SANDBERG HAS SMOKIES CATCH- ING FIRE AT THE RIGHT TIME

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2 Photo courtesy Tennessee Smokies/Rennie Leon SANDBERG HAS SMOKIES CATCH- ING FIRE AT THE RIGHT TIME Sandberg signs an autograph for one of his many Southern League fans. When I spoke to Tennessee Smokies manager Ryne Sandberg on September 1, there were six games remaining in the 2009 season. At the time, his club was tied with West Tenn for the second half North Division lead, with Chattanooga lurking one game back. I asked him to describe his fondest memory of this season and after a brief pause to collect his thoughts, he said: Hopefully our best memory hasn t happened yet. Well, Sandberg s wish came true, and the Smokies went on to win five of those last six ballgames and clinched a spot in the Southern League Division Series against first-half North Division champion Huntsville. While Sandberg proved to be clairvoyant about Tennessee s destiny, he never pictured being in this situation. As a player, I never thought I would stay in the game and do what I m doing now, Sandberg said. According to Sandberg, that all changed when he worked with the Cubs as a spring training instructor following the 1997 season, his last as a player. After I went into the Hall of Fame in 2005, there was a new spark that told me I wanted to stay in baseball in some capacity, Sandberg said. I went to the Cubs and showed interest in pursuing a managerial career and I was placed in Peoria in Sandberg spent two seasons with the Single-A Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League, compiling a record of With this season s mark, Sandberg is now It worked out perfectly to be doing this with the Chicago organization, Sandberg said. To be doing it with the Cubs makes it much more special and I feel like I m gaining experience and I hope to one day do this at the major league level, wherever that opportunity may come. One specific thing regarding Southern League fans that has touched Sandberg is the warm reception he receives in each city. Whether I m at home or on the road, the fans have lined up by the dugout anywhere from 40 to 50 yards long for an autograph, Sandberg said. That s been a fun thing to watch and it s been a big thrill. While Sandberg s fans certainly admire his ability to play the game, many also respect his approach to the game, something he makes sure to pass onto his young players. I d like to teach them a respect for the game and to never take anything for granted, Sandberg said. Also, a good work ethic and a very good pregame routine will help them be successful. Clearly, the playoff-bound Smokies heeded Sandberg s advice and either by osmosis or chance, Tennessee has begun to play like its skipper. The Smokies are one of the most well rounded teams in the league, ranking second in batting (.268), second in team defense (.976) and sixth in ERA (3.99). In Sandberg s 16 seasons, he won nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger Awards. I take pride in all areas of the game, Sandberg said. I always took pride in defense and I think it s a part of the game that goes along with winning seasons. The guys have responded very well and we have some good defensive players on the team. It should come as no surprise that Sandberg feels his coaching style is merely a reflection of himself as a player. As a National Leaguer for 16 years, he relishes in the intricate late-inning strategies so closely associated with the National League game. He also lists former major league managers Jim Frye and Don Zimmer as two influences on his managerial methods. I think I m somewhat of an aggressive manager, Sandberg said. I like action on the field; I like energy. I really enjoy the National League style of play, using guys on the bench and having some strategy in trying to win a game. If Tennessee continues to execute those strategies as well as it did down the stretch, there s a good chance Sandberg s fondest memory of the 2009 season could be hoisting the Billy Hitchcock Championship Trophy. The Smokies gradually improved under Sandberg s steady hand and did not finish a month under.500 since May. Photo courtesy Tennessee Smokies/Rennie Leon In addition to providing Sandberg with valuable managerial experience, the Southern League has impressed the 10-time National League All-Star. The quality of play and the prospects that play in this league are top notch, Sandberg said. I ve been very impressed with the facilities and fan bases at each stop. Those are all signs of a good league. I know that myself and the players have enjoyed this season. 1 southernleague.com 2

