Your 2005 W.V. Power - Latest: Helena Squad, Audio Favorites

[DHonks]

so will Sutton and Schroeder talk at length about Charley since he's a baseball? I like them, but I hate the obsession w/Mr. Met and others

[MassBrew]

There's a chance LHP Greg Kloosterman (2003 9th round) could see Brevard County this year, but we'll plug him in here for now:

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.etruth.com/news/story...index.html

 

Lessons learned during tumultuous 2004 season

Kloosterman has something to prove to Brewers organization

Steve Krah

Elkhart (IN) Truth Staff

 

Greg Kloosterman has something to prove.

 

The left-handed pitcher wants to prove to the Milwaukee Brewers organization that he has learned from a rocky 2004 season.

 

The second professional campaign for the former Central High School and Bethel College standout was filled with bumps on and off the diamond.

 

As a hurler with the Class-A Beloit Snappers, Kloosterman went 2-8 with a 7.57 earned run average and gave up 15 home runs.

 

Off the field, he can point to an August night in Peoria, Ill., that started as a teammate's birthday celebration and ended with the pitcher being stabbed in the chest in the early morning hours and being suspended by the Brewers.

 

"It's embarassing, but it's a lesson learned," says Kloosterman. "It's something I'm definitely not proud of. You never think that something like that is going to happen.

 

"Milwaukee did a great job in handling the situation. They were just in handling their punishment with me. Thankfully, they gave me another chance to play."

 

Kloosterman spent much of October and November in Arizona for instructional league and is scheduled to leave for spring training on March 11.

 

This winter, he was been spending the bulk of his time either at his Bristol home or at the Elkhart Sports Center, working out and giving private lessons. At this time a year ago, he talked about spending the off-season in Florida. But that was before last summer.

 

"It's been real quiet," says Kloosterman. "That's the way I want to keep it. There was too much noise last year.

 

"After learning the hard way, it's nice to have a chance to go back after this the right way. Last year, I didn't make the right decisions to put myself in a position to be the best baseball player I can be for Milwaukee and myself."

 

Kloosterman says he disappointed a lot of people -- friends and former coaches among them -- and for that he is sorry.

 

As for 2005 on the mound, the southpaw is looking to cut way down on the long balls.

 

"My whole focus this year is to keep the ball down," says Kloosterman. "Last year, I gave up too many home runs and too many walks. I need to relax and play.

 

"I learned more about pitching last year than I ever have in my life. I'm not used to losing."

 

The 22-year-old chalks up the past year to growing up. The growing pains will be rememberd, but, Kloosterman hopes, never re-visited.

 

"I learned from it, but I don't want to do it again."

 

Contact Steve Krah at (574) 296-5912 or skrah@etruth.com

[MassBrew]

Check out the "Sights and Sounds" section at this link for a Mark Rogers audio interview:

 

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...p?c_id=mil

[MassBrew]

From the Lompoc (CA) Record:

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.lompocrecord.com/arti...orts11.txt

 

By John McReynolds - Staff Writer

 

3/15/05 The biggest news from Mr. En Fuego's world of sports is not good. This from Tom Hawk Sr. about ex-Cabrillo ace Tommy Hawk, a Milwaukee Brewer signee--

 

"Well, after an off season of working out and bullpens, as you know Tommy left for Arizona and upon his initial arrival described to team doctors a lingering discomfort still in his elbow once in awhile, so an MRI was prescribed and the findings today are that his elbow will require season-ending Tommy John surgery. He will fly to Milwaukee, have the surgery done and then return to Arizona for rehab for the balance of the year." Not what we wanted to hear. After leading Cabrillo to the CIF semifinals in 2003, Hawk led the Arizona Rookie League in ERA, then had an up-and-down 2004 compounded by arm problems. Now the knife.

 

Good luck to Tommy, still just-turned 20 years old... -- MB

[Nefaste]

Better Hawk has that surgery now, he can get it over with and come back at 21-22, and still have a few years to get his pitching together.

