We’ve Moved!!!

Hi all!

As promised, it’s Monday and there is big news for BrewersNation.

I was approached by SportsBubbler, and they asked me to move my blog to the front page of their site. The site traffic is obviously higher over there. The partnership looks to be quite beneficial for both sides.

The name of the blog has sadly changed. Unfortunately, it was something that simply had to happen to make the move possible. I won’t go into the particulars, but BrewersNation is now known as Bernie’s Crew.

Nothing about the site’s content is going to change whatsoever, so don’t worry. I sincerely hope you all will update your bookmarks and simply come and read the new blog. It’s an exciting move, and I want all of you to make it with me. You all have been absolutely fantastic.

Here’s the link to the new site.

Round ’em Up: Sunday

UPDATE 07-13-08 1:05pm – Take a look at the brawl in the Huntsville Stars game last night!  Also, the error Cole Gillespie has in the highlights is downright embarrassing…(A tip of the cap to Mass Hass at Brewerfan.net for this one)

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(Insert your own witty opening right here.) Let’s jump right into this.

• Ned Yost says that the defense is drastically improved from last season. He doesn’t want us to look at the number of errors though. That isn’t a realistic representation of the improvement. Yost likes the fact that the outfield has more range than last season. They can get to more balls.Sure, the defense has improved some from last season. It is by no means above-average, however. Bill Hall has a penchant for making the difficult play look easy and botching the routine plays. Ryan Braun may not have an error in left field, but he’s still trying to throw every man out at home and not hitting the cut off man. That allows runners on the basepaths to move up into scoring position after a mere single. Prince Fielder is certainly not above-average at first. The only real improvements are Mike Cameron in center field and Jason Kendall behind the dish. You like how I did that without looking at stats? Ned Yost would be proud.
• The Brew Town Beat analyzes the trend of the platoon for the Milwaukee Brewers. There is the Bill Hall/Russell Branyan platoon. There is the proposed Dave Bush/Seth McClung platoon. Brew Town suggests a Craig Counsell/Joe Dillon platoon while Rickie Weeks gets sent down to Nashville to work some things out. My guess is Milwaukee is not going to go down that path unless there is a productive trading option – like a Ray Durham.
• Jon Rauch is receiving a lot of attention on the Trade Market. I would suspect that Milwaukee will or has already kicked the tires. The problem is that Washington is known for trying to screw other teams in a deal. I suspect the asking price will be exorbitant.
• Battlekow on Brew Crew Ball has a nice overview of the Future’s Game. It actually started about an hour ago, so go check it out on ESPN2. Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta are playing. Check it out.
• Vinny Rottino and Lindsay Gulin were named to the PCL All-Star team. Rottino has performed better than expected behind the plate. He may be the back-up in Milwaukee next season. Gulin has been one of the only consistent performers in the starting rotation in Nashville. He has been walking too many people lately, but his ERA is still extremely respectable.Luis Pena was a late addition to the All-Star team as well. As it says in The Sunday Harvest, Pena started out horrendously. He’s turned it on lately though. The right-hander will probably be called up to the big leagues in September, if not before.
• The Hardball Times analyzes the Rich Harden trade. The article takes the position that the Oakland A’s probably got the better end of the deal because they got a surplus of talent that could become everyday players in the bigs.
• Dugout Central asks who the most disappointing teams in the AL and the NL have been this season. In the AL, I would say the Cleveland Indians have been the most underachieving team. The San Diego Padres take the cake in the National League, in my opinion.
• The Junkball Blues wonders why the amount of complete games have gone down so dramatically throughout the history of baseball. You can blame strict pitch counts and high salaries for that.
• Seamheads looks at the Tampa Bay Rays and their attendance. Even though they are having the best season in their history, they just broke the one million mark for attendance. That’s rough for the management. Perhaps they will be moving sometime soon…

The Sunday Harvest

Player of the Week: C/OF Eric Fryer

Last 10 Games: .500 BA, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB

It looks like Eric is making himself comfortable atop The Sunday Harvest.  Since Jonathan Lucroy got promoted to Brevard County, Eric has been making more starts behind the plate.  His bat is too precious to keep out of the lineup everyday though, so WV has also been playing him in the outfield.  They have also moved Fryer to the clean-up spot in the order.  Instead of trying too hard or choking, the young man has only improved his hitting.  He’s doing his best Mat Gamel impression right now with a .360 batting average.  It looks like Milwaukee may have found another diamond in the rough in the coal mines of West Virginia.

Honorable Mention

C Angel Salome – (Last 10: .421 BA, 6 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI) – With all the talk of Matt LaPorta, Mat Gamel, and Alcides Escobar in the C.C. Sabathia trade talks, Angel wanted everyone to know he’s not going anywhere.  That is, he’s not going anywhere except up the ladder in the Brewers farm system.  He’s still hitting for average and power.  The defense has improved this year, and the young man still has a cannon for an arm.  Look for him in Nashville next season.  Perhaps he will be the starting catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010 after Jason Kendall moves on.

SS Brent Brewer – (Last 10: .300 BA, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 3 SB) – This stat line may not be impressive at all, but it is a remarkable improvement for Brent this season.  The extremely raw prospect has struggled immensely all season.  His average has hovered around the .200-.210 mark, and he has hit for absolutely no power whatsoever.  The power is obviously still absent, but the batting average has come around a bit in the past week-plus.  Could this mean that Brent has finally started to piece together his skills?  Brewers fans around the country certainly hope so.

2B Eric Farris – (Last 10: .357 BA, 2 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB) – Eric started off the year in extended Spring Training, rehabbing a hamstring injury.  The 2008 season got off to an extremely rough start for the highly-touted second base prospect, and he kind of got lost in the shuffle in West Virginia.  No more, however.  He has started to breakout, as everyone expected him to do.  His defense is still stellar, but his bat is beginning to turn around.  Eric will never be much of a power threat, but the timely hitting will benefit him very much coming through the system.  I’m excited to see how Eric Farris performs in the second half of the season.

Pitcher of the Week: LHP Chris Cody

Chris dominated in West Virginia, which earned him a promotion to Brevard County.  He struggled to acclimate to his new surroundings at the beginning, and I began to be concerned that Chris was going to be demoted to the bullpen.  That is no longer the case.  In his last two outings, it has been business as usual for the prize of the Jose Capellan trade from last season.  He has gone seven innings in his past two outings, and only given up one run through those fourteen innings.  The strikeouts have returned as well – 13 combined in his past two starts.  Like I said before, business as usual for Chris Cody.

Honorable Mention

RHP Luis Pena – Nashville’s closer had a horrendous start to the 2008 campaign, but has rebounded nicely since then.  In his last 30+ innings, he has had a sub-2.00 ERA.  Many (including Tom Haudricourt) are beginning to think Pena has earned a promotion to the big leagues.  I’m not completely sold, however.  He has walked 8 people in his past 9.2 innings, which will certainly not translate well to the bigs.  His WHIP is 1.54.  You do not need to be a stathead to understand that is not good.  Luis will have to limit his baserunners before getting a call to the big show.  With that said, he is not allowing runs to cross the plate, which is what it all comes down to as a closer.

LHP Troy Cate – Milwaukee acquired Cate as a free agent a couple weeks ago, and teams around the major leagues are probably wondering why they didn’t pick this guy up.  In three starts for Huntsville, Troy has a 2.29 ERA with twelve strikeouts in 19.2 innings.  Let’s hope this becomes the norm, as he struggled a lot for his last team – to the tune of a 7.27 ERA in 17.2 innings out of the bullpen.  Perhaps he only needed to start games?

RHP Roque Mercedes – This week looks to be the “Week of the Comebacks.”  Roque pitched so poorly in the beginning of the season that he became the mop-up guy out of the bullpen.  That has changed recently, as the young right-hander has put together some very fine outings.  In his last 17.0 innings pitched, he has only given up three earned runs.  Roque has never been one to walk many people, but he has been a home run machine in 2008.  He has cut down the home runs.  Success has followed.  Let’s hope it stays that way in the second half.

RHP Robert Wooten – An under-the-table signing of the past month, the former UNC Tar Heel has broken onto the scene as a professional quite nicely.  He has pitched in two outings and has gone four innings.  The young man has given up four hits and one walk, while striking out six.  The Brewers are hoping to fast-track Wooten through the minor league system in the bullpen.  The big league squad could use his arm in a couple seasons.  Expect Robert to be promoted to West Virginia after he gets his feet wet a bit in Helena.

Reds series highlights Brewers shortcomings

After another devastating loss tonight against the Cincinnati Reds, it’s time to take a look at what has gone wrong. How have the Brewers lost two straight games to a team they are much better than? At home, no less.

These last two games serve as a microcosm for Milwaukee’s struggles in 2008. It’s been the big three for the Brewers.

1) Struggles at the back end of the bullpen – mainly Guillermo Mota and Eric Gagne.

2) Below-average defense.

3) Poor plate discipline and too many strikeouts.

The Bullpen

In tonight’s game against the Reds, David Riske and Brian Shouse simply needed to keep the deficit at 3-2 in the eighth inning. They needed to give the Brewers a chance to put something together against the Cincinnati’s bullpen, as Edinson Volquez dominated through seven innings.

Instead of holding the score 3-2, Riske gave up a one-out double to Jerry Hairston – who has owned the Brewers. Ned Yost then called upon Brian Shouse to strand the runner at second. Thus far in 2008, Shouse could almost guarantee results. He has struggled in the past week, however.

Those struggles continued tonight. After striking out Jay Bruce on three pitches, he gave up an RBI single to Ken Griffey Jr. Shouse has had issues keeping the ball down the past week. The deception of his sidearm delivery can only do so much. He needs to keep the ball down and away from left-handers. That has not been happening, and the team is suffering.

The score is now 4-2 after the Crew couldn’t get anything going against the unimpressive David Weathers. There is still a slim glimmer of hope in the hearts of Brewers fans, however. Maybe the offense can score two off Francisco Cordero in the ninth. Perhaps the Crew can come back against their old teammate. Again, all the bullpen needs to do is keep the deficit the same.

