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Jones vows 'I can't give up'
In his seventh minor-league season, former No. 1 pick copes with a career beset by injuries and failures
By BRAD SHEPARD
For The Huntsville Times

Mike Jones had just surrendered another home run. As the Huntsville Stars pitcher roamed the mound, the crowd at Joe Davis Stadium fell nearly silent enough to hear the ball land beyond the outfield wall.

Then came a voice from the bleachers.

"Hey Don!" the fan yelled toward Stars manager Don Money. "When are you going to figure out that Mike Jones sucks?!"

The heckling actually brought applause. After Jones was pulled from the game, he sat in an empty clubhouse, five years of frustration flowing to the surface. Later that night, his fiance, Nicole Zaloumis, could sense that Jones had emotionally crashed.

"He just broke down in his locker," Zaloumis said. "To hear that (heckling), I think he questioned in his own mind: 'Will I ever get it back?'

"Mike's not an emotional person. To have so much failure and so many heartbreaks over the years and to not ever let it out, I think he needed that."

After seven minor-league seasons, two shoulder operations and a Tommy John elbow surgery, Jones carries plenty of pent-up emotion. The promise of being the 12th overall pick in the 2001 draft has mostly evaporated. Whereas Jones once blew away batters, the 25-year-old now gets a muted thrill from simply throwing 75 pitches without pain.

"I've had a lot more support than I would have ever thought, especially considering how my performance has been on the mound," Jones said.

"You get, from time to time, the guy who paid his money to come watch a game, who yells I'm terrible and I'm no good anymore.

"That's fine because I know that I'm not good right now. There's nobody who's going to be harder on myself than I am."

That's why he decided against playing winter baseball after this season - wanting to give his body and mind time to recuperate.

"I'm tired," Jones said

He's also embarking on another important chapter of his life.

Getting married

Jones is thinking about Bora Bora.

Sitting in the Stars' dugout, his mind stretches to a beach where the Tahitian priest marries him and Nicole.

There's no 1-5 record and 6.15 earned run average. No home runs or walks. No arm fatigue, no pain, no doctors or trainers, no hecklers.

"I just think it's reached a point where I need to get away from baseball for a while," Jones said.

He also believes he needs to take the next step in his life with Zaloumis, a television reporter who covers the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks for Fox Sports Northwest.

During what he called last year's "rock bottom" after learning he faced elbow surgery, Jones didn't turn to his old vices - hiding in an alcohol bottle or all-night parties with teammates. Instead, he leaned on Zaloumis, whom he had met a few months previously in Phoenix thanks to an introduction from Milwaukee pitcher Manny Parra.

"She provided a light at the end of the tunnel for me," Jones said. "Even if baseball didn't work out, when I met her, I knew there would be something else."

On Sept. 19, they'll officially get married in a Seattle courthouse in front of family before eloping to the French Polynesian islands for the beach ceremony.

"God knows both of us need that," Zaloumis said.

Getting hurt

Jones' signing bonus topped $2 million in 2001, a Brewers club record at the time.

He was chosen in the first round of a draft alongside players such as Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, Mark Prior and Casey Kotchman.

His smooth right-handed delivery led many scouts to declare Jones would be less susceptible to injuries. Yet he served multiple stints on the disabled list his first three seasons with elbow and shoulder troubles.

In October 2004 he underwent major shoulder surgery. Six months of rehabilitation followed, and when he was re-evaluated in April 2005, Jones was told that part of his labrum was still torn away from the bone, so he had another surgery and another six months of rehab.

"There's no rhyme or reason to some of these things," Milwaukee assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "Mike had about as perfect a delivery as you can have - a nice, clean delivery and good arm motion. From a scouting perspective, there was no way to predict that happening."

During June 2007, Jones felt he was healthy and progressing when he felt elbow pain during a game. His fastball plummeted below 80 mph, and he was immediately removed. Tommy John surgery followed. Some 14 months later, he's still recovering.

"This entire year has been a real roller coaster," Jones said. "I've gotten up to like 92 (mph) and been as low as 86. The inconsistency is a prime example of how the past five years have been."

Getting healthy

Jones' path to recovery led him to Huntsville - again. Pardon him if he's a little skittish returning to the site of so many of his problems. He has pitched here during parts of five seasons, starting in 2003.

