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Lawrie selected to 2nd Futures Game
MILWAUKEE — Second baseman Brett Lawrie, the Brewers’ first-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, will represent the club at the 12th annual XM All-Star Futures Game, it was announced Tuesday.
“It’s an incredible honor for him to receive,” Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said. “He’s very well-deserving of the honor. He’s worked hard, and he’s made some necessary adjustments that have allowed him to become more consistent on offense and defense.”
A British Columbia native, Lawrie was listed as a member of the World Team and is the Brewers’ lone representative in the game.
The Futures Game, which features many of the top Minor League prospects in the league, will begin at 5:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 11. The game will air live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and MLB.TV. Additionally, XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage on XM 175.
Each Major League organization is represented in the game, and the World Team features players from 10 different countries and territories.
The selection is Lawrie’s second in a row; he joins just 58 players to have played in the game at least twice.
Lawrie joins current Brewers shortstop Alcides Escobar as the only current Brewers player to make two Futures Game appearances.
Through 69 games entering Tuesday, Lawrie batted .297 with six home runs and 40 RBIs for Double-A Huntsville.
Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid, who was the club’s West Coast cross-checker when Lawrie was drafted in 2008, has not seen Lawrie play in nearly a year but remains impressed with the young second baseman.
“We feel he has the potential to be an everyday Major League player for us,” Seid said. “He’s had a really good year. Being named to the Futures Game means being recognized as someone who has the potential to play at the next level, and we certainly see that in Brett.”
Current Brewers who played in the All-Star Futures Game include Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, Chris Narveson, Rickie Weeks, Escobar, Yovani Gallardo and George Kottaras.
Braun, Fielder and Hart are among 62 players to have played in both the Futures Game and the All-Star Game.
At just 20 years old, Lawrie is one of the Brewers’ most highly regarded prospects. Ash said he was impressed with the way Lawrie has “excelled with the challenge” of playing for the club’s Double-A affiliate at his age.
“He’s got unlimited potential,” Ash said. “He’s a great athlete, and he could play anywhere on the field for us.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Lawrie selected to second Futures game
MILWAUKEE — Second baseman Brett Lawrie, the Brewers’ first-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, will represent the club at the 12th annual XM All-Star Futures Game, it was announced Tuesday.
“It’s an incredible honor for him to receive,” Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said. “He’s very well-deserving of the honor. He’s worked hard, and he’s made some necessary adjustments that have allowed him to become more consistent on offense and defense.”
A British Columbia native, Lawrie was listed as a member of the World Team and is the Brewers’ lone representative in the game.
The Futures Game, which features many of the top Minor League prospects in the league, will begin at 5:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 11. The game will air live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and MLB.TV. Additionally, XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage on XM 175.
Each Major League organization is represented in the game, and the World Team features players from 10 different countries and territories.
The selection is Lawrie’s second in a row; he joins just 58 players to have played in the game at least twice.
Lawrie joins current Brewers shortstop Alcides Escobar as the only current Brewers player to make two Futures Game appearances.
Through 69 games entering Tuesday, Lawrie batted .297 with six home runs and 40 RBIs for Double-A Huntsville.
Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid, who was the club’s West Coast cross-checker when Lawrie was drafted in 2008, has not seen Lawrie play in nearly a year but remains impressed with the young second baseman.
“We feel he has the potential to be an everyday Major League player for us,” Seid said. “He’s had a really good year. Being named to the Futures Game means being recognized as someone who has the potential to play at the next level, and we certainly see that in Brett.”
Current Brewers who played in the All-Star Futures Game include Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, Chris Narveson, Rickie Weeks, Escobar, Yovani Gallardo and George Kottaras.
Braun, Fielder and Hart are among 62 players to have played in both the Futures Game and the All-Star Game.
At just 20 years old, Lawrie is one of the Brewers’ most highly regarded prospects. Ash said he was impressed with the way Lawrie has “excelled with the challenge” of playing for the club’s Double-A affiliate at his age.
“He’s got unlimited potential,” Ash said. “He’s a great athlete, and he could play anywhere on the field for us.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Brewers beat 6/22
Macha confident Hoffman can close again
MILWAUKEE — With the way Trevor Hoffman has been pitching lately, the possibility of the all-time saves leader closing for the Brewers again still exists, manager Ken Macha said Tuesday.
Hoffman’s most recent outing entering Tuesday, a scoreless eighth inning during a 1-1 ballgame on Sunday in Colorado, earned him the decision in the Brewers’ eventual 6-1 victory. It was Hoffman’s fifth consecutive scoreless appearance.