[Antipape]

The name will be the lefty's claim to fame.

 

I'd still like to know how many of these blown elbows and shoulders the Brewers have compared with any other team. Every year two or three guys or more succumb.

 

I've followed baseball for almost 50 years and this simply did not happen years ago. I realize there was little diagnosis let alone treatment of elbow and shoulder injuries, but guys didn't go blowin' their arms or shoulders all the time like they do now.

[DHonks]

if there is a silver lining, it's that it was discovered now. He should be nearly 100% in terms of feel next spring training. Best of luck Tommy

[ja002h]

I've followed baseball for almost 50 years and this simply did not happen years ago. I realize there was little diagnosis let alone treatment of elbow and shoulder injuries, but guys didn't go blowin' their arms or shoulders all the time like they do now.

 

I'd be interested in knowing if this is fact or just perception. It sure seems that way don't it? Like how these days everyone blows their ACL in high school.

[gregmag]

Isn't it more likely that, in the "old days," guys who got those injuries would just disappear and never be heard from again? I think the reason we follow injuries more now is that medical advances give guys a chance to come back from them.

 

I don't see any reason to conclude that more injuries actually happen now. Human beings certainly haven't devolved. But maybe some other factor has changed.

 

Greg.

[pogokat]

i think you can pitch with a pretty destroyed arm...it's pretty rare to get a guy so injured that he can't throw still...i think this is why people didn't dissappear from injury 50 years ago...

 

i think they would start hurting...which was probably pretty much status quo...then they would fall off a cliff quality wise---much like tommy hawk did last year---then they'd be out of baseball...

[SenatorShriv]

I saw him running around spring training just yesterday with the rest of the injured pitcher squad. It was kind of sad watching all of these young pitchers that (most of them) were pretty highly regarded at one point or another practice nothing but fielding techniques.

 

On a similar note, when warming up this morning, Diggins requested to stick to soft tosses instead of long tosses with everyone else. Made me wonder how well his recovery was going.

[MassBrew]

2004 first round pick RHP Mark Rogers is among MLB.com's choices to keep an online journal throughout the 2005 season -- nice.

 

Last season, it was Tony Gwynn, with his reports ending abruptly early on in May:

 

mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ml...;fext=.jsp

 

MLB.com indicates Rogers' first report should be out soon.

[MassBrew]

Nice job here -- link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/200503254/

 

Power manager returning to familiar territory

Matt Lockhart

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Ramon Aviles is no outsider.

 

Sure, he's from Manati, Puerto Rico. His accent gives that away.

 

But when Aviles brings his West Virginia Power to its new Charleston East End baseball home, he comes with familiarity.

 

"I played at (Watt Powell Park) in 1975 and 1976 when I came through with the Red Sox," said Aviles, who played in four Major League seasons. The 56-year-old also coached in 2002 for the South Atlantic League's Lakewood team, a farm club of the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

Still, though, this familiarity goes deeper into a sport he hopes his players can turn into a career.

 

"When I started coaching my goal was to coach in the big leagues," said Aviles, who began instructing after his playing days finished in 1983. "Philly never gave me a chance. Now my goal is to help every kid I get my hands on to get to the big leagues."

 

That's no easy task. Only ten percent of all minor leaguers ever reach the Majors, and many of them never stay.

 

Aviles is no outsider to that notion, though. He spent seven years in the minors before getting a sniff of Major League pine tar -- something he experienced for just four years and 117 games.

 

He's rich with baseball tradition, however. Philadelphia teammates Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Tug McGraw, Steve Carlton and Manny Trillo enjoyed a World Series title with Aviles in 1980.

 

At the beginning of his Major League career in 1977 with Boston, he teamed with Dwight Evans, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice and a 38-year-old Carl Yastrzemski for one July game.

 

And at the end, he played second base the September day a 22-year-old named Ryne Sandberg broke in with the Phillies in 1981. Sandberg would play the position 15 seasons for the Chicago Cubs, before earning a Baseball Hall of Fame induction this year.

