Link Report for Wed. 9/7 -- Nashville Begins Its Playoff Run

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Wednesday's Daily Menu: Only one audio choice, and with a Brewer matinee, we expect several of you to listen to all the game details in Oklahoma!

 

All starts Central Time --

 

Nashville: RHP Gary Glover at Oklahoma (Rangers), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Helena: TBD at home vs. Great Falls (White Sox), 8:05 PM Central; sorry, no audio for this series...

[Mass Haas]

You've been listening to Chuck Valenches' audio calls and pre-game interviews all season long -- enjoy the playoffs...

 

Chuck's Profile, Nashville Site:

You can send Chuck a pre-game email via this link, maybe get a Brewerfan mention in tonight http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/s...staffId=16

 

Chuck Valenches, "the voice of the Sounds," is in his seventh season with the Sounds and serves as the team's play-by-play announcer for all 144 games. Game broadcasts can be heard on WANT 98.9 FM & WCOR 900 AM in the Nashville area as well as via an internet webcast available from the front page of the Nashville Sounds web site.

 

Valenches' career began with the Midwest League's Kane County Cougars in 1992. Chuck then moved on to broadcast for the High Desert Mavericks in the California League, spending three seasons there.

 

The next stop for the Chicago native was Jacksonville, Florida, where he was the voice of the Jacksonville Suns (AA-Tigers) in the Southern League. While with the Suns, Valenches also gained television experience while providing play-by-play on the Southern League Game-of-the-Month, carried on SportsSouth and the Sunshine Network, as well as Jacksonville University baseball.

 

He also served as a broadcaster for the 2001 Triple-A All-Star Game in Indianapolis and is currently featured as half of the announcing team on 3DO Sports? ?High Heat Baseball 2004? for Playstation2 and PC (his voice has been featured in the game since the 2002 edition).

 

The Nashville resident is a board member of the Nashville Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

 

http://www.nashvillesounds.com/images/staff/valenches.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Follow Wednesday's action as it happens:

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

 

Helena:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

[Mass Haas]

 Pioneer League (R+) - North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Helena 22 14 .611 - 10-7 12-7 W2[/b] Missoula 20 16 .556 2.0 12-7 8-9 L2 Billings 19 17 .528 3.0 10-7 9-10 W2 Great Falls 15 21 .417 7.0 9-10 6-11 L2

Stats and League Leaders, USA Today (or go to MILB.com):

 

www.usatoday.com/sports/b.../index.htm

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.nashvillecitypaper.co...s_id=44183

 

Sounds persevere to reach playoffs

By Nate Rau, nrau@nashvillecitypaper.com

 

The Pacific Coast League playoffs begin today and among the four teams vying for the championship are the Nashville Sounds.

 

Nashville begins its best-of-five series tonight in Oklahoma City against the Oklahoma RedHawks.

 

It is the second time in three years the Sounds have reached the postseason. This time they did so as the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee boasts a minor league system with a bevy of talented young prospects and several of them made their way through Music City this summer. Sounds fans got to see talented youngsters like Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder and Corey Hart.

 

Now, that trio is helping the big-league Brewers attempt to achieve their goal of reaching .500 for the first time in almost a decade.

 

When Fielder and Hart, along with relievers Jose Capellan and Kane Davis, were promoted to Milwaukee last month, the Sounds saw what seemed like a sure-fire division title put in serious jeopardy. The team went 2-18 over a dreadful stretch in August, before winning four of its final five to secure the crown.

 

Now the team looks to cap off its season and show there was more to the 2005 Sounds than Hart-Fielder-Weeks by making a playoff run.

 

?The guys who are on the 40-man roster want to get a call-up,? outfielder Ryan Knox said. ?But the rest of us who are here want to win [a championship].?

 

Sounds manager Frank Kremblas did everything asked of a Triple-A manager. He helped his top prospects legitimately earn big-league promotions. And with the exception of the three-week stretch in August, he maintained a consistent winner.

 

?I give those guys all the credit out there for staying tough,? Kremblas said. ?They struggled late offensively. It looks bad because we just called up some guys. So it looks like our guys are struggling, because those guys just got called up, which is not the case.?

 

Nashville has a talented rotation at its disposal for the series against the RedHawks. Gary Glover (6-4, 3.03 ERA) and Ben Hendrickson (6-12, 4.98) will pitch the first two games in Oklahoma City. Emerging Tommy Phelps (1-0, 1.13) will throw Game 3 in Nashville. Dennis Sarfate and Mike Meyers will get the nod in Games 4 and 5, if necessary in the best-of-five series.

