Results tagged ‘ Prospects ’
Decorations around the ballpark
When you come out to a game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium this season – and there will be games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium this season — you will see some new things.
I am not talking about the club level and the suites and the other renovations around the stadium. I’m talking about the decorations. The Wall of Fame came down because of the renovations, but that is just temporary. To make sure there wasn’t just a blank concrete block wall when you walk into the ballpark, we hung the most recent championship banners of Appleton Professional Baseball:
The Foxes Pennants from 1982-1984 and the 2012 Timber Ratters Pennant.
There are some banners on the outside of the stadium. We selected a group of former Timber Rattlers players who are either Brewers prospects or are currently with the Brewers.
Khris Davis
Wily Peralta
Jim Henderson
Hiram Burgos
Hunter Morris
Tyler Thornburg
Scooter Gennett
Yadiel Rivera
Mitch Haniger
There are a few others, but you’ll just have to come out to the stadium to see who they are.
This is the part I really like. This old photograph of Goodland Field from the days of the Appleton Papermakers is on the wall behind the registers in the new Snake Pit Team Store. It is awesome. Sadly, the location is not lit properly for a good photo to be taken. Also – if you’ll remember – I am a bad photographer.
The light pole in foul territory cracks me up every time.
A closer look at the left side of the photo.
A closer look at the right side of the photo.
Look at the bat rack outside the dugout in the last picture. Heck, look at the dugout in that last picture. There are plenty of details in this photo on the wall. When you come out to the team store, look at it and sees what grabs your attention.
In case you missed it, the Rattlers were rained out again. Thursday is the third straight game at home that has been rained out. This weather….ugh. I had to give the penguin the day off. He was out enjoying this weather and wouldn’t check in with me. Jerk.
However, Fang & Whiffer both got out in the elements to sing and dance and emote their fuzzy hearts out. Enjoy:
Ohio’s Most Wanted, Organizational All-Stars, & Roster Moves
Three items for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
- Ohio Stadium. aka ‘The Horseshoe’.
A fan of a Milwaukee Brewers minor-league affiliate and some pals walked out of Ohio Stadium last week with flat-screen televisions, signed memorabilia and other items.
All they left behind was a purple hat with the logo for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Ohio State University Deputy Police Chief Richard Morman said yesterday.
The theft took place after the Illinois game on Nov. 3 — between 11:20 p.m. on Nov. 4 and 8 the next morning, police said.
The thieves apparently scaled the fence that surrounds the stadium, then used a trash can to climb onto the suites’ patio, Morman said. The doors to the suites were unlocked.
Six suites were entered, he said, and four flat-screen TVs, valued at $2,000 total, were taken. Eleven autographed photographs valued at $200 were taken after the glass of the frames was smashed. The memorabilia was owned by the companies or families who lease the suites, Morman said. A kiosk on the Huntington level was broken into, and $1,800 worth of merchandise was taken.
Police are working on getting video to identify the thieves, but they’re also relying on the hat left behind. It’s a purple hat with the Timber Rattlers’ logo: a snake wrapped around a W.
“It’s not something that’s real common in central Ohio, to see someone wearing a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers hat,” Morman said. “If this person is a student, staff or faculty member, (someone) might recognize him.”
The Timber Rattlers — 2012 Midwest League Champions — play in Appleton, Wis.
Break-ins at the stadium are unusual, Morman said.
Story from The Columbus Dispatch. Bold for emphasis.
#2. MiLB.com names Brewers Organizational All-Stars for 2012
The following list has twelve spots. Six belong to Timber Rattlers from 2012. Five belong to Timber Rattlers of past seasons. One spot on the list is a possible Rattler for the 2013 season. I have pulled a few notes on each player, but make sure to click the link above for the complete notes on them.
C – Cameron Garfield: “He missed some time with injuries, but he jumped into the Midwest League and did a great job at the plate with his bat,” special assistant to the general manager and director of player development Reid Nichols said. “I think his offense was nice to see; he responded with the bat. He still has some work to do defensively, but he’s a more offensive type of guy at this point.”
1B – Hunter Morris: Led the Southern League in a number of categories, including homers, RBIs, hits (158), extra-base hits (74) and slugging percentage (.563). Defensively, his .995 fielding percentage was the most among all Southern League first basemen. Morris made six errors in 1,259 chances, had a league-best 1,198 putouts and teamed up on 112 double plays.
