Your 2007 WV Power: Latest -- Steve Chapman Video

[Mass Haas]

I agree with the general tone of this article from the Charleston Daily Mail, but the South Atlantic League is a 16-team league (eight teams in each division fill 27 spots), and you're just not going to be able to get the entire Power roster on the All-Star squad. But only four of 27 spots to this club -- that's just not right. Ridiculous.

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...Star-Team/

 

Power puts four on SAL All-Star Team

From Charleston Daily Mail staff reports

 

West Virginia might lead the South Atlantic League with a robust .301 batting average, but it didn't have very much power when it came to the league's All-Star Game balloting.

 

Despite having the best record in the SAL (39-16 entering this morning's home game with Greensboro), the Power landed only four players on the Northern Division squad for the 48th annual SAL All-Star Game on June 19 at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Ga.

 

The Power's lone All-Star starter on the Northern's 27-man roster is center fielder Darren Ford. Selected as a backup at catcher was teammate Andy Bouchie.

 

Two Power pitchers, starter Mike McClendon and reliever E.J. Shanks, were also chosen in balloting by league team executives, managers, coaches, media and, in some cities, fans.

 

The game's starting pitchers will be decided by the All-Star managers. The Northern skipper is the Power's Mike Guerrero, who will be joined in the staff by West Virginia first-year hitting coach Corey Hart.

 

Three West Virginia players who rank among the top seven in the league in hitting -- third baseman Taylor Green, first baseman Michael Brantley and right fielder Chuckie Caufield -- were not selected.

 

All are hitting at least .329.

 

Green is tied for the league lead at .364.

 

Ford is hitting .346 with five homers and 33 RBI, and leads the SAL with 31 stolen bases.

 

Ford shares the league lead in hits with teammate Caufield at 74. Brantley has 70.

 

Bouchie is hitting .263 with three homers and 19 RBI.

 

McClendon is 5-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 11 starts, and Shanks is 3-0 with nine saves, and an impressive 1.19 ERA in 30 innings.

 

The Power's .301 team batting average leads the league by 27 points.

 

Asheville led the SAL in All-Star selections with seven players on the Southern Division team, and tourists Manager Joe Mikulik will manage that team for the third time since 2000. He played in the game in 1985 as a Houston Astros' minor leaguer.

 

Topping the Northern Division in selections were Lake County and Lakewood, with five apiece.

 

The Power had three players in last year's SAL All-Star Game -- third baseman Mat Gamel, catcher Angel Salome and outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...chers+pay/

 

Caufield makes pitchers pay

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

As a quarterback at Oklahoma's Ada High School, Chuckie Caufield played well enough to garner scholarship offers from Oklahoma and Tennessee.

 

Now, a year after being chosen in the 39th round (1,172nd overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft, the 23-year old is opening eyes and turning heads on the baseball diamond.

 

Nearly halfway through the South Atlantic League season, the West Virginia Power outfielder sits near the top of the league's standings in several offensive categories.

 

The reigning SAL Player of the Week, Caufield has a league-best 74 hits, having batted a torrid 11-for-26, with a pair of homers and 10 RBI in six games from May 29 to June 3.

 

Caufield is batting .329 in 55 games, after finishing his first professional season with a .284 average last year.

 

So, just what is Caufield's secret for success in his second professional season?

 

"I hit pitchers' mistakes," Caufield said before the Power rallied to beat Greensboro 8-6 Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park. "The pitches I do hit are mistakes and I haven't missed them for the most part.

 

"But the main thing is not to try to get too big. The thing that's helped me is that I've been satisfied with the base hits, trying to maintain a good attitude and be humble.

 

"I've used a short stroke to just get the ball in play and hit the ball to all fields."

 

Caufield credits his age and maturity level for his ability to remain level headed while trying to master the toughest task in professional athletics.

 

"The main thing is to be consistent with your hitting by coming out everyday and doing the same thing over and over," Caufield said. "At my age, I feel a little more mature. When I used to get out, I'd get upset and throw a helmet here and there, but I'm past that stage in my life.

 

"Now when I strike out or do something else negative, I walk back to the dugout knowing that I'll have another shot at it. I don't see it at as the end of the world anymore. I just try to keep a level head out there.

 

"In the game of baseball, it always comes back around. You'll have another shot sooner or later. A lot of guys beat themselves down early in the game, sometimes in the first or second inning.

 

"You can't down on yourself because there's still seven more innings to play and there's going to be at least two or three more chances to get the job done."

 

Power hitting coach Corey Hart also credits Caufield's maturity level for his success at the plate.

 

"He's one of the older guys that played in college, so he knows how to make adjustments at the plate when he needs to," Hart said. "He makes them from pitch to pitch and from at bat to at bat. Some of the younger guys might make an adjustment day to day or from week to week.

 

"Being mature and being around the game, he knows his swing and how to be successful.

 

"He doesn't try to do too much. He knows what kind of player he is. He's not a player that hits a lot of home runs, so he doesn't try to do that. He has his plan at the plate and he sticks to it."

 

That wasn't always the case for Caufield.

 

After one season at Seminole (Okla.) Junior College, Caufield was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 25th round of the 2003 draft. However, his lack of baseball maturity led him back to school for his sophomore season.

 

"I was just 18 years old and I really didn't know too much about baseball," Caufield said. "I played football, basketball and baseball from my freshmen to senior years in high school. I just went season to season, so I didn't really concentrate on one sport.

 

"I really just got by on my athletic ability and I still had a lot to learn. I wasn't mature enough in the game of baseball to go out on my own and be thrown into this game.

