He started the ’05 campaign in Rome where he hit .262 with a home run and 23 RBI through 63 games in the South Atlantic League. Carl played his college ball at Rider (NJ). The 5’11, 180 pound, outfielder entered this season with a .308 batting average, six home runs and 56 RBI alongside 33 stolen bases in his first two years in the Braves organization. He has hit over .300 each year - .310 in ’03 with the GCL Braves and .305 in ’04 with Danville.

Update:
Coach Loadenthal won the 2006 batting title for the Carolina League, Myrtle Beach Pelicans during this past season. He batted .319 and was just 3 points shy of breaking the all time league record.

The Academy staff welcomes Carl home and we expect our members to benefit from working with a "Rising Star" in the Braves organization.

BLUEFISH STARTER JOSH MILLER PICKED UP BY ASTROS
WILL REPORT TO AA CORPUS CHRISTI

August 24, 2005 - Bridgeport Conn. – The Bridgeport Bluefish announced today that starting pitcher, Josh Miller has been picked up by the Houston Astros and will report to their AA affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks.

Miller's career began when he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 32nd round of the 2001 draft and later signed on June 7, 2001 . In 2001 with Single A short season Batavia of the New York-Penn League, Josh appeared in 17 games and struck out 21 batters in 31.1 innings pitched. He ranked fourth in the league in walks per nine innings pitched as a reliever with .57.

Miller spent three seasons in the Phillies organization making it as high as AA Reading in 2003, and ranked third in walks per nine innings pitched as a reliever with 1.53, in 84.0 innings of work.

For the Bluefish this season, Josh leads all starters with seven wins, including back to back starts most recently on August 14 th and 19 th . Miller managed to keep his ERA under 3.98 all season, ending with a 3.88, in 20 appearances, all starts, and ranks number two on the team in innings pitched with 137.0.

After finishing his assignment, Josh plans to return to his duties at the Academy in the fall.

Once Again, the Academy is fortunate to have Carl working with us in the off-season. Something special is happening as Carl gets closer to becoming a Major League player. He returns this year as the Carolina League Batting Champion after playing in the Atlanta Braves farm system for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Here's what people are saying about Carl:

2006 SUMMARY
After watching him have a strong finish in Myrtle Beach in 2005, the Braves pushed Carl Loadenthal up to AA Mississippi to start this past season. Since he’s a bit older and had a decent spring training, it was a not an illogical move. But Loadenthal showed he was not quite ready for the jump, which many believe is the hardest up the minor league ladder. So he returned to the Pelicans and regained a starting role and took off. In his first three months back in the Carolina League, Loadenthal hit .343 to get a huge lead in the race for the batting crown. At one point he was the only player in the league hitting above .300. A slow August dropped his average down a bit, but he was still able to hold on for the batting championship. Loadenthal hit fifth for most of the season, but with his speed he’s more effective at the front of the lineup. He continued to show he’s an effective base runner, with 30 stolen bases on the season. Before the season started Loadenthal was just another prospect, but a batting championship opened enough eyes that he’s now a legit prospect.

CARL LOADENTHAL INTERVIEW
Q: Leading the league in hitting – not bad.
A: It’s definitely a goal I’m trying to get. People starting to bringing it to my attention in July, and I told them I might start thinking about it in mid-August. So now it’s becoming more realistic.

Q: You’ve always hit, so stats aside, how much better are you this year with your hitting?
A: It’s been the same as every other year. The first month I got off to a close start, and once it started warming up outside in June I started to warm up a bit. I guess the difference was June and July, where it seemed like everything was falling. I was just way above what I had hit before.

Q: When you are not a Jeff Francoeur, who was a prospect from day one, you almost have to have the kind of year you have had to get noticed. You have to make a name for yourself and stand out a bit. Does winning the batting title do that for you?
A: Yeah I think this has been a big year for me, kind of a breakout year for me going into next year. Once you get to AA, realistically you are one good hot streak away from being called up if the opportunity comes. So I think this could not have come at a better time to put myself in a position.

Q: Defensively, how are you doing?
A: I feel good. I’ve played center all my life, and since I’ve been with the Braves they’ve put me in all three positions. I think down the road that can work to my advantage that I know how to play all three positions.

