Tagged: Brooks Hall
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’15 – #63 Brooks Hall
Football is over! Baseball is coming.
For some reason, there’s a handful of vocal Twitter followers of mine (@BrewerNation) who believe that I hate football. That’s patently untrue. I prefer baseball but that doesn’t mean that I hate football. That said, after the Super Bowl the big game ended last night, I knew that we were firmly onto the countdown to pitchers and catchers, affectionately referred to ’round these parts as “P&C”. Let the record show that we’re a mere 18 days away from that most glorious of winter events. And if celebrating that fact is wrong, then I prefer not to be right.
The other countdown we’re firmly entrenched in — again, ’round these parts — is my annual time-passer until Opening Day which I can “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers”. For those just clicking on this column (or the blog in general) for the first time, the quick explanation is that I profile individual Brewers on a date the number of days away from Opening Day as they wear on their uniform during Spring Training.
Today is February 2 which just so happens to be 63 days away from Opening Day. The player who will wear #63 in camp just so happens to be…
Brooks Hall.
“My guy” Steven Brooks Hall is someone who I’ve followed closely throughout his pro career following his selection in the 4th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. Back then I decided to interview at least one draft choice per year of the Brewers on my painfully infrequent podcast. I zeroed in on Brooks Hall because of his name and when I saw that he had recently pitched a perfect game for T.L. Hanna High School in his hometown Anderson, South Carolina, I knew that there was a fun story to go along with standard interview questions. Brooks was gracious enough to connect and we’ve been friendly ever since, with me checking in a couple of times a year.
But enough about that backstory. If you want to know more about that stuff, click either the link above to my 2009 interview with him, and/or click here for last year’s BBtJN.
Brooks Hall is a 6’5″, 230 lb, right-handed starting pitcher who was first added to the Brewers’ 40-man roster following the 2012 season. He responded to the team’s confidence in him (and his increased physical maturity, training, instruction, etc) by posting his strongest numbers as a professional as he tore through the Florida State League with the Class-A Advanced Brevard County Manatees. In 10 starts (11 games), Hall posted a 2.78 ERA and other strong numbers earning a promotion to Double-A where he, understandably, went through an adjustment period. Again, all of that is outlined in last year’s column.
An eye on a big 2014 led Hall into Spring Training last year. He wanted to continue to impress and show that his Double-A time was just an adjustment. He broke camp with the Class-AA Huntsville Stars, making five starts in April and pitching to a 2.77 ERA in 26.0 innings. Although his strikeout rates were slightly down (small sample size, of course), Hall improved his Double-A numbers to High-A equivalent or better in his second turn at the higher level.
Unfortunately, the five April starts would be all she wrote for Hall in Southern League action in 2014. Hall injured his elbow and wouldn’t pitch again during the regular season.
The first thing I talked to Hall after the season was the injury and where he’s at. He told me at the time that he had gotten surgery to have bone spurs removed from his elbow. He had been pitching pain and said “(Having my elbow cleaned up) feels like I’m a teenager again.”
Hall would pitch in the Arizona Fall League in 2014, totaling 18.2 innings across eight games, two of which were starts. Known as a hitters haven, Hall kept his WHIP at 0.75 and struck out 13 against just three walks.
I caught up with Hall briefly at Brewer On Deck on January 25. He said he’s in good spirits and is anxious for the start of camp. He confirmed again that his elbow is in great shape.
For 2015…
Given the Brewers’ track record of moving players along slowly, it wouldn’t shock me to see Hall start the year at Class-AA Biloxi simply because he doesn’t have a ton of games at that level. That said, the Brewers are thin in high-minors starting pitching even with the recent re-signing of the now healthy Hiram Burgos. Hall could conceivably begin the year at the back of Colorado Springs’ rotation with a good camp.
I’m anxious to continue following Hall closely. I think you should be too.
—
Catch up on the countdown!
Brewers On Deck 2015 – Attendees List, Pricing, Additional Details
BREWERS ON DECK TO INCLUDE OVER 50 PLAYERS, COACHES, BROADCASTERS & ALUMNI
Event to Feature Community Book Drive; Food Donations Accepted through Hunger Task Force
OFFICIAL RELEASE
Nearly 50 Milwaukee Brewers players plus a host of alumni, coaches, front office executives and broadcasters are scheduled to participate in Brewers On Deck, which is set to take place on Sunday, January 25 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Wisconsin Center.
Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for children 14 and under. Tickets on the day of the event are $20 for adults and $15 for children 14 and under. A portion of the proceeds from Brewers On Deck will benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Tickets may be purchased at the Miller Park ticket office, by calling the Brewers ticket office at 414-902-4000, or online at brewers.com/ondeck.
This year the event will feature a community book drive that will help support Next Door’s Books for Kids program. The goal of the Books for Kids campaign is to help all children in Milwaukee’s central city, regardless of their family income or education levels, have books they can call their own. Local author Marla McKenna will help host the event. Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used children’s books to donate. In appreciation for their contribution, fans who donate a book will receive a free copy of McKenna’s newest publication, “Mom’s Big Catch,” a story based upon events that took place at Miller Park.
Once again food donations will be accepted through Hunger Task. Donations can be dropped off at two main entrances to the Wisconsin Center, located at 4th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, and 4th Street and Wells Street.
Players, coaches and alumni scheduled to attend include (all subject to change):
PLAYERS
- Michael Blazek
- Ryan Braun
- Juan Centeno
- Matt Clark
- Clint Coulter
- Khris Davis
- Mike Fiers
Yovani Gallardo- Scooter Gennett
- David Goforth
- Carlos Gomez
- Hector Gomez
- Brooks Hall
- Jim Henderson
- Jeremy Jeffress
- Taylor Jungmann
- Brandon Kintzler
- Corey Knebel (just added)
- Adam Lind
- Jonathan Lucroy
- Kyle Lohse
Hunter Morris- Jimmy Nelson
- Gerardo Parra
- Wily Peralta
- Shane Peterson
- Jason Rogers
- Luis Sardiñas (just added)
- Logan Schafer
- Will Smith
- Michael Strong
- Tyler Thornburg
- Rob Wooten
COACHES
- Darnell Coles (Hitting Coach)
- Joe Crawford (Video/Scouting)
- Matt Erickson (Timber Rattlers Mgr.)
- Mike Guerrero (1st Base Coach)
- Marcus Hanel (Bullpen Catcher)
- Rick Kranitz (Pitching Coach)
- Jerry Narron (Bench Coach)
- Ron Roenicke (Manager)
- Ed Sedar (3rd Base Coach)
- John Shelby (Outfield Coach)
- Lee Tunnell (Bullpen Coach)
ALUMNI
- Jerry Augustine
- Cecil Cooper
- Craig Counsell
- Rob Deer
- Jim Gantner
- Larry Hisle
Brewers On Deck will feature a number of activities for the entire family. Autographs and photos from Brewers players, coaches and alumni; interactive games in the Kids Area; Q&A sessions and game shows with Brewers players, coaches and broadcasters; vendor booths with baseball memorabilia; Brewers Community Foundation’s Treasure Hunt, a 50/50 raffle, live auction and many other activities will all be a part of Brewers On Deck.
Details regarding autographs include the following: Recipients of “PREMIER” autographs (players to be announced next week) will be chosen through a random selection process. Each fan in attendance will receive one Premier Entry sheet which may be redeemed at the Random Selection area outside the Main Exhibit Hall of the Wisconsin Center District. The Premier Entry sheet will be exchanged for a numbered coupon to be entered into the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. Coupon distribution will be available at 8 a.m. the day of the event and will continue up to an hour before each designated autograph session. There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding winning coupons must pay $10 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the autograph sessions. The winning ticket numbers will be posted at the designated autograph stage no less than 30 minutes prior to each player’s session.
Players and staff not included in the PREMIER autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of these players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10. A schedule of players, their session times, and distribution info will be posted next week. The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia. For additional information, visit Brewers.com/ondeck.
Autograph proceeds benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs. The Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player.
A detailed schedule of all Brewers On Deck events will be released next week.
***UPDATE! Here is the schedule…***
Recipients of “PREMIER” autographs Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy and Bob Uecker will be chosen through a random selection process. Each fan in attendance will receive one Premier Entry card which may be redeemed at the Random Selection area outside the Main Exhibit Hall of the Wisconsin Center. The Premier Entry card will be exchanged for a numbered coupon and entered into the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. Coupon distribution will be available at 8 a.m. the day of the event and will continue up to an hour before each designated autograph session.
