Sent P Scott Maine to Visalia from extended spring training. Maine, a 2007 6th-rounder out of Miami, has battled through TJ surgery and a serious facial injury suffered in an automobile accident, both of which occurred before he even left the Hurricanes.

Colorado:

DL’d P Sean Smith and activated P Franklin Morales at Colorado Springs. Sean Smith - not to be confused with Seth Smith, the postseason hero of 2007 - was acquired from the Indians as the PTBNL for Jamey Carroll. Morales has been fighting his command all year - the reason he was sent down in the first place - but was activated in time to lead off a four-pitcher no-hitter on Sunday, in Colorado Springs of all places. It wasn’t artistic, though - he walked six and fanned 3 in five innings while allowing a run.

DL’d INF Eric Young Jr. (broken wrist) at Tulsa, and promoted INF Tony Blanco from Modesto to replace him. Blanco was a former Rule 5 pick by the Expos, one of a number of players whose development was very likely slowed by the time spent on the major league roster. INF Corey Wimberly has been moved back to 2B by the Drillers, with Blanco sharing time at 3B.
LA Dodgers:

Sent OF Scott Van Slyke and P Justin Miller from Great Lakes to extended spring training. Van Slyke, who had spent the entire 2007 season with the Loons, hit just .148/.280/.213 there so far in 2008 and was overmatched by RHP (3/39). Miller, drafted in the 6th round in 2007, had decent overall numbers but has been pounded in his last two starts.

San Diego:

Promoted P Edwin Moreno from San Antonio to Portland. Moreno, who was originally signed by the Rangers out of Venezuela in 1998, and who was signed by the Padres out of the Mexican League last year, was the closer for the Missions, and was moved up when the Pads made some wholesale changes on their major league roster.

DL’d P Robert Woodard at Fort Wayne. Woodard, a 20th-rounder in 2007 who was the #1 starter for North Carolina a year ago, has been just so-so for the Wizards, working in a tandem rotation setup.

San Francisco:

Promoted INF Travis Denker from Connecticut to Fresno. Denker, a former Dodger farmhand who was a stathead favorite early in his career but never got beyond high-A in LA’s organization, came over to the Giants late in 2007, and while he wasn’t hitting much in the EL, he was moved up when the Giants did some roster shuffling after Manny Burriss was recalled.

DL’d OF Tyler Graham (strained oblique) at San Jose.  Graham is leading the Cal League in steals with 19 (in 21 attempts). He’s definitely a top-of-the-order hitter, with little power, and he was showing some signs of improved strike zone control, drawing 10 walks in his first 88 PAs after drawing just 20 a year ago in 258 PAs in Augusta.

Demoted C/1B/OF Jake Fox and P Mark Holliman from Iowa to Tennessee. Fox was squeezed out of playing time when Micah Hoffpauir was activated from the DL by the ICubs. Holliman was part of a mass shuffle that occurred when Rich Hill was sent down; he’s a finesse guy who survives by changing speeds and keeping the ball down, which is tough to do in the PCL.

DL’d Ps Edward Campusano (biceps) and Jesse Estrada at Tennessee. Estrada took a line drive in the head a week ago. Ps Grant Johnson and Michael Cooper were activated from the DL.

Sent P Billy Petrick to Daytona from extended spring training. Petrick has been held back due to shoulder problems; he will probably pitch for Daytona for a couple of weeks and then head for AAA.

Peoria manager Ryne Sandberg was suspended for three games by the Midwest League after a bench-clearing incident in a game against Clinton, in which Sandberg confronted Clinton manager Mike Micucci about a sacrifice bunt attempt that Micucci ordered with his team holding a 6-0 lead. 3B Josh Vitters was sent back to extended spring training; he’s been nursing a hand injury.

Cincinnati:

Released P Scott Sauerbeck from Louisville. Sauerbeck made just 4 appearances with the Bats, allowed 4 runs and 6 hits with 4 walks and 5 Ks in 4 IP.

Promoted SS Chris Valaika from Sarasota to Chattanooga. Valaika, a 2006 3rd-rounder, hit .363/.393/.585 in the FSL before his promotion.