"I've seen this place grow up a little," Jones said. "I don't have anything against the city itself. It's the fact that I've been stuck in Double-A for five years and that for some reason, every time I come back here, I get hurt."

More disappointing numbers have followed his midseason return to Huntsville. He has allowed 10 homers in 52 2/3 innings, along with 42 walks against only 29 strikeouts.

"I don't like going out there and walking people," Jones said. "I don't like going out there and giving up home runs. One hitter, I'll go out there and have a good sequence of pitches, and the next hitter, I won't have any idea where the ball's going."

He is still re-learning his mechanics, under close inspection from Stars pitching coach Chris Hook.

"His hand sometimes is just not in the same slot from pitch to pitch," Hook said. "Sometimes, his body won't allow himself to repeat."

It's a daily struggle, but beyond the frustration and fatigue, there is a silver lining of an injury-free season.

"My ultimate goal is to get through an entire season healthy," he said. "I haven't done that since 2002. I know it may sound insignificant."

A healthy season and a clean break for a while could provide a fresh start. Jones is a free agent after this season, and though he said he would love to stay with Milwaukee, he realizes it's a business decision - one that the organization won't discuss now.

Regardless, Jones said he plans on pitching next spring.

"Here I am today getting ready to get married, coming back from Tommy John surgery, and I've been healthy all year," he said. "There have been plenty enough things to keep me going, and that's worth looking forward to.

"I can't give up. It would be an injustice for everything I've worked for the past five years to just quit."

Well, this didn't take long, did it?

Southern League Pitcher of the Week
Jeremy Jeffress, Huntsville
2-0, 0.77 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 11 SO
It wasn't a perfect week for Jeffress by any standard; surely the former first-round pick has had better ones in his so-far stellar Minor League career. However, for a 20-year-old making just his second and third starts in Double-A, this is pretty impressive stuff. Jeffress didn't make it out of the third inning in his debut with the Stars, so perhaps he came out with something to prove against Birmingham last Monday. The right-hander allowed just three hits over six scoreless innings, showing minimal command difficulty with four walks. That didn't go away in his next outing against Carolina, when he walked three in 5 2/3, but Jeffress allowed just one run and struck out seven batters. So, while the shaky command is still there to be worked on, there's no questioning his stuff, nor the dominant results so far.

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Winter ball and bear-trapping next for Stars
Offseason plans new priority for team that failed to make playoffs
By BRAD SHEPARD
For The Huntsville Times

Out of the Southern League playoff chase the past month, the Huntsville Stars have turned their attention toward the offseason.

Some players received Arizona Fall League invitations, and others are off to play winter ball in foreign countries. Some Stars are planning surgical clean-ups and some will head home for part-time jobs.

As for second baseman Mike Bell?

"I'm going bear hunting," he said. "My uncles are bear hunting guides in the Trinity Alps in Northern California. I go every year.

"They use objects to make the bears go up into trees, but most of the time, you just go into a cave with a flashlight and a gun."

Apparently, there's nothing in Bell's minor-league contract that forbids him from hunting 6-foot-6, 400-pound creatures with a "Dirty Harry"-style 44-magnum and a prayer.

Pitcher Donovan Hand, a Hatton resident called up to Huntsville midseason, is heading home.

"Probably just going to work in the hay field some, I guess," he said.

Reliever Patrick Ryan and several other Stars are looking at winter jobs, too. Though some minor-leaguers have the luxury of living off of million-dollar signing bonuses, they're more the exception.

Others like left fielder Cole Gillespie are looking at weeks of rehabbing injuries. Ever since rookie ball three years ago, Gillespie has been nagged by a toe injury. During spring training this season, he was diagnosed with a broken sesamoid bone, so he's going to have surgery and spend several weeks recovering at the Brewers' complex in Phoenix.

"I've had this for a long time," he said, "so even though I'm not looking forward to it, at the same time, I'm glad to get it over with and get healthy."

Infielders Alcides Escobar, Guilder Rodriguez and many of the Stars' Latin players are heading to winter leagues in Venezuela to practice their trade with major leaguers such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Guillermo Rodriguez and Ceasar Izturis. Huntsville hitting coach Sandy Guerrero will serve as the hitting coach for a team in Venezuela, too.