 

"In junior college, I had a chance to play in the fall and spring and got a lot of baseball work in. I was able to iron some things out before I signed with Oklahoma."

 

After a pair of successful seasons with the Sooners, Caufield felt ready when the Brewers came calling last season.

 

And while he naturally would like to have been drafted higher in the draft, Caufield knows that draft status doesn't mean much once you look past signing bonuses.

 

"Every player wants to go high in the draft and sometimes it can bother you a little bit, but the main thing is that I did get drafted," he said. "So many people don't have the opportunity to do what I do. Plus, we all go to the same place once your drafted, so we all have to go through the same thing.

 

"We go through the same spring training, we go to the same teams, so the only thing that matters is what I do now, not what I did then.

 

"Other players may have gotten a bigger signing bonus, but every player's goal is not to be drafted and get a big signing bonus. It's to play Major League baseball, so we're all still working to reach that ultimate goal.

 

"I just want to stay humble and let the good happen for you. Don't be too greedy, just stay consistent and maintain a steady mindset."

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photos: Craig Cunningham

West Virginia Power outfielder Chuckie Caufield on Tuesday was named the South Atlantic League's Player of the Week.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/Acaufield6607.jpg

 

Oklahoma and Tennessee wanted Power outfielder Chuckie Caufield to play quarterback for their college football teams.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/ABcaufield2.jpg

[Mass Haas]

I thought I remembered a post here asking for the complete South Atlantic League All-Star roster -- this multi-page article includes the list:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2007060633

[aintbize]

Thanks Mass. WOW! How does Green, Brantley not get a sniff and Holmberg, too. I am also amazed Braddock is not on that roster unless it's due to his injury. Are we the Rodney Dangerfield's of minor league baseball?

[aintbize]

Just to be clear, Caufield definitely got snubbed, as well!

[Mass Haas]

We'll try and find out what adjustments to the Sally League All-Star game will be made now that E.J. Shanks, Mike McClendon, and Darren Ford have been promoted to high-A.

 

Perhaps others snubbed earlier (not Michael Brantley, now in Huntsville) will be named in their stead.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...re-a-joke/

 

SAL All-Star results are a joke

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Someone needs to let South Atlantic League executives, managers, coaches, fans and media members know that Budweiser commercials aren't serious -- particularly the popular one in which face-slapping is promoted as the latest-and-greatest gesture among friends.

 

The aforementioned SAL parties must have thought they were paying the West Virginia Power the ultimate compliment last week when they delivered a collective slap in the face.

 

How else can you explain that the Power -- the league's best team, with a 44-17 record and .721 winning percentage through Monday -- has only four selections on the SAL All-Star Team, as voted on by those participants?

 

Four teams -- Asheville (seven), Augusta (five), Lake County (five) and Lakewood (five) -- have more selections than West Virginia.

 

Four more clubs -- the other Charleston, Columbus, Delmarva and Greensboro -- have the same number as the Northern Division frontrunner.

 

I don't agree with it, but I have no problem with Asheville (39-23) and Augusta (45-18) having that many selections.

 

One, both of those teams are outstanding but not better than West Virginia. The Tourists and GreenJackets are 1-3 and 2-2 against the Power this season.

 

Two, and more importantly, both of those teams are in the Southern Division, where they are the cream of the crop.

 

But Lakewood (30-31) and Lake County (29-34)?

 

That is flat-out ridiculous. Both of those teams are mediocre-at-best clubs with below-average records, not to mention the Northern Division's fourth- and fifth-place squads.

 

West Virginia, which leads the low Class A SAL with a .302 batting average, deserved a league-high (and franchise-record) eight selections.

 

Voters were right to select center fielder Darren Ford, starting pitcher Mike McClendon and relief pitcher E.J. Shanks, all of whom were no-doubt-about-it picks.

 

None of them will get to play in the game, however, because the Brewers promoted all of them to high Class A Brevard County (Fla.) on Friday.

 

Catcher Andy Bouchie was a surprising selection to some because of his good-but-not-great statistics (.275 batting average, three homers, 10 doubles, 19 runs and 20 RBI). His totals, by the way, aren't helped by the fact that he platoons with Martin Maldonado, who has played almost as many games (34 compared to 33) as he has.

 

What people fail to realize about Bouchie is how well he has played behind the plate. There is a reason Baseball America called him the "best defensive player" in the Brewers' farm system in its 2007 Prospect Handbook. It is a dead-on assessment (a couple of his pickoff throws at third base have left me shaking my head in amazement).

 

What I can't understand is how starting pitcher Zach Braddock, outfielder/first baseman Michael Brantley, outfielder Chuckie Caufield and third baseman Taylor Green were left off the team.

 

Consider:

 

- Braddock owns a 3-1 record and 1.21 earned run average with 66 strikeouts compared to 14 walks in 44 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .166 against him. He doesn't have enough innings pitched because of his recent stint on the disabled list with tendonitis. Otherwise, his strikeouts per nine innings rate (13.31) would lead minor league baseball.

 

- Brantley is tied with Ford for fourth in the league in batting average (.335), but the Brewers promoted him to Class AA Huntsville on Friday. He had 15 doubles, 32 RBI and 41 runs. He was one of the league's most patient hitters, as evidenced by his 31 walks compared to 22 strikeouts.

 

- Caufield ranks first in the league in hits (83) and third in RBI (52). He is tied with Brantley and Ford for fourth in batting average (.340). He is tied for fifth in runs (47). He also is the only Power player to appear in all 61 games this year.

 

- Green ranks second in the league in slugging percentage (.601) and second in batting average (.346). He also has eight homers, 13 doubles, 29 runs and 34 RBI from his No. 9 spot in the Power lineup.

