Your 2007 WV Power: Latest -- Steve Chapman Video

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[Mass Haas]

Taylor Green was recently placed on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury. In the meantime, newcomer Jimmy Mojica looks to retain duty there. This article gives you a glimpse at just how unresolved that one organizational spot was coming out of spring training.

 

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Green Earns Spot with Brewers 'A' Team

Comox Valley Record

British Columbia, Canada

 

It?s a big step up from Rookie League to A ball ? and as Taylor Green discovered, it?s also a long car ride.

 

The homegrown baseball talent put in a solid spring training session with the MLB Milwaukee Brewers and earned advancement from their Rookie League team in Helena, Montana to the A level club in Charleston, West Virginia. Thus it was on April 1 that Green hopped into his car for the 2,400-mile cross-country trek that took him a step closer to his dream of playing in the bigs.

 

Green began playing ball in the Comox Valley at the age of five and has progressed steadily through the ranks with the C.V. Blizzard, Parksville Royals, Cypress College in California (where he earned All-American honours) and now the Brewers? organization. Perhaps the biggest challenge of his ball career came last month during his first-ever spring training in Phoenix, Arizona where he got to showcase his skills against professional players from every level of the system ? including Ichiro Suzuki from the Seattle Mariners.

 

Bill Green, Taylor?s dad, said the magical atmosphere of professional baseball?s spring training was a dream come true for his son, who relished the opportunity to play alongside Major Leaguers on fields named after such greats as Paul Molitor and Rollie Fingers. ?However, the old saying that Taylor?s grandpa Andy instilled in him began to ring true ... ?You never get something for nothing,?? Bill noted.

 

Under the watchful eyes of pro coaches, Green learned that the 10 hour days, seven days a week for one month in 100 F. temperatures would be a real test. But Bill Green said it was a test Taylor loved ... ?a battle of wits, skills and desire, and most of all a chance to demonstrate passion for a game he loves.?

 

The grueling process is designed to separate players into teams for the coming season. After the final cuts are made for the MLB Brewers, a bumping process begins to fill roster spots on the AAA, A, A and Rookie levels. Because of his young age, 20, Green was preparing to return to Helena, but his real sights were set on playing A ball for the West Virginia Power.

 

Throughout spring training, Green battled with other players at second base. He earned three game MVP honors for both his offensive and defensive play in action against other minor league teams such as the Angels, A?s, Padres, Giants, Royals and Mariners. In particular, he turned the heads of coaches Mike Lum (ex-Cincinnatti Red) and Garth Iorg (ex-Toronto Blue Jay).

 

Three days before the end of training, Iorg asked Green if he had ever played third base. Green said, ?No, but if that?s where you need me, that?s what I will do.? While he has always known the world of pro ball is full of surprises, Green was still shocked when the Brewers promoted him to their A team as the starting third baseman after only three days playing the position.

 

Short Hops ... the Power season is now underway, and fans can follow their games by going to milb.com and following the links to multimedia audio, then select West Virginia Power and the date ... the Power play 140 regular season games this year, with only nine days off ... wearing #2, Green will be playing alongside second round draft pick, SS Brent Brewer ...

 

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New GM enjoys his Power

by Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Looking out the window in his Morris Street office Tuesday morning, Ryan Gates could see the sun shining on and warming up the Appalachian Power Park baseball field.

Considering the weather Charleston has endured the past couple of weeks, it was a rare but beautiful sight ? and one Gates hopes to see again today, when the West Virginia Power begins a seven-game homestand with the first of a three-game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

 

Unfortunately for the Power and Gates, who is in his first season as the team?s general manager, The Weather Channel meteorologists called for a high of 61 degrees today with a 30-percent chance of evening showers.

 

The Power lost two openings (and one game) ? the first to snow; the second to rain ? in its initial homestand April 5-12.

 

The Power drew 10,142 fans over five openings, including two doubleheaders, for an average of 2,028 ? far below its average of 3,746 last season. Keep in mind that those totals reflect paid attendance, not actual attendance, which was much lower.

 

?Unfortunately, the crowds weren?t where we want them to be,? said Gates, who was the Power?s director of business development last year. ?But I don?t blame the fans. No one really wants to be out here when we have 30-degree temperatures with a 15-degree wind chill.

 

?Someone asked the question this morning: Can you all come back from that? The answer is yes. We can definitely make that up. One homestand does not a season make.

 

?As it is, April is never really a strong month (for attendance) because the weather usually isn?t ideal and people are still getting back into the swing of things. We have plenty of beautiful days and big dates ahead of us. We will have plenty of big crowds out here.?

 

Although this season is his first as general manager, it is his fourth with the team. His new role means more responsibilities, but he doesn?t mind.

 

?I was looking for the opportunity to run a ballclub on a day-to-day basis,? said Gates, 30, who has a bachelor?s degree in marketing (1998) and a master?s degree in business administration (2004) from Indiana University. ?I?m thankful to our owners for allowing me that opportunity.

 

?It?s like they say: Be careful what you wish for. There?s definitely more on my plate. But it?s a learning experience. You don?t grow without being thrown into the fire a little bit.?

 

Gates replaced Andy Milovich, who received a promotion that made him executive vice president of Palisades Baseball Inc.

 

?I have known him for a long time and I have a lot of confidence in him,? said Milovich, who works in Charleston and oversees the Power Alley Grill. ?He has done some incredible things in terms of sales, management, marketing and promotions.

 

?When we brought him down here to be my right-hand guy, he was somebody we felt would someday assume the reigns of the GM position.?

 

Gates? employees are impressed by and pleased with the way he runs the operation.

 

?He doesn?t micro-manage,? said Andy ?Bull? Barch, who is the Power?s director of media relations and radio announcer. ?That can be the toughest thing for a general manager.

 

?There has to be some kind of balance. How much do you get involved with concessions? Promotions?

 

?Tickets? You?re in charge, but you have to let the directors in those areas do their own thing. He has done a real good job of that.?

 

Gates? lifelong love for baseball has helped him during his transition.

 

?You have to have a passion for it,? Gates said, ?because of the hours and stress that come with this job.?

 

Growing up, he spent each school year with his mother in Boonton, N.J. But he spent each summer with his father in Cincinnati, where his passion was fostered.

 

?I was there during the baseball season,? said Gates, who enjoys reading novels and playing basketball in his spare time.

