Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 35

www.qctlme.comport MIDWEST LEAGUE Monday, June) 7, 2004 UD NOTEBOOK Twins loaded for today's amateur draft rv If 1 REPORT Clinton scores 1 in 9th, wins STAFF REPORT CLINTON, Iowa After losing a 4-2 lead in the top of the ninth inning, the Clinton LumberKings scored on an unearned run in the bottom half to defeat Burlington 5-4 in Midwest League action at Alliant Energy Field on Sunday. The LumberKings started the one-out rally with singles by Adam Bourassa and Micah Furtado. Abigail Sandoval then hit a ground ball that was misplayed by second baseman Brandon Powell, allowing Bourassa to score from second base. The Bees tied the game in the top of the ninth when Clinton reliever Cesar Herrera (4-3) suffered control problems. Herrera gave up two singles and walked three batters, including Bryan Graham with the bases loaded and two outs to force in the tying run.

Herrera escaped further damage by getting Brian McFall to fly out. Clinton wiped out a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the seventh. Emerson Frostad singled in a run, and Furtado doubled in two runs. Bourassa went 3-for-4 for Clinton. Furtado and Kevin Richardson each went 2-for-3.

Clinton starter John Danks went five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. Reliever Kevin Altaian pitched 2'a scoreless innings. The teams resume their series at 7 p.m. today Burlington's Greg Atencio (2-6) opposes Edison Volquez (1-2). J' VV A 7 Aj i (f pftP'' Greg BollQUAD-CITY TIMES Clinton's Ian Kinsler was an all-Big 12 shortstop at Missouri last season, but the Midwest League rookie is surprised he is hitting .388 with 28 doubles.

"I haven't had numbers like this since high school," the native of Tucson, said. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Quad-City player Joe Mauer Is one of two first-round picks on Minnesota's big-league roster. The other Is outfielder Toril Hunter. owner David Hersh is attempting to bring a Midwest League team to Bowling Green, but a deadline to sell 2,000 advance season tickets has been extended for the second time. The organizers have 1,400 commitments and are working on a financing package for a stadium.

Mersh has his eyes on the Battle Creek franchise, which is for sale, but team president Sam Bernabe told the Battle Creek Enquirer that Hersh is just one prospective buyer. "I'm going to sell the team to the person that pays me the most money, quite frankly, whether it's (Hersh) or somebody else," Bernabe said. "I can't continue to do business in Battle Creek without it improving, and it doesn't look like that's happening." The Yankees average 908 fans per game, 12th in the league, but Bernabe told the Enquirer that no deal is imminent. He said he has had conversations with interested groups and Individuals from Dubuque, Iowa, Madison, southern Illinois and suburban Detroit. Sickening performance Before leading his team into games against Quad-Cities last week, Peoria manager Joe Cunningham spent two days in the hospital recuperating from a case of bacterial laryngitis.

He was released early enough Monday to watch his Chiefs get hammered 18-7 by Wisconsin. "I should have stayed back in the hospital," Cunningham told the Peoria Journal Star. "It was ugly." Seeing stars Three former Quad-City players have been selected to play in the Florida State League All-Star Game, although one has been promoted. Pitchers Scott Baker and Justin Olson and catcher Jose Morales were selected by the league's managers to play in Saturday's game at Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Baker has since been promoted to AA New Britain. All three played for Quad-Cities in 2003. Moving on up Cedar Rapids lost its leading pitcher last weekend when left-hander Micah Posey was promoted by the Angels to Rancho Cucamonga of the California League. Posey was off to a 6-0 start with a 2.36 ERA that was the lowest among Cedar Rapids starters. Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbattersonqctimes.com at Surprise, Ariz.

"I worked a lot with Ralph Dickenson, and he helped me a lot with using my legs and letting that part of my body work for me at the plate," Kinsler said. "Right now I'm just trying to play at a high level every day and keep this going as long as I can. Consistency is the one thing I want to achieve, and when I have a game or two when things don't go my way, it tells me that I have to keep working. This game always teaches you that, but I have to like the way things are going right now." Steve Batlerson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbattersonqctimes.com QC's parent club never has had 5 picks in first round By Steve Batterson QUAD-CITY TIMES When baseball begins its annual amateur draft today, the parent club of the Swing of the Quad-Cities literally will have a handful of first-round picks. "We've had three picks a couple of times, but five, we've never had that before," Minnesota Twins director of minor league operations Jim Rantz said.

