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**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:27 PM

South Atlantic League

CHARLESTON, WV (March 30, 2008) - The West Virginia Power, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers have announced their opening day roster for the 2008 season.

Infielders John Alonso and Brent Brewer will return from last year's team along with pitchers Jared Sutton, Mike Ramlow, Roque Mercedes and outfielder Caleb Gindl who joined the team for the last two games of the Championship Series against Columbus.

Ramlow, Alonso and Brewer are the only three who remained with the team the entire season. Mercedes was sent down to Helena in June after beginning the year in Charleston, Sutton signed a free agent contract and joined the team in May and Gindl was promoted in September after he won the Pioneer League batting title with a .372 batting average in Helena.

The roster includes 19 players who finished the 2007 season as members of the Helena Brewers who lost in the first round of the Pioneer League Playoffs and hit .291 as a team during the regular season.

There are 26 names on the roster and a corresponding move will be made before the opener on Thursday to cut it down to 25. The roster consists of two catchers, six infielders, four outfielders and 14 pitchers. There are a total of six free agents, three 2005 draftees, six 2006 draftees and eleven 2006 draftees.

An updated roster is attached.

Individual game tickets are currently on sale at the box office located at 601 Morris Street in the Morris Square Building.

The Power will play an exhibition game against WVU Tech on Tuesday, April 1 at 7:05 PM. The Power will open the 2008 season at L.P. Frans Stadium against the Hickory Crawdads on Thursday, April 3 at 6:30 PM. Their first game at home will be on Monday, April 7th against the Augusta GreenJackets at 7:05 PM.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:29 PM

Midwest League

The Beloit Snappers first official team workout will be open to the public on Wednesday, April 2nd at 6:00pm. Fans are welcome to watch this workout for FREE and have a chance to check out this year's Snapper squad.

Beloit's new manager Nelson Prada will lead the charge for the Snappers during the open workout after spending the last three seasons as the manager for the Gulf Coast League Twins. Last season, Prada led the GCL Twins to a 37-19 record, good enough for first place in their division.

Nelson will be joined on the 2nd by the other two members of his '08 coaching staff, pitching coach Gary Lucas and hitting coach Rudy Hernandez. All 25 players on the Snappers roster (still undetermined) will also be on hand to workout on April 2nd right here at beautiful Pohlman Field.

Make sure you stop by Pohlman Field located at 2301 Skyline Drive in Beloit on April 2nd to catch a glimpse of your defending Midwest League Western Division Champions.

One day before the open workout the Snappers will be hosting their annual "Meet the Snappers Night" on Tuesday, April 1st. The annual team meet and greet will take place once again at Central Christian Church located at 2460 Milwaukee Road in Beloit. Doors will open at 6:00pm for the general public and stay open until 8:00pm.

Tickets prices for this event are $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children ages 5-14 and can be purchased through the Snappers either by phone or at the Snappers Administrative Office. Central Christian Church will be serving a menu of ballpark food. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the 2008 Snappers and also purchase new team apparel. Players, coaches and front office staff will be on hand to sign autographs and answer questions, and the Snappers beloved mascot Snappy will also be in attendance. During the night a silent auction of assorted baseball memorabilia will also be set up for fans to bid on. For ticket information contact a Snappers representative at 608-362-2272 or stop by Pohlman Field located at 2301 Skyline Drive in Beloit for more information.

The Snappers open up the 2008 season right here at Pohlman Field on Thursday, April 3rd. Beloit will take on the Kane County Cougars at 6:30 pm with gates opening at 5:30 pm.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:32 PM

Midwest League

LANSING - The Lansing Lugnuts, in conjunction with the Toronto Blue Jays, have announced the Opening Day roster for the 2008 season. This year's club is highlighted by four of the top 85 picks in last June's amateur draft, three of whom were selected in the first round.

Kevin Ahrens, the Blue Jays top pick in the 2007 draft, will make his full-season debut with the Lugnuts. Ahrens, 18, was drafted 16th overall out of Memorial High School in Houston, Texas. The switch hitting third sacker made his professional debut last season in the rookie level Gulf Coast League and is the second consecutive top pick of the Blue Jays to start in Lansing.

