Your 2005 Huntsville Stars, Latest: All-Time Stats Leaders

[Ando Calrissian]

any insights as to why woolard didn't get bumped up to AAA? the only reasoning i can think of right now is that there just isn't any room for him up there. thoughts?

[DHonks]

Eveland better be starting, or else that squad might need to play 5 inning games.

[dadofandrew]

Well, if Gamble is at AA, I think it's safe to say the Nashville staff is full.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville's site reveals their roster in a similar format to that of Nashville's site, so this is part of the minorleaguebaseball.com umbrella of ways of displaying the data in a similar fashion across all (or at least most) team sites:

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/c...layers.asp

[squarepusher]

[ Huntsville's site reveals their roster in a similar format to that of Nashville's site, so this is part of the minorleaguebaseball.com umbrella of ways of displaying the data in a similar fashion across all (or at least most) team sites. ]

 

Actually, it just so happens that Streamline Technologies is the company that created both huntsvillestars.com and nashvillesounds.com ...

 

I'm not sure what the deal is with minorleaguebaseball.com. At first, I thought they were going to physically be the official websites for all of the minor league clubs (ala MLB), but now it just looks like they basically have mini-sites for each minor league team.

[hsvstarsfan]

So based on the latest, LHP Josh Habel and RHP Jerome Gamble are additions based on the initial report, and RHP Ryan Miller is off the squad -- current status unknown.

 

According to Ryan's younger brother Kirk, who e-mailed me, seems "Ryan is having some soreness in his forearm...he is suppose to throw in the bullpen on Wednesday....a decision is suppose to be made after they see how his arm feels on Thursday......but who knows if a decision will come that quickly. He didn't find out he wasn't going to Huntsville until after his clothing and gear had already been shipped."

[MassBrew]

We'll be copying and pasting from David Weiser's incredible little Huntsville site all season. For today, a link to introduce our newcomers:

 

www.starsboxscore.com/

[MassBrew]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...660271.xml

 

Eveland enjoys majors moment

Stars' opening day starter gets treat with Brewers

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

 

He was the picture of cool, a retro Sean Connery in baseball spikes.

 

Sitting there in the bullpen at Milwaukee's Miller Park last Friday night, 21-year-old Dana Eveland couldn't love life any more than at that moment.

 

"It was unbelievable," said Eveland, far away from that moment Tuesday during a workout with the Huntsville Stars at Joe Davis Stadium. "I was in awe the entire time."

 

Nope, nothing sweeter to a baseball player than the major leagues - even when you're a top prospect and it's just a couple of preseason exhibition games to which top prospects are invited to soak up some atmosphere and fan that flame of desire.

 

"We stayed at the nicest hotel and they take care of you," Eveland said. "They feed you the best food, fans are everywhere. I'm nobody compared to those guys up there and I'm signing autographs and I'm like, 'How do these people know who I am?' "

 

Hint to Dana: www.brewerfan.net http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif -- MassBrew

 

Ah, yes, this was better than a favorite-foods buffet without concern for your waistline or your calories.

 

And then, in the sixth inning, the phone rang.

 

Gulp!

 

Some voice in the dugout on the other end of the line said something like, "Get Eveland up."

 

And Eveland thought he was going to throw up.

 

"All of a sudden, I start getting a little jittery," Eveland said. "My knees start getting wobbly. I'm trying to warm up in the bullpen and my knees are shaking so bad I can barely throw."

 

To the eternal gratitude of Eveland's knees, he never got the call to go into the game.

 

And those bruises on the insides of Eveland's knees have presumably healed well enough that he will be the Stars' opening night pitcher Thursday when the 2005 season begins in Zebulon, N.C., against the Carolina Mudcats.

 

It no doubt will be a far more relaxing evening, too, in the dimmer lights of Double-A baseball. But not a permanent removal from the bright lights of the big leagues.

 

"He's very high on the list in Milwaukee," said Don Money, a former all-star with the Brewers who is in his first season as the Stars' manager. "Knock on wood, if he gets off to a good start, I wouldn't be surprised if they move him out. I know the big team is looking for left-handers."

 

Said Stars pitching coach Rich Sauveur, "There's no doubt in my mind, he'll pitch in the major leagues one day."

 

All the evidence certainly points that way.

 

In two pro seasons, Eveland is 11-9 with a microscopic ERA of 2.64.

 

In 167 innings pitched, he has 174 strikeouts with just 36 walks. He's a big shouldered left-hander, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 220 pounds with an arsenal of four pitches - fastball, curve, slider and a maturing change-up.

 

He hit 96 mph on the radar gun during spring training but will more consistently throw his fastball in the 89-92 mph range.

 

"He's a smart kid with a lot of talent and he's got a good head on his shoulders," Sauveur said. "That's what it takes to be a major league pitcher.

 

"The way things are going right now, he's got the talent. I think he just needs experience."

 

That's why Eveland is in Huntsville, to get that experience that may someday guide him to become the cornerstone of a winner in Milwaukee.

 

But without the knocking knees.

 

"I had a blast," Eveland said of his weekend in Milwaukee. "(All-star) Ben Sheets took care of me, (pitcher) Doug Davis took me out. Those guys were awesome."

 

Awesome enough for Eveland to face down the jitters of his first knee-knocking visit to the major leagues.

 

"It's a long shot," Eveland said of his goal for the season, "but I'd really like to have a shot - just to get up there to the big leagues and get a little taste of it."

[homer]

Anybody else get the feeling that the Star lineup won't strike much fear into opposing pitching staffs? Am I missing something?

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...176040.xml

 

Barnwell: Get set for some Stars fun

Infielder says team heading for entertaining year

By PAUL GATTIS

Huntsville Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

 

Quick scouting report on the 2005 Huntsville Stars?

 

They might contend for a championship in the re-aligned Southern League. But, champs or chumps, you're probably going to like them better than last year.