 

"A lot of hard work," said Aviles, who shares the same Puerto Rican high school alma mater -- Fernando Callejo -- as big league star Carlos Beltran.

 

"I love to go to the ballpark and work out. When I started a game, I hated when I made an error or a mental mistake. I wanted to be perfect. I was lucky to get an opportunity to play in the big leagues."

 

Now, he wants to pass Major League familiarity on.

 

It's a player friendly style that got him noticed by the Brewers.

 

Aviles was let go by the Phillies organization after the 2003 season, so he went home to Puerto Rico, where he worked for the government and gave baseball clinics to kids from 5 to 18 years old while collecting his Major League pension.

 

A Latin American scout for Milwaukee watched Aviles manage in the winter league and passed his name on.

 

"I told him I was a free agent," said Aviles, who coached in the minors for 21 years with Philadelphia. "He said he liked the way I ran the club.

 

"He saw the respect I have for players and respect they have for me."

 

Much like Charleston Alley Cats' Manager Ken Joyce last year, Aviles realizes directing the clubhouse is as important as on-the-field issues.

 

He's just waiting for the Brewers to finalize the roster for the low Class A affiliate, Power.

 

"We are going to have a pretty good team from what I hear," Aviles said. "We are going to have an exciting team."

 

Of course, Aviles has reasons to be excited himself, since this team will open up a new $23 million ballpark.

 

"Our goal is between 3,500 and 4,000 fans per game," said Andy Barch, the Power broadcaster and director of media relations.

 

That projection calls for 245,000-280,000 fans to walk through Appalachian Power Park's new gates.

 

The previous attendance high for minor league baseball in Charleston was set in 1991 when the Wheelers won the South Atlantic League North Division and 185,389 showed up at Watt Powell Park.

 

In Watt Powell's sendoff last season, the Alley Cats received a 34 percent attendance boost from 2003 with 128,158 fans.

 

"That helps," Aviles said. "Players love to play in front of big crowds. They feed off the crowds. I know I did when I played. When there was a good crowd, it woke me up and made me work harder to do really good."

 

Aviles just hopes that familiarity transfers to his players.

[Cyanogen5]

Wow, I went to the WV Power site and took a look at the stadium webcam, and it actually looks like a Baseball diamond...not just a buch of mudd or brown grass like it did earlier. Looks like it will be ready by opening day...or at least the field will be.

 

63.126.209.45/

[MassBrew]

As you can imagine, there are decisions being made as we speak in regards to all the minor league rosters. We should have all by the end of the day Monday (seasons start Thursday for the four minor league full-season squads). Until then, we may have updates in drips and drabs, and we'll report on those updates we feel confident are accurate.

 

For now, the West Virginia (low-A) pitching staff -- Greg Kloosterman is the lone lefty:

 

Mark Rogers, age 19 at start of season

Yovani Gallardo, 19

Josh Wahpepah, 20

Robbie Wooley, 20

Josh Baker, 22

Greg Kloosterman, 22

Forrest Martin, 25

Simon Beresford, 22

Brian Montalbo, 23

Derek DeCarlo, 22

Robert Hinton, 20

Ben Stanczyk, 22

 

Rogers is up from Arizona; Gallardo and Stanczyk finished briefly in Beloit after spending most of the season at Helena; Wahpepah, Wooley, Baker, DeCarlo, and Hinton were in Helena; Kloosterman, Beresford and Montalbo are repeating the level, at least to begin the season, and Martin is on his way back from arm surgery and will likely be moved up once he shows to be healthy.

 

If possible, hold off on speculation for Helena (just below) or Brevard County (just above) for now, or discuss in a separate thread, as we'll be using this thread to spotlight non-game related stories on the Power all season.

[SoCalBrewfan]

I have two different DOB for Gallardo, but both have him 19 when the season starts. But you can't trust ages from a place like Texas....he could be 15 or 40!

[MassBrew]

Right you are, SoCal -- I corrected Yo's age above.