Promoted SS Todd Frazier from Dayton to Sarasota. Frazier, a supplemental first-rounder in 2007 out of Rutgers, was a man among boys in the Midwest League, hitting .321/.402/.598 for the Dragons. He’s hit everywhere he’s played during his (brief) minor league career; if he can survive the FSL and stay on SS, he should be on the fast track to AA by the end of the year even though Valaika is ahead of him on the organizational depth chart at the moment.

Houston:

Promoted INF Richard Paz and P Kyle Middleton from Corpus Christi to Round Rock. Paz, who is still only 30 and was an OBP machine in the Orioles’ organization in the late ‘90s (career OBP of .402), has been playing in indy ball the last two years before the Astros picked him up in the spring. He hasn’t changed much - he hit .386/.516/.457 in the Texas League and is at .214/.353/.321 since coming to the Express. Middleton, a 49th-round pick of the Royals in 1999, was a starter in KC’s organization but couldn’t get by AA; the Astros converted him to a closer after picked him up as a minor league free agent a year ago, and he saved 23 games for the Hooks in 2007.

Released OF Victor Diaz from Round Rock. The former Dodger, Met, and Ranger hit .296/.398/.366 for the Express; he was subsequently signed by Seattle and assigned to Tacoma.

Milwaukee:

DL’d P Josh Wahpepah at Brevard County. Wahpepah is spending his third consecutive season at Brevard County despite being a FSL All-Star in each of his first two years there; he has pretty average stuff and has gradually been shifted from being a rotation mainstay toward being a utility pitcher.

Pittsburgh:

Sent P Josh Shortslef to Altoona from extended spring training. Shortslef, a 6th rounder in 2000, has been battling shoulder problems.

DL’d P Pat Bresnehan (arm fatigue) at Altoona. Bresnehan, a 2006 5th rounder out of Arizona State, spent most of 2007 pitching in relief at Lynchburg, and was filling a similar role for the Curve in 2007.

Sent OF Jamie Romak to Lynchburg from extended spring training. Romak, acquired from the Braves in the Adam LaRoche trade, had been sidelined by an elbow injury.

St. Louis:

DL’d OF Amaury Marti at Memphis. Marti, a Cuban defector who was drafted in the 18th round by the Cardinals in 2006, split 2007 between the Cards’ AA affiliate in Springfield and the Petroleros de Minatitlan of the Mexican League, hitting well in both places; he is 33, however, and isn’t likely to have much of a major league career.

Promoted Ps Jaime Garcia and TJ Walters from Springfield to Memphis. Garcia, picked in the 22nd round in 2005, has been on the fast track for a while, but he was slowed by an injury a year ago that limited him to 103 innings with Springfield. He started out strong this year and pitched well in his first AAA start. Walters, a 2006 11th round pick from South Alabama, pitched very well at three levels a year ago, and followed that up with six solid starts at Springfield before his promotion.

Promoted OF Drew Toussaint from Rancho Cucamonga to Arkansas. Toussaint finally gets a shot at AA after spending two-plus season with the Quakes. He’s been around since 2004, and his debut season in the Pioneer League is still his best; he simply doesn’t make enough contact.

Placed P AJ Ford on the Rancho Cucamonga roster. Ford was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Angels last year and pitched well in the AZL. He’s from Butte, Montana; Scott Brow is the only major league player to hail from Butte. The Quakes also activated P Bobby Cassevah, who had been placed on the DL with “exertional headaches”.

DL’d P Milan Dinga (rotator cuff strain), and activated P Jordan Towns at Cedar Rapids. Both are 2007 draftees (Dinga 10th, Towns 25th).

Oakland:

Activated OF Carlos Gonzalez at Sacramento. CarGo had been on the DL with a right ankle sprain.

Added OF Aaron Cunningham to Midland’s roster. Cunningham had been in extended spring rehabbing a broken wrist. Former Marlins’ pitching prospect Scott Tyler was released by the A’s; Tyler has been battling Steve Blass disease for the past year and was hammered in nine outings for the RockHounds. He was replaced at Midland by another former Marlin minor leaguer, P Jesus Silva.

