Your 2006 Nashville Sounds - Latest: Front Office Award

[Mass Haas]

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Triple-A All-Star Game no showcase for Sounds

International League stars blank PCL

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

TOLEDO, Ohio ? The Sounds were pretty quiet Wednesday night ? but then, so were most of their Pacific Coast League all-star teammates.

 

Nashville outfielders Tony Gwynn and Nelson Cruz were hitless in seven combined at-bats, as International League pitchers allowed just two hits in a 6-0 win in the Triple-A All-Star Game before a crowd of 11,300 at Fifth Third Field.

 

"I'd like to have gotten some hits, but you already know what you're getting into in an all-star game," Gwynn said after three groundouts and a strikeout. "Your adrenaline is higher than normal, and (the pitchers) have got the advantage because you've not seen them.

 

"I didn't get any hits, but I had fun. That was the main point, to have fun, and I think we did that."

 

It wasn't as if Gwynn and Cruz were the only PCL players not hitting. Portland's Justin Leone broke up the IL's attempt at a combined no-hitter with his fifth-inning double. Las Vegas' James Loney had the team's only other hit, a two-out single in the eighth.

 

"You try to compete and win games, but that doesn't always happen. The point is to have fun," said Cruz, who flew out three times to center field. "I had a little of an uppercut (in my swing) from the home run derby. I've got to work to get my swing back."

 

Nashville pitcher Ben Hendrickson said he threw "one bad pitch" in his two innings, a high changeup that Durham's Kevin Witt deposited over the right-field fence for a two-run home run in a three-run third inning.

 

"I left it up, and he did what he's supposed to do," he said. "Instead of throwing it, I guided it. If I throw it at the knees, he rolls over it for a groundball out."

 

Hendrickson took the loss, allowing three runs (none earned) in two innings on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

 

Gwynn had one of the top defensive plays, ranging far into the right-centerfield gap to make a running catch at the wall on a drive by Richmond's Carlos Mendez in the eighth.

 

?It?s not the big league all-star game, but it was pretty exciting.? ? Gwynn.

 

***

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PCL stars needed Rivera

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

TOLEDO, Ohio ? There may have been some foreshadowing going on when former Nashville Sounds catcher Mike Rivera discussed his first half of the 2006 season last week.

 

"I don't look at having a good situation to get called up; I look at having a good situation to be an everyday player. I just want to be an everyday player, try to get my at-bats and play every day so I can get more experience whenever I get the call," Rivera said ? just days before the Milwaukee Brewers purchased his contract and brought him back to the majors for the first time since '03.

 

Before the callup, Rivera was slated to start for the Pacific Coast League in Wednesday night's Triple-A All-Star Game. At the time of his departure, he was hitting .297 with 10 homers and 46 RBIS.

 

"I think I'm more mature, mentally," he said of his improvement since being released by the Tigers near the end of spring training last year ? a move that resulted in a short stay in the Atlantic League before he was signed to a minor league contract by the Brewers and assigned to Nashville last May.

 

"Before, offensively, I was more of a hacker, trying to just hit homers. Now I'm trying to make a compact swing and make contact."

 

Go west: Next year's Triple-A All-Star Game will be held in Albuquerque, at Isotopes Park, which opened in 2003.

 

Toledo's Fifth Third Field opened in 2002. Last year's game was held at Sacramento's Raley Field, which debuted in 2000.

 

"I think the queue right now is four to six years," said Sounds General Manager Glenn Yaeger, mindful of the new park expected in Nashville in 2008. "When we get it, we'll certainly be in line."

 

Local connection: Charlotte reliever and former Brewer farmhand Jeff Farnsworth lists his hometown as Franklin, but admits he hasn't spent a lot of time in the Midstate.

 

"My parents live there; I just kinda run through and say 'hi'," said Farnsworth, one of the International League's save leaders with 14. "They moved there a couple of years ago."

 

He was born in Wichita, Kan., attended high school in Texas and played college ball in Florida.

 

'Pacman' packing: Tacoma outfielder Adam Jones, the youngest player on either of Wednesday's rosters ? he doesn't turn 21 until Aug. 1 ? was held out of the game and will joins Seattle today.

 

Jones, who's hitting .277 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs for the Rainiers, was the recipient of a number of Pacman references during his team's mid-May visit to Greer Stadium, since he shares his given name with the Tennessee Titans cornerback/returner.

 

"My teammates do the same thing," Jones said.

 

Bricktown Showdown set: After a five-year absence, there will be a Triple-A championship at the end of this season.

 

The winners of the International League and the PCL will meet at Oklahoma City's AT&T Bricktown Ballpark for one game on Sept. 19.

 

The game will be televised on ESPN2.

 

"There could be no better venue for Triple-A baseball to showcase its championship game," PCL President Branch Rickey III said. "While at this time, the game itself has been approved by Major League Baseball for only one year, we look forward to the event continuing indefinitely and AT&T Bricktown Ballpark being a permanent home."

 

In a similar fashion to the Major League All-Star Game, the winner of Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game will be designated the home team for the Bricktown Showdown.

 

"Oklahoma City has a history of hosting neutral events, and the attendance has been very strong," said John Allgood, executive director of the Oklahoma RedHawks. "We're excited about the game, regardless of who participates in it."

 

From 1998-2000, the Triple-A World Series was played under a best-of-5 format in Las Vegas.

 

Sounds loud: Rivera was slated to be part of the largest Nashville player contingent ever in the Triple-A All-Star Game. As it was, outfielders Nelson Cruz and Tony Gwynn both started and pitcher Ben Hendrickson was first out of the bullpen for the PCL, matching the three players sent to the contest by the Sounds on two other occasions.

 

In 1994, when the game was held at Greer Stadium, designated hitter Drew Denson, second baseman Ray Durham and pitcher Steve Schrenk each played on the team of American League affiliates that lost an 8-5 decision to the National League affiliates.

 

In 2001 at Indianapolis, outfielder Tike Redman, infielder Luis Figueroa and pitcher Don Wengert were on the PCL team that beat the International League 9-5.

 

AAA All-Star Game Box Score and Game Log Link:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_ilaaaa_1

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site:

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Jared Fernandez Named PCL Pitcher-of-the-Week

 

Nashville Sounds right-hander Jared Fernandez has been named the Pacific Coast League?s Pitcher-of-the-Week for the July 10-16 period after tossing his league-leading second shutout of the year during the stanza.