While some Stars are waiting on their invitations to the prestigious Arizona Fall League, 20-year-old phenom pitcher Jeremy Jeffress knows he's going. The right-hander with the 100-mph fastball plans to spend the next few months improving his change-up and impressing Brewers representatives enough to get an spring training invite with the big-league club.

Escobar held out hope of reaching the majors this season as a September call-up for the Brewers' pennant run.

"Getting called up would make me the happiest person in the world," he said through a translator.

That came to fruition when Escobar was promoted Sunday.

Finally, Stars manager Don Money is looking forward to returning to his farm in New Jersey, where he'll spend time with his five grandchildren.

"I do a lot around the house," he said. "And outside of the house when the weather is nice."

Huntsville Press Release by Buck Rogers:

1: First at-bat in AA ball and Matt LaPorta hits a grand slam. He left the Stars in early July with 20 homers.

3: The number of players from the 2008 Huntsville Stars that were called up to the Major Leagues this season (Mat Gamel, Angel Salome and Alcides Escobar). All three received an at-bat Wednesday (9/3), Escobar was the only one to get a hit. This number also reflects the ranking of the Stars overall winning percentage in the league; two teams (Mississippi & West Tenn) with lower winning percentages are in the playoffs based on a split-season format.

4: The number of pitches needed to win a baseball game. With a suspended game tied on April 27th, the Stars and Jacksonville Suns needed to finish up the next day during a daytime doubleheader. With the score tied 9-9, two outs and a 2-2 count on the Suns batter, Juan Sandoval threw one pitch to retire the side. In the bottom of the 9th Mat Gamel grounded to 1st on the first pitch and Chris Errecart, after fouling off one pitch, jacked a solo walk-off shot to end the game. You think you've seen it all...Sandoval comes in and throws one pitch, records an out and gets the win. All in a day's work, except that he spent more time warming up for the game then actually playing the game.
5: Don Mincher's number that the Huntsville Stars retired. The last player to wear that number was Mike Bell.

10: The number of new speakers installed at The Joe this season.

21: Most Stars hits in a game (vs Chattanooga).

40: Falling short of the playoffs this season, 40 is still the number of wins and losses the Stars have logged in post-season play in franchise history.

44: Overall players assigned to Huntsville this season.

47: The number of one-run games the Huntsville Stars played in this past season. The club's 17-30 one-run record came back to haunt everybody as the first half ended in a tie. Just one of those first half one-run games that would've swung our way would've landed us in the playoffs. Also the game time temperature on a night that the weather gurus called for snow back in April.

58: The game number where David Welch threw a complete game (seven innings) no hitter against Chattanooga. Welchie allowed two walks and whiffed six to up his record to 7-1 at that point of the season. Matt LaPorta homered and the Stars won, 2-0.

52: The jersey number of CC Sabathia who was acquired by the Brewers from Cleveland for Stars RF Matt LaPorta and three additional MiLB players. LaPorta went to Akron and his batting average dropped 76 points. Sabathia went to Milwaukee and is now the front-runner for the 2009 NL Cy Young Award and has the Brewers ahead of the pack in the wild card race. LaPorta was selected for the Future's Game and the USA Olympic team. You do the math and figure who go the better end of that deal.

67: Ounces in a 2-liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew that is consumed daily by a couple staff members.

82: Player transactions that started with J.R. Hopf being transferred to Nashville and ending with Alcides Escobar being transferred to Milwaukee.

100: The number recorded on the speed pitch indicator every time the scoreboard needed to be reset.

144: The number of fans to participate in Operation Clean Sweep on March 22nd, effectively taking control of the stadium and showing that civic pride is alive and well.

179: The new franchise record for hits in a season established by Alcides Escobar eclipsing 176.

215: Days remaining before the Stars next home game.

333: The winning percentage of the Stars in extra innings (5-10).

360: The new franchise record for a batting average. Angel Salome crushed the previous record of .340.

385: The cost of a 2009 season ticket ($5.50 per game and some new perks).

800: The Stars winning percentage in shut-out games (8-2).

833: The Stars winning percentage in doubleheader games (5-1).

3,240: The number of stadium horns sold at The Joe in 2008.