 

Yet none of those guys earned a spot on the team?

 

It seems some SAL voters left their objectivity at the door. That is a shame.

 

With that in mind, here is an idea for next year: Let's save the homers for the all-star game, not the all-star ballots.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.adaeveningnews.com/lo...05709.html

 

Caufield doin? it all

 

Former Ada High and University of Oklahoma baseball star Chuckie Caufield is tearing up the Class A South Atlantic League.

 

Caufield was named the league?s ?Offensive Player of the Week,? and named to the All-Star squad in recent weeks.

 

NOTE: While not yet announced, it is hoped that Caufield is named as a replacement for the All-Star squad -- Mass.

 

The four-sport star, who is batting cleanup for the Power, was a 39th-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 and has played both right and center field during the 2007 season.

 

Caufield has been clutch at the plate ? one of the league?s top hitters with runners in scoring position, hitting .396 with runners in scoring position and .469 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

 

Caufield was named the Player of the Week for the period between May 29-June 3. During that stretch, he went 11-for-26 with seven runs scored, two home runs and 10 RBIs.

 

He currently leads the league with 73 hits and his .330 batting average ranks seventh in the league. He?s also driven in a team-high 44 runs this year.

 

The West Virginia Power went into Tuesday?s play with a whopping 10 1/2 game lead in the SAL?s Northern Division.

 

?Chuckie really loves playing in West Virginia,? said his Mom Annette. ?He loves the people there. They really support the team. There?s probably 5,000 or so in attendance at every game.?

 

Charles and Annette Caufield, Chuckie?s parents, plan to travel to West Virginia to watch their son play on his birthday July 6.

 

The South Atlantic All-Star game is June 19 at Rome, Ga.

 

Audio of the the Power?s games are provided on the Web site at www.wvpower.com.

 

Evolution of a star -- Chuckie Caufield?s route to the West Virginia Power, the Milwaukee Brewers? Minor League affiliate, began at Ada High

Ada Evening News Photos by Richard R. Barron

 

http://www.adaeveningnews.com/localsports/images_sizedimage_164105829/xl

 

And then went through the University of Oklahoma...

 

http://www.adaeveningnews.com/localsports/images_sizedimage_164105925/xl

[Mass Haas]

Infielder Taylor Green's hometown paper in Canada with a submitted photo:

 

http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals/uploads/courtenay/.DIR288/batter__070613.jpg

[Mass Haas]

From Thursday's Link Report:

 

The Power will receive a three-day mini-vacation for the SAL all-star break. The all-star game is set for 7:30 (6:30 Central) Tuesday night at State Mutual Stadium, the home of the Rome (Ga.) Braves.

 

Power Manager Mike Guerrero will lead the Northern Division all-star team. Power hitting coach Corey Hart will join Guerrero on the staff.

 

Catcher Andy Bouchie, center fielder Darren Ford, starting pitcher Mike McClendon and relief pitcher E.J. Shanks were selected to the all-star team.

 

But Ford, McClendon and Shanks won't play in the game because the Milwaukee Brewers promoted them to high Class A Brevard County (Fla.) last week.

 

Starting pitcher Zach Braddock, outfielder Chuckie Caufield and third baseman Taylor Green will replace Ford, McClendon and Shanks on the all-star roster, according to league officials.

[Mass Haas]

Charleston Daily Mail:

 

The Power had six players promoted in the first half. Its parent club, the Milwaukee Brewers, sent Darren Ford and utility player Anderson De La Rosa to high Class A Brevard County (Fla.) along with pitchers Mike McClendon, Patrick Ryan and E.J. Shanks. Milwaukee also sent Brantley to Class AA Huntsville (Ala.).

 

Ford, McClendon, Shanks and catcher Andy Bouchie made the SAL All-Star team. But Ford, McClendon and Shanks were removed from the roster when they were promoted. They were replaced by starting pitcher Zach Braddock, Caufield and Green. Braddock, however, is injured (see the Transaction thread) and didn't make the trip to the all-star game. Instead, relief pitcher Travis Wendte took his place.

 

The SAL All-Star Break started today and ends Wednesday. Guerrero, Hart, Bouchie, Caufield, Green and Wendte are representing the Power in the all-star game, which is set for 7:30 Tuesday night (6:30 Central) at State Mutual Stadium in Rome, Ga.

[fredsfan]

Braddock was selected but declined due to DL status by the pitching staff. Then after his first game back set to go and then placed back on the the DL for the elbow strain. At 19 the nomination is an honor. Yikes, want a ticket on this rollercoaster ? Thank God for trip protection http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Boy Jeenius]

Just for the record, I'm the only person who squeaked when Wendte did not even get a sniff on the Power 50. Seems his being 24 in A ball eliminates him from consideration. I don't necessarily disagree. But the boy has strung together a season, no matter his age, he's got results.

[Mass Haas]

Charleston Gazette:

 

Sally League All-Star game tonight in Ga.

 

The smallest city in the South Atlantic League will stage one of the league?s premier events today.

 

Rome, Ga., will play host to the 48th SAL All-Star Game at 7:30 PM (6:30 Central) at State Mutual Stadium. Four players are on the North roster of the West Virginia Power ? Andy Bouchie, Chuckie Caufield, Taylor Green and Travis Wendte. Power players Darren Ford, Mike McClendon and E.J. Shanks were also picked but were promoted and will not attend the All-Star Game.

 

West Virginia manager Mike Guerrero and hitting coach Corey Hart will also participate. Guerrero is the skipper of the Northern Division all-stars.