 

Fernandez threw his second complete-game shutout in his last four starts on Thursday, July 13 at Greer Stadium, blanking the Memphis Redbirds on a five-hitter to lead the Sounds to an 8-0 victory.

 

The 34-year-old continued his recent dominance against Pacific Coast League hitters and dropped his ERA to 2.28 on the year, tying for 4th-best in the circuit. The knuckleballer has been virtually untouchable in his last six starts, posting a 4-1 record and miniscule 1.01 ERA (5 ER / 44.2 IP) while walking only two batters and striking out 30 over that span.

 

Fernandez?s shutout against Memphis was his PCL-leading third complete game of the year. He struck out six Redbirds and did not walk a batter for the second straight outing.

 

The right-hander is the first Sound to toss two shutouts in a season since Bronson Arroyo in 2002 and has doubled his previous career total in the process. Prior to this season, Fernandez had thrown only one shutout in his first 12 pro campaigns (July 5, 2001 for Louisville at Toledo).

 

He is one of only 11 minor-league hurlers to post multiple shutouts this season.

 

For the season, Fernandez has posted a 5-2 record, three saves, and a 2.28 ERA (22 ER / 87.0 IP) in 16 games (10 starts) for Nashville. He has struck out 55 batters while walking only 14 in his 87 innings.

 

His award is the first accumulated by a Sounds player during the 2006 season and the first for a Nashville pitcher since 2004. Nelson Figueroa was the last Sounds hurler to take home a weekly PCL award, earning league honors for the July 26 - August 1, 2004 period.

 

Fernandez will take the hill for his next start on Tuesday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha when the Sounds face the division-rival Royals in the second game of a four-game series.

[Mass Haas]

Link to Nashville site for Dave Krynzel photo, text follows:

 

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Baseball A Passion For Krynzel

by Rick Kubitschek

 

Baseball has turned into more then just a favorite pastime for Sounds outfielder Dave Krynzel.

 

From an early age, he has been tagged as one of the top prospects and groomed to be a major leaguer. Krynzel knows that just being regarded as a top prospect can only get you so far and to get the rest of the way takes hard work and dedication.

 

Every since high school, Krynzel has been getting ready for the life of a professional athlete. His high school career was comprised of random visits from professional scouts to his house, scouts watching him at his high school games, and a trip halfway across the world to play ball.

 

?It was very chaotic,? stated Krynzel. ?At the same time it was flattering and exciting.?

 

For most high school ballplayers, the opportunity to play in front of pro scouts would be atop their baseball memories, but not for Krynzel. In 1999, he had, as he referred to it, ?the best time in his baseball career.?

 

He was selected to be a part of the United States World Junior Team. A group of elite high school players from across the country selected to compete in an international competition. He and other future professionals such as Joe Mauer, Mark Mulder, and Mark Prior traveled to Taiwan to go up against some on the best young ballplayers in the world.

 

Krynzel?s trip to Taiwan was just another experience that was grooming him to be a professional.

 

?I was playing in front of 22,000 screaming Taiwanese,? said Krynzel. ?It was a big difference from the hometown crowds in Nevada.?

 

It takes a lot to block out all that noise, especially when the cheers are not necessarily for you. That didn?t seem to bother Krynzel as team USA took Taiwan by storm, going 6-1, and captured the gold medal.

 

?It was amazing to win the gold medal.? Krynzel exclaimed. ?An actual USA gold medal.?

 

When Krynzel came back to Nevada with a gold medal, he didn?t let it get to his head. He worked harder, knowing that the next step was right around the corner and now was not the time to rest.

 

Thanks to all his hard work he logged an impressive senior year at the plate. He batted .438, belted five home runs, knocked in 31 RBIs, and stole 15 bases at Green Valley High in a suburb of Las Vegas. For most high school ballplayers, that would be the highlight of their summer, but for Krynzel it is was just the start.

 

During that same summer, he got a surprise on a quiet day in June. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Krynzel with their first round pick in the 2000 First Year Player Draft, making him the 11th overall selection.

 

After all the grooming, Krynzel was finally a professional baseball player.

 

His professional career begun just how he had hoped. He was hitting the ball well and he loved the team he was playing for.

 

?Ogden was a great place to begin my career,? said Krynzel. ?I lived with a host family at the time and they made everything really easy.?

 

Krynzel was on pace for an all-star year batting .359 in 34 games with eight doubles, three triples, and one home run. Those 34 games would be all that Krynzel would be able to play his first year, however. A headfirst slide into second broke his thumb and sidelined him for the duration of the season.

 

?[After the slide] I got up and went to fix my pants and I couldn?t use my thumb,? Krynzel said. ? I knew right then something wasn?t right.?

 

An injury is the last thing a player wants and especially in your first season. Some guys never recover from an injury and others bounce right back. Krynzel was about to find out what kind of player he was.

 

He used the rest of the season and off-season to rehab his thumb back to normal. ?Lots of things were going through my mind,? Krynzel said. ?Will I ever get to play again??

 

Throughout his rehab, he was repeatedly told to be positive, work hard and you?ll be back to normal in no time. This was Krynzel?s first look at how easily everything he had worked for so hard could just disappear in an instant.

 

Krynzel was able to battle back and played the entire 2001 season. During the season he was promoted from Beloit, the Brewers? low Single-A team, to High Desert, the Brewers? high Single-A team.

 

He continued to run through the Brewers? farm system like a wild fire. During the next three years, he worked his way up from Single-A to Milwaukee. Throughout the past two years, he has been on the bubble between the big leagues and Triple-A.

 

Throughout his advancement through the minors, Krynzel has been tabbed as one of the best prospects in the Brewers organization. Coming into the 2003 season, he was ranked as the Southern League?s #5 best-prospect by Baseball America and since 2004 he has been ranked in the Brewers top-10 best prospects, most recently ranked as the Brewers #7-best prospect in 2006 by Baseball America.

 

?Being a prospect really does nothing for me,? Krynzel stated. ?You still have to go out there, play, and produce.?

 

Baseball has always been something that he loved to do but an off-season injury helped move baseball into his number one priority.