05252: The winning number in our end of season drawing for a lifetime season ticket.

11,689: The number of honorary first pitches thrown by Huntsville Stars fans, staff, players, coaches, umpires and anybody else that wanted to join in on the fun. Big thanks to Cabinet NG, the official sponsor of the event. Look for something record breaking again next season out of Cabinet NG.

An insightful interview with Stars' GM Buck Rogers at MiLB.com here.

Among his insights are that the Stars' game broadcasts will be internet only (no local radio) starting next year.

What? No more "Is your chicken kickin'?" advertisements?

Huntsville GM Buck Rogers put together a Top 10 List from the Stars' season after compiling suggestions from Stars' fans -- Buck's not a big Matt Laporta fan, by the way, at least off the field --

Because you can't watch a post-game interview in the world of sports without hearing some of the cheesiest clichés I thought that this would be a good time to keep the tradition alive a la Nuke LaLoosh...you know, I'm just happy to be here, I just wanna contribute, God willing, staying healthy and all of that. So, without further ado, let's post the Top Ten Moments from the 2008 Huntsville Stars so we can put this year in the books.

#10: It's More Than Baseball

I had a woman approach me this summer and say, "We never hear about the Stars players doing things in the community like they used to do when it was an A's team."

Clunk.

That was my jaw dropping to the pavement.

Naturally, this hit my nerves because our staff has accompanied our players and coaches on many charitable events and appearances.

I responded that maybe our guys do it out of the goodness of their hearts and aren't looking for recognition; maybe they're doing it for the right reasons and not the publicity. No matter, but this subject is really near and dear to our staff and is something we take personally. So when your responses started coming in it validated that our players are in touch with the community and will continue to be in the future. Thank you for your comments and we do forward responses on to Milwaukee.

We received so many personal notes about how a player had interacted with a fan that we couldn't list them all, but we included a couple here.
My favorite 2008 Stars memory happened during the July 4th weekend series against the Barons. I was sitting in the stands with Cole Gillespie's dad, when Cole hit a three-bagger. His next at bat went out of the park and the expression on his dad's face reminded me why I love Minor League Baseball sooo much! It's all about the game and each player giving their all and about the family and the fans! That was the same weekend when Matt LaPorta was traded. There was talk that Cole might be in the mix. I remember talking with his dad and him telling me that Cole loved the Brewers organization. - Pat Drosten, Brevard County Manatees Season Ticket Holder, New Smyrna Beach, FL

My top memories include the stadium clean-up days, time shared with pitcher Joe Bateman during the Booster Club's welcome banquet, bringing my grandson to games (we've been bringing him since he was born but he's 6 now and taking more interest in the goings-on) and the general resurgence of energy brought to the Joe by you and your staff. Looking forward to 2009, GO STARS, - Johnny Phillips, Killen, AL

We had Stars players show up to our grandkids Little League games in town. It had to be on an off day because I know the Stars don't have a lot of free time, but they showed up to watch and encourage the kids. I never would've suspected that they were Stars players themselves because they were more like older brothers to the kids, cheering them on. - Jackie Weckerle

A few of us on staff accompanied some players on a visit to the kids' cancer center at Huntsville Hospital. Mike Jones promised one young patient that when he got well he'd have him out to a Stars game and let him throw out a first pitch which he (Mike) would catch. Mike lived up to his promise and I'll never forget the boy's smile that night.

I could go on, but of everything on the list that you provided as 2008 memories it's these stories that are probably the dearest to my heart.

#9: Tom Sawyer Whitewashing the Fence

Many of you wrote in regarding Operations Clean Sweep I and II. In February our staff faced a dilemma. We conducted a thorough walk-thru of the stadium and made a laundry list of things that needed repairing, repainting or just plain scrapping. Realizing that the stadium's water was shut off thru the winter to prevent pipes from freezing, the task at hand wasn't going to be started until mid-March just before the season began.

With not enough time or bodies to accomplish the mission ourselves, the call went out for volunteers. There were a few staff members who doubted that more than a few hardcore fans would show up. But the civic pride of North Alabama was on display as 144 of you enlisted for battle armed with brooms, rakes, pressure washers and paint brushes. A weekend's worth of sweat changed the look of The Joe and left me stunned. I had privately hoped for 50 people, but the outpouring of the fans to show their support for this organization and the stadium was overwhelming. This single event set the wheels in motion that this community will rally around the team and the activities at the stadium.