Enter Eric Gagne – the newly-anointed set-up man. Milwaukee’s ten million dollar man has looked extremely solid in his couple outings since coming off the DL. Adam Dunn changed that. Dunn clobbered a 3-2 fastball out of the park to increase Cincinnati’s lead to 5-2. The lead only grew after Edwin Encarnacion went deep to make it back-to-back home runs. Before the inning could end, Gagne gave up four runs on four hits. The lead was now 8-2, and all the hopes of the Brewers winning the game left when Gagne left the game for Guillermo Mota. You know there are problems if you need Mota to get you out of an inning.

Defense

Doug Melvin and the Brewers went out and signed Mike Cameron to a one-year contract to sure-up center field. He has been very impressive patrolling center and has vastly improved Milwaukee’s defense from last year. Bill Hall was forced to learn on the job last season, and Cameron is an obvious improvement with his Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Friday night, however, that exceptional defense was not on display. Cameron got an excellent jump on a ball in the left-center gap (as usual), but he lost the ball in the lights. The ball almost hit the Brewer center fielder in the head, and it resulted in a triple for Jerry Hairston. Did I mention Hairston has owned the Brewers this series? It tied the game up in the seventh.

Then, with a tie game in the eighth inning, Bill Hall fields a routine ground ball at third base. The Brewers moved him to third during the winter to improve on the defense Ryan Braun gave the Crew last season. It hasn’t improved the defense as much as Doug Melvin and the team hoped. Hall rushed his throw and spiked it in the dirt. Prince Fielder was unable to handle the low throw, and the inning continued with two on and one-out, rather than one on and two-out. It turned out to cost the Brewers the game, as Hairston scored on a wild pitch by Salomon Torres.

The sloppy defense directly led to Milwaukee’s loss to the Reds Friday night. If Hall or Cameron could have come up with only one of those plays, the worst the score could have been was a tie game going into the bottom of the ninth. What ifs are pointless, but the sloppy defense does point to a chink in the armor of the Milwaukee Brewers. Doug Melvin certainly improved the defense this off-season, but it is certainly not perfect. The defense will need to improve to catch the Chicago Cubs.

Plate Discipline

Milwaukee has a powerful offense.  No one will dispute that fact.  The team does struggle to score runs when the long ball is not present.  Manufacturing runs does not come easy for a team that strikes out a lot and does not walk very often.  As a whole, the Brewers are too over-aggressive at the plate and make soft-tossing control pitchers like Josh Fogg and Glendon Rusch look like aces.

In Friday night’s game against Fogg, the Reds’ veteran right-hander cruised along the first five innings.  He kept the free-swinging Brewers off-balance by rarely throwing a first pitch fastball and inducing a lot of pop-ups.  You know a team has a strikeout problem when Josh Fogg strikes out six in five and a third.  Fogg threw everything but the kitchen sink up there, and the aggressive Brewers hitters obliged by swinging at difficult pitches.

After Friday night’s offensive struggles against Fogg, the Reds threw out the hard-throwing Edinson Volquez to the mound.  I am not suggesting a bad outing against Volquez is indicative of offensive struggles, as almost every team that has gone against Volquez has struggled immensely.  It is the way the Brewers scuffled that indicates potential offensive problems.

Volquez struck out ten Brewers in seven innings.  He kept hitters off-balance with his exceptional change-up, and the aggressive Brewers swung over it again and again.  J.J. Hardy – who has been one of the hottest hitters in the league the past month – whiffed three times against the NL All-Star.  Strikeouts do not move runners over on the basepaths.  Strikeouts do not even give Mike Cameron a chance to score the tying run from second in Friday night’s game in the ninth inning.  Strikeouts do not allow any sacrifice flies to get runners in from third base with no outs or one out.

Right now, the Milwaukee Brewers live and die by extra base hits.  When the team is going well, they will score in bunches.  The over-reliance on extra-base hits is a recipe for offensive slumps, however.  That is what the Brewers have been unable to overcome the past two games against the Cincinnati Reds.

If the Brewers are going to catch the Chicago Cubs and stay ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, the defense will need to improve, the bullpen will need to improve, and the offense will need to draw more walks and play more small ball.

Round ’em Up: Saturday

UPDATE 07-12-08 12:45pm – The big news for BrewersNation is officially going down on Monday.  Be sure to tune in!

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Sorry about the lack of a game wrap last night. We had some bad storms, and I lost my internet connection for the night. High winds knocked down some trees in the area. Nothing too bad though. I made the trek to the library to write the Round ’em Up this morning. You can’t say I’m not dedicated…

Not as bad as last night’s game, at least. The defense was absolutely horrendous, and I’m not including Mike Cameron’s error when he lost the ball in the lights. That happens to everyone a couple times in Miller Park. The errors and wild pitches single handedly cost the Brewers the win last night. Not to mention the fact that Josh Fogg dominated the Crew again. Pitchers that are able to use our aggressiveness against us seem to absolutely dominate us. There were a ridiculous amount of weak pop ups last night.

New day today. New game. Brewers win tonight.

• Morineko from Brew Crew Ball made an interesting observation about Seth McClung, who will take the hill tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers. The big right-hander seems to put together better starts when he is outdoors. He doesn’t like when Miller Park is closed, and he certainly doesn’t like domes (perhaps this is why he never pitched well in Tampa Bay). I think this is more of a statistical anomaly than anything, but we’ll test the theory tonight.
• Jim Powell has a Brewers Roundtable posted with himself, Anthony Witrado, and Adam McCalvy. I think he must have listened to the podcast Pete put together and got the idea for himself. If only I were that naive and egotistical.
• Right Field Bleachers has a great recap of the Player To Be Named Later (PTBNL) situation with the CC Sabathia trade. Will it be Michael Brantley or Taylor Green? This situation will probably not be played out until the end of the minor league season. Perhaps Cleveland is simply trying to see who ends the season on a higher note? Either that, or they are waiting for Brantley to come back from his injured ankle to scout him.
• Team Wisconsin says the Brewers should ditch the retro uniforms. First, the Brewers never seem to win when wearing them. Agreed. Second, the Brewers organization needs to stop dwelling on something that happened a quarter of a century ago. I actually agree with this point a lot. Let this team create their own image. Let them have their own legacy. Stop tying them down by comparing them to the ’82 Brewers. They will never be the same team, nor should they be.
• Pete from Brewers Fanatics says Dave Bush is starting to step up for the Brewers. I will wait until he puts together a good start on the road before I sing his praises too loudly. Bush teases me with these gems at home, but he cannot duplicate it on the road.
• Jonathan Lucroy has done nothing but impress in Brevard County. He came in with high expectations because of his performance down in West Virginia. Needless to say, the young catcher did not disappoint. The article even says his defense has looked pretty good behind the plate. It is not mentioned as much as his offense, so I suspect is not up to par as of yet. He has time though.
• The Texas Rangers should look to the Milwaukee Brewers as a guide for rebuilding their franchise. At least, that is what the Star Telegram says in a recent article. It’s nice to see Jack Zduriencik, Doug Melvin, and Mark Attanasio get some credit for the fine job they have done in Milwaukee. I have never experienced such Brewers fever since I’ve been alive. (A tip of the cap to Team Wisconsin for that one.)
• Dugout Central asks which ten prospects have the highest chance of being dealt before the deadline? None of the ten are Brewers prospects, but it’s nice to have an idea of the trade landscape before late July comes along. Or maybe it’s just me that likes to track other teams’ prospects…
• Jason Bay is one of the hottest names on the trading block this July. He has returned to his All-Star form in Pittsburgh, and other teams are taking notice. Sports Illustrated reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals are seriously interested in the left fielder. I suspect Pittsburgh would much rather trade Xavier Nady, as Bay is under contract through the ’09 season.
• Speaking of the Pirates, they shipped Craig Wilson to Seattle for a PTBNL. I highly doubt that PTBNL situation is nearly as frustrating and exciting as the one in Milwaukee. They also swapped a couple minor leaguers with Cleveland.
• The Brew Town Beat is reporting that Ryan Braun has been placed on the 60-day DL. That is, Ryan Z. Braun, the relief pitcher from the Kansas City Royals, is on the DL. Way to make my heart skip a beat.
• This is not about the Brewers, or baseball even, but most Brewers fans are de facto Packers fans. Chuckie Hacks has a very refreshing perspective on the Brett Favre situation in Green Bay. I completely agree. Favre has handled this situation very poorly and completely expected to be welcomed back to the Packers with open arms. It hurt his pride when the Pack didn’t roll out the red carpet and welcome him back like a mom with her kid who comes home from college. You retired, Brett. The Packers started to build their team around Aaron Rodgers. You kind of threw a big wrench in the gears when you said you wanted to come back.There is one thing lost in the situation. The Green Bay Packers just motivated Brett to succeed this season by playing hard to get. I would not be surprised if Brett goes to Baltimore or Tampa Bay and rejuvenates the team. I’m still telling myself Brett doesn’t have the heart to go to Minnesota.

  I don’t want to start a comment thread about the Packers, but I thought Packers fans needed to read this post by Chuckie Hacks.