 

"From a spectator's standpoint, I think they're really going to enjoy this team," said infielder Chris Barnwell, who is back for a second season with the Stars.

 

And from pitching coach Rich Sauveur, "I think we're going to have a good season. I could be wrong, but I think we're going to have a good season."

 

The Stars open the season tonight at Carolina and will make their 2005 debut at Joe Davis Stadium on April 15 against those same Mudcats.

 

And according to Barnwell, it will be worth the wait.

 

While last year's team was loaded with touted prospects headed 200 mph toward the major leagues, this year's team is a little more anonymous but owns the talent to win a championship that last year's team couldn't.

 

Of course, that's not to say the Stars have no stars. Center fielder Tony Gwynn Jr. is back, bent on improving his .243 batting average of last season. And Nelson Cruz, acquired in a trade with the Oakland A's, hit 26 homers in the minors last year.

 

"Nelson Cruz has some serious pop," Gwynn said. "He's probably going to be the bulk of our power."

 

A stout starting rotation is headed by Dana Eveland, Dennis Sarfate and Manny Parra. In the bullpen, righty Alec Zumwalt - picked up in a trade with the Atlanta Braves - will get the first shot at being the closer.

 

And just as the team will look different, so will the schedule. With Greenville relocating to Pearl, Miss., the Southern League shifted its divisions from East-West to North-South.

 

The Stars will play in the North Division, competing against Carolina, Chattanooga, West Tenn and Tennessee. Meanwhile, familiar rivals like Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery are in the South Division and will be less frequent visitors to Joe Davis Stadium than in years past.

 

To Barnwell, though, this team should be more fun beyond the scoreboard.

 

"Probably the biggest thing is just the personality of this team," he said. "We've got a lot of guys who are excited to be here, excited to be a part of Double-A here. In contrast to last year, there's going to be a little better interaction with the fans. Hopefully, that will help produce more people coming out here.

 

"I think last year, people got sick of the lack of interaction with some of the guys that they were wanting to get to know."

 

If you're looking for a label to slap on the Stars, it won't be easy. New manager Don Money, a former all-star with the Milwaukee Brewers, dodges stereotypes like raindrops.

 

If the Stars have good base runners, Money will cultivate a team that steals bases. If not, the offense will find some other spark.

 

It will be a contrast to former manager Frank Kremblas, who arrived at the stadium flashing the steal sign.

 

"I know Frank is one that really likes to run a lot," Money said. "But you can also run yourself out of an inning, too."

 

So what will it take to get the Stars into the playoffs?

 

"You've got to have a combination of everything," Money said. "You can have the best pitching in the league but if you can't score any runs, some of your best pitching is going to go down the tubes.

 

"You've got to have pitching, defense and score some runs. If we do that correctly, we'll win."

 

Some interesting comments about last year's team by Barnwell, huh? -- Mass Haas

[Ando Calrissian]

Mass Haas,

 

I was thinking the same thing about the comments. That's the first time I've heard anything remotely negative about the fellas on last year's Huntsville team. I don't want to read too much into the comments as they can often be overblown, but none-the-less, interesting obserations.

 

Before labeling last year's AA team as "malcontents" or some such thing, it would perhaps be wise to consider that the management of the team didn't do its part in creating opportunities for the fans to interact with the players.

 

However, Barnwell's comments are interesting and seem to indicate that at the very least, there were some playes on the team last year that weren't happy about being there. That's about all I'm willing to read into the quote.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm assuming Barnwell is referring cheifly to Fielder and Weeks, who are known to not have a lot of interaction with anybody, much less a bunch of Alabaman baseball fans they don't know. The core of the team this year is probably more outgoing, as is their new manager. I've never met Frank Kremblas, but it's hard to imagine anyone being more approachable and outgoing than Don Money.

[squarepusher]

[ If you're looking for a label to slap on the Stars, it won't be easy. New manager Don Money, a former all-star with the Milwaukee Brewers, dodges stereotypes like raindrops. ]

 

He may be able to dodge stereotypes, but he can't outrun similes.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...156680.xml

 

Old enough to remember black-and-white TV, Stars' new manager young at heart

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com

Huntsville Times

 

A phone jangles. Don Money leans back from his pose on a batting cage. "May be Michael Anthony,'' he says.

 

Quizzical looks abound.

 

Money is 57 years old. Few others near the cage are in that neighborhood.

 

"You know. 'The Millionaire,' " Money explains.

 

More quizzical looks.

 

He begins to explain. It was a TV show, back in the 1950s and 1960s, where the phone would ring. Michael Anthony, representing a millionaire named J. Beresford Tipton, would call up and give people a million bucks.

 

Sort of unreal reality TV.

 

With full attention still on batting practice, Money is mining the black-and-white, 19-inch Zenith corner of his mind. The whole time, he nonchalantly swings a bat. Much as some nationalities are said to be incapable of speech without moving their hands, you begin to believe Don Money would be rendered mute if you yanked the bat from his hands.

 

He and other 50-somethings begin stream-of-consciousness swapping titles from the rabbit-ear days. "Queen For A Day.'' "Bonanza.'' "Highway Patrol.''

 

Sharon, his wife of 36 years, will say later, "He loves his TV. It's second to baseball. All the old cowboy movies. He knows them all. All the old movies, old Westerns, old war movies.''

 

He may live in a Turner Classic Movies, Nick-at-Nite world.

 

But Don Money, the new manager of the Huntsville Stars, had an ESPN Classic career.

 

The glory days

 

Stars catcher Vinny Rottino grew up in Wisconsin, so "I had a sense of history,'' he says. "I was a huge Brewers fan. I knew who Don Money was before I played for him.''

 

Baseball history was once something to savor, to absorb from the backs of trading cards and from the pages of Sport magazine, with those oh-so-convenient photos to tear out and tape to a bedroom wall.