3 Birmingham Barons Barons Bits Tyler Flowers C Stefan Gartrell OF David Cook* OF Gordon Beckham SS Christian Marrero* OF Brandon Allen 1B C.J. Retherford* 2B Dayan Viciedo* 3B Clevelan Santeliz* Daniel Hudson F. Hernandez Matt Zaleski* Aaron Poreda John Ely* Matt Long* Lucas Harrell Charles Shirek* Brian Omogrosso Jacksonville Suns Suns Block Logan Morrison* 1B Kevin Randel* 2B Bryan Petersen* OF Scott Cousins* OF Mike Stanton* OF Lorenzo Scott* OF Brad Davis* C Garrett Parcell* Kasey Olenberger* Levale Speigner* Brad Stone* Nic Ungs* Chris Leroux* Christhian Martinez Jay Voss* Jarrett Santos* Graham Taylor* Matt Peterson* Mississippi Braves Pearls of Wisdom Jason Heyward OF Matt Young OF Gorkys Hernandez OF Willie Cabrera* OF Travis Jones* 2B Brandon Hicks* SS Kevin Gunderson* Brett Butts* Jonny Venters Jose Ortegano* Jerome Gamble* Jeff Lyman Ryne Reynoso* Scott Diamond* Tim Gustafson* Kyle Cofield* Carolina Mudcats Caro-liners Chris Heisey OF Todd Frazier OF Juan Francisco 3B Zack Cozart* SS Sean Henry* OF Logan Parker* 1B Travis Wood Logan Ondrusek James Avery* Matthew Klinker Alexander Smit* Tom Cochran Jordan Smith* Ruben Medina* Sean Watson* Chattanooga Lookouts Chattanooga Chatter Josh Bell 3B Tommy Giles* OF Lucas May C Eduardo Perez* 1B Gabriel Martinez* UTL James Tomlin* OF Justin Sellers* SS Andrew Lambo* OF Russell Mitchell* UTL Vinny Rottino* UTL Victor Garate J.D. Durbin Kendy Batista* Francisco Felix Jesus Rodriguez* Scott Elbert Travis Chick* Alberto Bastardo Huntsville Stars Dancing with the Stars Drew T. Anderson* OF Jonathan Lucroy* C Kevin Melillo* UTL Shane Justis* 2B Adam Stern OF Taylor Green* 3B Chris Cody Casey Baron* Josh Butler* Mike McClendon* Donovan Hand* David Welch* Robert Hinton Robert Wooten* SOUTHDIVISION Mobile BayBears Mobile Alerts Sean Coughlin* 1B Orlando Mercado* C Bryan Byrne* 1B Chris Rahl* OF Cyle Hankerd* OF Ricardo Sosa* 3B Evan Frey* OF Pedro Ciriaco* SS Bryan Augenstein Daniel Schlereth Josh Ellis* Scott Maine Reid Mahon* Jarrod Parker* Matt Torra* Barry Enright* Kyler Newby* Wes Roemer* Montgomery Biscuits Biscuits Bites Desmond Jennings OF Rhyne Hughes 1B Chris Nowak* 3B Rashad Eldridge OF Matt Fields* 1B Fernando Cortez* UTL Matt Gorgen* Jeremy Hellickson Paul Phillips Rayner Oliveros Heath Rollins Eddie Morlan* Brandon Mann* Aneury Rodriguez* NORTHDIVISION Tennessee Smokies Smoke Signals Doug Deeds OF Tyler Colvin* OF Blake Lalli* 1B Marquez Smith* 3B Darwin Barney SS James Adduci* OF Ty Wright* OF Russ Canzler* UTL Tony Thomas* 2B John Gaub JeremyPapelbon* Andrew Cashner* Casey Coleman* Alex Maestri* Jay Jackson Jayson Ruhlman* Casey Lambert Brian Schlitter* West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Jaxx Facts Ezequiel Carrera* OF Johan Limonta* UTL Thomas Hubbard* 1B Matt Mangini* 3B Greg Halman* OF Ricky Orta* Joey Newby* Anthony Varvaro* Nick Hill* Steve Bray* Justin Souza Kyle Parker* Luis Munoz* Daniel Christensen* Mumba Rivera* southernleague.com 4

4 SOUTHERN LEAGUE 2009 POSTSEASON ALL-STAR TEAM SOUTHERN LEAGUE 2009 POSTSEASON ALL-STAR TEAM C - Tyler Flowers, BIR.302, 13 HR, 43 RBI 1B - Blake Lalli, TNS.314, 5 hr, 52 rbi 2B - C.J. Retherford, BIR.297, 10 hr, 76 rbi DH - Greg Halman, WTN.210, 25 hr, 72 rbi Utility - Todd Frazier, CAR.290, 14 hr, 68 rbi Hustler - Matt Young, MIS.289, 42 sb, 33 rbi 3B - Juan Francisco, CAR.281, 22 HR, 74 RBI SS - Pedro Ciriaco, MOB.296, 38 sb, 54 rbi OF - Ezequiel Carrera, WTN.337, 27 sb, 38 rbi RHP - John Ely, BIR 14-2, 2.82 ERA LHP - Travis Wood 9-3, 1.21 ERA Relief - Matt Peterson, JAX 4-4, 3.86 ERA, 37 sv 2009 PLAYERS OF THE MONTH OF - David Cook, BIR.264, 25 hr, 84 rbi OF - Stefan Gartrell, BIR.285, 19 HR, 70 RBI OF - Desmond Jennings, MTG.316, 37 sb, 45 RBI May Chris Heisey June David Cook July Jason Heyward August Tyler Colvin 5 southernleague.com 6