 

During the past off-season, he broke his collarbone in a motorcycle accident that left his baseball future in limbo. The bone seemed to be healing correctly but before spring training, the Brewers? doctors examined Krynzel and decided to re-break the bone. After the surgery, it was unsure if Krynzel was going to be able to make an opening day roster anywhere. The only thing that was sure was that Krynzel would have to buckle down and put in some intense rehab hours.

 

?I just had to work really hard to get healthy enough to play,? Krynzel said. That is exactly what he did. He did everything in his power to make sure that when Spring Training came along he would be able to suit up. It was a close call but thanks to his intense work ethic, he is still able to run out on the field and help the Brewers organization the best he can.

 

?It gave me a new perspective on my career,? stated Krynzel. ?I have to make some sacrifices and make baseball my number one priority.?

 

Krynzel realizes that if he wants to make it to the big leagues, he is going to have concentrate more on baseball and cut out some of his other hobbies.

 

Everyday he shows up early to the ballpark to take some extra swings off the tee or get in that pre-game work out. He knows that all the talent in the world won?t get you anywhere unless you are willing to work hard and improve.

[Southwest Brewer]

Are Fernandez's dazzling AAA performances making him marketable trade bait? I wish him luck, but I'm not his biggest fan and would love to move the guy to another team for almost anything.

[Mass Haas]

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Sounds knuckleballer masters difficult pitch at 34 years old

By Nate Rau, Nashville City Paper Sports Correspondent

 

Jared Fernandez is hitting his career stride at the tender age of 34.

 

The Nashville Sounds starting pitcher leads the Pacific Coast League in complete games with three and is the reigning PCL Pitcher of the Week. He earned the honor thanks to last Thursday?s complete game shutout of the Memphis Redbirds, which improved his record to 5-2 behind an earned-run average of 2.28.

 

The late blossoming of his career is only part of what makes Fernandez unique. He?s succeeding on the strength of a pitch only 53 major league hurlers have ever been skilled enough ? or brave enough ? to use.

 

Fernandez is a knuckleballer. It?s a title he?s earned in the purest sense of the term, estimating he throws the pitch about 95 percent of the time. Oklahoma?s R.A. Dickey, a product of Montgomery Bell Academy and the University of Tennessee, is the only other PCL knuckleballer. Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox is the only active pitcher in the bigs who uses it.

 

Learning from the best

 

In 1995, Fernandez was a pitcher in the Red Sox organization but was not yet a knuckleballer. In spring training of that year, the team was in Fort Myers, Fla., where two of the game?s most well-known knucklers ? brothers Phil and Joe Niekro ? were managing the Colorado Silverbullets, a fledgling women?s baseball team.

 

Fernandez had always been able to throw the pitch and he started to work on it extensively with the Niekro brothers and Wakefield, who was also coming up with Boston.

 

?Every day it was me, the Niekros and Wakefield in the pen working on the knuckle,? Fernandez said. ?It took me a while to get comfortable with it, but Phil said, ?Just stick with the knuckleball,? and I did.?

 

Fernandez also boasts a fastball, which he can sink or cut in on the batter, and a curveball. But he only uses those pitches on rare occasion when the knuckle isn?t working. So when he?s on the hill, Fernandez isn?t worried about the batter knowing what?s coming.

 

The key to the pitch is change of speed. Wakefield throws his usually in the 60-65 mph range. Fernandez can hit 80 on the radar gun or bottom out in the 50s.

 

?It?s pretty drastic,? Fernandez said of the change of speed. ?If I throw one in the 50s, then come back with an 80-mile-an-hour fastball, it?s pretty difficult.?

 

Fernandez?s knuckleball is an intricate undertaking. Throughout the course of the game, he looks for ?air pockets? between the mound and home plate that allow him to spot the ball where he pleases.

 

?What amazes me most about Jared so far is his control,? Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said.

 

Sounds pitching coach Stan Kyles went a step further.

 

?It?s definitely the most difficult pitch in baseball to throw,? he said. ?I?ve never seen someone use it as well as Jared has.?

 

The benefits of learning the pitch are obvious. Because of the lack of velocity needed to throw it, knuckleballers reduce the wear and tear on their throwing arms. Joe Niekro pitched until the age of 44. Phil Niekro pitched until he was 48, notching 112 wins after the age of 40.

 

After learning from the Niekros, Fernandez continued trying to master the pitch with varying degrees of success. Beginning his professional baseball career in 1994, he earned cups of coffee with Cincinnati in 2001 and 2002 and followed that up with two more stints in 2003 and 2004 with Houston.

 

Last season, he was pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in Louisville when the organization told him he wouldn?t get called up. Their big league catcher, Jason LaRue, could not catch a knuckleball.

 

?There was one time the year before when LaRue missed seven straight pitches I threw,? Fernandez said.

 

So Fernandez asked for his release and went home to Ogden, Utah. Then the Phillies came calling and Fernandez said something clicked while pitching for Philadelphia?s Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, which has carried over to Nashville this year.

 

?I don?t know if you?ve ever figured out this game,? Fernandez said, ?but I feel as good as I ever have throwing it.?

 

The evidence is there. Over his past six starts, Fernandez is 4-1 with a 1.01 ERA in 44.2 innings pitched. He?s walked just two batters in that span against 30 strikeouts.

 

Now the friendly, soft-spoken Fernandez, who takes the hill tonight, is hoping his current mastery of the knuckleball can lead to a permanent tour of duty in the big leagues.

 

?We?ll see where it takes me,? Fernandez said. ?For me, I would never want to look back as an old man and wonder, ?What if?? That?s why I play this game?because I love it. I love being around the guys and meeting people from different cultures. It?s an amazing life experience, not just baseball, but a life experience.?

[Team Canada]

[Dave Krynzel] and other future professionals such as Joe Mauer, Mark Mulder, and Mark Prior traveled to Taiwan to go up against some on the best young ballplayers in the world.

 

One of these names is not like the others... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Mass Haas]

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?Older? Meyers in news again

By Jeff Tribe, Tillsonburg (Ontario, Canada) News Staff Writer

 

What was old, is news again for Tillsonburg native Mike Meyers.

 

?You learn something new every day,? laughed the 28-year-old Nashville Sounds baseball pitcher Monday afternoon from his ?home? apartment.

 

Saturday evening, Meyers shared in the first no-hitter recorded in the Pacific Coast League this season. Sounds starter Carlos Villanueva went six innings in his first AAA outing before giving way to Meyers, who kept the ?no-no? going for two more, striking out three batters in the process. Alex Zumwalt came on to close out a 2-0 victory over the Memphis Redbirds while recording his eighth save of the season.