Since he gave up three runs and took the loss on June 1 against the Marlins, Hoffman has allowed only three hits.
“After that outing, I’d feel pretty good about him coming in now,” Macha said. “I thought the other day was his best outing. … He certainly threw the ball well enough to close the game.”
Macha was quick to point out that the decision was not an easy one to make, especially considering the criticism that would come along with replacing current closer John Axford, who began the series against the Twins a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities.
“It puts you out on the plank,” Macha said. “But I think he’s done real well, so let’s just see. I’ve got that amongst the other pressures that are placed on me when I come to the ballpark every day.”
As for whether he would remove Axford from the role, Macha said it would “work itself out.”
At the same time, however, Macha recognizes what it would mean for Hoffman to get the four saves he needs to reach the 600-save mark.
“I certainly would like Trevor to reach his goal,” Macha said. “If that’s getting 600, I’d like to get that done for him, or 610, or whatever he wants.
“He hasn’t given up an earned run since June 1. The game was on the line the other day; we had a tie game with the heart of their order coming up. It’s a good inning for him.”
Edmonds returns to lineup in opener
MILWAUKEE — After he was unavailable to play over the weekend due to a shoulder injury, veteran Jim Edmonds was back in center field on Tuesday for the Brewers.
According to manager Ken Macha, the shoulder was fine.
“He said he’s fine, yeah,” Macha said. “He texted [trainer] Roger [Caplinger] and said he’s ready to go, so he’s in there.”
Edmonds, who will turn 40 on Sunday, got the start against Minnesota over former Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez, who was acquired by the Brewers during the offseason in a trade that sent shortstop J.J. Hardy west.
Since returning from the disabled list on May 21 at Target Field for the Brewers’ first Interleague series, Gomez has struggled at the plate.
After collecting five hits in Minneapolis, including a 2-for-4 night with a three-run homer in his first game back, Gomez is 12-for-80 (.150) since May 23.
Over the same stretch, Gomez has picked up five RBIs, stolen two bases and walked four times, while tallying 12 strikeouts.
“He’s struggling a little bit,” Macha said. “I think he has the tendency to over-swing a bit. He wants to hit it by them hard. He’s in a little bit of a funk.”
Fourth-rounder Morris works out with Brewers
MILWAUKEE — With his team off until Friday, first baseman Hunter Morris, the Brewers’ fourth-round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, joined the club on Tuesday at Miller Park.
Morris, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound first baseman from Auburn University, has been busy since leaving home for Wisconsin early last week. He was assigned to the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, located in Appleton.
“I left my house on Sunday afternoon of last week and drove almost all the way to Milwaukee,” Morris said. “I got my physical Monday morning, got up to Appleton Monday night, and then 7:30 the next morning, I’m on a four-hour bus ride to Clinton, Iowa.”
Morris has not spent much time in Appleton yet, but he said that “it’s a nice place.” He added that he was excited to be there, but “more excited about the opportunity to play baseball.”
For Morris, who worked out at Miller Park as a high school senior, as well, the week has been filled with many unfamiliar places.
“That was the first time I’ve ever been to Clinton, Iowa,” Morris said. “And I know for a fact it won’t be the last. I’ve been all across the country but never to Clinton, Iowa.”
Morris, selected 129th overall by the Brewers earlier this month, was among the first Draft picks to sign with the club.
He said that he had no interest in prolonging the signing process.
“I was ready to start playing,” Morris said. “I didn’t have any interest in missing the whole summer negotiating and all that stuff. So I’m excited about getting out there and playing.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Brewers may miss reunion with Hardy
MILWAUKEE — Those looking forward to seeing J.J. Hardy take the field at Miller Park this week for the first time in a Minnesota Twins uniform may have to wait.
Due to a nagging bone bruise in his left wrist, an injury that has limited Hardy to just 12 games since May 4 and resulted in two trips to the disabled list, the former Brewers shortstop remains unsure whether he’ll even make the trip to Milwaukee, much less play.
“I can’t be sure yet,” Hardy said on Saturday. “Probably not is what I would say. But who knows?”
For Hardy and the Twins, the good news is that a second opinion on the wrist revealed that the injury is no more than a bone bruise. Unfortunately for Hardy, it does not appear as though he’ll be ready to return when eligible to be activated from the DL on Tuesday.
