The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League

[BirdWatcher]

The Denver Brewers had a successful pre-season, largely as measured by the lack of injuries and some impressive pitching from their two top pitching prospects. The only injuries the team had to deal with were a couple of minor day-to-day ailments for Rodrigo "RodRod" Rodriguez (hand contusion) and Bobby Erbakan (twisted ankle), both of whom otherwise had very good spring showings. Other starters who hit very well in the spring were Joe McPhillips (though he tailed off a bit at the end of the exhibition season), Josh Schaeffer, and Brett Taranto. Backup outfielder John Flores was probably the most impressive hitter of the Spring, leading the team with 5 home runs and hitting .372. Primary infield utility-man Joe Willemse also played well. Other backups, however, struggled at the dish- Jake DiCesare (who wound up being the last player cut from the active roster to get down to 25 for Opening Day), Jon Williams, and Nick Ward. Also starting left fielder Val Guzman and catcher Zacarias Martell were quite cold at the plate.

Starting pitchers Sekien Hamasaki and (especially) Steve Green didn't look particularly sharp but the front office doesn't put much stock in Spring training numbers especially for veteran pitchers. On the other hand it was great to see how effective both top pitching prospect Jim Atwell and especially non-roster invitee Bryant Cox- who stayed in the big league camp much longer than originally expected- pitched.

Hard-throwing sidearmer Walter Hackler was among the final cuts and will start the season at AAA Chester but will surely be back in a Brewer uniform before long.

One long-time Denver minor league relief pitcher, who has had several cups of coffee with the big league club- Antonio Nieves- once again did not live up to his potential and as he was out of options was put on waivers with the intention of assigning him back to AAA Chester but was claimed by Portland and is expected to start the season in the Wild Things bullpen. The team wishes the best for Nieves, who has always been respected for his baseball smarts and strong work ethic and hopefully at age 26 (he signed with the Brewers out of Mexico way back in 1968 as a 16-year old) he will finally achieve some big league success, just not against us, please.

[BirdWatcher]

So, coming off 3-straight 100-win seasons and having just won our 3rd WPK championship, doesn't this seem like a bit of an overly modest expectation from our owner?:

[BirdWatcher]

Well, if only Zach Boris, the 1974 3rd round draft pick for the Washington Night Train, had a 3rd pitch he could be a star member of their rotation.




As it is, with his strong work ethic, two very good pitches, and even some decent hitting ability, this is a young reliever to watch into the future. A possible future Reliever of the Year candidate.

[BirdWatcher]

And with Opening Day upon is it is time for the BNN to release their updated Top 100 Prospects List.



After landing at the top of the list for two straight years, Denver starting pitcher Jim Atwell falls to #2 this year as Columbus Whaler right-handed starting pitcher Bill Thompson takes over the top spot. Because just what the Whalers need are more future Pitchers of the Year! (It should be noted that the Whalers also have the #19 prospect, another very talented right-handed starting pitcher named Kevin DeRouen. Oh, and a 22-year old left-handed starting pitcher named Eric Goerg at #72 overall. The era of great Whalers pitching might stretch on for years and years into the future.)


Only 2 other Brewers are in the top 100 list at this time, with top third base prospect Jose Figueroa falling out of the top 100. (Figueroa isn't even in the top 200 but the Brewers scouting staff remains confident in his abilities.)
The only position player for the Brewers organization listed in the top 100 is center fielder Matt Catlett, who was our first round draft pick last year. Catlett has top of the spectrum speed and running ability, should be a fine defensive center fielder, and possesses a very strong contact bat with good gap power but not much over-the-fence power. He also likely won't draw many walks, but with his high work ethic and his athletic tools he could certainly eventually be the center fielder of the future in Denver.




And Bryant Cox, nearly big league ready, shows up at #33 overall in this year's list and should be in a Brewers uniform before the end of the 1978 season.

[BirdWatcher]

With the 1978 WPK season about to commence, the experts have spoken and delivered the following pre-season predictions:

SJL:



And some things never change. Once again, the expectation is that the Columbus Whalers will remain at the top of the Shoeless Joe League this season. The surprising prediction, however, is that the Philadelphia Mud Hens, who finished a disappointing 9th last season, 2 games under .500, will be the primary competitors with Columbus for the SJL pennant.
The once lowliest of the lowly El Paso Dawgs are also expected to contend and get into the mid-90's in wins.
Two 1977 contenders- the Pittsburgh Roadrunners and the Jacksonville Wolf Pack- are thought likely to sink to the bottom of the SJL standings this season. The Boston Berserkers, who finished in 2nd place in 1977, are thought to be a middle-of-the-pack club going into this season.



