tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40555013324914398892024-02-21T08:23:24.462-06:00Team WisconsinTEAM WISCONSIN: A bush league blog that discusses news, rumors, and BS regarding the Milwaukee Brewers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger789125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-71417715630016000582016-08-01T15:32:00.001-05:002016-08-01T15:32:40.129-05:00Milwaukee Lands Three Top 5 Prospects Via Trades Another trade deadline has passed and this year proved to be a great one. The last 45 minutes consisted of big time trades that also involved Jonathon Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress being dealt to the Rangers for two of their Top 5 Prospects in #2 prospect Luis Ortiz (SP) and #3 Lewis Brinson (CF). Earlier this afternoon the Brewers traded Will Smith to San Fran for their #1 prospect Phil Bickford (SP) and Andrew Susac (C). That is a pretty decent days work that now has Milwaukee having 8 prospects in MLB's Top 100 Prospect Ranking. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-71249026431045061982016-05-04T09:21:00.002-05:002016-05-04T09:21:29.017-05:00Biloxi Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHYgVxcNjqcXBjShibAj9v_C9NpxUJr8RofgLR5HxbmWKtcCLDDW7lFNKdX78ODi-v9da5NpGhG3zPYTTJBpFyn73Y9rNWd_PKbfNiL5-NEF1JZHA9MJ7ICvUgKZfm41QngrFbOhJKUMv/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHYgVxcNjqcXBjShibAj9v_C9NpxUJr8RofgLR5HxbmWKtcCLDDW7lFNKdX78ODi-v9da5NpGhG3zPYTTJBpFyn73Y9rNWd_PKbfNiL5-NEF1JZHA9MJ7ICvUgKZfm41QngrFbOhJKUMv/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Biloxi has the best record (17-7) in Milwaukee's farm system at this point; they are in 1st place in their division and have the best record in the Southern League (AA). Brett "Maverick" Phillips has 2 home runs and leads the club in that department (tied with two others). His batting average is down to .250 on the season with a .388 slugging pct and .355 on-base percentage. Despite all of this, he has 14 runs batted in and leads the team in this category. I for one can't wait until he arrives in Milwaukee in September, when expanded rosters are announced. This top 5 prospect for the Brewers will continue to develop and hone in on becoming the CF of the future.<br />
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A little concerning is how Jacob Nottingham has been hitting at the plate. His batting average has dropped to .169 and struck out 18 times in 65 plate appearances. It's still early, so lets hope that our future Catcher can start to get it going. Nottingham was the center piece of the Khris Davis/Athletics trade. <br />
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Victor Roache is having a strong start to the season with a .281 BA and a team leading 7 doubles, which is good for 3rd best in the league. <br />
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t5015&player_id=623352#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Josh Hader</a> has been absolutely killing it on the bump for the Shuckers. The starting 22-year-old LHP has the 2nd best ERA in the Southern League (AA) and has yet to collect a decision in his 5 starts. Hader has struck out 32 hitters in only 23 innings pitched, which ranks him 3rd in the league. Best of all is that he's only issued 9 free passes. Hader was acquired in the Carlos Gomez/Astros deal last summer. <br />
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Another starting pitcher to collect impressive numbers so far in the season is <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t5015&player_id=606256#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">Jorge Ortega</a> (0-1). This 22-year-old RHP has a 1.19 ERA over 4 starts and 22.2 innings pitched. Despite his strike outs standing at 9 and giving up 22 hits, he has been able to keep the ball in the park (1 HR given up). <br />
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Starting pitchers that have been struggling is Adrian Houser (1-2) with a 7.20 ERA over 20 IP and Jeb Bradley, the former first round draft pick for the Brewers in 2011 has a horrific 12.86 ERA in only 7 IP. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-57302276412954764932016-04-15T13:37:00.001-05:002016-04-15T13:39:57.192-05:00With the ass-kicking that the Brewers received last night, now is the best time to take a look back on the farm and see how David Stearns' trade pieces that he received are doing. I am only including those currently in the minors.<br />
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<b>Carlos Gomez Trade</b><br />
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<u>Brett Phillips </u><br />
Our future center fielder is hitting .308 in 7 games so far on the season (7 for 26 at the plate). Maverick has only collected 1 home run to date in 2016, but the season is only 2 weeks old. He has dinged 3 doubles however and walked 3 times. <br />
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<u>Josh Hader </u><br />
The third piece to the puzzle after Domingo Santana & Brett Phillips is off to a relatively good start to the season; in 2 starts he has yet to get a decision but has tallied a 1.00 ERA in 9 innings of work. Most impressive is his 12 punch outs while limiting mistakes to 1 HR and 3 walks.<br />
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<u>Adrian Houser</u><br />
Houser is the other pitcher that Stearns received in the deal and did not throw well in his first and only start to date in the 2016 season. Houser was lit up for 10 earned runs in the 6 innings he lasted but did strike out 5 hitters. I am confident he will pull himself together.<br />
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<b>Jason Rogers Trade</b><br />
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<u>Trey Supak</u><br />
Has not played yet in 2016.<br />
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<b>Gerardo Parra Trade</b><br />
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<u>Zach Davies </u><br />
The RHP has already notched 2 starts but no decisions with a 2.00 ERA over 9 innings pitched for AAA-Colorado Springs. His workload has obviously been held back because the Brewers knew they would be summoning him to the Bigs once Garza went out with a pulled vag. Best of all is that Davies whiffed 11 batters and only walked 2. He will hopefully be ready to go for his start Sunday in the Burgh versus the Pirates. <br />
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<b>Aramis Ramirez Trade</b><br />
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<u>Yhonathon Barrios</u>, who was obtained in the Aramis Ramirez trade, is still on the disabled list for Biloxi. He is their closer and would've competed for a roster spot had he not gone down with a '<a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/alex-presley-looks-to-stand-out-in-brewers-outfield-b99689352z1-372439611.html">serious shoulder injury</a>'. I have not heard if it will require surgery.<br />
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<b>Jean Segura Trade</b><br />
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<u>Isan Diaz </u>was the kings ransom in the Segura trade, although Chase Anderson has been literally perfect. Diaz is 8 for 24 so far in Appleton for the T-Rats and hitting a whopping <i>.333</i> with 1 home run, 4 doubles and 8 runs batted in (along with 4 walks). I anticipate Diaz getting up to Biloxi before the season ends. This 19 year old is one exciting short stop that will hopefully be converted to 2B in order to expedite his ascent and not be blocked by Orlando Arcia. <br />
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Oh...and just for shits and laughs, Jonathon Lucroy's kid brother <a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=596025#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL">David</a> is playing in Rookie League Ball for the Brewers down in Arizona where his BA is .200.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-60354664624059574692015-08-05T09:35:00.002-05:002015-08-05T10:28:43.605-05:00Checking In On New Prospects<br />
Now that the trade deadline has come and gone for 2015 now is a good time to check in on the farm to see how Milwaukee's newly acquired prospects are doing. Gone are Jonathon Broxton, Gerardo Parra, Aramis Ramirez, and Carlos Gomez and in return are the following....<br />
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<b>Here are the 4 players from the Carlos Gomez trade:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=621433#/career/R/hitting/2015/ALL"><span style="color: red;"><b>Brett Phillips</b></span></a><br />
The future (left handed hitting) center fielder for Milwaukee checked in to the Brewers' (AA) affiliate down in Biloxi, MS with the Shuckers. He was the centerpiece to the Carlos Gomez trade and was ranked as the 2nd best prospect acquired in all of baseball before this season's trade deadline.<br />
He is 3 for 13 in 4 games played (.231 BA) with 1 triple and 3 base hits. Phillips has struck out 4 times. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpAgZ5iOvBRf-qmxpYOE2uEaocUzk5lh7RpiRpZ_Oo1pts4FsZ-1_HhnZnMODQFOXnqB9K2hXUgfwCCVTkvtRMq5qCuHERKZNZG-3AUymIirUo-kW89j8qHzEYtLGPJ6c3kg8NsCMuSLe/s1600/Brett-Phillips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpAgZ5iOvBRf-qmxpYOE2uEaocUzk5lh7RpiRpZ_Oo1pts4FsZ-1_HhnZnMODQFOXnqB9K2hXUgfwCCVTkvtRMq5qCuHERKZNZG-3AUymIirUo-kW89j8qHzEYtLGPJ6c3kg8NsCMuSLe/s320/Brett-Phillips.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=570267#/career/R/hitting/2015/ALL"><b><span style="color: red;">Domingo Santana</span></b></a><br />
Another outfielder that Milwaukee received was a right fielder that reported to (AAA) Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Santana is hitting .357 in 3 games (5 for 14) with 1 double and struck out 5 times.<br />
You can read more about Mr. Santana<a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2015/7/30/9077045/domingo-santana-brewers-trade-astros-carlos-gomez"><span style="color: #660000;"> HERE</span></a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=623352#/career/R/pitching/2015/ALL"><span style="color: red;"><b>Josh Hader</b></span></a><br />
This guy could be the steal of the trade; a sturdy throwing southpaw that already notched a stellar outing in his first start for Biloxi. This hurler only weighs a whopping 160 lbs and stands 6-3. Take a look for yourself on how he did in his debut (picture) and read up on him<span style="color: #660000;"> HERE</span>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-YK0-gOgA0kEs5EBzpDQpZJfXj7vhQpVtXGOUyKQJFOjbI_-nhqWY7bg08zxMZzg_wdoXiGrYF2zKh9umcWPZxVYBCzIQo8MqDfwJifQquE35BzpSuEnBvDbosg12X__o7ha-K2KmQtZ/s1600/Hader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-YK0-gOgA0kEs5EBzpDQpZJfXj7vhQpVtXGOUyKQJFOjbI_-nhqWY7bg08zxMZzg_wdoXiGrYF2zKh9umcWPZxVYBCzIQo8MqDfwJifQquE35BzpSuEnBvDbosg12X__o7ha-K2KmQtZ/s320/Hader.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=605288#/career/R/pitching/2015/ALL"><span style="color: red;"><b>Adrian Houser</b></span></a><br />
The final piece to the deal was starting pitcher Adrian Houser who had his first start for Biloxi as well; he went 5 and 2/3's innings and gave up 3 earned runs on 7 hits (1 HR) for a no decision, he did notched 6 punch outs which is very decent and issued no walks. <br />
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<b>Gerardo Parra deal:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=605200#/career/R/pitching/2015/ALL"><b><span style="color: red;">Zach Davies</span></b></a><br />
The RHP has yet to appear for the (AAA) Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Davies was selected to represent Baltimore O's in the Futures Game last month. <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/baltimore-orioles-prospect-zach-davies-futures-game-appearance-proves-size-does">HERE</a> is great story on the "little guy". He was the Orioles 4th ranked prospect. <br />
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<b>Jonathon Broxton deal: </b><br />