Activated INF Matt Ray from Kane County’s DL (shoulder). Ray was an 18th-rounder a year ago, who had been doing a decent job getting on base for the Cougars (he had a 14-game on base streak when he got hurt).

Seattle:

Released P Eric Cyr from Tacoma. The pride of Canada’s Olympic starting rotation was 1-0, 6.75 in seven games for the Rainiers. Promoted 1B/OF Shawn Garrett and P Chris Jakubauskas to the Rainiers from West Tenn. Garrett’s a minor league veteran who is a classic not-enough-power-for-the-corners, not-enough-glove-for-anything-else. Jakubauskas, an indy leaguer signed by the Mariners last year, had an 0.83 ERA in six AA starts before his promotion.

Texas:

OF/DH Jason Botts has cleared waivers and reported to Oklahoma. INF-turned-P Warner Madrigal has been promoted to the RedHawks from Frisco, where he was 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA and 10 saves as the RoughRiders’ closer.

P John Bannister was demoted from Frisco to Bakersfield, while P Andrew Laughter went the other way. Bannister had trouble throwing strikes at AA (17 walks in 12 2/3 IP). Laughter didn’t allow an earned run in 16 1/3 innings for the Blaze - quite a feat in the Cal League.

No transactions of interest.

Cleveland:

Promoted 1B Michael Aubrey from Akron to Buffalo, and added OF Bronson Sardinha to the Buffalo roster. Aubrey, drafted 11th overall in 2003, has battled back problems for years. When healthy, he’s hit pretty well, albeit without a lot of power; he’s just never been healthy, Sardinha was released by Seattle despite hitting .323/.371/.419 for their AAA affiliate, and signed on with the Tribe. A 2001 #1 draft pick, he left the Yankee organization after the 2007 season.

Activated 1B Stephen Head from the DL at Akron. Head’s not unlike Aubrey, in terms of his skill set, and when Aubrey was promoted he replaced him on the Aeros’ roster.

Detroit:

Promoted OF Freddy Guzman from Erie to Toledo. Guzman, who the Tigers acquired for Chris Shelton, has been around, to say the least; it’s a sign of how bereft the Tigers are in terms of real prospects that Guzman was ranked #15 by BA.

DL’d C Jordan Newton at West Michigan. Newton, a 2006 6th-rounder out of Western Kentucky, was off to a blazing start for the Whitecaps, hitting .356/.372/.575 with six doubles and five triples (no mean feat for anyone, especially a catcher).

Kansas City:

Promoted P Roman Colon, the former Braves’ prospect, and P Devon Lowery from Northwest Arkansas to Omaha. Colon has been around since 1995, and Dayton Moore picked him up in a minor deal with the Tigers last year for P Danny Christensen. Lowery has also been around forever, and this is his first stop in AAA.

Activated INF Jeff Bianchi from the DL at Wilmington. The 2005 2nd-round pick has yet to play a full, healthy season in pro ball. In 2007, he didn’t report to Burlington until a month into the season, then managed to play in just 99 games. Highly touted out of HS, but who knows what’s left?

Minnesota:

Promoted 3B Toby Gardenhire from Ft. Myers to New Britain. Yes, that’s Ron’s kid. He’s never hit much before this year, but he got off to a good start with the Miracle and is 5-11 with a double and walk in three game with the Rock Cats so far.

International League (AAA):

Indianapolis at Toledo (1-game playoff for West title): Britt Reames (4-2, 2.80) vs Colby Lewis (6-7, 3.96)

Texas League (AA):

Wichita at Tulsa: Zack Greinke (8-3, 4.34) vs Emmanuel Ulloa (7-6, 3.91)
Midland at Corpus Christi: Brad Knox (12-5, 3.67) vs Chance Douglass (7-8, 3.52)

Florida State League (A):

Dunedin at Ft. Myers: Eric Fowler (8-11, 3.74) vs Kyle Waldrop (3-2, 3.57)
St. Lucie at Palm Beach: Jose Sanchez (11-9, 3.87) vs Jaime Garcia (5-4, 3.84)

Other postseason info with races still in progress:

New York-Penn: Tri-City (Stedler) and Auburn (Pinckney) have clinched division titles. Staten Island (McNamara) has clinched a postseason spot, and will win the division title with a victory or a loss by Aberdeen. Aberdeen will clinch a postseason spot with a win and a loss by Brooklyn. Mahoning Valley will be eliminated if they lose or Aberdeen wins.