Among individual players expected to be at the top of the league in performance, the biggest surprise inclusion on the list is San Antonio first baseman Jon Parsons, who hasn't been particularly highly rated up until now. Mike Lovett, who was traded to Philadelphia by the Denver Brewers in the off-season, is expected to be one of the hitters leading the Mud Hens into contention. Bud Lindsay, who has won the SJL MVP 2-years running, is expected to again be one of the stars in the league as are the 3 young talented center fielders who have emerged in the past few seasons: PIttsburgh's Matt Van der Heyden, El Paso's Pete Wiederkehr, and San Antonio's Zach McClelland. And the experts expect another wonderful season from future Hall of Fame veteran outfielder Felix Lopez.
In terms of pitchers, the thought is that Columbus lefty Jim Norris, who has won the past 2 SJL Pitcher of the Year awards, will again contend for the honor, along with his teammates Luis Ramirez and Juan Olguin. But perhaps the pitcher expected to shine most is two-way player Vincent Medina, who was picked up by El Paso in a trade with Baltimore in the off-season.


MGL:



And in the Moonlight Graham League, the same three teams are always predicted at the top of the table, just not always in the same order. This year, the reigning WPK champions, the Denver Brewers, are expected to prevail and to possibly be the only WPK team to break 100 wins. Their main competition is once again expected to come in the form of L.A., with Brooklyn again finishing 3rd. It is thought that the Detroit Falcons might be the surprise team in the MGL this season, with Oklahoma City also continuing to push for first division status. The slugging Phoenix Speed Devils are expected to be a bit better than they were in 1977, with a slightly less disastrous team ERA. The Charlotte Sting are expected to finish last.

This would be a good time to mention that the feeling is that offense will take a bit of a step back in 1978 from the levels of 1977, with home runs in particular down a bit. The Brewers are expected to pretty easily lead the MGL in runs scored, with only the SJL's San Antonio Keys slightly outscoring them.



Denver's offense is expected to be led by Brett Taranto and Joe McPhillips. John Hemmah of Detroit is expected to follow up his fine rookie season with a tremendous sophomore year in which he might win the batting title. The biggest surprise on the list is Baltimore's 26-year old rookie right fielder Robert Mustard. The experts also expect veteran L.A. sluggers Nate Bennett and Jesus Hernandez, at 38 and 37 respectively, to continue to batter MGL pitchers this season.
On the pitching side the thinking seems to be that Denver's Sadahige Kawasaki and L.A.'s Kerry Krieg might be the main contenders for MGL Pitcher of the Year, with Brooklyn's great Aaron McNally also being in the mix. The biggest surprise inclusion is San Francisco's 23-year old Jon Harrington, who pitched 37 games out of the bullpen last year with very modest results, but profiles as a future Pitcher of the Year candidate as a starter and could have his breakout season in 1978. And somehow, some way, 42-year old Jaime Schardein of L.A. is expected to once again add to his Hall of Fame credentials, in spite of his fragile injury reputation, this season.

[BirdWatcher]

David Beane has quietly put up season after season of offensive quality in his WPK career and at age 41, still among the more feared hitters in the game, Beane reaches a milestone on the the opening day of the 1978 season as his first of two hits in his first game with new team Philadelphia gives him 2,000 hits for this career.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 5-1 (week), 5-1, 1st place, MGL (season)

April 10-12, at Oklahoma City: 3-0, 5-3, 5-9.

April 13-15, versus Brooklyn: 8-7, 5-4, 6-3.

The Brewers open the 1978 regular season on the road against the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings, who were perhaps the biggest surprise contender (well, until the last month or so of the season, when it was a two-team race between Denver and L.A.) in 1977.
But the Brewers spoil the Diamond Kings home opener with some brilliant pitching by staff ace Sadahige Kawasaki (1-0, 0.00) and an effective inning from closer Tim Shore, who picks up his 1st save of the season. Kawasaki worked 8 innings, giving up just 2 hits while striking out 8 and walking 1 but given that it was the first start of the year and he had thrown 107 pitches the Brewers manager decided not to keep him in the game to try to get the shutout. The hitting star for Denver was last year's MGL MVP runner-up Bobby Erbakan, who went 3 for 4 with a run scored and 2 driven in and hit his first two doubles of the season. Brett Taranto contributed his first triple of 1978 and scored twice.