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=641471#/career/R/hitting/2015/ALL"><span style="color: red;"><b>Maik Collymore </b></span></a><br />
Milwaukee received this young left fielder and have assigned him to their affiliate in Helena, MT. He has played in 1 game and went 1 for 4 and a walk (.250 BA). <br />
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<b>Aramis Ramirez deal: </b><br />
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<a href="http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=553872#/career/R/pitching/2015/ALL"><b><span style="color: red;">Yhonathon Barrios</span></b></a><br />
Barrios is the closer for Biloxi right now and is already 2 for 2 in saves 3 games and 3 and 1/3 innings of work (2 strike outs & 1BB). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9Zc7_OtZAKT0MSkkuFNu55GX56Choef4D9IW_mMFppk-dZkXJxaqoBxzAH8f1S9nxi5hmrsqVNg5Ny_CTX0jcEENZQY9ZAE4hn2z7FwGNe6B1UEJfx5qOLiO7bHzM8FtIqF5JegnOxxc/s1600/Barrios.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9Zc7_OtZAKT0MSkkuFNu55GX56Choef4D9IW_mMFppk-dZkXJxaqoBxzAH8f1S9nxi5hmrsqVNg5Ny_CTX0jcEENZQY9ZAE4hn2z7FwGNe6B1UEJfx5qOLiO7bHzM8FtIqF5JegnOxxc/s320/Barrios.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So there you have it. Those that have played have played pretty well. Sure, this will be a slow, drawn out process before we see most of these prospect in the bigs....but it will be fun. Some will surely wash out.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-60169003428180515842015-05-04T09:37:00.000-05:002015-05-04T21:56:39.962-05:00RR Out; Let the Craig Counsell Era Begin* posted on Monday AM...<br />
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Milwaukee has now won <strike>3 of their last 4 games </strike> 4 of their last 5 are starting to show signs of life. The starting pitchers have turned in 3 quality starts in a row and the Crew now has a mini win streak (yes, it's only 2 games). Too little too late for Ron Roenicke however, as he was let go yesterday after their win in Chicago. This did surprise me, I will say, not because of the fact that it finally happened....no....but because of the horrible timing of it all. Once RR (Ron Roenicke) made it through their off day last Thursday, I think most fans--and probably the players--were thinking that they have one last chance to start getting things right before the team is blown up. Well, they/we thought wrong. Doug Melvin was trying to get his replacement manager in place and deal finalized, my guess, through the weekend in order to be covered for the transition. That transition is looking like it will be Craig Counsell taking over managerial duties starting tonight as Milwaukee welcomes the Dodgers to town for a HUGE 4 game series. Prior this all occurring, I've been saying that Mark Attanasio will most likely give the Crew the 10 day home stand that starts tonight before they start their fire sell and fire RR. That came a little early, for the latter.<br />
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This isn't a complete surprise though. Warning flares were shot high in the sky when Mark Attansio flew into town for the Cardinals series April 24th, which they ultimately lost 2 games to 1. The owner didn't lay blame on the skipper or the GM, Doug Melvin. Instead he threw Mike Fiers under the bus by stating that he was the one that gave up the grand slam home run to the Reds at Miller Park last month....it wasn't Ron or Doug. Ok, fine, you have a point there. But then more flares were shot off this past weekend, Saturday to be exact, when <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/594287147596828673"><span style="color: red;">USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported </span></a>that the Brewers were letting teams know they're ready to start dealing. That gave me a feeling that RR might also be on his way out....until they won their last 2 games in Chicago and earned their first series win and back-to-back wins of the season. I figured RR would be safe. But no. Doug Melvin decides to fire him ONLY AFTER the team decided to show some life. <br />
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Make no mistake about it, this team could still turn things around. The Cardinals are running away with the NL Central, but let's keep in mind that there are still 2 wild card spots up for grabs. Both the Pirates, Reds, and especially the Cubs aren't proving too much that they're locks to get them. Milwaukee will need to dig deep and play .500 ball for most of the season and then hope for a 20 win month this summer in order to start digging out of the hole they're in. Will it happen? Probably not...but we do know that they are capable of win streaks by looking at what they did last April & May.<br />
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One thing is certain, they can't start their fire sale until they get their trade pieces turned around. Kyle Lohse is starting to correct things and he's just too good of a pitcher to not turn things around. Likewise for Matt Garza and his slow start. Aramis Ramirez had a hell of a game yesterday in Chicago that should hopefully start to show signs of life for him; he went 1 for 3 with the go-ahead home run and the a 2-run single that would eventually win the Brewers the game. He also hit a home run last week against the Reds. This veteran third baseman is a huge trading piece. Sure the buying team would only get a 1/2 season rental from the Brewers, but he is a part of the select few that provides power at the hot corner. <br />
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The biggest wild card is Carlos Gomez and the 2 (more) years of team control that come with him. He's a fan favorite in Milwaukee and the new face of the franchise (along with Lucroy). But he lacks plate and base running discipline and probably won't mesh well with what will sure to be a far more stern Craig Counsell as the skipper. Milwaukee would be wise to trade him for some high level, major league ready prospects. <br />
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I still think Milwaukee will have the rest of this week to show that they have corrected themselves, and now possibly maybe an added week to see how the team responds to Craig Counsell. So expect to see deals to start being made as soon as this weekend and as late as next week Wednesday (May 13th) once they end their 10 game home stand (Dodgers, Cubs, White Sox).<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-9737905329989359422015-04-16T09:00:00.000-05:002015-04-16T09:00:19.351-05:00Brewers After 8 Games Well there isn't too much we can be excited about at this point. I would argue the only things we can feel good about is one solid start by Jimmy Nelson and the play of Jean Segura (offensively) and Adam Lind. The latter of course is the new addition from this off-season that is hitting a whopping .345, 1 HR, 5 RBI thus far. Segura meanwhile, who has struggled mightily on defense, is continuing his torrid September of last season into his 2015 campaign by hitting .333 with 3 RBI and a dinger. Outside of those two players, the Brewers offense has been terrible. Right now the Crew's top hitters are hitting .261 or lower.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3q1wLoXFbKWfiswuqTNqp_GaFSjKtyJYMckULPi3jHLhe2aOo7mqozLTZYBjo-s3JoCPa1YgrcmQkctHYPLlZA9k66tqSlBGnFVEZUPV_uT7rM5ZBnmbDtSqzxZgBnPN-AvK-xnKv5mRM/s1600/crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3q1wLoXFbKWfiswuqTNqp_GaFSjKtyJYMckULPi3jHLhe2aOo7mqozLTZYBjo-s3JoCPa1YgrcmQkctHYPLlZA9k66tqSlBGnFVEZUPV_uT7rM5ZBnmbDtSqzxZgBnPN-AvK-xnKv5mRM/s1600/crew.jpg" height="400" width="281" /></a></div>
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Not listed on this beautiful collage I made in my arts and crafts room is Aramis Ramirez, who is hitting .194 and Khris Davis with .259. Sure, Braun and Davis aren't awful right now, but lets point out the fact that only 1 one of those pictured above (Gomez) have one home run. On the flip side of that Gomez does have 4 doubles already (tied for club lead with Lind), but it should also be noted that Lucroy has no extra base hits. Keep that in mind, considering his impressive season last year when had 53 doubles and was one of the league leaders. </div>
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Thankfully, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Ed Sedar (coach) was on the Bill Michael's Show on Tuesday saying this low level of hitting will not continue for much longer. All signs point to them snapping out of this funk because 3 of the 4 pictured here are perennial solid hitters. What is alarming is the high rate of strike outs that Scooter Gennett already has on the season (9). He's almost striking out every other at-bat. We could chalk this up to him being stashed at the bottom of the line up, which is a huge mental challenge considering he was hitting at the top of the order last season. That's a tough pill to swallow for someone that is young and still learning the game at the Big League level. </div>
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With Ron Roenicke's butt on the burner I would not hesitate to think that he would flip Hector Gomez (.429, 3 doubles) at 2B while Scooter figures things out. In fact, I could see this happening by the end of April if things continue this way. Because let's face it, this season could snow ball out of control if they don't get a handle on things before the middle of May; April brought the Crew 22 divisional games while May has them facing Major League's toughest division....the AL Central. In May the Crew has to play the White Sox & Tigers as well as the Dodgers, Braves, and Giants. Milwaukee's offense has to snap out of this horrible start before the end of the weekend when they return home from their first road trip (Pittsburgh is next this weekend). </div>
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Lastly, the Wily Peralta was bad last night, but Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz was even worse. Willis threw only 70-some odd pitches last night and the Cardinals just tore his ass a new one. They were jumping at his pitches and most of their hitters only had 3 pitches to them before jumping on the ball. That has to stop. How the Brewers didn't make adjustments is beyond me. </div>
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<br />Brewers lost 4-2 to the Cardinals in the second game of the series. Carlos Gomez is out of the line up for the rubber match today due to leaving the game in the 9th inning with a hamstring injury. When it rains it pours, Milwaukee. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-73439169122334536202015-04-03T08:38:00.001-05:002015-04-03T08:46:56.123-05:00Prelude to Opening Day<br />
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There has been a lot of news coming out of Maryvale this past week leading up to Opening Day on Monday. The 25 man roster has now been set and the starters have been coined; there was not any surprises for the positional players that were tabbed to start. The only real (somewhat) surprise was Carlos Gomez batting first in the order and Jean Segura hitting 8th. The bull pen really didn't have any shockers either, with the release and then re-signing of Chris Perez and Rob Wooten being sent to (AAA) Sky Sox to get some work, the Brewers decided on suiting up 8 relievers for regular season play. Some where were caught off guard with Ron Roenicke assigning both Matt Clark and Jason Rogers to Colorado Springs, which may have been a head scratcher due to their success (especially the former) in Spring Training, considering the uncertainty behind Adam Lind's reoccurring back issues. Lastly, Elian Herrera was optioned to the Sky Sox while Luis Jiminez (infielder), Hector Gomez (infielder) and Logan Schafer (OF) are heading north to Milwaukee. All in all, there were no late trades that added to the active roster nor was there any last minute signings, like in 2013 when Kyle Lohse signed in late March. Everything is set....including that back end of the rotation. <br />
