In September, the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to become the Triple-A franchise of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, after the AAA Nashville Sounds ended their 10-year affi liation with the Brewers and opted to change to the Oakland Athletics. The Sky Sox franchise is an original member of the Pacifi c Coast League, since 1903. The franchise operated in Sacramento, CA (Solons 1903-1960) was relocated to Honolulu, HI (Islanders 1961-1987) then moved to Colorado Springs (1988-present). The name “Sky Sox” was adopted in honor of Colorado Springs’ Western League Sky Sox (Class A affi liate of the Chicago White Sox) that played at Memorial Park from 1950-1958. When Colorado was awarded a Major League franchise, the new Rockies arranged for the Sky Sox to become their AAA affi liate. From 1993-2014, Colorado Springs were the top affi liate of the Colorado Rockies. Colorado Springs is a member of the Pacifi c Coast League’s American Northern Division along with the Iowa Cubs (CHC), Oklahoma City RedHawks (HOU), and Omaha Storm Chasers (KC). The Sky Sox play their home games at Security Service Field, capacity 8,500.

Most Information gathered at www.skysox.com

From Nashville to Colorado Springs

Batting Average Leaderboard

Name Team Name BA

Chris Teske Big Hard Dirty .714

Brad Polczynski Smashin' Assassins .692

Dan Zier J-Bonz .692

Garret Newkirk Big Hard Dirty .643

Jerry Thornsen J-Bonz .636

Jim Gross Smashin' Assassins .615

Gary Anderson Iron Waffl e .600

Robb Slak Iron Waffl e .600

Robert Kniprath Smashin' Assassins .583

David Maruska Boy Toyz .571

Don Quinones Boy Toyz .571

Ron Schoenbach Sweet and Sour .571

Matt Varney Sweet and Sour .571

Mark Kadlec Boy Toyz .538

Mike Martin Iron Waffl e .538

Noah Williams J-Bonz .538

Jason Holtz Iron Waffl e .533

Ryan Anderson Smashin' Assassins .500

Randy Dummer J-Bonz .500

Steve Hepp Iron Waffl e .500

Dennis Johnson Big Hard Dirty .500

Tom Schroeder Iron Waffl e .500

Greg Beaubien Sweet and Sour .462

Mike Keith J-Bonz .462

Tim Adamany Boy Toyz .455

Roger Rustad Boy Toyz .455

Rich Tower Boy Toyz .455

Dave Wall Boy Toyz .455

Mike Marty Sweet and Sour .429

Randy Oswald Sweet and Sour .429

Tony Peltier Big Hard Dirty .429

A BIG THANK YOU TO SCOTT ABRAMS and GREG BEAUBIEN

FOR COMPILING THE STATS.

Fantasy Camp StandingsAfter 4 games

W L

IRON WAFFLE 3 1

BIG HARD DIRTY 3 1

J-BONZ 2 2

SMASHIN’ ASSASSINS 2 2

BOY TOYZ 1 3

SWEET AND SOUR 1 3

Wednesday’s ResultsMorning Games

Iron Waffl e - 19 Smashin’ Assassins - 3

Boy Toyz - 12Sweet and Sour - 16

J-Bonz - 7Big Hard Dirty - 8

Afternoon Games

Sweet and Sour - 3 J-Bonz - 14Boy Toyz - 8Iron Waffl e - 4

Smashin’ Assassins - 7Big Hard Dirty - 5

Words by Dim Tillard

How cool would Japanese baseball be, if after a rain delay they origamied the tarp. #itsagoose —A tweet from @DimTillard

Who’s Dim Tillard, you ask? You and I know him better by his baseball name, Tim Dillard. Dillard, who spent parts of four seasons (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012) with the Milwaukee Brewers, and is currently with the club’s Triple-A affi liate Colorado Springs Sky Sox, has embraced social media as his way to stay in touch with his legion of fans. As of press time, Dillard’s 3,205 Twitter followers can count on his Sunday observations and his movie quote Monday tweets, sandwiched between his wit and wisdom, like: “Hi, I’m looking for Ray Finkle...and a clean pair of shorts.”#MovieQuoteMonday

It bothers me @DunkinDonuts logo is coffee and not a donut.#ConfessionSunday

As many of you know, Twitter limits their Tweet length to 140 characters. So what does Dim Tillard do when he has more to say? He puts it in his blog, aptly named: Player’s Progress: An Oddball Blog about Baseball. It’s there he let’s the reader in on his learnings while in professional baseball. From writing about rain delays in “Tarps On” to opening up the minor league clubhouse and its protocol on music in “Welcome To The Club House,” Tim’s slant will surely bring a smile and a chuckle to the reader. Enjoy one of my favorite pieces from Tillard. Oops. Dillard.