Sekien Hamasaki (1-0, 3.68) was solid enough in game 2 to get his first win, working 7 1/3rd innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. Ben Flynn pitched the final inning for his 1st save of the season. Rich White, who seems to get off to a strong start at the plate every season, led the way with a 3 for 4, 2 run scoring game and swiped his first two bags of the season. Joe McPhillips only had one hit in the game, but it was also the first homer of the season for Denver.

The Brewers can't secure the series sweep in game 3 though as Steve Green (0-1, 16.62), who didn't look sharp in Spring Training, carries his struggles into his first regular season start. Green lasts just 4 1/3rd, giving up 8 runs on 9 hits, including 2 home runs allowed. Brett Taranto does his part to try to lead the Brewers in a comeback bid, as he went 3 for 3 with 1 run scored and 3 RBI and hit his 1st homer of the season.

Thursday's home opener against the Brooklyn Aces was preceded by a WPK championship banner raising ceremony in front of a just under capacity crowd exceeding 48,600 screaming fans. Appropriately John Weaver, one of the biggest heroes of the 1977 KCS, got the start, but perhaps feeling the weight of expectations following a winter with new found attention being paid to him, the 25-year old right-hander got off to a shaky start, allowing 3 runs in each of the first two innings. But, in typical John Weaver fashion, he dug down deep and gave a gusty performance after that until he was gassed with 2 outs in the 6th inning and gave the team a chance to play catch up. And catch up they did. Some of the credit goes to Val Guzman who was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, hitting his first double and first home run of the season. And in the words of the Brewers long-time announcers, it was one of the longest bombs they had ever seen hit at Centennial Stadium (it was recorded as travelling 454 feet.) Josh Schaeffer also continues his early season hot hitting, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored in this one. And Joe McPhillips went 2 for 4 while hitting his 2nd homer of 1978.

Rookie Jim Atwell (1-0, 3.60) then got his first start, and win, of the 1978 season. While Atwell wasn't the most economical, throwing 123 pitches over just 5 innings, he pitched well enough for the win, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking 3.The bullpen was strong behind him, with Tim Shore earning his 3rd save of the season in as many chances. And the combination of Josh Schaeffer and Joe McPhillips provided most of the offense in support of Atwell. Schaeffer went 2 for 4 with 1 run scored and 3 driven in, walking once and hitting his 1st homer of the season. And McPhillips has his power bat going early this year, as he went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 2 driven in, hitting his 1st triple and his team-leading 3rd home run in the game. He also picked up his 1st stolen base.

Saturday was Cheol-han Lee Day at Centennial Stadium, as his uniform number 16 was officially retired in a grand ceremony prior to the final game of the opening home series of 1978. Fittingly, Cheol-han and the over 48,000 fans there to see the game were witness to a match-up of the two starting pitchers who are the heirs apparent to Cheol-han as the best right-handed starters in the game: Sadahige Kawasaki and Aaron McNally. And in this one the hometown Ace won out. Kawasaki (2-0, 1.59) went the distance in this one, on only 118 pitches, giving up 3 runs on just 5 hits while striking out 7 and walking none. The Brewers offense once again got to the 3-time Pitcher of the Year McNally- as they did in his final start against them in 1977- and scored 6 runs on 11 hits against in him in his 7 innings pitched. Kawasaki himself was a bit part of the run scoring, as he went 2 for 4 in the game and scored 3 runs (he also reached on an error early in the game). Although the Brewers didn't get any extra base hits, they were efficient in taking advantage of their 12 hits and 3 walks, with Brett Taranto once again leading the way with a 3 for 5 game and Bobby Erbakan going 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. Kawasaki was also the beneficiary of some tremendous defense up the middle with Bobby robbing the speedy Jeremy Brigatti (a thorn in the Brewers side over the years) of what looked like a lead off hit in the 3rd inning (103 exit velocity groundball between second and first that Bobby skillfully fielded) and Rich White making a highlight reel play on a Greg Alwardt hard hit grounder up the middle to lead off the 7th inning.

The Brewers get the series sweep and honor their legendary former staff ace and future Hall of Famer Cheol-han Lee on an historic day at Centennial Stadium!

[BirdWatcher]

Stretching back to the end of the 1977 season, Boston veteran superstar right fielder Justin Vargas has hit in 25 straight games. So this seems like a good time to take a look at the potential future WPK Hall of Famer as our first player spotlight subject this season.