5 2009 MOST VALUABLE PLAYER 2009 MOST OUTSTANDING PITCHER DIRT ON DESMOND Height: 6-2 Weight: 180 Birthdate: 10/30/1986 Acquired: 10th rd of 06 draft 2009 Southern League ranks: Average:.316 (2nd) Runs: 69 (9) Hits: 121 (14) Doubles: 25 (17) Triples: 8 (5) Home Runs: 8 (25) RBI: 45 (37) Walks: 48 (22) Strikeouts: 52 (8) Stolen Bases: 37 (2) OBP:.395 (4) SLG:.486 (5) Desmond Jennings, CF, Montgomery Biscuits Jennings, who entered the season as Tampa Bay s best outfield prospect, has long been on the radar of scouts and talent evaluators. But after being named the top prospect in the South Atlantic League in 2007, Jennings was hampered by injuries in 2008 and played only 24 games. With something to prove in 2009, he showed no ill effects from the shoulder surgery that ended his season a year ago and was one of the league s most dynamic and electric players until his promotion to Triple-A Durham on August 1. He came out of the gates on fire, batting.349 with three homers and 16 RBI in April. Jennings played even better in May, improving his average to.359 with six home runs, 29 RBI and 17 steals through the season s first two months. The dangerous leadoff hitter accomplished this while playing on the league s worst team in terms of batting average. Without Jennings, the Biscuits team average would have dipped eight points to a.231 mark. The 22-year-old Jennings excelled in every facet of the game and led the league in hits (121), triples (8) and stolen bases (37) at the time of his promotion. He was also second in runs (69) and fourth in extra-base hits (42). Jennings paced the Biscuits in virtually every offensive category and still leads the club in batting average (.316), runs, hits, doubles, triples, walks (48), stolen bases and on-base percentage (.395) nearly a full month after his promotion. Jennings was named the Rays organizational player of the month in April and won the Southern League Hitter of the Week Award for July He was selected to the South Division All-Star Team but did not play due to his participation in the XM All-Star Futures Game. Jennings started the Futures Game for the U.S. Team and his elite athleticism was on full display as he stole three bases, including two swipes of third base. AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB OBP SLG TRAVIS TIDBITS Height: 6-0 Weight: 165 Birthdate: 2/6/1987 Acquired: 2nd rd of 05 draft 2009 Southern League ranks: Wins: 9 (5th) ERA: 1.21 (1) Hits: 78 (1) Walks: 37 (8) Strikeouts: 103 (5) WHIP: 0.97 (1) Opp AVG:.189 (1) Travis Wood, Carolina Mudcats Wood, who was promoted to Triple-A Louisville in late-july, obliterated the modern-era Southern League record for ERA by posting a miniscule 1.21 mark, shattering the old record of 1.57, set by Montgomery's Dave Rozema in The 22-year-old lefty became just the ninth league pitcher since 1964 to pitch at least 109 innings and post a sub-2.00 ERA. The season didn't begin smoothly for Wood, however. Despite pitching well through his first four starts, Wood received just four total runs of support over a three-start span and entered May with an 0-3 record. He won nine consecutive decisions the rest of the way and earned a unanimous selection to the North Division All-Star Team. Wood surrendered more than two earned runs in just one of 19 starts and limited opposing hitters to a.189 batting average. He was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week for June 1-7, capping a week in which he struck out 17, walked one, and allowed six hits and no runs in 15 innings. W-L SV ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR MANAGER OF THE YEAR Everardo Magallanes, Birmingham Barons Despite a steady flux in Birmingham's roster, the Barons remained dominant throughout the season under the steady hand of Magallanes. Birmingham cruised to a first-half record and its second straight South Division first-half title, outpacing Mobile by a staggering 11.5 games. The mark was the club's best first-half record since the 1989 Barons went Magallanes had his club competing for the second-half division title as well, as the Barons finished three games behind Jacksonville at While the Barons couldn t sweep both halves in the South, they finished with the best record in team history (92-47,.662). 7 southernleague.com 8