 

?It was kind of neat to be a part of that,? said Meyers, whose last no-hitter experience came in a seven-inning tournament game as a London Badger midget.

 

?A couple of years ago,? he agreed with a laugh. ?Every day you go out there, something new happens.?

 

A decade into his professional career, baseball still holds fresh experiences and opportunities for the 6?2?, 210-pound right-handed pitcher. This season began with an invitation to the World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Canada, to share in arguably his nation?s greatest international baseball triumph, a round-robin upset of the host United States.

?It was just fun to be a part of,? said Meyers of the entire tournament in general, and the victory over the U.S. in particular.

 

The original gameplan had simply to be competitive with the prohibitive favourites, a plan that changed as the game progressed.

 

?All of a sudden, we started throwing runs on the board,? said Meyers.

 

?One of the highlights of the tournament,? he added.

 

The whole experience, from sharing a clubhouse with Canadian MLB stars, to working three innings himself (giving up a total of three runs), to sharing diamonds with baseball?s ?best of the best of the best?, was one that for Meyers, ranks second only to his Pan-American bronze medal victory in 1999.

 

?It was a great experience.?

 

The World Baseball Classic also may have provided Meyers a springboard into the 2006 season. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs with whose organization he spent six years, prior to a season with the New York Mets, Meyers signed his second one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers organization in November of last year.

 

?They treated me well,? he explained.

 

With that detail taken care of and two weeks of pre-spring training training behind him, Meyers? transition to full-time pitching was smooth.

 

?I felt like I was in the game, right as soon as I got there.?

Last year, his first three weeks had been at the AA level, but this year Meyers headed to the AAA Sounds right from Maryvale, Arizona. He has started three games this season but has assumed more of a long relief, coming out of the bullpen role.

 

?You have a shot to get in there every night,? said

Meyers. ?So it kind of keeps you on your toes.?

 

He is not a pure power pitcher, but still runs 90 mile-per-hour fastball up to home plate. ?Curve, slider,? he added. ?Mix it up - and still getting strikeouts, which is nice.?

 

Meyers is focussed more on pitching well than his statistical line.

 

For the record, Meyers has a 3-4 won-lost mark with a 3.64 ERA in 54.1 innings of work across 22 games including three starts. He has surrendered 45 hits, walked 22 and hit two battsmen while striking out 53.

 

?Offensively?, he bats in the games against National League minor league teams. ?I do know that stat,? he laughed. ?I think I?m 0-for-12.?

 

Typically, Sounds crowds range from 8-9,000 and are fully behind their team.

 

?You can?t beat it,? said Meyers.

 

The fans have had lots to cheer about with a Nashville team currently on a four-game winning streak, 51-42 overall (.548 winning percentage) and in first place in the PCL?s American North Division, three full games up on Iowa.

 

?A good team to be on,? said Meyers. ?A lot of guys from different places, but everybody?s pretty cool.?

 

Life in Nashville has required a modest adjustment. A dedicated hard-rock fan (Korn in particular), Meyers has to search to avoid the prevailing musical mood.

 

?You flip the stations on the FM dial, there?s a country music station on the whole time,? he laughed.

 

Separation from his family has been a more serious challenge. During the ball season, he lives in an apartment with three teammates. In the off-season he will rejoin wife Mindy and one-year-old son Brody, who live near her family in Quad Cities, Illinois.

 

?The family situation kind of sucks,? admitted Meyers, who enjoyed the all-star break with the two of them and looks forward to reuniting on a full-time basis as soon as the ball season is over. Living apart from his loved ones is the toughest part of the equation, he added.

 

?You try to take advantage of the off-season as much as possible.?

 

Adjustments and sacrifices aside, Meyers is still taking advantage of an opportunity to make a living in a profession the great majority of citizenry can only dream about, well outside the realm of the standard ?nine-to-five? routine.

?I?m not accustomed to that yet,? he laughed. ?Hopefully I can put that off a couple of more years.?

 

Meyers, like his compatriots, hopes that ?couple of more years? includes a call-up to the major leagues.

 

?That would be awesome, everybody?s looking for that. It?s a matter of being in the right place at the right time.?

 

Currently, he remains focussed on his best route to his ?right place?.

 

?I just want to keep going out there and throwing up good numbers and see what happens after that,? he said.

 

And in the meantime, the journey toward an ongoing dream has proven Nashville to be a pretty good - temporary at least - destination.

 

?This year I?m just having a good time,? Meyers concluded. ?I don?t really imagine doing anything else that would be this much fun. It?s going well."

[Mass Haas]

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Theft report: Sounds No.1

'Everybody has the green light' for PCL leader that could set a team record

By MAURICE PATTON

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

It's all about the numbers ? and the Nashville Sounds have been putting up some astounding ones this season.

 

After Tuesday night's homestand opener against Colorado Springs, the Sounds were head-and-shoulders ahead of the rest of the Pacific Coast League in stolen bases with 152 ? 34 more than the No. 2 team, New Orleans, and on pace for a franchise record by season's end.

 

While second-year Nashville manager Frank Kremblas, hoping to substitute speed for power, has signed off on the relay team, the results have been in the hands of the players. Six current or former Sounds have already reached double-digit steal totals. Three others have had at least seven.

 

"On this team, everybody has the green light," said veteran infielder Jermaine Clark, who is tops on the Sounds with 26 stolen bases. "That's something that's kind of new. Most teams I've played for, the top-of-the-order and bottom-of-the-order guys have the green light.

 

"What's good about Frank is, even when you do run into a bad play, make a bad decision, he doesn't scold you about it. He knows and you know it's a bad decision, and you shouldn't do it next time. It's really relaxed to run with him and that makes it easier to steal bases."

 

Clark has been Nashville's most prolific basestealer, but he's hardly the only one. All-Star outfielders Tony Gwynn (since promoted to the Milwaukee Brewers) and Nelson Cruz have 24 and 17, respectively, with Dave Krynzel adding another 19.

 

"I played for Frank in 2004. It's nothing new to me," said Gwynn, who stole 35 bases at Class AA Huntsville two years ago. "I knew when I was with him again I'd get the chance to run, and we've done that."

 

Turn it loose

 

Many teams and managers say they want to run. Not so many back up the lip service by giving such freedom up and down the batting order.