 

In this short-attention-span world, people follow baseball history only back to the most recent sagging ex-jock under a steroid cloud. The worst historians are often those who play the game.

 

Here, then, a word to Don Money's players and younger fans:

 

The skipper was good. Damn good. He made the American League All-Star team four times. He hit 25 homers one year, back in the day that 25 homers was something and you got 'em by eating Wheaties, not getting a needle stuck in your butt. He batted .261 for his career.

 

He was so good, this July 26 he's being inducted into the Brewers' Walk of Fame. He'll be one of only 12 honored so far. Hank Aaron, Bud Selig, Rollie Fingers and Robin Yount are some of the others.

 

"If I ever had a question (last year) about hitting, I'd go to him,'' Rottino says. "He was an All-Star for crying out loud. He's been there. Why wouldn't you go to him?''

 

Money won't volunteer much about his career. However, ask him and, teases pitching coach Rich Sauveur, "he won't shut up.''

 

It's another morning in spring training, same batting cage, and Sauveur won't shut up about Don Money.

 

"He's a good guy,'' he says.

 

And, "He's got a very good sense of humor.''

 

And, "He's a very good teacher.''

 

And, "He relates very well to the players.''

 

Money is 15 feet away. Swinging a bat, naturally.

 

"What are you talking about?'' he asks. "I hear you talking about me.''

 

"You can't help but hear, with those ears,'' Sauveur shoots back.

 

Thus begins a riff that lasts several minutes.

 

For the longest time in their first season together, Money needled Sauveur unmercifully. Now, three seasons later, Sauveur knows the secret. If Money's not dogging you about something, then worry.

 

A player wanders over. A new target as Money tries to mask impish behavior behind a poker face. He swings the bat lazily and makes some instructional points.

 

"The guys see him on ESPN Classic,'' Sauveur says, "and see him play, and that's pretty neat.''

 

The real farm system

 

It is almost prerequisite for managers to shovel, well, bull manure.

 

Don Money does it literally.

 

The Moneys have five Black Angus cows. Three are pregnant. They also have a goat "that thinks it's a cow,'' Sharon says.

 

It's "just a little hobby farm,'' she says, 2 1/2 acres in Vineland, N.J., down in the southern part of the state, a little below halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Though Sharon will eventually join Don in Huntsville, she laughs, "he left me behind with the cows.''

 

And with the grandkids. It is a Saturday afternoon and Sharon Money has just returned home from two soccer games and two youth league baseball games.

 

In the off-season, she says, Don is always tinkering around on the farm. Building that. Fixing this.

 

"He messes around for an hour and a half, then he watches his TV for an hour and a half,'' says Sharon. "Then back to work. That's his ritual.''

 

If not the farm, then it's sitting around with some buddies, knocking back a couple of beers. Or playing golf. Or crabbing. At the end of the season, they go to his sister's place, out on the bay, and "go crabbing and have a big crab feast. He's in heaven,'' Sharon says.

 

Not nearly as much, though, as when he's in a baseball uniform.

 

Money shed that baseball uniform as a player in 1983. The kids were still young. Time for dad to be at home. After two years managing rookie ball, he coached at a local Catholic high school for five years. The kids weren't so young any more. They were married.

 

The nest grew empty.

 

"I'm like, 'Why don't you get back in baseball?' '' Sharon says.

 

Don agreed.

 

"Your lifestyle changes,'' he says. "Now it's you and the wife. You can do what you want to do. I got the itch back.''

 

Cecil Cooper, then Milwaukee's director of player development and one of Money's Brewers teammates, gave him the opportunity to manage at Beloit.

 

"He needed it,'' Sharon says. "He really needed to get back in.''

 

Baseball can be an addiction for those in the game. It's an all-consuming way of life. For Don Money, it's something "he thrives on,'' says his wife. If nothing else, it's something to do 'til he comes home to the cows.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...4045.shtml

 

Barnwell looking to make move up

Former Nease standout, 26, is back in Double-A for third season

By JEFF ELLIOTT, The Florida Times-Union

 

He wasn't in the Stars' starting lineup in either of the first two games against the Suns, though he came in during the sixth inning of Monday's game to deliver a pinch-hit sacrifice fly and later added two singles.

 

Barnwell, a Nease High graduate, made a pinch-hitting appearance Tuesday and lined out to third base.

 

The Stars posted a 3-2 win over the Suns in front of a crowd of 5,730 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. It was Huntsville's first win after opening the season with five losses.

 

Barnwell wasn't inserted into the game after his pinch-hitting duties, and that in part describes the year the 26-year-old utility infielder is going through. He knows the window of opportunity that minor-league players have to show their skills begins to close when a player reaches his mid-to-late 20s.

 

Now in his third consecutive season with the Stars, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, Barnwell is anxious to take his game to the next level, which would be Triple-A Nashville.

 

"You start every year and hope that, wherever you start, you want to get better so that you can move up from there," Barnwell said. "I'm just trying to work at my game and keep getting better.

 

"Overall, things went pretty good for me last year in that I played every game and had some good RBIs and hits and gained some good experience, which is important for me at this point in my career. I just want to hit for a better average than I did a year ago."

 

His batting average was a mediocre .246 in 138 games. The latter number tied him for the most games played in the Southern League last season. Barnwell knows the batting average has to come up if he has any hopes of moving to Nashville or the Brewers.

 

Barnwell can obtain major-league status as a utility infielder, said a man who spent 14 years in the majors.

 

"I had Chris three or four years ago in Class A, so I know him," said Stars manager Don Money, a former major-leaguer who is in his first managerial stint. "He's a good kid with a good attitude. He was a utility man for me in that he could play short, second, third. He caught a couple games for me, and he can play the outfield.

 

"Basically, he's in the same role now. He's a jack-of-all trades and master of none, if you want to say that phrase."