2B – Scooter Gennett: “I think that was a good choice. He’s a young guy that responded to being pushed to Double-A,” Nichols said. “He will be a good big league hitter. He improved defensively which was what we were pleased most with. The main issue used to be that if he made an error, he would let it get him down and he would maybe make another one. But he overcame that and became a good defensive second baseman this year. He expects so much of himself that when he doesn’t perform he gets down.”
SS – Yadiel Rivera: While Rivera has not displayed the ability to consistently hit for average in his brief Minor League career, his other stats are trending upward. His 12 homers and 49 RBIs ranked first among Milwaukee shortstops, and his .247 average, while not spectacular, was still a career best for the 20-year-old native of Puerto Rico who was selected in the ninth round of the 2010 Draft. Defensively, Rivera posted a .962 fielding percentage, having committed 22 errors in 586 chances.
3B – Brandon Macias: While his home runs tally fell behind the likes of Andy Gonzalez and T.J. Mittelstaedt (both 13) and Mike Walker (12), his 35 doubles meant he finished with more extra-base hits (45) and total bases (198) than any of them. Not afraid to crowd the inside half of the plate, Macias was hit by 21 pitches this season. No other player on the Milwaukee farm was hit more than 12 times, and only two other batters racked up double-digit HBPs.
OF – Ben McMahan
Despite playing as many as 28 games fewer than some of the other outfielders in the organization, McMahan led all Brewers outfielders in homers (15), triples (11), RBIs (68) and slugging percentage (.500).
The University of Florida alum, selected in the 23rd round of the 2011 Draft, made the jump from the short-season Pioneer League seamlessly. While he struggled with plate discipline at times (29 walks to 129 strikeouts in 414 at-bats), his raw power and plus speed impressed coaches who hope to see his growth continue in 2013.
OF – Josh Prince: What third-rounder Prince lacks in power, he makes up for in speed and aggressiveness, according to Nichols. The 24-year-old, a Louisville Slugger All-American in his freshman year at Tulane University, ranked second in the organization with 41 stolen bases this year. His 74 walks and 28 doubles were the most of any outfielder in the system, while his 55 RBIs and 74 runs scored were both career highs.
OF – Chadwin Stang: “Chadwin is a little older player who is Canadian,” Nichols observed. “He has a lack of playing experience, but it’s always up to the individual. He accepted that he had to catch up with some of the other players. I saw him have a more consistent approach at the plate this year, and he stayed on the field even though he had minor injuries. He played a good, full season.”
UT – Jason Rogers: At his fourth level in three years, the 24-year-old adjusted well to the jump, posting a .300/.416/.412 slash line. With five more longballs and an additional 23 RBIs, Rogers set career highs in virtually every offensive category. His 35 doubles were tied for the second-most in the system, while his 83 runs were second only to Stang.
RHSP – Hiram Burgos: “He will start for a Major League club. He didn’t miss a beat going through the levels; he was right in sync. He stayed within himself. He’s a command pitcher, but because his command is so good, it makes his fastball look even faster when he throws it inside.”
LHSP – Taylor Wall: Selected in the 22nd round of the 2012 Draft out of Rice University, Wall went 3-1 with a 3.98 ERA in 14 games, including 10 starts, in his rookie year with Helena in the Pioneer League. He struck out twice as many batters (40) as he walked (20), and he allowed three homers over 54 1/3 innings.
RP – Jim Henderson: He held hitters to a .214 average, and he yielded two homers in 48 innings pitched. A Pacific Coast League midseason All-Star, Henderson struck out more than a batter an inning (56) and recorded a 1.21 WHIP before earning a promotion to Milwaukee.
#3. Brewers add five former Timber Rattlers to their 40-man roster.
This note arrived in an email from the Brewers so no link yet.
Milwaukee added the following former Timber Rattlers to their 40-man roster:
Nick Bucci (’10)
Hiram Burgos (’10)
Khris Davis (’10)
Scooter Gennett (’10)
Josh Prince (’09)
Congratulations to all five!
Brewers 2012 Draft report card
Mitch Haniger (L) and Lance Roenicke (R) were members of the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers draft class. Photo Credit: Ann Mollica/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
I almost didn’t post about this because:
- It’s Baseball America and you may remember my dissenting opinion on their Top 20 Midwest League Prospect list.
- It’s behind Baseball America’s subscriber wall.
But, a lot of the players mentioned are possible Timber Rattlers for 2013. Due diligence, I guess.
Their Quick Take: The Brewers focused on bats at the top of the draft and swung for the fences with raw, high-ceiling players in rounds 5-10. Getting an unpolished power arm such as Magnifico to come through would be a boon.