 

"It keeps everybody involved in the game," said Sounds hitting coach Gary Pettis, a five-time AL Gold Glove winner who also stole 354 bases in 11 major league seasons. "When you reach first base, your job isn't done. You don't just sit there and wait for a guy to hit a ball in the gap to score you. If you can get into scoring position, whether it be by a stolen base or just if you're ready to steal a base, you can get there on a ball in the dirt, too."

 

The green light approach for baserunners is equal to the philosophy some managers have with hitters on a 3-ball, 0-strike count ? turning you loose isn't a edict to swing, or run.

 

"It has something to do with being comfortable going," said Clark, who has stolen 20 or more bases in eight of his 10 professional seasons. "I'm just waiting on counts that dictate it, or if a pitcher doesn't care. Some of these veteran pitchers just don't care. That's something they would rather not worry about. They feel holding runners takes away from their stuff. They'll let you steal second and third and just worry about the hitter. So that being said, if you feel that way, I'll take second and third on you."

 

"For (Kremblas), it's just more of him wanting you to run," Gwynn said. "He doesn't care how you do it ? doesn't care about your stance, your jumps. He just wants you to get a good jump and get to second base or get to third base.

 

"It makes my job a lot easier, for sure. You're not looking over your shoulder to see if, when you do get thrown out, if it's a big deal. Frank doesn't care."

 

Make 'em sweat

 

As expected, the increased running game ? Nashville stole 174 bases last season ? has increased the pressure on opposing defenses.

 

"We've gotten a lot of stolen bases with errors added to them where we've gotten to the next base," Gwynn said. "We end up scoring runs like that."

 

And for a team that's 14th in the PCL with 71 home runs, scoring runs in alternative fashions is important.

 

"We've got to find other ways to put runs on the board, and speed is our next option," Gwynn said. "With Frank, once you get on base, anything can happen. There have been times when it hasn't worked out, where we've been thrown out or it looks like we're running into outs in certain occasions. But in the end, the percentages are in our favor when we're trying to get the next base. As long as we continue to get on base, we're going to continue to keep pushing the envelope and making the defense make plays."

 

Just the threat of the stolen base creates opportunities for an offense by putting defenses at disadvantages.

 

"Now the defense has to play in a position where they can cover the bag, which opens up another hole for the hitter," Pettis said. "Or the catcher now feels like the pitcher has to throw more fastballs because now if he throws a breaking ball, he doesn't have a chance, which gives the hitter another advantage. If he can hit fastballs instead of breaking balls, it's better for the hitter, also."

 

Have no fear

 

By Kremblas' standards, the power of positive thinking is important in the stolen-base equation.

 

"To me, if you're afraid of getting picked off, you're not going to be a good basestealer," he said. Your concern can't be going back. Your concern has to be going forward, so you can get your good jumps."

 

It's easy to understand the apprehension a baserunner might have, though. Any fan that's seen a player get picked off first base after leaning the wrong way on a pitcher's first move can empathize with that long walk back to the dugout.

 

"The biggest thing is that guys are willing to do it," Pettis said. "There's always a risk and reward factor."

 

Clark agrees with Kremblas in that thinking positively is the key.

 

"I know a lot of people think basestealers never go through a mindset of 'I don't want to get thrown out,' " he said. "I've been playing for nine years, and every time I go out there I don't want to get thrown out. You just have to go. It sounds so crazy, but you just have to run.

 

"If you start second-guessing yourself, you'll start not going and balls will be thrown in the dirt. It'll be a ball off the catcher's mitt when you don't go, and then you get really frustrated. You just have to say to yourself, 'Go.' "

 

When to go

 

Different players take different approaches when they attempt to steal a base. But the process boils down to whether the baserunner can get to the next base before the pitcher delivers the ball and the catcher can catch it and throw to said base.

 

"Certain guys say 'I'm keying this, I'm keying that,' " Clark said. "I just ask for the time."

 

Most first-base coaches put a stopwatch on every pitch to figure how quick the pitcher is to the plate ? usually around 1.3 seconds. They typically also time a catcher's throw to second between innings, around 2.2 seconds.

 

"Then you take your time from home to first," Clark said. "That should be, for a guy like myself, 4.0-4.2. But when we're (attempting a steal), we don't have to swing the bat and we have a 13- to 15-foot lead.

 

"If he's a 1.25 and above, I'm going to give it a go. If he's a 1.25 or below, I'm not that fast. I'm looking for a time, and I'm looking at his front foot. When he picks that front foot up, I'm leaving.

 

"I've had several coaches say look at the shoulders, look at the back of the knee, but honestly, I wasn't good enough to work that into my bag of tricks. Some people say they turn their shoulder before they move their front foot. That could be true, but I don't know because I don't look at that.

 

"All I know is, if I'm looking at their shoulders and they go to pick off, the feet are going to move to me before the shoulders. There are people that would probably prove me wrong, and that's fine, but I've been semi-successful with the way I've done it from high school all the way up to this level, so far."

 

While Clark focuses on one specific body part, Gwynn takes it all in.

 

"I'm just trying to see if he does anything different," he said. "He might lean forward when he's going to the plate, he might lean backward when he's coming to first base. I'm looking for things like that. When I can feel him leaning or getting ready to go to the plate, I'm off."

 

Knowing times is important, but knowing tendencies is a factor as well.

 

"We have guys that steal bases, and they're not the fastest guys," Pettis said. "But it's reading the pitcher, picking the right pitch, paying attention to the pitch sequences. That's probably one of the most important things. If you're a guy that doesn't have a lot of speed, but you have an idea they're about to throw a breaking ball, that gives you a few extra seconds to get down there."

 

Fun to run

 

Although it's unlikely any Nashville player will challenge the Sounds' individual single-season record of 74 steals set by Otis Nixon in 1981, the team would almost have to stop running for the franchise mark of 205 ? also set in '81 ? to survive.

 

"A guy that hits .300 in this lineup and can run, can steal 70 bases," Clark said. "With the freedom Frank gives you, you can steal 70. Would it be hard? (Darn) right it would be hard. But it's something that could be done because of the freedom he gives us.

 

"Early on, I set my goals for 50 ? but I was hot. Things change. Half the battle of stealing bases is being on first base. If I could steal myself 40 to 50, I'd be more than happy with that."