[MassBrew]

Here are twelve of the position players assigned to low Class-A West Virginia. We believe there will be one additional position player name we?ll have for you later on, to bring the roster to its 25-man maximum. Country of origin is given for Latin players only to give perspective to the Brewers? south-of-the-border efforts.

 

1B Grant Richardson, 22 years old to begin the season, Richardson finished at Beloit in 2004 after a fine Helena campaign

 

1B / C Carlos Corporan, 21, repeating low-A, the 2003 12th round pick out of Puerto Rico will likely see some DH time as well

 

C Clay Blevins, 21, Helena last year

 

C Nestor Corredor, 21, the Venezuelan made pit stops in Arizona (76 AB?s), Helena (18 AB?s), and an emergency replacement stint in Huntsville (20 AB?s) last year

 

Looks like it?s Helena for catcher Angel Salome?

 

2B Hernan Iribarren, 20, the Hurricane (Venezuela) hit .422 in 256 AB?s in Arizona and Beloit last year

 

SS Alcides Escobar, 18, the ultra-young Venezuelan won?t even be 19 until December; Helena last year

 

2B Guilder Rodriguez, 21, repeating low-A, another position player out of Venezuela

 

2B Bill Lewis, 23, Lewis is either seriously undervalued by the organization or overvalued by Brewerfan nation, .328 in an injury-shortened Beloit 2004 season ? with this roster, you can start to build on other assumptions, like 2B Steve Sollman to Brevard County

 

3B Josh Murray, 20 ? the 2002 second-rounder still won?t be ?legal? until August, hard to believe ? and if you heard Jack Zduriencik during a recent spring training broadcast, he raved about Murray?s attitude and performance in spring camp thus far.

 

(For what it's worth, the other player Jack Z. went out of his way to rave on was 17-year-old Canadian RHP Alexandre Periard.)

 

OF Adam Mannon, 21, Helena 2004

 

OF Dallas Bates, 20, Helena in 2004 -- note to Brewers: Bates wasn't included in this year's media guide

 

OF Freddy Parejo, 20, the Venezuelan did some nice things in 2004 in Arizona in his first stateside campaign, earning a bypass of Helena for 2005

 

Based on that list, you?d think the final roster spot will go to another outfielder ? we should know soon.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

I have not seen this elsewhere so Rogers first journal is available on minorleaguebaseball.com

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...&fext=.jsp

[MassBrew]

The Power's website includes a Q&A with newly named pitching coach John Curtis -- the interview was conducted prior to the pitching staff being officially named:

 

Q AND A SESSION WITH JOHN CURTIS

 

What do you do in the off-season to keep you busy?

 

I make my home in Long Beach, California, where I live with my wife and two cats. I have been living there since 2000. In the off-season, I spend a lot of time with my wife. We both enjoy walking, but basically we're homebodies. I am an energetic reader, and my tastes run to historical fiction, sports literature, and poetry. I am also a freelance writer, and I review books on baseball and other sports for the "San Diego Union-Tribune." I am working on a book about pitching, and I'd like to write some fiction at some point. I have plenty of story ideas and some notes, but nothing worth submitting for publication at this time.

 

Before we get into the baseball questions, tell us about your family. What kind of family life do you lead?

 

It is just my wife and me, as I said, and our two cats. My wife's name is Mary-Ann Petino (she kept her last name), and we have been married for almost 23 years. We met while I was playing for the San Diego Padres. Mary-Ann was the director of volunteers at Scripps Clinic, and I had decided that I wanted to volunteer there. The team doctor for the Padres, who was the chief of orthopedic surgery at Scripps, wrote a letter of introduction for me. When Mary-Ann received it, she was aghast. She told the doctor that it would be against hospital policy to allow a priest to volunteer. She thought by "Padre" that I was a member of the cloth, not a baseball player. That's how we met.

 

You spent a significant amount of time in the big leagues, who were some of the big name players that you spent some time with?