A second OCS was conducted November 1st to winterize the ballpark. You can say what you want, but when you're facing whitewashing a fence and it's not all fun and games, it's good to have a Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher willing to join in the 'fun.' Brian Burnham was one of many that participated and commented on the clean-up. We'll be at it again in mid-March.

#8: The Thrill on the Hill or the Dooka in Chattanooga

There were four Stars' fans that wrote in regarding this one. It was the final game of a road trip at Chattanooga. There was already bad blood between the Stars and the Lookouts, the AA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. CF Michael Brantley walked up to the plate and told the Lookouts' catcher that he wasn't going to play their silly game -- hit the batter or actually words to that effect. In fact, it was prob'ly worded differently. Earlier in the game Beef (Stars Pitcher Patrick Ryan) had dusted a couple Lookouts batters in an on-going back and forth Jedi mind game, and things went from bad to worse. Beef batted ahead of Brantley and it became comical when the Lookouts pitcher tried to hit Beef with some payback but kept missing as Beef leaned backwards to avoid the beanballs. Beef walked and Brantley came up with a bad attitude. There was no fun in his eyes and he took two close-in pitches before he started the march to the mound and that was that. Dugouts and bullpens emptied and you could almost hear Michael Buffer...: "Ding...Ding...Ding...: Ladies and gentlemen...uhhhhhh...LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!"

The thing I'll remember most was three different Lookouts player approached catcher Angel Salome who was just standing at the rail of the dugout taking in the melee. Angel is built like a middle linebacker and somebody you normally wouldn't want to mess with, even in the heat of battle, but these three guys decided he was open for business. Angel rabbit punched one right after another dropping them to their knees, including the Lookouts Manager Mike Goff who took a couple swings at Angel. It was a Stars franchise record for fines and suspensions. In the end the Lookouts came to town and Goff was classy enough to visit the Stars' clubhouse and apologize to Stars Manager Don Money regarding some comments made about Don and the Stars resembling barnyard fowl's waste by-products.

Here's a rehash for those interested:

http://www.timesfreepress...-lookouts-punished-fight/

#7: Brian Massey, the Human Piñata

Again, we received a few emails regarding this promotion. Cinco de Mayo at the Ballpark was as real as it gets. Paul Westbrook played a legitimate flamenco guitar, the staff was dressed in Mexican-style clothes and fans received numbered Green Cards as they entered the ballpark, one that was worth a million pesos in tickets if one of the Stars players hit for the cycle. None did, but it was fun to wish for it to happen.

But the thing that made the night most entertaining was the Human Piñata. There's something magical about selecting somebody like Director of Media and Public Relations Brian Massey for this event. He knows he's screwed as soon as we begin asking for a volunteer. "Low man on the totem pole?" he asked. "Nah, you're just the fan favorite. Everybody loves you. You know the deal. Oh, and when the kids beat you senseless with a baseball bat, don't make a sound unless you're broken or bleeding." If you weren't there, it was a priceless moment as the Massinator tried to stay quiet while the first unassuming kid whacked him with a softee (padded) baseball bat. The blindfolded kid thought he was hitting a cardboard piñata. Then a couple staff members took their shots. A classic moment and we couldn't help but laugh.

Relive it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YTHfOKHTr4

#6: The Tripleheader

No, not the Hansen Brothers from that hockey movie 'Slapshot,' this was more like that old commercial for Certs Breath Mints....three, three, three games in one. Nothing says hardcore like three baseball games on one night, actually the completion of one game and a doubleheader, but three games nonetheless.

I first saw this happen back in Fayetteville, NC, in the mid-90s and when I mentioned it to a couple fans that because of the playoff scenario and the bad weather we could end up playing a tripleheader, they thought I was joking. But because the games were needed to settle the playoff picture the league OK'd the games. Even League Prez Don Mincher admitted he hated doing it, but Minor League Baseball will always make every attempt to play its games to determine its championships. Naturally there were some unhappy folks from players, coaches, staff, fans and day-of-game employees, just about everybody when I think back, but you always have to look at the bright side...how many people do you know that can actually say that they sat thru a tripleheader? No plans to make this an annual event, even though a couple of you asked about it.