 

"It's easier for guys like us to run when you've got a manager like Frank," Gwynn said. "You can rely on your instincts, as opposed to having to wait and see what he wants you to do. When you have a manager that wants you to run, it makes things a little easier."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.thereporter.com/sports/ci_4141103

 

Clark making rare visit to Raley

The former Wood star is hoping to rejuvenate his bat as Nashville meets Sacramento

By Matt Miller, the Vacaville (CA) Reporter Assistant Sports Editor

 

Sacramento's Raley Field was the sight of arguably Jermaine Clark's best baseball games as a professional.

 

The former Will C. Wood High School star hit a home run, tripled and drove in two runs last September in helping the host River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.

 

Much has changed since then, though, and his return on Sunday could be bittersweet.

 

Clark has moved on to the Milwaukee Brewers' organization with the Class AAA Nashville Sounds. He is struggling offensively, hitting only .218 through Thursday's game, and contemplating the end of a career.

 

"I do think this might be it, but I want to wait until the offseason to figure things out,' Clark said. "The reality is that I'm not one of their prospects. The guys they've wanted to go up have gone to the big leagues. I'm not put in a position to be there and I don't expect to be there any time soon.'

 

Clark has had brief major league stints with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics. Now he is trying to find his way as a utility player with the Sounds, seeing time at third base, second base, shortstop and in the outfield.

 

It's at the plate where he has been most frustrated. He's always been a consistent hitter who regularly puts the ball in play. Clark has just 69 hits in 316 plate appearances with 10 doubles, three home runs, 26 RBI. He has 26 stolen bases.

 

"My stats are a nightmare,' he said. 'That's the way it goes. You win some, you lose some. I'm not making the right adjustments and it's a little case of bad luck every now and then. I wish I could give a better offensive performance on a daily basis.'

 

Clark is pleased to be approaching one personal milestone, though. He is six hits away from collecting 1,000 in his professional career. Earning that achievement, he says, would be nice to do in front of family and friends at the Sacramento ballpark.

 

One important fan will be noticeably missing, however. Clark's father, George, died at the end of last year.

 

"My father knew what to say when I was going through situations like this and it's hard not having that person to go to,' he said. "I know he's sitting up there watching me, wanting me to get a couple of more hits for him.

 

"This will be the first time for me to come home and not have my dad there to see me play. Him not being there is heavy on my mind.'

[Mass Haas]

In the game -- again

Former River Cat Graham Koonce thought he could live without baseball, but the Milwaukee Brewers had other ideas

By Scott Howard-Cooper -- Sacramento Bee Staff Writer

 

FRESNO -- A funny thing happened on the way to the rest of his life.

 

He didn't get there.

 

Graham Koonce started playing baseball again, the real baseball, and started driving the ball again and, so, here he is.

 

Not just here at Grizzlies Stadium, but here back on the carousel of minor-league baseball he finally decided he could live without. Doubleheader in Nashville on Tuesday, early-morning departure to Fresno on Wednesday, at the ballpark by late afternoon and loosening up with batting practice in the indoor cage beneath the stands.

 

Koonce never wanted to be defined by his baseball accomplishments, whether with the Nashville Sounds in 2006 or while starring for the River Cats during Pacific Coast League title runs in 2003 and '04. But it's not as if the game called to him or anything.

 

He essentially was out of baseball three years after being voted the PCL's MVP as the Cats' first baseman and designated hitter. He joined the independent San Diego Surf Dawgs for the workout and to bring him emotionally closer to pursuing a job as a paramedic or firefighter than trying for the majors again.

 

He had a wife and a newborn daughter and a happy home life in San Diego that was never supposed to hinge on baseball. And then the Milwaukee Brewers called with a spot at Triple-A Nashville and an understood chance at promotion, and there went what passed for retirement.

 

"I have a little bit lighter perspective of the game," Koonce said.

 

Lighter?

 

"I'm just as focused and just as determined as I've ever been," he said. "But I know it's not the end-all of everything if I have a bad night."

 

Always grounded and mature, even years ago as he slugged his way to become one of the most storied and popular River Cats ever, the Koonce of age 31 has evolved into someone who loves the game but doesn't desperately need it. He returned to Raley Field for the first time since 2004 as Nashville visited for four games.

 

He and Aubrey, his wife of nearly four years, had Addison on March 21. Talk about perspective. But Koonce also has had the last two seasons, ever since he realized the path to the A's was blocked by circumstance and timing and he left Northern California as a free agent.

 

Indianapolis was the first stop. He thought he had a chance to make the Pittsburgh Pirates out of spring training. Instead, he spent 2005 with their Triple-A affiliate in the International League and hit 23 homers, topping 20 for a fourth consecutive minor-league season.

 

The New York Yankees were next after signing him as a free agent for 2006. Or at least their Tampa, Fla., spring training home was next. Team officials told him they were going to assign him to Double A for the start of the season. Koonce said he would rather be released. They gave him that courtesy.

 

Funny thing about the timing of the career setback -- and this is where the affirmation became more real than ever -- is he didn't want to be known for what he did on the field. Aubrey called from San Diego just as he was pulling out of the parking lot in Tampa to say the doctor had decided to induce labor the next day. It wasn't until he got to the airport a little later that evening, for the flight home to California, he broke his news.

 

Their precious Addison arrived as promised. So much for remembering that week as a downer.

 

Koonce, a free agent again, said he went three weeks without swinging a bat and didn't miss it. When the season started without him, he didn't feel bad about that, either. Being home was great.

 

Without actually saying he was retired, he plotted new careers. Baseball people did not call with jobs. Fine.

 

The Surf Dawgs -- part of the fledgling Golden League with teams in California, Nevada and Arizona -- offered a chance to play the game he loved at a reduced level, where only a sliver of each roster was considered prospects by the affiliated leagues. It was mostly pedestrian, exercise and the opportunity to compete without the travel demands that had been so much a part of his life. What a change for someone who in 2003 and '04 had a combined 56 home runs and 192 RBIs at Triple A and had briefly been in the majors with the A's in '03.

 

"It might just have been that opportunity with us ? the opportunity maybe he didn't take advantage of or the opportunity that maybe shut quicker than he expected," Keith Lieppman, the A's director of player development, said of Koonce being unable to stay in the majors despite impressive production in Sacramento. "It wasn't just one thing."