Minor League Boxscores: Saturday

Nashville Sounds (39-57), 19.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
New Orleans	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0		4	9	0
Nashville	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	1		5	10	0

LHP Sam Narron – ND, 5.2 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 4.43 ERA
RHP Joe Bateman – (W, 1-0) 3.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K – 2.61 ERA
C Carlos Corporan – 3-4, HR (1), 3 RBI – .231 BA
3B Adam Heether – 2-4, 2B, RBI, run – .252 BA

Huntsville Stars (14-10), 2.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Huntsville	0	0	1	0	4	0	2	2	1		10	17	0
Chattanooga	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		3	6	1

RHP Nic Ungs – (W, 2-0) 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K – 2.00 ERA
RHP Steve Bray – (S, 1) 3.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K – 4.22 ERA
SS Alcides Escobar – 3-5, RBI, BB, SB (25), 2 runs – .337 BA
3B Mat Gamel – 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 runs – .375 BA
LF Cole Gillespie – 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 2 runs – .277 BA
2B Mike Bell – 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI – .259 BA
CF Lorenzo Cain – 2-5, 3B, BB, 2 runs – .286 BA

Brevard County Manatees (7-14), 6.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Brevard County	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		1	8	2
Sarasota	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	X		3	7	0

RHP Jeremy Jeffress – (L, 3-5) 5.0 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs (2 ER), 3 BB, 5 K – 4.68 ERA
SS Brent Brewer – 2-4, 2 1B – .238 BA
C Jonathan Lucroy – 2-4, 2 1B, run – .338 BA

West Virginia Power (17-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
West Virginia	1	0	0	6	0	2	0	0	3		12	13	1
Charleston	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0		2	7	2

RHP Amaury Rivas – (W, 7-3) 7.0 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K – 3.49 ERA
RHP Michael Bowman – 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 0.00 ERA
2B Eric Farris – 2-5, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 runs – .262 BA
C Eric Fryer – 2-5, 2B, BB, run – .360 BA
3B Zelous Wheeler – 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, run – .283 BA
RF Steffan Wilson – 2-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, run – .275 BA
CF Lee Haydel – 2-4, RBI, 2 BB, SB (28), 3 runs – .280 BA

Helena Brewers (11-13), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
Idaho Falls	2	0	0	8	1	0	1	0	1	1		14	16	0
Helena	3	3	1	0	3	1	2	0	0	0		13	18	0

LHP Brandon Ritchie – ND, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K – 6.98 ERA
RHP Adam Arnold – (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) 2.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K – 2.31 ERA
3B John Delaney – 4-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, BB, 2 runs – .244 BA
SS David Fonseca – 2-5, HR (4), 3 RBI, BB – .293 BA
1B Brock Kjeldgaard – 2-5, 2B, HR (6), BB, 2 runs – .278 BA
RF Mike Vass – 2-5, HR (3), RBI, BB, 2 runs – .197 BA
2B Jose Duran – 2-6, 3B, HR (2), RBI – .281 BA

AZL Brewers (3-12), 8.0 GB

Game postponed due to rain.

Round ’em Up: Friday

UPDATE 07-11-08 3:04pm – Baseball America picked their minor league All-Star team last week. Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, and Matt LaPorta all made the squad. It is amazing how stacked Huntsville is, even with the departure of LaPorta. (Tip of the cap to Aaron for this one)

Dixieflatline from Brew Crew Ball has a great post that takes a look at the horizontal movement of Dave Bush’s pitches and attempts to figure out why he has struggled on the road. Ned Yost says the mound at Miller Park is to Dave’s liking. That could play a big part, as Dave has far more movement on his pitches when he’s at home. Give it a look. It’s great stuff.

I never wish injury onto anyone, but the Milwaukee Brewers get some good luck this weekend. Cincinnati’s Aaron Harang will miss his scheduled start against the Brewers due to a strained forearm. The injury is not serious, but it will allow the Crew to dodge him. Harang has killed Milwaukee when pitching against them throughout his career. In 2008 alone, the big right-hander has two starts and is 1-0. He went eight innings in both starts and only gave up one run in each game. Thank goodness the Crew doesn’t have to deal with Harang this weekend.

The Junkball Blues analyzes the amount of extra-base hits the Brewers hit.  No surprise, the majority of these hitters are extra-base hit machines.  The league average is about 1/3 of the hits to be for extras.  The only players for Milwaukee that do not live up to that are Craig Counsell and Jason Kendall.  No surprises there.

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I know I usually write an NL Central Review on Fridays, but it takes far too long to write. The response is not nearly as high now as it was at the beginning, so I think I will begin to include more NL Central news in the Round ’em Ups instead of a separate post each week. I apologize if you were looking for the Review today, but I would rather spread the information out through the week and give more continuous attention to the NL Central.

• In case you did not know already, Corey Hart officially made the All-Star team thanks to your votes! Chuckie Hacks has the video of the Brewers mobbing Corey and giving him a little beer shower during his press conference. You want to know why people say Milwaukee’s clubhouse is great? Take a look at the video. It’s obvious that the guys truly like and respect each other.
• Bill Chuck from Dugout Central takes a look at the NL All-Star team and has a little commentary after each player. He doesn’t have Corey on the list though, so it must have been written before the final vote ended.
• ESPN.com has an interview of CC Sabathia with reporter Amy Nelson. It’s nice to see that CC is an articulate young man who is genuinely excited about being in Milwaukee. When asked about how much money it would take to keep him in Milwaukee after the season, however, he gave a very evasive answer. He says he wants a winning team with a great attitude. Perhaps Milwaukee can be that place for him.
• ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark says Zack Greinke was Milwaukee’s Plan B if they were unable to score Sabathia. This is interesting, as all reports have said Greinke is not on the market and will not be until after the season is over. The reliever idea is intriguing though.
• Aaron from Brew Crew Pub has a recap of the Colorado Rockies series. Let’s hope the Reds series goes a little better this weekend. The Crew needs to go into the All-Star Break on a high note.
• SportsBubbler names RHP R.J. Seidel the Prospect of the Week. His change-up is electric. It’s nice to see the LaCrosse native put a couple good outings together. I still see him in a relief role, but it will depend on how he handles Brevard County next season. Eric Fryer is also mentioned in the Three Up category, but they make it sound like he hasn’t done anything until this week. He has raked since being promoted to West Virginia. Get used to the name.
• The Hardball Times has a great piece that breaks down the mechanics and projectability of RHP Jake Odorizzi and LHP Evan Frederickson. The general consensus is that Odorizzi is something special, and the Brewers were lucky to get him with the #32 pick. I had not heard this before, but Jake is apparently trying out a four-seam fastball and has seen his velocity jump up to 95. With such a wiry frame, he should be able to add a couple ticks to that fastball too.Frederickson, on the other hand, did not receive much praise from THT. The author actually refused to rate Evan because the video being used did not match the reports of him. He was throwing much too slow. His control was still horrible though.
• The Brew Town Beat gives everyone in the batting order a theme song when coming up to bat. This is a nice light piece to kill some time while you’re at work.
• The Seattle Mariners finally released former-Brewer Richie Sexson. When you’re as tall as he is, a drop from productivity is a big fall. I suspect he’ll land somewhere. Not Milwaukee though. Don’t get excited.
• Cardinals Diaspora thinks its time for another NL Central team to negotiate a deal with Billy Beane. This time, the target would be Joe Blanton. If you really want Joe Blanton and his 5.00+ ERA, I will not stop you. St. Louis’ pitching coach, Dave Duncan, has worked wonders with the Cards’ pitching staff in 2008, but this may be asking for a little too much.
• Do you think the Cardinals aren’t worried about the big moves made by the Brewers and the Cubs this past week? You’d be wrong. St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa is asking for the front office to get him help right now. He does not want to wait for the return of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright in mid-August. He wants that help right now. It’s nice to make other teams feel nervous.
• JoeSportsFan.com has the 7 Worst Trades in the last decade. That Aramis Ramirez deal to Chicago remains one of the worst deals that has affected the Milwaukee Brewers. Every time I think about that deal, I just get upset. How did that seem like a good idea at the time? I know hindsight is 20/20, but seriously. What was Pittsburgh thinking?

I promised you all some big news either yesterday or today. I’m still working on it. The news just didn’t quite happen when it was planned. Stay tuned though. I’m not just teasing you all, don’t worry. Something is actually happening, and it is significant.

Minor League Boxscores: Friday

Nashville Sounds (38-57), 19.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
Nashville	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0		5	7	0
Omaha	0	0	0	0	3	1	1	0	0	1		6	14	0

RHP Richie Gardner – ND, 5.0 IP, 9 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K – 4.20 ERA
RHP Ben Howard – (L, 2-5) 1.1 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 4.75 ERA
RF Brendan Katin – 1-3, HR (14), 3 RBI, BB – .267 BA
C Vinny Rottino – 2-5, 2 2B, 2 runs – .263 BA

Huntsville Stars (13-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Huntsville	0	1	3	0	0	3	0	1	1		9	14	1
Chattanooga	1	3	0	2	0	0	0	1	1		8	13	1

RHP Mike Jones – ND, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 6 ER, 5 BB, 2 K – 7.09 ERA
RHP Patrick Ryan – (W, 3-4) 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 2.93 ERA
RHP Juan Sandoval – (S, 11) 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 3.73 ERA
C Angel Salome – 3-5, 2B, HR (8), 3 RBI – .347 BA
SS Alcides Escobar – 2-5, 2 1B, RBI, SB (24), run – .333 BA

Brevard County Manatees (7-13), 6.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Lakeland	2	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2		7	13	2
Brevard County	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	0		5	12	1

RHP Josh Butler – ND, 2.1 IP, 5hits, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K – 6.11 ERA
LHP Bobby Bramhall – 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K – 2.52 ERA
RHP Joshua Wahpepah – (L, 1-1) 1.1 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 2.79 ERA
SS Brent Brewer – 3-4, 2B, BB, SB (7) – .227 BA
3B Taylor Green – 2-5, 2 1B, RBI – .288 BA

West Virginia Power (16-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
West Virginia	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		5	10	0
Savannah	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0		4	8	2

RHP Evan Anundsen – (W, 8-4) 6.1 IP, 7 hits, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 3.52 ERA
RHP Corey Frerichs – (S, 7) 2.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K – 2.54 ERA
3B Steffan Wilson – 2-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, run – .272 BA
LF Eric Fryer – 2-4, 2B, run – .359 BA

Helena Brewers (11-12), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Idaho Falls	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0		3	7	1
Helena	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	1	1

RHP Nick Tyson – (L, 0-1) 3.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 3.86 BA
RHP Robert Wooten – 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 0.00 ERA
3B John Delaney – 1-4, 1B – .212 BA

AZL Brewers (3-12), 8.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
AZL Padres	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	4	0		6	12	0
AZL Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0		2	7	2

RHP Damon Krestalude – ND, 4.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 2.53 ERA
RHP Adrian Rosario – (L, 1-1) 3.0 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 4.67 ERA
CF Jose Rangel – 2-4, 2 1B, 2 RBI, SB (8) – .196 BA

Bush fantasti-K against the Rox

Obviously, the game was not on TV today, so I was not able to watch it.  I did listen to it and see the highlights, however.  Here is the extended boxscore, if you are curious.

With all the attention on CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets (and rightly so), Dave Bush went out and gave a performance to remember.  It’s too bad that the game was not televised for anyone to see it.  The right-hander went 8 innings strong and struck out 13 batters.  And you thought Big Ben was impressive yesterday.