"Thriple Header! What a night (what a lead into that night, from mgnts point of view / jumping thru hoops)!" - Mike Smith

#5: The Trade

Again many of you wrote in regarding what has come to be known as The Trade. For those that just woke up from a 26-year nap, the Milwaukee Brewers traded away Stars RF Matt LaPorta and three other Minor Leaguers to the Cleveland Indians for CC Sabathia. The Brewers ended up making the playoffs on some of the most amazing pitching by CC and restoring hope to Brewers fans everywhere. LaPorta, whose first at-bat of the season was a grand slam, went to the AA Akron Aeros where he dropped his bags and went to the MLB Futures Game and later the Olympics in China.

LaPorta could hit the long ball but had a reputation for not being fan-friendly with the autograph seekers. Fans in the Eastern League actually found out what some Stars fans had discovered early on: good luck getting something signed.

In the end I think the Brewers got the better end of the deal. You can say what you want about what the future could hold for LaPorta, but a guy with a Terrell Owens attitude isn't going to help you in the long run. Ask Jerry Jones. Clubhouse Manager Marcus Commander asked Matt to sign his jerseys before he left; the same jerseys that were to be auctioned off in our MDA and St Jude's fundraising auctions. "What's in it for me?" was the response. Go figure. Good luck, Cleveland. Karma is a two way street.

You know the champagne that was on ice had we clinched the first half? Some of the players popped the corks and celebrated after the Brewers pulled the trigger on The Trade. Morale improved after that, players smiled more. Must be something in the water here, too.
By the way, those two jerseys were sold without autographs and helped the two fundraisers anyways.

#4: The Team

The Stars were batting over .300 as a team in July. Those are absolutely ridiculous numbers. At season's end the Brewers had three of our 2008 Huntsville Stars in Milwaukee: C Angel Salome, SS Alcides Escobar and 3B Mat Gamel. The lineup of the Huntsville Stars was voted the #1 in MiLB by Minor League News. These three players are just the beginning of what the future of MLB will remember of the 2008 Huntsville Stars.

Who can forget the body moves and throws by Escobar? There were nights where I thought he didn't have a skeleton because a human body wasn't supposed to bend that way. Gamel and his 'Aw, Shucks,' southern guy demeanor and Angel, the Human Bowling Ball, proposing to his fiancé on field after the game, all will bring back good memories. And let's not forget that Angel had the league high and new record .360 batting average.

How about David Welch's no-hitter? Sam Narron's two-hitter with a home run to help his cause? We even had a triple play in '08. Stars fan Brad Miller added many good comments including the 10 Stars named to the All-Star team. That's 10, even though four were gone before the game came around. Even one of the Carolina players asked why the league didn't just form a league-wide All-Star team and come to Huntsville to play the Stars.

Many of you emailed in moments of the play on the field regarding what was a season for the ages. Hopefully you got to meet some of these guys before they left because it was a memorable bunch. I suspect a Stars caravan will make a couple trips to Nashville this season just to see this line-up together in action again. In my baseball career I have never experienced this much talent on one team in one season. I think many of you feel the same way. It might be a long time until it happens again. Doug Palmer, you were right, unless there is a rehab assignment somewhere down the line, we won't see many of these guys in Stars uniforms again.

#3: The Horns

"...The kids in the stands with the horns...home team 10th man! Love the horns!" - John Eichstaedt.

You either loved 'em or thought that they blew (I'll wait for you to finish groaning), but the horns raised the volume and atmosphere at The Joe.
Last spring fans complained that the atmosphere of the stadium was like a funeral home. One guy said it best: "This place has all the charm of a mausoleum...it's gray, quiet and has no life. Do something."

We did.
The stadium horns became the #1 seller at the team store. If you doubt that, go to a local hockey game and you'll see (and hear) those same horns wreaking havoc...pun intended. The quiet ballpark was no more.

For those in attendance, think back to one of those Kids' Days or the 9,444 fans on the 4th of July. I could only imagine that on the field it might have sounded like the Battle of Jericho.