 

Koonce was in independent ball, part last stand for still-hopeful players and part sideshow where Jose Canseco pitches without apology, for about a week when the Brewers called. He went from the Surf Dawgs' late spring training to Nashville on May 31, about seven weeks into the PCL season, and had 11 home runs the first 56 games in his familiar role at first base and DH. Over 125 outings in a full schedule of 144 games, that projects to about 25 homers if he hadn't missed April and most of May.

 

"You can tell he's interested out there, when he's at bat and when he's in the field," Sounds manager Frank Kremblas said. "He's definitely still into it."

 

He has to be. Fresno was the first stop on a 12-game trip that covers 13 days, a three-hour bus ride up Highway 99 and a stop in Albuquerque, N.M., before returning to Tennessee in hopes of holding off Iowa for the American Conference's Northern Division title and a postseason that could last into mid-September.

 

"It's still just as fun to me," Koonce said. "If it wasn't, I wouldn't be playing."

 

He would be getting on with the rest of his life.

 

http://www.sacbee.com/static/rich_content_images/287043-0806koonce01.jpg

 

http://www.sacbee.com/static/rich_content_images/287043-0806koonce03.jpg

[endaround]

Quote:

---

And then the Milwaukee Brewers called with a spot at Triple-A Nashville and an understood chance at promotion, and there went what passed for retirement.

---

 

Are we looking at a possible Sept call up so Koonce can add to his pension?

[DHonks]

when we signed Koonce it seemed logical that he'd be a potential callup in the event of a penant push, as his bat would be dynamite off the bench

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.ajc.com/braves/conten...nathy.html

 

Abernathy frustrated by spell in minors

By GUY CURTRIGHT

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

Nashville ? When he didn't make Milwaukee's opening-day roster this spring, Brent Abernathy set another goal.

 

"I looked at the schedule and saw when the Brewers were in Atlanta," the Lovett School graduate said. "I was determined to be up there by then."

 

But when the Brewers and Braves played earlier this month, Abernathy was in Albuquerque, N.M., finishing a 12-day road trip with the Class AAA Nashville Sounds.

 

"It's been a very frustrating season," the 28-year-old said.

 

Once considered a can't-miss prospect, Abernathy is now a minor-league journeyman seemingly stalemated with his sixth organization.

 

Abernathy, who went into the season with a .303 career average, picked up his 1,000th hit in June. It was hardly a time for celebration. Nobody wants to play in that many minor-league games.

 

"I'm a long way from hanging it up," said Abernathy, who is married and has a nearly 2-year-old daughter. "I know what I can do. But it keeps getting harder and harder to get a chance."

 

Abernathy hasn't gotten it with Milwaukee despite hitting .281 in AAA and showing he can play first base as well as the middle infield and outfield.

 

"When we made moves, his name kept coming up," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said of Abernathy, who hit .367 with the Brewers during spring training. "He's a good hitter with a real professional approach at the plate. I definitely feel that there is a role for him in the majors. He just needs to get the break."

 

Considered one of the best pure hitters in 1996 draft, Abernathy turned his back on college when Toronto made him a second-round draft pick and gave him $425,000. But 10 years later, his only full season in the majors was 2002 with Tampa Bay.

 

"Things certainly haven't worked out the way I thought they would," said Abernathy, who has a .244 career major-league average in 232 games.

 

But there have been highlights. He was the leading hitter on the United States team that won an Olympic gold medal in 2000 at Sydney, homered at Fenway Park to open his major-league career in 2001 and had three four-hit games later that season. One was against the hometown Braves in his first game at Turner Field.

 

"Other than winning the gold medal, that four-hit game in Atlanta has to stick out more than anything else," Abernathy said.

 

"I'll never forget having my family there and how happy they all were. That memory makes up a little bit for some of the disappointments since."

[Mass Haas]

An entertaining audio highlight recap of the 2006 Sounds:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...Season.mp3

[Mass Haas]

The Voice of the Sounds, Chuck Valenches, with a detailed reflection on the Sounds' 2006 season:

 

nashvillesounds.blogspot....-road.html

[Mass Haas]

Don't be surprised to see Chris Barnwell playing for Canadian National Teams in the future. What's that, you say? A bit of a unique story here from above the border:

 

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Column...95819.html

 

A Canuck uncovered

Brewers' Barnwell could fill hole in middle infield

By Bob Elliott

 

One generation after another, the Barnwells have come home to Shelburne, N.S.

 

Mary Ellen Barnwell was with child when she went to stay with her mother, Gertrude McKay, in 1945. The Second World War was on the front pages and Mary Ellen's husband, Thomas, of the U.S. army, was about to be deployed overseas.

 

Mary Ellen gave birth to a son Tim in August of 1945 in Shelburne. When the war ended, Thomas came home took his family to a training centre in North Carolina.

 

"I've heard the story hundreds of times our train ride from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas," Tim Barnwell was saying this week from Jacksonville, Fla. This was before the car seats.

 

"My mother placed me in an apple crate," Barnwell said. "It was tough on the train: No air conditioning, windows open and smoke from the engine blowing into the cars."

 

Why on earth do we care about Tim Barnwell?

 

Well, Tim's wife, Veronica , had a son -- Christopher Edward Barnwell, born March 1, 1979 in Jacksonville.

 

Chris Barnwell, 27, plays shortstop at triple-A Nashville and, for five weeks this summer, was a backup infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

"By virtue of me being born there, I am a Canadian citizen and that gives my children dual citizenship," Tim says. "I went home to Nova Scotia every summer until I was 16, then every other summer. In Jacksonville, everyone is in a hurry. Nova Scotia is so laid- back. I have lots of friends there."

 

Tim likes to fish, but it isn't fishing or hunting which brings both him and his brother home, some 21/2 hours from the Halifax airport. Forests surround crystal lakes. Waves from the Atlantic crash on shore.

 

"I sit on the front porch, relax and it's a great day. It's a special place," he says.

 

While snowbird Canadians head south to Florida, this Floridian and his brother head north. Older brother Tom, a former professor of electrical engineering at the University of Georgia, goes each summer to play blue grass music.

 

Chris Barnwell made his major-league debut June 20 in a 10-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Tim was there.

 

"It was very emotional for me when he went into the game (in the sixth) and when he came up the next inning (hitting a fly ball to centre) and they announced his name," says Tim, who took time off from his construction company to be there.