Justin Vargas has played his entire career with the Boston Berserkers and should remain there until at least the end of the 1981 season, when he will be free agency eligible. And many around the WPK expect the Berserkers to try to extend him before then. Vargas is a two-time SJL MVP, a 7-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger, and won a Gold Glove in 1974 for his play in right field. But more than maybe anything else, Vargas is perhaps the best current example in the WPK of a player who combines great power with great speed. In the history of the WPK up to this point, there have been 35 20/20 seasons (in which a player hit at least 20 homers and stole at least 20 bases.) One player, Brad Tesh, did it 8 times, and Tesh was also the first player in the WPK to have a 30/30 season. Only one other player has had more than 2 20/20 seasons and that is Justin Vargas with 3 such seasons. But Vargas is also one of only 2 other players to have a 30/30 season, which he accomplished this past season when he hit 35 homers while stealing 45 bases. (Chris Tobin also was a 30/30 man last year with 44 homers and an even 30 bags swiped.)
There have been no 40/40 season in WPK history but many believe that this is still within reach of the 29-year old Vargas, who retains his great skills and has Iron Man durability.


Also, 3 players in WPK history have amassed as many as 200 career homers and 200 career stolen bases and Vargas needs just 21 more home runs to join that club. Two players are in the 200/200 career club: Jason Janes and Nick Haran, both of whom are unlikely to have enough career left to get to 300/300. Brad Tesh is the lone 300/300 man but at this point he is languishing at AAA at age 35 and it appears his big league career is very close to being over.
If there is anyone playing today who can achieve a 40/40 season or who can hope to join Brad Tesh in the 300/300 club, it is Vargas. Is 400/400 within reach? Well, it might be a long-shot but it is certainly not out of the realm of possibilities for the talented switch-hitting star.



One of the real joys of being a fan of the WPK is watching a career like Vargas' play out and speculating on how it might end. In Vargas case it will likely end with enshrinement to the WPK Hall of Fame in Dubuque, Iowa.


(And now perhaps the most interesting part of the story: Justin Vargas was chosen in the 1st round of the 1966 amateur draft, #11 overall. Nothing remarkable in that, of course. But here is the thing. He wasn't drafted by the Boston Berserkers. It was the Los Angeles Spinners who chose Vargas in 1966. And then in November of that same year L.A. sent Vargas to Boston, along with right handed starting pitcher Alex Yllescas (who won 89 games over 8 seasons with Boston, including a 16-12, 3.16 ERA 1972 season) and a now retired relief pitcher who never made the WPK, for veteran starting pitcher Brian Bauer, who retired in 1971 and only started 8 games for L.A., and first baseman Brett Prather, who is currently in AAA at age 30 and last played in the bigs in 1975, all of his big league time coming for the Spinners, but that amounting to just 27 games total and only 7 games as a starter in the lineup. Possibly the worst trade in the history of the WPK! Can you imagine what the MGL pennant races would have looked like these past 8 plus seasons that Vargas has starred for Boston had he instead been playing in an L.A. uniform?)

[BirdWatcher]

With the Denver offense sputtering a bit at this stage of the early season, Josh Schaeffer was one of the few batters off to a great start. So of course, in game 3 of a series in Denver against the L.A. Spinners, Schaeffer tweaked a hamstring while picking up his first stolen base of the season.
He is headed to the 10-day IL and will be replaced on the roster by Casey Bromwell.

[BirdWatcher]

Bobby Erbakan, coming off his finest season as a big league ballplayer in 1977, when he finished 2nd in the MGL MVP voting, was off to a very poor start in 1978 and then this happened:




Given Bobby's injury history, how early it is in the season, and his importance to the team, it was decided to play it safe and put him on the 10-day IL. The team's medical team indicates that it might take up to a month though for Bobby to be back at full strength.
Meanwhile, backup catcher Kirk Patnode returns from the IL while Erik Bettencourt is sent back down to AAA Chester. To fill Erbakan's slot on the roster, third baseman Jake DiCesare comes up from Chester. Likely Joe Willemse will get the majority of the starts at second base while Erbakan is on the IL, with some assistance from the defensive specialist Nick Ward.


In happier news, Brett Taranto has picked up where he left off at the end of the 1977 season, which is to say on fire at the plate and in the field. Taranto has now hit safely in 20 straight games, starting during the '77 stretch run. With Erbakan sidelined, Brett's middle-of-the-order right handed bat becomes all that more important.