I’ll leave the descriptions out of their different rankings.
POSITION PLAYERS:
Best Pure Hitter: OF Tyrone Taylor (2nd round)
Best Power Hitter: OF Victor Roache (1st)
Fastest Runner: OF Edgardo Rivera (8th)
Best Defensive Player: SS Angel Ortega (6th), Taylor, & Mitch Haniger (1st-supplemental)
PITCHERS:
Best Fastball: RHP Damien Magnifico (5th) & Tyler Wagner (4th)
Best Secondary Pitch: Wagner – slider and RHP Zachary Quintana (5th) – curve
ODDS AND ENDS:
Best Pro Debut: Coulter
Best Athlete: Taylor
Most Intriguing Background: OF Lance Roenicke’s (25th) and RHP Austin Blaski (21st)
Closest To The Majors: Haniger
Best Late-Round Pick: NAIA product 2B Jose Sermo (35th) and RHP Martin Viramontes (28)
Haniger and Roenicke are the only players mentioned by BA who played for the Timber Rattlers last season. All – including Haniger and Roenicke – could be Rattlers in 2013.
Roache is an interesting name on the list. Here is what BA had to say about Roache when the Brewers signed him after the draft:
Roache missed most of the season with a broken left wrist, a serious injury that kept him out of the season after March. Roache hit 30 home runs in 2011, the first college hitter at Division I to hit 30 since 2003. He did it in the first year of the weaker BBCOR bats. We had more on his injury here.
The Brewers drafted Roache out of Georgia Southern. Former Rattlers from Georgia Southern include Julio Ayala and Andy Moye.
We have mentioned Magnifico and his 100mph fastball before. But, not much about Wagner.
How about a little note about him here?
Wagner, who will forgo his senior season to play professionally, was a three-year pitcher for the Utes. He set a school record with 17 saves, including 12 saves in 2011. Wagner has a career 2.72 ERA with 90 strikeouts. He made 57 appearances and gave up just three home runs.
Past Utes with the Rattlers include Phil Cullen and Wick Udy.
Meanwhile, in the 2012 Arizona Fall League…
Brewers prospects – with several former Timber Rattlers – are playing for the Peoria Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League. Action started on Tuesday with the Dogs beating the Phoenix Scorpions 4-3.
Ex-Rattlers in that game:
Khris Davis (’10): 0-for-2, 2 walks
Hunter Morris (’10): 0-for-3, 1 walk
Josh Prince (’09): 0-for-1
Kyle Heckathorn (’10): 2IP, H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, Winning Pitcher
Other former Rattlers to watch for in these games include:
RHP Nick Bucci (’10)
RHP Santo Manzanillo (’10, ’12)
RHP Jimmy Nelson (’11)
OF Brock Kjeldgaard (’09)
The Arizona Fall League schedule runs through November 15.
Baseball America’s Top 20 Midwest League Prospects
Drew Gagnon. Not considered? Really?
This post is to provide reasons why the MWL list turned out the way that it did. Not to howl at the moon and go, “WE WUZ ROBBED!” I plan to provide a little context and make at least one argument in favor of the inclusion of at least ONE Rattler.
What list? Oh, read on!
The last paragraph of the article by Jim Callis that accompanies Baseball America’s Top 20 list of Midwest League Prospects that had no Timber Rattlers:
Wisconsin captured the championship with the oldest roster in the league and nary a prospect who received strong consideration for this list. The Timber Rattlers won the finals in four games over Fort Wayne, which led all clubs with five prospects among the Top 20.
I’m going to do some math….back in a second…an hour…head over to this page at Baseball Reference and let’s do math together! Add a the average age of the hitters for a team to the average age of the pitchers for a team and divide by two. Right?
Okay. Back.
The average age of the 2012 Timber Rattlers was 22.4. Take out the Major League rehabs to appear with the Rattlers this past season – Shaun Marcum (30), Jonathan Lucroy (26), and Carlos Gomez (26) – and the average drops to 22.3. They are still the oldest team in the league…BUT by just over a month.
Five oldest teams in the Midwest League (2012):
- Wisconsin – 22.4 (adjusted at 22.3)
- Burlington – 22.2
- Beloit – 22.1
- Quad Cities – 22.0
- South Bend 21.9
Average age of a player in the Midwest League in 2012: 21.8 years.