A Prized Possession: Part 1

• Growing up in Minor League clubhouses was freaking sweet! Back then, I considered it normal, cause that’s all I knew.• But now that I have my own kid swirling around in the clubhouse, I know just how special it really was.• Looking back, probably the coolest thing about being a coach’s kid was getting to know the players. (cont. →)

• Luis Gonzalez, Scott Servais, Jamie “Cat” Walker, Kary Bridges, John Halama, Richard Hidalgo, Dwayne Hosey, John Hudek, Eddie Sedar.• I remember in 1994, my dad was managing the Quad City River Bandits. (A-Ball for the Astros) I’ll never for-get it because during that season we got a very special player…

Every summer I had many clubhouse jobs. Picking up stadium trash, bat boy, concession stand runner, assis-tant clubbie. But my primary source of income at age 11 was shining shoes. (50 cents a shoe) One day, while running amuck in the clubhouse, my dad mentioned we were getting a new player. The guy was a 1st round draft pick and throws a 100 mph!

Enter Billy Wagner, future MLB pitcher. He was polite, friendly, and awesome! And quickly became my favor-ite player. He also liked his spikes spic and span be-fore every game. (enter shoeshine boy!) He’d pay me $1, plus a 50 cent tip. (I think that’s like $30 in today’s money) I always made sure his spikes were sparkling.

Wagner was having a great season (because of his pol-ished shoes) and was chosen as a Midwest League All-Star! Just before the All-Star Break, Wags walked into my “offi ce” (equipment room) holding his spikes. And in a southern draw said, “Hey, you mind polishin’ these up before I leave for the All-Star game?” (hmmm… let me check my schedule)

“Sure!” I blurted out. My work, on display for the whole world? I’ve reached the pinnacle! I remember how painstakingly detailed I was on those spikes. And al-most took too long. I had to hand Billy the shoes as he was quickly leaving for the Break. (Godspeed cleats of Billy Wagner!)

Hey. Who’s a 1st rounder and forgot to pay the shoe-shine boy? Ha, it was fi ne. He was probably just ex-cited. Besides, Wags would tip me so much anyway, I fi gured that shine could be on the house.

When the Midsummer Classic was over, it was back to work. The clubhouse was full of chatter and high fi ve’s when I saw Wagner walk in. He came straight up to me, “Hey lil’ Dill, got these for ya. Thanks for the shine!“

“Great Scott!” Did future legendary MLB closer Billy Wagner just give me a huge stack of baseball cards from the 1994 Midwest League All-Star game? I think he did!

Baseball cards were like gold bricks, G.I. Joes, or War-heads! I loved collecting cards! Trading cards, baseball cards, picture cards. Whatever you call them, they’re a pastime and more than a hobby, and I call them special. And, as it turns out, that stack of cards Wagner gave me WAS incredibly special!

Years later, I’d discover that that pack contained a rare and amazing card! A baseball card that would become “The One Ring” of my collection!! A player who would impact the game like never before!!! Perhaps the great-est player in recent history!!!! The one and only…

…cliff-hanger – noun – a melodramatic installment that ends in suspense in order to interest the reader in the next installment

“To Be Concluded…”

A Prized Possession: Part 2

• In 1994: Future MLB pitcher Billy Wagner gave me a pack of Minor League baseball cards from the Midwest League All-Star Game.• In 1997: I fi nally noticed the hidden gem inside that pack.• That gem? A card of Appleton Foxes All-Star short-stop… Alex Rodriguez! His fi rst baseball card ever!• At this time, A-Rod was already a household name, and had a career batting average of .318! The Mariners young shortstop was a 2-time MLB All-Star. He’d hit 64 home-runs, had 435 hits, and 228 runs-batted-in, in just 352 MLB games!• Rodriguez could run, throw, fi eld, hit, and hit for power. He was the complete player, and I had his rarest base-ball card in existence! What a fi nd!• And for three years this card went unnoticed in my giant blue Rubbermaid box of baseball cards! Not a good place for a card of this caliber.

After my ultra-awesome discovery, I needed cash to purchase a protective case worthy of my bestest card. (I’d like to thank my unsuspecting brothers for their “do-nations”) With intense begging, my folks fi nally chauf-feured me to the local comic book store. “I’d like a, 1 inch, 4-screw acrylic slab baseball card holder please!” I said to the grown man in the Fantastic Four shirt.

This top-of-the-market card case would ensure the pro-tection of my mint-condition A-Rod. Water-proof, shat-ter-proof, and scratch-resistant. Using a screw driver, I placed the shortstop in-between two clear “bricks”. Now, I could display it, and sleep better knowing Alex was safe on my shelf.

By 1999, Rodriguez’ legend was growing! With a.325 career average, he was now a 3 time All-Star. He was averaging a home-run every 17 at-bats, and an r.b.i. ev-ery 5 at-bats. His stardom was skyrocketing! (and so was the value of my little Elf on the Shelf) On pace to become the greatest player of our generation!

