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Brewers draft roundup 6/8
With their biggest need at the big league level being pitching, the Brewers did their best to address that in the second day of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, selecting 18 pitchers in rounds two through 29.
And while Dylan Covey, their first pick on Monday was a high school pitcher, the Brewers targeted far more collegiate arms on the draft’s second day.
All but two of the 18 pitchers the Brewers selected on Tuesday were from college or junior college programs.
“The college guys right now, they show you the arm strength and they’ll show you the physicality,” Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid said. “Those guys, as always, you hope that they’ll help you sooner than later.”
But while Seid and the Brewers targeted several players on the second day that could help the club in the not so distant future, they also selected a number of high-end young arms.
Along with Covey, the Brewers’ seventh round pick, Joel Pierce, is a high school right-hander from British Columbia. In the 15th round, the Brewers added a lefty high school pitcher in Chris Bates.
Regardless of age, the Brewers had specific criteria in mind.
“We [look for] physical, hard throwers that have opportunities to be starters and bullpen guys,” said Seid of their criteria, “and try to create some depth within the organization that the fans in Milwaukee to feel good about and bring success here to the Brewers.”
Round 2, James Nelson, RHP, University of Alabama
Nelson can run his fastball up as high as 94 mph with a nice slider — a tilted, hard, late-breaking pitch — to go with it. A Florida native, Nelson also has an average changeup to go along with his slider, and could soon be a good starting option for the Brewers.
Round 3, Tyler Thornburg, RHP, Charleston Southern
A junior from Atlanta, Thornburg throws a power fastball that can run up to 95 mph and an above-average changeup with excellent arm speed when he throws it. He will need to learn to throw his curveball for strikes to remain a starter, but could be a good arm out of the bullpen.
Round 4, Hunter Morris, 1B, Auburn
Morris, who was previously drafted by the Red Sox in 2007, has an above-average bat all around with impressive raw power as a left-handed hitter. A junior native of Huntsville, Ala., Morris also has the arm and athleticism to play a corner outfield position.
Round 5, Matthew Miller, RHP, Michigan
Miller, a 6-foot-6 junior from Zionsville, Ind., made 17 appearances in 2010, including 10 starts. He had a 3-3 record with a 5.06 ERA while striking out 43 batters and walking 28 over 41.1 innings. Miller was most effective out of the bullpen with a 2-1 record, 3.10 ERA and 17 strikeouts in seven appearances.
Round 6, William Hawn, 3B, Tennessee
Hawn, who goes by his middle name Cody, has been previously drafted twice, including once by the Brewers as a high school senior. Hawn was 11th in the SEC in both slugging percentage (.593) and RBI (61) this season while also belting 14 home runs.
Round 7, Joel Pierce, RHP, Vincent Massey Secondary School
Ranked fourth among Canadian prep players by Perfect Game, Massey stands 6-foot-1, 170-pounds, with a fastball that can reach 91 mph on the radar gun. In a Spring Training exhibition matchup, Pierce threw three perfect innings against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Round 8, Austin Ross, RHP, Louisiana State
Ross, a native of Shreveport, La., throws a two-seam fastball, sinker and slider. In the summer of 2008, he was rated the No. 2 prospect in the Central Illinois Collegiate League. In 2009, Ross was named SEC Pitcher of the Week twice in the month of March.
Round 9, Yadiel Rivera, SS, Manuela Toro High School
Rivera, is an excellent defensive shortstop, while still needing some work handling the bat. The Puerto Rico native is tall with good range, a strong arm and smooth mechanics in the infield, but will need to work on his strength to improve at the plate.
Round 10, Rafael Neda, C, New Mexico
An excellent offensive catcher, Neda is from Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. He attended high school in Arizona before signing on to play with the Lobos. Neda is far more advanced at the plate than behind it, and will need to work on his defense at the next level.
Round 11, Gregory Holle, RHP, Texas Christian
Holle is imposing on the mound at 6-foot-7 and was previously drafted by the New York Yankees in 2007. He made 12 appearances, nine starts, for the Horned Frogs in 2010, finishing the season with a 5-2 record. Holle struck out 26 batters in 41 2/3 innings while posting a 3.89 ERA.
Round 12, John Bivens, LF, Virginia State
A two-sport star in high school, Bivens originally chose to play football for the University of Virginia before transferring to Virginia State to play left field for the Trojans. Bivens batted .293 with five triples, five home runs, 33 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 2010.
Round 13, Michael White, RHP, Walters State CC
White posted an 8-0 record with a 2.14 ERA this season, tossing 80 innings in 12 starts, giving up just 29 runs — 19 earned — on 57 hits while striking out 84 batters and walking just 35. White finished the 2010 season 23rd in ERA among all NJCAA pitchers and was named a first-team NJCAA All-American.