Five Youngest teams in the Midwest League (2012):
- Lake County – 20.8
- Bowling Green – 21.3
- Peoria – 21.3
- Dayton – 21.5
- Fort Wayne – 21.6
It should be noted that I am not getting Dayton’s average age to figure correctly. Their hitters have an average age of 21.3 even with rehab appearances by Drew Stubbs (27), Joey Votto (28), and Miguel Cairo (38). Take those players out of the equation and … I get an average age for the hitters of 21.6. That can’t be right. So….number with a grain of salt please.
I am not going to argue that a Timber Rattlers player should have been included in the Top 5 prospects on the list.
- Javier Baez – ss, Peoria
- Miguel Sano – 3b, Beloit
- Francisco Lindor – ss, Lake County
- Archie Bradley – rhp, South Bend
- Noah Syndergaard – rhp, Lansing
The only thing to quibble with the Top 5 ton hat list is the order. Instead, let’s take a look at the 16-20:
16. Kyle Smith – rhp, Kane County
17. Travis Jankowski – of, Fort Wayne
18. Adys Portillo – rhp, Fort Wayne
19. Jace Peterson – ss, Fort Wayne
20. Stephen Piscotty – 3b, Quad Cities
Here are five 2012 Timber Rattlers who were placed on Baseball America’s Top 30 list of Brewers Prospects in the 2012 Prospect Handbook: RHP Santo Manzanillo, RHP David Goforth, RHP Drew Gagnon, SS Yadiel Rivera, and 1B Nick Ramirez.
Manzanillo wasn’t going to make the MWL List. He’s been in the league before, was still working his way back from his car accident, and didn’t have enough games with the Rattlers in 2012 to be eligible.
Rankings are not entirely based on stats in a particular year. How a particular observer projects that player will do in the future is a big part of it
The point that Yadiel Rivera hit .247 with 12 homers, seven stolen bases and 22 errors while Peterson hit .286 and stole 51 bases with 28 errors may mean less than the data points that Rivera is 20 and was a 9th round pick in 2010 while Peterson is 22 and a 1st round pick in 2011.
Also, where a player was drafted – if he was drafted at all may have a lot to do with it. Brandon Macias had an incredible 2012. He was at or near the top of the list in a lot of offensive categories – OBP, runs, average, doubles, hits, hit by pitch. By any standard an outstanding season. Except with the list makers. Macias an non-drafted free agent in 2011 is not going to get consideration for a list like this while Stephen Piscotty, a supplemental first round pick in 2012, makes the list. Piscotty played well in 55 games for Quad Cities in 2012. Project his numbers out over a full season and the numbers may be a bit similar with maybe a slight edge to Macias.
But the list makers will give the edge to Piscotty every time. It’s just the way the lists work. After watching and getting to know Macias all of the 2012 season, he doesn’t care about lists and whether he makes them or not. He’s just going to go out there are play hard and to the best of his ability every day.
Player vs. player comparisons may not be as big of a factor as some of the other criteria used to slot players on the list. BUT, here is a player-to-player comparison:
Drew Gagnon was 6-1 in 14 starts with a 2.83ERA and 65 strikeouts in 82-2/3 innings with the Rattlers before being promoted to Brevard County in the Florida State League. Gagnon is 22 and was a 3rd round pick in 2011.
Adys Portillo was 6-6 in 18 starts with a 1.87ERA and 81 strikeouts in 91-2/3 innings with Fort Wayne before being promoted to San Antonio in the Texas League. Portillo is 20 and was signed out of Venezuela on July 2, 2008 when he was 16.
I’m not saying that Portillo should be taken off the list and Gagnon belongs in his spot. But, to say that Gagnon – or any of the Rattlers who were eligible for the list that Baseball America considers prospects – didn’t receive strong consideration for the list is a little ridiculous.
Just for fun, Baseball America’s Top 20 list of Midwest League Prospects after the 2009 season.
1. Aaron Hicks, of, Beloit (Twins)
2. Dee Gordon, ss, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
3. Josh Vitters, 3b, Peoria (Cubs)
4. Brett Lawrie, 2b, Wisconsin (Brewers)
5. Mike Montgomery, lhp, Burlington (Royals)
6. Casey Crosby, lhp, West Michigan (Tigers)
7. Simon Castro, rhp, Fort Wayne (Padres)
8. Jaff Decker, of, Fort Wayne (Padres)
9. Cody Scarpetta, rhp, Wisconsin (Brewers)
10. Ethan Martin, rhp, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
11. Tim Melville, rhp, Burlington (Royals)
12. Eric Hosmer, 1b, Burlington (Royals)
13. A.J. Pollock, of, South Bend (Diamondbacks)
14. Wily Peralta, rhp, Wisconsin (Brewers)
15. James Darnell, 3b, Fort Wayne (Padres)
16. Chris Archer, rhp, Peoria (Cubs)
17. Kyle Russell, of, Great Lakes (Dodgers)
18. Grant Desme, of, Kane County (Athletics)
19. Pedro Figueroa, lhp, Kane County (Athletics)
20. Chris Carpenter, rhp, Peoria (Cubs)
Also for fun, here is what Jim wrote about the MWL Champions that year:
Decker and third baseman James Darnell, a 2008 second-rounder, were part of a TinCaps team that won a minor league-high 94 games and both half-season titles in the MWL East, then swept Burlington in the playoff finals.