 

Barnwell said he doesn't have a timetable for making it to the majors, opting to wait and see.

 

"I think you just play until either you can't play any more or you don't want to play anymore," he said. "At some point, if I think I can't get any better or I'm getting worse, then I would give it up. Right now, I'm just trying to stay as even-keeled mentally as I can with my approach."

 

Huntsville's Chris Barnwell, a Nease High graduate, watches a ball sail foul during Tuesday's game.

WILL DICKEY/The Times-Union

 

http://jacksonville.com/images/041305/68888_400.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, then text:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...122101.xml

 

Stars have home but no lease

With home opener Friday, team may be violating rules

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

When the Huntsville Stars made their debut in 1985, it took some 11th-hour negotiation to have a lease in place between the baseball team and the city of Huntsville.

 

Two decades later, it's the same story. Except that this time, the Stars could actually be in violation of Minor League Baseball rules when they play their 2005 home opener Friday against Carolina.

 

The Stars have not had an active lease with the city for the use of Joe W. Davis Stadium since the end of the 2003 season. They are merely working off the same terms as signed by the previous ownership.

 

Miles Prentice, the team's principal owner, denied that the delay means the Stars are for sale or will be moved to a new city.

 

Prentice, an attorney based in New York who also owns a team in Midland, Texas, flew into Huntsville Wednesday afternoon and met with city officials. Other meetings will be held today before he returns home. Because of a business conflict, he will not attend Friday's Opening Night festivities as the Stars (1-6) host Carolina.

 

"We're going to be talking about a long-term situation,'' Prentice said Wednesday. "Things need to be worked out and discussed.''

 

A new lease will not be agreed upon and signed during this visit, he said.

 

"It's a timing issue. We haven't had the opportunity to discuss things yet,'' Prentice said. "I don't think it's a serious issue.''

 

Terry Hatfield, an assistant to Mayor Loretta Spencer, said Wednesday, "This is something we're anxious to get done.''

 

According to Hatfield, the city is interested in working out a long-term lease and there will be more money available in future budgets for renovation and upkeep for Joe Davis Stadium, now the oldest park in the 10-team Southern League and 12th-oldest in the top two tiers of minor league ball.

 

The rules state an active lease must be signed between the team and whatever entity owns the host stadium. Tim Brunswick of Minor League Baseball told The Times he wasn't immediately sure of the penalties for such a violation.

 

"We have provisions in place that it is mandatory they have leases on file (with Minor League Baseball),'' Brunswick said. As for any consequences, he said, "To be honest with you, in 16 seasons I haven't crossed that bridge.''

 

Prentice said there was "no concern" about that issue. "I've kept them advised.''

 

The Stars are owned by a consortium that purchased the club from a group of local owners in October 2001.

 

Joe W. Davis was built and is owned by the city of Huntsville, which has primary responsibility for stadium maintenance.

 

Because Prentice was dealing with illness in his family, all parties agreed last season to delay negotiation on good faith, even though the lease had expired.

 

Southern League President Don Mincher filed a letter with Minor League Baseball on behalf of the team. It essentially bought extra time last season for the parties involved, and saying the Southern League was satisfied that progress would be made on the lease. That was accepted by Minor League Baseball, in lieu of having a copy of an active lease on file.

 

Throughout last season, Prentice continued to assure The Times in personal interviews and through team representatives that he intended to work out a new lease as soon as his schedule permitted. However, he attended only a few Stars games last season and never initiated formal negotiation.

 

Since Joe W. Davis Stadium's official unveiling on April 19, 1985, new parks have been built in Birmingham, Chattanooga, Jacksonville and Knoxville, which were other Southern League members that season.

 

Greenville's franchise moved to Pearl, Miss., when the team requests for a new stadium or drastic renovation to the existing park were rejected. Since the Braves' departure, the city has provided land and infrastructure assistance for a privately-constructed downtown stadium.

 

Montgomery, Mobile, Jackson, Tenn., and Zebulon, N.C. have built new stadiums that led to their landing league franchises.

 

The Stars drew only 180,506 fans last season, ranking them eighth in the Southern League and 25th among 30 Class AA teams. This despite having the defending Southern League West champion and the presence of some of the most highly touted prospects in franchise history.

 

The club was without a general manager this winter for nearly two months and had several other key departures from the 2004 staff.

 

"We've obviously had some setbacks,'' Prentice said. "I'm not particularly happy with where we are (in terms of ticket and advertising sales), but I understand. I'm not that concerned.''

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...117890.xml

 

It's loony: Money and Mooneyham

Eerie coincidences link Stars manager and UAH coach

Huntsville Times

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com

 

It is because of a finicky red Miata convertible that the University of Alabama-Huntsville has its baseball coach.

 

That the car was owned by a former Huntsville Stars broadcaster, well, that's only about sixth or seventh on the list of eerie coincidences in this saga.

 

It's about two men whose Huntsville baseball teams will occupy Joe W. Davis Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Don Money, manager, Huntsville Stars, from Vineland, N.J.

 

Lowell Mooneyham, coach, UAH, from Bridgeton, N.J.

 

Money and "Mooney.''

 

And Vineland and Bridgeton, down in south Jersey, are about as far apart as the width of a typewritten "o," the difference in the men's names, when you find the towns on an atlas.

 

"About six miles'' is Money's guess.

 

It's even closer in some other ways.

 

In the late 1980s, Mooneyham's parents bought a new home ... from Money's brother, Kenny.

 

And, when he was a child, "Mooney" met Money, when the latter was a hotshot major leaguer, starting his career with the nearby Philadelphia Phillies.

 

That Mooneyham is coaching UAH is actually because of the whole synergy between the Huntsville Stars and UAH, something that's clearly demonstrated in what amounts to back-to-back doubleheaders.