6 SOUTHERN LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARDS SOUTHERN LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARDS Week of August 17 - August 23 Week of August Christian Marrero, 1B/OF, Birmingham Barons Tyler Colvin, OF, Tennessee Smokies HITTER OF THE WEEK Marrero becomes the sixth different Baron to win league player of the week honors in 2009, earning the distinction with four multi-rbi games and a league-high nine runs driven in. The Miami, Fla. native allowed Birmingham to keep pace with red-hot Jacksonville in the South Division standings by driving in eight runs in the last five games of the week. Marrero powered the Barons to a four-games-to-one series win over Montgomery and a 5-2 week overall. The 23-year-old first baseman/outfielder has been a key cog in Birmingham's lineup since joining the team in mid-june; he batted.301 with 11 homers and 40 RBI in 65 games. HITTER OF THE WEEK Colvin steps into the winner's circle for the second time in the last month, earning his third Hitter of the Week Award in the last two seasons. The 23-year-old outfielder - along with teammates Welington Castillo and Ty Wright, who hit.474 and.417 respectively last week - allowed the Smokies to keep pace with West Tenn in the North Division with consistent hitting and a pair of clutch performances. Colvin hit safely in all six games last week to extend his streak to 15 games and had four hits in a 16-9 rout over Carolina on August 24. On August 29, Colvin delivered again with four RBI in a 7-5 victory over the BayBears. In 215 games with the Smokies in the last two seasons, the Augusta, Ga. native has 25 homers and 123 RBI. 8/17-8/23 AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB OBP SLG /24-8/30 AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB OBP SLG Jeremy Papelbon, LHP, Tennessee Smokies James Adkins, LHP, Chattanooga Lookouts PITCHER OF THE WEEK Papelbon delivered two strong outings for the Smokies, allowing them to keep pace with West Tenn in the North Division second half title chase. While the 26-year-old lefty picked up one victory last week, Tennessee was 2-0 when he started. On August 18, the Smokies hosted Chattanooga, also a contender in the tight division race. Papelbon allowed just four hits and one unearned run in six innings, keeping the Smokies alive until Tyler Colvin's walk-off blast in the ninth. He earned a victory in his next outing on August 23 at Carolina, yielding only four hits in 6.2 innings. Papelbon, a Baton Rouge, La. native, struck out four and did not walk a batter. For the week, he led the league with a perfect 0.00 ERA and ranked second with 10 strikeouts. PITCHER OF THE WEEK Adkins did his part to keep the Lookouts in the hunt for the second half North Division title, turning in two stellar outings that both resulted in Chattanooga victories. The 23-year-old lefty pitched 11 scoreless innings in all, surrendering just eight singles. On August 24 against Mississippi, Adkins struck out five in six scoreless frames, leading the Lookouts to an 8-0 win. In his next start at Jacksonville on August 30, Adkins gave up four base hits, struck out four and walked one in five innings. He held the South Division-leading Suns scoreless despite two errors behind him and helped the Lookouts hold on for a 2-1 win. The Mt. Juliet, Tenn. native is a familiar face for Volunteer State baseball fans, as he attended the University of Tennessee. 8/17-8/23 W-L SV ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR /24-8/30 W-L SV ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR *stats as of 9/9 *stats as of 9/9 9 southernleague.com 10

7 SOUTHERN LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARDS FINAL SOUTHERN LEAGUE STANDINGS HITTER OF THE WEEK PITCHER OF THE WEEK 8/31-9/6 8/31-9/6 Week of August 31 - September 6 Yonder Alonso, 1B, Carolina Mudcats Alonso, the seventh overall pick of the 2008 draft, displayed why he was ranked as the top prospect in the Reds organization before the 2009 season by leading the league in most offensive categories. The 22-year-old first baseman recorded four multi-hit games and twice had three hits. He powered Carolina to a 6-4 win over Montgomery on September 1, batting 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. His solo blast on September 4 helped the Mudcats edge Mississippi 8-7. The Miami, Fla. native led the league with a.458 average, 11 hits, four doubles, a.536 on-base percentage, five extra-base hits and six runs. He