Pioneer: Orem has clinched the second-half title in the South division (they also won the first half). Billings will take the second-half title in the North (they also won the first half) with one more victory or a loss by Missoula, who plays the Mustangs tonight. The Osprey and the Idaho Falls Chukars (South) have wrapped up the second postseason slots in each division.

The GCL Dodgers defeated the GCL Tigers 4-2 to advance to the league championship series against the GCL Red Sox. 3B Brian Mathews, a 45th-rounder a year ago out of Newton County HS in Covington, GA, delivered a two-run HR in the 10th inning to send the Baby Dodgers into the LCS.

With a week and a half to go in the regular season, the postseason picture in the AAA and AA leagues set up this way.

International:

Charlotte is in from the IL South. Everyone else is out.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leads Rochester by a game in the IL North. Both teams have 13 games remaining, including the final two of the season against each other at Frontier Field. Buffalo and Ottawa are six back, but have enough games left with the leaders where it’s possible that one or the other could make a charge. The second-place team in this division, barring a collapse, is likely to be the wild card; Rochester is currently four games ahead of Toledo for that spot.

Indianapolis leads Toledo by two games, Louisville by 3 in the IL West. The Indians play their next nine games in the road, starting with a pair in Toledo, before closing with a home-and-home set against Louisville. The Mud Hens have five at home against Indy and the Bats, followed by a six-game, three-city road trip to Durham, Charlotte, and Columbus, then close with the Clippers in a pair at Fifth Third Field. The Bats are off on an 11-game road trip to five cities (second stop Toledo, last stop Indianapolis) before the final two-gamer with the Indians at Louisville Slugger Field. This one will likely go down to the final series.

Pacific Coast:

Round Rock (magic number 4) is just about assured of a postseason berth from the American South division. The Express leads Oklahoma by 10 games and New Orleans by 10 1/2 with 13 games remaining, and has its next nine games at home before a final road trip to Nashville.

Nashville leads Iowa by four games in the American North. The Sounds go to Memphis for five games and Albuquerque for four before entertaining Round Rock at Greer Stadium to close the schedule. The ICubs have New Orleans at home, then close at Oklahoma and Omaha. If Iowa can hang on until the final series, the schedule favors them, with Omaha having the worst record in the PCL and the Express the second-best, but Nashville has the easier row to hoe up to that point.

Tucson, despite the best record in the PCL at 79-51, hasn’t quite been able to shake Sacramento in the Pacific South. The River Cats, despite shuttling pitchers back and forth between Sacramento and Oakland a couple of times a week, have managed to hang in, just 5 1/2 games behind the Sidewinders, with a big four-game series in Raley Field between the top two next week. Tucson has a six-game, five-day series with Tacoma at home on tap before that trip, while the River Cats visit Fresno for five. The Sidewinders close with four at Tacoma, and Sacramento with four at Colorado Springs.

Salt Lake leads Tacoma by five games in the Pacific North. The Bees have five at home with Colorado Springs, a big four-game set at the Rainiers, and close with five in four days at home against Portland. Tacoma sandwiches its big series with Salt Lake between two with Tucson - definitely not a simple task for the Rainiers.

Eastern:

The top two teams from each division qualify for the postseason.

Trenton leads Portland by 5 1/2 and Binghamton by 7 1/2 games in the Northern Division. The Thunder has a tough road trip coming up following tonight’s game with Erie, going to Akron (the Southern Division leader) for five games in four days, followed by a four-game set in Erie. Trenton closes with four at home against Reading. Portland plays the BMets at home tonight, goes on the road for eight against New Britain and Binghamton, then closes at home with New Hampshire. Binghamton, which has seen its pitching staff decimated by callups and moves to Olympic teams in recent days, goes home to play Erie for five and the Sea Dogs for four, then travels to Connecticut to close the schedule.