[Mass Haas]

All-Star Game preview from Rome includes quotes from Mike Guerrero:

 

209.41.184.21/partners/68...15220.html

 

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES: Tuesday night?s Home Run Derby will feature three participants from each division.

 

Representing the Southern Division will be Ryan Royster of Columbus, Chris Carter of Kannapolis, and Victor Ferrante of Asheville.

 

From the Northern Division, it will be Lake County?s Matt Whitney, West Virginia?s Taylor Green and Greensboro?s Logan Morrison.

 

Those six players combined for 71 home runs in the first half of the season. Whitney led the Northern Division with 16, and Carter led the South with 15.

 

Morrison had 13, Royster 10, Green 9, and Ferrante 8.

 

The Derby will operate with a three-round format. Each player gets 10 outs (all swings that did not result in a homer are ruled as ?outs?) in the first round.

 

The top two finishers from each division will advance to the second round, where one winner from each division will advance to the finals.

[Mass Haas]

6:30 Eastern, purchase the game for viewing here:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../video.jsp

 

Free audio here:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

Follow box score and game log here:

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...d=20070619

[Mass Haas]

Charleston Gazette:

 

Caufield singles in All-Star victory

Northern Division prevails 3-1 in Sally League showcase

 

ROME, Ga. ? West Virginia Power manager Mike Guerrero and hitting coach Corey Hart guided the Northern Division to a 3-1 victory over the Southern Division in the 48th annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game at Rome, Ga., on Tuesday night.

 

Power outfielder Chuckie Caufield, who played the entire game in left and right fields, singled in the sixth for one of the Northern Division?s four hits.

 

The Power had three other players on the Northern Division All-Star roster in Taylor Green, who started at third base and went 0-for-3, catcher Andy Bouchie, who came into the game in the the fifth and went hitless in his only at-bat, and pitcher Travis Wendte, who worked the fourth and gave up three hits but worked out of a jam.

 

Former Power players Darren Ford, Mike McClendon and E.J. Shanks were originally selected for the All-Star Game, but were promoted and couldn?t attend. Power pitcher Zach Braddock was picked as one of the replacements, but couldn?t attend because of an injury.

 

The Southern Division All-Stars pounded out 11 hits, but stranded 11 base runners. Desmond Jennings led off with a single in the first and scored on a double by Mitchell Hilligoss for the Southern Division?s only run. Caulfield?s fielding error in the first advanced Hilligoss to third with no outs, but he was stranded as the next three batters were retired.

 

The North scored all of its runs in the fourth.

 

The season?s second half gets under way Thursday with the Power taking on the Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators at 7:05 PM Thursday (6:05 Central) at in the first game of a four-game series at Appalachian Power Park.

 

MiLB.com's coverage, including box score:

No specific Power players mentioned, although there is a photo gallery with a team picture...

 

web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=milb

 

Travis Wendte's 5th inning:

 

- Pitcher Change: Travis Wendte replaces Bradley Bergesen.

- Nevin Ashley singles on a soft ground ball to pitcher Travis Wendte.

- Eduardo Nunez grounds into double play, shortstop Carlos Rivero to second baseman Chris Coghlan to first baseman Matthew Whitney. Nevin Ashley out at 2nd.

- Desmond Jennings singles on a sharp ground ball to left fielder James Van Ostrand.

- Mitchell Hilligoss singles on a ground ball to left fielder James Van Ostrand. Desmond Jennings to 2nd.

- With Daniel Mayora batting, Desmond Jennings steals (1) 3rd base. Mitchell Hilligoss steals (1) 2nd base.

- Daniel Mayora grounds out softly, pitcher Travis Wendte to first baseman Matthew Whitney.

[Mass Haas]

Video from the All-Star Game:

No particular Power highlights that I could see, but big outfield puddles...

 

www1.romenews-tribune.com.../video/248

 

Rain cancels HR Derby:

 

209.41.184.21/partners/68...15451.html

 

Article excerpt:

 

Royster, Ferrante and Kannapolis? Chris Carter were to swing for the Southern Division while Lake County?s Matt Whitney, Greensboro?s Logan Morrison and West Virginia?s Taylor Green were up for the North.

 

Whitney led the Northern Division and the league in the first half with 16 home runs while Carter led the Southern Division with 15.

 

Green, who had amassed nine homers before the All-Star break, said that he wasn?t sure how putting in some extra swings in the derby would have made things different.

 

?I?ve just swung the bat pretty decently the entire first half,? he said. ?I?m not sure how that would have effected me in the home run derby.?

 

Manager Mike Guerrero:

 

http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/galTestImages/AllstarsO.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...All-Stars/

 

Power Park to host All-Stars

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Charleston and Appalachian Power Park will serve as the host city and facility for the 2009 South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

 

The low Class A baseball circuit's owners and directors made that decision in a unanimous vote Tuesday at their annual summer meeting.

 

"We're excited," West Virginia Power General Manager Ryan Gates said Tuesday during a phone interview from Rome, Ga., where the Northern Division posted a 3-1 win over the Southern Division in the SAL All-Star Game later that night.

 

"It's two years from now, but we have our work cut out for us. Rome has set the bar high. They have done a lot of great things during this year's festivities."

 

The franchise has hosted an all-star game only one other time in its 20 years in the SAL. That was in 1989, when the Northern Division defeated the Southern Division, 14-4, at Watt Powell Park.

 

Appalachian Power Park is a $23 million facility that opened in 2005, which made it an attractive option to the league.

 

"That was one of the main selling points," Gates said.

 

He and his front-office colleagues will begin searching for a sponsor for the 2009 game and its festivities.