I was surprised Yost let Bush go 120+ pitches, but with the All-Star Break coming up, it should not be a problem.  Bushie had fantastic control this afternoon.  For the second start in a row, he did not walk a batter.  That is absolutely key for someone like Bush.  The strikeouts are just an added plus.  He has made an extremely strong push for the final spot in the rotation once Jeff Suppan comes back from the DL.  In his last two outings combined, Bush has gone 16 innings and only given up one earned run.

Dave Bush is notoriously a slow starter.  In his career, he has had an ERA above 5.00 in April and May.  When the weather heats up, however, so does Bush.  That is what we have seen this season as well.  He had a 3.65 ERA last month, and those numbers have only improved in July.  It looks as if the best option for Milwaukee is to move Seth McClung to the bullpen and give the ball to Bush every fifth day.  The ‘pen sure could use some help, considering how well Guillermo Mota has been pitching.

Speaking of Mota, Ned Yost says his mechanics are off.  He is “collapsing his back side,” which is causing his pitches to have little or no movement.  Mota and Mike Maddux are working extremely hard on correcting this fault.  Apparently, they corrected this before the season started, and Mota simply reverted back to his old ways.  I may simply be hard-headed, but I believe a part of it has to do with his reluctance to throw his change-up.  I will not beat that comment to death again though.  Hopefully, Maddux and Yost can get that situation worked out quickly because Mota has been absolutely brutal in the past two months.  The only question I have is: Why did it take 2 months for Maddux and Yost to notice this if they corrected it before?

Back to the game.  The offense came out to play today after getting embarrassed last night by Glendon Rusch.  Perhaps they all read everything being said about them last night, as the Crew walked four times today.  Not great, but certainly not bad.  J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart both hit home runs this afternoon.  Hart made the All-Star Game, by the way.  If you all have not seen the team mob him during the press conference, you should check it out.  Hart’s daughter got a good part of it too.  Congratulations, Corey.  You definitely deserve it!

Someone that deserves some ink is Gabe Kapler.  He produced again this afternoon, going 3-4 with three doubles and two RBI.  The comeback story is never-ending it seems.  I would love for Ned Yost to give Kapler more at-bats, but those at-bats are difficult to find.  Mike Cameron has been swinging the bat better as of late, and his defense is top-notch.  Did you see a couple of the plays he made last night?  He rarely makes a false step in center field and almost always takes a direct path to the ball.  It is an joy to watch him in the field.  Gabe provides the team with a more than capable fourth outfielder though, and that is extremely valuable.

Records: Brewers (51-41); Rockies (39-54)

Hero of the Game: Dave Bush

How can you go eight innings, give up only three hits, surrender zero earned runs, strike out 13, not walk a batter, and not get the Hero of the Game?  The only thing I would like to see is Dave have one of these performances on the road.  He always has been lights out at home, but has consistently struggled on the road.  He will need to deliver in his first road start after the All-Star Break to cement his status as Milwaukee’s #5 starter.

Goat of the Game: FSN North

Why was this game not on TV?  I understand the team does not have a contract to televise every game, but a game like this should never be only shown on tape delay.  Mark Attanasio should get a deal to televise all 162 games in the works.

On Tap

LHP Manny Parra will look to get the Brewers on a winning streak before the All-Star Break.  The Brewers will go up against RHP Josh Fogg, which is slightly concerning.  Yes, Josh Fogg is terrible, but he also went five innings and only gave up one earned run earlier in 2008 against the Brewers.  As Aaron said, the Crew has a way of making soft-tossing control pitchers look like aces.  Let’s hope the Brewers are patient at the plate and take their walks.  The game will start at 7:05pm CT.

Round ’em Up: Thursday

UPDATE 07-10-08 1:55pm – Ned Yost says Milwaukee has no interest in releasing Guillermo Mota.  Oh good.

———————————————————————————–

Well, ladies and gentlemen. The Milwaukee Brewers pretended Glendon Rusch was the second coming of CC Sabathia last night. All the Brewers hitters (perhaps with the exception of Bill Hall) looked utterly lost against the left-hander. It’s not like he had an ERA of over 6 and a half coming into the game…

• Last night, Pete from Brewers Fanatics ran the first installment of The Brewers Blog Roundtable. Jared from Right Field Bleachers and myself took most of the questions, and we have a podcast for you all to listen to. As of right now, the Roundtable is going to be a sort of question-and-answer format. We are very open to making it a live call-in show if the audience is big enough. Until then, I will simply post the podcasts here for you to listen to.

  The first installment is a little rough, as Pete is getting used to the software. It was also our first run at the program, so it will get smoother down the line. It’s a pretty good product for the first try though. Enjoy.

  Brewers Blog Roundtable

• Tom Haudricourt says enough is enough with Guillermo Mota. He fully expects Mota to be designated for assignment today. I completely agree that he will be DFA’d, but it will probably not come until after today’s game. What if the Crew needs someone to handle mop-up time? Might as well get a few more innings out of Mota before cutting him loose.

  TH thinks Luis Pena will get the call to the big leagues. He struggled with his stuff to start the season, but has really turned it on as of late. Nashville’s closer has a 1.78 ERA in his last 30 1/3 innings. Not bad at all.

  I think that Doug Melvin and Ned Yost will go with big league experience at this point in the season, however. He may not have much, but Tim Dillard showed that he’s capable of handling himself on a big stage. It’s true that he lost his command a bit, but has been throwing the ball much better with the Sounds lately.

• In-Between Hops believes it may only take a trip to the DL to get Mota back on track. If only things were just that simple…
• The Brew Town Beat is absolutely ecstatic that Haudricourt is calling for Guillermo Mota’s head. Mota has been exceptionally awful over the past month and a half, and it is about time for Milwaukee to cut their losses and DFA the big guy.

  I also notice that Brew Town mentions me in their post when they criticize people for saying Mota has thrown good pitches like the pitch against Joe Mauer. I don’t shy away from criticism. That was a good pitch, and Mauer simply beat him. The problem is that Mota has not thrown many good pitches since that point. I did not defend him in the least bit against Arizona or last night. It was one game, and I stick by it. With that said, Mota’s time in Milwaukee has drawn to a close.

• Brew Crew Pub says something is missing from the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers. It is patience and a high on-base percentage. Agreed. I’m not sure Kenny Lofton is the best choice here. I would much rather send Rickie Weeks away from a high OBP second baseman like you’re suggesting. To my knowledge, Huntsville has not tried Alcides Escobar at second base.

  What would I suggest? This is clearly me in a dreamworld, but how about a package that sends Rickie Weeks, Brad Nelson, and Zach Braddock for Brian Roberts and George Sherrill? Both Roberts and Sherrill will be under Milwaukee’s control past the 2008 season, and it would provide the Brewers with a very solid arm in the bullpen and a bona fide lead-off hitter. The package would probably need another prospect though. Perhaps someone like a Alexandre Periard.

• Ned Yost does not want Ryan Braun to participate in the Home Run Derby. Milwaukee’s manager does not want Braun messing up his swing for the second half. I’m more worried about his sore hand at this point…
• Between the Green Pillars takes an excellent look at the Manny Parra situation. He is on pace to throw more innings than the Brewers organization originally wanted him to. History has shown that pitchers are at a higher risk for injury if they make a big jump in innings pitched like Parra is on pace to do. The author believes Milwaukee will not hold him back, as the CC Sabathia trade signifies that the team is all in for this season.

  I would agree with that, but I also do not fall in the camp that believes Parra’s innings should be limited this season. Younger pitchers coming out of high school do need to watch their innings, but Parra does not have a young arm. He has been slowed by injuries, yes, but he is not new to throwing on the mound. Older relievers that have never thrown many innings do just fine when stretching out their arms. In my opinion, Parra is certainly capable of going more than 163 innings. If he starts to experience a bit of “dead arm,” then Ned Yost should worry about it.

• Something tells me that Jason Kendall was a good pick-up this off-season.
• The Junkball Blues takes a look at what Chicago gave up to get Rich Harden compared to what Milwaukee gave up to get CC Sabathia. He concludes that Harden did cost a bit more than Sabathia, as he should.

  People keep overlooking the fact that Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Eric Patterson have all spent time in the big leagues. The Cleveland Indians did not get that from a single player from Milwaukee. Matt LaPorta may fizzle out before getting to the big leagues. After all, Nelson Cruz is still raking in Triple-A…

• The Cub Reporter says that Rich Harden may not be under Chicago’s control through the 2009 season like everyone believes. That would certainly change the dynamics of the trade completely. (Tip of the cap to Right Field Bleachers for this one.)
• Dugout Central says that Billy Beane is a dangerous GM to be making a deal with. He never loses a big trade. Most of the pitchers he loses end up fizzling out due to some sort of injury (Mark Mulder) or ineffectiveness (Barry Zito). I don’t know if I agree with the article when it says Tim Hudson has been mostly ineffective for two seasons. I definitely wouldn’t want that 3.16 ERA from this season or that 3.33 ERA from 2007. What a poor performance…

Minor League Boxscores: Thursday

Nashville Sounds (38-56), 18.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	0	1		6	9	0
Omaha	0	0	1	2	0	0	1	0	0		4	9	1

LHP Chris Narveson – (W, 3-11) 5.0 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – 5.63 ERA
RHP Derrick Turnbow – (H, 5) 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 8.15 ERA
LHP Randy Choate – (H, 2) 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K – 5.54 ERA
RHP Luis Pena – (S, 13) 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 3.53 ERA
3B Adam Heether – 2-4, HR (7), RBI – .251 BA
LF Brendan Katin – 1-4, HR (13), 2 RBI – .267 BA

Huntsville Stars (12-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Huntsville	0	2	4	4	2	0	3	0	0		15	20	1
Chattanooga	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0		4	9	1

LHP Troy Cate – (W, 2-0) 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K – 2.29 ERA
RHP Omar Aguilar – 1.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 5.94 ERA
RF Freddy Parejo – 3-6, 2B, HR (2), RBI, 3 runs – .302 BA
SS Alcides Escobar – 4-6, 4 1B, SB (23), 4 runs – .332 BA
3B Mat Gamel – 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 runs – .375 BA
C Angel Salome – 3-6, 3 1B, 3 RBI, 2 runs – .343 BA
LF Cole Gillespie – 2-5, 2B, RBI, run – .277 BA
1B Michael Garciaparra – 3-5, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 runs – .237 BA