Great Lakes led all minor league teams with 90 regular-season victories, but the Loons came up short of a championship. They dropped the last two games of their semifinal series to Lake County, which didn’t place a single player on this Top 20 Prospects list.
Another righthander, Carlos Martinez, drew comparisons to Pedro Martinez (no relation) and would have given Walker a run for the top spot had he not been promoted after just eight starts for eventual champion Quad Cities.
At the end of the day, the 2012 list has done its job. It gave us a starting point for the 2013 season and got us talking about Baseball America – and baseball – two weeks after our season ended.
Top 20 Prospects in the Pioneer League
Baseball America unveiled their list of Top 20 Prospects in the Pioneer League on Thursday.
No Brewers prospects made the list.
Bubba Brown, who wrote the list, did handle a question about that in the Subscriber Only Chat:
Allan (Wi): Bubba, were there any prospects from the Helena Brewers worth a mention?
Bubba Brown: Really, the best prospect from Helena was Tyrone Taylor, who only played in 10 games. He’s a toolsy 2nd-rounder, who would have certainly made this list if he had qualified. Other Helena prospects who got serious consideration were Christopher McFarland, Michael Reed, Adam Giacalone and Damien Magnifico.
I would guess that there is a good opportunity that all of those players mentioned will be in a Timber Rattlers uniform at some point in 2013.
Click on the names for the MiLB.com pages of each player, but here are a few things about each:
Tyrone Taylor (2nd round, 2012, Torrance [CA] High School):
’12 stats: 18 games between Maryvale & Helena, .387/.434/.667 2HR, 11RBI 6 stolen bases
Torrance Daily Breeze article on Taylor after draft day
Taylor, the Daily Breeze Player of the Year in baseball last season as a junior, returned and had a big senior year in both football and baseball for Torrance.
Taylor, a speedy center fielder, hit .488 with four home runs, 29 RBIs and 28 runs scored this season while often being pitched around.
He also led the Torrance football team to a CIF Southern Section semifinal, rushing for 1,521 yards and 20 touchdowns and tallying 425 yards receiving with 11 additional scores.
The 6-foot, 185-pound two-sport star was on the radar of several professional teams, but the Brewers snatched him up.
2B Chris McFarland (18th round, 2011, Lufkin [TX] High School):
’12 stats: 72 games in Helena, .301/.358/.433 6HR, 42RBI, 15 stolen bases
Here is an interview of McFarland from the Helena Brewers radio broadcast.
OF Michael Reed (5th round, 2011, Leander [TX] High School):
’12 stats: 62 games between Helena, Huntsville, & Brevard County; .243/.341/.289, 1HR, 20RBI, 14SB
Austin Statesman blog post on Reed after he was drafted in 2011
1B Adam Giacalone (16th round, 2012, Neosho County [KS] Community College):
’12 stats: 69 games in Helena; .317/.394/.425 3HR, 32RBI, 17 doubles
Neosho County Community College website story on Giacalone after ’12 draft day
First baseman Adam Giacalone was selected in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 515 pick overall. As a freshman he hit .396 while leading the nation with 102 RBIs and finishing with 18 homeruns. During his sophomore campaign, he picked up where he left off once again hitting .396 with a team leading 12 homeruns, 25 doubles, and 59 RBIs. Giacalone also had an impressive career on the mound for the Panthers as his 18 wins and 179.0 innings pitched are also school records. Giacalone also threw two of the most dominant games in school history. As a freshman he set the single game record for strikeouts when he fanned 17 Fort Scott hitters in a win. He topped that performance as a sophomore when he threw the fifth no-hitter in school history facing only one over the minimum. Giacalone currently owns 12 single season or career records. He was twice named the Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference First Baseman and Pitcher, First Team All-Region First Baseman, Second Team All-Region Pitcher. As a freshman he was also named the Freshman of the Year as well as being named a First Team All-American, an honor which he is expected to earn again this season. Giacalone signed a letter of intent in the fall with the University of Tennessee.