 

The Stars play Mobile Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. and Wednesday at 10:05 a.m. UAH plays Delta State Tuesday night at 6, then again Wednesday at 4 p.m.

 

Mooneyham is in his first season as the UAH head coach, after two years as a full-time assistant. He's a former Chargers player, leading the team in hitting in 1998 with a .379 average. He batted .367 for his career, with 18 homers and 55 RBIs in 47 games.

 

Back in the day, it was still a bit special to be playing at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

Now, it's more special that the days of being a co-tenant are nearing an end.

 

UAH has a field of its own being built. It means convenience - no more moving from field to field - and it'll be a recruiting tool, with an on-campus facility. It'll also enable the Chargers to draw more from the school community.

 

"Enormous is what it is for our program,'' Mooneyham says.

 

OK. Now for the backstory.

 

In 1994, when Bobby Pierce was just starting the UAH baseball program, he made a trip to Joe Davis Stadium. He bumped into Steve Kornya, then the Stars broadcaster.

 

"Steve was a baseball nut,'' Pierce recalls. "We got to talking a lot of baseball, who you know and all that. He said, 'This may sound strange, but I ran into a guy not long ago who'd like to join your baseball team.' "

 

Kornya had taken his Miata to a dealership in Decatur for service. "And,'' Kornya says, "I got to talking to a guy there about baseball, and he said he had played some junior college ball.''

 

"Now, we don't even have a team yet,'' Pierce continues. "We were getting a lot of these conversations. 'I know a guy...' 'I know a guy...'

 

"Well, Kornya's guy was a used-car salesman.''

 

Says Kornya, "I gave Bobby the guy's card to see if he wanted to call him, or if the guy could call him.''

 

"I told (assistant coach) Jeff Crane, 'OK, here's another,' and he's rolling his eyes.

 

"The used car salesman,'' Pierce says, "turns out to be Lowell Mooneyham.''

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows (from April 7th):

 

www.journaltimes.com/arti...472985.txt

 

A Star is born

By Susan Shemanske, Racine Journal-Times

 

MILWAUKEE - How badly does Vinny Rottino want to be a Milwaukee Brewer? So badly that there almost isn't anything he wouldn't do for a shot at the majors.

 

Well, maybe Rottino would draw the line at cleaning up the stadium after games.

 

But when it comes to doing whatever he can on the field during games to help his chances, Rottino won't stop at anything.

 

Which is why the Racine native and 1998 St. Catherine's High School graduate is fully prepared to give it his best shot at becoming the Class AA Huntsville (Ala.) Stars' starting catcher.

 

Rottino, who turns 25 today, was promoted to Huntsville after a standout season at Class A Beloit last year. The Stars open their 2005 season today at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C., against the Carolina Mudcats.

 

The way Rottino sees it, catching pitchers is his best shot at catching a ride to the major leagues.

 

"The (Brewers') organization is kind of thin in catchers,'' Rottino said last Friday at Miller Park, where he doubled and scored the winning run in the Brewers' 7-6 victory over the White Sox in an exhibition game. "I know they're looking for catchers. If I could catch every day (for Huntsville), that would be awesome and I think that'd be a pretty quick ticket (to advance through the minors).

 

"So, I'd like to have that under my belt, to be able to play everywhere."

 

Rottino isn't exaggerating when he says everywhere. A shortstop in college at UW-La Crosse, Rottino was a utility player extraordinaire for Beloit last season, playing first base, third base, right field, left field, designated hitter and catcher for the Snappers.

 

As a matter of fact, Rottino played all nine positions - even pitching one inning - in a game for the Snappers last Sept. 5.

 

Rottino also made his mark at the plate. He broke Prince Fielder's team record for RBIs with 124 and hit .304 with 17 home runs. He had a .353 on-base percentage and a .482 slugging percentage. As a result, Rottino was honored with the Robin Yount Minor League Performance Award as the Brewers' minor league position player of the year.

 

"Obviously, Vinny's become an excellent offensive players,'' said Gord Ash, the Brewers' assistant general manager. "He has the potential to play at the major-league level."

 

The problem, Ash says, is numbers. Not batting average or run production, but the fact that the Brewers, and most organizations, are well-stocked in infielders and outfielders who can put up impressive numbers offensively - top prospects like Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Dave Krynzel and Brad Nelson.

 

What the Brewers and most other organizations are lacking is catching prospects.

 

"There are very few catchers in the amateur draft,'' Ash said. "There just aren't a lot of catchers in the minor leagues period. Kids just don't want to do it anymore. It's too much work. It's too hard of a position to learn and there's a lot of responsibility that goes along with it. There's a lot of subtleties involved. You're not just catching the pitches. You also have to learn how to call the game, what pitches to call in what situation and learning how to handle all the pitchers. It's hard work."

 

That doesn't scare Rottino. He's used to facing long odds. Despite earning NCAA Division III All-American honors at UW-La Crosse, Rottino wasn't drafted out of college. Instead, he practically had to beg the Brewers to give him a shot in their minor league organization.

 

So far, he has impressed the Brewers with his attitude, work ethic, enthusiasm and offensive development.

 

"He's met every challenge along the way,'' Ash says.

 

But Rottino still needs that little something extra to give him that edge, to make him a bonafide major league prospect.

 

In Ash's mind, Rottino's best shot is by mastering the catching position. Rottino got a crash course last fall when he participated in the Brewers' Fall Instructional League in Arizona.

 

By his own admission, Rottino was "brutal." But he worked with catching coordinator Charlie Greene, took what he learned back home to Racine for the winter and worked out religiously at the Haben-Jensen hitting center.

 

"I worked on it a ton in the offseason,'' said Rottino, who also hired a personal trainer to work with him over the winter. "They have a machine (at Haben-Jensen) and basically, I just worked on that all day, catching and blocking and working on drills."

 

Rottino continued his catching instruction this spring at the Brewers' spring training camp in Phoenix.