 

West Virginia ran unopposed for the 2009 game, but only because Greenville, S.C., chose to run unopposed for the 2010 game at West End Field.

 

"The league likes to showcase its most recent stadiums," Gates said. "Greensboro (First Horizon Park) has the 2008 game. We're the newest stadium that hasn't had an all-star game.

 

"Greenville, recognizing that and realizing the league's preference, decided to go for the 2010 game. There were other teams that were interested in bidding. But, in the interest of keeping with the policy of the league, they held off."

 

The date of the 2009 game hasn't been determined, Gates said, because the league wants to move it away from the Father's Day weekend.

 

"It will probably be the week before or the week after Father's Day," he said.

 

Gates outlined the Power's tentative plans for its upcoming SAL All-Star Game:

 

League officials and team members will start arriving Sunday, and the Power will have a hospitality room waiting for them.

"We will utilize Power Alley Grill and The Clubhouse (a meeting/catering room in the 601 Morris St. team office building)," Gates said.

 

The Power will have three entertainment options for the visitors Monday morning and afternoon.

 

One is a golf outing.

 

"That's the norm," Gates said.

 

Another is a whitewater rafting excursion.

 

"A lot of these people haven't had an opportunity to do that," Gates said.

 

The other option is a John Amos Power Plant tour.

 

"They can learn how energy is created from start to finish," Gates said.

 

The Power also will organize an event, which likely will feature a concert at Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center, for the visitors Monday night.

 

The Power will hold the SAL Hall of Fame Luncheon at the Clay Center, where a featured speaker will address the crowd Tuesday morning.

 

Gates said among the possibilities are Jerry West and John Kruk, West Virginia natives who have excelled in their respective sports not only as players but also in other capacities.

 

West is a former National Basketball Association star who also has made a name for himself as an executive. Kruk is a former Major League Baseball slugger and current ESPN telecast analyst. Some consider him one of the most entertaining and insightful analysts in the profession.

 

"We're looking to go after someone of that stature," Gates said.

 

There will be a skills competition, home run derby and autograph session before the All-Star Game on Tuesday night. A fireworks display will end the activities.

 

"We'll continue to tweak these plans and make it the best experience we can," he said.

 

* * *

League officials also named Eric Krupa as the successor to retiring SAL President John Henry Moss, 88, who is in his 50th year in charge of the eight-state, 16-team circuit.

 

Krupa is in his 10th year as the director of business and finance for the National Association of Professional Baseball, which is the organization that oversees the minor leagues. He also serves as the administrator of the umpire program.

 

Krupa has a bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics from Lafayette (Pa.) College and a master's degree in sports administration and facility management from Ohio University. He is a native of Wyomissing, Pa.

 

He previously worked in the front office for the Reading (Pa.) Phillies of the Class AA Eastern League.

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Tom Hindman

Three-year old Appalachian Power Park will be host to the 2009 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. The Power?s average attendance has gone up its first two seasons and is currently 3,572 this season, about 200 fewer than the 2006 average.

 

http://www.dailymail.com/images/0620app.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Hopefully the Brewers and Power will still be affiliated in 2009.

 

Next summer, Brevard hosts the Florida State League All-Star Game.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.thecitizen.com/node/18421

 

Creek grad growing in Brewer's farm system

By: Michael Boylan, The Citizen.com (Georgia)

 

Sandy Creek graduate Brent Brewer is just past the middle of his first full season with the West Virginia Power, a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. He is the starting shortstop for the Power, which won the South Atlantic League Northern division for the first half of the season, and is playing well while adjusting to the game at the minor league level.

 

?I have seen an elevation in my game, in both my hitting and defense,? Brewer said. ?Even when I struggle, I just keep pushing hard.

 

Brewer struggled a bit in the game that this reporter attended, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and committing several errors, but he rebounded after that game, getting nine hits in his next seven games, driving in two RBIs from the second spot in the lineup and stealing five bases. So far, Brewer has a .275 batting average, 94 hits, 62 runs scored, 15 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 30 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. He also has 31 errors, but it hasn?t gotten him down. The Power will be in the playoffs and Brewer is hoping to get some at bats with Brevard County at the end of the season.

 

While the baseball season keeps him on the road for long periods of time, he was back in Fayette County during the minor league?s all star break, visiting with family and friends. His brother, Blake, may have a future in baseball as well, although he is still interested in several sports including basketball. Reflecting on his days at Sandy Creek, Brewer talked about playing with Calvin Johnson in both football and baseball.

 

?He just taught me a lot about playing the game hard,? Brewer said. The two are still close friends, but haven?t talked in a few weeks as both have been rather busy this summer.

 

It is obvious to any casual observer that Brewer and his teammates love the game and are enjoing the season. If you?d like to catch the Power and can?t make it to West Virginia this summer, they will be playing on the road at the Columbus Catfish, July 30-Aug. 2 and the Rome Braves, Aug. 3-6.

[Mass Haas]

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Power vets waiting for their turn

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

A plain piece of printer paper is taped to the back wall of Kenny Holmberg's locker inside the West Virginia Power's clubhouse.

 

Written on the paper in big, bold, black letters with a Sharpie is a quotation. He often hears it from his father, Auburn Doubledays Manager Dennis Holmberg, a veteran skipper who has 1,106 wins and 1,007 losses in his baseball career.

 

"Yesterday is history," it reads. "Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why they call it the present."

 

Holmberg sees that piece of paper before each game at Appalachian Power Park.

 

"That's a good reminder," he said. "You're at where you're at. So, just do what you can do."

 

That quotation never has been more applicable than it is now for Holmberg and teammates Chuckie Caufield, Andrew Lefave and Travis Wendte.