Mike Radcliff, in his 11th year as director of scouting for the Twins, heads the team that will select the future talent for the organization. Rantz said the framework remains the same regardless of the number of picks. "The crew down in the war room still goes on talent and signability," Rantz said. "Nobody wants to take a guy who they won't be able to sign." The Twins' first pick, No. 20, is the one they earned with a solid season in 2003.

Minnesota also has the 22nd and 25th choices, compensation from the Mariners and Cubs for Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins, respectively. Both pitchers were classified as Type-A free agents, giving Minnesota two additional picks in the supplemental first round. The Twins will select 35th and 39th as well. "It's a pretty unusual year for us," Rantz said. Minnesota typically makes the most of its picks.

Of the 25 players on the Twins' opening-day roster this season, 12 were products of the organization's farm system. According to a Sporting News Survey, that number is almost double the average among major league organizations. Of those, the only first-round selections are former Quad-City player Joe Mauer, a rookie catcher, and outfielder Torii Hunter. A Monday double The Swing of the Quad-Cities will play two today, but it won't be a traditional doubleheader at Wisconsin. Quad-Cities will take the field for a game at 1 p.m., then play a night game at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, beginning at 7 p.m.

The day-night twinbill is the result of a scheduled off day in the middle of the series. Both teams took Sunday off because the Wisconsin facility hosted the Brett Favre Charity Softball Game, an annual celebrity-filled event at the stadium. It's about bucks A group headed by multiple-club SWING THIS WEEK Today-Tuesday What: Swing of the Quad-Cities at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers When: 1 and 7 p.m. today; 7 p.m. Tuesday Where: Fox Cities Stadium, Grand Chute, Wis.

FYI: The Swing and Timber Rattlers both have been .500 over their past 10 games. The teams rank 12th and 13th in the league in batting average, hitting .238 and .233, respectively. Errol Simonitsch (3-1, 2.15 ERA) and Chris Schutt (1-5, 4.53) are scheduled to pitch today for the Swing, and Adam Harben (2-4, 3.35) is expected to pitch Tuesday. Wisconsin's Josh Womack and the Swing's Scott Whitrock share fourth place in the league with five triples. Wednesday i What: Peoria Chiefs at Swing of the Quad-Cities When: 7 p.m.

Where: John O'Donnell Stadium, Davenport FYI: Peoria, which swept the Swing In a three-game series last week, makes a quick return trip to the Quad-Cities. The Chiefs are the league's top hitting team, at .273. They are led by Brendan Ryan (.358) and Anthony Monegan Quad-Cities is 2-5 against the Cardinals' affiliate this season, winning both games of a double-header at Peoria on April 25. On tap: Wednesday, Mardi Gras Night at John O'Donnell, including a pregame concert by Stoopifunk on the paty deck from p.m. and discount beverages from p.m.

Thursday-Sunday What: Kane County Cougars at Swing of the Quad-Cities When: 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday Where: John O'Donnell Stadium FYI: The Cougars are in the middle of a first-half title chase with Peoria and Cedar Rapids as they make their first visit to John O'Donnell. The Athletics' affiliate likes the long ball. Kane County has hit 53, 30 more than Quad-Cities has managed.

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"Things are going my way right now. I've gotten a lot of good pitches to hit, and they've been finding holes," Kinsler said. "I haven't had numbers like this since high school. I'm just doing what I can to keep it up." He's somewhat surprised at how each opponent has approached pitching to him with the start of each series. "Early on in the first game or two of a series, people are coming after me pretty aggressively, like they really don't believe the numbers they see," Kinsler said.

"Usually by the third or fourth game, I'm seeing a lot more breaking pitches." And when that happens, he's adjusted. "They adjust. I adjust. Then they adjust again, and so do I. That's the way the game works," he said.

"I've had pretty good success looking to swing early in counts because I know pitchers have been trying to get ahead of me. That's been a constant." Kinsler was a 17th-round selection of the Rangers in the 2003 amateur draft after having an all-Big 12 season at the University of Missouri. The Tucson, native put up decent numbers at short-season Spokane last year, hitting 18 holes par 70 80 Carts 1-80 Middle Road Bettendorf VETERAN EX-IRS AGENTS TAX PROFESSIONALS Chntt Never Mart with the RS Settle far Pennies on the Dote WiMm Guarantee Free Tax Settlement Analysis: Confidential Interview in Our Local Office 800-376-7183 .277 and leading the team in triples and stolen bases. "He's come a long ways since then," Dickenson said. "Of the first 20 swings of batting practice I saw him take in Spokane, I think he hooked about 12 of them into the left-field bleachers.