Brevard County Manatees (7-12), 4.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Lakeland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0		5	9	1
Brevard County	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	0

LHP Chris Cody – ND, 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K – 3.42 ERA
RHP John Axford – (BS, 1)(L, 3-6) 0.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – 5.03 ERA
SS Brent Brewer – 2-4, 2B, SB (6) – .204 BA

West Virginia Power (15-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
West Virginia	0	1	0	0	3	1	0	0	0		5	6	1
Savannah	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	1	0		4	6	0

LHP Evan Frederickson – ND, 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K – 6.23 ERA
LHP Mike Ramlow – (W, 4-3) 4.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 2.96 ERA
2B Eric Farris – 2-5, 2 1B, 2 RBI, 2 SB (13), run – .258 BA
LF Eric Fryer – 1-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB (10) – .356 BA
1B Steffan Wilson – 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB – .269 BA

Helena Brewers (11-11), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Idaho Falls	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		3	4	1
Helena	0	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	X		4	10	1

RHP Santo Manzanillo – ND, 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K – 5.89 ERA
LHP Lucas Luetge – (W, 2-0) 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run (0 ER), 3 BB, 2 K – 0.00 ERA
RHP Wily Peralta – (S, 1) 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 4.35 ERA
DH Corey Kemp – 2-3, RBI, BB, run – .295 BA
SS Mikey Marseco – 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, run – .235 BA

AZL Brewers (3-11), 7.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
AZL Giants	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0		2	3	2
AZL Brewers	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1		3	5	2

RHP Jake Odorizzi – ND, 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 0.00 ERA
RHP Joel Morales – (BS, 1)(W, 1-1) 4.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 K – 1.93 ERA
RF Jose Rangel – 1-4, RBI, BB, SB (7) – .167 BA
DH Pedro Ramos – 1-3, 3B, BB, run – .209 BA

Glendon Rusch? Really?

The Rockies have heard all about the Milwaukee Brewers the past three days, and they must be sick of it.  They decided to put together a little fireworks show of their own tonight.  8-3 Rockies.

This wasn’t supposed to happen tonight.  Glendon Rusch took the mound for the Rox, a slow-throwing left-hander.  The Brewers trotted out ace #2 tonight, Ben Sheets.  On paper, the Brewers should have run away with this game.

Sheets did his part, fanning a season-high 11 Rockies.  He looked to have his ‘A’-stuff tonight.  The first seven outs of the game for Sheets were via the strike out.  From early on, fans thought they were going to see something special tonight from Big Ben.  Ben did pitch fantastically, but the Rockies took advantage of every mistake he made – even if they were few and far between.

In the sixth inning, Ben walked Matt Holiday after a long at-bat.  The right-hander was visibly upset with himself, talking and muttering intently on the mound.  At this point in the contest, it was 1-1.  Benny looked to get out of the inning with a ground ball, but served up a home run to Garrett Atkins.  The pitch count reached 110 pitches after the inning ended – fittingly on a strike out – and the bullpen took over.

The bullpen imploded and gave away any chance for the Crew to get back in the game.  Mitch Stetter, after my singing his praises this afternoon, struggled with his command and gave up an RBI bloop single to Scott Podsednik.  Colorado led 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Offensively, the Brewers came alive against Manuel Corpas.  The suddenly red-hot Bill Hall continued his fine swinging against a right-handed pitcher with a one-out double to jump start the Crew.  Mike Cameron followed with an RBI single, who later scored on an infield single by Russell Branyan.  Yes, Russell had a base hit that was not a home run.

In a 4-3 game, who is the last person Ned Yost should have called on at this point?  Guillermo Mota.  The veteran right-hander has struggled mightily over the past month and a half, and the Crew needed someone to come in and preserve the one-run deficit.  Instead, Guillermo gave up four runs on four hits, and the Brewers were suddenly down 8-3.  The Crew never got any closer.

Guillermo will not be seeing any meaningful playing time in the near future.  At least, he should not see any meaningful playing time.  Ned Yost is notorious for having too long of a leash, but the Brewers manager has been much better about that this season (see Derrick Turnbow and Julian Tavarez).  Do you want to know the most maddening part of his outing?  All four base hits came with two outs.  You have got to put a team away with two outs in an inning.  You simply cannot give up four straight hits, two of them being home runs, with two outs.  That will give you a lot of time on the bench to think about it.

I know I have harped on this for the past month now, but what is wrong with throwing a change-up?  Guillermo Mota threw it three times in the eighth inning.  He got Joe Koshansky – who later homered – to swing over the top of it, he got Matt Holiday to ground out weakly to the pitcher, and he got Omar Quintanilla to line out to Corey Hart.  That is three pitches and no hits.  Something tells me Mota should throw that a little more often.  What do I know though, right?

Overall, this is a devastating loss for the Brewers.  The Cardinals lost, but the Cubs won.  The Crew had a match-up that practically handed them a win.  Even after going six innings and giving up only one run, Rusch still has a 6.25 ERA.  He looked like an ace tonight.  Good grief.

Records: Brewers (50-41); Rockies (39-53)

Hero of the Game: Bill Hall

It’s nice to see Billy swinging a hot stick again.  It is even against righties and lefties this time around, which is huge for the Brewers third baseman.  In last night’s game, Billy hit a clutch two-run single against a right-hander, and he started off the mini-rally tonight in the seventh inning with a double off righty Manuel Corpas.  In the meantime, Hall is still raking against southpaws.  He provided the only offense against Glendon Rusch with his mammoth home run in the bottom of the second.

Goat of the Game: Guillermo Mota

Unfortunately, Mota’s $3.2M contract will be almost impossible to move before the trade deadline.  The big salary will almost certainly keep him on the roster.  Either Ned Yost will pitch Mota in some mop-up situations for right now and let him work out his issues, or Milwaukee will DFA the veteran right-hander and send him to the minors.  No one will pick-up Mota at this point, and he would likely accept a demotion to Nashville.  Even if he didn’t accept the move, he would forfeit his contract and become a free agent.  That sounds quite appealing, doesn’t it?

On Tap

RHP Dave Bush will look to help the Brewers split the series against LHP Jorge De la Rosa and the Colorado Rockies.  This is a huge game for the Crew, as they cannot afford to lose a 4-game series at home.  That would be devastating before the All-Star Break.  The game is not televised, but it will be on WTMJ at 1:05pm CT.

Round ’em Up: Wednesday

Those are a couple of pictures I got of CC Sabathia during his pre-game warmup. They’re not very big on here, but program I’m using doesn’t let it get much bigger.

The atmosphere inside Miller Park was absolutely electric last night, and the Brewers did not disappoint. The Crew sent the fans home happy with a 7-3 victory over the suddenly hot Colorado Rockies.

In the first inning, Ryan Braun launched a 430′ home run into the left field bleachers. The guy behind me one row and two guys to the left caught the ball. I was about three feet away from getting my glove on it. How awesome would that have been? Oh well. Another day, another time, maybe.

Let’s get into the news.

• Jim Powell says CC Sabathia delivered in a big way last night. The “Sabathia era” is now in motion, no matter how short of a time it would be. He has some audio from Sabathia himself, Doug Melvin, and the in-game audio from last night. In Sabathia’s post-game comments, he said he was overly excited and tried to overthrow a bunch of his pitches. I agree with that completely. It’s understandable that he was trying to impress the Miller Park crowd that gave him two or three standing ovations before even throwing a pitch.
• In some other trade news, Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports is reporting that Milwaukee is showing interest in San Francisco’s second baseman Ray Durham and lefty reliever Jack Taschner. Durham makes a lot of sense for the Brewers, as Rickie Weeks is struggling again to find his swing. Taschner, on the other hand, is a little bit of a mystery to me. Mitch Stetter has better stuff than Jack, and Mitch is much younger. I would much rather Doug Melvin target someone like Jon Rauch from Washington. That would also deepen the bullpen past this season.
• Milwaukee finally signs second-round draft pick RHP Seth Lintz. There was a bit of confusion last month, as a report had been leaked that Lintz had signed with the Crew when he hadn’t. That’s all inconsequential at this point. The young man went 9-0 with a 0.57 ERA in high school down in Tennessee last season. That’s not too bad. He will report to AZL Brewers very soon.
• Driving home from the game last night, I turned on ESPN radio to see if the Cubs won or lost last night. After learning that they pulled out a win, I found out they traded for Rich Harden from the As. What?! That was quick! Chicago gave up Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, and minor-league catcher Josh Donaldson. The Cubs also received reliever Chad Gaudin to ease the load on Carlos Marmol. Not many Brewers fans are going to admit this after the big Sabathia trade, but this move by the Cubs hurts. I really thought they were going to be stuck with A.J. Burnett. By giving up Gallagher, however, their starting pitching depth is extremely thin. They cannot afford for Harden to get injured, and that is obviously no guarantee.
• I never thought I would write this in 2008, but FOX Sports’ Dayn Perry actually wrote something positive about the NL Central. In fact, he even says good things about the Brewers! I’ll give you a second to catch your breath. He still gives the edge to the Cubs down the stretch, and it is very hard not to. Perry is right about something else, too. This is going to be a fun ride to the end of the season.
• How did the Brewers react to the Rich Harden acquisition? Exactly as they should. Ned Yost couldn’t care less, and Doug Melvin loves the competition. The article also quotes Mark Attanasio saying that Doug Melvin is going to be looking for another piece before the trade deadline. Don’t get too excited though. Milwaukee simply cannot afford another big-name player. Their payroll is extremely high right now, and their is no room on the roster to add someone.
• The Brew Town Beat is reporting that MLB.com contributor for Milwaukee said on the radio this morning that the back-end of the rotation will be a platoon once Jeff Suppan returns from the DL. Seth McClung is going to pitch on the road, and Dave Bush will take the ball at home. The statistics would argue that is a perfect solution, but I think McClung should move to the bullpen. It is extremely unlikely they will both be able to stay fresh pitching every 10th day or so. Give the ball to Bush every fifth and move McClung to the ‘pen. His control has improved greatly and could thrive in a late-inning role.
• In-Between Hops takes a look at the Home Run Derby swing curse. It has long been suspected that the Home Run Derby messes up a player’s swing for the second half. Case and point, Bobby Abreu. This post, however, says it is a myth and gives some convincing statistics to back it up. Let’s hope Ryan Braun doesn’t come back from the All-Star Break trying to hit a home run every at-bat. Prince Fielder already does that.
• Chuckie Hacks has an update on Derrick Turnbow in case you forgot about him.
• Dugout Central hands out the mid-season Cy Young awards for both the NL and the AL. The clear-cut favorites are Edinson Volquez for the National League and Cliff Lee for the American League. There are others in the discussion, however. I just don’t understand how the article cannot even mention Ben Sheets in the Cy Young mix. That 10-2 record with a 2.77 ERA not doing it for you? Yes, Volquez has been better, but give Sheets his due. Mention him in the discussion.

