Results tagged ‘ Brandon Kintzler ’
Kintzler, Faris talk Fall League
John Steinmiller is still hard at work in Arizona, filing updates to the Brewers’ front office MLBlog John & Cait… Plus Nine. Follow the links for more, but here are some highlights from Thursday that you may have missed while the Brewers were introducing Ron Roenicke at Miller Park.
Reliever Brandon Kintzler is still riding high at the end of a dream season. The former Independent Leaguer made his big league debut in September and is continuing to log innings in the AFL.
“This year has been a dream,” Kintzler said. “I set goals for myself and after I had surgery in 2006, I set a goal to be in the Fall League in 2007. I know it’s three years later that I am here, but it really has been a great year for me professionally. The fact that I was in the Big Leagues this year and I’m on the 40-man is great. I’m in a good position for next year and being here in the Fall League is really helping continue to develop.”
He credited pitching coach Rick Peterson for some mechanical adjustments that improved his velocity in September, and is working on another tweak this fall. Click over to John’s blog to read about it.
There’s also the story of infielder Eric Faris, one of the players using the Fall League to make up for time lost to injury. He missed three months of 2010 after a collision at home plate.
“Eric had a frustrating regular season,” said Mike Guerrero, the Surprise Rafters manager. ”For him to make that jump was great and then to have that injury was a blow to the work he put in to move up in the organization. Luckily he is here, healthy and performing.”
Guerrero’s presence in the clubhouse has helped Farris adapt to the Fall League.
“Mike makes things comfortable for me,” Farris said. ”I played for him a couple of seasons ago. He knows me and I know him which is great. He really pushes us to make the most out of this experience here. It has been a good thing having him here for me and the other Brewers guys on the team.”
Keep checking John’s and Cait’s blog for more updates from the AFL this week. It sounds like John is cooking up an interesting piece about Tony Diggs, one of the unheralded members of the Brewers’ player development operation.
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Rogers made sure to enjoy his debut
Before Mark Rogers throw his first official pitch in the Major Leagues, he stepped off the Miller Park mound and had a look around.
“It was fun. More than anything, it felt good to be out there,” Rogers said. “I had to step back from the mound and, for a second, take it all in. Then I got back up there to do my job. I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have a good time tonight.”
Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning in the Brewers’ 4-0 loss to the Cubs on Friday and made Chicago first baseman Micah Hoffpauir his first strikeout victim. He was added to the Brewers’ active roster earlier in the day.
Brandon Kintzler also made his big league-debut on Friday with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Both young right-handers will get a chance to make an impression for 2011 over this season’s final three-plus weeks.
For more on Rogers, check out my story over at the main site.
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Cruz, Kintzler coming to Milwaukee
The Brewers will recall infielder Luis Cruz from Triple-A Nashville and will purchase right-hander Brandon Kintzler’s contract from Nashville in time for Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals, the club announced Monday evening.
Cruz was already on the 40-man roster and is coming off a solid year in Triple-A, where he batted .281 with 10 home runs and 68 RBIs. The Brewers claimed him off waivers from the Pirates last December.
Kintzler is an intriguing 26-year-old who was plucked out of the independent leagues last summer and posted a 1.47 ERA in 42 relief outings this season between Double-A Huntsville and Nashville. He’s ticketed for the Arizona Fall League after his stint with the Brewers.
With Kintzler’s addition, the Brewers have 39 players on the 40-man roster.
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Lawrie, Jeffress headline AFL picks
Blue-chip prospects Brett Lawrie and Jeremy Jeffress headline the list of Milwaukee farmhands picked for the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Rosters were unveiled Monday afternoon.
Lawrie will be joined on the Surprise Rafters by outfielder Logan Schafer, who will try to make up for time lost to a groin injury, infielder Eric Farris and right-handed pitchers Michael Fiers, Jeffress, Brandon Kintzler and Mike McClendon, who is currently pitching out of the Brewers’ big-league bullpen.
Left-handers Lucas Luetge and Dan Merklinger were named to the taxi squad.
Double-A Huntsville manager Mike Guerrero will manage the Rafters, a team made up of prospects from the Brewers, Tigers, Royals, Cardinals and Rangers. Play begins Oct. 12.
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Adam McCalvy
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