Joining Ahrens will be fellow first rounders Justin Jackson and Trystan Magnuson, along with the second round selection John Tolisano.

Jackson, 19, was selected 45th overall in the supplemental portion of the first round. Jackson, a shortstop, hails from Asheville, North Carolina and joined Ahrens last season in the GCL.

Magnuson, 22, will make his professional debut with the Lugnuts after being drafted 56th overall. He spent last season working out of the bullpen for the University of Louisville, where he went 3-3 with a 1.83 ERA. He also saved nine games as the Cardinals reached the College World Series.

Tolisano, 19, will join Ahrens and Jackson in the Lugnuts infield this summer. Tolisano was selected in the second round with the 85th overall pick. The second baseman posted a .246 batting average last season with the GCL Blue Jays and blasted a team high 10 homers.

This year's Opening Day roster also features nine players who have previously suited up for the Lugnuts. Those players include: infielders Raul Barron and Wes Stone, catchers Matt Liuzza and Jonathan Jaspe, and pitchers Chi-Hung Cheng, Edgar Estanga, Kyle Ginley, Brian Pettway, and Nate Starner. This will be Pettway's first season as a pitcher in professional baseball. He primarily played left field for Lansing in each of the last two seasons, slamming 29 homers over that span.

The Lugnuts will open the season on Thursday, April 3rd against the Fort Wayne Wizards in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After a four game series there, Lansing will return to Oldsmobile Park for the home opener on Monday, April 7th.

Tickets for all home games can be purchased at The Lansing Lugnuts or by calling (517) 485-4500.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:33 PM

Midwest League

Nine former Cedar Rapids Kernels will be in an Angels' uniform when 2008 season begins tomorrow night against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis, MN.

The announcement was made by Angels General Manager, Tony Reagins, on Saturday as the team broke Spring Training in Tempe, AZ.

The nine former Kernels are: pitchers Darren O'Day, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Rich Thompson; catchers Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli; and infielders Eric Aybar, Howie Kendrick and Casey Kotchman.

Two other former Kernels, pitchers John Lackey and Scot Shields, will begin the 2008 season on the 15-day disabled list.

The 2008 Cedar Rapids Kernels are scheduled to break minor league Spring Training today and are scheduled to arrive in Cedar Rapids tomorrow night at 6 pm.

The annual 'Meet the Kernels Night' is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1st starting at 5:00 pm as the Kernels will take on Kirkwood Community College in a scrimmage beginning at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12-under and includes an all-you-can-eat ballpark-style meal served until 8:00 pm. Live music, provided by Bad Habits, will be on the concourse from 8:00 until 10 pm with a cash bar available.

The Kernels open the 2008 MWL season on the road at Clinton on Thursday, April 3rd. The 2008 home opener is Monday, April 7th as the Kernels take on Quad City at noon. Tickets are available by calling the Kernels Ticket Office at (319) 896-7560 from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, or order tickets on-line at Cedar Rapids Kernels Professional Baseball.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:33 PM

Midwest League

The Beloit Snappers first official active roster has some familiar faces on it from last season's Midwest League Western Division Championship team. Eleven players from the 2007 squad have been assigned by the Minnesota Twins to return to the Snappers for the start of the '08 season. Beloit will also sport somewhat of a younger team, having twelve players from the 2007 draft.

Highly touted prospects Chris Parmelee (2006 1st rounder) and Joe Benson (2006 2nd rounder) will return to roam the outfield for the Snappers. Last season Parmelee led Beloit with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs while sporting a .414 slugging percentage. Benson, Baseball America's #2 rated prospect in the Twins' organization, was the team leader last year in hits (110), runs (73), walks (49), stolen bases (18) and triples (8).

Joining Parmelee and Benson from last year's team are right handed pitchers Brian Kirwan and Matt Williams, infielders Chris Cates, Garrett Olson, Ben Petsch, Deibinson Romero, Ramon Santana and Steve Singleton, and catcher Greg Yersich.

The Snappers will have no doubt, one of the tallest pitching staffs in the league with seven players reaching 6'5" or taller. The tallest pitcher is 7'1" Loek Van Mil from Oss, Noord-Brandt in the Netherlands. The seven-footer matched with 5'3" infielder Chris Cates will make for the largest height differential in professional baseball.