Round 14, Michael Walker, 3B, U Pacific
A native of Marysville, Calif., Walker batted .327 in 2010 while leading the Tigers in home runs with 12 and RBI with 52. Walker’s defense is behind his offense, however, as the Pacific third baseman led the team in errors with 13.
Round 15, Christopher Bates, LHP, Regis High School
A 6-foot-4, 175-pound lefty from Ossining, N.Y., Bates participated in the invite-only National Pre-Draft Showcase in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in May, pitching in front of scouts from all 30 Major League clubs. Bates, who has signed with Tulane, throws a two-seam and four-seam fastball along with a curveball and changeup.
Round 16, Andrew Morris, RHP, Gulf Coast CC
A native of Prattville, Ala., Morris’ 12 wins in 2010 was the best among all NJCAA Region 8 pitchers. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound righty was a major factor in Gulf Coast CC being among the top-ranked teams all season. Morris received honorable mention All-American honors.
Round 17, Brian Garman, LHP, U Cincinnati
Garman, a 5-foot-11, 202-pound senior from Ohio, pitched 59.1 innings over 17 appearances — five starts — for the Bearcats this season, posting a 4-4 record with a 3.79 ERA. Garman struck out 65 batters while walking just 19 and gave up 31 runs — 25 earned — on 65 hits. Garman ranked eighth in the Big East in ERA and third in earned runs allowed.
Round 18, Thomas Keeling, LHP, Oklahoma State
A left-handed Texas native, Keeling, is a 6-foot-3, 184-pound junior has put up high strikeout totals in each of his last two seasons at Oklahoma State. Keeling struck out 92 batters in just 64 1/3 innings pitched this season while allowing 41 earned runs on 58 hits.
Round 19, Rowan Wick, RF, Carson Graham High School
Another Canadian draft choice, Wick has plenty of power potential as a 6-foot-2, 205-pound right fielder. Wick played for the Canadian national junior team and the Vancouver Cannons of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League. Wick also has a scholarship offer from St. John’s.
Round 20, Shea Vucinich, SS, Washington State
A 6-foot junior from Idaho, Vucinich has plenty of upside defensively and has been suggested as having the potential to be a plus defender up the middle. Vucinich is a free swinger at the plate, which has aided in his power output, of which he has plenty of potential.
Round 21, Kevin Shackelford, RHP, Marshall
Was the primary catcher for the Thundering Herd in 2009 before being moved exclusively to the bullpen this season. Shackelford posted a 1-1 record with a 7.50 ERA in 19 appearances, striking out four batters while giving up just 15 earned runs over 18 innings pitched.
Round 22, Kevin Berard, C, Barbe High School
A Louisiana native, Berard has committed to LSU-Eunice. Berard helped lead his high school squad to a 29-9 record in 2010.
Round 23, Ryan Bernal, RHP, Florida Atlantic
A senior from Florida, Bernal was 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 30 appearances out of the bullpen for Florida Atlantic this season. Bernal allowed 14 earned runs on 37 hits over 42 innings while recording 44 strikeouts to just 18 walks.
Round 24, Gregory Hopkins, 3B, St. John’s
A junior Massachusetts native, Hopkins batted .358 with seven home runs and 59 RBIs while slugging .521. Hopkins’ average tied him for third on the team while he was second with 32 walks and tied for first with 21 doubles. He was second on the team with 13 errors.
Round 25, Nicholas Shaw, SS, Barry University
Shaw batted .358 with three home runs and 41 RBI on the season for the Buccaneers, while adding 14 doubles and a triple. He also slugged .492 while walking a team-high 49 times, which contributed to his .482 on-base percentage.
Round 26, Daniel Gibson, LHP, Jesuit High School
In 2010, Gibson had one of the best seasons in the 106-year history of Jesuit High School. Gibson posted a 14-1 record with a 1.64 ERA while striking out 129 batters in 89.2 innings.
Round 27, Alexander Jones, RHP, Jacksonville State
A tall, side-armed reliever, Jones sat out a year after Tommy John surgery, but returned to pitch again in 2010. Jones posted a 1-6 record but had a 3.53 ERA and a team-high six saves to go along with 61 strikeouts in 51 innings of relief.
Round 28, Dane Amedee, LHP, LSU-Eunice
A 6-foot-1, 194-pound lefty, Amedee posted a 7-0 record with a 4.14 ERA on the season, striking out 61 batters to just 35 walks over 41 1/3 innings pitched. Amedee also gave up 19 earned runs on 28 hits in 16 appearances.