 

In Boston, I played with Hall of Famers Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, and other stars like Rico Petrocelli, Luis Tiant, and Dwight Evans. In St. Louis, my teammates included Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Lou Brock and catcher Ted simmons. With the Giants, I had the privilege to play with Hall of Famer Willie McCovey and batting champ Bill Madlock. With the Angels, I played with Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew, as well as Bobby Grich, Bob Boone, and Tommy John. I feel terribly fortunate to have played with them, and I can't begin to tell you all the greats I pitched against.

 

What were some of your best and worst moments during your playing days?

 

I had so many good moments, but among the best were back-to-back, 1-0 shutouts while I was with the Red Sox and later when I was pitching for the Giants. The worst moments..., why I've forgotten them. Just kidding. One I remember was a game against the Braves when I was playing for the Cardinals. Skipper Red Schoendienst put me in to the game to pinch run, and I got thrown out at second after making too wide a turn on a single to right field. "I thought you could run the bases," he said when I got back to the bench. "I thought I could, too," I said rather sheepishly.

 

What kind of approach do you suggest your players take when they are on the mound?

 

I tell our pitchers to work ahead in the count, work fast, and to value their pitches. I like to preach minimum effort for maximum effect, which simply means use as few pitches as possible to get the hitters out. We're looking for ground balls and for our pitchers to use all their pitches.

 

Who or what has really surprised you so far in spring training?

 

So far, I have only been able to work with a few of the pitchers we'll break camp with. I have been impressed with the maturity and stuff of right-hander Mark Rogers, who was Milwaukee's No. 1 draft choice last year. I believe he'll be with us in Charleston, but that's about all I can say about our prospective players at this time. I simply don't know who's going to be with us.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Mark Rogers, age 19 at start of season

Yovani Gallardo, 19

Josh Wahpepah, 20

Robbie Wooley, 20

Josh Baker, 22

 

So I think this is my preliminary choice of most exciting 5-man rotation in the system this year. Sure, Hendrickson and Capellan is cool, and Parra / Eveland make a great pair of AA lefties...but 1 through 5 these guys are intriguing to outright exciting...and young to boot.

[MassBrew]

Based on that list, you?d think the final roster spot will go to another outfielder ? we should know soon.

 

According to the Charleston Gazette, the remaining outfield roster spot for the Power goes to 24-year-old Jason Tuttle, a LH slap-hitting outfielder acquired in trade from the Washington Nationals, who ironically played at high-A Brevard County last season. No news on what the trade involved beyond Tuttle.

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2005040322

 

Career numbers on Jason Tuttle:

 

www.thebaseballcube.com/p...ttle.shtml

 

The Gazette also doesn't list RHP Robert Hinton on the roster, but they're a man short on their roster list, so until we hear otherwise, Hinton's aboard.

 

Power players arrive in Charleston today and will take the field 6 p.m. Tuesday for their first practice in the new ballpark. The Sally League season gets underway Thursday with the Power visiting Hagerstown, Md.

 

Opening night at Appalachian Power Park is Thursday, April 14. -- the Gazette

[MassBrew]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...005040413/

 

Bringing in the Power

Matt Lockhart

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Go ahead and call it Power pitching.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers aren't messing around here in Charleston, with a first-year team and a new ballpark.

 

The Brewers are sending their top four picks from 2004 -- all pitchers -- to their low Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, the West Virginia Power. Topping that list is Baseball America's No. 55 best prospect, Mark Rogers. He is the No. 5 prospect for Milwaukee.

 

Second baseman Hernan Iribarren -- Milwaukee's No. 9 prospect -- also will be joining the Power after winning the Arizona League batting crown (.437) and most valuable player award. He led all Brewers' minor leaguers with a .422 batting average last season between Rookie League and Class A. The next highest average was .307.

 

Rogers headlines a class of Power pitchers the Brewers have high expectations for. The 19-year-old right-hander from Ors Island, Maine, received the fourth highest signing bonus in Milwaukee Brewers' history ($2.2 million) when he was selected fifth overall in the 2004 draft out of high school -- following national prep player of the year honors.