Beloit will also have a brand new manager for the '08 season. Nelson Prada will lead the charge for the Snappers after spending the last three seasons as the manager for the Gulf Coast League Twins. Last season, Prada led the GCL Twins to a 37-19 record, good enough for first place in their division.

Joining Prada as the other two members of the '08 coaching staff are pitching coach Gary Lucas and hitting coach Rudy Hernandez. Alan Rail will return to Beloit for his 4th season as the team's athletic trainer and Kazumasa Manabe will enter his first year as the team's new strength and conditioning coach.

Come out and meet the 2008 Snappers on "Meet the Team Night" this Tuesday! The annual team meet and greet will take place once again at Central Christian Church located at 2460 Milwaukee Road in Beloit. Doors will open at 6:00pm for the general public and stay open until 8:00pm.

Tickets prices for this event are $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children ages 5-14 and can be purchased through the Snappers either by phone or at the Snappers Administrative Office. Central Christian Church will be serving a menu of ballpark food. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the 2008 Snappers and also purchase new team apparel. Players, coaches and front office staff will be on hand to sign autographs and answer questions, and the Snappers beloved mascot Snappy will also be in attendance. During the night a silent auction of assorted baseball memorabilia will also be set up for fans to bid on.

The Snappers open up the 2008 season right here at Pohlman Field on Thursday, April 3rd. Beloit will take on the Kane County Cougars at 6:30 pm with gates opening at 5:30 pm. Purchase your tickets today by phone at 608-362-2272, online at The Official Website of the Beloit Snappers, or stop by Pohlman Field located at 2301 Skyline Drive in Beloit.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:35 PM

Midwest League

After six months of planning, organizing, and preparing, the return of the Quad Cities River Bandits became reality on Sunday as the team, in conjunction with the St. Louis Cardinals, revealed the players that will forever be etched in stone as the Opening Day roster representing a new era of baseball in the Quad Cities.

"Everybody's just about ready to go and looking forward to coming up north," said River Bandits manager Steve Dillard. "They've all heard about the fans and the stadium and everybody's excited about getting it going."

"We're excited about the potential of this year's Quad Cities club," added John Vuch, the Cardinals' Director of Minor League Operations. "There's a lot of quality young talent on this year's team, and it looks like this year's River Bandits will feature a well-balanced blend of offense, pitching and defense. We're optimistic about our chances of continuing our streak of postseason teams in Quad Cities."

The initial River Bandits roster is loaded with young talent and high-ceiling prospects, headed by the Cardinals' first-round pick in the 2007 draft, 19-year-old shortstop Pete Kozma. The Oklahoma native hit .491 during his high school career, registering a school-record .553 average as a Junior and leading Owasso High School to a state championship as a Senior. In his final season he was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma, while receiving national honors as the Rawlings High School Gold Glove shortstop and a second-team Louisville Slugger High School All-American on his way to becoming the 18th overall pick in the draft and the No. 7 prospect in the Cardinals organization according to Baseball America.

Kozma is one of five teenagers on the River Bandits roster. Fellow 19-year-old Beau Riportella, a 10th-round pick in last year's draft, was one of the true stars for the Cardinals' short-season affiliate in Johnson City. He hit .315 with 10 stolen bases during his 48-game professional debut with the Johnson City Cardinals last season. The River Bandits will also have a pair of 18-year-olds on the roster in third baseman Domnit Bolivar, who split the 2007 season between Johnson City and Batavia, and catcher Luis De La Cruz, who hit .281 in the Gulf Coast League last year.

Utilizing the tandem starter system for the second consecutive season, there will be a number of power arms in the Quad Cities rotation. Fifth-round pick Thomas Eager is the most high profile of the bunch, drawing comparisons by Baseball America to former Cincinnati Reds' closer and member of the "Nasty Boys," Rob Dibble.

The starting rotation will include a pair of returning players in 20-year-olds Blake King and Shaun Garceau. King, the great-nephew of Mickey Mantle, is considered by Baseball America to be the No. 26 prospect in the Cardinals organization. He is a flame-throwing right-hander who enters this season with 201 strikeouts over 173 professional innings. Garceau, who spent the entire season in the Midwest League in 2007, showed flashes of brilliance in striking out nearly a batter per inning, including a spectacular win on June 2 in which he struck out nine over four innings against Wisconsin.