 

Of the current Sounds, outfielder Nelson Cruz (11 homers, 27 RBIs) has been the offensive catalyst, along with first baseman Tony Zuniga (.323 average) and catcher Mike Rivera (16 homers). Trent Durrington (.300 average, 30 stolen bases), who spent a portion of the season with the Brewers, provides a spark at the top of the order.

 

Kremblas said he?s anxious to see which players step up during playoff time.

 

?When you want to evaluate players, this is the time to evaluate them,? Kremblas said. ?You?ll be amazed at some of the stuff you see.?

 

Nashville went 9-7 against the RedHawks this season, but Oklahoma is without star catcher Gerald Laird who was promoted to the Texas Rangers on Sept. 1.

 

?We?ve got some guys called up, but so do they,? Knox said. ?I saw Laird was promoted, which is a huge loss for them. It should be interesting.?

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....328/SPORTS

 

Bennett set for Sounds' latest run in playoffs

Closer has key role against Oklahoma

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Jeff Bennett has reached the playoffs in each of his two years with the Nashville Sounds, but that's virtually the only constant between the 2003 and 2005 seasons for the former Gordonsville High standout.

 

With a team-high 13 saves in 49 appearances, Bennett has been an integral part of the 2005 team's push to the Pacific Coast League American Conference Northern Division championship.

 

He'll continue to fill the closer's role as the Sounds open playoff action tonight at PCL American South champ Oklahoma in a best-of-5 series that comes to Nashville on Friday.

 

Two years ago, Bennett joined the Sounds for the final month of the regular season. He was making his Triple-A debut after beginning the season at Double-A Altoona, and wound up making nine regular-season appearances before working in five of seven playoff games.

 

"I feel a lot more a part of this team," Bennett said. "I didn't have a role on (the 2003 team). I was spot-starting. They didn't have much faith in me. Now, when it comes down to big situations, hopefully I'll be the guy that goes in the game."

 

Selected by the Pirates in the 19th round of the 1998 draft, Bennett was unable to reach the majors with that organization.

 

After going 1-3 with a 6.56 earned run average during the 2003 regular season with the Sounds and compiling a 2.45 playoff ERA, he was taken by the Brewers in the offseason Rule 5 Draft. He spent the entire 2004 season with Milwaukee before coming back to Triple-A this year.

 

"That (2003 Sounds) team had a lot of older guys that had been around a long time, that had had time in the big leagues and came back down," he said. "You've got a lot of prospects here, mixed with some older guys that have been there. This team is a lot more lively. It's one of the most fun teams I've played on."

 

"That means a lot. When you can come out and have fun every day, enjoy playing and winning, it's easy to come to the park. When you've got older guys that don't want to be there, don't want to be in Triple-A, it rubs off on everybody else."

 

After a 2004 season in which he made a team-high 60 appearances out of the Milwaukee bullpen, it would have been easy for Bennett to become like those players he described. But he came back and proved he could close games.

 

"I'm sure he would have enjoyed a lot more save opportunities," Sounds Manager Frank Kremblas said. "But with all the arms we had down here, (the Brewers) wanted all those guys to be able to go more than one inning. I'm sure it was frustrating at times."

 

Despite pitching well enough to nail down the closer's role ? converting all but one of his 14 save situations ? Bennett was one of at least six different Sounds pitchers to earn saves in the regular season.

 

He was being considered for a callup to Milwaukee when he was diagnosed with viral meningitis, which forced him onto the disabled list in July. He rebounded down the stretch and saved the two victories prior to Sunday's division title-clinching win.

 

"He's been a solid guy to have at the end of the game," Kremblas said.

 

And with this team's penchant for late-inning heroics, Bennett, 25, could be an even more important factor over the next couple of weeks.

 

"You can't say what's going to happen until we get there, but we're just as good as the other teams," he said. "Whoever performs is going to win. Our starters and our bullpen are rested, and everybody's swinging the bat. We won't have any excuses."

[Mass Haas]

Too bad the Melbourne press didn't spend more time covering the Manatees on-the-field than the organization's front office (nothing against the front office, obviously)...

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.floridatoday.com/apps...70339/1002

 

Manatees recognized for unique promotion

BY RALPH ROUTON

FLORIDA TODAY

 

Buck Rogers, general manager of the Brevard County Manatees, has spent this week closing out the books for the 2005 baseball season.

 

He would've been much happier putting off those chores and being immersed in the Florida State League playoffs.