Disaster strikes. In 1999, after A-Rod had only been on my shelf for 2 years, my family’s house caught fi re. Thankfully nobody was hurt. However, the house was destroyed and most everything in it. Including my old-est brother’s Upper Deck Griffey rookie card, and my other brother’s Sosa jersey. And me…

Days after the accident, I frantically sifted through the rubble of where my room used to be. Nothing but ash-es, until something strange surfaced. It was a large melted ball. Puzzled, I scooped it up and examined it closely. “My expensive card protector?” Charcoaled on one side and translucent on the other, I peered into the twisted orb. My precious! My precious card! I could see A-Rod! BUT, he looked different.

He was mangled and twisted. Melted and warped. The card was ruined. I remember how disappointed I was. I’d put that card on a pedestal. Encased it in honor. And placed it on a trophy shelf. All celebrating an amazing baseball player. Now… Worthless.

Today, that melted ball ironically symbolizes Alex Ro-driguez’s baseball career; a big expensive ball of twist-ed mess!

I realize now that the card wasn’t a prized possession. It was kindness. The kindness a Minor League pitcher showed towards a trouble-making shoeshine boy.

If you’d like to follow Tim Dillard on Twitter, he can be found at @DimTillard, and to read his blogs, please go to http://dimtillard.wordpress.com

Words by Dim Tillard (cont.)

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The Waffl es Have Assassins For Breakfast The Iron Waffl es, who went into the morning slate of Wednesday’s games undefeated and tied with Big Hard Dirty for the camp lead in the standings, showed the rest of the teams why they have the most potent offense in camp. The Waffl es showed no mercy to the Smashin’ Assassins as they pounded out 20 hits in their 19-3 victory. The Waffl es had eight players with at least two hits apiece, led by Robb Slak, Bill Alber, and Jason Holtz, each with three hits. Teammate Tom Schroeder lead the way with 5 RBI and was hit twice by Assassins’ pitchers. Grasshopper was also plunked twice. In total, the Assassins drilled six batters. In the nightcap, the Waffl es’ three-game win streak came to an end after falling to Boy Toyz 8-4, who notched their fi rst victory in this young season. In that afternoon game, the Toyz knocked the ball around for thirteen hits

with fi ve players each having two hits and their eight runs driven in by eight different players, including Don Quiñones who tallied two doubles. Before getting off the schneid with their afternoon victory, the Toyz lost to Sweet and Sour, the other winless team going into the day’s games. Sweet and Sour busted out for 16 hits and were walked 10 times in their 16-12 slugfest against the Toyz. Ron Schoenbach went 4-4 with 4 RBI and two walks to give his team their fi rst taste of victory this season. The Sour lost their afternoon set to J-Bonz 14-3. Dan Zier and Mike Keith each hit home runs off Sour pitching; Zier, Keith, and Jerry Thornsen accounted for 10 RBI, led by Zier’s 4 ribbies. Zier’s fi fth inning blast was his second inside-the-park home run of the camp. J-Bonz lost their morning game to Big Hard Dirty 8-7.

Chris Teske went 4-4, with three doubles to lead the Dirty in the victory. Teske, who also went 2-3 in his team’s loss to the Assassins, no leads all campers with a .714 batting average. After their 19-3 shellacking at the hands of Iron Waffl e in the morning, the Assassins came back with a 13-hit, 7-5 win over the Dirty. Five Assassins had two hits each, including Jim Gross, who drove in two baserunners with a one-out, fi rst inning triple.

Total Runs by Team Iron Waffl e - 40 Big Hard Dirty - 31 J-Bonz - 29 Smashin’ Assassins - 26 Boy Toyz - 32 Sweet and Sour - 35

Tom Schroeder - Iron Waffl e

The Offi cial Newspaper of the 2015 Milwaukee Brewers Fantasy Camp Thursday, January 22, 2015Volume 9, Issue 5

TODAYAfter today’s games, Kangaroo Court will be in session. All cases will be heard, so bring your money if you suspect you may have to pay a fi ne. Remember, all proceeds raised tonight will go to fi ghting ALS. Artist Sean Kane will speak tonight at happy hour and show more of his Painted Glove pieces, followed by the musical stylings of our own Pete Ladd. You don’t want to miss this!

DID YOU KNOW?The Milwaukee Brewers were nominated for two social media awards and Carlos Gomez was nominated for one during the second annual MLB Network Social Media Awards. Gomez’s team selfi e (see left) was nominated for Best Selfi e, along with Best Videobomb (another Gomez production) and Best Team Promotion (Brewers’ Countdown to 2014 Opening Day, via Twitter and Instagram). Although the Brewers didn’t win any awards, they sure know how to keep things fun.

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Snapshots of IRON WAFFLE

Snapshots of BIG HARD DIRTY