"The competition in our spring training camp between players hoping to make this year's Quad Cities team was fierce, and those who ended up making this team were the ones who most showed that they deserved to be there," said Vuch. "The best thing about that type of competition is that we know there is a lot of insurance remaining in Extended Spring Training to help fill any gaps caused by promotion and/or injuries to the current Quad Cities players."

"This is a moment we have been waiting for all off-season," said team owner Dave Heller. "Our vision of the return of the River Bandits is less than one week away, and our great partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals has provided us with a young, talented group of players that will call the Quad Cities their home in 2008. The Quad Cities team has reached the playoffs each of the past three years, and this may be the best team of all. I know our players will be working hard towards their ultimate goal of reaching the major leagues, just as Rick Ankiel, Colby Rasmus, and Joe Mather have done over the last few years."

In addition to King and Garceau, infielder Jose Garcia is the lone other returning player from Quad Cities' 2007 squad. The 20-year-old Venezuelan shot through three different levels in the Cardinals organization during a productive 2007 campaign, even pitching the final inning for Quad Cities in a 16-inning loss against Lansing on July 23.

The Quad Cities River Bandits roster currently stands at 25 active players, the maximum allowed by the Midwest League. An updated roster without numbers accompanies this release.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:37 PM

Florida State League

FORT MYERS, FL - The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have optioned left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano to Single-A Ft. Myers. Liriano is scheduled to start for the Miracle in their 7:05 p.m. home opener Thursday at Hammond Stadium.

The 6-foot-2, 225 pound left-hander will be wearing a Miracle jersey for the second time. He started 21 games for Fort Myers in the 2004 season, compiling a 6-7 record with a 4.00 ERA. Liriano struck out 125 batters in 117 innings.

In five starts for the Twins this spring, Liriano was 2-2, 4.02 ERA (15.2 ip, 7 er), allowing 14 hits with nine walks and 15 strikeouts. The San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native is just 16 months removed from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow. He is expected to make one start with the Miracle and then join Triple-A Rochester five days later for a start in Norfolk, VA. After that start, he's expected to rejoin the Twins.

Tickets are available for purchase in person at Hammond Stadium or by phone between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Fans also may purchase tickets on-line at Miracle Baseball. The Miracle's on-line ticket system will allow fans to be able to select their exact seat location for each game and print tickets at home.

**truebluefan** · 03-30-2008, 07:39 PM

Carolina League

Wilmington, DE - The Wilmington Blue Rocks, Advanced Class-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, have scheduled a host of events in order to honor the memory of late team president and managing partner Matt Minker prior to the team's 7:05 p.m. season opener on April 4. At the forefront, the Blue Rocks will unveil a Matt Minker memorial that will be a permanent fixture at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. Additionally, the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Matt Minker lapel pin bearing the same design as the patch that will be featured on all Blue Rocks game jerseys in 2008.

Minker passed away on November 10, 2007 after a five-year battle with cancer. His construction company literally built Frawley Stadium in less than five months in time for the team's first game on April 17, 1993.

Deputy Mayor William S. Montgomery will be on hand for the ceremonial evening as the City of Wilmington has planned a special presentation and will unveil a lasting tribute to Minker's legacy. A recorded message from Mayor James M. Baker, who will be absent due to travel conflict, will be shown during the ceremony, as well.

The State of Delaware will also make a presentation prior to the game, as Governor Ruth Ann Minner is scheduled to be in attendance. Likewise, the Delaware Stadium Corporation, which owns and operates Frawley Stadium, is slated to present.

In addition, the Blue Rocks will officially announce the creation of the annual Matt Minker Award, which was recently put forth by the Royals organization. The award will be bestowed upon the minor league employee who most exemplifies the qualities for which the former visionary was known.

Tickets for the home opener versus Myrtle Beach are still available and can be purchased by calling the Blue Rocks ticket office at 302-888-BLUE or visiting Wilmington Blue Rocks Official Site.

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