There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding winning coupons must pay $10 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the autograph sessions. The winning ticket numbers will be posted at the designated autograph stage no less than 30 minutes prior to each player’s session. A schedule is listed below:
PREMIER AUTOGRAPH SCHEDULE
Player Signing Time Stage
Bob Uecker 12:30 – 1:15 5
Ryan Braun 1:00 – 1:45 6
Jonathan Lucroy 2:30 – 3:15 3
Carlos Gomez 3:00 – 3:45 1
Players and staff not included in the above autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of those players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10.
The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player (BOLD ITALICS – Premier Autograph).
Autograph Schedule – MAIN STAGES
Stage 1
10:30 – 11:15 Scooter Gennett ($10)
12:00 – 12:45 Logan Schafer ($10)
1:30 – 2:15 Mike Fiers ($10)
3:00 – 3:45 Carlos Gomez ($10)
Stage 2
12:30 – 1:15 Jim Henderson ($10)
2:00 – 2:45 Gerardo Parra ($10)
3:30 – 4:15 Will Smith ($10)
Stage 3
11:30 – 12:15 Adam Lind ($10)
2:30 – 3:15 Jonathan Lucroy ($10)
3:45 – 4:30 Wily Peralta ($10)
Stage 4
10:30 – 11:15 Brandon Kintzler ($10)
12:00 – 12:45 Rob Wooten ($10)
1:30 – 2:15 Khris Davis ($10)
Stage 5
11:00 – 11:45 Jimmy Nelson ($10)
12:30 – 1:15 Bob Uecker ($10)/Mark Attanasio ($0)
3:30 – 4:15 Jeremy Jeffress ($10)
Stage 6
11:30 – 12:15 Tyler Thornburg ($10)
1:00 – 1:45 Ryan Braun ($10)
3:45 – 4:30 Kyle Lohse ($10)
Players who are not listed above will sign free autographs on the Bonus Stage all day long.
Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs.
The 620 WTMJ Stage will broadcast live from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will include interviews with Brewers players and coaches.
New this year, fans are invited to stop by the Social Media Stage for fun and games. Fans can also post their photos from the event to Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #BrewersOnDeck for a chance to win prizes such as a trip down Bernie Brewer’s slide, game tickets and more. For contest rules, visit brewers.com/onDeck.
Children are invited to visit the Farm Teams Infield for free batting and hitting clinics scheduled throughout the day. Brewers alumni and players will be on hand for the instructional sessions. Kids can run around the field or try a quick game of ping pong with Brewers players.
Klement’s Main Stage Schedule
10:15 a.m. – Welcome – Brewers television broadcaster Craig Coshun will welcome fans to Brewers On Deck. The winners of the seven T-Shirt Friday designs will be introduced to fans.
11:15 a.m. – Meet the Coaches – Third base coach Ed Sedar will host a Q&A session with Brewers manager Ron Roenicke and his coaching staff.
12:30 p.m. – The Brewlywed Game – Brewers players, coaches, prospects and alumni will participate in a game show to see which pair really knows each other the best. Joe Block will host the show.
2:00 p.m. – Meet the Management and Newest Players – Brewers Chairman and Principal Owner Mark Attanasio, President of Baseball Operations – General Manager Doug Melvin, Vice President – Assistant General Manager Gord Ash will join the newest Brewers acquisitions – Corey Knebel, Adam Lind and Luis Sardinas – in a question and answer session with Brewers fans. The session will be hosted by Brian Anderson.
3:15 p.m. – Call to the Pen – Brewers players, coaches, prospects and alumni will participate in a game show, similar to Pictionary. Joe Block will host the show.
Brewers Jersey Number Updates
Several of the newest jersey numbers for Brewers 40-man rosterees were updated last night.
If you’ve read me for any length of time, you probably know what a number nerd I am by now. After all, these numbers are an impetus behind my annual countdown to Opening Day.
Without further ado, here are the number updates which also will be where you can find these players in said countdown.