also ranked second with a.750 slugging percentage. AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB OBP SLG Matt Torra, RHP, Mobile BayBears Torra ended his season in spectacular fashion, notching two commanding victories. On August 31 at eventual second half North Division champion Tennessee, Torra pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and one walk in the process. Against Montgomery on September 6, Torra picked up his second win of the week with a seven-inning, six-strikeout effort. He led the league with 16 innings pitched, two wins and was second with 13 strikeouts last week. Torra, a Pittsfield, Mass. native, also finished the season as the league leader with 180 innings pitched and ranked second with 116 strikeouts and third with 10 wins. W-L SV ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR NORTH 2nd HALF W L PCT GB Tennessee Chattanooga West Tenn Carolina Huntsville NORTH W L PCT GB Huntsville Carolina Tennessee Chattanooga West Tenn PITCHING 1st HALF RESULTS TEAM STATISTICS SOUTH 2nd HALF W L PCT GB Jacksonville Birmingham Mississippi Montgomery Mobile SOUTH W L PCT GB Birmingham Mobile Jacksonville Montgomery Mississippi BATTING W-L ERA H SHO SV BB SO AVG R H HR BB SB Birmingham Carolina Chattanooga Huntsville Jacksonville Mississippi Mobile Montgomery Tennessee West Tenn *stats as of 9/9 BOLD ITALICS indicate league leader 11 southernleague.com southernleague.com 12

8 SOUTHERN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS VS NORTH DIVISION SERIES HUNTSVILLE STARS vs. TENNESSEE SMOKIES Game 1: HVL, 7:00 CDT Game 2: HVL, 7:00 CDT Game 3: TNS, 7:15 EDT Game 4: TNS, 2:00 EDT (if necessary) Game 5: TNS, 7:15 EDT (if necessary) Record by Halves First Second Head-to-Head Huntsville Tennessee FEATURED STATLINE 92-47,.662 The Barons finished the season (.662) to break the club record for winning percentage, topping the old mark of.651 (86-46), set in The 92 wins were also a team record, narrowly edging the 91 victories of the 1983 Barons. Birmingham ended the season with the third-best record among all full-season minor league teams, finishing behind the California League s San Jose Giants (93-47,.664) and the Fort Wayne Tincaps (94-46,.671) of the Midwest League. BY THE NUMBERS 37 Matt Peterson of the Suns set a career, team and league record with 37 saves this season. He ranked first among full-season minor leaguers while breaking the previous league record of 36, achieved by Edwin Almonte and Joe Valentine of Birmingham in 2001 and 2002 respectively. VS SOUTH DIVISION SERIES BIRMINGHAM BARONS vs. JACKSONVILLE SUNS G1: BIR, Sept. 10, 7:05 CDT G2: BIR, Sept. 11, 7:05 CDT G3: JAX, Sept. 12, 7:05 EDT G4: JAX, Sept. 13, 6:05 EDT (if necessary) G5: JAX, Sept. 14, 7:05 EDT (if necessary) Record by Halves First Second Head-to-Head Birmingham Jacksonville #1 Carolina s Travis Wood, a member of the Southern League Postseason All-Star Team and the league s Most Outstanding Pitcher, set a league record with a 1.21 ERA. He destroyed the previous mark of 1.57, set by Montgomery s Dave Rozema in Wood became just the ninth pitcher since 1964 to pitch 112 innings and post a sub-2.00 ERA. The Barons finished the season (.662) to break the club record for winning percentage, topping the old mark of.651 (86-46), set in USA TODAY recently named former Mississippi outfielder Jason Heyward its Minor League Player of the Year. Heyward, also the Southern League Player of the Month for July, played 47 games for the M- Braves and batted.352 with seven homers and 30 RBI. Check out the Southern League s official souvenir store online to purchase the 2009 Southern League Media Guide, which features budding MLB stars Clayton Kershaw, Evan Longoria, Cameron Maybin and David Price on the cover. Also available are Southern League New Era caps, Southern League polo shirts and official Southern League baseballs. Visit the Southern League souvenir stand today! Writer, Managing Editor and Graphic Designer Nate Beardsley Editor Lori Webb Copyright 2009, The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc. All rights reserved. 13 Reproduction 9 southernleague.com of Southern Bases, in whole or part without the expressed written consent of the Southern 2 League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc., is strictly prohibited.