[BirdWatcher]

Kyle Bidwell seems to be enjoying pitching for his new team this year, the Los Angeles Spinners, and in his third start for L.A., the team he no-hit in his final start of the 1977 regular season, he nearly got a no-hitter for L.A. when he shutout the San Francisco Velocity on just 1 hit, a 6th inning double of possible future Hall of Famer Josh Jenkins.



Bidwell's 1-hitter comes on the same day that Denver starter Sekien Hamasaki went into the 7th inning in Phoenix with a no-hitter. Hamasaki ended up giving up 2 hits over his 7 innings pitched in a Brewer victory.

[BirdWatcher]

Greg Koenig, the 32-year old Jacksonville Wolf Pack center fielder who was the 13th overall pick in the 1966 amateur draft and has played his entire big league career in a Wolf Pack uniform, may not be one of the flashiest stars in the league, but the 3-time All-Star has been a consistent performer who is a solid defender, one of the better base runners in the game, and most season gets into double figures in both home runs and stolen bases.



He has also been quite injury prone in his career but this latest may be the most devastating: a ruptured MCL which is expected to sideline him for at least 7 to 8 months. (Koenig is now considered Wrecked in terms of injury proneness.) It is a blow for the Jacksonville club's hopes of contending this year but it also opens up the chance for 26-year old Danny Craft, who was picked 12th overall in the 1970 draft, and profiles with many of the same attributes as Koenig (he will likely hit for less power but is a considerable upgrade defensively) to finally get his chance to be the big league starter for the team.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 3-3 (week), 8-4, tied 1st place MGL with L.A. (season)

April 16-18, versus Los Angeles: 3-4, 1-7, 11-6.

April 19-21, at Phoenix: 12-5, 1-2, 10-3.

The Brewers begin the second week of the 1978 regular season by hosting arch-rival L.A. for a 3-game set.
And lose game 1 when the Spinners score two 9th inning runs to pad a narrow 2-1 lead a bit and the Brewers rally in the bottom of the inning falls one run short. Sekien Hamasaki deserved a win, lasting 7 innings while allowing just 1 run (a solo HR) on 3 hits, striking out 6 and walking 1 batter. Victor Colon (0-1, 9.00) took the loss in relief. The Brewers only managed 4 hits in the game but one of them was Brett Taranto's 2nd homer of the season. Kyle Bidwell (who would throw a 1-hitter later in the week) allowed the 4 hits over his 7 innings pitched for the win for L.A.

And in game 2 the Spinners dominated the Brewers, who saw Steve Green (0-2, 8.74) continue his early season struggles. Green wasn't actually horrible- he gave up 3 runs on 6 hits over 7 innings. Ben Flynn though had a really bad outing, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits while only recording a pair of outs. Brett Taranto stayed hot, going 2 for 3 in the loss.

The Brewers avoided being swept when they used the hot hitting of Taranto to power them to a victory in game 3. Taranto went 4 for 5 with 4 runs scored and 4 driven in, hitting a pair of home runs to get to 4 on the season. Val Guzman also had a big day, going 2 for 4 with 5 RBI and hitting his 2nd double and 2nd homer of the season. John Weaver (1-0, 9.26) got a win he probably didn't deserve, having allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks over 6 innings pitched. Josh Schaeffer was injured in this game while picking up his first stolen base of 1978.

The Brewers then head to the hitters haven of Phoenix Municipal stadium for three games against the Speed Devils.
In game 1 the Denver offense takes full advantage of the ballpark and Brett Taranto hits his 4th home run in 3 games, going 2 for 5 in the game. Val Guzman also homers again while going 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI from the lead off spot. Joe McPhillips also has a big game, going 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored and an RBI. Bobby Erbakan hit his 3rd double of the season but then later had to leave the game following an on-base collision while turning a double play. Zacarias Martell hit his 1st home run of the season in this one. Jim Atwell (2-0, 4.50) wasn't spectacular but was good enough to pick up his second win, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits (and 5 walks) over 7 innings pitched.

Game 2 was a rare pitching duel in the desert. Sadahige Kawasaki lasted 8 2/3rds innings, giving up just a single unearned run on 5 hits, while striking out 5 and walking none, but did not get a decision. Jason Gottula (0-1, 4.50) kept things even by getting the final out of the bottom of the 9th but then surrendered the walk-off lead-off home run off the bat of Paul Toll in the bottom of the 10th. Catcher Erik Bettencourt was the only Brewer with more than 1 hit, as he went 2 for 3 and hit his first big league home run.