Round 29, Dan Britt, RHP, Elon University
Britt, a native of North Carolina, posted a 5-2 record with a 4.62 ERA for Elon this season, while striking out 25 batters. Has gone 18-7 with five saves and a 5.27 ERA in his career.
Round 30, Eric Marzec, RHP, Youngstown State
Named the top prospect in the Horizon League by Baseball America before the 2010 season, Marzec went 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA while striking out 56 batters in 39 innings over 20 appearances.
Simple approach paying off for McGehee
MILWAUKEE — As he walks up to the plate during home games, the chorus of “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd plays on the Miller Park speakers. While he may not have planned it that way, the song perfectly exemplifies Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee.
With the way he’s performed since becoming an everyday player for the Brewers, it would be easy for McGehee to get caught up in the numbers he’s put up at the plate. Instead, he just does what he’s always done, use the entire field to produce at the plate for the Brewers.
Before and after a game, it’s easy to find McGehee: he’s nearly always at his locker. Ask him just about any question about himself or the team and he’ll give an honest answer.
But despite being the National League’s RBI leader through the first two months of the season, McGehee still has trouble evaluating his own performance. That’s because he said he tries to take things on a day-to-day basis as much as possible.
“I try not to get too excited or too upset about anything,” McGehee said. “I just try to get to the next day and focus in on that rather than looking back. Because what I’ve done one day really has no bearing on anything that’s going to happen today or the next day.”
A year ago at this time, McGehee was splitting time with Craig Counsell at second base while getting the occasional start at third. In the batting order, he bounced around, hitting everywhere but fourth and ninth during the 2009 season.
When McGehee started playing everyday toward the end of June, he provided two things the Brewers had been lacking: an everyday third baseman and consistency in the five hole.
“Our biggest two holes last year were the No. 2 and the No. 5,” manager Ken Macha said. “McGehee’s doing a nice job in the five hole.”
With Mat Gamel and Bill Hall ahead of him, McGehee was expected to be a backup infielder for the Brewers after making his first career Opening Day roster. But with a season-ending injury to Rickie Weeks, and as Gamel and Hall struggled at third, McGehee stepped in where he was needed.
McGehee batted .301 with 16 homers in his rookie season, while his 66 RBIs led all rookies. His .859 OPS was also third on the team behind Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.
After a surprisingly strong rookie campaign, which left him fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, expectations were much higher entering McGehee’s second big league season. But while some expected more from him in 2010, many suggested McGehee could be a prime candidate for a sophomore slump.
“I felt like there was pressure to continue to warrant being written in the lineup every day. That pressure’s always going to be there,” McGehee said. “But I think that in some ways having some success last year took a little bit of pressure. With that, I had confidence from the beginning and I knew what to expect as far as what I was capable of contributing.”
Not only has McGehee proved those doubters wrong, he’s nearly matched his season total of a year ago with 41 RBIs through just 48 games. Additionally, McGehee is second on the team with nine home runs and second only to Braun with 22 extra base hits.
True to his simple approach, however, the only opinion that really matters to McGehee is that of his teammates and coaches.
Based on recent lineups posted by Macha, the team’s confidence in McGehee is high. On Sunday, the California native became the first Brewers hitter not named Braun or Fielder to bat cleanup since July 1, 2008.
“I could care less what people want to write and say and what people around the league want to think,” McGehee said. “As long as the guys in here feel that I can do the job, you can write and say and tell me I’m terrible as much as you want. It doesn’t bother me a bit.
So even if someday the critics are proven right, McGehee isn’t worried about it.
“If I have it my way, I’ll be playing this game a long time. And they can keep waiting for me to fall on my face,” he said. “What’s the worst that happens? I fall on my face and everyone is right?”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
Brewers recap 5/30
Rickie fine, but pitching problematic for Crew
MILWAUKEE — So much positive energy had been built up over the first five days of the homestand, but it didn’t take long for the Brewers to lose it on Sunday.
With the game tied in the sixth, reliever Jeff Suppan gave up four runs on six hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work, walking three and striking out two.
Suppan (0-2) simply couldn’t execute, and it cost the Brewers the game, as they lost, 10-4, to the Mets.
“It’s as simple as making quality pitches,” pitching coach Rick Peterson said. “Any time a pitcher struggles, you’d like to say something really profound. But it was just an inability to consistently make quality pitches.”
Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey overcame some early struggles of his own to pick up the win. Dickey (2-0) pitched seven innings, giving up four runs on nine hits while striking out three.