 

After a gallant closing surge, the Manatees came up one victory short of a postseason berth. Otherwise, they would have hosted Vero Beach on Tuesday night to start the playoffs.

 

Instead, Rogers and his staff learned Tuesday they have received a big consolation prize.

 

ESPN the Magazine has chosen the Manatees, in particular their Belly Buster VII Night, for the 2005 minor-league baseball Promotion of the Year award.

 

The annual honor is part of the publication's Veeckie Awards. They are named for the flamboyant Veeck family -- starting with its patriarch, the late Bill Veeck -- which has blazed trails in baseball promotions for generations.

 

"We won't get any trophies or anything, but it means a lot to us," Rogers said. "Everyone reads the magazine, and all of the minor-league people everywhere will see it."

 

Rogers might be thrilled with the Veeckie, but he readily admits he and his staff have simply built on the original idea started by a predecessor, Andy Dunn, in the late 1990s.

 

Last year, the Manatees added a new twist to Belly Buster Night with frozen, chocolate-covered jalapenos for Cinco de Mayo. This season, in Rogers' words, "the staff outdid themselves" with their menu for the progressive eating contest.

 

"Imagine, putting bratwurst next to ice cream," Rogers said, "and then finishing it off with sardines and Spam. It was grisly this year."

 

Rogers felt the Manatees had a chance to win with their season-ending blockbuster -- doubling the world record for most first pitches before a game with 4,218. But that happened on Aug. 26, and the magazine's story already was in the works.

 

Instead, the Manatees' Belly Buster VII Night reigns supreme. And Rogers is already looking ahead to 2006.

 

"We'll have a lot of new ideas next year," he said. "And you know, Opening Day is just 211 days away."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section.../200509074

 

Power hopes crowds keep growing

By Mike Whiteford

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

Conventional wisdom says that West Virginia Power attendance at Appalachian Power Park will decline slightly next year and level off in succeeding years.

 

Not necessarily, says Power general manager Andy Milovich. He says the team?s inaugural season at APP served as an eye-opening experience for the community, a whetting of local appetites, so to speak.

 

Now that fans and businesses have seen the ballpark?s success, says Milovich, attendance and group outings at the ballpark should increase somewhat in 2006.

 

For the recently completed season, Power attendance totaled 233,143 in 66 dates for an average of 3,532, which ranked sixth in the 16-team South Atlantic League. The attendance nearly doubled the Alley Cats? average of slightly more than 1,800 a game in 2004, the final season at Watt Powell Park.

 

Now that people know what to expect, said Milovich, next season should be even better.

 

?I would expect our attendance to grow next year, contrary to public opinion,?? he said Tuesday. ?In that first year, there?s a bit of a learning curve, and it takes time for companies and fans to buy into what you?re doing. So a lot of people who didn?t buy season tickets or didn?t buy that 10- or 25-game package this year are now seeing the success and the excitement the ballpark has generated. Those numbers tend to increase. Companies that schedule picnics and group outings elsewhere will now hopefully include us in their options.??

 

Additional revenue from the luxury suites seems virtually assured for next year, he added. When the season started, the Power had sold just nine of the 14 suites but sold three more during the season, including one as recently as a month ago.

 

?And we?ve got several other companies that have expressed an interest in taking the remaining two for next year,?? he said.

 

Each suite sells for $25,000 for the season and can accommodate up to 16 people.

 

Milovich?s previous experience in minor-league baseball suggests attendance can, in fact, continue to improve at a new ballpark. When he worked at Erie (Pa.) of the short-season New York-Penn League, the team opened a new park in 1995 and drew 181,000 for 35 home dates in the first year. Attendance rose to 187,000 the second year and to 196,000 the third.

 

The Power?s dramatic increase in attendance and the revenue boost from the luxury suites made the season a financial success, said Milovich. And the sale of caps, T-shirts, merchandise and memorabilia more than doubled in the last year, he noted.

 

?Financially, the team did pretty well. I don?t know exactly where we are because we haven?t gotten to that point yet,?? he said. ?The ownership group obviously invested in this team for two reasons: One, it?s a business and, two, they felt strongly about making baseball a success here in Charleston. And I think on both fronts it was a great year.??

 

Next week, Milovich and his staff plan to spend several days reviewing the season and discussing ideas for change next year. This season, for example, the ballpark did not have an alcohol-free family section.

 

?A lot of our discussion will focus on customer service, just trying to figure out ways to continue to improve the fan experience at the ballpark,?? he said. ?We have to make sure that our concessions and food are better, that the friendliness of our staff is better and there?s less confusion when it comes to coordinating picnics and birthdays and other events.??