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First things first is First Base. We all know the questions behind Adam Lind and if he can stay on the field long enough to earn his keep. With that being said, Brian Anderson was with Chuck & Wickett (WSSP) morning show and he had some reassuring things to say about Lind. For one, it's his thinking as well as his brothers, who is a scout for the Rangers, that Adam Lind will annihilate the ball in Miller Park. He is destined for a big offensive year in the hitter friendly park and be able to provide that needed power at 1B. With regards to his back, BA reminded me of something.....that the Brewers have one of the best medical staffs in Major League Baseball and they are known to take great care of ailments and nagging injuries that spur up. It was nice to hear him back this up with a great example of Trevor Hoffman and when he came to finish his career in Milwaukee for 2 seasons. That was one of the main reasons he signed with Milwaukee and he still praises them today as one of the best staffs in baseball. This team of advance medical specialists should (hopefully) be able to set forth a season plan in accordance with Roenicke with regards to days off/rest and subbing him out late in games for defensive match-ups and the like.<br />
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One other reassuring topic that was discussed by Brian Anderson was that Milwaukee will have two solid back up options in Jonathon Lucroy and Gerardo Parra, who just started playing some 1B and has looked way better than expected. In fact, it is sounding like Parra will find himself playing a lot at the hot corner. If Khris Davis continues to mature and fine tune his defense, there is simply no room for Parra to play. Roenicke said 2 weeks ago that it's a given that Parra will be playing a considerable amount. Which is good, any fair minded fellow would want a 2 x Gold Glover out on the field. So, when all is said and done with Cactus League ball, I'm feeling far better with Lind moving forward, or, at least the back up plan if he falls. <br />
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Opposite of that is the back end of the rotation. I am extremely scared about what is going to happen when Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson are going to be relied upon to carry the team. Yes yes, Mike Fiers had his 2 flash in the pan 10 game spans where he was lights out. That's nice and all, but let us all be real here, can he be consistent and relied upon? Likewise with Jimmy Nelson and his below average starts that he had last year. Yes, Nelson is young and did add a third pitch to his arsenal, but the chatter down in Arizona is that he has been spending too much time perfecting that third pitch and not paying much attention to the command of all of his pitches. This is all chatter I have been hearing from Adam McCalvy and Tim Allen on Wisconsin sports radio. I am one scared son of a bitch regarding Fiers and Nelson, simply because we don't have that back up plan of Marco Estrada coming in (and giving mad home runs).<br />
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The bull pen looks just fine and should be just fine, in my eyes. I was thinking Tyler Thornburg would start out in AAA-Sky Sox in order to work on stretching him out for when he's needed as a fill in starter. But Thorburg should still be able to work on eventually becoming a starter due him being one of the two long relievers in the pen. K-Rod will be the closer with Jonathon Broxton and Jeremy Jeffress as the set up men. One would think that Will Smith will not be relied upon and over used as much, like he was in 2014. If used properly and there aren't too many injuries in that pen--he is destined for a killer season. <br />
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Some are a little upset that Carlos Gomez is going to lead off for the Crew. Yes he tends to hack a lot and swing for the fences, which we have all seen him do. However, Ron Roenicke was on the Bill Michaels Show earlier this week and he had some very interesting points to make about Gomez. One sure fire thing is that Gomez is very disruptive. Upon hearing him say that I thought to myself that was very rude and not manager-like for him to say such a thing. But alas, he was simply talking about Gomez at the plate in the lead off spot. You see, Gomez is like a 7 year old with ADD. You just don't know what the hell he's going to do in that batters box. One thing that will be going through that opposing pitchers mind will be, "This son of a bitch is going to swing at the first pitch I throw". Which is exactly what we want him to think. RR said that he's hoping to see a lot of 1-0 counts that will eventually lead to hitters count for Gomez. Hopefully Gomez is able show some patience at the plate and wait for ideal pitches in certain situations, which should come with him maturing (he's 29 years old). <br />
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Another thing RR noted was that Gomez is always a threat on the bases and will have the pitcher guessing and worried what this crazy man from the Dominican is up to. Will he steal? Is he trying to distract me? What the hell is this guy doing? Well, again, it's all little (and often times meaningless) mind games, but in the grand scheme of things--let's hope RR is right and Gomez is disruptive in the lead off spot. I do like the bottom of the order because you still have some pop down there with Scooter Gennett (7th) and Segura (8th). Nothing that is power bomb type stuff, but enough potential offense down there that really rounds out this order. On the surface, there IS NOT ONE SINGLE WEAK SPOT in this line up. Not one. In fact, I would go on to argue that this line up is one of the best in baseball, or the potential to be one of the best. There is just too many headaches in that line up. As it stands, the only slight question mark is Khris Davis (who has proven to be effective) and the aging Aramis Ramirez hitting clean up. <br />
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All in all, I'm one excited grown ass man. This team has the ingredients to be a wild card come the end of September. All eyes are on their individual responsibility of being smart on the bases and at the plate. That's the one thing that bit us in the ass last season (and the first half of spring training this year). Here's to a promising season. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-19417109467727169842015-03-26T10:14:00.001-05:002015-03-26T10:14:25.174-05:002015 PredictionsIt's that time of year again where I provide my predictions for the up coming season. So far, my predictions have been featured in such publications as Vegas High Roller, Sporting News, and Playgirl. These picks are as good as currency because if waged upon, is destined to bring you a solid return. So gamble away!<br />
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AL East<br />
1. Red Sox<br />
2. *Blue Jays<br />
3. Yankees<br />
4. Orioles<br />
5. Rays<br />
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AL CENTRAL<br />
1. Tigers<br />
2. *Royals<br />
3. White Sox<br />
4. Indians<br />
5. Twins<br />
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AL WEST<br />
1. Mariners<br />
2. A's<br />
3. Angels<br />
4. Rangers<br />
5. Astros<br />
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NL EAST<br />
1. Nationals<br />
2. Mets<br />
3. Braves<br />
4. Marlins<br />
5. Phillies<br />
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NL CENTRAL<br />
1. Cardinals<br />
2. *Pirates<br />
3. *Brewers<br />
4. Cubs<br />
5. Reds<br />
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NL WEST<br />
1. Dodgers<br />
2. Padres<br />
3. Giants<br />
4. DBacks<br />
5. Rockies<br />
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AL Wild Card Teams: Toronto & Kansas City<br />
NL Wild Card Teams: Pittsburgh & Milwaukee<br />
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Nationals win the World Series over Blue Jays<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-8982744385724940942015-03-12T09:28:00.001-05:002015-03-12T09:29:20.319-05:00Spring Training Updates <br />
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As you can see from my previous posts, I hold no real talents in writing. My grammar is often times suspect and my structuring is pathetically weak. Hopefully you're smart enough to realize that I'm not claiming to be a legit writer; in fact I'm the farthest thing from it. My purpose is to simply think out loud by writing my scattered thoughts on this here computer. I have no co-workers at my office, so in essence--you are all my co-workers and this computer monitor or the phone screen you're looking at is the water cooler.<br />
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Is there really anything to write about during the second week of Spring Training any ways? Not really. The line up is being messed with to see what combinations work while the rotation is still 7 to 10 days out from being set for Opening Day. <br />
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As for that batting order it will be interesting to see where they put the Braun - Ramirez combo now that they have Adam Lind. I would imagine that this combo punch would remain batting 3 and 4 with Lind in the 5 hole against RHP's. However, against LHP's is where Roenicke could get a little creative....if Lind is out of the line up (rest or injured), they could rotate Gerardo Parra in there at the 5 spot--especially if he is playing 1B. I realize that batting orders generally like to be the same on a daily basis in order to keep it routine and to play smart baseball in different scenarios/match ups, but what about another idea of bumping Braun - Ramirez down to 4 and 5 against LHP and having Parra hit in the 3 hole? The top two would remain the same with (what appears to be) Carlos Gomez and Scooter Gennett, although the latter has been getting some consideration at the lead-off spot. Yes, there is always a chance that Jean Segura could hit lead off, but judging by his production last season (aside from September), that is something that should not be considered quite yet. <br />
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I guess my point is that Milwaukee has a number of different options in designing their line up--as most teams generally do....right? My argument is that Milwaukee, in 2015, will have more tools and options than they have ever had since their 2011 NLCS run. Aside from the good idea of adding a veteran pinch hitter/utility man, they have a complete 1 through 9 (excluding the pitcher of course) that should be highly effective barring any injuries.<br />
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Of course, the words 'barring any injuries' is key here. With Lind most likely making 2 or more trips to the DL this season and probably having to sit out the final game in a series that are day games, this does put some strain on everything. Sure, they have Parra who can and probably will get some time at 1B as well as Lucroy--in order to give him rest. Obviously, putting Martin Maldonado in the line up in the 8th spot isn't a bad thing either if Lucroy is resting or playing 1B. Especially since Maldy off to a hot start in Cactus League play where he is <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=455117#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2015&level='MLB'">now hitting</a> </span>.500 with a 1.000 SLG. <br />