 

Those four have been among West Virginia's most consistent and most productive players this season. They also are among its oldest.

 

That is why a lot of people are scratching their heads, wondering when the Milwaukee Brewers will promote the deserving quartet.

 

"It's always in the back of your mind, I'm not going to lie," Wendte said. "But if I worried about things I can't control, I think that would negatively affect (my approach and performance).

 

"If you start thinking, 'I have to do this to move up or I have to do that to move up,' then you might put too much pressure on yourself.

 

"Just try to be successful. When you let things slip into your mind like, 'I shouldn't be here or I should be there,' you're not going to be able to be successful."

 

Lefave leads the South Atlantic League in hitting with a .341 batting average. The first baseman/outfielder also has nine home runs, 15 doubles, 38 walks, 49 RBI and 58 runs in 68 games.

 

Caufield ranks first in the low Class A circuit in two categories: RBI (69) and hits (109). The SAL All-Star outfielder also has a .310 batting average, four triples, six homers, 21 doubles and 68 runs in 87 games.

 

Holmberg has solid numbers across the board: .300 batting average, 10 homers, 19 doubles, 49 walks, 53 runs and 55 RBI in 73 games for the second baseman.

 

Wendte owns a 6-0 record and 2.44 earned run average. The SAL All-Star reliever has allowed 16 runs (14 earned) and 39 hits in 51 2/3 innings in 22 games with 47 strikeouts and 15 walks.

 

Caufield, Holmberg and Wendte are 24, but Wendte will turn 25 in November. LeFave is 23.

 

Of the 27 Power players, only five others are in the same age bracket. That means they are on a shorter timetable than their younger teammates and competitors.

 

"It's out of my control," Holmberg said. "I'm at a point in my life where all I can do is play and just be happy and satisfied that I can still play. I just go out every day and play as hard as I can and do what I can do to help the team win."

 

Logjams at their positions don't help.

 

According to Baseball America's preseason rankings, eight of the Brewers' top 30 minor-league prospects are outfielders -- No. 6 Lorenzo Cain, No. 8 Cole Gillespie, No. 12 Charlie Fermaint, No. 13 Darren Ford, No. 17 Tony Gwynn Jr., No. 20 Chris Errecart, No. 26 Brendan Katin and No. 28 Steve Chapman.

 

Chapman and Fermaint are here. Cain, Gillespie, Errecart and Ford are at high Class A Brevard County. Katin is at Class AA Huntsville. Gwynn is in Milwaukee.

 

And that list doesn't even include 20-year-old Michael Brantley, whom the Brewers double-promoted from West Virginia to Huntsville last month.

 

With that in mind, Caufield sees the benefit in the situation.

 

"In some circumstances, you might move up but sit the bench behind somebody," he said. "It's better to be at a lower level where you can play in a lot of games. It's easier to learn and improve when you're on the field than it is when you're on the bench."

 

Holmberg is the fourth-ranked second baseman, three spots behind top-ranked Hernan Iribarren, the Brewers' No. 21 overall prospect.

 

A position switch wouldn't be wise. Five of the Brewers' top 30 minor-league prospects are shortstops (No. 9 Alcides Escobar, No. 14 Yohannis Perez and No. 19 Brent Brewer) or third basemen (No. 10 Mat Gamel and No. 29 Vinny Rottino).

 

Rottino is at Class AAA Nashville. Escobar and Iribarren are at Huntsville. Gamel and Perez are at Brevard County. Brewer is here.

 

Caufield, LeFave and Wendte aren't even listed in the rankings for their positions.

 

"Obviously, I care about moving up as soon as I can," Lefave said. "But I know the Brewers will make the right decision for me. All I can do is go out and play the game to the best of my ability everyday. I'm just trying to make it harder for them to not move me up."

 

Also keep in mind that those rankings don't factor in the Brewers' Major League players, many of whom are very young and very talented. Six of Milwaukee's everyday starters are younger than or the same age as Caufield, Holmberg and Wendte.

 

In addition to the 24-year-old Gwynn, there is 23-year-old first baseman Prince Fielder, 24-year-old second baseman Rickie Weeks, 24-year-old shortstop J.J. Hardy, 23-year-old third baseman Ryan Braun and 25-year-old right fielder Corey Hart.

 

"It's just bad timing for some of us," Holmberg said. "But what are you going to do about it? Are you going to pout? Are you going to cry? Are you going to tell other people where you should be? I don't think you should do that. I think you should go out and do your job and be happy."

 

The veterans are making the most of their situation, trying to help their team win and their younger teammates grow.

 

"That's why we play and work like we do," Holmberg said. "We can show them the right way to do things, and we can answer their questions and give them the advice they're seeking."

[Mass Haas]

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From July 18th --

 

Former Vikings meet once again at professional level

BRYAN C. HANKS

Kinston (N.C.) Free Press Sports Editor

 

GREENSBORO - File this in the "It's a small world, after all" department:

 

When Kinston's Jared Sutton stood on the mound for the first time as a farmhand in the Milwaukee Brewers system, he didn't face a stranger, he was looking at a friend and former teammate.

 

Chris Hatcher, a former Kinston High School and University of North Carolina - Wilmington star catcher, was staring right back at him from the plate.

 

Hatcher, a catcher with the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Florida Marlins' farm system, cruelly welcomed Sutton to minor league baseball with a double. It didn't rattle Sutton too badly, though - he struck out the next two Grasshoppers he faced to end the inning.

 

The two players' teams - Sutton's West Virginia Power and Hatcher's Grasshoppers - played a four-game series against each other in Greensboro last weekend. Although their initial meeting against each other as professionals came several weeks ago, the two still smiled at the memory of it.