RHP Damien Magnifico (5th round, 2012, Oklahoma University):
’12 stats with Helena: 9 games, 1 start, 0-3, 5.82; 21.1IP, 15BBs, 25K, OPP AVG = .250
FoxSportsSouthwest story on Magnifico hitting 100mph
He throws 100 mph. But Magnifico’s greatest trick is the fact he has accomplished the feat over and over.
“My mentality is pitching, not just throwing,” Magnifico said.
Few things in baseball get people buzzing more than the home run, but throwing, pitching or speeding at triple digits does. It brings out scouts armed with the lie detector called a radar gun and creates self-inflicted, hand-to-the-side-of-the-face slaps when the numbers hit the scoreboard like it did in early April when Magnfico touched 100 or faster more 22 times in his start against Arkansas.
Can’t wait to see these guys in Wisconsin.
There are not a lot of opposing players fans may see at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities stadium in 2013. Billings, the Reds Pioneer league affiliate, has six players on the list. However, Dayton, the Reds Midwest League affiliate, does not come to Wisconsin in the 2013 regular season.
There are two Dodgers players (#4 shortstop Corey Seager & #15 RHP Ross Stripling), two Angels players (#9 RHP Mark Sappington & #19 shortstop Wendell Soto), and one Diamondbacks player (#7 catcher Michael Perez) on the list. Great Lakes (Dodgers), Burlington (Angels), and South Bend (Diamondbacks) all visit the Timber Rattlers next year.
Post Number 800!
I didn’t realize that ‘Rattler Radio’ was nearing the 800 mark until a couple of days ago. I thought about a big post that covered the blog since moving over from the old site. But, I woke up to this:
Snow's gonna snow.
Opening Day will get here. Trust me.
Keep in mind that Monday looked like this:
There CAN be no snow in February. See!
Sigh. 55 days to Opening Day. That was enough to get me down just a little bit. So, here are a few prospect links and a Flashback Friday supplement to this week’s column.
Prospects:
MLB.com has this Top 20 list. Potential Rattlers – and I stress “Potential” Rattlers – for 2012 on that list are #2 Jed Bradley, #3, Taylor Jungman, #11 David Goforth, & #12 Yadiel Rivera.
MLB.com also has this organizational preview for the 2012 Brewers minor leaguers.
“I think last year, we were better than we thought we would be,” [Reid] Nichols said. “This year, I am optimistic and I feel good about the year. We have some players that will contribute. We have players that will be recognized by baseball.”
In addition to [Wily] Peralta and [Jed] Bradley, the organization has players like infielder Scooter Gennett, right-handed pitchers Taylor Jungmann and Tyler Thornburg along with infielder Taylor Green making strides.
The newly revamped Disciples of Uecker has a Top 30 List for Brewers Prospects.
Brew Crew Ball has been doing Community Prospect Ratings for #1 through #17.
It should not be a surprise that former Timber Rattlers pitcher Wily Peralta is #1 on all three lists.
And now a word from our sponsor: Timber Rattlers Fandemonium starts next Wednesday (2/15). Click here for the details.
This week’s Flashback Friday is a reprint of a combination season review (1987)/season preview (1988) from the 1988 Appleton Foxes souvenir program.
The cover of the 1988 program was part of the series that were designed and drawn by Paul Birling. I believe that I have called them LeRoy Neiman-esque.
The cover of the 1988 Appleton Foxes souvenir program.
Other Paul Birling covers on this blog are: 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, & 1992. As noted elsewhere, the Foxes modified the 1991 cover for use again in 1994. Like so:
1991:
The 1991 Foxes Program cover celebrates the 100th Anniversary of pro baseball in Appleton.
1994:
Just enough changes from 1991. This might make a good Spot the Difference for after the 2012 season.
And that would be post number 800! Thank you for coming back for more during the long offseason. Things will be picking up in the next few days and there will be no let up until the end of the Timber Rattlers schedule is done.
Prospects, All-Stars, & Arizona Wrap
John Steinberg from the Brewers has this feature about Kentrail Davis, who wrapped up his Arizona Fall League season yesterday, on the John & Cait…Plus Nine blog.
“For me, it is an honor to be here,” said the 23-year old. “Obviously, the Brewers believe in me and believe in what I can do. I am very happy to have this chance to show everyone a little more of what I can do. It is a good opportunity for me to show the organization that I can hit good pitching and play with the best.”
Davis is 5-9 and weighs 195 pounds; he uses his athleticism and speed at the plate, on the base paths and in the outfield.