Akron and Altoona are almost certain to be the Southern Division representatives. The Aeros lead the Curve by 6 1/2 games for the top spot, and it’s a further 5 1/2 games back to Reading, in third. Akron has a road contest in Portland tonight, returns home for a set with Trenton, then finishes on the road at Altoona and Erie. The Curve closes a home series with Bowie tonight, goes to Harrisburg for four, then returns home to Blair County Stadium to face the Aeros and Baysox.

Southern:

Split seasons in both divisions. Chattanooga (North) and Jacksonville (South) are in, and both are still in the second-half chase as well. It’s a four-team race for the North Division second half title, with Huntsville currently ahead of Tennessee by a half-game, with Chattanooga 2 1/2 behind and West Tenn 3 1/2 in arrears, and all teams having 12 games remaining.Huntsville has two at West Tenn, five at home with Mississippi, then five at Birmingham. Tennessee has two at Carolina, five at Jacksonville, and five at home with Mobile. The Lookouts play a pair at Birmingham, come home for five with the Mudcats, then go to West Tenn for five to close the schedule. The Diamond Jaxx play a pair with the Stars at Pringles Park, five at Mobile, and finish at home with Chattanooga. If the Lookouts take the second half as well, West Tenn will be the second playoff team based on overall record.

In the South, Montgomery leads Jacksonville by a game, with Mobile four out. The Biscuits have won three in a row from the Suns to take the lead, and play two more games in Jacksonville, then come home for five with Birmingham before finishing up with five at Mississippi. Following the conclusion of their series with Montgomery, the Suns welcome the Smokies for five before traveling to Five County Stadium to close the schedule with Carolina. If Jacksonville should win the second half, Montgomery will be the second team from the division.

Texas:

Also split seasons in both divisions. Tulsa (North) and Corpus Christi (South) are in. In the second half, Wichita leads the Drillers by 6 1/2 games with 12 left, including a season-closing five game set at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium with Tulsa. The Wranglers will have the second-best overall record in the division even if the Drillers overtake them, so the two teams will likely meet again with a divisional title at stake.

In the South, on the other hand, the situation is fluid. Midland holds a scant 1/2 game edge over Frisco, with the first-half champ Hooks a game and a half back and last-place San Antonio 4 1/2 games out. Midland has three at San Antonio, then finishes at home, playing the Hooks for four and the RoughRiders for five. The Hounds also lead Frisco by just a half-game for the wildcard spot, should Corpus Christi take the second-half title. Frisco has three at Corpus Christi, four with San Antonio at home, then five at Midland. Corpus Christi has three with the RoughRiders at home, four at Midland, and five at San Antonio.

AFL News

The AFL rosters have been announced - well, portions of them, anyway. Some of the announced participants:

Luke Hochevar will be pitching for Grand Canyon, which will also have Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki, Baltimore’s Jeff Fiorentino and Nolan Reimold, and Pittsburgh’s Neil Walker and Brad Eldred.

Mesa will have Houston’s Matt Albers, Minnesota’s Adam Harben and Kevin Slowey, and the Mets’ Phil Humber on the mound, the Cubs’ Eric Patterson in the infield, and the tandem of Fernando Martinez (Mets) and Hunter Pence (Astros) in the outfield.

Boston is sending Jacoby Ellsbury and David Pauley to the Javelinas. The Indians are sending Michael Aubrey (back permitting), the Braves Anthony Lerew, Joey Devine, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Yunel Escobar (I’d be tempted to sit Salty if I were the Braves, given how much he’s going to have played this year already), the Mariners Michael Garciaparra, and the Marlins Gaby Sanchez.

The Saguaros will have a mound staff that includes Philadelphia’s Gio Gonzalez, Kyle Kendrick, and Zach Segovia, Sean Henn and J. Brent Cox of the Yankees (and Darrell Rasner, interestingly enough), and the Cardinals’ Eric Haberer and Stu Pomeranz. Colt Morton of the Padres will be one of the backstops, and Amaury Marti and Nick Stavinoha of the Cardinals will be in the outfield. No Jose Tabata sighting, unfortunately.