Logan Schafer, who gave up his #22 when Matt Garza was signed during last year’s Brewers On Deck fanfest, now had to give up his #1 after the team retired it for outgoing commissioner and former owner Bud Selig. Schafer gets #7 for 2015.
Brooks Hall was listed without a number for a time but returns to the 63 he wore last spring as a new 40-man add.
Similarly, Taylor Jungmann returns to the 78 he’s worn as a past non-roster invitee.
David Goforth will wear #77 when pitchers and catchers report to Maryvale in his first spring on the 40-man.
Number 76 now belongs to lefty Mike Strong as he contends for a specialist role in the big league bullpen.
And now for the guys new to the organization…
Big off-season acquisition and new starting first baseman Adam Lind will wear the 24 used by Lyle Overbay last season.
Catcher Juan Centeno has been assigned #66.
Finally for these updates, shortstop Yadiel Rivera will don #65 in his first big league camp.
(As of this writing, new corner infielder Luis Jimenez and new outfielder Shane Peterson hadn’t been assigned a number…at least not ones that were updated on the Brewers website.)
Don’t Call It a Comeback
My annual countdown to Opening Day will return for another season!
There has been some decent 40-man roster turnover since Spring Training. I mark the passage of time from (roughly) the turn of the calendar until Brewers Opening Day by previewing players who wear a certain uniform number on the corresponding day.
We’re 98 days away from Opening Day, so we won’t get underway on this thing quite yet, but once the countdown coincides with a jersey, you’ll see the first column go up.
I call the series “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers” and it works a little something like this:
- Opening Day is April 6, 2015.
- March 29th is eight days before April 6th.
- Ryan Braun wears number 8 on his jersey.
- I’ll write an article reviewing Ryan Braun’s 2014 and looking ahead to his 2015 and post it on March 29, 2015.
Make sense? Here’s another example:
- Jonathan Broxton wears number 51.
- 51 days before April 6th is February 14th.
- I’ll post my Broxton column on February 14th.
I do a column on every player who is on the Brewers 40-man roster along with most Spring Training non-roster invitees. I’ll update this space with a full schedule once the uniform numbers for the newest 40-man additions are announced. I’ll update it again as non-roster invitees are revealed.
Thanks for reading and sticking with me this winter. BBtJN is a very popular series and I thank you for that. Stay tuned!
Winter League Update: Final Arizona Fall League Statistics
Here are how the Brewers prospects fared who were participating in the now-completed Arizona Fall League season.
Hitters:
- Shawn Zarraga – Catcher – 9 G, .355/.444/.355, 31 AB, 3 R, 11 H (all singles), 5 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K, 0 errors
- Tyrone Taylor – CF – 21 G, .271/.315/.306, 85 AB, 12 R, 23 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 3 SB, 1 CS, 0 errors
- Nick Ramirez – 1B – 19 G, .214/.286/.371, 70 AB, 7 R, 15 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, 20 K, 1 CS, 4 errors
- Hector Gomez – IF – 13 G, .255/.308/.404, 47 AB, 7 R, 12 H, 4 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K, 1 SB, 2 errors
- Clint Coulter – OF – 7 G, .174/.269/.304, 23 AB, 4 R, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 CS, 1 error
- Kyle Wren* – CF – 12 G, .238/.273/.286, 42 AB, 2 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 2 BB, 11 K, 4 SB, 1 error
Pitchers:
- Wei-Chung Wang – 6 GS, 2-0 W-L, 23.0 IP, 2.74 ERA, 22 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 1 HB, 2 BB, 12 K, 1.04 WHIP, .253 BAA
- Brooks Hall – 8 G (2 GS), 1-0 W-L, 18.2 IP, 3.38 ERA, 11 H, 7 ER, 1 HR, 2 HB, 3 BB, 13 K, 0.75 WHIP, 2 holds, .175 BAA
- Michael Strong – 11 G, 1-0 W-L, 13.2 IP, 1.98 ERA, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 14 K, 0.80 WHIP, 2 saves, 1 hold, .178 BAA
- Tyler Wagner – 9 G, 0-1 W-L, 13.1 IP, 7.43 ERA**, 13 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 1 HB, 7 BB, 7 K, 1.50 WHIP, 3 holds, .245 BAA
—
*Kyle Wren was just acquired by the Brewers via trade. He did not play for the Glendale Desert Dogs during this AFL season, but as he is now a Brewers farmhand, I’ve included what he accomplished there this fall.
