Off-Season Link Report - Latest, Inner-city RBI program

[MassBrew]

As we have in previous off-seasons, we will accumulate off-season news in its own thread. If the thread gets too cumbersome, we'll lock it and begin a new one. If a news item is especially noteworthy, we'll give it its own thread. This format allows us to archive minor league news much easier within our archived forums.

 

Milwaukee looking South for Triple-A club

New Orleans, Nashville vying for Brewers affiliate

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

The promotion destination of successful Huntsville Stars players could be determined as soon as today - but a promotion for manager Frank Kremblas may not be awarded.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers' new Triple-A affiliate will either be Nashville or New Orleans. Brewers director of minor league operations Reid Nichols has visited both sites; his New Orleans visit was postponed until this week because of Hurricane Ivan.

 

The Brewers brass "will roundtable it'' to come up with the verdict, Nichols said Tuesday.

 

New Orleans, which lost the Astros' franchise to Round Rock, Texas, has a relatively new stadium. Nashville, which lost the Pirates' club to the Brewers' former Triple-A home in Indianapolis, has the ancient Greer Stadium, but there is considerable impetus to construct a new riverfront park.

 

As for the fate of Kremblas, Huntsville's manager the past three years, and his staff of pitching coach Fred Dabney and coach Sandy Guerrero, Nichols said, "I don't anticipate any changes.''

 

The Triple-A club is managed by Cecil Cooper, a former Milwaukee star, who told The Times in August he intends to continue to manage, despite the club's disastrous performance.

 

The Brewers have already announced another affiliate change, moving its Single-A team to Charleston, W.Va., and the South Atlantic League.

 

As far as decisions on any player in terms of release or promotion - and specifically to the situation of catcher Kade Johnson, who was suspended the final weekend of the season - Nichols said, "it's still premature.''

 

Arizona to Tennessee: The Tennessee Smokies, who play in the Knoxville suburb of Sevierville, announced Monday a two-year working agreement with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

 

The Smokies had been with St. Louis for two seasons, but the Cardinals moved their Double-A affiliate to a new $32 million stadium in Springfield, Mo., being built by hotel magnate John Q. Hammons (who is building the Embassy Suites hotel complex in downtown Huntsville).

[MassBrew]

Very cool of MLB.com's Adam McCalvy to include the Brewerfan-christened moniker for Hernan Iribarren in this story:

 

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com...;fext=.jsp

[jwaltz]

That should make it offical. Hernan is The Hurricane.

[colbyjack]

Thanks for the link as always MB. Pretty cool snippet from that story:

 

Rottino, who played all nine positions on the final day of the season, will work behind the plate with new minor league catching coordinator Charlie Green.

 

Don't get too excited about Rottino switching to a catcher full-time, as I'm pretty sure the team is intent on keeping him as a super-utility guy, but it's nice to hear that he will be groomed a little bit more as catcher to maximize his value. It's also kind of cool to see Charlie Green back with the organization (although if it's the same Green we had before, I believe his last name is spelled with an "e" at the end). I know a lot of people were wondering why we haven't had a catching coordinator for the past couple of years, so it's nice to see one added back to the system (sidenote: according to Reid Nichols' conversations with Jim Powell a few weeks back, the reason they didn't have any catching coordinators was because they didn't have any catchers that they considered prospects).

[Al the Thinking Man]

If it is "that" Charlie Greene, huge kudos to the team. Greene was as good a defensive catcher as I've ever seen. He was so good, Bob Wickman insisted he come in to catch the 9th in a save situation. Heck, the fact the guy made the bigs not being able to hit a damn thing should tell you how good his D was.

 

Great that the team is adding minor league coaching slots as well.

[jwaltz]

If it is THE Charlie Greene that should bode well for our young catchers. He should be able to help the Cap'n and Salome out alot. As well as the other guys like VandenBerg. Nice to see them bring a former Brewer player back into the fold. Shows some loyalty. I like that. Maybe in ten years we can bring back Blanco to teach our kids some defense. He, like Greene, has made a career out of not being able to hit a damn thing but possessing an outstanding glove.

 

I was wondering what you guys remember about Greene's game calling? How was he regarded? I would assume he was highly regarded.

[MassBrew]

We'll be extra-reliant on MLB.com's Adam McCalvy this off-season -- keep it up, Adam, every tidbit helps us out:

 

Brewers farm director Reid Nichols said the Brewers' minor league coaching staffs would remain intact with two exceptions: Advanced Single-A manager Mel Queen and hitting coach Stanton Cameron will not return.

 

That means former Brewers star Cecil Cooper will return for a third season at the helm of the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, which will be in Nashville for the first time next season, and his old teammate Don Money will be back for a sixth season at Class A, which has been moved to Charleston, W.V. Kremblas is expected back at Huntsville for a third season.

 

If High Desert pitching coach John Curtis remains with the organization in high-A, he'll make the move from the least-friendly pitching environment to the most-friendly. Talk about making an adjustment...

[Al the Thinking Man]

FYI, it is "the" Charlie Greene, former dynamite defensive catcher.