Tha A’s have assigned Dallas Braden to Phoenix, along with C Landon Powell, INF Kevin Melillo, and OF Travis Buck. Other notables on the mound include Tampa’s Jeff Niemann and Detroit’s Jair Jurrjens and Jordan Tata. The hitters include Kody Kirkland and Brent Clevlen of Detroit and Tampa’s Wes Bankston and Ben Zobrist.

Scottsdale has mound prospects Lance Broadway and Adam Russell of the White Sox and Steve Bray, Manny Parra and Dennis Sarfate of Milwaukee. The Diamondbacks, who stock this team, haven’t sent any of their better young arms to the AFL this year, but have sent Jamie D’Antona as a catcher and Mark Reynolds as an infielder. Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun and Jerry Owens of the White Sox are other highly rated prospects on the Scorpions.

The AFL starts October 10.

Tucson (PCL): Sent INF Alberto Callaspo and Ps Jeff Bajenaru, Mike Koplove, and Dustin Nippert to Diamondbacks. Added Nippert and OF Scott Hairston from Diamondbacks, P Jonathan Castellanos from Tennessee. Sent Castellanos to Tennessee.
Yakima (NWL): Added C Houston Summers and P Jorge Perez from Missoula. Released INF Lester Contreras, OF Connor Janes, and C Tito Cruz.

Colorado:

Colorado Springs (PCL): Sent C Danny Ardoin and INF Omar Quintanilla to Rockies (recall from ML rehab), P Scott Dohmann to Royals (trade), OF Matt Miller to Tulsa. Added Quintanilla (optioned after end of rehab assignment) and C J.D. Closser from Rockies, P Denny Bautista from Omaha (trade w/ Royals). Activated P Jaime Cerda from the DL. DL’d C Dan Conway, INF Jayson Nix and P Mike Venafro.
Tulsa (TL): Added INF Jeff Dragicevich from Modesto.
Asheville (SAL): Added P Pedro Strop from Casper. Sent P Chad Bailey to Tri-City (NWL).
Casper (Pio): Sent P Sandy Nin to Colorado Springs (recall from minor league rehab, remains on DL).

Los Angeles:

Las Vegas (PCL): Sent INF/OF Joel Guzman to Durham (trade w/ Devil Rays). Added INF Sergio Garcia and OF Nick Alvarez from Jacksonville.
Jacksonville (SL): Added INFs Cole Bruce and Blake DeWitt and P Jonathan Meloan from Vero Beach.
Vero Beach (FSL): Added INF Russ Mitchell and P Marlon Arias from Columbus (SAL). Sent OF Sergio Pedroza to Visalia (trade w/ Devil Rays).
Columbus (SAL): Added P Doug Brooks and INF Eduardo Perez from Ogden, P Dave Preziosi from GCL Dodgers. DL’d P Nate Hochgesang.
Ogden (Pio): Added P Greg Acheatel (FA, Pierce College, former U of California), P Javy Guerra from GCL Dodgers (recall from minor league rehab).

San Diego:

Portland (PCL): Sent OF Ben Johnson and P Mike Thompson to Padres (recall from ML rehab). Added OF Terrmel Sledge from Padres.
Mobile (SL): Added P Ryan Klatt from Lake Elsinore. DL’d P Jim Bullard.
Lake Elsinore (Cal): Added OF Ryan Klesko from Padres on ML rehab, P Vern Sterry from AZL Padres.
Fort Wayne (MWL): Sent OF Michael Campbell to Eugene.
Eugene (NWL): Sent OF Garner Wetzel and P Nick Tucci to AZL Padres.

San Francisco:

San Jose (Cal): Added C Yamid Haad (minor league rehab, transferred from Salem-Keizer) and P Alfredo Simon from Fresno, P Tim Lincecum from Salem-Keizer. DL’d OF Michael Wagner and P Nate Pendley.
Augusta (SAL): Added C Greg McCarthy from AZL Giants.