 

"I don't know what the chances of us facing each other in that situation were," Sutton said. "It was pretty cool."

 

Hatcher said, "I wasn't going to let a guy come in - and in his first professional batter he faced - and let him walk me. I looked down at the catcher and told him, 'Just give me something near the zone and I'll swing. I'll take the groundout, the flyout, whatever.'

 

"He just so happened to throw me a fastball right at my eyes and I hit it, but I don't know how. I wasn't going to let him walk me."

 

Hatcher was drafted by the Marlins last year and played 36 games in the New York-Penn League. He was promoted to Greensboro this year and is the No. 1 catcher for the Grasshoppers.

 

Sutton, who starred at Bethel Christian Academy and Lenoir Community College, was a teammate of Hatcher's at UNCW. Hatcher also caught Sutton for Ronnie Battle's American Legion Post 43 squad.

 

Sutton was signed to an independent league team in Georgia in the spring, but he didn't stay there long. The right-hander, who consistently hits 92-to-93 mph on the radar gun, was discovered and signed by a Milwaukee Brewers' scout and sent to Charleston, WV, only 10 days after playing in the independent league.

 

"I didn't even know anyone was looking at me," Sutton said. "I was told no one is picked up before the draft, and it was three weeks before the draft."

 

In many ways, Sutton and Hatcher are fighting some of the same battles this season. Both are having some difficulty in their first full season of professional baseball. Sutton has an 0-2 record and a 5.63 ERA in 12 games pitched for the Power.

 

"I've been struggling a little bit lately," Sutton said. "I've been a little nervous here, although I wasn't nervous in Georgia. But I think I'm beginning to work things out. I'm trying to stay balanced and not rush to the plate."

 

Hatcher began this week batting .233 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs in 76 games.

 

"I've finally found out what everyone was talking about when they talked about the grind," Hatcher said. "I'm hitting the ball well, but not the way I should be. I'm making adjustments like (the coaches) want me to do."

 

The adjustment - from playing for the Seahawks to playing for pay - has been a difficult one at times for both players.

 

Both agreed, though, that the toughest jump in their career was from high school to college.

 

"The game was so much faster in college," Hatcher said. "Playing at UNCW, it was a fast-paced game. The difference from UNCW to here hasn't been that dramatic."

 

Sutton said, "The competition was much different in high school than what I saw at LCC. The jump was much bigger."

[Mass Haas]

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A work in progress

First-round pick Jeffress trying to find consistency

By Tommy R. Atkinson

Charleston Gazette Staff writer

 

More than Jeremy Jeffress's fastball, which can effortlessly touch the mid-90-mph range, West Virginia Power pitching coach John Curtis thinks the 19-year-old's toughness is his best asset.

 

"His mound presence, he's virtually unshakable,'' said Curtis, a veteran of 15 major league seasons as a pitcher.

 

That has served Jeffress well as he has made the transition from the rookie Arizona League to the more advanced Class A South Atlantic League this season and its 140-game schedule.

 

"The starts come quicker in this league,'' said Jeffress, a South Boston, Va., native who was the Milwaukee Brewers' No. 1 selection in last year's June amateur draft. "You would get to watch six or seven games and then come back and pitch again [in the Arizona League]. In a five-day rotation, the starts come quick.

 

"You've got to throw strikes in this league, too. In rookie league they're free-swinging. Here, guys get that 3-2 pitch to hit in a full count. They've got a good batting eye. In rookie league, you can throw one high and they'll whiff at it. Every level is a big adjustment, working on your mechanics.''

 

Jeffress is still a work in progress, but that is all part of the development process for a player who was throwing to high school hitters a little more than a year ago. After winning his first four starts for the Power, he has posted a 3-4 mark.

 

There have been disastrous outings, such as when the 6-foot, 175-pound right-hander didn't get out of the first inning, giving up five earned runs, or last Friday, when he mowed down the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns in the first four innings, striking out nine in a row at one point, before allowing five earned runs the next frame and taking the loss.

 

Then there are times when he exhibits all the traits that show why he was the 16th player taken in the first round, such as Wednesday night, when he surrendered just one earned run on four hits with five punchouts and no walks in six innings.

 

"He's held his own I think and shown all the things I think reflect on the promise this kid has and gives us every right to believe that he's going to show up in the big leagues some day,'' said Curtis.

 

Jeffress, who helped the Power to the Northern Division first-half title and accompanying playoff spot, owns a 7-4 record in 13 starts with a 3.34 earned run average. He has struck out 63 in 62 innings with 32 walks and allowed just 47 hits. Jeffress struggled in the Arizona League last year, posting a 2-5 mark with a 5.88 ERA.

 

"I'm certainly satisfied with what I've seen,'' said Curtis. "He's had a few very bright moments and some not so bright, but I think for a 19-year-old that's pretty much what you expect. I talked to a scout who saw him in high school and [he] said that his stuff has improved since he saw him.

 

"His breaking ball [and] his changeup is much better so he's progressing, but there's clearly some road to travel. We're continuing to work on things we feel he's going to need to make the jump to the next level.''

 

What separates Jeffress and has him ranked as the Brewers third-best pitching prospect is a blazing fastball. That is also Jeffress's downfall at times.

 

"We're continuing to work on his fastball command,'' Curtis said. "When he gets into trouble that's usually what is happening.

 

"We think he's throwing a little across his body right now. We're trying to straighten out his line to home plate and smooth out that delivery. Get his tempo a little better, but get that line to home plate a little cleaner. He's been a good listener [and] he works hard.''

