Link Report Mon. 4/23 - Latest includes Chuckie Caufield

[Mass Haas]

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

[Mass Haas]

Monday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: RHP Chris Oxspring at home vs. Iowa(Cubs), 5:40 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: LHP Adam Pettyjohn at Montgomery (Devil Rays), 6:50 PM pre-game; 7:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.huntsvillestars.com/

 

Brevard County: TBD at home vs. Vero Beach (Devil Rays), 5:50 PM pre-game, 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link (game will also archive at this link):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

 

West Virginia: LHP Brae Wright at home vs. Hickory (Pirates), 9:25 AM pre-game, 9:35 gametime

 

Audio link (game will also archive at this link):

www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

[Mass Haas]

Follow Monday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_monaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

These links will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally they are updated an hour or two prior to gametime, with Nashville's usually earlier:

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf

 

Huntsville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

[Mass Haas]

Standings through Sunday's action:

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nashville 11 6 .647 - 5-4 6-2 W5 Iowa 9 8 .529 2.0 6-2 3-6 L2 Memphis 8 10 .444 3.5 7-3 1-7 W2 Omaha 7 11 .389 4.5 5-3 2-8 L2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee 9 6 .600 - 3-2 6-4 W3 Huntsville 7 8 .467 2.0 4-6 3-2 W1 Chattanooga 7 10 .412 3.0 4-6 3-4 W1 West Tenn 7 10 .412 3.0 3-4 4-6 W1 Carolina 5 12 .294 5.0 3-4 2-8 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Beach 9 6 .600 - 5-5 4-1 W2 St. Lucie 8 7 .533 1.0 4-5 4-2 W2 Daytona 8 8 .500 1.5 5-3 3-5 L2 Brevard County 7 8 .467 2.0 2-4 5-4 L2 Vero Beach 7 8 .467 2.0 5-3 2-5 W4 Jupiter 7 9 .438 2.5 2-3 5-6 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 11 3 .786 - 9-3 2-0 W9 Greensboro 10 6 .625 2.0 8-2 2-4 W2 Hickory 7 7 .500 4.0 2-3 5-4 L3 Lexington 8 9 .471 4.5 6-5 2-4 L2 Delmarva 7 8 .467 4.5 2-2 5-6 W4 Lakewood 6 7 .462 4.5 3-5 3-2 W1 Lake County 6 10 .375 6.0 2-2 4-8 L2 Hagerstown 6 11 .353 6.5 2-5 4-6 L1

[Mass Haas]

At 8:00 AM Central Monday morning, WMEL in Melbourne will carry the weekly Manatee Insanatee Show. You can listen at this link:

 

www.920wmel.com/

 

On Sunday night (last night), the Manatees were at the Merritt Island Hooters for the taping of the Hooters Hotline Show. Several Manatees players were scheduled to attend, including Mat Gamel, Cole Gillespie and Wil Inman among others. The show will play back on WMEL twice this week and excerpts of Sunday's show will be on the Manatee Insanatee Show this AM.

 

We are working on finding out when Sunday's show will replay in its entirety.

 

Tough assignment for Manatees players -- home is in beautiful Melbourne on the coast, and you're asked to go to Hooters each week. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[DHonks]

Tough assignment for Manatees players -- home is in beautiful Melbourne on the coast, and you're asked to go to Hooters each week

 

how many of them can legally drink?

[homer]

Quote:

---

how many of them can legally drink?

---

 

Not sure if they need to drink to enjoy Hooters. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[1e Corbeau]

Some big time love for Mass and BF.net on the show this morn. Comments to the effect that BF is the ultimate stop for all things Brewers and affiliates.

 

Of course, we all know this already, but it is good to hear Mass and all the others receive the deserved laudatory press.

 

Looking forward to the Power on a Monday morning.

[DHonks]

Some big time love for Mass and BF.net on the show this morn

 

as in The Show on XM?

[1e Corbeau]

as in The Show on XM?

 

Manatee Insanatee--should have specified, but I'm not an XM subscriber so was unaware of "The Show." Great name for the former radio program, by the way.