 

Milovich touched on other subjects:

 

The University of Charleston will play its home baseball games at Appalachian Power Park next season. The state high school tournament will continue there, and Milovich hopes to continue scheduling a few regular-season high school games at the park.

 

The Power has not yet talked with Marshall about playing Conference USA games at APP. Power and UC games would have first priority.

 

As part of its lease with the city of Charleston, the Power will make a $350,000 annual payment toward construction of the ballpark. The lease calls for the team to make annual payments for the next 20 years, totaling $6.5 million.

 

Group sales, including picnics, accounted for about 47,000 fans, or about one-fifth of the season?s attendance. ?There?s a real good chance to grow that,?? he said. ?We had very good feedback on the picnics and events we hosted for people. Companies now have a better feel for what we have to offer.??

 

Tentative plans call for next year?s West Virginia-Marshall football game to be shown on the ballpark?s video board. The Mountaineers? game at Syracuse Sunday, which was shown on the video board, drew about 2,000 fans. All 14 suites were occupied.

 

A Charleston accounting firm is expected to lease the fourth floor of the Morris Street warehouse, where the Power offices are housed. A restaurant is expected to open on the first floor next March.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Familiar face now rival ace playing ex-Stars

Lee starts against former teammates now with Nashville

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

Careful what you toss away. It might come back to haunt you.

 

That could be the case for the Nashville Sounds, the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, who head into the Pacific Coast League playoffs tonight at Oklahoma City.

 

They'll be facing left-hander Derek Lee, the Huntsville Stars' all-time winning pitcher but never considered a top prospect by the Brewers, who ultimately let him go as a free agent.

 

On Aug. 21, Lee pitched seven innings against Nashville, allowing only one run and four hits. That afternoon, he began a 23-inning shutout streak. After being rescued by the Rangers from an independent league, he went 5-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 14 starts for Oklahoma City.

 

Certainly there will be great familiarity with Lee, who has compensated for lack of great velocity with deceptive off-speed pitches and good control. Lee played for Sounds manager Frank Kremblas and worked with pitching coach Stan Kyles. He has many former Huntsville teammates playing for Nashville, including outfielders Brad Nelson, David Krynzel and Ryan Knox and infielders Chris Barnwell and Steve Scarborough.

 

In the Double-A Southern League, Birmingham finished the season with a five-game win streak - four of those against Jacksonville - to clinch the SL South's second-half pennant and the sixth straight postseason appearance for the club.

 

The Barons play at Jacksonville, the first-half champ, on Thursday and Friday in the first two games of the best-of-five series. Games three through five, if necessary, will be at the Hoover Met, starting Saturday.

 

West Tennessee won both halves of the SL North, and will play the first three games of its series against Carolina at home beginning tonight. In the past, a team that finished first in both halves would play the first two games at home, the third game on the road, and the last two back at home. With a 1,400-mile round trip between Jackson, Tenn., and Zebulon, N.C., that wasn't feasible this time.

 

In the Pioneer League, Milwaukee's Helena team won the first half and will be in the playoffs. The league's regular season doesn't end until Thursday.

 

The other Milwaukee farm teams - West Virginia, Brevard County and, of course, Huntsville - didn't qualify for postseason.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes for Wednesday's Playoff Opener:

Good stuff...

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

[H0FFY]

Since I KNOW guys are listening, can we have some running 'stuff' here. The boxscores are like 45-60 min behind. I am at work and can only browse now and again.

 

Good luck to our up and coming youngsters. I hope Durrington has a big, big, big series. And I am hoping Krynzel and Cruz go big time too.

[Southern Leaguer]

Nashville 4, Oklahoma 2 with OK batting in the bottom of the 4th.

[Southern Leaguer]

Still 4 - 2 Nashville, now with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th. Oklahoma has runners on 1st and 2nd (single and walk). Zumwalt is warming up now, Glover is already over 90 pitches.

 

Glover with a big K to end the 5th. 4-2 going to top of the 6th.

 

We're going to Nashville Saturday night for game 4 (if necessary) of this series.

[Southern Leaguer]

Derek Lee leaves the game with 1 out in the 6th and the Sounds with runners on 1st and 3rd. I'm pulling for the Sounds to win the series but really wanted to see Derek have a good outing.

Knox is now 3 for 3, Rottino has 2 RBI. Barnwell is 2 for 2 and is the first hitter for the new OK pitcher.

[Southern Leaguer]

Sac Fly for Barney. Then Knox is caught stealing to end the inning. Nashville 5 - Oklahoma 2 in the middle of the 6th. Glover is done, Zumwalt in for the bottom of the 6th.