 

Last season in Rookie League, he struck out 35 batters in 26 plus innings and finished with a 4.74 earned run average. His scouting report says the right-hander consistently works between 91 and 92 miles per hour with his fastball, which can glide at times in the mid- to upper-90s.

 

Rogers (6-2, 200) played for his father Craig at Mount Ararat High School where he posted an 8-0 record and a 0.16 ERA with 142 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 56 innings during his senior year. One scout called Rogers one of the best high school pitching prospects he had seen in 15 years.

 

Milwaukee is hoping the No. 1 pick can reach the Majors, because history is not on his side. Of the nine high school pitchers the Brewers have selected since 1969, only one -- Jeff D'Amico -- has played in the big leagues.

 

A look at the other Power pitchers:

 

Josh Baker (RHP, 6-5, 210, Houston, Texas, 4th round 2004) -- Baker is a 23-year-old from Rice University, where he won a national championship and was 17-2 in two seasons. In Helena (Rookie League) last year, he was 1-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 15 games. His brother-in-law is Houston Astro outfielder Lance Berkman.

 

Simon Beresford (RHP, 6-6, 215, Glen Waverly, Australia, 32nd round 2002) -- This 22-year-old reliever spent last season in Class A Beloit, where he pitched in 38 games and had a 4.50 ERA. Beresford, who went to Tyler (Texas) Junior College, is nicknamed "Big Si."

 

Derek DeCarlo (LHP, 6-3, 170, Miami, Fla. 9th round 2003) -- DeCarlo is a 22-year-old Florida International product who started 15 games in Helena last year. In 43 plus innings, DeCarlo posted a 5-3 record and a 6.18 ERA. He was 23-0 in three seasons at Florida International, where he topped at around 93 mph.

 

Yovani Gallardo (RHP, 6-3, 185, Fort Worth, Texas, 2nd round 2004) -- This 19-year-old from Texas' Trimble Tech High School struck out 25 batters in an 11-inning game before being drafted. He split time between Rookie League and Class A last year and posted a 3.71 ERA in eight games. Gallardo signed a letter-of-intent to play with Texas Christian University before the Brewers offered him a $725,000 signing bonus. Scouts have applauded this starting pitcher for his command, evidenced by his four walks in 26 plus innings last year. His draft scouting report said he is a future 15-20 game winner in the Major Leagues.

 

Robert Hinton (RHP, 6-2, 190, Sarasota, Fla., 40th round 2003) ? The 20-year-old signed last year as a ?draft and follow? player. He spent the 2004 season in Helena, where he collected a 5.15 ERA in 50.2 innings. Hinton?s father Rich pitched six seasons in the Major League for six different teams.

 

Greg Kloosterman (LHP, 6-3, 205, Bristol, Ind., 9th round 2003) -- Kloosterman saw 15 of his pitches go for home runs last year in Class A Beloit. Now, the 22-year-old is hoping to keep his pitches down in the zone so that doesn't happen as often. In two years of professional baseball, this Bethel College product has a 5.33 ERA in 131 plus innings. Kloosterman was hospitalized for a minor stab wound in August after a late night party -- which resulted in four Brewers' minor league players being suspended for violating curfew.

 

Forrest Martin (RHP, 6-2, 190, Talihina, Okla, free agent 2003) -- Martin, 25, is the second-oldest member of the Power. He has spent the last two seasons between Rookie League and Class A, collecting a 4.67 ERA in 79 innings of work.

 

Brian Montalbo (RHP, 6-4, 210, Anchorage, Alaska, 7th round 2003) -- Montalbo, 23, was the highest player drafted in Alaska history when the Atlanta Braves picked him in the fourth round out of high school. Montalbo instead went to the University of California. He has a 4.28 ERA in 153 plus innings in two minor league seasons. His father Mel played for the Oakland Raiders.