Minor League Boxscores: Wednesday

Nashville Sounds (37-56), 19.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	0	0	0	0	1	0	0				1	8	0
Omaha	3	0	0	0	2	0	X				5	8	0

LHP Steve Hammond – (L, 0-3) 3.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K – 8.31 ERA
LF Hernan Iribarren – 2-3, 2 1B – .276 BA
RF Brendan Katin – 2-3, 2 1B, run – .265 BA

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	3	0	0	0	0	0	0				3	8	0
Omaha	1	0	0	0	0	0	0				1	1	2

LHP Lindsay Gulin – (W, 5-4) 7.0 IP (CG), 1 hit, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K – 2.89 ERA
3B Adam Heether – 2-3, 2 1B, 2 RBI – .247 BA
CF Tony Gwynn Jr. – 2-3, 2 1B, run – .328 BA

Huntsville Stars (11-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Huntsville	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	1		5	14	0
Chattanooga	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	1	0		4	11	2

LHP David Welch – ND, 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 3.53 ERA
RHP Jason Shiell – (W, 3-1) 2.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 2.76 ERA
RHP Juan Sandoval – (S, 10) 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 3.56 ERA
2B Mike Bell – 2-4, HR (7), RBI – .262 BA
RF Freddy Parejo – 3-5, 2 2B, run – .291 BA
3B Mat Gamel – 2-5, 2 1B, RBI, run – .372 BA

Brevard County Manatees (7-11), 3.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Lakeland	5	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2		9	16	1
Brevard County	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	2	1

LHP Rafael Lluberes – (L, 1-3) 0.0 IP, 5 hits, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 6.86 ERA
RHP Alexandre Periard – 6.0 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K – 3.83 ERA
2B Yohannis Perez – 1-3, 2B – .241 BA

West Virginia Power (14-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
West Virginia	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0		3	6	2
Savannah	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0		2	5	1

LHP Daniel Merklinger – ND, 6.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 run (0 ER), 1 BB, 4 K – 5.94 ERA
RHP Corey Frerichs – (W, 4-6) 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – 2.68 ERA
LHP Curtis Pasma – (S, 2) 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K – 3.67 ERA
C Eric Fryer – 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI – .356 BA
LF Steffan Wilson – 1-4, 2B, RBI – .269 BA

Helena Brewers (10-11), 4.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Idaho Falls	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0		4	6	0
Helena	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0		3	7	1

LHP Efrain Nieves – ND, 6.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (1 ER), 2 BB, 6 K – 3.28 ERA
RHP Garrett Sherrill – (L, 0-4) 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K – 12.00 ERA
2B David Fonseca – 3-4, 2 HR (3), 2 RBI, 3 runs – .333 BA
CF Erik Komatsu – 2-4, 2 1B – .333 BA

AZL Brewers (2-11), 7.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
AZL Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	6	2
AZL Angels	2	0	0	5	0	0	1	0	X		8	10	0

RHP Luis Guerrero – (L, 0-3) 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K – 9.00 ERA
RHP Liam Ohlmann – 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 1.42 ERA
SS Carlos George – 1-4, 1B, RBI – .313 BA

Interview with Josh Romanski

It has been a while since I’ve had an interview up for you all. Don’t worry, I haven’t been slacking. I have a slew of interviews in the works. Here’s the first.

LHP/OF Josh Romanski took the time to answer a few questions for BrewersNation. If you do not remember, Josh was drafted in the fourth-round in the 2008 draft by Milwaukee. He was great about the whole process, very polite. I look forward to seeing how he fares in Helena, as Josh was a pleasure to work with.

BrewersNation: Congratulations on getting drafted by the Brewers! I suppose I must start with the obligatory question here. I know you have been drafted once before, but not nearly this high. How did it feel to be drafted on the first day?

Josh Romanski: It felt great. the best part about it was being drafted by an organization with such a sterling reputation for developing young talent. I am thoroughly excited and optimistic about my opportunity to make it to the major leagues with the brewers.

BN: Did you know that Milwaukee was interested in you? Where there any other teams?

Josh: Yes and Yes. Pretty much all of the teams showed some kind of interest but Milwaukee was definitely one of the more interested organizations, obviously. But I know the so cal area scout very well and he was very good in communicating the Brewers interest with me.

BN: Coming out of the draft, Brewers fans were unsure whether Milwaukee had drafted you as a pitcher or an outfielder. You have been playing a lot of DH thus far in Helena. Does that mean you won’t be seeing the mound as a professional?

Josh: No it doesnt. The Brewers drafted me as a pitcher and that is what I’ll be looking to do in the future. I only dh’d because we had three hurt outfielders. Good thing is I can hit a little and you never know what the club needs. I’m just glad I was able to step in and get the job done.

BN: Could you tell the readers at BrewersNation a little about your pitching arsenal? What do you throw?

Josh: Well, I throw a five pitch combo starting with a fastball. I throw three different breaking balls which include a curveball, a slider, and a cutter. Then I have a change up which I consider my best pitch. I am highly confident in all these pitches but also I am working on developing a sharper curveball so I can
be more affective at the higher levels.

BN: What’s your game like in the outfield? What are your strengths an weaknesses?

Josh: In the outfield I’d like to say that I’m an “all out” kind of guy. I rely on my reads and jumps I get on the ball rather than just plain pure speed. I have an average plus throwing arm and my number one strength is instinct. My weakness in the outfield is that I am not the fastest runner. I am not slow and still
slightly above the big league average but I am not a burner by any means so I have to make up for that with my reads on the ball.

BN: You threw a no-hitter against Harvard this season. What was that like? Did you know you had great stuff that day from the beginning?

Josh: The no-hitter was pretty interesting actually. I was hurt and did not have my best stuff at all. However, I spotted my fastball extremely well on the inner half of the plate that day and before I knew it I looked up at the scoreboard in the 7th inning and realized what was going on. It was a special day for me and the program.

BN: Naturally, you must be extremely excited to play professional ball for any team. Where there any particular team that you wished to play for? Is there anything specific about the Brewers organization that excites you?

Josh: Like I had said earlier, the Brewers have a great reputation for developing their young talent. I am excited about the coaching and winter programs that the Brewers have to offer and I am looking forward to bettering myself this season into the off-season.

BN: How has your first couple weeks of being a professional been? What is the first thing you did when arriving to the team?

Josh: The first couple weeks in Pro ball have been great. I’ve been hurt so that is a bit of downer but other than that I have enjoyed it. The guys are great and so are the coaches and staff. I’m living out a childhood dream and that is what makes it so neat.

BN: You got a nice signing bonus to play in Milwaukee’s farm system. Do you have any plans for that money?

Josh: No plans with the money yet since I haven’t recieved it. Ha Ha. But I plan on giving to the cancer foundation since my mom is a three time breast cancer survivor. That is important to me and I will look to make that donation sooner than later.

BN: What is your goal for the 2008 season? Obviously your goal is to make the big leagues one day, but what is your goal for this year?

Josh: My main goal for 2008 is to get healthy. This year in college playing center field and pitching hurt all season took its toll on my body. I would to get healthy and get back to my peak performance level as soon as possible.

Round ’em Up: Tuesday

After falling to a little bit of a hangover last night, the Brewers will trot out CC Sabathia to the mound to a sold-out crowd.  Yes, yes…I will be there.  Perhaps I can get a picture of the big guy.  Probably not though, as I will not be close at all to the action.  Who cares?!  The atmosphere is going to be electric.