But while Dickey gave up just two hits in keeping the Brewers off the board over a four-inning stretch from the third to the sixth, the Brewers saw an early one-run lead turn into a four-run deficit in the seventh.
After struggling early in the season and pitching his way out of the rotation, Suppan had been mostly relegated to working when a game was out of reach. But with four relievers having been used in Saturday’s 8-6 victory, manager Ken Macha called on Suppan with the score tied.
Afterward, Macha and Peterson both said they were confident in Suppan’s chances to succeed in that situation. With that in mind, it only made things more frustrating for Suppan when he was unable to get out of the seventh inning.
“I actually felt pretty good today,” Suppan said. “It was a matter of execution, I was just up in the zone. … It becomes frustrating, because I feel good, and I feel like I take a lot of steps forward. Then, in a game like this, it’s a situation where it’s my job to come in and keep it close, and I wasn’t able to do it.”
Suppan was called to pitch in the sixth inning after starter Randy Wolf needed 114 pitches to get through the first five.
Wolf did not want to point the finger at rookie catcher Jonathan Lucroy, but the two had communication issues with the signs for the second straight outing. The last time, the two battled through a similar problem but the left-hander had his best performance of the season, tossing eight scoreless innings against the Astros.
This time, however, the issues were coupled with a few pitches that just missed the zone and helped lead to Wolf’s high pitch count.
“They just couldn’t get on the same page with signs, and it was a constant battle,” Peterson said. “It’s hard to consistently make quality pitches when that happens. And then, when he did, he was just missing and had some calls that could have gone either way not go his way.”
Wolf allowed just two runs on five hits, but he walked five while striking out just three. Still, Macha was pleased with his starter’s performance.
“Wolfie wasn’t on his game,” Macha said. “[He was] missing a little bit with his fastball [and] wound up with some walks, yet he still had us in the game at the end of five.”
Suppan’s rough outing was even more frustrating for the club after the way the Brewers had begun the game against Dickey.
On a 1-2 knuckleball in the first, second baseman Rickie Weeks belted his 15th career leadoff home run, tying the score at 1.
After Alcides Escobar’s single plated another run in the second, Dickey cruised until the seventh, when Weeks hit another knuckleball out to left for a two-run blast, giving him his fourth career multi-homer game.
“Seems like Weeks likes that knuckleball a little bit,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.
But after Weeks’ two-run homer put the Brewers right back in the game, the Mets’ four-run ninth off lefty Zach Braddock put away the game.
Just as it was with Suppan, it was a matter of execution for Braddock.
“I left the ball up, and they hit the ball,” Braddock said. “But I had it toward the end, so I had it the whole time, I just didn’t execute early on. I wanted to come in and keep the team in the game as much as possible, but I just couldn’t get it done.”
But even after all that went wrong for the Brewers, they remained focused on the positives after their first winning homestand of the season.
“It just feels good to go out there and get two wins from a good team like that,” Weeks said. “All we can do is go out on the road and try to get some more wins out there. … We let one get away from us today, but I think tomorrow will be a good day 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 recap 5/29
Hart pumps two more homers to beat Mets
MILWAUKEE — Less than 24 hours removed from his first career walk-off home run, Corey Hart picked up right where he left off on Saturday night.
With two home runs and six RBIs on the night, Hart carried the Brewers to an 8-6 victory over the Mets at Miller Park.
Hart crushed a 1-1 slider in the first from Mets starter Fernando Nieve (1-3), a no-doubter over the bullpen in left for his first career grand slam. Two innings later, Hart drove an 0-1 pitch from Oliver Perez out to left, a two-run shot, for his third homer in as many at-bats.
After hitting just three home runs over the first six weeks of the season, Hart has nine blasts and 19 RBIs in his last 14 games.
“I didn’t even want to sit down next to him, these uniforms are hot enough,” Brewers manager Ken Macha joked. “Guys kept telling me when he gets hot, he can carry the club. Well, he’s been doing that as of late.”
On Negro League Tribute Night at Miller Park, with the Brewers wearing the uniforms of the Milwaukee Bears and the Mets dressed as the New York Cubans, Hart became the 15th hitter in franchise history to belt homers in three consecutive at-bats and the first to do so since Geoff Jenkins’ three-homer game on May 21, 2003.
His six RBIs tied a career high for Hart, who leads the team with 12 home runs on the season. It was also his eighth career multi-homer game and second during his current hot streak.
“It’s all Dale,” said Hart, referring to Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum. “Dale’s worked really hard to change some things around for me and help my mindset. What he did is help me get the ball in the air.
“I’ve had stretches where I’ve hit balls hard, but now the ones I’m hitting are getting good backspin and they’re carrying. I keep doing what he’s telling me, and so far it’s working.”