**It should be noted that Tyler Wagner had one blow up appearance that skewed his ERA, BAA, WHIP, etc. For the most part, Wagner pitched well. Without his October 28th appearance (0.1 IP, 8 ER) on the fall Wagner would have posted a 2.08 ERA.
2014 Opening Day Affiliates Rosters
Opening Day is here for the minor leagues!
What follows are the announced rosters for each of the full-season minor-league affiliates for the Milwaukee Brewers, broken down by position group.
Class-AAA Affiliate (Twitter: @nashvillesounds)
Manager: Rick Sweet
28 Total Players
Pitchers (13)
- Michael Blazek (Twitter: @MichaelBlazek34)
- Hiram Burgos (Twitter: @Burgos196)
- Jose De La Torre
- Mike Fiers (Twitter: @Fiers64)
- Alfredo Figaro
- Donovan Hand (@DonovanHand)
- Kyle Heckathorn (@KyleHeckathorn)
- Johnny Hellweg
- Brad Mills
- Dustin Molleken
- Jimmy Nelson (@Jimmy_J_Nelson)
- Ariel Peña
- Rob Wooten (@RobWooten35)
Catchers (3)
- Robinzon Diaz
- Lucas May (@LukedogKC)
- Matt Pagnozzi (@MattPagnozzi)
Infielders (9)
- Irving Falu (@irvingfalu)
- Hector Gomez
- Taylor Green
- Sean Halton (@SeanHalton11)
- Elian Herrera
- Hunter Morris (@HunterMorris15)
- Pete Orr
- Stephen Parker
- Eugenio Velez
Outfielders (3)
- Caleb Gindl
- Jeremy Hermida
- Kevin Mattison (@stachemaster4)
—
Class-AA Affiliate (Twitter: @HuntsvilleStars)
Manager: Carlos Subero
28 Total Players
Pitchers (14)
- Tyler Cravy (@TylerJayCravy)
- Drew Gagnon (@Dgags24)
- David Goforth (@DavidGoforth7)
- Brooks Hall
- Greg Holle (@GHolle44)
- Taylor Jungmann
- Brent Leach (@brentle24)
- Arcenio Leon
- Johnnie Lowe (@jlowe390)
- Eric Marzec (@MarzMLB)
- Casey Medlen (@cmeds13)
- Andy Moye (@AMoye22)
- Kevin Shackelford (@Shackeldaddy)
- Brent Suter (@bruter24)
Catchers (3)
- Joey Paciorek
- Adam Weisenburger (@aweisenburger)
- Shawn Zarraga
Infielders (7)
- Greg Hopkins (@StJonnyHopkins)
- Josh Prince (@JoshPrince17)
- Nick Ramirez (@N_Ramirez33)
- Jason Rogers (@jasonrogers2003)
- Nick Shaw (@NShaw3)
- Hainley Statia (@HStatia4)
- Shea Vucinich
Outfielders (4)
- Kentrail Davis
- Mitch Haniger (@M_Hanny19)
- Brock Kjeldgaard
- D’Vontrey Richardson
—
Class-A Advanced Affiliate (Twitter: @BCManatees)
Manager: Joe Ayrault
26 Total Players
Pitchers (13)
- Jacob Barnes (@j_barnes30)
- Jed Bradley (@Jed_Bradley)
- Hobbs Johnson (@hojo31)
- Jorge Lopez (@yabiee18)
- Damien Magnifico (@D_Magno32)
- Stephen Peterson (@SPetey22)
- Chad Pierce (@pierce_chad)
- Tanner Poppe (@TannerPoppe)
- Austin Ross
- Michael Strong (@Strong_Mike1188)
- Tommy Toledo (@TommyToledo13)
- Martin Viramontes (@martilious19)
- Tyler Wagner (@_TylerWagner_)
Catchers (2)
- Parker Berberet (@Parkcity16)
- Cameron Garfield (@CAMgGARFIELD)
Infielders (8)
- Orlando Arcia
- Garrett Cooper (@CoopaLoop1)
- Michael Garza (@Miguelito_G_21)
- Brandon Macias (@Cias12)
- Nathan Orf (@NateOrf4)
- Yadiel Rivera (@YADIELRIVERA13)
- Alfredo Rodriguez (@Arodss2)
- Jose Sermo (@j_weesy21)
Outfielders (3)
- Michael Reed (@MReed1119)
- Victor Roache (@_Heavy28Hitter_)
- Tyrone Taylor (@Ty_roneTaylor)
—
Class-A Affiliate (Twitter: @TimberRattlers)
Manager: Matt Erickson
27 Total Players
Pitchers (13)
- Tyler Alexander (@LilLefty12)
- Tristan Archer (@TRISTAN_archer)
- Barrett Astin (@BarrettAstin17)
- Victor Diaz
- Rodolfo Fernandez (@cuba900321)
- Preston Gainey (@friendpresto)
- Tyler Linehan (@tylinny39)
- Harvey Martin (@Martin_Time15)
- Zach Quintana (@Slummdog)
- Chris Razo (@RazBerry02)
- Trevor Seidenberger (@trev15berger)
- Tyler Spurlin (@TyroneG4)