• CC Sabathia is very excited to be in Milwaukee.  He is a little worried about his batting average going down – yes, the man has a sense of humor.  The big lefty is saying all the right things on his first day in Milwaukee.  He’s always been a fantastic clubhouse guy who is extremely charismatic.  Can’t complain about that.
• Here is some audio from the CC press conference.
• The agent of Michael Brantley and Taylor Green has a blog.  The latest news is that both Brantley and Green are on the table for Cleveland’s PTBNL.  Why would you get rid of Brantley?  He had all the makings to be Milwaukee’s lead-off hitter and center fielder in just a couple years.  I can only hope the fact that he does not fit into Cleveland’s plans (because of Grady Sizemore) steers them towards Green.  Taylor Green is a great player, but he is not as polished as Brantley.
• Yahoo! Sports has a nice little article about how excited Milwaukee is to have CC Sabathia on the team.  The management is extremely excited.  Giddy, in fact.  I never realized that David Riske and CC were such good friends.  They have been texting and calling each other for over two weeks about the impending trade.  CC may like his time in Milwaukee a whole lot.
• Jim Powell says Doug Melvin cements his status as one of the game’s best GMs through this trade.  The news about Michael Brantley changed this for me.  If Brantley is the PTBNL, only a playoff berth will ease the pain.  If it is Green, I will be upset…but not heartbroken.  I just do not understand how Doug could even consider giving up two of the “Huntsville 5” to get a 3 month rental.  If CC signs an extension after the year, the deal becomes a steal, even if Brantley is included.
• Dixieflatline from Brew Crew Ball analyzes how much CC will affect the win-loss record in Milwaukee.  After a some calculations, it comes out to about 10%.  I’ll take that.
• The Hardball Times has a great breakdown of the trade.  It assumes that Taylor Green will be the PTBNL.  I agree that Cleveland most likely wouldn’t have been able to draft someone of Matt LaPorta’s value next season.  He’s a very advanced bat for his age.  The one issue I have is that the article says CC will provide some wins because it will push Seth McClung to the bullpen and send Randy Choate to the minors.  There is a problem with that logic.  Choate isn’t on the big league squad…
• In-Between Hops says Brewers fans can thank Mark Attanasio for the Sabathia move.  I couldn’t agree more.  The article mentions something about the Brewers finishing in the red this season, but there is no way that will happen.  Did you see the ticket sales in the first two days after the trade?  Enough said.
• Right Field Bleachers has their week InReview segment.  I do enjoy the part about Corey Hart.
• The Brew Town Beat is hoping Yovani Gallardo will be back in September.  I did see the article from Baseball Prospectus that says Yo is already throwing from 45-feet and has a chance to be back in Sept.  Just do not rush him back from his injury.  He is a huge part of the team’s future.  Gallardo will almost certainly come in from the ‘pen if he returns.  There is simply not enough time to stretch his arm out and get him into the starting rotation.
• Brew Crew Pub has a recap of last night’s game.  The Brewers played flat baseball.  There was no emotion.
• Brewers Fanatics has a Prospect Watch on OF Cutter Dykstra.  There isn’t much for a scouting report in there, but he is certainly someone to watch down in Helena.  He is showing solid plate discipline already, which is exceptional for a high school prospect.
• Philly.com says the Phillies could not compete in the Sabathia sweepstakes because they did not have high-caliber position prospects that Cleveland demanded.  They will most likely shift their attention to Erik Bedard.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates expect SS Jack Wilson to stay exactly where he is.  Reports said the Los Angeles Dodgers backed out of the Sabathia race to focus on Wilson, but it seems that is no longer the case.  If LA wants Alcides Escobar and Zach Braddock, I wouldn’t mind taking Clayton Kershaw off their hands…
• ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark thinks the Brewers just upgraded their team in a big way, but he still likes the Chicago Cubs in the division.  Oh really?  ESPN went with a big-market team?  Excuse me if I don’t gasp in amazement.
• A few Brewers fans had been clamoring for a trade for RHP Justin Duchscherer from Oakland during the off-season.  That is unlikely, as Justin wants to sign an extension to stay with the As.  He’s been absolutely phenomenal this season.

On a side note, the big news I promised for the site should happen around the end of the week.  Stay tuned.  I am quite excited.

Minor League Boxscores: Tuesday

Nashville Sounds (36-55), 18.5 GB

Cmpl. Early: Rain	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	1	1	0	0	2	0					4	9	1
Omaha	0	0	0	0	2	0					2	4	0

RHP Mark DiFelice – (W, 4-0) 5.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 3.55 ERA
LHP Randy Choate – (S, 1) 0.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 5.73 ERA
CF Tony Gwynn Jr. – 2-4, 2 1B, RBI, SB (12) – .322 BA
RF Brendan Katin – 1-3, HR (12), 2 RBI – .260 BA

Huntsville Stars (10-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Birmingham	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	8	2
Huntsville	1	1	1	0	0	0	6	0	X		9	13	0

RHP Donovan Hand – (W, 1-2) CG, 8 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 4.39 ERA
SS Alcides Escobar – 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, run – .325 BA
DH Angel Salome – 2-5, 2 2B, RBI, run – .337 BA
C Martin Maldonado – 2-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 runs – .167 BA

Brevard County Manatees (7-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Lakeland	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	0	0		5	6	1
Brevard County	0	0	3	1	0	3	2	0	X		9	15	0

LHP Zach Braddock – (W, 4-5) 6.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K – 4.80 ERA
CF Darren Ford – 2-4, 2 1B, SB (42), BB, run – .232 BA
RF Chuck Caufield – 4-4, 2B, HR (3), RBI, 3 runs – .223 BA
2B Yohannis Perez – 3-4, 3B, 3 RBI, run – .240 BA

West Virginia Power (13-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
West Virginia	3	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0		5	8	2
Savannah	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0		2	5	1

RHP R.J. Seidel – (W, 6-4) 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs (0 ER), 1 BB, 3 K – 4.42 ERA
RHP Reed Dickert – (S, 1) 2.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K – 2.20 ERA
CF Lee Haydel – 2-4, 2B, RBI, run – .279 BA
2B Eric Farris – 2-4, 2 1B, RBI, run – .255 BA
1B Steffan Wilson – 2-3, 2 1B, RBI, BB, SB (3) – .269 BA

AZL Brewers (2-10), 6.5 GB

Did not play.

Helena Brewers (10-10), 3.0 GB

Did not play.

Crew falls victim to Sabathia hangover

It was something I had seen coming all day.

The opening game for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Colorado Rockies was a trap game.  It fell between the exhilarating news that CC Sabathia is coming to Milwaukee and tomorrow evening’s game when Sabathia makes his debut.  All the media outlets, the fans, and probably the players looked past this game.  It was dangerous right from the get-go.

Seth McClung and the Crew didn’t make it seem that way in the first, however.  The big right-hander cruised through the first and looked to have his A-stuff.  The first two Rockies batters struck out, and Seth had tallied four Ks through three innings.

After the first three innings, however, McClung completely lost his command.  The next inning and two-thirds were a downright struggle for the big guy.  He walked five people and forced Ned Yost to pull him before even reaching 90 pitches.  Amazingly enough, the damage wasn’t too bad.  For how poorly Seth threw the ball in the fourth and fifth innings, he only allowed two runs.  The Brewers still had a chance to pull out a win.

Ubaldo Jimenez and the Brewers offense had different thoughts about that, however.  Jimenez hadn’t pitched effectively on the road this entire season until tonight.  The free-swinging Brewers seem to fall victim to those types of pitchers though, don’t they?  Hard throwing right-handers that struggle to find the strike zone tend to fair well against the Crew, as Milwaukee’s young hitters do not enjoy working the count.

They did try early in the game.  Craig Counsell took a lead-off walk, and J.J. Hardy continued his hot hitting with a single up the middle.  Two on and no out in the bottom of the first.  All looked well for the Crew, especially after Seth mowed down the top of Colorado’s order.  That changed quickly after Ryan Braun grounded into a double play.  I know I talk about momentum a lot in these games, but that is a momentum killer.  It allowed Jimenez to get out of the inning without giving up a run when he struck out Corey Hart to end the frame.  The Crew struggled with runners in scoring position early in the game, and struggled to get runners in scoring position late in the game.

Milwaukee showed signs of life in the eighth, however.  Gabe Kapler reached on a fielding error, and Craig Counsell somehow got a pop-up to the catcher to fall for a hit.  J.J. Hardy takes a walk.  The bases are loaded, and the Brewers are down 0-4.  Rally time!

Nope, nevermind.  Ryan Braun steps into the box and smokes a grounder up the middle.  It ricochets of the mound and into the glove of Colorado shortstop Clint Barmes, who turns the double play.  All the wind is knocked out of Brewers fans sails.  That is, until Prince Fielder hit a towering shot to center field to pull within one.  The Crew never got closer.  4-3 Rockies.

On a side note, did anyone else find it annoying how Jimenez successfully picked off the Brewers twice early in the game?  It erased two big base runners and simply frustrated me beyond belief.  The guy made two or three moves towards Braun and Hart at first, yet they both got picked off relatively easily.  I admit Jimenez does have a very quick move, but he is a right-handed pitcher.  It’s not that quick.  Pay attention on the basepaths.

Records: Brewers (49-40); Rockies (38-52)

Hero of the Game: Prince Fielder

It was nice to see Prince get a hold of one in the eighth inning.  It was pretty much the only highlight of the game for the Crew.  Someone does need to talk to Prince about his back foot though.  It slips out on every swing.  That cannot be good for his power.  I do not remember it being that bad last season.  Perhaps that is the reason for his inconsistency in 2008?

Goat of the Game: Ryan Braun

Ryan grounded into two crucial double plays and got picked off of first.  It was a game to forget for Ryan.  Shake it off and have a big day tomorrow, young man.  That is why there is more than one game in a series.

On Tap

CC Sabathia makes his Milwaukee debut tomorrow evening against left-hander Mark Redman.  I will be at the game tomorrow evening, so a game wrap is unlikely.  I’m extremely excited to see the big guy pitch.  I wouldn’t be surprised if CC struggles with his command tomorrow, as he will be amped up.  Hopefully that doesn’t happen though.

Brewers place Suppan on DL

The Brewers solved the problem of their crowded starting rotation with the addition of CC Sabathia.

After hyper-extending his elbow a few starts ago, Jeff Suppan has been placed on the DL.  He tried to pitch through the pain until it went away.  That never is a good idea for a pitcher.

As Tom Haudricourt says, at least we know why Soup has been so bad his past few starts.  In his last four outings, the veteran right-hander has a 10.34 ERA.  That’s just plain awful.

I find it a bit suspicious that the Crew made this move after trading for Sabathia, but I could just be reading too much into the situation.  Instead of demoting a veteran, $40M pitcher, the team simply put him on the DL with an injury nobody knew about.  Does that remind anyone else of the supposed injury Jason Isringhausen had with the Cardinals?

I’m not saying the Brewers made up this injury, but it certainly came at a convenient time.  Get better, Jeff.  The Crew needs you healthy and effective down the stretch.  It’s one thing to be tough and pitch through pain, but it’s another thing entirely to be sacrificing your team’s record because of it.  Take a couple weeks, get better, and come back throwing strikes.  BrewersNation wishes you a speedy recovery, Mr. Soup.  We will see you on the mound in a couple weeks if all goes according to plan.

In the meantime, Dave Bush and Seth McClung have been guaranteed jobs in the starting rotation until Soup recovers from his injury.  That solved the pitching problem very quickly.

Round ’em Up: Monday

UPDATE 07-07-08 3:14 pm – How about a few more afternoon reads?