Nieve (1-3) took the loss for the Mets, as he lasted just two innings, surrendering five runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
But after Hart put the Brewers up, 7-3, with his second homer in the third inning, the Brewers, too, had to go the rest of the way with the bullpen on the mound.
Starter Manny Parra lasted just three innings for the Brewers, giving up three runs on six hits with three walks — one intentional — and two strikeouts.
“I was just out of sync,” Parra said. “It made it really hard to command my fastball. … For me, my game is commanding my fastball. I do that and I’ll be just fine. But the days like today where I’m out of sync and struggling with the fastball command, it’s going to make for a tough day.”
Fortunately for the Brewers, three members of their bullpen delivered excellent performances on the night.
After Marco Estrada relieved Parra and proceeded to allow three runs on one hit and one walk in just 1 2/3 innings, Todd Coffey (2-1) came in and shut the Mets down. But things didn’t start so smoothly for the reliever.
Before he threw his first pitch, Coffey was forced to switch gloves because the color of the glove — which he’s been using all season — was too light, clashing with the Bears uniform. After being tipped off by Mets manager Jerry Manuel, the umpires approached Coffey and asked him to make the switch.
“It was light, a little bit too close to the colors of the uniform,” Manuel said. “I told [the umpires] before he came in. I saw him warming up in the ‘pen with it and thought it was a little light. I should have let him keep the other one though, right?”
As Manuel joked, the glove didn’t matter, as Coffey (2-1) threw 2 1/3 scoreless, striking out three while keeping the Mets off the basepaths.
Coffey entered with the bases loaded in the fifth. Upon getting Jason Bay to ground out to second to end the inning, Coffey started a string of 13 straight batters retired by Brewers relievers to close out the game.
Carlos Villanueva pitched a clean eighth with two strikeouts as the setup man on the night, and John Axford needed just 14 pitches in the ninth for his second save of the season.
“It’s huge,” Parra said of the bullpen’s performance. “It’s great to win this ballgame. We came out firing, scoring a lot of runs. So it was just great that we were able to win that game [and] put a lot of confidence in this clubhouse. I think we’re starting to play a lot better.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Capuano with Brewers for first time since ’07
MILWAUKEE — Three seasons since his last Major League appearance, lefty Chris Capuano rejoined the Brewers on Saturday at Miller Park.
Capuano — whose contract was purchased Friday night from Triple-A Nashville — hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since his last start of the 2007 season and has been rehabbing the second Tommy John surgery of his career. After seven Minor League starts, Capuano has finally made it back to the Majors.
“It feels good to be back,” Capuano said. “Last night, when they took me out of the game in the fourth inning there, I had a pretty good idea that I was getting called up. I called my wife, called my family, and everyone was pretty excited. It’s definitely been a good day.”
Before being called up Friday night, Capuano made his fourth start for the Nashville Sounds, throwing four scoreless innings while giving up just one hit.
When asked about it before Saturday’s game, manager Ken Macha explained the thought process behind removing Capuano from the game after throwing just 59 pitches.
“You’ve got to make a decision, if he goes 100 pitches then he’s not going to be available for quite a while,” Macha said. “With the [59] pitches, he probably just needs a couple days off and may be available out of the [bullpen].”
Brewers officials announced the move after Friday’s 2-0 victory over the Mets. With Capuano being called up, the club designated right-handed reliever Claudio Vargas for assignment, making a spot available for Capuano on both the 25- and 40-man rosters.
Capuano found out that he would be rejoining the Brewers shortly after being removed from Friday night’s game. Now that he’s arrived back in Milwaukee, Capuano found that he was more surprised by the lack of emotion involved with the end of his journey back to the big leagues.
“Maybe I thought that there was going to be more emotions than I think I actually feel,” Capuano said. “When you get here, you go through your routine, you’re out there playing catch, and it feels natural because this is what we do. It’s just good to be here and playing catch and getting back in touch with some of my old friends.”
When asked if he ever doubted he would return, Capuano admitted there were some “testing, trying times,” but credited his family, friends and all those who played a role in his return for keeping him on the right track.
Since making his last start for the Brewers on Sept. 28, 2007, Capuano said he has learned an important lesson about himself.
“I learned how much I actually like baseball,” Capuano said. “You get back to going through the grind of the rehab and then when you actually get back to playing, especially when you get back to ‘A’ ball and play with some of those younger guys, it’s just a different enthusiasm for the game. I think the longer I’m in the game, the more I appreciate it.
“Being away for two years and then stepping back on that field and playing again, a lot of stuff feels new again. I think it’s been a good thing for me.”
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