 

?That?s how I got to be such a big fan of the Reds. I went to my first game at age 4. My father was big on baseball when I was growing up. His love of baseball was passed down to me. We spent a lot of time at Riverfront Stadium and other ballparks.?

 

Gates? resume also includes a two-year stint with the Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves and a three-year stay with Learfield Sports/Indiana University Sports Properties.

 

Gates began his career in sports in 1996 via an unpaid internship with the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, where he worked with the ticket department for a series of Olympic soccer qualifying matches and a National Football League exhibition game.

 

?I worked 14- and 16-hour days that summer,? he said, ?but I walked away from that job saying, ?Wow. I love this.? That was when I knew this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.?

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Bob Wojcieszak

Ryan Gates, the general manager of the West Virginia Power, is hoping for better weather ahead when the Power can make up for below-average attendance figures for the first month of the season.

 

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Ford has Power on fast track in South Atlantic League

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

As fast as West Virginia Power center fielder Darren Ford is, it is no surprise that his contributions have come quickly this season.

 

In the seven days since he was activated from the disabled list, Ford has shown how much difference a player can make on a team.

 

In his case, it is a lot.

 

Without Ford, the Power was 2-3. With him, it is 5-0.

 

Ford has a .368 batting average and .409 on-base percentage with two RBI, four runs and five stolen bases in five games.

 

"It's a totally different team (with him in the lineup)," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said of Ford, a Vineland, N.J., native who was selected in the 18th round (526th overall pick) of the 2004 draft.

 

"What he brings to the table is contagious. All of the guys who have speed start picking it up a little bit. He just makes everybody else around him better with the way he plays the game."

 

His colleagues -- right fielder Chuckie Caufield and left fielder Michael Brantley -- agree.

 

"He's a great weapon," Caufield said.

 

"He changes the whole game at the top of the lineup with his bunting and hitting," Brantley added. "When he is on the bases, he is a real threat. That means more fastballs for the hitters behind him because they don't want him running. But with that kind of speed, you can't stop him from stealing bases."

 

South Atlantic League teams learned that lesson last year, when Ford set a franchise record with 69 stolen bases.

 

He posted a .283 batting average and .361 on-base percentage with three triples, seven home runs, 24 doubles, 54 RBI and 93 runs in 125 games.

 

He also finished with 133 strikeouts compared to 56 walks, which is one of the reasons he returned to low Class A West Virginia for a second season.

 

"He's a Major League center fielder right now," Milwaukee Brewers professional scout Larry Aaron said of Ford, whom Baseball America lists as the organization's fastest runner. "He can go get anything that's hit out there.

 

"But he needs to work on his hitting -- more contact and less strikeouts. He needs to realize that his power isn't going to take him to the Big Leagues; his speed is. He needs to take advantage of what God gave him."

 

What God gave him is the primary reason Ford is the Brewers' 13th-ranked overall prospect in their minor league system, according to Baseball America.

 

He also is their second-ranked center field prospect behind 12th-ranked overall prospect Charlie Fermaint, who is playing at high Class A Brevard County (Fla.).

 

In its 2007 Prospect Handbook, Baseball America calls the 6-foot-1, 195-pound, 21-year-old Ford "a prototype center fielder/leadoff hitter" because of his "top-of-the-scale speed."

 

"A three-sport star in high school, he's still developing his approach to hitting," the article reads. "He remains undisciplined at the plate, striking out on pitches out of the zone and not drawing enough walks. Ford improved his pitch selection as the year progressed (in 2006), and he showed flashes of the type of impact player he can be.

 

"The Brewers have stressed the importance of bunting and hitting the ball on the ground as often as possible, though Ford does have some sock in his bat. With a strong, solid body type, he's built for both speed and durability. He often beats out routine ground balls, flustering infielders into making poor throws. Ford can be brought along slowly, but needs to cut down on his strikeouts and make more contact to hit atop the order and take full advantage of his speed."

 

Milwaukee and West Virginia officials alike expect Ford to join Fermaint in Brevard County before the season ends.

 

That, of course, depends on whether he develops in the areas they desire.

 

For now, however, he is happy to be here and helping his teammates.

 

"Wherever they want me to be, I will be," Ford said.

[DHonks]

"Wherever they want me to be, I will be," Ford said.

 

somebody should send this article to Mr. Capellan, highlighting the above quote

[Mass Haas]

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One-run victories fuel Power

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Reid Nichols makes his living evaluating young baseball talent.

 

And 11 games into the South Atlantic League season, the Milwaukee Brewers' director of player development is pleased with what he's seeing from the West Virginia Power.

 

"I think it's been a little bit of a pleasant surprise," said Nichols after the Power's 2-1, 10-inning victory over Greensboro on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. "The guys have played well right from the start.

 

"In general, the outfield, the infield and the pitching has been good, so that makes for a good start.

 

"Last year we had a lot of first-time players in this league. This year we have some repeaters, so they know what to expect. I think they helped get us going."

 

One of those repeating players, Michael Brantley, couldn't agree more with Nichols' assessment.

 

"It's absolutely helped," said Brantley, who batted .300 in 108 games with the Power last season. "In the clubhouse, all the returning players are the captains. We're the voice of the team.

 

"We're trying to help out the younger guys by getting them focused and prepared."

 

So far this season, that extra experience has helped the Power win a lot of close games that in prior seasons would have been disappointing losses.

 

Of West Virginia's eight wins, six have been by one-run, which has helped the Power stand on top of the South Atlantic League's Northern Division.

 

Power starter Mike McClendon was outstanding in tossing five shutout innings on Thursday, before giving way to a trio of relievers.

 

Submariner E.J. Shanks (2-0) earned the win by tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

 

The Power improved to 8-3 with the win, while Greensboro dropped to 8-5.

 

"Our pitching staff has been great, we're playing good defense, and we've been getting some clutch hits," said Brantley. "That's what it takes to win one-run ballgames."

 

Another thing helping the Power is the development of a never-say-die attitude.

 

"We've got some scrappers on this team who never give up," said Nichols. "We've got some guys that are playing, I think maybe a little better than expected, but that's a good thing.

 

"Hopefully they can continue to play that way on into their Major League careers."

 

Aside from returning players like Brantley and fleet-footed centerfielder Darren Ford, the Power is also getting help from a few first-year surprises.