Iowa (PCL): Sent P David Aardsma to Cubs, P Carmen Pignatiello to West Tenn. Added P Adalberto Mendez from Daytona.
West Tenn (SL): Sent P Juan Mateo to Cubs.
Daytona (FSL): Activated INF Nate Spears and P Michael Phelps from the DL. DL’d OF Sam Fuld.
Peoria (MWL): Added P Wade Miller from Cubs on ML rehab. Sent P Roberto Sotolongo to Boise.
Boise (NWL): Added C Adam Hackstedt from AZL Cubs.

Cincinnati:

Louisville (IL): Added P Matt Belisle from Reds on ML rehab, P Brian Shackelford and OF Dewayne Wise (cleared waivers, outrighted) from Reds, C/INF Ryan Hanigan from Chattanooga. Activated OF Andy Abad from the DL. Sent P Brandon Claussen to Reds (recall from minor league rehab, remains on DL), Ps Carlos Alvarado and Chad Bentz and INF Jeff Bannon to Chattanooga. DL’d P Tom Shearn and C Dane Sardinha.
Sarasota (FSL): Added P Robert Manuel from Dayton, P Luis Montano from GCL Reds. DL’d Ps Jan Granado and Jim Paduch.
Dayton (MWL): Added P Sean Watson from Billings. Sent P Zach Ward to Beloit (trade w/ Twins). Activated P Logan Ondrusek from the DL. DL’d INF Brad Key.
Billings (Pio): Added P Adam Pointer from GCL Reds. Released P Wes Smiley.

Houston:

Round Rock (PCL): Sent P Fernando Nieve to Astros. Added Ps Matt Albers, Taylor Buchholz, and Chris Sampson and INF Eric Bruntlett from Astros, C J.R. House from Corpus Christi. Sent P Carlos Hernandez to Corpus Christi. Released P Chris Baker.
Corpus Christi (TL): Signed OF Tike Redman and C Brian Peterson (released by Tigers) as minor league FAs. DL’d INF Derek Nicholson.

Milwaukee:

Nashville (PCL): Added INF Andrew Beattie from Sacramento (released by Athletics), INF Milko Jaramillo from Hunstville. Sent Jaramillo to Brevard County. DL’d P Mike Meyers.
Huntsville (SL): Added P Jose Capellan from Brewers on ML rehab, P Manny Parra from Brevard County. DL’d P Khalid Ballouli.
Brevard County (FSL): Added P Brandon Harmsen (minor league FA), 1B Ned Yost IV from West Virginia. DL’d OF Hasan Rasheed and INF Steven Sollmann.

Pittsburgh:

Indianapolis (IL): Sent OF Chris Duffy and P Josh Sharpless to Pirates. Added P Jesse Chavez from Oklahoma (trade w/ Rangers), Ps Ron Chiavacci and Shane Youman from Altoona, P Nerio Rodriguez from Lynchburg. Activated INF Gookie Dawkins from the DL. DL’d OF Rich Thompson and P Matt Whiteside.
Altoona (EL): Added Ps Dave Davidson and Romulo Sanchez from Lynchburg, P Brian Rogers from Erie (trade w/ Tigers). Sent P Jason Roach to Lynchburg, P JOsh Shortslef to GCL Pirates (minor league rehab). DL’d Ps Rafael Alvarez and Franklin Perez. Activated Alvarez and OF Ray Sadler from the DL.
Lynchburg (Car): Added P Ian Heisel from Williamsport. Activated P Ramon Linares from the DL. DL’d P Greg Martin.
Hickory (SAL): Added P Jacob Cuffman from Williamsport. Activated P Blair Johnson from the DL. Sent INF Euvi Solano to GCP Pirates. DL’d P Joe Bauserman.
Williamsport (NY-P): Added C Matt Clarkson, INF David Munoz, and Ps Eric Krebs and Sergio Silva from GCL Pirates. Sent C A.J. Johnson to GCL Pirates. DL’d P Brad Clapp. Released 1B John Peabody, OF Joe Hicks, and P Anthony Pluta.