“I just go out there and play,” said Davis. “If it is hitting, or stealing a bag, or running a ball down in the outfield, I use that athleticism and my ability to prove I can play.”
The final stats of the former Rattlers on the Peoria Javelinas:
Kentrail Davis (’10): 23 games; .325/.429/.519; HR, 12RBI
Scooter Gennett (’10): 22 games; .411/.470/.556; 2HR, 14RBI
Adam Moore (’06): 15 games; .259/.355/.315; 0HR, 8RBI
Jed Bradley (??): 5 games, 2 starts; 1-0, 6.48ERA; 8.1IP; 4BB, 8K
Santo Manzanillo (’10): 3 games; 0-1, 6.75ERA; 2.2IP; 2BB, K
Daniel Meadows (’09): 10 games; 0-0, 6.57ERA; 12.1IP, 7BB, 5K
Casey Medlen (’11): 8 games; 1-2, 5.84ERA; 12.1IP, 4BB, 12K
Cody Scarpetta (’09): 5 games, 4 starts; 0-3, 19.64ERA; 7.1IP, 13BB, 7K
Tyler Thornburg (’11): 3 games, 1-0, 3.38ERA; 5.1IP, 4BB, 3K
Former Rattlers Nathan Adcock (’09) and Jeremy Jeffress (’10) are with Surprise, one of the teams that will be in the AFL Championship Game on Saturday.
MiLB.com has a list of their top 15 prospects in the Arizona Fall League. Two of them are Brewers prospects; One gets a writeup:
16. Jed Bradley, LHP, Brewers: The No. 15 overall pick in June’s Draft joined Hultzen in Peoria here and there was a little bit of a split about this southpaw. He might have slightly better pure stuff than Hultzen, but not as much polish. He didn’t pitch much — he had a groin issue early — but he did show hints of the repertoire that made him one of the better college arms in the Draft class.
Scooter comes in at #24, but does not get a writeup.
MiLB.com also put together Brewers Organizational All-Stars for the 2011 minor league season.
Here is the team. Click through for the full article. I’ll pull out the extended writeups on the players who spent part or all of 2011 with the Timber Rattlers.
C: Martin Maldonado (’09)
1B: Mat Gamel
2B: Scooter Gennett (’10)
3B: Taylor Green (’09)
SS: Yadiel Rivera (’11)
Shortstop — Yadiel Rivera, Helena (74 games), Wisconsin (32 games): Rivera celebrated his first full year in the Minors with a Pioneer League postseason All-Star selection. Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 Draft, the shortstop hit a combined .236 with nine homers and 43 RBIs over 106 games.
He also smacked 16 doubles, legged out eight triples and scored 53 runs. No shortstop in the system had more homers, triples or RBIs than Rivera, who struggled in his first look at the Midwest League but looked much more comfortable playing rookie ball in the second half.
“He’s got great potential, and he’s playing guys who are two, three and four years older than he is,” said [Reid] Nichols. “He’s still growing. He’s an inch or two taller than he was at the start of spring, and he’s going through some changes with his body that he’s adjusting to. He’s got some leverage in his swing, and he’s at the right place at the right time defensively. The game slows down for him. I think he’ll be average across the board with the bat and above-average defensively.”
Added [Darnell] Coles: “He’s something special — 6-foot-3, maybe 6-foot-4. He may outgrow shortstop. He’s got some kind of easy power. If you watch him take batting practice, he almost swings like [16-year Major League veteran] Wally Joiner. He doesn’t swing very hard, but the ball jumps off his bat. He’s a special talent.”
OF: Brock Kjeldgaard (’09)
OF: Khris Davis (’10)
OF: TJ Mittelstaedt (’11)
T.J. Mittelstaedt, Wisconsin (113 games): After appearing in just 45 games in his rookie season in the Arizona League last year, Mittelstaedt spent all of 2011 in the Class A Midwest League. He hit .293 and drew 76 walks, giving him a .410 on-base percentage that ranked second in the league.
The 23-year-old, who hit in every spot in the lineup, smacked a dozen homers, swiped 28 bases and scored 72 runs. He predominantly manned left field, but he also saw time in right, at second base and as the team’s designated hitter. Completing his utility makeup, Mittelstaedt also pitched in two games, tossing a scoreless inning on each occasion.
“T.J. has done a great job coming in as a guy battling for a position, but he’s shown our organization that he can take pitches, take close pitches, work the count, see a lot of pitches per at-bat and help the guys behind him and the guys in front of him,” Nichols said.