 

"We've got a couple guys here, like Jimmy Mojica, that we just found," said Nichols of Mojica, a 2006 free agent signee.

 

"One of our scouts watched him in Independent League play and thought he could help us. As it turns out, he was right.

 

"I know it's early, but he's swinging the bat and playing good defense here."

 

Mojica, currently batting .387 with a pair of homers and five RBI, scored the game-winning run from third Thursday on a fielder's choice by Stephen Chapman.

 

Another player Nichols expects to see improve is ultra-talented shortstop Brent Brewer, a second-round pick in last year's amateur baseball draft.

 

Brewer, a 19-year old from Tyrone, Ga., turned down a football scholarship to Florida State in order to pursue his baseball dream.

 

"We're asking him to do an awful lot to step into this league, as young and as green as he is," said Nichols of Brewer. "But he's a special athlete that I think will make the adjustments early on.

 

"He will advance and get better. I think he'll make a pretty good looking shortstop."

 

Another possible addition to the Power pitching staff is 19-year old flame-thrower Jeremy Jeffress.

 

Jeffress, a first-round pick last season, has lit up the radar gun at 102 miles per hour in Nichols' presence.

 

"Jeremy obviously has a power arm," said Nichols. "He knows what he has to work on. He needs to work on throwing his breaking ball for strikes.

 

"He'd have a hard time in this league right now, because everybody here can hit a fastball."

[Mass Haas]

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Powered by PalmPilots

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

In his last act before the first pitch, West Virginia Power left-hander Mike Ramlow removed his cap and wiped away the sweat.

 

Then, with his hat on his head again, Ramlow repositioned himself ... not on the mound but in the stands, where he was armed with a stylus and pocket computer instead of a ball and glove.

 

Don't get the wrong idea. He wasn't passing the time between innings playing Solitaire or Tetris.

 

There was no time for lollygagging on this night. He was working even if he weren't pitching. In fact, his assignment in the stands was as important as his counterparts' on the mound.

 

From his seat below the Appalachian Power Park press boxes, Ramlow had to track every pitch, its result and its location for both teams throughout the game using PalmScout (the software) on a PalmPilot (the hardware).

 

When the game ended, the information Ramlow entered into the handheld was transferred to a desktop computer and e-mailed to a company that converted it into a report card and stored it in a database for future use.

 

Power pitching coach John Curtis received an almost immediate evaluation of his pitchers' performances that night.

 

"The most important tool for us is it helps us evaluate and helps our pitchers self-evaluate," Curtis said.

 

Reid Nichols, the Milwaukee Brewers' director of player development, agreed.

 

"It's mainly for the pitchers," said Nichols, who watched West Virginia extend its winning streak to nine games with an 8-5 victory over Hickory (N.C.) on Sunday.

 

"It lets them look at their performance pitch by pitch in many categories -- two-strike counts, hard-hit balls, behind in the count, ahead in the count.

 

"It actually gives them a report card. It gives them an A, B, C, D or F in each category. It points out where they did well and where they could have done better."

 

In addition to the report cards, coaches and players can pull up an all-but-unlimited amount of data from the last game, the last week, the last month, even the last year.

 

"You can break it down in an infinite number of ways," Nichols said. "You can find out how many times a guy threw a slider in a 2-1 count during the season."

 

The key is the information -- or, perhaps more importantly, the person entering it.

 

"The only bias in it is the input," said Curtis, who uses non-throwing starters to track pitches. "He has to see accurately where the pitches are and what the pitches are. If he doesn't, it's just a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo. If he does, we should get a fairly thorough evaluation of their performances."

 

In other words, do a good job and his teammates benefit; do a bad job and they don't.

 

No wonder Ramlow looked like he would rather have faced Albert Pujols with his worst stuff Wednesday, when he served as the team's "guinea pig" on its first attempt at properly using the program and device this season.

 

"Actually, it's pretty easy and pretty self-explanatory," Ramlow said afterward. "But if you get behind, you're screwed. You can't go back and fix it."

 

Fortunately for Ramlow and the rest of his pitch-tracking teammates, the creator of the program -- Inside Edge Inc. -- can.

 

"They do a great job of supporting us any time there is a problem," Nichols said of Inside Edge, a 23-year-old Minneapolis-based company that provides scouting services and tools to professional and amateur baseball teams.

 

"Sometimes, our players hit a bump in the road while logging that information. They will clean up any errors or mistakes that they can see. They will send it back to us with clean stats."

 

The Brewers, the Power's parent organization, don't use PalmScout, but all of their full-season, minor league clubs do. In addition to low Class A West Virginia, that group includes high Class A Brevard County (Fla.), Class AA Huntsville (Ala.) and Class AAA Nashville (Tenn.).

 

"I actually initiated this three years ago," Nichols said. "I thought it would have some benefit. We started with the Double-A and Triple-A clubs, then we decided to expand it.

 

"(West Virginia was) trying to break into it last year, but they didn't have a lot of success with it. Last year, it was sporadic. This year, it should be an everyday occurrence.

 

"The technology is a little better with those handheld Palms now. We had a problem before because the PalmPilot we had had a camera on it, and if you accidentally hit the button on the camera, it would throw the game out."

 

Ramlow said he expects the Power pitchers to benefit from the new-and-improved system.

 

"It's going to change our game plans a lot," Ramlow said. "We're going to have a better approach out there on the mound."

[Mass Haas]

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Something special going on with this Power team

Jack Bogaczyk

Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor

 

In the first month of the baseball season at Appalachian Power Park, the only things really cold were the weather and the beer.

 

The West Virginia Power, meanwhile, continues brewing the hottest season in Charleston's two-decade history in the Class A South Atlantic League.

 

The Power is part of a Milwaukee system that one day earlier this week, found itself with five first-place clubs, from the National League Central leaders (with the best record in the Majors, 18-9) on down through Nashville, Huntsville, Brevard County and West Virginia.

 

"I was talking to Mike Lum the other day about this team," Brewers Director of Player Development Reid Nichols said by phone from Arizona on Wednesday. "He said he'd never seen anything like this, and neither have I.

 

"These guys are down five runs and 10 minutes later they're leading. They just explode, hit after hit. It's like there's a virus, a good one, spreading on the team. We've got some guys back (in low Class A) for a second year, but it's more than that."