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Yes, it's Spring ball stats--but it's far better than the alternative (<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=460075&c_id=mil&player_name=Ryan-Braun#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2015&level='MLB'">ah-hem, Ryan Braun</a> who is 0 for 7</span>). Look, I'm not reading into these Cactus stats at all, I'm simply stating a fact that Maldonado is looking good so far in 2015 and this will be another big advantage for the Crew again in 2015. By having Lucroy play 1B against LHP's and Maldonado calling pitches it will also allow Parra to keep his 2 x Gold Glove in the outfield where he can (possibly) <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://reviewingthebrew.com/2015/03/07/platooning-khris-davis-gerardo-parra-mistake/">platoon with Khris Davis</a> </span>until the latter proves he's up to the task--offensively. Ron Roenicke has said he does not consider Parra a 4th Outfielder, which is well and all--but if Davis struggles at the plate, RR will not hesitate to have Parra as their full time starter. Sure, it will slow Davis' progress and growth, but last time I checked Milwaukee hasn't been to the playoffs in 4 years. The time to win is now, while they still can...<br />
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So, here is my idea of how the line up will look:<br />
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1.Gomez (8)<br />
2. Gennett (4)<br />
3. Braun (9)<br />
4. Ramirez (5)<br />
5. Lind (3)<br />
6. Lucroy (2)<br />
7. Davis (7)<br />
8. Segura (6)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-31788307341075116672015-03-05T09:04:00.003-06:002015-03-12T08:17:53.986-05:00Brewers on Television and in the News The Brewers<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/fox-sports-wisconsin-milwaukee-brewers-announce-2015-tv-schedule-030415"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">released</span></a> their 2015 TV schedule for the regular season. Of their 162 games the Crew will be televised all but 12 games. Now if only we all lived in Milwaukee and could watch those non-televised games on Milwaukee's<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WYTU-LD"><span style="color: blue;">Telemundo</span></a></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>(or at least that's how I watched them when I lived there last decade). The Crew faces division rival Chicago Cubs 19 times and the Cardinals 17 times; as for inter-league play they will face the AL Central this year. Oddly enough they play one 1-game series in Cleveland and a 2-game series hosting the Indians.<br />
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Milwaukee kicks off their 2015 television schedule kicks off today at 2:00pm (CT) against the Angels of Anaheim, or whatever they go by now. Kyle Lohse takes to the mound versus southpaw Hector Santiago. </div>
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Here is the Brewers spring training TV schedule (most games are on MLB Network):</div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Mar. 5 Thursday at L.A. Angels - 2 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 6 Friday at L.A. Dodgers - 2 pm</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 7 Saturday Texas - 2 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 10 Tuesday Cincinnati - 3 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 14 Saturday Chicago Cubs - 3 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 15 Sunday Oakland - 3 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 17 Tuesday at San Diego - 3pm</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 19 Thursday San Francisco - 3 pm</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 25 Wednesday Oakland - 3 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Mar. 28 Saturday Cleveland - 3 p.m</b></li>
<li><b>.Mar. 31 Tuesday Cincinnati - 3 p.m.</b></li>
<li><b>Apr. 4 Saturday Cleveland - 2 p.m.</b></li>
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MLB Network's "30 Clubs in 30 Days"on the Brewers aired last night, and I forgot to video tape it on my VHS. Which stinks because in years past the station would title the show "30 Club/30 Days" on the channel guide so one could set it up to record. Now the past 2 or 3 years they have listed under Baseball Tonight which is their daily show. So you can't plan ahead to record the Brewers special because all you see when you check out their show guide is "Baseball Tonight" and not "30 Days/30 Clubs: Brewers". Get what I am saying? It's not easy to schedule your recording of the program, which is first world struggles at its finest. My guess is that the Brewers were picked to finished 3rd again with only Plesac probably feeling good about them. But we'll see....</div>
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It was nice to read about <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/brewers-spring-training-report-wednesday-at-a-glance-b99455899z1-295105651.html">J<span style="color: blue;">im Henderson pitching yesterday</span></a> for the first time since May 2nd of last year. Henderson walked 1 and struck out 2 batter. I am still very unsure of where he will fit in with this pen, but it isn't a bad problem to have two back-up options to close out games heading into the regular season. </div>
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Because you all just love having this brought up on a weekly basis, Biogenesis main man Tony Bosch was handed a 4 year prison term last month for his services provided to major league players. Despite him signing to the feds about his drug dealing, the money continued to flow to him through different avenues and means, if you get my drift. To show what a slime bucket he was: </div>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>"Bosch wasn't exactly staying in Motel 6 as he snitched on his ex-clients. In fact, last year he signed leases for one apartment on exclusive Fisher Island, while his girlfriend rented a $700,000 downtown condo."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>"....The leases are the latest proof that Bosch took money that Major League Baseball had agreed to provide for his legal team and security detail and, instead, spent it on a luxury lifestyle, says the attorney who introduced the new docs."</i></span></span></div>
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You can read the details <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2015/03/steroid_dealer_tony_bosch_lived_in_fisher_island_luxury_downtown_apartments.php"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a> </span>by the Miami New Times story that was released yesterday. It's a very good read and you will snicker at just how dirty Mr. Bosch was. </div>
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In our weekly special <i><b>"Man, do I miss that guy"</b></i> here is a <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers/article12533891.html"><span style="color: blue;">cool little piece</span> </a>on Prince Fielder. I hope he rebounds this year for the Rangers. Yea yea, it sucked to see him leave but if you did not see that coming at the time, you need to slap yourself. Hopefully his neck injury is behind and he is ready to have a huge year. I would also never count out him returning to Milwaukee near the end of his career. </div>
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Gallardo on rejoining his old teammate: </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“He seems like the same guy from what I remember in Milwaukee,” said right-hander Yovani Gallardo, a Brewers teammate of Fielder from 2007 to 2011. “He’s always worked hard, and I think that’s why he’s had a good career."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers/article12533891.html#storylink=cpy</i></span></div>
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On a side note, I'm still wondering to myself why the hell Doug Melvin traded Gallardo and not get another pitcher in return or in a trade? It seems to me they are almost too high on Jimmy Nelson, but we shall see. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-51822228985437463162015-03-03T09:16:00.004-06:002015-03-05T08:09:57.087-06:00Spring Training Week 2<br />
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We are now into Week 2 of Spring Training; here is some news from the past week....<br />
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The Brewers have a 2 x Gold Glover in <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/milwaukee-brewers-gerardo-parra-a-backup-but-more-than-average-fourth-outfielder-030215">Gerrado Parra as their fourth outfielder</a>, which is something most (if not all) teams in the the NL Central or even the NL can say. It is obvious that Melvin will utilize him in appealing match ups and of course when injuries creep up. Most importantly, this will hold a fire under Khris Davis' ass to get him going. His arm out LF is a huge liability, but hopefully his stats will continue to improve off a decent 2014 season.<br />
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Taylor Jungmann is penciled in at the <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/294715931.html">6th pitcher</a> in the starting rotation. <br />
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Brewers announced today (3/3) that they have<a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/03/brewers-outright-brooks-hall.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook"> outright </a>Brooks Hall (RHP) to Colorado Springs.<br />
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<a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2383037-yoan-moncadas-record-setting-bonus-shows-system-inequities-mlb-must-address">Here is an interesting piece</a> on the awarding bid for Cuban sensation Yoan Moncada (19 years old) that Boston made that will pay him $31.5M. Milwaukee allegedly made the first or one of the earliest bids at $10M. The Red Sox will also pay a 100% tax on that figure because it exceeded their "allotted pool". Big flipping deal when your pay roll is that of Boston's. This is why small market teams can't compete with larger market teams. It is an uneven playing field. Veteran pitcher Drew Smyly of the Rays makes a great point: <br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
It's not right that a Cuban 19yr old gets paid 30m and the best 19yr old in the entire USA gets prob 1/6th of ... <a href="http://t.co/7aAZCwgm2t">http://t.co/7aAZCwgm2t</a><br />
— Drew Smyly (@SmylyD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SmylyD/status/569936561418039296">February 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Week 1 of Spring Training is officially in the books. Milwaukee will finally start their games on Wednesday against UW-Milwaukee (5-3) at the Maryvale complex in Arizona; <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/294570371.html">Mike Fiers is scheduled to take to the mound</a> for the Crew. This is the first time that the Brewers will take on UW-Milwaukee and only the second time every playing a college team (1983 against Arizona State). Keep in mind that it's<a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25086549/phillies-lose-to-division-ii-college-team"> not entirely impossible </a>for a college team to beat a Major League team. <br />
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DontrelleWillis seems to be a very smart signing by Doug Melvin in more ways than one. Not only is he competing for a jam packed bull pen spot on the roster, but he is also <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/294714131.html">a veteran leader </a>that is taking to helping the younger players. It is a pretty interesting concept to have 3 left handed pitchers in the pen (including Willis) heading into 2015.<br />
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In our "Where Are They Now" news....<br />
Hey, Corey Hart hurt himself <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25089272/weird-spring-training-injury-monster-claims-corey-hart">in a hut tub</a>. Is it minor? Yes, but it certainly feeds into his trend considering his knee injury with the Brewers and the fact that he only played 42% of the <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/5973/corey-hart">season last year.</a> We here at Team Wisconsin certainly don't wish harm upon anyone. But we are more and more happy with the idea Milwaukee not signing him last off season.<br />