- Taylor Williams (@TWilly_KSU)
Catchers (3)
- Clint Coulter (@ccoulter12)
- Paul Eshleman (@EshPaul)
- Rafael Neda (@rafaelneda88)
Infielders (6)
- Francisco Castillo
- David Denson (@_DavidD_41)
- Steven Halcomb
- Chris McFarland (@cmcfarland116)
- Angel Ortega
- Taylor Smith-Brennan (@TaylorBrennan88)
Outfielders (5)
- Johnny Davis
- Omar Garcia
- Jose Peña
- Michael Ratterree (@MRat_Ocho)
- Lance Roenicke* (@LTRoenicke)
*Player/Coach
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’14 – #63 Brooks Hall
Welcome back to “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers”, my blog series which countdowns to Opening Day by way of the numbers players wear during Spring Training.
Monday, January 27th is 63 days away from Opening Day on March 31st and as such we’ll preview the player who will be wearing #63…
No, not Tyler Thornburg. He wore 63 last year but switched to #30 for the upcoming season. The man who will be wearing #63 for Milwaukee during Cactus League play is…
Brooks Hall.
Those of you who have been faithful readers will know about this blog’s relationship with Steven Brooks Hall. As a part of my desire to interview at least one draft pick each year, Hall was the guy I picked out of his 2009 draft class. We did the interview and agreed to touch base every so often throughout his career. Those interviews go up on occasion and hopefully you’ve gotten to know the player a little bit along the way.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Brooks in person for the first time when he was playing with the Class-A affiliate Wisconsin Timber Rattlers during the the 2011 season. The Timber Rattlers came to Miller Park for a home game and Brooks and I arranged to meet in person following the game. He signed a Major League ball for me that I bought for that purpose. The numbers he posted that season weren’t exactly what the Brewers were looking for, but they also weren’t only looking at the numbers. Hall, then 20, was still very raw having only pitched at the tail end of his high school career before being drafted directly from it.
Hall got the bump up to Class-A Advanced Brevard County to begin 2012 and again posted overall pedestrian numbers, especially given the pitcher-friendliness of the Florida State League. It was his second turn through Brevard at the beginning of 2013 that really showed the maturity he was gaining and that the work he was putting in was beginning to manifest itself.
The 6’5″ right-hander worked hard on getting, refining, and maintaining his delivery down the mound. His mechanics are an important part of his success (duh), but Hall had struggled at times earlier in his professional career with them. In those first 11 games of 2013 with Brevard (10 starts), Hall posted a 2.83 ERA, a 1.114 WHIP, dropped his walk rate, upped his strikeout rate, dropped his opponents’ hit rate, and in 58.1 innings pitched he only allowed one home run.
All of that and more added up to a promotion up the organizational ladder to Class-AA Huntsville. Hall had a rough second appearance with the Stars and he would later tell me on the phone that it was a challenge to adjust to the bullpen role which they had initially put him in as an attempt to limit his innings this past year. The organization quickly realized it and Hall would start his next five appearances before a pitching a two-inning Save on July 13th. He would start eight of his final nine appearances following that Save and finished the season with a 3.40 ERA combined.