 

Ben Stanczyk (RHP, 6-2, 210, Waukesha, Wis., free agent 2004) -- Stanczyk, 22, is a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee product who pitched 25 plus innings and had a 4.26 ERA between Rookie League and Class A last year. He was Horizon League Player and Pitcher of the year with the Powers.

 

Josh Wahpepah (RHP, 6-5, 195, Shawnee, Okla., 3rd round 2004) -- Wahpepah (pronounced WAH-pi-pa) joined the Brewers out of Cowley County Community College. The tall right-hander uses a deceptive three-quarters arm angle to deliver his fastball that clocked between 92 and 96 while in college, where he struck out 94 batters in 95 innings. In Rookie League last year, Wahpepah was 4-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 47 innings. The 20-year-old was originally drafted out of high school by the Detroit Tigers (18th round in 2003), but decided to pitch in college to improve his draft status.

 

Robbie Wooley (RHP, 6-1, 190, Kokomo, Ind., 6th round 2003) -- Wooley, 20, is regarded as a fierce competitor who was the No. 1 high school prospect in Indiana two years ago. In two Rookie League stints, Wooley has a 3.26 ERA in 85 plus innings. He has given up just six home runs. Wooley was roommates with Power pitcher Derek DeCarlo last year at Helena, where he led the team with a 3.52 ERA and 64 innings of work.

 

Power notes: As of Saturday, 132,178 tickets had been sold for Appalachian Power Park -- including a sellout for the April 14 home opener. That total surpasses the 2004 attendance mark (125,972) for the final year of Watt Powell Park.

 

The Power opens play Thursday at Hagerstown.

 

Coming Tuesday: Updates on the 13 Power position players.

[MassBrew]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/news/Sp...005040521/

 

Team's middle infielders pack plenty of offensive firepower

Matt Lockhart

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

They have big league dreams, but for now Venezuela-born middle infielders Hernan Iribarren and Alcides Escobar will be turning double plays in Charleston.

 

Iribarren is the top offensive prospect for the West Virginia Power, a low Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Baseball America ranks him as the Brewer's ninth best minor leaguer.

 

His 2004 campaign had much to do with that.

 

The 20-year-old second baseman batted .439 with four homers and 36 RBI en route to Arizona Rookie League Most Valuable Player honors. Iribarren (6-foot-1, 160 pounds) then moved to Class A Beloit and batted .373 in 15 games.

 

Only one second baseman in the Brewers' organization is rated higher than Iribarren -- Rickie Weeks, who is, perhaps, the most coveted second baseman in all of minor league baseball.

 

Iribarren's 18-year-old counterpart in the infield figures to be shortstop Alcides Escobar, a 6-foot-1, 155-pound project from Vargas, Venezuela.

 

Escobar hit .281 and stole 20 bases for Rookie League Helena last season -- his first in professional baseball. He was named the 25th best prospect in the Brewers' farm system by On Deck Baseball Prospectus. The Brewers hope to put some weight on this youngster.

 

Ten of the Power's 25 players are ranked as top 40 prospects by On Deck Baseball Prospectus, including five position players -- No. 9 Iribarren, No. 25 Escobar, No. 29 Grant Richardson (first baseman), No. 31 Adam Mannon (outfielder) and No. 32 Freddy Parejo (outfielder).

 

Other infielders

 

William Lewis (5-10, 180, Texarkana, Ark., 32nd round 2003) -- In 38 games at low-A Beloit, Lewis hit .328 with five homers and 21 RBI. The 23-year-old from Texas Christian University is in his third season of professional baseball. Lewis, a second baseman, has a career average of .289 in 64 games.

 

Josh Murray (6-2, 180, Lutz, Fla., 2nd round 2002) -- Injuries have hampered this former second round pick's development, evidenced by his .202 batting average in 113 games spanning three minor league seasons. A groin injury prematurely ended his 2003 season and wrist problems hurt his 2004 year. Murray was drafted as a shortstop, but could move to third base. He signed a $825,000 bonus after the draft in 2002, three years after breaking his wrist as a sophomore in high school. Shortly before his junior season he had Tommy John surgery. This stint with the Power is considered to be a crucial year for the 20-year-old, who was the 48th overall player selected in 2002.