He was getting his hands going before he needed to. "He's spent a lot of time working on getting his swing down from the ground up and working with (LumberKings hitting coach Mike Boulanger), I see improvement. I enjoy watching him swing the bat." So does Subero, who has seen Kinsler's success create a competitive environment within his clubhouse. "That's something that has all been good," Subero said. "Whenever you have a player having success, I think other players naturally want to raise the bar themselves." Clinton cleanup hitter Josh Kreuzer, who is chasing Kinsler on the league doubles and slugging percentage charts, doesn't mind batting behind a .388 hitter.

"The more he hits, the better the pitches I see," Kreuzer said. "I want to catch his doubles total, but that's a good kind of competition. It's all positive energy, and I think that has helped us as a team. There's no question he's a good shortstop and a good hitter. We saw that last year at Spokane." Kinsler believes part of the reason his game is at a different level offensively this season is the time he put into offseason training at Texas' spring facility ivTTTTTa (T7m uTTmTTT I rrLTl rti Vl ETTjTI 6.

7 8 Sports Center Dale Smith for further info www.jkharris.com (Natfonty most succassni tax-fBsouobo JK Harris Company-Davenport (475 Offices Nationwide) Are you ready to OUT? Enjoy discounts at all your favorite courses. Castillo leads the team with 15 homers. Cougars outfielder Dustin Majewski is fifth in the league in hits. On tap: Thursday, Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Night; Friday, postgame fireworks sponsored by KWQC-TV and 97 Rock; Saturday, Reggy, the Purple Party Dude appearance sponsored by Mediacom and KUUL-FM; Sunday, Edward Jones Day, Wisconsin Dells Kids Card giveaway and Family Fun Day sponsored by WLLR-FM, WFXN-AMandWOC-AM. LUMBERKINGS THIS WEEK Today-Tuesday What: Burlington Bees at Clinton LumberKings When: 7 p.m.

Where: Alliant Energy Field, Clinton, Iowa FYI: Clinton wraps up its eight-game homestand with two more games against the Royals' affiliate. At 20 games below .500, Burlington is off to the worst start in the league. The Bees have hit a league-low 17 home runs this season and are the only team in the league that has not reached the 200-run mark. Burlington pitcher Ambiorix Burgos is fifth in the league with 64 strikeouts. On tap: Today, All Faiths Night with $2 admission with a church bulletin; Tuesday, 50-cent hot dogs.

Thursday-Sunday What: Clinton LumberKings at Peoria Chiefs When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday Where: O'Brien Field, Peoria, III. FYI: Eight of the LumberKings' final 1 1 games in the first half are on the road, beginning with four at Peoria. The Chiefs have won eight of 1 1 games and are led by Brendan Ryan and Anthony Monegan, who have combined for 1 14 hits and 38 RBIs.

Peoria's John Santor shares fourth in the league with 38 RBIs. The Chiefs' Jordan Pals is one of three Midwest League pitchers who have thrown two complete games. Sfeve Batterson BIG STICKS League batting leaders in professional baseball (through Friday): Player Team Avg. LeagueLevel Ian Kinsler Clinton .393 MidwestA Ryan Church Edmonton .387 Pacific Coast AAA Sean Casey Cincinnati .383 NationalMLB MetvinMora Baltimore .379 AmericanMLB Brandon Pinckney Lake County .374 South AtlanticA Jason Kubel New Britain .377 EasternAA Darren Fenster Wilmington .359 CarolinaA ErickAybar Rancho Cucamonga .355 CaliforniaA Kenny Kelly Chattanooga .356 Southern AA Willy Taveras Round Rock .356 TexasAA Alejandro Machado Brevard County .355 Florida StateA Justin Morneau Rochester .346 InternationalAAA I- i A Great Father's Day I Gift for only $25.00 BUY 3 GET 1 FREE inrOTfiTiiiB Black Hawk Run Cross Creek Deer Valley Eagle Ridge Emerald Hill Hidden Hills Highland Springs Indian Bluff Lake Carrol Lake Erie Lake View Lynnwood Lynks Maple Bluff Oakville Olathea Palmer Hills Prophet Hills Saukie Storybrook Available for purchase at Golf Discount. Indian Bluff U.S.

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