Casey McGehee & Nori Aoki are finding settling with <a href="http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20150303/giants-newcomers-mcgehee-aoki-so-different-so-much-in-common">their new club</a>, the Giants. Both are expected to contribute quite a bit with significant playing time.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-21467199181651488472015-02-26T08:23:00.000-06:002015-02-26T11:05:51.906-06:00K-Rod Sign?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHo3YbuncIHiELbL2Uno7tJyY70pOnv-ar5CDIRG1RcEV1euJWnf0p2DIV8PfJe8P6URueR6AVhS4svk1jLCylfZM5ztR16JGgXY66BxDmuzB2Sn5tzzUxoUWS-pMj8OMnSbV_5qr1AkU/s1600/1779245_10153774623265062_695204489_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHo3YbuncIHiELbL2Uno7tJyY70pOnv-ar5CDIRG1RcEV1euJWnf0p2DIV8PfJe8P6URueR6AVhS4svk1jLCylfZM5ztR16JGgXY66BxDmuzB2Sn5tzzUxoUWS-pMj8OMnSbV_5qr1AkU/s1600/1779245_10153774623265062_695204489_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
***Update (11:03am)***<br />
K-Rod <a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/02/brewers-to-sign-francisco-rodriguez-2.html">signed a $13M deal</a> with Milwaukee for 2 years plus a club option for 2017 season.<br />
**Update (9:26am)**<br />
K-Rod has signed a 2 year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers (with a club option for the 2nd year). **<br />
<br />
Plenty of chatter out on the interwebs this morning of Francisco Rodriguez signing with a team. Rumor also has it that it wasn't with the Marlins or Blue Jays. All signs point to him coming to an agreement with Milwaukee, in my mind. Seriously, was there any doubt in your mind? Milwaukee needs one more arm in that pen competing for the closer role. You are nuts if you think Broxton is the answer. Could he be? Perhaps, but if K-Rod did sign with the Crew he will be given the closing role. Broxton and Henderson can then be solid back-up options. Again, this is all rumor talk (which is fun, right?) but a K-Rod signing would also mean that Jonathon Papelbon has one less team that is willing to trade for his services. I would also venture to say that Milwaukee will not be adding another starting pitcher, unless he is plucked off of waivers--which is what Melvin will probably end up doing. We can all agree that <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrifr03.shtml">K-Rod </a>loves to give up the long ball, which was 14 last season, but he was still effective and he did save Milwaukee's season (or at least the first 150 games) with his 44 Saves, which was good for 5th best in MLB.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-49489702864722514962015-02-24T09:25:00.000-06:002015-02-24T16:47:08.072-06:00Commence Spring Training!<i>Well, after last season's disasterous finish I have decided that it would be best for me to fire up this old blog again. After all, this blog was started in 2008 and was the reason behind Milwaukee's first post season appearance since 1982! I need to be able to blow off some steam and vent my frustrations during the season....and what better way to do that? Please keep in mind that I type like crap in the morning (which is when I generally post) and I often times make spelling mistakes. But that's ok though, because this is a damn blog on the Brewers. Who the hell is going to read it? </i><br />
<br />
This season is all about redemption for the 2015 Brewers. Ron Roenicke wants to forget all about their last 2 months of play in 2014 and move forward while others like Kyle Lohse want to <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/293027121.html">use it as motivation</a>. I am of the school of thought that we should feed off that pitiful last 2 months of play and be pissed moving forward. Let it feed you.<br />
<br />
Here are some of my thoughts heading into Spring Training....<br />
<br />
Milwaukee's pitchers and catchers reported to camp on Sunday with everyone relatively healthy. Johnny Hellweg may be slowed a bit in Maryvale due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery last season, <a href="http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/110040846/johnny-hellweg-heartened-by-return-from-tommy-john-surgery">but he has reported for duty</a>--which is a good sign. <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thornty01.shtml">Tyler Thornburg</a> is back as well and he said on the Hot Stove show on WSSP (Milwaukee) that he is ready to go; his elbow injury is behind him and is excited about the season (2/25/15). That is good and welcomed news because he will most likely be a very important piece to the team. Milwaukee will likely have Thornburg <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/293456231.html">stretched out during Spring Training</a>. Tyler will be the long reliever out of the pen as well as possibly a starting pitcher option if the injury bug hits or <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fiersmi01.shtml">Mike Fiers</a> 2012 & 2014 seasons were flashes in the pan. To me, Thornburg is a vital piece to the Brewers' season in 2015. He was highly effective last year when he did play by going 29 and 2/3's innings recording a 3.81 ERA while giving up only 1 home run along with 28 strike outs. This helps qualm some of the worries around camp having few back up options in their rotation should one or two flounder.<br />
<br />
The rotation should be as follows:<br />
1. Kyle Lohse<br />
2. Matt Garza<br />
3. Wily Peralta<br />
4. Mike Fiers<br />
5. Jimmy Nelson<br />
<br />
Now I could go on and on about how the Brewers traded Yovani Gallardo last month and failed to land another SP in his place. I, along with a number of other delusional fans thought Doug Melvin stood a chance of trading for Jordan Zimmerman or signing James Shields. Well, that neither here nor there; Milwaukee will most likely be set heading towards Opening Day with this rotation. Some other back up options are Will Smith and Taylor Jungmann. The latter of two would of course mean that Milwaukee's season would be shot if called upon.<br />
<br />
The bull pen is going to be very strong in my mind, despite not having announced their closer. As it stands Jonathon Broxton and Jim Henderson will compete for the coveted spot while we monitor the headlines over the coming days/weeks to see if K-Rod is brought back. Milwaukee will have Will Smith and Neil Cotts as their LHP and Jeremy Jeffress along with whomever loses out on the closer role as the set-up.<br />
<br />
Offensively, the Brewers will be most vulnerable at the hot corners. With the 37 year old Aramis Ramirez being injury prone and newly acquired Adam Lind's bum back along with his inability to hit lefties will leave the Brewers scrambling (most likely) early in the season. Milwaukee has<a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2015/2/18/8034561/brewers-third-base-future-aramis-ramirez"> no proven solutions at 3B</a> if/when Ramirez gets injured. This is a huge question mark that will need to be addressed. Jean Segura is one that we all know about with his struggles off and on the field in 2014. Keep in mind that he was the <i><b>only </b></i>production the Crew got in that horrific last 30 games of the 2014 season. Defensively, he's one of the top short stops in the league. Milwaukee will live and die by <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/braunry02.shtml">Ryan Braun</a> this season after a piss poor 2014 campaign. The good news is that his surgical procedure(s) done on his bothersome thumb this off season is reportedly a success; he will <a href="http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybaseball/update/25076432/no-extra-limitations-on-brewers-of-ryan-brauns-thumb-in-camp">not be limited in Spring Traning</a> (yea right....). This is all very positive though, as he was already<a href="http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybaseball/update/24751134/ryan-braun-takes-batting-practice-monday"> taking swings</a> in the middle of October only days after the procedure was done. If he can hit .290 with 30 HR's with 100 RBI the Brewers will be on the right track, especially if Adam Lind can deliver with his power.<br />
<br />
Another troublesome question will be the who is the 5th out fielder? Khris Davis and <a href="http://brewers.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=467827#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2015&level='ALL'">Gerardo Parra</a> will be going head to head to get the starting nod. As it stands, I would anticipate Davis getting the start considering Parra can play all 3 positions in the out field. Davis hit 22 HR's last season but only hit .244 at the plate; his arm strength is borderline laughable but he is fairly decent defensively. Meanwhile, Parra is a two-time Golden Glove fielder that hit .268 since being traded from Arizona in July. Not quite the production Melvin had hoped for when acquiring him, but he's a veteran player now in 2015 that can anchor that defense. He can provide rest to Braun and platoon with Davis if need be.<br />
<br />
As for the batting order....<br />
<br />
1. Carlos Gomez<br />
2. Scooter Gannett<br />
3. Ryan Braun<br />
4. Aramis Ramirez<br />
5. Adam Lind<br />
6. Jonathon Lucroy<br />
7. Khris Davis<br />
8. Jean Segura<br />
9. SP<br />
<br />
That's a crazy-good line up and will stack up well against any other line up in Major League Baseball. My projected line up will most likely be off...but no matter which way you look at it, it's a strong....POTENT offense (but with little depth).<br />
<br />
Of course I will be taking a much more in depth look at the club during the coming weeks. But on the surface this team has the ingredients to be real threat in the NL Central. They will once again be flying in under the radar due to the preseason picks placing them behind St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and even Chicago. One thing that is for certain, the NL Central will be the best division in baseball. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-75359145813970932022013-03-20T16:15:00.003-05:002013-03-20T16:15:39.457-05:002013 MLB Predictions!!!YES! It's finally the end of March, sort of; that means it's time for my predictions. Last year was humiliating, but I'll drive on and hit it out of the park this year!<br />
<br />
NL EAST<br />
1. Washington DC<br />
2. Atlanta<br />
3. Philly<br />
4. Florida<br />
5. NY Mets<br />
<br />
NL CENTRAL<br />
1. Cincy<br />
2. St. Louis<br />
3. Milwaukee<br />
4. Pittsburgh<br />
5. Chicago<br />
<br />
NL WEST<br />1. LA Dodgers<br />
2. San Fran<br />
3. Colorado<br />
4. San Diego<br />
5. Arizona<br />
<br />
AL EAST<br />
1. Toronto<br />
2. Tampa Bay<br />
3. Baltimore<br />
4. Boston<br />
5. New York<br />
<br />
AL CENTRAL<br />
1. KC<br />
2. Detroit<br />
3. Cleveland<br />
4. Chicago WS<br />
5. Minnesota<br />
<br />
AL WEST<br />
1. Anaheim<br />
2. Seattle<br />
3. Oakland<br />
4. Texas<br />
5. Houston<br />
<br />
Post Season<br />
NL WC's: San Fran loses to Atlanta<br />
AL WC's: Detroit over Tampa Bay<br />
<br />
NLDS: Atlanta loses to Cincy<br />
NLDS: LA Dodgers over Washington DC<br />
<br />
ALDS: Detroit over Anaheim<br />
ALDS: KC over Toronto<br />
<br />
NLCS: Reds beats Dodgers<br />
NLCS: KC beats Toronto<br />
<br />
NL MVP- Jay Bruce<br />
AL MVP- Mike Trout<br />
<br />
NL ROY- Zack Wheeler <br />
AL ROY- Wil Myers<br />
<br />
NL CY- Yovanni Gallardo<br />
AL CY- Yu Darvish<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-45240093293063499572012-03-02T15:57:00.001-06:002012-03-02T15:57:29.464-06:002012 PredictionsIt's that time again! Time for me to post my 2012 predictions. I'm doing this a month early in order to post this before we all find out about the decision on Ryan Braun. So here we go....<br />
Keep in mind folks, I predicted that the Brew Crew would make it to the NLCS only to fall short to the Phillies. Well, I was half right at least.<br />
<br />
NL Wild Card game: Reds over Cardinals<br />
NLDS: Reds over DiamondBacks<br />
NLDS: Brewers over Reds<br />
NLCS: Brewers over Reds<br />