 

Jeffress confessed that he sometimes falls in love with the strikeout.

 

"Let hitters get themselves out, that's the biggest thing I've learned,'' he said. "Let my defense work.''

 

Jeffress is hoping to follow the same path as former Power pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who after playing for the Power two years ago is now a regular in the Brewers' starting rotation.

 

"What stood out for me with Yovani was not so much the stuff as it was how he used it,'' said Curtis, who also tutored Gallardo. "The command that he had of his pitches; I always thought of Yovani as a 20-year-old with a 30-year-old head on his shoulders.

 

"I think Jeremy has the faster fastball, but I think Yovani at the same stage had more movement and he knew how it was going to behave and he worked it accordingly. Jeremy's got a better curveball than Yovani had and a better changeup. Yovani had the ability to work in that strike zone the way that Jeremy doesn't. Stuff-wise [Jeffress] compares favorably, but his pitching isn't in Yovani's class.''

 

At least not yet, but Jeffress is getting there.

 

"Fastball command is what you have to have,'' said Jeffress. "If I get my fastball command down it'll be perfect. That's all I need.''

 

Charleston Gazette Photographer: Chip Ellis

Jeremy Jeffress, a first-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006, won his first four starts for the West Virginia Power but is just 3-4 since then.

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Power's Brewer trying to overcome bumps in the road

Michael Dailey

Charleston Daily Mail sportswriter

 

The disappointment of a hitless night was etched all over Brent Brewer's face as he made his way back to the West Virginia Power's clubhouse Monday evening.

 

For Brewer, a talented, but young shortstop in the Milwaukee Brewers' system, the evening worth forgetting was just another bump in the long road to the Big Leagues.

 

That journey to the Major Leagues began last summer when the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Brewer was selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the June 2006 draft.

 

The high selection -- and subsequent $600,000 signing bonus -- helped pry the talented athlete from a commitment to play football at Florida State.

 

"It was a chance for me to get an early start at playing professional sports, instead of going to college and, then, trying to go from there," said Brewer, prior to West Virginia's 8-4 win over the Charleston RiverDogs. "I felt like I had a better chance to come out of high school and make it to the Big Leagues, than playing pro football."

 

But also weighing into the decision to pick baseball over football was the Tyrone, Ga., native's pure love for the game.

 

"I have no regrets about playing baseball," said Brewer. "I love to play the game. And the Brewers will pay for my college education in the future."

 

Brewer's love for the game and work ethic never have been questioned by the organization that sees brighter days ahead for its young shortstop.

 

"He's a great athlete," said Reid Nichols, Milwaukee's Director of Player Development. "He was in both of our winter programs last season and that helped him. He was in our first six weeks in November and December and, then, came back in our January session and made strides physically as an athlete."

 

The winter programs are held at the Brewers' spring training complex in Maryvale, Ariz., and cover strength training and fitness in six-week sessions during November and December.

 

In January, up and coming players work to hone their baseball skills for the coming season.

 

That extra work helped advance Brewer from short-season rookie league Helena to the full-season Power in the South Atlantic League.

 

"We asked him to come and it was up to him to decide whether he wanted to come or not," said Nichols of Brewer's winter work. "He took us up on it and I think it's paying dividends for him.

 

"I think that's what gave him the edge to come to West Virginia this season. Without that work, he may have been in rookie ball in Helena if he hadn't devoted that time over the winter.

 

"He's coming back again this winter for both sessions. That shows his desire to play this game."

 

But even with the steady improvement, Brewer has suffered his fair share of frustrations in the field and at the plate this season, while trying to master what is arguably the toughest position on the diamond.

 

Brewer has shown defensive flashes this season with what Nichols calls, "range in every direction," but is second in all of Class A baseball with 42 errors.

 

At the plate, he has shown potential with 10 homers, 44 RBI and 38 stolen bases, but also leads all of Class A with 152 strikeouts.

 

For Nichols, watching the peaks and valleys of the 19-year-old's first full season of professional baseball is no great surprise.

 

"There were concerns coming into the season," said Nichols, "that we may be pushing him a little bit and that we may need to help him out with someone to spell him from time to time.

 

"We thought as a staff, that he might struggle a little bit defensively. But he came out playing pretty well off the bat and, then, he got a little better.

 

"As an organization, we're very happy with his progress. He's made strides in his defense and his offense. His throwing, his base-stealing and base-running have also gotten better as the season's progressed."

 

Brewer also sees improvement in his play.

 

"My hands have gotten better and my footwork is better from the start of the season," said the teenage shortstop. "Just all around, my arm ... just everything about the game has gotten better.

 

"The reps I've gotten and just getting the one-on-one work with the coaches here and our rovers has really helped me get better."

 

Power hitting coach Corey Hart also has noticed a difference in Brewer's play.

 

"He's made more progress than anyone on the team this year," said Hart. "He's improved as the season has progressed.

 

"He's a hard worker and I think he's got a chance to be a good player for many years to come."

 

Nichols also likes Brewer's upside.

 

"I think he's got unlimited potential," said Nichols. "He's an athlete that loves the game. He studies the game and he's dedicated to it.

 

"At this time in the season, he's starting to get the basics down to where he can start fine tuning at the plate. I saw him going over some video with our hitting coach (Hart) and he made some adjustments. Then, that day in batting practice he was hitting the ball really hard with some of the adjustments that he made.

 

"He's a hard worker, but he's still a really young player."

 

Charleston Daily Mail Photo: Bob Wojcieszak

West Virginia Power shortstop Brent Brewer ranges up the middle to field a grounder during his team's win on Monday night at Appalachian Power Park.

 

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