 

Lum, who was the Power batting coach a year ago, is now the Brewers' minor league hitting instructor. He and Nichols have a combined 70-plus years in pro baseball. That's a lot of games and teams seen.

 

Their common opinion on how the Power has gotten to its 18-5 start (and recent franchise-record 14-game winning streak) is echoed by West Virginia Manager Mike Guerrero and pitching coach John Curtis, who have been around the pro game for another 50 seasons combined.

 

Nichols had a difficult time wiping a constant grin from his face as he viewed Guerrero's club from the Power Park pressbox during the last homestand. Often, a minor league farm director or scout's reports go deep into baseball nuance.

 

"One day I just wrote, ?I wish I could bottle this stuff,'" Nichols said. "These guys are working on things they need to get accomplished, and they win. They've been doing nothing wrong."

 

Nichols said Milwaukee knew the Power probably was too young to start the 2006 season, but Brewer farm brass also "underestimated the value" of having players like outfielders Darren Ford and Michael Brantley return for a second year to the SAL.

 

In most organizations, the West Virginia seasons they had would have meant promotions. Second baseman Kenny Holmberg returned here, too, after being plagued by injury much of last summer.

 

The desire, of course, by all players is to move up. That's also a fear for Power fans in a market that has seen mostly sub-.500 teams in its previous 78 pro baseball summers since 1910.

 

"I've talked to a couple of them and explained that it's not a demotion to be (in Charleston) again," Nichols said. "I told them this is a time to work on things they need to work on, in a place where they can be comfortable because they know it.

 

"If someone has a good year, I've told them there's no reason they can't go right from West Virginia to Double A. It doesn't necessarily mean you stop at Brevard. I'm not saying (skipping a level) can't happen."

 

Nichols sounded reluctant to make roster changes. Using the pitching staff as an example, the Brewer farm boss pointed out how the pitchers "know their roles, and they're well-defined." That's a chance from the piggyback pitching plan that had a starting rotation in flux in the past.

 

The transition from the veteran Lum to new hitting coach Corey Hart (in only his second coaching season) has been seamless, too. Hart not only has bought Lum's system, but aggressively sells it, too.

 

"The thing that's made them successful is their situational hitting," Nichols said. "Hitting with men on base has been the biggest thing."

 

Power hitters leading off an inning are batting .315. The average with bases loaded is .393. It's .309 with runners in scoring position, and .302 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

 

It's generally regarded that the 1991 Wheelers have been the best Class A team in Charleston.

 

That Cincinnati farm went 46-26 in the first-half season and finished 92-50 before falling in the SAL Championship series to Columbia (S.C.).

 

The 2007 Power has started better than that club (16-7 after 23 games), despite an uncommon 5-0 loss at Hagerstown on Wednesday. The hitting and pitching have shared in the success.

 

Guerrero's club isn't one-dimensional at all -- and it's part of an organization that currently ranks second only to Cleveland in system-wide minor league winning percentage.

 

Some credit is due, too, to West Virginia Baseball LLC management (Alan Levin, Andy Milovich and Ryan Gates) for deciding to bring back Milwaukee for a two-year Player Development Contract renewal.

 

Charleston could have landed the Mets, Devil Rays, Rangers or the Nationals, with minor league systems that are scuffling at the low levels, when the Brewers were longing to return for 2007 and ?08.

 

The Power returns home on Friday night to start a brief four-game homestand against Lexington, then plays 10 of the next 12 on the road.

 

But it hasn't mattered where or when. The hits just keep on comin.'

[Mass Haas]

Jacob Messer of the Daily Mail does an awesome job for us, producing stories even when the Power's on extended road trips. Here's the latest:

 

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'Tee-Ball' stance turns around Power hitter

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

With advice and encouragement from his West Virginia Power hitting coach, Stephen Chapman knew what he needed to do to end an early-season slump.

 

It's called getting back to the basics.

 

Chapman hit .091 (2-for-22) with one run and one RBI in his first seven games. He also had 11 strikeouts compared to one walk during that stretch.

 

Chapman has hit .387 (19-for-49) with 16 runs and 18 RBI in his last 13 games. He also decreased the frequency of his strikeouts (12) and increased the frequency of his walks (seven) in that span.

 

The difference? Let Chapman tell that story.

 

"When I first got to Charleston, I was trying to do too much," Chapman said in a pre-game telephone interview Thursday, before going 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI in the Power's 10-5 road win over the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns.

 

"I was feeling good at the plate, but I was swinging too hard. I was seeing the ball fine. I was just missing it. I would miss fastballs right down the plate. I was baffled."

 

He also was discouraged.

 

"When you aren't even hitting your own weight, it's pretty frustrating," Chapman said. "But when you hit rock bottom, there's only one way to go and that's up."

 

Enter Corey Hart, the Power's first-year hitting coach.

 

Chapman explained, "Corey came up to me in the locker room and said, ?I was sitting on the couch thinking about you the other day.' Then, he told me, ?I want you to get in your Tee-Ball stance. Just put the bat on your shoulder and as the pitcher starts his windup, take your load back, then take a nice, short and easy swing to the ball.'

 

"It worked. I have been hitting the ball well ever since."

 

Winners of 17 of their last 19 games, Chapman and his teammates return to Charleston today to start a four-game South Atlantic League series against the Lexington (Ky.) Legends at Appalachian Power Park.

 

The Northern Division-leading Power (19-5) will start left-hander Brae Wright (1-1, 5.84) in the series opener at 7:05 tonight (6:05 Central). The Legends (12-15) will throw left-hander Dave Qualben (3-1, 1.90).

 

Chapman enters the homestand hitting .296 (21-for-71) with two triples, three homers, four doubles, 17 runs and 19 RBI.

 

Chapman's playing time increased significantly thanks to a hip flexor injury to fellow outfielder Michael Brantley, whom Power Manager Mike Guerrero has used as a first baseman and designated hitter as he plays through the pain.

 

"I don't wish for anyone to go on the disabled list, but it gives me an opportunity to show (Guerrero) I can hit the ball," Chapman said.

 

"It's very hard to get into a rhythm at the plate when you're not playing. Even if you're playing every other day, you still can't carry it over from day to day."

 

Hart is pleased with Chapman's turnaround.

 

"He's getting in a better position and giving himself a better chance to hit now," Hart said of Chapman, a 6-foot, 185-pound outfielder who bats and throws left-handed.