 

"He's got a good throwing arm and he's agile,'' Ash said of Rottino. "The appropriate time for him to work on his catching is now, at this level.

 

"This is a golden opportunity for him. At the very best, it gives him an opportunity to work his way up (through the minor leagues). At the very worst, it makes him more versatile. The ability to go behind the plate. A lot of clubs love to have that utility player who can be a third catcher.

 

"This level (Class AA) will be a good test for him. If you are a bonafide prospect, you'll do well in that league (the Southern League). It'll be a good experience for him."

 

Ash points to veteran catcher Pat Borders as an example. Ash worked in the front office for the Toronto Blue Jays when Borders came up through the Blue Jays' organization. Borders had the offensive tools, but, like Rottino, faced stiff competition as an infielder. So, the Blue Jays turned him into a catcher and he went on to play 16 seasons in the major leagues.

 

"It's going to be up to Vinny to learn the position,'' Ash said. "It's a tough position to learn, but he's one of those guys who relishes a challenge."

 

And that's how Rottino is looking at it.

 

"I love catching,'' Rottino said. "I just need the experience. I really think I could do it. There's a lot to learn. There's a lot that goes into (playing the position). It's not just the skills of catching and blocking and throwing. There's learning your pitchers as far as calling a game and learning what pitches to throw on what counts.

 

"But, I think this is my best shot (at having a chance in the majors). That, and being a utility guy. Every team needs a utility guy, but there aren't a lot of them who can catch, too.

 

"I feel like if I can learn the position, get some experience back there, I can be a backup or a No. 1 guy, and, along with playing those other positions, I think that's my best shot."

[Mass Haas]

Photos from the Stars' Booster Banquet:

 

www.geocities.com/starsboosters/05wb.htm

 

Boosters' site is an offshoot of Johnny Phillips' very nice Huntsville fan site:

 

www.angelfire.com/sports/starsfan/

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Southern League profile - Q&A with Stars' skipper Don Money

By DAVID BRANDT

dbrandt@jacksonsun.com

 

Don Money left Busch Stadium in 1982 with no World Series title.

 

And that was terrific news for St. Louis Cardinals fans in the West Tennessee area, but bad news for the current Huntsville Stars manager.

 

Money was the designated hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers when his team lost four games to three to the Cardinals in the '82 Fall Classic. The memories of the Brewers teams Money played for are still fresh in the mind of a guy who spent 16 seasons in the big leagues - five with the Philadelphia Phillies and 11 with Milwaukee.

 

The four-time All-Star finished his career with 1,623 hits, 176 home runs and a .261 batting average.

 

A few questions for the Huntsville Stars manager:-

 

Q: What was it like playing in the 1982 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals?

 

A: Well, we'd been trying for so long to finally get to the Series and then we finally did. Obviously, it was incredible.

 

Just getting there was amazing. We played the California Angels in the American League championship and came back after being down two games to win 3-2.

 

Then we had to travel to Busch Stadium for the World Series - it all happened so fast.

 

We won that first game in the World Series and we had a real chance, it just didn't work out in some of the later games. I can remember those last two games at Busch Stadium when we had a 3-2 lead going into Games 6 and 7. In Game 6, (Cardinals pitcher) John Stuper just pounded us and we lost 13-1. Then in Game 7, it seemed like the Cardinals were just getting all their base hits to fall in and we couldn't. We jumped out to a 3-1 lead but then we lost 6-3 and that was it.

 

But still, it was an incredible experience.

 

Q: Talk about some of those good Brewers teams from the late 70s and early 80s. How was it playing with Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper and all those other guys?

 

A: You know, for several years, probably from 1977-1983, we were one of the best teams in the American League. There were just a lot of other good teams during that time - the Yankees, the Orioles. But we won a lot, too.

 

The best thing about those teams was we all grew up together. Heck, I was 26 years old when I got to Milwaukee and I was one of the old men at first.

 

When I got traded to the Brewers from Philadelphia - I had to look on a map to see where Milwaukee was - but it turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me.

 

Our teams had great players and very good camaraderie. When you play with guys for six, seven, eight years like Yount, Molitor, Cooper, (Ben) Ogilvie, you really start to become a family.

 

When our team really started to get good was in the early 80s when we made that trade with the Cardinals for (Pete) Vuckovich, (Ted) Simmons and Rollie Fingers.

 

Simmons could really hit and Vuckovich was a good starting pitcher, but it was Fingers that made the huge difference. Before, we had never really been able to close games, but Rollie gave us that great end-of-the-game guy.

 

Q: During your playing days, where were the best places to play and the toughest pitchers you faced.

 

A: I used to love playing at Boston - I was a dead pull right-handed hitter and that Green Monster always looked good. You know, back then Baltimore had great pitching, but I always seemed to do well against them. Yankee Stadium was obviously pretty awesome with the history and all of that.

 

As far as pitchers, back when I was in the National League, Bob Gibson and Juan Marichal were very tough. Not to mention guys like Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman.

 

Q: In 1972, you were on an awful Phillies team that won only 59 games, yet your ace pitcher Steve Carlton won 27 games and the Cy Young award , the only player to win that award for a last-place team. What was that like to watch?

 

A: It was weird, because it's not like we tried any harder when Steve was on the mound. Of course, we knew if we got two or three runs we had a really good shot at winning the game.

 

(Carlton) was just unbelievable that season. He had 45 percent of our wins that season and only gave up 250 hits or so in about 350 innings.

 

He's a Hall of Famer and one of the best I've ever seen.

 

Q: Why do you still enjoy coaching in the minor leagues?

 

A: I enjoy it, it's a lot of fun. Sure, it's trying at times, but if I didn't really enjoy this stuff I wouldn't do it. I like working with the kids and don't mind riding the buses. I just love baseball.