 

I just hope he doesn't dispense any hitting pointers.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[jwaltz]

Quote:

---

I just hope he doesn't dispense any hitting pointers.

---

 

The only hitting pointer I would want to hear from him is, "ask the hitting coach, I don't know." Or,"don't do as I did."

[hsvstarsfan]

That means former Brewers star Cecil Cooper will return for a third season at the helm of the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, which will be in Nashville for the first time next season, and his old teammate Don Money will be back for a sixth season at Class A, which has been moved to Charleston, W.V. Kremblas is expected back at Huntsville for a third season.

 

Correction: 4th season, which would be a first in Stars history.

[950opsLHcatcher]

They used my damn photo!

 

www.azstarnet.com/dailyst.../36666.php

www.brewerfan.net/fullArt...icleId=137

 

-----

 

Tucsonan working hard to return to diamond

By Jack Magruder

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

 

PHOENIX - J.J. Hardy spends long, grueling afternoons in the Milwaukee Brewers' training facility on a dual mission.

 

One part of his program involves weight and cardiovascular training, but that is not why he is here, sopping in sweat, while most other players in the Brewers' system are finishing their seasons.

 

Hardy's principal job these days is to coerce his left shoulder into forgetting about an operation that took place 14 weeks ago.

 

It is not easy. Hardy turns. He twists. He pulls. He shoves, keeping his body in top physical condition while returning his shoulder strength to normal.

 

And while the rehabilitation work is rigorous, another stinging reminder of a season Hardy would just as soon delete presents itself when he walks into the clubhouse for treatment.

 

Posted in plain sight are the statistics of all the teams in the Brewers' organization, from the major leagues on down, updated daily.

 

Hardy is not listed among those he would be playing with, hanging out with, learning his trade with, because of the shoulder injury that sidelined him in May.

 

"That kind of makes it tough," Hardy said. "So I haven't been watching too much 'Baseball Tonight' or any of that.

 

"I've been keeping my mind off it. Keeping my mind focused on what I have to do. I don't want to see all my buddies up in the big leagues and what's going on with the Brewers and thinking, 'That could have been me.'"

 

Hardy blocks those moments out as quickly as they come, determined to regain the form that makes him one of the top prospects in the Brewers' system and a prime candidate for the major leagues next season.

 

He just turned 22, and a full recovery is expected after Dr. Lewis Yocum performed arthroscopic surgery to repair the front and the back of the left labrum, using dissolvable staples on the back side.

 

The injury is similar to the one suffered by Diamondbacks first baseman Richie Sexson this season, and it happened about the same way.

 

Halfway through a swing in a game May 8, Hardy's front shoulder popped out of socket. He doubled over in pain but then managed to pop it back in place. He had been shut down for two weeks in the spring because of looseness in the shoulder.

 

Hardy, playing for Triple-A Indianapolis, wanted to continue, perhaps because he had gone 4 for 4 two nights earlier and was hitting .277 with four home runs in only 101 at-bats. The medical staff said no, of course, and surgery was performed May 27. After two weeks of rest, rehabilitation began.

 

"It's eating him up that he can't be out there," said Scott Martens, Milwaukee's assistant director of minor-league operations.

 

"He got off to a great start. Even the balls he was making outs on, he was hitting ropes. He had the makings of a great year. Any time a player is coming back from surgery, there is going to be rehab involved.

 

"But one thing about J.J. - he is not afraid to work. You don't have to ask him twice. You can't ask for a better guy. He's a quality individual on and off the field."

 

Hardy and former UA right-hander Ben Diggins did have some lighter moments in June after the UA beat Long Beach State to make it to the College World Series. Josh Alliston, also rehabbing with Hardy and Diggins, attended Long Beach State.

 

"We had some pretty good arguments," Hardy said with a laugh.

 

Martens embraces the consensus view that Hardy has a certain future in the major leagues following his selection in the second round of the 2001 draft out of Sabino High School after a prep career that included a spot on the 2000 U.S. Junior National team.

 

"For one thing, you look at his athletic ability. He has it all. He's a great defensive player with range and a great arm," Martens said.

 

"Offensively, you look at his walk-to-strikeout ratio throughout the minor leagues. It's been outstanding. For him to make the adjustments he's made in the time that he has made them indicates the kind of guy he is."

 

Hardy hit .279 with 26 doubles and 12 homers at Double-A Huntsville in 2003, where his walk-to-strikeout ratio was at the top of the scale. He walked 58 times while striking out only 54. There are only a few major leaguers who have more walks than strikeouts.

 

The end of the Southern League season was hardly the end of the season for Hardy, who was one of a select few chosen to play with Team USA during the Arizona Fall League in its exhibition series, a series dominated by Team USA.

 

From there, Hardy made the U.S. team that attempted to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics through a tournament in Panama City, Panama.

 

The United States, which had not lost a game in pool play, was eliminated in the single-elimination quarterfinals by a Mexico team that had struggled in its pool. The final was 2-1.

 

"Some of the guys on the team were in shock," Hardy said of that loss. "We just never played like we did in the Fall League."

 

Hardy also played in the 2003 Futures Game, a showcase for top young players during major- league All-Star festivities, and his ascent may not be far off.