 

"He's starting (his swing) on time now. He was starting a little late before. You have less than a second to figure out what pitch is coming and put good wood on it.

 

"Timing is the key."

 

The same can be said about Chapman's career, which began in 2004 after the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball Draft with the 166th overall pick.

 

Baseball America ranks Chapman as the No. 28 overall prospect in the Brewers' minor-league system. The publication describes him as "a well-rounded player with solid tools across the board," one who "remains a work in progress and could be another in a series of late bloomers in their system."

 

Chapman, 21, spent his second consecutive season at Helena (Mont.) last year playing with the Brewers' short-season, high-level rookie club.

 

He was briefly promoted to West Virginia last year but played in only six games.

 

Rather than waste his talent on the bench in Charleston, the Brewers decided to use it in Helena. As expected, the demotion initially angered and annoyed Chapman, but he admits that it ultimately helped him.

 

"I wasn't getting any playing time or at-bats here," said Chapman, an Auburn University recruit who bypassed college for a $159,000 signing bonus. "You can't get better that way."

 

Returning to Helena "helped me find my swing and get my confidence back," said Chapman, who hit .308 with 40 RBI and 50 runs in 70 games there last season.

 

"I played pretty much every single day and I learned a lot about the game."

 

Contact sportswriter Jacob Messer at jacobmesser@dailymail.com

[Mass Haas]

Pitcher of the Week Award --

 

South Atlantic League

Alexandre Periard, West Virginia

2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO

 

After making three relief appearances, Periard returned to the Power's rotation this week and immediately made his presence felt. The 19-year-old righty hurled six scoreless innings against Hagerstown on Tuesday, and five more against Lexington on Sunday. Periard didn't earn the win in the latter start, as West Virginia's bullpen blew the lead before the team rallied for a 10-inning victory. Nonetheless, his 0.69 ERA is second in the circuit.

 

And yes, we spelled "honour" in this subject as we did for the French-Canadian http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...the+plate/

 

Brewer developing in the field and at the plate

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Baseball fans aren't always easy on bonus babies such as Brent Brewer, the West Virginia Power's talented but inexperienced shortstop.

 

Brewer, who received a $600,000 signing bonus after the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft with the 60th overall pick, quickly learned that lesson after he arrived to Charleston last month.

 

Six games into the 2007 campaign, his first full season in professional baseball, Brewer had twice as many strikeouts (10) as hits (five).

 

To make matters worse, he also had more errors (six).

 

It was only a matter of time before Rod Blackstone used his famous jeers on one of his own -- "You are toast" and "He can't catch" would have been perfect.

 

Others didn't hold back. Sarcastic chants such as "Way to go, Brewer" often were heard around Appalachian Power Park after one of his gaffes at the plate or in the field.

 

But times -- and fans' tunes -- have changed since then.

 

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Brewer has committed only three errors in his last 21 games.

 

He also has increased his batting average from .200 to .288 during that stretch. Strikeouts remain a problem for him -- he had 25 in that span for a total of 35 this season -- but they don't occur as often as they did.

 

Brewer has scored 22 runs and knocked in eight more. Nine of his 34 hits -- six doubles, two triples and one homer -- are extra-base knocks. He also has 12 steals in 14 attempts.

 

"I feel like I'm getting better everyday," said Brewer, who delivered a two-run single in the eighth inning Monday afternoon to help West Virginia rally for a 4-3 victory over visiting Lexington (Ky.) in a 10-inning South Atlantic League game.

 

"I'm still getting used to (the level of play in Class A). There's a big difference between that and what I'm used to."

 

Brewer slowly but surely is bridging the gap.

 

"He's a competitor," Power hitting coach Corey Hart said of Brewer, an Atlanta native who originally committed to play baseball and football for Florida State University coming out of Sandy Creek High School in Georgia.

 

"He struggled early. I think it got to him a little bit. He took it upon himself to make changes. He got the job done by working hard and working through adversity. There's a rhythm and timing to hitting and fielding, and he's getting better at both.

 

"That's why he's having some success now."

 

In a season full of pleasant surprises, Brewer has been the most pleasant surprise for the Power ... at least Milwaukee Director of Player Development Reid Nichols thinks so.

 

Nichols has raved about Brewer and the way he has exceeded the Brewers' expectations for him at this level at this stage in his career.

 

Brewer is only 19 and won't turn 20 until December.

 

Plus, he had an up-and-down season with the Brewers' low-level, short-season rookie team in the Arizona League last year.

 

He finished with a .264 batting average and .328 on-base percentage, with three doubles, three homers, six triples, 22 RBI and 25 runs in 45 games. But he also had 53 strikeouts and 24 errors.

 

"I think he has come a long way in a short time," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said. "He has improved 100 percent. But we haven't seen the best of Brent Brewer.

 

"He has the talent. He just doesn't have the experience. When you hear the word raw, that's what it means. He's going to continue to improve and he's going to do better than everybody expects."

 

Brewer has drawn comparisons to Brian Jordan and Reggie Sanders, both of whom had respectable Major League careers.

 

Baseball America ranks Brewer as the 19th-best overall prospect in Milwaukee's farm system.

 

The publication also calls him the best athlete in the Brewers' organization.

 

"As might be expected from an athlete sought by Bobby Bowden, Brewer has a long list of physical attributes: speed, strength, a good arm and great range at shortstop," Baseball America wrote in its 2007 Prospect Handbook.

 

"But he's a raw baseball player ... Still maturing physically, Brewer eventually may have to move off shortstop. Scouts believe he could be an outstanding center fielder.

 

"The Brewers just want him to play and gain experience after dividing his loyalties during high school between baseball and football.

 

"As he matures and gets stronger, the Brewers believe he'll develop power. Brewer tried too many batting stances but finally found a comfortable approach, then continued to make strides in instructional league.

 

"He must work hard on his strike-zone discipline, increase his on-base percentage and take advantage of his speed."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...ers-Green/

 

Third base is the charm for Power's Green

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Taylor Green was a last-minute addition to the West Virginia Power roster this season -- and it took a position switch to put him here.

 

Green, a converted shortstop who played second base last year and this spring, impressed coaches in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system with the way he hit in Arizona.

 

Nevertheless, Green figured the Brewers' brass would send him to Helena (Mont.) for a second season in the rookie Pioneer League. However, they thought he was ready for the Class A South Atlantic League.