But the Brewers get the series win when Joe McPhillips helped power them to an easy game 3 win. McPhillips went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI and both of his hits were home runs to draw him even with Brett Taranto for the team lead with 5 homers. Jake DiCesare, just re-called from AAA Chester, got the start at third base and was 3 for 5 in the win. Brett Taranto kept his hitting streak alive, now at 21 straight games, with a 2 for 5 game and leads the league in batting average at .451. Sekien Hamasaki (2-0, 1.69) has pitched very well in the early going and gave up just 1 unearned run on 2 hits- he carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning- while striking out 6 and walking 1 over 7 innings pitched. Ben Flynn continues some pitching struggles, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits over 2 innings pitched, but also hit his 1st home run of the season while going 2 for 2 with 4 RBI.

[BirdWatcher]

Next up for the Brewers on the schedule is a three-game series hosting the Charlotte Sting.
While the Brewers hope to keep him contained this series, it is nice to see their 26-year old center fielder- and team captain- Jose Gutierrez off to such a good start this season.





There was a time when it looked like Gutierrez and the Brewers Joe McPhillips would be in competition for many years for the title of best center fielder in the game, but while McPhillips, when healthy, has remained a force, Gutierrez, who was the #1 overall pick in the 1970 draft, has been somewhat disappointing since his 1974 MGL Rookie of the Year season. One factor might be that since winning the Gold Glove at the position in 1974, Gutierrez has seen his skills in center decline since and really probably would be better off playing left field. Unfortunately for the Sting, they really don't have anyone to replace him in center field and while they do have some excellent defensive center fielders in the lower levels of their minor league system, none of them are a sure thing to develop enough of a hit tool to start in the WPK.

But for now, while Gutierrez may likely never win another Gold Glove in center, he is a plus contact hitter, a very fast runner and an elite base-stealer. And with his impressive intangibles it is hard not to root for him and to imagine many more fine season ahead for him, even if he never quite rises to the level previously predicted for him.

[BirdWatcher]

Not surprising given the start he is off to.

[BirdWatcher]

Well, Bobby Erbakan no longer has to worry about his Brewers teammate Brett Taranto challenging his WPK-best 45 game hitting streak record set last season.



Taranto, though, remains one of the forces of the league this season and given that his hitting streak ended at 24 in an easy win over the Falcons in Detroit, the news isn't exactly something to moan about.

[BirdWatcher]

Apparently after three full seasons with the Nashville Red Wings, the AA affiliate of the Denver Brewers, 22-year old left-handed starting pitcher Oscar Medrano has the hitters at this level pretty well figured out.




So much so that he pitched a rather dominating no-hitter yesterday in his 4th start of the season, striking out 13 batters while walking 3.
Medrano, who was signed as a youngster to a minor league contract out of the Dominican Republic, has never been considered much of a prospect but it has to be said that he has mostly been consistently solid in his minor league career, and as a left-handed pitcher with good stamina and a bit of room for growth still, it can't be ruled out that he might eventually get his shot at the big leagues, albeit likely in a limited fashion.

[BirdWatcher]

If there is one thing the Denver Brewers never seem to run out of it is toolsy outfielders.



Jason Brannan, who was the 6th round draft pick for the team in 1974, doesn't profile as a future WPK starter, but he is one of the growing list of quality 4th or 5th outfielders in the organization. Yesterday Brannan saw his 29-game hitting streak, which stretches back to late in the 1977 season, come to an end. But as he has much of his professional career, Brannan is once again putting up great offensive numbers. With his plus speed and base-stealing abilities, decent power and plate discipline, and steady defense, Brannan almost surely will get a chance sometime this season to finally get a chance to roam the outfield at Centennial Stadium in Brewers purple.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 5-2 (week), 13-6, 1st place, MGL (season)

April 23-25, versus Charlotte: 13-7, 7-5, 1-7.

April 26-28, at Detroit: 4-3, 7-1, 3-5.

April 29, at Portland: 7-4.