 

Craig Counsell is Milwaukee's starting shortstop this season, having been obtained from Arizona in the deal that sent Sexson to the Diamondbacks last winter.

 

But Counsell's contract is up after this season, which might create an opening for Hardy, and decisions must be made, both by Counsell and the Brewers.

 

Hardy, meanwhile, hopes to be swinging a bat and taking some ground balls by the time the Brewers' instructional-league team finishes next month. If Hardy continues to heal on schedule, the Brewers are considering sending him to winter ball for the second half of that season to get him some at-bats "to make up for some lost time," Martens said.

 

Regardless, Hardy is expected to be 100 percent by the time spring training starts in February, Martens said.

 

"Spring training will dictate where he goes," Martens said.

 

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, assistant general manager Gord Ash and field manager Ned Yost have a history of making decisions on baseball ability, not age.

 

"If a player comes in and has a great camp, they are going to give him every chance" to make the major-league roster, Martens said.

[MassBrew]

They used my damn photo!

 

Maybe J.J.'s like that girl Jerry Seinfeld dated that wore the same dress every time they went out. Just because J.J. got a sizable bonus, doesn't mean he didn't splurge on a wardrobe.

 

Nah, they used your damn photo!

 

And while the rehabilitation work is rigorous, another stinging reminder of a season Hardy would just as soon delete presents itself when he walks into the clubhouse for treatment.

 

Posted in plain sight are the statistics of all the teams in the Brewers' organization, from the major leagues on down, updated daily.

 

Do you think that's team statistics, or individual statistics? I find it pretty odd that they'd post and track player statistics so closely in the clubhouse -- I mean, aren't players, especially at the lower levels, working on things that might not always affect their stats positively? Otherwise, just go out and do the stuff that made you a high school great. Weird.

[jwaltz]

Toby, you should e-mail them about that. Ask them to mention Brewerfan.net or something. After all they are the ones making the money off the photo.

[Katuluu]

jwalz is right, I do believe they are required to compensate for the photo.

[950opsLHcatcher]

The editors of the Arizona Daily Star are now feeling the full extent of my wrath.

[Katuluu]

Annonymous email, huh?

[950opsLHcatcher]

They better get back to me tomorrow, or they shall feel more of my wrath. Wrath!

[brewcru1]

I believe the stats are put up on the board with the standings just so players rehabbing can see how their team is doing. I don't think they're up there as a constant reminder of how each player is doing, but more so as just there for you to look at if you want.

 

And they did use your picture. Journalism at its finest!

[950opsLHcatcher]

This has nothing to do with any players, but I got this nice email from Rick Wiley at the Daily Star:

 

Toby,

 

The Arizona Daily Star should have contacted you to get permission to

publish the photo of J.J. Hardy that appeared in the newspaper on Aug.

31, 2004. We have discussed the matter with the employees in question

and reiterated our policy about using images from outside sources.

 

I appreciate the offer to let us use the image for free, but the Daily

Star pays for freelance photography. We'll send you a check for $25,

which is a standard fee for a photo that is used as a small head shot.

The published size was about 1 x 1 1/4 inches. I'll send along a

tearsheet with the check.

 

Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. If you have any questions,

please contact me at the number below or reply to this e-mail. Thanks

for your patience.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rick Wiley

Visual Team Leader/Photography

Arizona Daily Star

Tucson, AZ

 

I really appreciate that they owned up to the mistake. Everyone go buy a copy of the newspaper!

[jwaltz]

Nice to see!!! Glad to see them take responsiblity. And nice to see them pay you.

[MassBrew]

Huntsville Promotional Schedule -- Bucky and Ben Bobbleheads in 2005:

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/s...newsId=522

 

When this is posted on the Stars' own site, we'll update this link so as to promote traffic to their fine site...

[MassBrew]

Standings Rankings (for what it's worth):

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...s/?id=2307

 

Not the end-all and be-all (as we all should know), but still, 29th place made for a lot of depressing Link Reports this summer....

[MassBrew]

Gotta love Sports Network. While they no longer post any transaction news now that the season's over, they did manage to have the traded Jason Belcher back on the Huntsville roster all last week, and have now converted Brad Nelson to a pitcher.

 

Unrelated to the Sports Network incompetence, the Brewers have indicated to us that they have little control over their own site's minor league roster pages and rely on mlb.com for changes there. With all the upcoming paper roster moves in preparation of the Rule 5 draft about to take place and the results of minor league free agency comings and goings to begin on Saturday the 16th, we're basically at a loss, although we'll see what we can do for you.

 

Brad Nelson, future # 1 starter:

 

www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...x?team=342

[MassBrew]

From Tom Haudricourt in the Journal Sentinel:

 

Doug Melvin also said Ed Romero was leaving his position as a roving infield instructor in the Brewers' farm system to take the same job with the Florida Marlins. Romero lives near Florida's training complex and wanted to be closer to home, according to Melvin.

[lend d money]

Considering that virtually all of our minor league sites are now located in the Southeast, does anyone else have a hint of skepticism about the reason for leaving?