December was then looming on the horizon for the Brewers. Having been drafted in 2009, Hall would be eligible for the Rule V Draft (long live the “V”!) if he wasn’t protected by being added to the 40-man roster.
Had he done enough to warrant that designation? Yes, in my opinion, but that wasn’t the right question. The right question was whether he had done enough that some other team would select him and the Brewers could possibly lose him for nothing. That was a clear yes and the Brewers did as much.
Hall will continue in his progression as a starting pitcher in 2014 and has high hopes for his season. He obviously won’t be making the 25-man roster out of camp this year, but that’s expected for someone at his stage. He still has developing to do.
As timing would have it, I was able to catch up with Brooks at Brewers On Deck yesterday. I didn’t want to keep him long so it’s just a couple of minutes, but you can hear in his own words some of the things discussed and more.
—
Miss anyone along the way? Catch up on the Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers profiles to this point:
Brewers Finally Announce 2014 Jersey Numbers
Earlier today, the Brewers finally announced the jersey numbers that the players coming to big league camp will be wearing whilst at Maryvale.
The majority of the players who saw time at the MLB level in 2013 have not changed numbers, though two did. One coach gave up his number for a player. And of course the newest acquisitions and non-roster invitees all need number assignments as well.
Here are all the changes. (Keep in mind that my uniform number repository only counts players wearing a specific number while on the big league roster. I’ll update those pages after camp breaks.)
New Players on 40-Man Roster:
- #50 – Jose De La Torre
- #63 – Brooks Hall
- #60 – Kevin Shackelford
- #13 – Will Smith
- #51 – Wei-Chung Wang
- #25 – Hunter Morris
- #61 – Jason Rogers
- #3 – Elian Herrera
Players on 40-Man Roster Last Year With New Numbers:
- #30 – Tyler Thornburg (switched from #63)
- #38 – Wily Peralta (switched from #60)
- #58 – Ariel Pena (switched from #73)
Both New Non-Roster Invitees (Players on MiLB contracts invited to big league camp) and Repeat Invitees w/New Numbers:
- #59 – Zach Duke
- #77 – David Goforth
- #70 – Dustin Molleken
- #66 – Robinzon Diaz
- #72 – Cameron Garfield
- #68 – Matt Pagnozzi
- #71 – Adam Weisenburger (switched from #91)
- #65 – Irving Falu
- #24 – Lyle Overbay
- #7 – Mark Reynolds
- #67 – Eugenio Velez
- #73 – Kentrail Davis (switched from #93)
- #75 – Mitch Haniger
- #76 – Kevin Mattison
Brewers On Deck to Feature Over 50 Players, Alumni, Coaches, Broadcasters
BREWERS ON DECK, PRESENTED BY TIME WARNER CABLE, TO INCLUDE OVER 50 PLAYERS, COACHES, BROADCASTERS & ALUMNI
Free Admission to All Fans in 2014; Food Donations Accepted through Hunger Task Force
Nearly thirty Milwaukee Brewers players plus a host of alumni, coaches, front office executives and broadcasters are scheduled to participate in Brewers On Deck, presented by Time Warner Cable, which is set to take place on Sunday, January 26 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Wisconsin Center.
Admission to this year’s Brewers On Deck is free of charge. Tickets are not required for the event. Food donations will be accepted through the Hunger Task Force (peanut butter is requested by the Hunger Task Force, in particular). Donations can be dropped off at two main entrances to the Wisconsin Center, located at 4th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, and 4th Street and Wells Street. Players, coaches and alumni scheduled to attend include (all subject to change):
Players (28)
- Jeff Bianchi
- Michael Blazek
- Ryan Braun
- Hiram Burgos
- Khris Davis
- Marco Estrada
- Mike Fiers
- Yovani Gallardo
- Scooter Gennett
- Caleb Gindl
- Tom Gorzelanny
- Brooks Hall
- Sean Halton
- Donovan Hand
- Johnny Hellweg
- Jim Henderson
- Elian Herrera
- Brandon Kintzler
- Kyle Lohse
- Jonathan Lucroy
- Hunter Morris
- Jimmy Nelson
- Mark Reynolds
- Jason Rogers
- Logan Schafer
- Jean Segura
- Kevin Shackelford
- Will Smith
- Tyler Thornburg
- Rob Wooten
Alumni (7)
- Craig Counsell
- Rollie Fingers
- Jim Gantner
- Larry Hisle
- Geoff Jenkins
- Gorman Thomas
- Robin Yount
Coaches (10)
- Ron Roenicke
- Joe Crawford
- Mike Guerrero
- Marcus Hanel
- Garth Iorg
- Rick Kranitz
- Johnny Narron
- Ed Sedar
- John Shelby
- Lee Tunnell
Broadcasters (3)
- Jerry Augustine
- Dave Nelson
- Bob Uecker
—
Brewers On Deck will feature a number of activities for the entire family. Autographs and photos from Brewers players, coaches and alumni; interactive games in the Kids Area; Q&A sessions and game shows with Brewers players, coaches and broadcasters; vendor booths with baseball memorabilia; Brewers Community Foundation’s Treasure Hunt and many other activities will all be a part of Brewers On Deck.