 

Grant Richardson (6-1, 210, Richland, Wash., 14th round 2004) -- Richardson, 22, hit so well in Rookie League (.367) that he ended his first professional season at Class A Beloit -- where he batted .223, but drove in 17 runs and had six homers in just 28 games. The first baseman and Washington State product has a cousin -- Kevin Richardson -- in the Texas Rangers' minor league system.

In 72 games last season, Richardson smacked 11 homers and drove in 59 runs.

 

Guilder Rodriguez (6-1, 160, Barquisimento, Venezuela, free agent 2001) -- This 21-year-old middle infielder is from the same hometown as Iribarren. In 258 games over four years, Rodriguez is batting .241 with 83 RBI and 55 stolen bases. He has yet to homer.

 

Catchers

 

Clay Blevins (6-1, 190, Shawnee, Okla., 46th round 2003) -- Blevins, 21, went to the same Oklahoma high school and community college (Cowley County) as Power pitcher Josh Wahpepah. He batted .322 with 39 RBI at Cowley County and .243 in Rookie League Helena last year. The left-handed hitting catcher's baseball career was in limbo after he broke his neck sliding into home plate during a 2001 high school game.

 

Carlos Corporan (6-3, 210, Catano, Puerto Rico, 12th round 2003) -- Corporan, 21, turned down a 2001 29th round selection by the Anaheim Angels to attend Lake City Community College. The switch-hitting catcher is in his second year of low-A ball. He hit .228 in Beloit last year. Corporan, who played shortstop in high school, has a brother -- Elvis -- in the Yankees' farm system.

 

Nestor Corredor (6-1, 180, Portugeuesa, Venezuela, free agent 2002) -- Corredor, 20, got a taste of Double-A Huntsville late last season for 20 at-bats as an emergency backstop. In three years of professional baseball -- two in the Dominican Summer League -- Corredor is hitting .211.

 

Outfielders

 

Dallas Bates (5-8, 170, Chandler, Ariz., 27th round 2002) -- Bates, 20, is entering his fourth season with the Brewers. The left-handed centerfielder, who was signed out of high school, is a career .257 hitter in 126 Rookie League games with two home runs and 50 RBI. He hit .280 in 118 at-bats for Helena last season.

 

Adam Mannon (6-3, 200, Queen Creek, Ariz., 17th round 2002) -- Mannon, 21, played high school baseball in Chandler, Ariz., -- the same city Power centerfielder Dallas Bates hails from. In Helena last year, Mannon batted .255 with eight homers and 52 RBI. In two minor league season, the right-handed right fielder is batting .263 with 11 home runs and 89 RBI. He was selected to On Deck Baseball Prospectus' All-Prospect second-team for the Brewers.

 

Freddy Parejo (6-2, 170, La Guaira, Venezuela, free agent 2002) -- Regarded as another one of the Brewers' top outfield prospects, Parejo, 20, batted .275 with 40 RBI and 12 stolen bases last year in the Arizona Rookie League. The left fielder played in the Dominican Summer League in 2003 and batted .280 in 65 games.

 

Jason Tuttle (5-8, 160, Winston Salem, N.C., trade 2005) -- Tuttle, 25, was acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals. He played collegiately at Elon University. In two years of minor league action, Tuttle has a .300 batting average -- mostly at the Class A level.

 

Pitchers

 

Robert Hinton (RHP, 6-2, 190, Sarasota, Fla., 40th round 2003) -- Hinton was inadvertently left off the Power's first roster release. The 20-year-old signed last year as a "draft and follow" player. He spent the 2004 season in Helena, where he collected a 5.15 ERA in 50.2 innings. Hinton's father, Rich, pitched six seasons in the Major League for six different teams.

 

The Power opens play Thursday at Hagerstown.

[DHonks]

so where are two of the OBP boys, Festa and Rasheed?