 

miva.jacksonsun.com/miva/...4247153073

 

JUSTIN VENEMAN/The Jackson Sun - Huntsville Stars manager Don Money spent 16 seasons in the big leagues, including the final 11with the Milwaukee Brewers. His only shot at a World Series ring came in 1982 when the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Brew Crew in Games 6 and 7 of the Fall Classic for the title.

 

http://miva.jacksonsun.com/miva/photos/200504247153073.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Press Release:

 

Two More Stars Named All-Stars

Huntsville, AL- The Southern League of Professional Baseball has announced that Huntsville outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. and pitcher David Bradley have been named to the Southern League All-Star team and will join Stars pitchers Dana Eveland and Mitch Stetter on the North squad.

 

Gwynn Jr. will replace injured West Tenn outfielder Felix Pie and Bradley will take the spot of Diamond Jaxx pitcher Talley Haines, who was promoted to Triple-A Iowa. Gwynn Jr. is currently batting .274 with 11 doubles and 28 RBI and is third in the league with 25 stolen bases. The son of Tony Gwynn is in his third year of professional baseball after being selected in the second round of the 2003 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Bradley, who is 27 years old, has pitched in 24 games for the Stars this season, including three starts. He has a record of 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA. The right hander was acquired by Milwaukee in October of 2003 when his contract was purchased from Washington of the independent Frontier League.

 

The Southern League All-Star Game will be held July 13th at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

[Mass Haas]

Follow-up Huntsville Press Release:

 

Gwynn Jr. to Start All-Star Game

Huntsville, AL- The Southern League of Professional Baseball has announced that Stars outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. will start for the North Division in the 2005 Southern League All-Star Game to be played on July 13th at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

 

Gwynn Jr. was added to the all-star team on July 5th as a replacement for injured West Tenn outfielder Felix Pie. Gwynn Jr. will bat second in the lineup and be the designated hitter for manager Tony Perezchica?s team.

 

Gwynn Jr. is currently batting .277 with 11 doubles and 29 RBI. He is second in the league with 25 stolen bases.

 

The Huntsville center fielder was selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2003 draft.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1

 

Bradley waits for his little all-star

Pitcher heads to Mobile while wife's due date nears

By PAUL GATTIS

Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

 

The consolation to David Bradley's solitude is that he'll soon have another family member to attend his next all-star game.

 

Or, hey, maybe the consolation is that the Huntsville Stars right-hander has this problem in the first place.

 

Part-time starter, part-time reliever, Bradley has been round-the-clock effective this season for the Stars and earned a spot in the Southern League all-star game Wednesday night.

 

But the only faces in Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium familiar to Bradley may well be Dana Eveland, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Vinny Rottino, fellow all-stars from Huntsville. On this big night, Bradley will have no one in the stands sharing in his joy.

 

His family is back home in Parkersburg, W.Va., and was unable to drop life on a week's notice and scurry down to the coast - Hurricane Dennis or no Hurricane Dennis.

 

Bradley's wife, Julia, is eight months pregnant with their second child and spends about 26 hours a day chasing around their first child - 3 1/2-year-old Isabelle.

 

But spare the tears.

 

"To be honest, I've been playing long enough and I've been away from my family most of those years that I'm kind of used to it," Bradley said. "It's disappointing that everybody is so far away and they're not able to come.

 

"You always wish they could be there at the bigger moments in your career and life. But I'm a little used to it and the things that come with the baseball life. I'll make it."

 

If fans truly love the underdog, though, then Bradley's the perfect candidate for adoption.

 

First, he was a replacement when the North team lost players through the usual attrition of promotions to Triple-A or the majors.

 

Second, Bradley is a graduate of the independent leagues - that baseball wilderness where dreams are clutched even as the fingernails are losing their grip on life as a professional.

 

Teams in independent baseball have no affiliation with a major league organization unlike most minor leagues. In fact, that's just how Bradley described this milestone - an all-star in "affiliated baseball."

 

"It was a shock," Bradley said. "I never expected to make an all-star team in affiliated baseball. So it was definitely a big surprise when they told me. Granted, it was as a replacement, but it was still a big surprise.

 

"It's kind of an honor because there are so many good players in this league from every team. It's pretty special to get to be a part of that."

 

Forget that Bradley spent the 2002-03 seasons with Washington of the Frontier League - one of those independent leagues also known as unaffiliated baseball. In 2005, he's put together undeniable all-star numbers.

 

He's 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA in 54 1/3 innings. He's made 26 appearances - all but five out of the bullpen - but is currently in the starting rotation after injuries sidelined starters Manny Parra and Dennis Sarfate.

 

Bradley has allowed less than one hit per inning (43) while striking out almost one per inning (48).

 

Bradley attributed his success this season to his vagabond role on the pitching staff to last year at Single-A High Desert when he faced a similar situation.

 

But making adjustments may well be one of Bradley's strengths. The due date for the Bradleys' first son, Roman, is Aug. 15. The tentative plan right now, though, is for labor to be induced about two weeks early during a long homestand so Bradley can escape for a day or two for the birth.

 

"It's hard for me to not be able to help with family things at home," Bradley said.

 

No doubt, though, that when the highlight of Bradley's summer takes place - in a West Virginia hospital, not a baseball game in Mobile - solitude is one adjective that can't be used.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.njherald.com/secure_s...653626.php

 

New pitch helping Stamler rejuvenate career

By STEFAN BONDY

New Jersey Herald Sports Writer

 

There were moments during Keith Stamler's three-day drive across the country that he thought about re-routing back to New Jersey.

 

The 1997 Vernon Township High School graduate was just released by a major league organization for the second time in a month, and considered quitting baseball.

 

But something kept the right-handed pitcher on course, and he made the trip from his old minor league team in Sacramento, Calif. to his new squad in Huntsville, Ala.

 

And at least for now, he appears to have made the right decision.