[Southern Leaguer]

Zumwalt's first pitch is ripped for a double. After 2 outs, a 2-run HR cuts the Sounds lead to 5-4. Stetter is warming up in the pen.

OK follows with a bunt single before a K ends the inning. Zumwalt has 2 k's in the inning but also touched for 3 hits and 2 runs.

Sounds 5, Redhawks 4 going to the 7th.

[DHonks]

here's to hoping they hold the lead...the Nashville pen is solid even without Capellan and Davis

[H0FFY]

thanks for the updates

[Mass Haas]

Since I KNOW guys are listening, can we have some running 'stuff' here. The boxscores are like 45-60 min behind. I am at work and can only browse now and again.

 

Hoffy, glad to have you aboard. Tonight, and all season, the linked game logs and box scores only trail the action by about five minutes tops. Even better is when the Sounds return home (Friday) -- the gamecast from their site is literally within seconds of the action.

[brewcru1]

Runners at the corners, 2 outs. 3-1 count on Botts.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Nashville 5, Oklahoma (Rangers) 4, Sounds lead best-of-five series 1-0; final three games (if all necessary) will be played in Nashville

Jeff Bennett closes it out, runners did reach 1st and 3rd with two outs -- batters hit only .197 against Jeff this season; Sounds guarantee their fans at least two home postseason games, pleasing to the front office as well, I'm sure...

 

Nashville Box Score:

Kudos to the bottom of the order and the bullpen; the Nashville site will release their detailed full game summary shortly...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_orhaaa_1

[brewcru1]

Bennett K's Botts. GAME 1 to the SOUNDS

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

Link for Gary Glover photo, text follows --

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/n...ewsId=1795

 

OKLAHOMA CITY ? The Nashville Sounds took the first game of their best-of-five series against the Oklahoma RedHawks, winning 5-4 on Wednesday evening at SBC Bricktown Ballpark.

 

It was the eighth time in 16 all-time postseason series that Nashville has posted a victory in its opening contest.

 

The RedHawks used the longball to plate all of their runs, slugging a pair of two-run homers, while the Sounds manufactured the majority of their scores the old-fashioned way, using two sacrifice flies and a two-run single following an infield groundout that moved up the runners. Nashville finished 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position while Oklahoma produced only one hit in 12 at-bats in those situations.

 

The Sounds jumped on the board first, plating three runs in the third inning against Oklahoma starter Derek Lee. Third baseman Vinny Rottino ripped a two-out, two-run single to center off to give the Sounds a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Tony Zuniga, the hero in the club?s division-clinching win over Round Rock on Sunday evening, followed with an RBI double to the wall in right-center to up the advantage to 3-0.

 

RedHawks first baseman Chris Richard pulled the home team within a run in the bottom of the frame with a 430-foot two-run homer to dead center off Sounds starter Gary Glover, making it a 3-2 game.

 

In the fourth, Ryan Knox ripped a one-out single to left and moved to third when Chris Barnwell followed with a single through the right side of the infield. Steve Scarborough plated Knox with a sacrifice fly to push the Nashville lead to 4-2.

 

The Sounds added one more run in the sixth when catcher Mike Rivera scored on a Barnwell sacrifice fly.

 

Former Sound Keith McDonald, who hit only two home runs during the regular season, belted a two-run tater off Nashville reliever Alec Zumwalt in the bottom of the sixth. The blast to left scored Esteban German, who had doubled earlier in the frame.

 

Glover (1-0), who earned a win in his career postseason debut, held Oklahoma to two runs on five hits over five innings. Lee (0-1), a longtime Brewers farmhand, took the loss after allowing five runs over his 5 1/3 frames of action. Sounds closer Jeff Bennett worked a scoreless ninth to earn the save, striking out Jason Botts with the potential tying run on third base to end the contest.

 

The teams continue the series at 7:05 p.m. CT on Thursday evening for game two of the best-of-five series. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (6-12, 4.97) toes the rubber for the Sounds to face Oklahoma right-hander and Nashville native R.A. Dickey (10-6, 6.07).

[Mass Haas]

Final: Great Falls (White Sox) 7, Helena 3

 

Helena Box Score:

RHP Dane Renkert joins Matt Gamel on the field tonight as a returning member of the H-Crew; RHP Tyler Morrison has had at least a couple of these cruising for four innings, then "watch out" starts; 22 errors for middle infielder Scotty McKnight -- way too many;

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1

 

Helena Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...k_helrok_1