This season there will a horns-free section located behind home plate directly below the radio booths. If you wish to avoid the noise, the view can't be beat and the only thing to your back will be the voices of the radio broadcasters. John, you hit the nail on the head; fans can raise the tempo and intensity of the game.

#2: World Record First Pitch

A slam-dunk by over 90% of you that took the time to write in.

In August we opened the gates at midnight (19 hours before game time) so that everybody could throw out a game's honorary first pitch for the record books. Keep in mind that it was rocket-fired, non-stop, step up and throw one after another for 19 hours until game time for a total of 11,689 first pitches. That's a pitch every six seconds. Big Paul Thompson was one of 50 fans present when the event started and he stayed thru the light rain, took a power nap on a dugout bench and kept chunking day and night. We had fans, players, coaches, umpires, and staff, even the Mayor showed up to join the fun. The bottom line was that the sponsor of the event - Cabinet NG - wanted a fun-filled event for Stars fans and those of you that participated had a good time. Classic comments included when I introduced myself to one elderly man. He said his name was Ben.

"Ben what?"

"Son, after this throw, what'll be my fifth today, it'll be Ben Gay."

He said his real name was Arthur, Arthur-itis.

Touché.

Now, before we hit #1, I need to take a moment to thank all of you for writing in and sharing your highlights and memories. Our staff realizes that we don't have the best ballpark with all of the amenities, or the biggest and best of what other teams and cities enjoy. But we know that we have the best fans, bar none and together we can make baseball here at The Joe the best that we can! We realize that there is only one way to improve our operation and that is to make sure that each of you are treated like family members and understand that you're an important part of our operation. We can't thank you enough for a wonderful season and for being a part of our extended families.

We also couldn't begin to thank or compensate the Booster Club for the help that they have provided us. I don't think fans walking in the gate will ever completely understand how much work goes into this operation behind the scenes. We couldn't do it ourselves and our Booster Club really alleviates some of the problems that we face on a daily basis and I thank each of you for your commitment to the club.

So from the bottom of our hearts, our ownership, players, coaches and staff want to thank each of you for a wonderful, enjoyable and memorable 2008 season. We thank you for believing in the Stars and selecting us as part of your family's entertainment options.

And now, after a few more clichés, here's the top vote getter.

This list is what it is. It was like Manny being Manny putting this list together: 90% mental and 50% luck. And I felt like a batter waiting for his pitch while waiting for you fans to email in your top moments of the season.

Jeez, who created these phrases anyways?

A Manager needs a good wife, a great pitcher and a .300 hitter; not necessarily in that order.

Enough, already.

Our top vote getter got to me early and often. It wasn't just one moment, but a season long presence.

#1: Hit Me a Homer

Hands down, the top vote getter was Homer the Polecat, the official mascot of the Huntsville Stars.

Say it with me: Amen.

Nowhere with any other team have I had such a hard-working mascot. I think just about everybody's responses included testimonials about Homer. I've included a few of them here:

Brewerfan insert -- Homer the Polecat (skunk) was born in 1995 after skunks were seen coming out from behind the outfield wall and running past the outfielders. The players are very grateful to have Homer close by instead of the skunks that preceeded him!! Homer resides behind the center field wall and loves to participate in his favorite promotion, the BASE RACE. Unfortunately, Homer is 0-for-his-career (winless) against the fans here at Joe Davis Stadium in the nightly run around the bases.



My second favorite memory (of 2008) is when Homer the Polecat got called into Buck's office to be told "They were bringing down some hotshot mascot from the majors" (Roger 'The Rocket' Clemons). This of course was done on TV Bull Durham style. - Wil Elrick, Fox-54

Having Homer come up and visit with the girls (in their seats) over & over during the season. - Jerry Staniero

Homer winning the employee of the year. - Allison Tofflemire

The master of mischief had undoubtedly won over the hearts and minds of Stars fans and your comments were flattering. Some of the things we hadn't even heard about before, but it's apparent that Homer was a huge reason fans enjoyed coming out to the ballpark. Homer, of course, isn't going anywhere and will back in '09 to create some more childhood memories!

There you have it, the year's best memories provided by you, the best fans in baseball! We wish everybody a safe, Happy New Year and remember there are only 98 days and a wake-up until Opening Day!