 

In his sixth, and most trying year as a professional ballplayer, Stamler has been resurrected with the Huntsville Stars, a Double A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The 25-year-old has a solid 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances, but is more excited about his development than the statistics.

 

Stamler added a knuckleball to his repertoire in the last couple of weeks, and has seen immediate results. After relying on a 94 mph fastball and a sinker to get outs for most of his career, Stamler can now keep hitters guessing with a slow, but elusive knuckler.

 

He said that he has yet to give up a hit on the new pitch, which he throws about 50 percent of the time.

 

"It's helped me out a lot," said Stamler, a two-time New Jersey Herald First Team All-Area selection with the Vikings. "When I started throwing it, I knew I had them with any pitch because they were looking for the knuckleball."

 

"I was missing that third pitch," he added.

 

Stamler's new confidence and success is just the latest development in a year that started with tremendous promise but quickly turned into disaster.

 

After starring in Venezuela during winter ball, Stamler was brought up to the Texas Rangers for spring training. But he said that he never got in a game, even after being promised an appearance by pitching coach Orel Hershiser.

 

"It was disappointing," Stamler said. "Baseball is such a business, so I understand."

 

Stamler was then assigned to the Oklahoma Redhawks, a Triple A affiliate of the Rangers, for a second straight season. His year started badly, however, and he posted a 7.32 ERA through the first 47 games. The Rangers were quick to pull the trigger and released him on May 26, severing a four-year relationship that began when Stamler was drafted in the 18th round in the 2000 draft.

 

"It came out of the blue," Stamler said. "I was shocked. The coaches told me they were shocked."

 

Stamler signed with the Oakland Athletics five days later and reported their Triple A club, the Sacramento Rivercats. But he sensed that his job in Sacramento was just a fill-in spot and he was released just one month later with an ERA of 7.56. It was probably his worst moment as a baseball player.

 

So when the Milwaukee Brewers offered him a job on the same day he was released, Stamler had his reservations. He was thinking about life after baseball, even after he told his agent that he'd take the job over 2,000 miles away in Alabama.

 

"It entered my mind a couple times to just go all the way home," he said.

 

Stamler said his early season struggles were a result of a mechanical problem, which he corrected. He is hoping that the knuckleball can carry him to the next level, whether as a starter or a reliever.

 

"Whatever Milwaukee wants me to do," he said.

 

Stamler was drafted as a junior out of St. John's University, where he went 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA in his first season and was a Louiville Slugger Freshmen All-American. He signed a $20,000 signing bonus with the Rangers, which he used to pay for college, and reported to Rookie League with the Pulaski Rangers.

 

He spent the next four years on five different clubs. He had his best season in 2001 with the Charlotte Rangers, a Class A affiliate, when he went 8-4 with a 2.48 ERA. He became a full-time reliever in 2003 and flourished last year out of the bullpen, going 7-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 48 games with the Redhawks.

 

At Vernon, Stamler went 22-11 with 220 strikeouts and a 1.95 ERA for his career. He had a 0.96 ERA as a senior.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/stars/huntsvil...amp;coll=1

 

Nine questions with Star's Adam Heether

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

Adam Heether was promoted to the Stars last week from Class A Brevard County in the Florida State League, where he batted .305 with 54 RBIs in 93 games. After this brief time in the Southern League, Heether fielded 9 Questions before Saturday's game.

 

1 First week in Double-A, what do you think?

 

Glad to be here. I like the group of guys. I like the coaches. Everyone's (on the field) a little bit better since it's a higher level. I'm enjoying myself, trying to finish strong the last couple of weeks.

 

2 Any nervousness?

 

You get those butterflies going again. At the lower level, after 100 games or so, it gets to be an every day thing. But in a new environment you get the butterflies the first couple of games. Then after a while it's back to baseball again. When I got my first at-bat, I had some butterflies.

 

3 How did you find out you were being promoted?

 

After a game, they called me and told me to pack up. John Tamargo called me in his office and said, "You're going up. Go get 'em."

 

I packed up all my stuff 'til about 2:30, 3:30 in the morning, left at 6:30. We drove here in about 11 1/2 hours and got here right before game time. (I) got to pinch-hit later that game (and got a hit in his first Double-A at-bat). Long day. My wife (Jennifer) was with me, and that made it easier. She let me sleep.

 

4 Was it tough leaving a pennant race?

 

We were a game and a half or two games back, so we had a great chance of getting there. The ultimate goal is to make to the big leagues. It's rewarding to be called up. Obviously, you're playing to get to the next level.

 

5 How was your own season going there?

 

I only got to play about 90 games. I broke my hand in the first half. I got hit by a pitch and it sidelined me for about a month, so I had to deal with that. It took me a couple of weeks to get adjusted, and I got on track.

 

6 Most everybody here is ready for this season to be over. You come here this late, does it feel like it's ending too quickly?

 

It gives you a second wind. You get tired at the end of the season. To get called up it's almost a new season, to be in a new environment.

 

7 You've played other seasons with manager Don Money, and you're playing his old position. Did you have any idea about his playing career?

 

I know he was a solid third baseman. When I got drafted by the Brewers I saw Don Money was the manager at low-A. I knew I'd have the chance to work with him.

 

It's nice having him around, being around somebody who knows the position. He helps you out on a daily basis. He was a solid, quality third baseman.

 

8 How many different ways does your name get botched?

 

I'd say "heather" is the biggest mistake. It's "heath-er,'' like the Heath bar. But I don't make a big deal about it.

 

9 Tony Gwynn Jr.'s father was a great player. Enrique Cruz's sister dates Pedro Martinez. What's your brush with fame? Do you have anything like that?

 

Nope. I'm trying to start my own (bit of fame). Oh, wait. I'll tell you one you can say. My second cousin. His name is Tim Stewart. He plays the drums and bass for Jessica Simpson's band.