<br />
AL Wild Card game: Red Sox over Rangers<br />
ALDS: Red Sox over Angels<br />
ALDS: Tigers over Rays<br />
ALCS: Tigers over Red Sox<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Tigers over Brewers</span></strong><br />
<br />
NL East<br />
Braves<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Their rotation may not be as good as 2011 but they'll have the best bullpen in the NL. Their prediction relies heavily on Jason Heyward and if he corrects that sophomore slump.</span><br />
Phillies<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It will be tough for Lee & Doc to repeat what they did last year. However, Hamels will continue to improve off of a career season. Their aging line-up will be the biggest question mark and if Howard will not only be ready for the first month--but will he stay healthy?</span><br />
Marlins<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ya ya ya...Ozzie and his ban of misfits. Their rotation's success will go as far as Josh Johnson's health. Adding Buerhle and Bell to the closers roll will help. If they can get 100 games out Jose Reyes, I'll be shocked. Also, I can see Hanley having a huge year both at 3B & SS.</span><br />
Nationals<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Strasburg and Zimmerman will be on a pitch count and under close observation most of the season. They have the (tied for) second best bullpen in the NL. If Ryan Zimmerman can stay healthy and Werth decides to play, they may overtake the Marlins.</span><br />
Mets<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This team is in the worst shape possible. It's like they took a shitty team and made it even shittier. Complete disaray. I can see them trading off Wright at the deadline.</span><br />
<br />
NL Central<br />
Brewers<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sure, they lost out on Prince (120 RBI) and Braun will be feeling like he has to over do it all season to prove he didn't juice. However, they have the 3rd best bullpen in the NL as well as a top 3 rotation. Their infield additions should vastly improve their defense and they'll turn to some small ball in order to make up for the lack of power.</span> <br />
Reds*<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">With the second best bullpen and an improved rotation (addition of Latos) the Reds and Crew will be battling back and forth all season long-or-at least from the All Star break on. Jay Bruce will have an MVP-caliber season while Votto should also have similar 2011 results. They probably made the best off-season additions in MLB.</span> <br />
Cards*<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">New skipper and ol' weak knees in the outfield (Beltran) will prove to be too big of a void to overcome from losing Alberta. If Wainwright bounces back and Carp continues to eat innings, they'll be fine. But that bullpen will never be able to repeat without Duncan heading their hurlers.</span><br />
Pirates<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This team will hope to finish 2nd at the All Star break and then fall apart in the second half. Clint Hurdle has a stud in McCrutchen, but I don't expect their rotation to compete.</span> <br />
Astros<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Holy hell, this team is horrible. Bud Norris will be most likely be traded in July and possibly look for Wandy to follow.</span><br />
<br />
NL West<br />
Diamondbacks<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Justin Upton will compete with Jay Bruce for NL MVP. They have outfield depth with Parra (gold glove winner last season) as their 5th fielder. Ian Kennedy will have a down season, count on it.</span><br />
Rockies<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Confusing moves this offseason. Tulo will have his a-typical season and Cargo should hopefully provide enough umph to help them all season. Their rotation will be their weakness as will their pen.</span><br />
Dodgers<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kemp will still have a big season, but don't expect the 2011 CY Young to have a repeat performance. Ethier will be traded by July.</span> <br />
Giants<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Biggest question mark is Brian Wilson and his health, as well as Posey's. Cain, Lincecum, and Baumgardner will be solid as usual. But not enough power in their lineup.</span><br />
Padres<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Their park does them know favors offensively, but with the loss of Adams & Bell, someone will step up and be the go-to closer, then flipped at a high price.</span> <br />
<br />
AL East<br />
Rays<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">They'll have the best rotation in the NL with Hellickson and Moore pounding out the strikezone. Expect to see a come-back season by Pena and Upton.</span><br />
Red Sox*<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Crawford will bounce back and Gonzo should bat just fine in that comfy park. Their rotation will be the biggest question mark.</span><br />
Yankees<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">An aging infield that will be anchord by Cano. Expect Tex to have a subpar season. Michael Pinieda will get destroyed in that park and possibly f-up his arm beyond repair.</span> <br />
Blue Jays<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lawrie will come back down to earth playing a full season in the Bigs-- because he's a meathead. Romero will compete for the AL Cy Young and Drabek will also dish out the pain.</span><br />
O's<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardy's 30 HR season will be a flash in the pan. There's absolutely nothing to get excited about here. Although it will be interesting to see how Hamels does (Guthrie trade).</span><br />
<br />
AL Central<br />
Tigers<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Miggie & Fielder, 'nuff said. Verlander will continue to be the top pitcher in the league.</span><br />
Royals<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Far fetched? Perhaps. Odorizzi will compete for ROY if he's called up in time.</span><br />
Indians<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The bottom 3 teams here are pretty even. Brantley will have a huge season as will Kotchman.</span><br />
Twins<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mauer and Morneau could suprise us all and the Twinkies could have a huge bounce back season. But their rotation is weak sauce with too many holes.</span><br />
White Sox<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adam Dunn will rebound, that's the only good news for this team.</span><br />
<br />
AL West<br />
Angels<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pujols will have a huge season batting in the AL West and at DH. Their rotation will be one to reckon as well.</span> <br />
Rangers*<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yu Darvish will implode and the 46MM will be money foolishly waisted</span>. <span style="font-size: x-small;">No clear cut ace here.</span><br />
A's<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cespedes will flop and Man-Ram will come back from his 50 gamer with guns a blazing....er....ok, maybe he'll get injured right away.</span><br />
Mariners<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jesus Montero will be the AL ROY</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
NL Cy Young - Zack Greinke<br />
AL Cy Young - Rickie Romero<br />
NL ROY - Anthony Rizzo<br />
AL ROY - Jesus Montero<br />
NL Manager of the year - Mike Matheny<br />
AL Manager of the year - Bobby ValentineUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-35545738104048309162012-02-23T16:18:00.000-06:002012-02-23T16:18:16.698-06:00Braun Wins Appeal!!!Conflicting Reports all at once, but Braun won his case and he will be eligible to play Opening Day! No 50 game suspension!<br />
<br />
WLUK FOX 11 first tweeted that he lost his appeal. But Tom Haudricourt tweeted shortly after that he won!!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-34369715937263853902011-10-21T15:49:00.000-05:002011-10-21T15:49:58.282-05:00How did I do on my 2011 predictions?As typical everyear I post my preseason predictions. Typically, I have been pretty damn good in years past. I called that the SF Giants would make it to the World Series, which they won. <br />
<br />
Well, I once again called the NLCS right. I had picked Milwaukee to make it to the series and lose to the Phillies. Well, I was half-right, seeing that St Louis came through big down the stretch. Take a look at how I did.....<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">World Series 2011</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">RED SOX win it all</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Boston defeats Milwaukee</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Well, I'm wrong all-together. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Milwaukee defeats Philly: NLCS</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Boston defeats Minnesota: ALCS</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I had one correct team in the CS, Milwaukee</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Milwaukee defeats Atlanta: NLDS</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Philly defeats Colorado: NLDS</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Boston defeats LA: NLDS</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Minnesota defeats Tampa Bay: NLDS</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Despite the spelling error, I did have Tampa Bay in the ALCS</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Likewise with Philly and Milwaukee; So I had 3 out of the 8 teams right</span></span><span style="color: orange;">AL East</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Boston Red Sox</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Tampa Bay Rays *</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NY Yankees</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Baltimore Orioles</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Toronto Blue Jays</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I picked Tampa to win the Wild Card, which they did</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">AL Central</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Minnesota Twins</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Detroit Tigers</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Chicago White Sox</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">KC Royals</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Cleveland Indians</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">AL West</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">LA Angels</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Texas Rangers</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Oakland Athletics</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Seattle Mariners</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NL East</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Philadelphia Phillies</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Atlanta Braves *</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Washington DC Nationals</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Florida Marlins</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NY Mets</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">NL Central</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Milwaukee Brewers</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Cincinnati Reds</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">St Louis Cardinals</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Chicago Cubs</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Pittsburgh Pirates</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I picked the Central Division winner right</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NL West</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Colorado Rockies</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">San Francisco Giants</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">San Diego Padres</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">LA Dodgers</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Arizona DBacks</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">The biggest failure...picking the DBacks last when they actually won it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">Here I wrote a few paragraps about my predictions. I will highlight the areas where I was right:::</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Boston is destined to rebound big time this season with the addition of Gonzo and Carl Crawford as well as a healthy rotation. <span style="color: #274e13;">Tampa will have the 2nd best rotation in the league</span>, but their offense will struggle as they try to form as one with out Pena & Crawford. Baltimore could be the biggest surprise and even bump NY from 3rd place. </span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Minnesota is the best team in a poor division. They are the first to get bounced in the playoffs, but this season should be different. They have Kirk Gibson that can step up and fill the void if Francisco Loriano doesn't pan out. Detroit is always a threat, but can't compete with the Twins.