St. Louis:

Memphis (PCL): Added P Josh Kinney from Cardinals, 1B Jorge Toca from Tabasco (Mexican League). Released OF Jason Conti and P Orber Moreno. Activated P Chris Narveson from the DL.
Springfield (TL): Activated OF Reid Gorecki from the DL.
Quad Cities (MWL): Added P Mark Mulder from Cardinals on ML rehab, INF Jose Salazar from State College. DL’d INF Jose Martinez.
State College (NY-P): Added P Luke Gregerson from Johnson City, OF Luke Gorsett (2006 #7 draft pick). DL’d P Kenny Maiques.
Johnson City (Appy): Added P Kyle McClellan from Quad Cities (minor league rehab).

The baseball is signed by the members of the 1960 Pirate team, Pittsburgh’s first World Championship team in 35 years. My Uncle Mike (my mother’s only brother, after whom I am named) got it, and I remember my mother showing it to me when I was about 10 or so, a few years after the series, and I remember that she got a stand for it and gave it to me at some point - perhaps when I went away to college, perhaps when I moved out of the house into my own place. Somewhere along the way - I don’t exactly remember when - it found its way back from my possession to my parents’ house. It remained on the windowsill for a number of years, until my sister noticed that some of the signatures were fading, and moved it to the mantel. I haven’t given it much thought in recent years.

As I posted in my last note here, Mom passed away last Friday, after a 2 1/2 year battle with lung cancer. Dad says that she was never much of a baseball fan, and that she’d fall asleep during games. Yet growing up, I can’t remember more than a cursory conversation with Dad about baseball, and I can recall dozens of conversations with Mom. I remember Mom telling me about the Pirates of her youth, going to games on the old “Flying Fraction”, the 77/54 trolley line between Pittsburgh’s North Side where she lived and the Oakland area where Forbes Field was located. I remember that her favorite player was the old infielder, Frankie Gustine, who later ran a restaurant across from Forbes Field. And I remember some other things about Mom, me, and baseball:

-- Mom told a story about coming upon me at age 3 while I was reading the baseball statistics in the Pittsburgh Press, and then later telling the older neighborhood kids about them. I don’t remember this, but those old neighbors do. When Mom told this story in front of me, it was always with a touch of pride in her voice - it was an achievement that she treasured.
-- Mom always made sure that I had something to eat both before I went out to a game, and after I came home, even when games were scheduled during family dinner hour, which was extremely important to her (I can still remember hearing “this is not a cafeteria” each time I asked for something as an early dinner.)
-- Mom may have complained about the bare spots in her back yard where home plate, the bases, and the pitchers’ mound were located for our whiffleball games, or when we banged a rubber ball off the front door while trying to throw it against the front porch steps - yet she never once told us to move the games someplace else.
-- I had a pretty good-sized collection of baseball cards when I was a kid, and later on started playing simulation games - All-Star Baseball, SOM, APBA, and Pursue the Pennant. My buddy Bob and I kept stats for our All-Star baseball league (he had a cousin named Don Minch, so he always wanted Don Mincher on his teams), and later on I kept extensive stats from my APBA games. We didn’t have a lot of money, and baseball and box games weren’t exactly inexpensive - yet somehow there were always a few nickels and dimes available for the Topps box when I went with Mom to the five-and-ten, and somehow I managed to get an APBA game when I was 15. And I don’t remember Mom ever complaining about the shoeboxes full of baseball cards and the home-grown scoresheets and stat sheets that littered the bottom of my bed from the time I first started playing All-Star Baseball in Bob’s back yard until the time I went away to college.

Mom may not have been a baseball fan after all; we didn’t talk baseball very much once I became an adult and went out on my own. But it doesn’t matter whether or not she liked the game. Mom recognized the passion inside that three-year-old boy sitting on the porch reading and memorizing baseball statistics, and took pains to make sure that it would never be extinguished.

The baseball now sits on the top shelf of my desk. It’s still in the same old plastic holder on the stand that Mom got so many years ago. It’s a testament to the boy’s love for the game, and the mother’s love for the boy. And this article - as best as it can - is the testament of the boy’s love for the mother.

Bye, Mom.