As a result, Hardy would miss another opportunity to face his former team, just as he did a month ago, when the Brewers were in Minneapolis for an Interleague series at Target Field.
“I would be a little bit disappointed, yeah,” said Hardy about not being able to play in Milwaukee. “But right now I’m just trying to get back on the field. I don’t care if it’s Milwaukee or anywhere else, I just want to be back out there playing. This has been kind of a really nagging, really annoying thing.”
After the Brewers decided to go younger, faster and, perhaps most important, cheaper at shortstop and center field in the offseason, Hardy was traded to the Twins on Nov. 6, 2009, in exchange for center fielder Carlos Gomez.
Needing extra money to pursue pitching help, the Brewers chose to swap the power bats of Hardy and veteran outfielder Mike Cameron for the speed and youth of Gomez and rookie shortstop Alcides Escobar. The concern at the time was whether the power drop at those two positions would have a negative impact on the offense.
As it turns out, added power from other sources has more than made up for it.
Through 69 games this year, the Brewers have hit 83 home runs while slugging .430. At the same point a year ago, the Brewers had 79 homers and a .420 slugging percentage.
One of the Brewers’ biggest surprises as far as power numbers, though, has more to do with what isn’t happening than what is. Both left fielder Ryan Braun and first baseman Prince Fielder are well off their respective 2009 paces in home runs and RBIs.
Through 69 games last season, Braun and Fielder had combined to belt 32 home runs with 117 RBIs. Through Sunday’s victory, Braun has 10 homers with 45 RBIs and Fielder has 13 home runs and just 27 RBIs.
“It is kind of surprising that we’re doing it without Braun and Prince being really hot,” right fielder Corey Hart said. “Those guys are going to be where they always are, and that means that it’s just going to get better. Their power is going to come.”
Two of the biggest reasons behind the increased power numbers, though, have been the health of second baseman Rickie Weeks and Hart’s surprising power production since the middle of May.
Through 69 games a year ago — with Weeks only playing 37 before sustaining a season-ending wrist injury — Hart and Weeks had combined for 18 homers and 56 RBIs.
Including Hart’s National League-leading 18th homer on Saturday, the two have combined for 28 homers and 90 RBIs in 2009.
“Every year is different. We all try to peg in numbers for everyone before the season starts, but that’s not the way it works,” veteran infielder Craig Counsell said. “Guys have great years, some guys exceed what we think and some guys don’t. We have a good offensive team. Corey has added production, Rickie being healthy has added home runs for us.
“And I don’t think that with the guys we have in the middle of our lineup that we’re going to struggle hitting home runs. It’s been that way for a while. That’s not going to be our weakness.”
So although the numbers at shortstop and center field are down, and the pitching hasn’t worked out as well as the club had hoped, the Brewers seem just fine with the Hardy trade so far.
Likewise, Hardy has been happy with the change of scenery. And though they would probably like to have him around, his former teammates are happy for him as well.
“J.J. loves it over there,” Braun said. “He loves the team, loves the environment, loves the city. He’s disappointed that he’s hurt, but I think he’s excited to be on a good team and wants to contribute to a good team.”
Contributing is exactly what Hardy would like to do once he is cleared to play again.
Until then, he would settle for a trip back to the place he called home the past five years.
“Just going back would be nice. When they came up to Minnesota, I got to see all my old friends,” Hardy said. “I definitely would rather be out there on the field playing against them. If that doesn’t happen, it’s always good to see them.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. MLB.com reporters Kelly Thesier and Adam McCalvy contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Cancer scare bonds Kyles family closer together
MILWAUKEE — When Monica Kyles learned that her husband had prostate cancer, she was speechless.
As Brewers bullpen coach Stan Kyles sat her down just after their 12-year anniversary, cancer was the farthest thing from Monica Kyles’ mind.
Likewise, Marques Kyles said learning that his father had cancer was “hard to take.””That was not at all what I expected him to tell me,” she said. “When we sat down, I thought he was going to tell me that the Brewers had called and said they were going in another direction with the team. That is the first thing that came to my mind.”
On March 17, the day his father called and informed him of the diagnosis, Marques Kyles was on his way to Bob Prevatte Field as his Limestone College baseball team was scheduled to host Francis Marion in a non-conference matchup.
That phone call only made a tough day that much worse.
“A year ago to the day, one of my best friends had died in a car accident,” Marques Kyles said. “It was just that much tougher having heard the news from my dad.
“My dad’s also one of my best friends, so just hearing that he was going through something like that — and all I really heard was ‘cancer,’ so I was devastated.”