 

The only problem was, Power second baseman Kenny Holmberg was returning to Charleston for his second season here.

 

So, Milwaukee roving infield instructor Garth Iorg asked Green if he ever had played third base. Green, who earned All-America honors as a shortstop at Cypress (Calif.) College, told Iorg he hadn't but would if necessary.

 

"I had probably played a total of five games at third base in my life," Green said.

 

The Brewers moved Green to third base for the last three days of spring training, and he did well enough to earn a starting job at that position with the Power.

 

"I was hoping they would send me to Charleston," said Green, who knocked in two runs Sunday afternoon in West Virginia's 9-8 road win over Asheville (N.C.). "But I wasn't expecting it."

 

"He is still making the transition from rookie ball, getting used to the environment and adjusting to the league, but he is coming along real good," Power Manager Mike Guerrero said of the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Green, a 20-year-old Canadian who bats left and throws right.

 

"He is making the most out of his playing time. He is showing us that he can do a lot of things at the plate and in the field."

 

Green, a British Columbia native whom the Brewers selected in the 25th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, will try to reverse a strange trend during this homestand.

 

He has hit .362 in 12 road games compared to .219 in 11 home games.

 

So much for home sweet home, huh?

 

Of course, Green will improve on his Power Park totals if he hits like he has in his last eight games (.407 batting average with three homers, eight runs and 13 RBI).

 

"I really don't know why I'm hitting so well right now," said Green, who has a .304 batting average with one triple, four doubles, four homers, 14 runs and 19 RBI in 23 games this season.

 

"I just feel comfortable up at the plate. I'm seeing good pitches. And people are getting on base in front of me. That makes it nice and easy to hit."

 

Green, who normally bats ninth in the Power lineup, has proven his worth in clutch situations.

 

He has hit .381 with runners on base, .448 with runners in scoring position and .667 with the bases loaded.

 

"He has always been a good hitter," Power hitting coach Corey Hart said. "That's why he made the team.

 

"He got off to a slow start. He was anxious to prove himself. He tended to overswing. Then, he got hurt. So, he had some time off in between at-bats. So, he didn't come back sharp.

 

"But he has been able to get in a groove and he's swinging the bat like he can."

 

Green played in only four games before the Power placed him on the disabled list this season, managing only one hit and one run in that span. So, he headed to the bench for his 10-day hiatus with a .077 batting average.

 

"It was really tough to start the season like that," Green said. "You really want to get off to a good start."

 

Even when he wasn't producing at the plate, Green was contributing in the field.

 

He has made only two errors this season despite the position switch.

 

"I always want to play good defense," Green said. "But if I'm not hitting, I try to play even better on defense."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...wer+saver/

 

Submarine Shanks is a real Power saver

E.J. Shanks' switch to submarine pitch has resurrected his career here

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

An unorthodox delivery has led to a resurrected career for West Virginia Power closer E.J. Shanks.

 

Struggling to develop a consistent breaking ball and tired of coaches tinkering with his delivery, Shanks decided to make a change.

 

So, in a sink-or-swim move, he switched to the submarine, a pitching style in which the baseball is delivered with a sidearm or underhand motion.

 

"I was throwing over the top and I had a real inconsistent breaking ball," Shanks said Wednesday afternoon, a few minutes after he pitched the ninth inning to preserve West Virginia's 4-2 win over visiting Augusta (Ga.) in front of a Grand Slam School Day crowd of 6,822 at Appalachian Power Park.

 

"I had a bunch of different pitching coaches trying to change my throwing motion. (The submarine style) was something I talked to one of my old coaches about. He suggested it, and I tried it. It has seemed to pan out so far."

 

Indeed it has. Consider:

 

Using a submarine delivery, he is 9-1 with a 1.66 ERA and nine saves in his last two seasons (2006-07). Using an overhand delivery, he was 2-4 with a 5.46 ERA and two saves in his first two seasons (2004-05).

 

"It's just a matter of keeping the ball down and trying to get people to ground out and trying to take aggressive swings away from them," said Shanks, whom the San Diego Padres selected in the 29th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. "It's my second year doing it. I'm still adapting, and I'm still learning."

 

West Virginia opponents are used to facing pitchers who use an overhand delivery, "then I come into the game and throw from a totally different release point," said Shanks, who made a rare mistake Wednesday when he surrendered a two-run homer on an inside fastball to Augusta designated hitter Matt Weston.

 

"The run on the ball and the movement on the ball is a little bit different. It's something they don't adjust to very quickly and don't see very often. So, it helps me."

 

Power pitching coach John Curtis is pleased with Shanks, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander whose knuckles almost scrape the dirt on the mound when he releases the baseball.

 

"He's tough," Curtis said. "He's a guy who brings a lot of deception and fortitude, and those are ideal characteristics for a closer."

 

Mixing a changeup and slider with an assortment of fastballs that cross the plate in various fashions and locations, Shanks is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA and six saves this season. He also has 17 strikeouts compared to four walks in 25 1/3 innings.

 

Curtis said the most impressive statistic for Shanks, who hasn't blown a lead this season, is his groundball-to-flyball ratio: 10-1.

 

That prompted Curtis to compare Shanks to Baltimore Orioles reliever Chad Bradford, one of the few Major League pitchers with a submarine delivery.

 

"Late in a game, if you can bring in a guy who you know is going to get a groundball, that's fabulous," Curtis said.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers signed Shanks, a 25-year-old Las Vegas native who attended Oklahoma City University, to a minor-league contract in January.

 

Shanks had spent the previous two seasons in independent leagues, trying to revive his professional career after the Padres released him during spring training two years ago.

 

"He was brought here to see what he can do, and he has done more than hold his own," Curtis said.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...+to+shine/

 

Brantley's been good with bat, but first base is spot to shine

Jack Bogaczyk

Charleston Daily Mail Sports Editor

 

It was another Grand Slam School Day at Appalachian Power Park on Wednesday. One of the kids that had the best time was Michael Brantley.

 

Yes, the West Virginia Power first baseman is still a kid -- nothing resembling a goat, however. He only turned 20 last week. When he arrived in Charleston 13 1/2 months ago, he was 18 but already had experienced a solid summer of pro baseball.

 

Still, the southpaw is a very different player than he was a year ago, when he came off the South Atlantic Leaguer disabled list (right shoulder strain) in mid-May batting .180.

