leaders are Angel Salome and Kenny Holmberg. Both bring championship caliber experiences, as Salome has played for a high school team which won a title in "the Big Apple," and Holmberg's past clubs have achieved success at both the prep and college level.

 

A powerfully built 5-foot-7 and 189-pounds, the 19-year old Salome was a fifth-round draft choice of Milwaukee in 2004. From New York City, he attended and played baseball for George Washington High, which was Manny Ramirez's alma-mater. This year Salome helped Helena to the first half championship of the Northern Division with a 24-14 record, while tearing the league up with a .419 batting average and 50 runs batted in (in only 36 games), before being moved up to West Virginia of the South Atlantic League.

 

At the time of his advancement, Salome topped the league in at least five categories; average, RBI, doubles (17), on-base-percentage (.473) and slugging percentage (.677). After being promoted, he was selected as the Topps' Minor League Player of the Month for July. Salome later received the 2005 Pioneer League MVP award.

 

A few of his better performances this year were: 4-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI against Missoula; 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI versus Ogden; 3-for-5 with five RBI against Missoula; and 3-for-4 with three RBI against Orem.

 

Kenny Holmberg, 5-9 and 175-pounds, finished second in the league's batting race, hitting a cool .372. With a nice blend of average and power, he belted 12 home runs and 16 doubles, and was No. 1 in the Pioneer loop with a .450 OBP and a .623 SLG. He also placed third in RBIs, with 51.

 

Some of the Brewer's second baseman's better games this season included: 4-for-5 with six RBI against Missoula; 3-for-5, with two doubles and two runs against Billings; 5-for-5 with three runs and two RBI versus Missoula; 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs against Great Falls; and 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI and two doubles against Missoula.

 

Holmberg, 22, who hales from Palm Harbor, Fla., was drafted in the 22nd round this year. His dad, Dennis Holmberg, pitched in the majors for the Brewers before serving as a long-time coach with the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

 

1. What were some of the successes of your previous teams?

 

Salome: My high school team at George Washington High was pretty good. We won the New York City championship.

 

Holmberg: In high school we were ranked fourth in the nation, and my junior college team won our conference twice. With Embry-Riddle University, we went to the NAIA College World series both years and took second last year, losing to Oklahoma City in the championship game.

 

2. What do your training workouts consist of?

 

Holmberg: During the summer I lift weights about 2-3 times a week, and then in the off-season I lift about 5-6 times per week. I'm not a real power lifter or anything, though. Just like to do overall training.

 

Salome: I go to the gym almost every day. I don't lift weights, I do 300 pull-ups and 500 pushups every day, plus I do a lot of running.

 

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

 

Salome: Signing a pro contract right out of high school when I was only 17, and playing my first professional game at 18.

 

4. What do you think of Helena?

 

Holmberg: It's a lot smaller than where I'm from, and it took awhile to adapt to the higher elevation. The people are super-nice, it's been a great experience for me here.

 

Salome: It's a pretty good town, nice and quiet. It's a good place to play baseball, because you can't get distracted by going out to the clubs and stuff at night.

 

5. What will the Brewers have to do to win their last two games for the championship?

 

Salome: Well, the first game was a good game, but we just didn't hit. We're going to win it, though, because we are the better team - we have better hitting and pitching. And we have the advantage playing at home

 

Holmberg: Play better baseball than them. It's very simple, just get hot and score more runs than they do.

[Mass Haas]

Certainly a bit Off-Topic (OK, a lot Off-Topic), but posted here in case any of the players reading recognize their "Host Mom":

 

www.foodnetwork.com/food/...39,00.html

 

You'll want to click on Mariela's name (# 4) to view her video. She needs some help with the vote tally...

 

Helena Press Release:

 

Helena Brewers Host Mom and Season ticket holder, Mariela Petroski, has her sights set on having her very own cooking show on Food Network TV. Mariela entered the contest a couple weeks ago by sending in a quick three-minute video to the network for their new show, "The Next Food Network Star". Her video was chosen from thousands entered making her a semi-finalist. Mariela needs your help to make her a finalist! On Food Networks web site you will find the five semi-finalists and their video applications. One of these five women will be chosen to be the final contestant on the show. The show is basically a Survivor style contest in which the last cook standing will be rewarded with a one year contract with the Food Network and their very own show.

 

Please support Mariela and help her represent Helena Montana on National Television with your votes! You can vote once a day, for each day of the voting period.

 

Gee, I always pictured "Host Moms" as being 60-ish, with all their own children long gone from the coop. Guess that's not the case...

[Helena Crew]

Please help Mariela out. She is by far the best cook in Helena. Her "boy's" included Chris Jean, Brad Willcutt, and Ryan Braun but on some nights you could find up to 15 players at their house for a post game feast. How Chris Jean managed to stay the same weight from wire to wire is anybody's guest. This woman knows cooking!

[Mass Haas]

Helena staff has rolled out a 2005 card set including Ryan Braun, Will Inman, Angel Salome and others -- that looks like a pretty good holiday season investment for your Brewer fan. I'm not a collector (OK, if you don't count my misguided every Allen Levrault card ever set) -- but I would think that rookie ball cards are more valuable than let's say, AAA card sets, nothing against our friends with the Sounds.

 

www.helenabrewers.net/cat...58dae42d31

 

The Power's web site is promoting their merchandise as well this time of year, so keep in mind that our Brewerfan home page contains buttons to the Brewerfan affiliate pages, which in turn, include the official team web site links. The Manatees site doesn't seem to have an up-and-running store. We'll roll out our yearly affiliate web site review this winter, and post it on some frosty January night when the home page is in need of something fresh http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

 

And oh yeah, I seriously did accumulate the entire local-boy Levrault set, majors and minors, save one elusive card. His first, from the 1996 Helena set -- I had asked past Helena management to rummage around their attic, but they never did pull a '96 set out of the rafters. Maybe the new regime will have better luck for me http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif .

[Helena Crew]

Sorry Mass no 1996 sets around. Previous admin. took EVERYTHING including the 2 Pioneer League championship banners from 1995 & 1996 with them.

[jschris]

Mass, if you REALLY need to finish the Levrault collection, I found a '96 Helena set online. It's a little steep ($45 I think), but I know a guy that will buy off the other cards in the set. It's the same guy who I hoped would have the Levrault single, but unfortunately did not. Let me know if you want to pursue this--I can pretty much guarantee that you would be one of the very few who could claim a complete Allen Levrault collection!

 

Jason

[Mass Haas]

Thanks Jason, I'll email your EZ Board Inbox here momentarily so we can spare everyone else from the exciting details http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Mass Haas]

From the top Helena, Montana Sports Moments of 2005:

 

www.helenair.com/articles...106_01.txt

 

9. HELENA BREWERS There are several key moments to choose from in the Brewers? stellar '05 season, but none stand out more than the no-hitter that four pitchers combined to throw on Aug. 5. Simon Beresford, David Welch, Richard Breshears and Wilfredo Laureano combined to paint the board with zeroes in the Brewers? 11-0 home win over the Billings Mustangs.