 

The next day, Chris stroked a pinch-hit, two-out single off Tigers lefty Nate Robertson and scored the tying run on a Rickie Weeks homer off Joel Zumaya in a 4-3 Milwaukee win.

 

Chris was selected in the 25th round out of Flagler College in Florida.

 

"This is my son's sixth year. He is a little on the small side (5-foot-10) to be where he is, but defensively he belongs," the father says. "He has made six errors and has a .982 fielding percentage at Nashville."

 

Chris is like Mark Teahen, the Kansas City infielder with the smooth stroke. Born in Redlands, Calif., Teahen's roots trace back to St. Marys, Ont., also giving him dual citizenship.

 

"I've talked with people at Baseball Canada in Ottawa," Chris Barnwell said from Nashville. "Given my situation, I want to play for Canada as soon the paperwork is completed."

 

The cold hard numbers on Barnwell are: An .067 average in 11 games with the Brewers, a .294 average with four homers and 34 RBIs at Nashville.

 

This new-found discovery makes Barnwell the 22nd Canadian in the majors this season.

 

Kitchener reliever Ryan Braun, recalled by Kansas City yesterday, will be No. 23 -- the most since 1884 when there were 28.

 

Of the 23, Barnwell is the only shortstop in the majors.

 

"I'd love to see my son wear a uniform with Canada on the front," says Tim.

 

For a country weak on middle infielders, this may be an important discovery. Olympic shortstop Danny Klassen, of Leamington, was injured in the spring and hasn't fielded a ground ball this season.

[dadofandrew]

I simply have no clue why Americans would have any interest in playing for another country's baseball team. I believe my grandpa was born in Germany...should I go there if they'd let me play 2B?

[thumperden]

You sure could do that if they'd have you.

[dadofandrew]

But why would I want to represent a country I have no relation to, other than my ancestors? I guess I just don't get it.

[Mass Haas]

Link to the thread in the Trading Post Forum re: Game-Worn Sounds Jerseys (please post comments in that thread, not this one, thanks):

 

p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...=682.topic

[sbrylski]

I'll have to bid on the Gallardo jersey next year, or maybe the Braun.

 

I'm assuming this was also done in the past. Does anyone know about how much they go for?

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.kearneyhub.com/site/i...&rfi=8

 

To Drew, no place like big league

By BUCK MAHONEY, Kearney (Neb.) Hub Sports Editor

 

KEARNEY ? Drew Anderson got a taste of the big leagues. Now he would like a full meal.

 

Called up to play for the Milwaukee Brewers in mid-September, the Kearney High School graduate played in eight games, getting one hit and one start.

 

More importantly, he lived the big-league experience, and ?it was awesome.?

 

?When I left Triple-A , I went with three other guys and we flew to Pittsburgh. We flew first class, and that?s exactly how the big league is,? Anderson said. ?Every single thing about it is first class: the hotels, everything you do. You know why you work hard.

 

?Once I got there, I knew there was no chance I would ever want to go back to the minor leagues. I know I?m probably going to have to start in Triple-A next year, but there?s no way I want to go back there.?

 

The Brewers have some openings in their outfield, and some decisions to make. That?s cause for optimism for Anderson and the reason the Brewers brought him up for a late-season look.

 

Anderson started the season at Double-A Huntsville. Playing almost every day, he batted .291 with six home runs and 43 RBIs. He spent most of the season hitting third in the batting order, a spot reserved for players who are expected to get on base and drive in runs.

 

A mid-season trade ? the Brewers sent outfielder Carlos Lee and minor league outfielder Nelson Cruz to the Texas Rangers ? opened the door for Anderson to move up a level in the minor leagues.

 

Playing about the last three weeks for Nashville, Anderson hit .333 in 16 games.

 

Nashville made the playoffs, but lost in the first round, and Anderson expected to pack up and go home.

 

?When I got called to the big leagues, that was an absolute shock,? Anderson said.

 

He got the word when Nashville?s season ended in Round Rock, Texas. Anderson got called into the manager?s office and was told he had a good year, even though he got off to a slow start.

 

Still in the dark, Anderson said, ?I seem to struggle the first half pretty much every year. I don?t get off to great starts. It?s probably because I live up in the Midwest and it?s a little colder. I get off to those slow starts because I?m not outside all the time.?

 

The manager told him he should move, but Anderson said moving is expensive.

 

?He said, ?It?s a good thing you?re going to the big leagues, then.? I was like ?What?? It was pretty much a shock,? Anderson said.

 

Anderson got thrown into a pressure cooker in his first big-league appearance. It was two out, two on, top of the ninth, tying run at second and the St. Louis Cardinals needing the win to stay on top in the division race.

 

?Not what I expected,? said Anderson, who struck out in his debut.

 

Most of Anderson?s playing time came as a pinch-hitter, which he said was a difficult adjustment because he has been a starter throughout his entire baseball career.

 

He started only one game for the Brewers, getting his first hit against Matt Morris of the San Francisco Giants. He scored three runs while playing in eight games, including a game-winner in the bottom of the ninth against the Cardinals on Sept. 18, scoring from second base on a single by Tony Graffanino.

 

?It was pretty special, definitely one of those things you never forget,? Anderson said. ?He hit the ball hard, so I knew it was probably going to be a tight play, but I saw Prince (Fielder) jumping up and down, so I knew it wasn?t going to be too close of a play.?

 

While Anderson?s appearance was brief, he certainly hopes it will lead to a better opportunity next year. His promotion guarantees he will start spring training with the big league club.

 

While he expects to open the season in Triple-A, he?s looking forward to having the opportunity to show the big league coaches and executives what he can do. And, he expects to be a better player next year.

 

?I think I?ve played better every year,? Anderson said.

 

The Kearney Hub Athlete of the year in high school, Anderson was a four-sport standout. It was only in college when he started to focus year-round on baseball.

 

Anderson plans to return to Kearney this weekend with his wife, Stacy. They were married in February.

[Mass Haas]

Congrats to the Sounds Director Of Media Relations & Baseball Ops., Doug Scopel. This is a pretty prestigious award in his field. Doug does a fantastic job with his game reports, pre-game notes, transaction updates, etc. -- his work adds a lot to what we get you in a timely manner here at Brewerfan:

 

mlntherawfeed.squarespace...s-mln.html

 

www.minorleaguenews.com/f...11/01.html