 

He's also moved from the outfield to first base, where the guy is giving the Power bigger scoops than you'll ever get in a concession stand ice cream.

 

He finished last season batting .300, reaching the coveted mark on the final day of the season.

 

In Wednesday's 4-2 win over Augusta, Brantley went 2-for-4 with an RBI, raising his average to .306. His 13 extra-base hits are one more than he had all of last season.

 

Most importantly, he's not just looking for a pitch to hit. Brantley looks for the pitch to hit. Maybe it's because he's the son of a former Major Leaguer, Mickey Brantley, who is the Toronto Blue Jays' hitting coach ... maybe not.

 

"He's more experienced as a hitter now (than last season), and he's hitting with a lot of confidence," said Milwaukee's roving hitting instructor, Mike Lum, who was the Power batting coach a year ago and is passing through Charleston this week. "Mechanically, he's not sliding through the swing, either.

 

"Michael has a good eye. He's doesn't swing at bad pitches. He's more aggressive early in the count this year, too. He'll swing at first-pitch fastballs instead of letting it go by like he did."

 

He's also practicing more patience under first-year West Virginia hitting coach Corey Hart.

 

Brantley said he's always had "a good eye, back to high school (in Florida), even back in Little League. I learned what was a strike early. If you're very selective, you don't have to get a hit to get on.

 

"Some of it (his batting average climb last season and success this season) is just being healthy. Some of it is the fact that I'm bigger, stronger."

 

The 6-foot-2 Washington State native has moved into the three hole in the Power order after appearing mostly 7-9 on Manager Mike Guerrero's lineup card a year ago. He's gone from 185 pounds at the start of last season to 195.

 

His walk/strikeout ratio has improved from 1.2 to 1.8 this season. He is nearly halfway (11) to his season steals total of 24 last summer. In three minor league seasons, Brantley is a career .314 hitter.

 

Yet, it is his transition to first base that may pay the biggest dividends. Some are surprised -- but shouldn't be -- by how he handles the big mitt, saving potential infield throwing errors and understanding how to use his feet around the bag.

 

"It's true, my dad wanted me to go into the draft as a first baseman," Brantley said. "I played there a lot as a kid, in high school, but I wanted to go as an outfielder. I liked the outfield."

 

He was a seventh-round pick in the June 2005 draft by the Brewers, and got a $150,000 bonus to sign. Yet, the move to first could enhance and hasten his chances to get to Milwaukee.

 

The Brewers' successful system is overloaded with outfielders -- part of the reason why Brantley and center fielder Darren Ford (.335, 22 steals) are still Power players and not at high Class A Brevard County.

 

There's not a notable prospect field behind Brewer big man Prince Fielder at first in the Milwaukee organization.

 

"My dad loves how I play first," Brantley said Wednesday. "I'm comfortable there or the outfield, wherever they want me, wherever I'm needed."

 

Yeah, but it seems father knows best.

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman

West Virginia Power first baseman Michael Brantley recently made the switch from outfield to infield, where there?s not as much of a logjam in the Milwaukee Brewers? farm system.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/BRANTLEY52307.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...harleston/

 

Jeffress won't get first start here in Charleston

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

The past four days seemed like four years for high-profile pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress because he spent all of them in the West Virginia Power dugout and none of them on the Appalachian Power Park mound.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers promoted Jeffress (pronounced JEFF-ERS) on Thursday, the same day he appeared in an extended spring training game in Arizona.

 

Normal rest required Jeffress, the Brewers' 2006 first-round draft pick, to sit out Friday through Monday.

 

That means his South Atlantic League debut will come on the road instead of at home.

 

"I'm here," Jeffress said Monday morning, a couple of hours before his new team ended its eight-game homestand with a 4-0 win over the Greenville (S.C.) Drive.

 

"I want to pitch anywhere and anytime I can. I would pitch right here right now if I could."

 

Jeffress will get his opportunity today against the Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators, who rank 12th in the 16-team Class A circuit in batting average at a .254 clip.

 

West Virginia pitching coach John Curtis said he prefers that scenario for Jeffress, a hard-throwing right-hander who was the 16th overall pick last year.

 

"There has been a lot written about him up here," Curtis said of Jeffress, who received a $1.55 million signing bonus and whom Baseball America considers the No. 4 overall prospect in the Brewers' farm system. "There hasn't been anything written about him down there.

 

"This way, he goes down there and is essentially an unknown. It wasn't intentional. It just worked out that way. All things considered, it will be a little more comfortable for him."

 

Indeed it will. Plenty of his friends and relatives, including his parents, will attend the game because Kannapolis is only an hour away from his hometown of South Boston, Va.

 

"My parents couldn't wait until I came back home," said Jeffress, 19, who is one year removed from his senior year at Halifax County High School. "They love it. They missed me a lot."

 

Jeffress said his game plan for his debut will be the same as it always is.

 

"Don't try to do too much," he said. "Just try to do the best I can."

 

Jeffress spent last season with the Rookie League Arizona Brewers, posting a 2-5 record and 5.88 earned run average in 13 appearances.

 

He finished 2006 with 37 strikeouts and 25 walks in 33 2/3 innings. He also threw 13 wild pitches and hit six batters.

 

With numbers like those, it is easy to understand why some people are surprised the Brewers brought Jeffress to this level at this time.

 

But Milwaukee roving minor league pitching instructor Jim Rooney contends there is no such thing as "too soon or too late" with prospects.

 

"You're ready when you're ready," Rooney said. "No sooner, no later."

 

The Brewers believe that time is now. So does Jeffress, who has drawn comparisons to former New York Mets ace Dwight Gooden.

 

"I'm ready," he said. "I'm more than ready."

 

Don't get the wrong idea about Jeffress after reading that quote. He is confident, not cocky. He realizes he has a lot to learn, and he thinks this team and this level will provide ample opportunities to do so.

 

"This is a great group of guys," he said. "They are really mature, and they have been winning all season. I'm just watching and learning. I need this pressure and this experience to perform at my best."

 

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jeffress has a slider, curveball and changeup, but his bread-and-butter pitch is a fastball that consistently hits the high 90s.

 

Power starting pitcher Mike Ramlow offered an example of Jeffress' jaw-dropping velocity.