For the Kyles family and all those involved, the news of Stan Kyles’ cancer was surprising, to say the least. When the team announced he would have surgery in late April, Kyles himself admitted to being “in shock” when he was diagnosed back in February.
Getting from the initial diagnosis to Stan Kyles’ eventual return to the club on May 25 was not exactly easy, either.
According to Monica Kyles, it’s something that was always on her mind.
“I’ve never had a problem sleeping,” Monica Kyles said. “So I went from sleeping very easily, eight to nine hours a night, to sleeping anywhere from an hour to four hours a night.
“Even after the surgery was complete, it was still touch and go. I had a lot of sleepless nights. That was the big, big thing — just constant worry.”
Since then, however, the diagnosis, surgery and recovery have only brought the family closer together.
For Monica and Marques Kyles, after they both had learned of Stan Kyles’ diagnosis, their communication increased quite a bit, as they talked daily on the phone.
In addition to talking more frequently with his stepmother, as well as keeping in close contact with his father, Marques Kyles found yet another source of support.
“I’m a big believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason,” Marques Kyles said. “I’m also a follower of Jesus Christ, so when I heard about my dad, it was tough, but my faith drove me to take a lot of time to pray about it. That really helped me great through it.”
Since the successful surgery and Stan Kyles’ return to the Brewers less than four weeks later, the bad news they received in February has turned into a blessing in disguise.
For Stan Kyles, it has changed his outlook on life.
“There’s just a new vigor about what I want to do,” he said the day of his return. “At the park or away from the park with my family … I’m looking forward to everything. The good, the bad, even the struggles that we went through … it didn’t seem as bad.”
Perhaps more importantly, the diagnosis has raised the family’s awareness of the realities of prostate cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer accounts for approximately one in four newly diagnosed cancers each year among American men, while an estimated 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2010.
An expected 32,050 men in the U.S. will die from prostate cancer in 2010, as it is the second-most common cause of cancer death in men, behind only lung cancer.
As a part of its commitment to the fight against prostate cancer, Major League Baseball supports the Prostate Cancer Foundation and its Home Run Challenge each year around Father’s Day.
Anyone can donate to the PCF Home Run Challenge on the Prostate Cancer Foundation website, while each home run hit in 60 selected games in June — including all 15 games on Father’s Day — raises money to fight prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in America.
To show their support for the Home Run Challenge, all players will wear blue wristbands and blue PCF ribbons on their uniforms on Father’s Day.
With prostate cancer affecting about one in six men in their lifetime, it’s certainly something that’s higher on Marques Kyles’ radar now.
“I had a teacher in Fall 2008 who had prostate cancer,” Marques Kyles said. “At the time, though, I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t realize how many men really suffered through that. But once it hit home and had an effect on my own family, it had a greater impact.
“A lot of times cancer can be hereditary. So, it makes me take more precaution in my future and the things that I want for my life and hopefully the family I have some day.”
Brewers beat 6/13
Pair of hurlers on the mend
MILWAUKEE — After piling up a number of injuries near the end of May and beginning of June, the Brewers have a number of players working their way toward a return to the field.
In addition to lefty Doug Davis, who is set to make two rehab starts for Triple-A Nashville before rejoining the Brewers on June 29, right-hander Todd Coffey appears ready to return in the next week.
Manager Ken Macha noted that Coffey, who was placed on the disabled list with a right thumb injury on June 6 — retroactive to May 30 — played catch on Sunday and felt good afterward.
Coffey, who is eligible to return from the DL on Monday, will join the Brewers on the upcoming road trip, Macha said.
“He’s going on the road trip, and he will have one rehab assignment before he gets activated,” Macha said. “I watched him down in Florida do his long toss, and he had trouble with the grip. One ball would go over there and one ball would go over there, so we want to make sure he’s putting it right where he needs to put it.”
Fielder trying to find groove at plate
MILWAUKEE — While the Brewers went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Saturday, first baseman Prince Fielder posted his own 0-for-4 mark.
It was another disappointing game for Fielder, who homered in the first inning on Sunday to push his totals to 11 home runs and 23 RBIs. Fielder slugged 46 homers and drove in 141 runs in 2009. Brewers manager Ken Macha said that he discussed Fielder with Rangers skipper Ron Washington, and both had a similar take.
“The guy’s trying too hard,” Macha said. “Your start is what it is. You’re not going to all of a sudden drive in 10 runs in one game to get your RBI total up. You’re not going to do that, you’ve got to chip away at it.”