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">The Rangers will prove to be a fluke, even with the addition of Beltre and Brandon Webb</span>. I wonder how their lockeroom will be with a newly appointed GM (Nolan Ryan), letting Feliz get his way in the starting rotation, and their treatment of Michael Young fresh on their minds. Meanwhile, never count out Mike Scosia and his club. They are sleepers and should be able to take the division, although it will come down to the wire. </span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">The Rockies have the youth and the leadership to win the NL West. I truly feel that San Fran will falter down the stretch. They have the risky Barry Zito and a young hurler who could stumble in his 2nd full season (Madison Bumgarner), while Tim Linsecum has shown that he can be sketchy at times. Having a solid bullpen will help though. </span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Milwaukee and Cincinnati will battle back and forth this season. <span style="color: #0c343d;">But Milwaukee pitching depth (yes, you read that correctly) will surpass the Reds.</span> Both teams will run the stat board when it comes to offense, but Prince Fielder is destined to have a career season and Ryan Braun is showing no signs of slowing down. Milwaukee's pitching will be better than Cincy's, bullpens included.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">The NL East will have the a repeat of 2010 on their hands when <span style="color: #0c343d;">Atlanta and Philly battle it out</span>. Don't count the Nationals out early....they are destined to make a significant jump this season, while the Marlins and Mets drop off. </span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Obviously, I picked the AL CY Young winner wrong (will go to Verlander), but Halladay has a shot</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Long shot, but I could also get the Prince Fielder MVP prediction right. If he doesn't win, he'll finish 3rd or 4th.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">NL ROY will go to what's-hit-nuts from the Braves (the closer) while the AL ROY is unknown.</span></span><span style="color: orange;">Far-fetched individual awards:</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">AL Cy Young: David Price</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NL MVP: Prince Fielder</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">AL ROY: Kyle Drabek</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">NL ROY: Freddie Freeman</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-39762668863193918312011-10-17T16:43:00.000-05:002011-10-17T16:43:01.309-05:00All good things must come to an endNow that the Brewers have closed out their 2011 season it's time to look ahead. How do they capatilize off what they accomplished this season? How does a small market team compete next year with out their star first baseman? How do they upgrade this offseason at the corner-left infield? Who will man RF next season? Will Corey Hart take over 1B? Is Taylor Green the answer at 3B? Can the Crew lure Jose Reyes this off-season? <br />
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So many questions--with no easy answers.<br />
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Here's what we know, Milwaukee will probably have the same starting rotation in 2012. The bullpen will look the same as well, except for KRod and a few other names not worth mentioning (I don't have their contract info in front of me). <br />
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The offense may still have Carlos Gomez manning CF and possibly even Nyjer Morgan, if he can be signed at a reasonable price. The biggest question mark is in RF, with Corey Hart being either dealt this offseason or moving over to 1B. That of course is pending the Prince Fielder question, which is pretty much accepted that he will be moving on to richer...er...bigger waters. <br />
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The infield will also probably have some new faces. SS will be vacant and 3B will probably have Taylor Green manning it next season. Green of course was a mid-season call-up and then apart of the playoff roster. Ideally, Milwaukee will like it if they can some how move the 29 year-old Casey McGehee to a new club in return for some prospects. Most likely, McGehee will stay-put however, as he is only 1 season removed from having 100 RBI in 2010. But his knees aren't getting any more durable. <br />
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Jose Reyes will be the most sought after free agent (who's names aren't Prince & Albert) this offseason. Reyes would be a welcomed addition, when Prince bounces town. He would be cheaper and he still has plently of ball left in him (29 years-old). My only concern with him is his weak-ass hamstrings and the idea of him spending at least 2 stints on the 15 day DL. He did so for the Mets this season, in the midst of earning his batting title and his career season. Other options at SS would be Jamey Carrol (old as dirt) and Hairston Jr, who plays 3B far better. <br />
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So barring any freak injuries or big roster moves, the Brew Crew will look the same except for the #4 spot in the line-up, as well #6. <br />
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Will Milwaukee try to add 1 more arm to their rotation? It's doubtfull, considering all 5 of the starters will be back in 2012. However, if Melvin can score a CJ Wilson or CC Sabathia, you can imagine that either Marcum, Wolf, or Narveson will be dealt for a SS or 1B. My guess is that Marcum would be moved to an American League team in return for some infield help, since he has 1 season left and is up for his final arbitration. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-70188289694787824472011-10-17T12:03:00.000-05:002011-10-17T12:03:17.119-05:00Season Over, Prince heading out of town (?).Well, as soon as Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin heard that RR was going to start Marcum in game 6, we all pretty much knew it was going to be over....and it was.<br />
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St Louis defeated Milwaukee 12-6 in the deciding game 6 and they will be representing the National League in the World Series against the Texas Rangers.<br />
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Prince went 0-4 in the game and 1 for 14 in games 3 thru 6. He made a couple of decent defensive plays, but otherwise, was quiet the rest of the series. <br />
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All in all, it was disappointing to see the Brewers lose this series. I'll type more later. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-67416482688770494862011-10-14T15:51:00.001-05:002011-10-14T15:51:58.453-05:00Milwaukee ties NLCS up 2-2 with St Louis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.jsonline.com/images/mjs-brewers14_-spt_-porter_-15-brewers14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153px" oda="true" src="http://media.jsonline.com/images/mjs-brewers14_-spt_-porter_-15-brewers14.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
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After dropping 2 in a row to St. Louis, Milwaukee rebounded last night in a 4-2 win at Busch Stadium. Thanks impart to some small ball, the Brewers were able to claw their way back from being down 2 runs. The Cardinals got off to a quick start with solo jacks by Allen Craig and Matt Holliday off of the shaky Randy Wolf. Lucky for the Crew, Randy Wolf shook it off and pieced together one of the best postseason outing in franchise history. Albeit he has some fierce competition for that nod, but given the circumstances of the game (down 2 games to 1) I feel this is worthy of that make believe award.<br />
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Randall Wolfster (1-0) went 7 complete, giving up 2 earned runs on 6 hits. He tallied 6 k's and 1 free pass. Wolf even contributed at the plate with a line drive double. <br />
The bullpen did the rest. KRod pitched the 8th and gave up a hit and struck out 1 while John Axford collected his 2nd save of the postseason; giving up 1 hit to Lance Berkman (PH). <br />
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At the plate, Jerry Hairston Jr has been unreal! He went 2-4 with a double and a RBI last night and made some key defensive plays. <br />
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Jerry Hairston has been the unsung hero this offseason; heck even the month of September he has been on point. Doug Melvin knew exactly what he was getting when he made the mid-season move to bring in Hairston Jr. This veteran infielder can play anywhere on the field, most importantly, he was the fill-in for Rickie Weeks while he was on the mend for his twisted ankle. Felipe Lopez was brought in from Tampa's AAA team/affiliate as soon as Rickie's news broke that he would miss 4-6 weeks. Lopez got off to decent start with a 2 hit game in his first stint back at Miller Park, but it was obvious that Milwaukee needed somone larger than that. Hairston has World Series experience, although not much, but he did have 6 AB's with a hit back in 2009 with the Yankees. He also went 1 for 2 in the ALCS that year against the Angels. <br />
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Hairston Jr. brought his cornerstone defensive play to 2B and now he's the sure shot at 3B, in place of the struggling Casey McGehee. The 35 year-old is a leader in the club house and plays with raw emotions in the batter box. He makes contact with the ball and has been relied on a couple of times this postseason to deliver. <br />
Thus far,Jerry has gone....<br />
6 for 16 against the DBacks in the NLDS; with 2 key doubles, 2 walks, and 3 runs batted in. Against the Cardinals, his 6 for 16 with 3 doubles and 1 RBI line has been a reliable crutch in this offense. Especially over the past couple of games where Milwaukee's Braun & Fielder have failed to homer.<br />
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Tonight, it's Zack Greinke vs Jamie Garcia (LHP). <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/131880828.html">Corey Hart and Carlos Gomez </a>are starting in the outfield. Hopefully Hart will start to come around. He's been absolutely horrible so far.<br />
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Cordell Hart is hitting a piss poor .196 in the postseason play (2008 & 2011). Even worse, the Kentucky redneck is down to a .83 at the plate: 1 for 12, 3 strike outs, 2 walks in the NLCS.<br />