[Mass Haas]

In progress: West Virginia 11, Hickory (Pirates) 5, bottom of the 6th in Charleston

Our poster from Charleston described it perfectly the other day -- this Power team forces the opponent to play on their heels from the opening pitch; the Power was down 4-1 early, yeah, like that was a problem; hope you're all listening to "Bull" Barch...

[Cyanogen5]

I wish I could listen, unfortunately I am at work. Does anyone know where to find the minor league record for number of steals by a team? This team steals more basis than any I can remember. I wonder if they can make a "run" at that record?

[homer]

6 players in the WV starting lineup hitting over .300 and Brewer has been hitting well of late - could be 7 in a week or so.

 

I'm now surprised when I look on the box score and Ford has stolen less than two bases. He has 11 steals already.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 16, Hickory (Pirates) 5

This Crawdad squad was playing well, too, before meeting the buzzsaw that is the West Virginia Power. Ten in a row -- who could have seen this coming? 21 total runs -- if this were a Brewer game, some fan would have just won $10,000 in the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Pays Big 21 contest...

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Six Hickory errors lead to eight unearned runs, take those away and the Power still wins; RHP Travis Wendte strong in relief for the win; everyone in the lineup reached twice except for Stephen Chapman, and he homered...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[pogokat]

Mike brantley now with more than half the extra base hits he had last year...

[colbyjack]

Good call on Brantley's XBHs pogo. I believe DHonks commented in yesterday's link report that he found it interesting that Brantley was hitting fifth. I wonder if this is a conscious move by the Brewers asking Brantley to drive the ball more than what he has done in the past. Hitting in the middle of the lineup may cause him to change his approach somewhat as opposed to hitting at the top where his focus may have been to get on base.

 

It is always encouraging to see players improve on their biggest weaknesses, such as Brantley's power. Hopefully Ford will start to cut down on his Ks over the course of the season.

[pogokat]

I cant wait to see these guys play in a few weeks...this stuff is making me wonder if brantley has been lifting all winter..

[Mass Haas]

LHP Rafael Lluberes is going for the Manatees tonight. He'll be followed by Will Inman and Steve Garrison on Tuesday and Wednesday, nice.

[igor67]

Not intended to be a killjoy on the Power, but you just won't see this kind of team at the MLB level again pitchers and catchers have gotten way too good at stopping the SB and the fielders aren't going to make nearly as many errors. That said boy I sure would love to watch them play a game!

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Infielder Chris Barnwell:

Almost entirely just Chris helping Chuck Valenches have some fun discussing former longtime Brewer farmhand Ryan Knox...

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-23.mp3

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER OFFENSE EXPLODES FOR TENTH WIN IN A ROW

 

The West Virginia Power set single game season highs on Monday afternoon with 16 runs and 18 hits as they defeated the Hickory Crawdads 16-5 at Appalachian Power Park for their tenth win in a row.

 

The Power scored their first run in the bottom of the first inning when Darren Ford crossed the plate on Francis Poni?s throwing error. The Crawdads took a 4-1 lead in the top of the second inning after a Wanell Macia RBI single and Poni?s three-run homer.

 

The Power scored five times in the third inning and never looked back. Michael Brantley ripped an RBI double which was followed by Kenny Holmberg?s run-scoring single. Steve Chapman reached on a fielder?s choice to bring in another run, Martin Maldonado reached on Mike Ambrose?s throwing error which plated the fourth run of the inning and Taylor Green capped the five-run frame with a run-scoring double.

 

Chuckie Caufield?s RBI triple and Brantley?s RBI single gave the Power an 8-4 lead in the fourth inning. Hickory scored their final run in the top of the fifth on Jim Negrych?s RBI single. The Power added three in the bottom of the fifth inning on RBI singles from Ford and Caufield and a run-scoring double from Brantley. The Power scored five more times in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brantley knocked in the first run on a sacrifice fly and Holmberg doubled in a run before Chapman and Maldonado hit back-to-back home runs.

 

Travis Wendte (1-0) tossed four and two-thirds scoreless innings of two-hit ball out of the bullpen to get the win, and Mike Crotta (0-1) suffered the loss. Seven Power batters had multi-hit games. Brantley and Caufield both had three-hit games, and Brantley knocked in four runs.