In particular, Macha pointed at Fielder’s eighth-inning at-bat against Rangers reliever Frank Francisco as an example of what not to do.
Fielder swung at all five pitches he saw during the at-bat, including multiple pitches that were out of the strike zone.
“First-pitch curveball, swung at it; changeup, swung at it; couple balls up, swung at them; curveball in the dirt, swung at it,” Macha said. “He had five pitches and swung at all five of them.”
Macha acknowledged that he didn’t want to put too much pressure on one guy, however, despite Fielder’s extended early-season struggles.
He also noted what he hoped to get out of his left-handed slugging first baseman over the season’s final 100 games.
“We both had hopes of him having another great year, but you just don’t rack up 140 RBIs and assume it’s going to happen every year,” Macha said. “So for the next 100 games, if he can maybe drive in 70 runs or so, that would be a big help. And I think that’s a conservative number, I don’t expect him to drive in 120 runs the next 100 games.”
Wolf stays positive despite struggles
MILWAUKEE — After an impressive season with the Dodgers in 2009, lefty Randy Wolf hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start the Brewers would have liked so far in 2010. But it’s not a matter of the quality of his stuff, Wolf said.
“I think it’s all between my ears, to tell you the truth,” said Wolf. “I think I was trying to dictate the result before throwing the pitch and not just throwing it. You can’t control the result.
“You go up there, you throw the pitch. Whatever happens after that happens. I think I was just trying to control the result and be too perfect. When you do that, you make more mistakes than you would otherwise.”
Wolf, who signed a three-year, $29.75 million contract with the Brewers during the offseason, did not think he was trying to live up to his contract, however.
Through 13 starts, Wolf is 4-6 with a 5.31 ERA, giving up 46 earned runs on 88 hits through 78 innings of work. In his most recent outing, Wolf gave up a career-high five home runs against the Cubs.
Still, Wolf remains confident in his abilities.
“I think it’s just a matter of getting my mind in the right direction, because it’s not a matter of stuff,” Wolf said. “My stuff’s probably better this year than it was last year. It’s just a matter of being aggressive and having the right mind-set.”
Third-rounder highlights 24 signees
MILWAUKEE — The Brewers announced on Sunday that they signed 24 players from the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, as well well as one undrafted player.
Right-handers Tyler Thornburg and Matthew Miller, as well as third baseman Cody Hawn, selected in the third, fifth and sixth rounds, highlight the 24 signees for the Brewers.
Overall, the Brewers have signed 13 pitchers — one of which is Marques Kyles, son of bullpen coach Stan Kyles — and 12 position players.
Players will be reporting to either Helena, Mont., or Phoenix — a mini-camp will be held in each location, and it will begin Monday.
Below is a list of all 25 signees:
Tyler Thornburg, RHP, Charleston Southern, Round 3
Matthew Miller, RHP, Michigan, Round 5
Cody Hawn, 1B, Tennessee, Round 6
John Bivens, RF, Virginia State, Round 12
Mike Walker, 3B, Pacific, Round 14
Brian Garman, LHP, U of Cincinnati, Round 17
Shea Vucinich, SS, Washington State, Round 20
Kevin Berard, C, Barbe High School, Round 22
Ryan Bernal, RHP, Florida Atlantic, Round 23
Gregory Hopkins, 3B, St. John’s, Round 24
Nick Shaw, SS, Barry University, Round 25
Alex Jones, RHP, Jacksonville State, Round 27
Dane Amedee, LHP, LSU Eunice, Round 28
Daniel Britt, RHP, Elon University, Round 29
Eric Marzec, RHP, Youngstown State, Round 30
Mike Melillo, C, Elon University, Round 31
Jason Rogers, OF, Columbus State, Round 32
William Kankel, LHP, Houston University, Round 33
Seth Harvey, RHP, Washington State, Round 37
Michael Schaub, RHP, Loara High School, Round 38
Kenneth Allison, CF, Angelina JC, Round 39
John Dishon, CF, Louisiana State, Round 42
Thomas Mittelstaedt, RF, Long Beach State, Round 44
Marques Kyles, LHP, Limestone College, Round 48
Dexter Bobo, LHP, Georgia Southern, Undrafted
Worth noting
Brewers rookie catcher Jonathan Lucroy celebrated his 24th birthday on Saturday. … Brewers relievers have a 2.22 ERA over the past seven games.
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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