“He’s a fantastic utility guy who swings the bat well,” said Coles. “He puts the ball in play. He’s a headsy player like Willie Bloomquist. He plays every place well, he understands when to bunt and he reads the game well.”
Utility: Hunter Morris (’10)
Utility: Mike Walker (’11)
Utility: Kentrail Davis (’10)
RH Starting Pitcher: Mike Fiers (’09)
LH Starting Pitcher: Dan Merklinger (’09)
Relief Pitcher: Santo Manzanillo (’10)
Baseball America has their list of the top 10 prospects in the Brewers System. From Tom Haudricourt’s introduction:
Milwaukee didn’t need much help from the minor leagues [in 2011], though third baseman Taylor Green parlayed a big season at Triple-A into a late-August callup and a spot on the postseason roster. After dropping to 30th in Baseball America’s rankings following the Greinke and Marcum deals, the farm system rallied in 2011 and showed some promise for the future.
The Brewers won’t necessarily have openings for them, but Green, outfielders Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl and righthander Michael Fiers have proven themselves in Triple-A and could help at the major league level in 2012. Righthander Wily Peralta, the orgnization’s No. 1 prospect, allowed just seven runs in five Triple-A starts at the end of the season and isn’t far behind.
The list (with Rattlers alumni in bold):
1. Wily Peralta, rhp
2. Taylor Jungmann, rhp
3. Jed Bradley, lhp
4. Tyler Thornburg, rhp
5. Scooter Gennett, 2b
6. Logan Schafer, of
7. Cody Scarpetta, rhp
8. Taylor Green, 3b/2b
9. Jorge Lopez, rhp
10. Jimmy Nelson, rhp
One other news item to pass along in this post. Baseball America’s Prospect Blog has the players release by Milwaukee in the last week. There were a few Rattlers on that list.
RHP Dan Britt
RHP Skyler Crawford
RHP Greg Davis
RHP Alex Jones
RHP Jose Oviedo
LHP Charly Bashara
C Doug Elliot
C Steve Felix
OF Robbie Garvey
Scooter Day
The Arizona Fall League wrapped up its regular season today.
The Peoria Javelinas ended their season with a 2-2 tie against the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
Scooter Gennett (’10) went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI for Peoria to finish the season at .411/.470/.556 with a pair of homers and 14 RBI. I’ll touch on how other ex-Rattlers performed in the down in Arizona with a post tomorrow, but today is mostly about Scooter.
Mainly because this post from the Brewers website has about two minutes of a video interview with Scooter.
Then, there is the extended video of the interview on Jonathan Mayo’s blog. But first, Mayo’s lead-in:
I’ll admit, I tend to like scrappy players who go all out. Guys named Scooter are automatically going to become guys I root for unless something happens to make me feel otherwise.
Then I met Scooter Gennett and the conversation merely confirmed my earlier thought. It’s hard not to like the guy.
Last note today: Adam McCalvy notes (on his twitter account) that Baseball America has released their list of the Top 10 Brewers Prospects for 2012. Former Timber Rattlers in bold.
1. Wily Peralta
2. Taylor Jungmann
3. Jed Bradley
4. Tyler Thornburg
5. Scooter Gennett
6. Logan Schafer
7. Cody Scarpetta
8. Taylor Green
9. Jorge Lopez
10. Jimmy Nelson
Report from Advanced Instructional League (Game of 9/29/11)
Rattlers manager Matt Erickson is managing the combined Brewers/Mariners Advanced Instructional League team in Arizona. Matt has been reporting back to Rattler Radio with how things are going down there during the games.
He did not have a report on Thursday’s 7-6 win over the Royals/Rangers, but a boxscore has been sent out via email.
Here it is in very rough, non-html table form:
Royals/Rangers: 6-9-1
Brewers/M’s: 7-13-1
Brewers Hitters: AB-R-H-RBI
Mittelstaedt, 3B: 4-1-2-1
Morris, 1B-DH: 4-1-3-3
Weisenberger, C: 2-0-0-0
…Neda, C: 1-2-1-0
Walker, DH, 3B: 4-1-3-3
Walla, RF: 3-0-0-0
Rivera, SS-DH: 3-0-1-0
2B: Morris (2)
3B: Walker
HR: Mittelstaedt, Morris, Walker
SB: Walla
CS: Walla
Brewers Pitchers:
Scarpetta: IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, K
Hall: 3IP, H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
Nelson: 3IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 3K
Keeling: IP, 2H, R, ER, 0BB, 0K
Medlen: IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K
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