 

The Power improved to 12-3 with the win and the Crawdads fell to 7-8 with the loss.

 

The Power will finish the four-game series against Hickory Tuesday night. The Power will start right hander Mike McClendon (0-0, 0.64) and the Crawdads will counter with right hander Eric Krebs (1-0, 0.90). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

[Mass Haas]

Nice four-run first inning for the Manatees:

 

Brevard County Bottom 1st

 

- Alcides Escobar reaches on fielding error by shortstop Neil Walton.

- Michael Bell flies out to right fielder Erold Andrus.

- Chris Errecart singles on a line drive to right fielder Erold Andrus. Alcides Escobar to 3rd.

- Mat Gamel walks. Chris Errecart to 2nd.

- Cole Gillespie hits a ground-rule double (2) on a fly ball down the left-field line. Alcides Escobar scores. Chris Errecart scores. Mat Gamel to 3rd.

- Carlos Corporan singles on a fly ball to left fielder Christopher Cunningham. Mat Gamel scores. Cole Gillespie scores.

- Lorenzo Cain singles on a line drive to center fielder Jackson Brennan. Carlos Corporan to 3rd. Lorenzo Cain to 2nd on the throw.

- Charlie Fermaint strikes out swinging.

- Nestor Corredor flies out to center fielder Jackson Brennan.

 

More production from Carlos Corporan? It'll be interesting to see what Corporan's role will be (and where) upon Angel Salome's eventual return.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

I saw the 22 responses already and knew Braun did something. While, he has no one mentioned it. Interesting......

 

edit: he is now a triple shy of a cycle.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

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

 

Power surge dunks Crawdads

By Benjamin Hill / MiLB.com

 

Every player in West Virginia's starting lineup hit safely as the Power banged out 11 extra-base hits in routing visiting Hickory, 16-5, to increase their winning streak to 10 games.

The first eight batters in the Power's batting order scored at least one run, while all but John Alonso contributed an RBI. West Virginia's non-stop offensive attack was highlighted by a five-run seventh frame in which Stephen Chapman and Martin Maldonado hit back-to-back homers.

 

The Power, who are hitting .294 as a team and have stolen a league-high 39 bases, had no shortage of standout contributors. Michael Brantley went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs, while Chuck Caulfield went 3-for-6 with a triple, three runs scored and two RBIs.

 

"This team is a great mix of guys," said second baseman Kenneth Holmberg, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. "We're a bunch of gamers who aren't going to wow you, but we put the ball in play and are always putting pressure on the other team with the amount of speed that we have on the basepaths. The winning streak is great, but that's more for the writers and fans to talk about. We're just concerned with staying relaxed, getting good at-bats and remaining focused from the first pitch of the game until the last."

 

Power manager Mike Guerrero echoed Holmberg's team-first comments.

 

"There's been a different hero every night," he said. "The home runs are going to come and go, but what's been important to me is that we've been hitting well in the clutch and keeping the ball in the middle of the field. The pitching staff has been solid, our defense has been good and our baserunning has been very aggressive. We need to keep this same attitude throughout the entire season, because this has been a lot of fun."

 

Not to be overlooked in the maelstrom of offense was the brilliant relief pitching of Travis Wendte (1-0), who allowed just two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings en route to his first victory of the season. Starter Brae Wright surrendered five runs on five hits in 4 1/3 frames for the Power (12-3).

 

The Crawdads (7-8), losers of four in a row, jumped out to an early lead on the strength of four second-inning runs. Wanell Macia stroked an RBI infield single and Francis Poni followed with a three-run homer to right field.

 

Hickory's pitching staff was victimized by poor infield defense. Third baseman Jared Keel, who had not committed a miscue over his first seven games, was charged with four errors, and catcher Poni and shortstop Michael Ambrose each had one, as well.

 

Michael Crotta (0-1) took the loss, yielding eight runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits over four innings. Jacob Cuffman allowed three runs in an inning, while Kyle Pearson surrendered five unearned runs over three frames.

 

Kenneth Holmberg (2-for-4, double, two RBIs) calls his Power team, winners of 10 straight, 'a bunch of gamers.' (Photo courtesy of West Virginia Power)

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/04/23/AFuAvmrR.jpg