Details regarding autographs include the following: Recipients of “PREMIER” autographs (players to be announced next week) will be chosen through a random selection process. Each fan in attendance will receive one Premier Entry sheet which may be redeemed at the Random Selection area outside the Main Exhibit Hall of the Wisconsin Center District. The Premier Entry sheet will be exchanged for a numbered coupon to be entered into the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. Coupon distribution will be available at 8 a.m. the day of the event and will continue up to an hour before each designated autograph session. There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding winning coupons must pay $10 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the autograph sessions. The winning ticket numbers will be posted at the designated autograph stage no less than 30 minutes prior to each player’s session.
Players and staff not included in the PREMIER autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of these players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10. A schedule of players, their session times, and distribution info will be posted next week. The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia. For additional information, visit Brewers.com/ondeck.
Autograph proceeds benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs. The Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player.
Fans also have the opportunity to enter to win autographs from their favorite players via a #BrewersOnDeck Vine & Instagram contest, which runs through Monday, January 20. The details can be found here: http://brewers.mlblogs.com/2014/01/07/win-an-autograph-from-your-favorite-brewers-player-at-brewers-on-deck/
Brewers to Announce 40-Man Roster Additions Today
Most expect 2012 Brewers MiLB Player of the Year Hunter Morris to be added to the 40-man roster today.
Today is the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the annual Rule V Draft.
That draft takes place at the Winter Meetings and was originally implemented with the idea of getting players an opportunity that they might otherwise not receive. The basics that one needs to know are that if a player is selected by another club, that player must be rostered at the MLB level for the entirety of the next season and be “active” for at least 90 days. Otherwise the player must be offered back to his original organization.
From there, it gets a little more complicated including upfront cost, roster construction, option years, salary differential, etc. The point though is that eligible players who would be of interest to other clubs need to be protected from the draft. The only way to do that is to add the player to the 40-man roster.
Not every minor leaguer is eligible though. To be eligible for the Rule V Draft a player must have played in professional (affiliated) baseball for at least four full seasons if he was signed at age 19 or older, and five full seasons if signed at 18 or younger.
The Brewers have several eligible players this year who warranted consideration for protection, but at most four open roster spots with which to protect. Last year they protected more than that and possibly adding Corey Hart add a free agent would mean someone previously protected may eventually wind up back off the roster the end. Furthermore, the group of eligible players in full could make up their own 40-man roster still have two on the outside looking in.
But those most likely seriously considered include Hunter Morris, Jason Rogers, Brooks Hall, Kyle Heckathorn, Kevin Shackelford, and Tyler Cravy.
Any of those aren’t added today are certainly names to look for on December 15th as teams make selections in the Rule V Draft. Others could be lost as well, especially if they’re able to be taken in the minor league portions of the draft like Eric Farris last year.
I have learned that the Brewers officials have had their discussions and made their arguments as to why each player should be protected. The final decision is, as it should be, now in general manager Doug Melvin’s hands.
We’ll have coverage for you whenever official word comes down. Decisions are due to the league office before the end of the day, or 11pm CST.
***BREAKING: A source informed me that Jason Rogers will be added to the 40-man roster today.***
***BREAKING PART TWO: A source confirmed that Hunter Morris will also be added to the 40-man roster, as widely expected.***
The Brewer Nation 