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Meanwhile, Nyjer Morgan (who is no stranger to hitting pitches in the dirt) is racking up a stellar average this October. Dude is hitting .310 at the plate and has driven in 3 runs. He's the spark that ignites this team. Nyjer is a must start in game 6 & 7.<br />
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Granted, Morgan can be way <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/sportsevents/2011/10/11/nyjer-morgan-gets-profane-on-knbr/">too much to handle</a> at times (most of the times)....he's the missing piece in this Brewers puzzle of an outfield. He's much needed.<br />
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It's fun to read some of these looks from the nation's media outlets. Here are some that are worth reading....<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/sports/baseball/budweiser-miller-rivalry-part-of-brewers-cardinals-nlcs.html">New York Times</a> looks in to the rivalry between St Louis and Milwaukee with an emphasis on beer making.<br />
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<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203914304576627014029950304.html">Wall Street Journal</a> also touches on the suds series.... Did you know it costs $8 to buy a rice beer at Busch Stadium?!?! It's only 5.50 for a barley/hops brewed Miller at Miller Park.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-81407291071722921102011-10-10T08:54:00.000-05:002011-10-10T08:54:50.378-05:00Milwaukee's offense does the talking<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What a game yesterday. It was a game of highs and lows, having Milwaukee coming back twice in the game. At one time they were down by 3 runs. But with this offense and power in the middle of the order, the Milwaukee Brewers are hard to keep down. The Crew won game 1 by a score of 9-6. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.jsonline.com/images/650*566/26040313-mjs_brewers10-_spt-_lynn-_12_brewers10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278px" kca="true" src="http://media.jsonline.com/images/650*566/26040313-mjs_brewers10-_spt-_lynn-_12_brewers10.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Both Prince & Braun smacked home runs yesterday, with the latter also hitting a 2-run double. All together, Milwaukee collected 5 double by five different players. Rickie Weeks, who was struggling at the plate this post season added to that mix. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
Most impressive has been the play of Yuni B. The man has flat out been raking in the playoffs. Yesterday Yuni went 2 for 4 with a double and a HR. He gets my nod for player of the game (slight edge over Braun and Saito). </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Zack Greinke <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/greinke-good-enough-to-get-it-done-at-home-again-for-brewers-131434088.html">earned the win</a>, but was far from perfect in his 6 innings of work. He allowed 6 earned runs on 8 hits. But he did tally 6 SO's and walked 2. Saito was the star of the pitching game, holding the Cards with runners on the corner. Sait had Alberta Pujols hit in to a double play (typical Alberta fashion). </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.jsonline.com/images/500*600/26040383-mjs_brewers10-_spt-_lynn-_19_brewers10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" kca="true" src="http://media.jsonline.com/images/500*600/26040383-mjs_brewers10-_spt-_lynn-_19_brewers10.jpg" width="266px" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">John Axford recorded the save yesterday. In order to collect the last out of the game, he had to take a liner off his throwing arm. But he was still able to throw the runner out and he <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/131431043.html">says he's OK</a>.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-31045053234585216092011-10-09T08:15:00.001-05:002011-10-09T08:15:56.482-05:00The NLCS....the no love championship seriesHow ironic, the last time Milwaukee won a playoff series was in 1982 when they came back from being down 2-0 and beat the California Angels. They would later lose to the St Louis Cardinals in the World Series in a closely contested series. Now it's time for revenge. Revenge from those days when the '82 boys couldn't seal the deal, revenge from 2007 when Milwaukee and St Louis got in a beam ball battle in September, and this season when tensions flared from both sides.<br />
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The Cardinals fell to the Brewers hard in the early season series' but then came storming back in August and September to even it up, 9-9. Both sides have similar ERA, batting averages, and other statistical areas. Granted, they're not as close of a team as the Diamondbacks were. But this will be a series that will be played and won with some small ball, some power, and most importantly--its pitchig. <br />
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Jamie Garcia takes to the mound against Zack Greinke in todays Game 1 at 3:00pm. <br />
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Let the trash talking <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2011/story/_/id/7077878/2011-nlcs-milwaukee-brewers-zack-greinke-calls-st-louis-cardinals-chris-carpenter">BEGIN</a>.<br />
It's obvious both sides respect each other's game, but they hate each other personally. From Carp's distasteful tactics of yelling at batters and mad dogging them, to Tony Plushs' habit of cocking of pitchers with his (I hate using this word) swagger. <br />
Tony Larussa hates the Brewers, that's a no-brainer really. I think he fuels a lot of this,dating back to 2007. When Zack Greinke told the press Friday night that the Crew doesn't like Carp, we all knew that. I mean, Milwaukee doesn't like Carp. So when Greinke said that, what's the big deal? Well, <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20111009/SPORTS02/110090643/Baseball-roundup-Brewers-Cardinals-beef-correct-">Tony Laruss didn't seem to care for it.</a> <br />
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Nice <a href="http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/08/a-long-time-in-the-making-a-brewers-cardinals-rematch/">summary</a> of the upcoming series by NY Times.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-49297846442011094062011-10-05T16:36:00.000-05:002011-10-05T16:36:31.412-05:00Marcum flops / D-backs take Brewers to game 4Arizona 8, Milwaukee 1<br />
For whatever reason, Shaun Marcum has been horse shit over the past 5 starts. Thinking that Roenicke was on to something, he pitched Greinke on short rest and took his chances on sending Marcum to the mound on the road. Since Marcum has been better than damn good on the road this season, it all made sense. However, in Randy Wolf-type fashion....there was a communication break down between Marcum and Lucroy that resulted in Paul Goldschmidt hitting a grand slam HR with 2 outs in the 5th. Only this whole incident happened after Ron Roenicke decided to intentionally walk Miguel Monterro (clean-up hitter) in order to try their luck on Goldshit (.387 average with bases loaded). Wrong choice. But hey, Roenicke hasn't made too many blatent mistakes this season. Granted, you don't want to see him start now in the NLDS. <br />
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Josh Collmentor was lights out, stifling the Crew over 7 complete innings, giving up 1 earned run (a mistake to Corey Hart ended up as HR). He struck out 6 while only issuing 2 free passes. That makes 20 total innings in 2011 (14 scoreless innings in the reg season), and dude only gives up 1 run. His over-the-top approach would have hopefully been figured out by the 3rd inning, hell, even Sampson or his sidekick (TBS analyst) said Josh was tipping his pitches. But that clearly didn't help. It's like he's Braveheart throwing a gosh damn battle hatchet. <br />
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So, on to game 4 we go. Randy Wolf takes to the mound in a couple of hours and George Kottarus will hopefully provide that usual spark from the plate. <br />
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It's decision time!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-59837425034419912082011-10-04T16:31:00.000-05:002011-10-04T16:31:52.855-05:00Brewers aiming for NLCS; D-Back's face possible elimination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sportssavvy.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/2011_nlds1-e1317309096863.gif?w=500&h=224" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143px" kca="true" src="http://sportssavvy.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/2011_nlds1-e1317309096863.gif?w=500&h=224" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What a time to be sick....right when the Brewers are on the cusp of earning their first ever trip to the National League Championship Series! I have been out of commission for almost a week due to the cold. But am ready to stay awake to watch game 3 tonight. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/519298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195px" kca="true" src="http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/519298.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Milwaukee is on all cylinders right now and taking their show on the road to Arizona where they will try to sweep the D-backs right out of the playoffs. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here is a look at the storylines leading in to tonight's game:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2011/10/03/20111003milwaukee-brewers-shaun-marcum.html">Shaun Marcum is at ease as he will take to the mound tonight</a>. Having come over from the AL East, Marcum feels ready and willing to do work in Arizona. His NL best road era of 2.21 will go up against Josh Collmenter (10-10, 3.38). Collmenter blanked the Crew earlier in the season, but that was when the Crew was resting Ryan Braun, Nyjer Morgan was on the DL and Jerry Hairston Jr was still playing in DC. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Speaking <a href="http://naperville.patch.com/articles/naperville-native-hairstons-veteran-savvy-a-boost-to-brewers-world-series-run">of Hairston</a>, he's probably one of the biggest acquisition during the 2011 season--which was all but under the radar.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/131032298.html">Nice story on Saito</a> by the Phily Daily News. This 41 year-old reliever had to go through a lot this season; from the earthquake that rocked his home country to the many injuries that had set him back through out the first half of the season. He's a big piece to the bull pen though! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Prince is<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/10/03/prince.fielder.ap/index.html?sct=mlb_t2_a11"> ready</a> for the Chase Field boo's.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055501332491439889.post-78071672388867077312011-09-29T09:04:00.000-05:002011-09-29T09:04:17.941-05:0096-66: The 2011 Brewers beat out the 1982 Brewers<strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">96 WINS</span></strong> 96 wins<br />
96 wins<br />
96 wins<br />
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Last night the Milwaukee Brewers notched their 96th win of the season, thus beating out the storied team from 1982 for the best franchise record. What a season Milwaukee, thank you!<br />
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Zack Greinke allowed earned his 16th win of the season, this after missing the first 5 of the regular season, after going 6 complete and giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits. He looked damn good and brought some nasty stuff. <br />
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Offensively, Lucroy & Hart went yard in the same innings while GO GO GOmez followed suit an inning later. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0