Q: J.J. Picollo was quoted as saying that he thought you had really developed into the type of prospect you could look at and project as a fourth outfielder in the big leagues. How do you feel about that?
A: It makes me feel real good. Just to get there is all you want. If you get labeled as a fourth outfielder, you are still on that roster. Everybody wants to start, but most people start off as role players, and then once you get there who knows. Like here, I got the chance and played myself into a starting role.

Q: This is what players want to have happen. You want to stand out as a prospect and make that impression.
A: Not to say my first few years haven’t been good. You set goals at the start of the season. Batting average, runs scored, and stolen bases are what I shoot for. I’ve been right around .300 every year, but this year has far exceeded what I expected. If someone had told me I’d be close to .330 I would have laughed. But consistency and every now and then just catching on fire can get you in this spot.

MYRTLE BEACH MANAGER ROCKET WHEELER
He was tremendous. He hasn’t missed his pitch. He caught fire and took off. He wasn’t playing everyday and once he got a chance to play everyday he showed what he could do. He just doesn’t miss that fastball. He can beat out some ground balls, and that helps him. He’s got speed. He’s got to keep working on his defense, his throwing. He still needs work out there, but he can play all three positions.

MYRTLE BEACH HITTING COACH FRANKLIN STUBBS
When he first came down he struggled. We kind of got him to get his hands away from his body a little bit and from then on he’s been hitting the ball everywhere. He’s showed tremendous improvement.

THE BRAVES SHOW’S BILL SHANKS
Carl Loadenthal has always hit. He had a .291 career average in his first two minor league seasons coming into this past year. His batting championship only re-affirmed the belief that he can, in fact, hit. J.J. Picollo, who signed Loadenthal when he was a scout, said before he left for Kansas City’s front office that he believed Loadenthal was becoming a player that could someday be a fourth outfielder in the big leagues. He’s got speed, which is always needed off the bench. Loadenthal can play all three outfield positions, which is always helpful to have in a reserve. And now he’s proving he can hit. Loadenthal will now head back to AA Mississippi with great confidence; a batting title will do that for you. He’ll probably be a starter in Double-A, so he’ll have another chance to get a lot of at bats to show the Braves what he can do. It might be unrealistic to expect him to win another batting title, but if Loadenthal can have another solid campaign, he may put himself in contention to try and win a job in Atlanta as a reserve in 2008. Not too bad for an undrafted free agent signee.

Talk about strength and conditioning. In 1991 and 1992 Jeff Goldstein was the Pennsylvania State Powerlifting Champion in the 242 lb class. He has lifted in two national contests and one world contest. With a fourth place finish of the 1992 sub-masters world championships. Jeff has a best competitive lift of 755 lb squat, 470 lb bench press and 711 lb dead lift. The Academy already has the best speed and quickness trainers from "LightningFast Training Centers" working with our members and the addition of Jeff Goldstein elevates the complete program to another level.

Jeff played adult baseball with The Croydon MudCats (4 time league champs), the Philadelphia Yankees (2 time defending fairmount Park A-league champs) and the Sand Gnats (2 time defending Philadelphia Fall baseball league champs). He has also trained professional baseball players like David Wright, Joe McKewing, Jimmy Fasano, Michael Gibbs and Carl Loadenthal in the off-season. Jeff provides a unique approach to helping each athlete reach his full potential.

Jeff's client list ranges from world boxing championship contenders, Kassim “The Dream” Ouma, 1996 Olympic Bronze Medalist Terrance “The Heat” Cauthen, 2004 Olympic Alternate: Chaz “The Gentlemen” Witherspoon, Irish National Champion Simon “Slick” O’Donnell and rising knockout artist Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson along with a compliment of highschool athletes to working professionals. It's not unusual to turn on HBO and see Jeff working with his stable of world class athletes. When not totally consumed with physical fitness he spends his spare time with his Bernadette, his wife of 18 years and Ryan his 15 year old son and two dogs.

By bringing in specialists in each field, the All American Baseball Academy has assembled a highly qualified professional staff  capable of doing it all. It's not necessary to lift in one facility, run in another and practice the fundamentals of the game in yet another location. The addition of Jeff Goldstein to our staff will make a huge difference to all our members who make the commitment to do the hard work needed to get to the next level.