The Brewers host the Charlotte Sting to begin the third week of the sesason.
And in game 1, the offense explodes for 9 runs over the first 3 innings on the way to a rather easy victory. Rich White led the way from the lead-off spot, going 4 for 5 with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI, hitting both his 1st double and 1st home run of the season. The Jo(h)n's also had big games, as Jon Williams went 2 for 5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI and hit his 1st homer, and John Flores was 2 for 3 with a run and 3 RBI, and hit his 2nd home run of 1978. Steve Green (1-2, 8.84) once again pitched poorly but this time got a win due to the great run support. Green allowed 7 runs on 11 hits over 7 innings pitched.

Things got a bit tense for the Brewers late in game 2 when the Sting scored five 8th inning runs, but the home club held on for the win. Although he didn't get the decision, John Weaver pitched much better in this one, giving up 2 runs on 9 hits over 7 innings. Javy Bermudez (2-0, 6.23) got the win, though he also blew the save and probably didn't deserve the credit here. Ben Flynn pitched the final inning for his 2nd save. Among the several offensive stars in this one was Joe McPhillips, who went 3 for 4 with a run scored and a walk and hit his 2nd double of the season while picking up his 3rd stolen base. Joe Willemse also had a fine game, picking up 3 hits in 5 at-bats, scoring once and driving in a run and Zacarias Martell went 2 for 4 and drove in 2 runs with his 2nd double of the season.

The Sting get an easy win in the final game of the series to avoid being swept. Much of the credit goes to former Brewer Justin Peacock, who held the Brewers scoreless on just 4 hits in his 6 innings pitched. (Peacock would have pitched longer but had to leave the game early due to chronic back issues, which are expected to sideline him for the next 3 weeks or so.) Jim Atwell (2-1, 4.58) took the loss, giving up 6 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits over 7 2/3rds innings. Rodrigo "RodRod" Rodriguez went 2 for 4 in the loss, hitting his first two doubles of the season.

The Brewers then headed out on a road-trip, starting with 3 games in Detroit against the Falcons.
A two-run 8th inning allowed the Brewers to come from behind in game 1 for the win. Sadahige Kawasaki wasn't at his sharpest, allowing 12 hits in his 6 1/3rd innings, but he did limit Detroit to 3 runs (2 earned) and gave his team a chance to get back in the game. Evan Perez (1-0, 3.18) got the win in relief and Jason Gottula picked up his 1st save of 1978 with 2 wonderful innings. Brett Taranto has cooled off at the plate since his hitting streak came to an end, but his 1 hit in this one was huge, as his 6th home run, a 2-run shot in the 8th inning, provided the margin of victory. Nick Ward went 2 for 3 with a run scored and hit his 2nd double of 1978.

Sekien Hamasaki (3-0, 1.48) has probably been the most impressive starting pitcher for the Brewers this season thus far, and he pitches another gem in game 2. Hamasaki went the distance, allowing just the one run in the 9th inning, while scattering 6 hits, striking out 6 and walking 2. Rich White, who always seems to get off to great starts each season, was 2 for 5 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI's, hitting his 2nd double and picking up his 4th stolen base. More impressively, his stolen base also produced his run, as after doubling in the 2nd inning he advanced to third on a wild pitch and then stole home. Jake DiCesare went 2 for 3 with an RBI and John Flores hit his 3rd homer.

Steve Green's (1-3, 7.82) rough start to 1978 continues in game 3. Green gives up 4 runs on 9 hits over 7 innings in the loss. John Flores went 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI and picked up his first stolen base in the loss.

Off to Portland then for 3 against the Wild Things.
And in game 1 the Brewers score a big come-from-behind victory, plating all of their 7 runs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings. Val Guzman was a big contributor, going 2 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBI, hitting his 5th double. John Weaver gets a no-decision in a game where he was at times brilliant but got off to a poor start, giving up 3 runs in the 1st inning. Weaver finishes the day with 6 innings pitched, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking just one batter. Victor Colon (1-1, 6.23) got the win and Tim Shore picked up his 4th save in 4 chances this season. Ben Flynn has struggled some on the mound this season, but in this one he found a way to contribute without throwing a single pitch, as his pinch-hit double in the 8th inning drove in 2 insurance runs.

[BirdWatcher]

Seung-jin Kim, the Boston Berserkers' 34-year old right-handed starting pitcher who entered the WPK as a free agent out of South Korea back in the Autumn of 1971, missed the entire 1977 season when he was forced to go under the knife for elbow ligament reconstruction surgery back in late-September of 1976.




So it is nice to see Kim off to such a fine start in 1978 as he has been one of the factors in Boston being one of the early contenders in the SJL this season.