 

Ramlow was working one of the Brewers' radar guns from the stands during a Rookie League game last season. Ramlow said Jeffress topped 100 mph on six consecutive pitches.

 

"It was 100, 102, 101, 103, 101 and 101," Ramlow said. "It was unreal. Then, he hit 94 to 98 the rest of the game."

 

No wonder Jeffress prefers a mano-y-mano approach.

 

"I bring a lot of aggressiveness," he said. "I don't try to trick batters. I go right at them. If they can hit, hit it."

 

Based on the normal five-day rest between starts, Jeffress' first three outings will come on the road. He won't pitch in front of a home crowd until June 14, when the Lake County (Ohio) Captains visit Charleston.

 

It seems safe to say Jeffress will be worth the wait, especially for Rod Blackstone, who is known around the league for celebrating Power pitchers' strikeouts by throwing toast in the stands behind home plate.

 

"He told me he has plenty of toast waiting on me," Jeffress said.

[homer]

I had no idea he pronounced his name Jeff-ers.

[Team Canada]

Ditto, I never knew that.

[DHonks]

I always thought it was Jeffress. I've heard him called Jeffries (as in, Jeffrey's)

[Mass Haas]

Big-time West Virginia Power fan and Brewerfan poster "wvpowerblkwel" recently submitted his photo of the pitching motion of the Power's E. J. Shanks, who was featured in an article a few posts up in this thread. Thanks!

 

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/phearinc/DSC_2072.jpg

[Never Outhustled]

Ramlow was working one of the Brewers' radar guns from the stands during a Rookie League game last season. Ramlow said Jeffress topped 100 mph on six consecutive pitches.

 

"It was 100, 102, 101, 103, 101 and 101," Ramlow said. "It was unreal. Then, he hit 94 to 98 the rest of the game."

 

Wow. just wow.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...easy-task/

 

SAL All-Star voting is no easy task

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

They say two heads are better than one.

 

That certainly was the case 10 days ago when I cast my ballot for the South Atlantic League All-Star Team as the West Virginia Power media representative.

 

An easy assignment, right?

 

Think again.

 

The ballot requires the voter to pick a manager, pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, right fielder, center fielder, left fielder, designated hitter, utility infielders (two), utility outfielders (two) and trainer for the Northern and Southern divisions' teams.

 

It had a blank for everything but vendor -- and it's too bad that wasn't a category, by the way, because the Appalachian Power Park kid with the trademark chant of "Peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jacks heeere" is a no-doubt-about-it, first-team selection.

 

Ballots were due May 26 (and the league is expected to announce the team rosters this week, according to SAL President John Henry Moss). At that time, I had seen six of the eight Northern Division teams compared to one of the eight Southern Division clubs.

 

No one in Charleston has seen more SAL baseball than Power media relations director Andy Barch, who is the play-by-play man for all of West Virginia's games. Although he had seen all eight Northern Division teams, even he had seen only two Southern Division clubs before he submitted his ballot.

 

Tag-teaming the ballot, we decided, was the only way to attack it.

 

Selecting the Northern Division team was easy; picking the Southern Division squad wasn't.

 

The reason, of course, was our limited knowledge.

 

Relying largely on statistics, along with a couple of recommendations Barch had received from his broadcast buddies in the South, we picked the best team possible for the Southern Division considering we hadn't seen more than half of its teams.

 

Barch said other voters, including managers, had the same problem.

 

"I have heard it every year," Barch said. "When it comes to the Southern Division, guys are like, ?Who do I pick here?' They like to vote for players they have seen before. But there are so many players they haven't seen. That's what makes it tough for them."

 

That is why Moss, who will retire at the end of the year, or his successor, needs to change the voting process.

 

And here is a simple solution: Let Northern Division managers, coaches, executives, media members and fans votes for the Northern Division rosters and let Southern Division managers, coaches, executives, media members and fans votes for the Southern Division rosters.

 

"We have seen Greensboro enough to know that Chris Coghlan is a heck of a second baseman," Barch said. "We have seen Lexington enough to know that James Van Ostrand is a good outfielder and great hitter.

 

"We know that because we have seen that.

 

"But there are a lot of guys we just don't get to see. We're just basing our picks on numbers. But we have no other choice. It's kind of unfair to the players because some guys might get votes who don't deserve it.

 

"Maybe there's a five-tool player who took more time than expected getting used to playing in this environment. He had a slow start in April, but he turned it on in May. So, he might be the best player at his position (in the league), but his overall stats aren't as good as somebody else's. That's one of the problems. Numbers don't always tell the whole story."

 

Take Power third baseman Taylor Green, for example.

 

He hit .250 with one homer, one triple, three doubles, five runs and six RBI in April compared to .400 with five homers, seven doubles, 18 runs and 23 RBI in May.

 

Yet some voters might not have included him on their ballot because his .316 batting average as of May 25, the day before votes were due, might not have grabbed their attention. Or perhaps they overlooked it altogether.

 

If they had seen him, however, they would have seen for themselves how well he can swing the bat -- and from the No. 9 spot, no less. They also would have seen him in the field, where he almost always makes the routine plays and more often than not makes the spectacular ones.

 

In his case and others, seeing is believing.

 

"In my opinion," Barch said, "it would make more sense for everyone to just vote for their own divisions."

 

The process would be fairer and the teams would be better that way.

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman

West Virginia Power first baseman Michael Brantley is a South Atlantic League All-Star candidate. Brantley is batting .333 with 32 runs batted in.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/Brantley6407.jpg

[homer]

I can see why people think Brantley might develop power eventually - look at that Popeye forearm.

[pogokat]

brantley is a pretty big guy...i think he'll eventually hit 10-15 homers a year and 30+ doubles...

[Mass Haas]

Your South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the w/e June 3rd:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp

 

Chuck Caufield, West Virginia

.429 (12-28), 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB, .679 SLG

Chuck Caufield keeps on trucking and so do the West Virginia Power. Caufield led the Power with four hits and three RBIs as they clobbered the Grasshoppers 15-3 on Sunday. For the week Caufield knocked in 11 runs, good for second in the South Atlantic League. After a torrid week, Caufield improved him already impressive season totals to: .330 hitting (sixth in the SAL), 42 runs, 73 hits (first in the SAL) and 44 RBIs.

[Mass Haas]

The Power's Taylor Green is your Brewer Organization Player of the Month - wow!

 

More details later from the Brewers' site.