• Corey Hart has a small lead in the All-Star Game final vote.  Keep voting for Corey!
• Jonathan Mayo from MLB.com breaks down the prospects Milwaukee gave up to land CC Sabathia – I guess there are no periods between the ‘C’s. I just learned that. Sorry, CC.
• Jim Molony from MLB.com says the Sabathia will cause a ripple effect as we near the trade deadline. The Wild Card almost certainly will come from the NL Central, with the Cardinals, Brewers, and Cubs fighting over the division lead. It may cause some teams that were sitting on the fence to become sellers before July 31st.Molony also says the Cubs are taking this Sabathia deal very seriously. The team has almost been forced to make a move for a starting pitcher. Does Chicago’s farm system have the prospects needed, however? Unless they include big league talent, I believe it does not. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are now firmly in the market for the likes of Matt Herges and Brian Fuentes. I doubt one of those two will make the difference down the stretch, but the Cards now know they have to get another player.
• J.J. Hardy has been named the National League Player of the Week for last week. Is there anyone else it possibly could have been? There is not a human being that is hotter than Hardy right now.
• This CC Sabathia trade has already boosted ticket sales for the Crew. This morning the team sold 10,000 individual tickets to games at Miller Park for the rest of the season. Normally, Milwaukee sells 500 tickets each morning on the phone.3,000 tickets have been bought for tomorrow night’s game already. Sabathia will get his first start as a Milwaukee Brewers, and everyone wants to be a witness to it. Hell, I already bought my tickets to the game. I’m driving from Appleton to be a part of it. Say hello to higher revenues Mark Attanasio. Say hello to a higher payroll Milwaukee.

——————————————————————————–

Well…naturally, there is a whole lotta news out there today. So let’s get to it.

• In case you have not heard, C.C. Sabathia is now a Milwaukee Brewer. Doug Melvin has agreed to send OF Matt Laporta, LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Rob Bryson, and a player to be named later. How did Melvin convince Cleveland that Zach Jackson had positive trade value?
• A press conference happened today. Doug Melvin said the much improved play of the team really sparked the deal. He also mentioned that if fans were not coming out to the ballpark in record numbers, this trade would not have happened. That shows what a dedicated fan base can do for a team. Keep going to the ballpark everyone! It does make a difference.
• On to something I am quite concerned about. Cleveland.com is saying the Player to be Named Later may not be 3B Taylor Green. If it was going to be someone not as good, the deal would become an absolute steal. That may not be the case, however. The blog is saying CF Michael Brantley may be the last player involved in the deal. Let me say, please no. Brantley has quickly become one of my favorite prospects, and I believe he’s more valuable than LaPorta down on the farm because he is good at everything. With Grady Sizemore in center, Brantley probably doesn’t fit with Cleveland, but I can understand why they want him included in the deal. I just hope the rumor is not true, as I would then think Doug Melvin got swindled in this deal. Yes, one prospect can make that big of a deal in the power balance of a trade.
• Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports says that the Dodgers made a strong push to try to get Sabathia and Casey Blake. That would have been a blockbuster trade. They have shifted their gears to Pittsburgh shortstop Jack Wilson. The New York Yankees were also heavily involved, which is news to me.
• In a different update, Ken Rosenthal discusses the power shift in today’s game. Prospects are power. Small and mid-market teams can compete with big-market teams if they handle their prospects properly. Rosenthal says the Dodgers may have a better farm system than the Brewers, but they are too afraid to trade prospects for big league talent. He argues the Dodgers could be a much better team if they employed the strategy Milwaukee did this week. It’s not all about money anymore.
• The Chicago-Sun Times says that the Chicago Cubs are now pushing hard for Rich Harden from the Oakland A’s. I’m not sure Chicago has the pieces to get this done. A.J. Burnett is probably a better fit for them, as they could move Ronny Cedeno to Toronto. I cannot help but think Milwaukee just forced Chicago’s hand on this one.
• The New York Times blog says that Doug Melvin and the Milwaukee Brewers are not done before the trade deadline. Joel Sherman brings up a few names: George Sherrill, B.J. Ryan, and the most interesting Joakim Soria from the Royals.
• WaitingForNextYear is wondering how much this trade will affect the Cleveland Indians in the next few years. How long will it be before they are next in contention? If Matt LaPorta can provide some offensive fireworks in 2009, they may have the tools to rebuild faster than people believe.
• Take a look at C.C. Sabathia’s home page. He looks pretty good in a Brewers uniform, yes? (A tip of the cap to Chuckie Hacks for that one.)
• Lost in the shuffle of the Sabathia news, Brew Crew Pub has a series preview of the Brewers-Rockies series starting tonight.
• Both The Junkball Blues and Between the Green Pillars have a lot of reservations about the package Milwaukee gave up to Cleveland. If Taylor Green is the other player, the package is probably about the best possible scenario for the Brewers. If Michael Brantley will be included in the deal, Milwaukee gave up too much in the deal.
• The Yost Infection says “Yes Please” to the Sabathia deal.
• In-Between Hops says the Brewers strategy of drafting the best available player in the draft made this deal possible. If Milwaukee wouldn’t have drafted Matt LaPorta because they were worried about Prince Fielder blocking him, the team wouldn’t have been in position to make this deal. As all Brewers fans now, Jack Zduriencik knows what he’s doing.
• Right Field Bleachers is looking forward to the playoffs, where C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets will be an unbelievable 1-2 punch in a five or seven-game series.
• The Brew Town Beat writes that the Cardinals and Cubs are now absolutely terrified the Brewers are going to catch them now. My guess is that the Cards are not terrified, as Milwaukee tied them after yesterday’s win, but both teams now realize that Milwaukee is a legitimate contender. Both teams may have just been forced to make a deal they didn’t want to make.
• Chuckie Hacks believes the Milwaukee Brewers just grew up last night. They have graduated from AAAA ball to the big leagues. I’m not sure I would go that far, but I understand the analogy.
• Two Fisted Slopper wishes the Brewers would have not had to have traded Matt LaPorta. I understand, but sometimes a deal just has to get done so the Brewers can get to the post-season.
• Team Wisconsin has given Milwaukee a spot in the playoffs now. They also say that Seth McClung will be the odd-man out in the rotation. Could he even be traded? I doubt it, as Doug Melvin believes the team can never have enough pitching. After Spring Training, I completely agree with that. (Hat tip to Right Field Bleachers)
• Brewers Bar says the Crew gave up a lot to get the deal finalized, but Brew Town should celebrate now that Sabathia is coming to town.
• Brewers Fanatics believes Sabathia could actually make a difference at the plate as well. He is a career .300 hitter in 40 at-bats. Unfortunately, I don’t think that means anything, but it’s nice to think about.
• The Bucky Channel wants to run up and down the streets to celebrate the trade, as do the majority of Brewers fans.

Minor League Boxscores: Monday

Nashville Sounds (35-55), 19.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Round Rock	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	0		4	9	3
Nashville	0	2	1	0	1	0	1	2	X		7	11	0

LHP Sam Narron – ND, 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K – 4.26 ERA
RHP Derrick Turnbow – (W, 2-2) 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 8.64 ERA
RHP Luis Pena – (S, 13) 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 3.63 ERA
1B Brad Nelson – 3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, run – .309 BA
2B Hernan Iribarren – 2-5, 2 1B, RBI, 2 runs – .271 BA

Huntsville Stars (9-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Birmingham	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0		3	6	0
Huntsville	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1		2	4	1

LHP David Wright – ND, 7.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K – 3.47 ERA
LHP Steve Bray – (L, 0-1) 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 6.75 ERA
DH Angel Salome – 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB – .336 BA
SS Alcides Escobar – 0-2, 2 BB, 2 runs – .324 BA

Brevard County Manatees (6-10), 3.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Daytona	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	3		7	6	2
Brevard County	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0		4	5	1

LHP Bobby Bramhall – ND, 3.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – 2.56 ERA
RHP Jeremy Jeffress – (L, 3-4) 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 7 runs (5 ER), 4 BB, 10 K – 4.78 ERA
C Jonathan Lucroy – 2-4, 2 HR (4), 2 RBI – .351 BA
1B Stephen Chapman – 1-4, HR (12), RBI – .209 BA

West Virginia Power (12-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Hagerstown	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	5	2
West Virginia	0	5	6	0	5	0	0	0	X		16	14	0

RHP Roque Mercedes – (W, 3-4) 6.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 5.60 ERA
CF Lee Haydel – 2-5, 2 1B, 3 RBI, BB, 3 runs – .276 BA
LF Eric Fryer – 5-5, 3 2B, 6 RBI, run – .363 BA
3B Zelous Wheeler – 3-4, 2B, HR (8), 3 RBI, BB, 3 runs – .289 BA

AZL Brewers (2-10), 6.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
AZL Brewers	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	3	1
AZL Cubs	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	X		6	10	1

RHP Stosh Wawrzasek – (L, 0-1) 1.0 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 27.00 ERA
LHP Daniel Meadows – 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – 0.00 ERA
C Shawn Zarraga – 2-3, 2 2B, RBI, BB – .333 BA

Helena Brewers (10-10), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Helena	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	0		4	7	0
Billings	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	X		5	13	0

RHP Trey Watten – 5.0 IP, 7 hits, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 3.60 ERA
RHP Cody Adams – (BS, 2)(L, 2-2) 3.0 IP, 6 hits, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 5.68 ERA
1B Brock Kjeldgaard – 2-4, 2B, HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 runs – .277 BA
CF Erik Komatsu – 2-4, 2 1B, run – .324 BA

Sweep overshadowed by trade winds

UPDATE 07-06-08 9:37pm – Tom Haudricourt has more information as to who is included in the deal.  Apparently, the deal included four prospects.

Matt LaPorta is still the centerpiece of the deal.  That is a big blow, but the minor league system is stacked full of guys that can hit but don’t have a position.  LaPorta is replaceable.

LHP Zach Jackson will be on his way to Cleveland.  My reaction?  You can have him Cleveland.  Perhaps a change of scenery is all he needs.  Jackson has been terrible since coming to Milwaukee in the Lyle Overbay trade.

RHP Rob Bryson is also included in the deal.  Rob is a bright young prospect who has struggled a bit this season with a 3-2 record and a 4.25 ERA in 22 outings.  Baseball America thinks that Bryson has the stuff to be a closer in a few years, but that is still years away.  This loss doesn’t hurt the system too much, especially with the tons of pitchers drafted this season.

The deal still includes a “player to be named later.”  Most believe this is still Taylor Green.  Haudricourt believes the Indians want to move him to second base and need more time to scout him.  If they deem Green unfit for second base, there will be another player involved in the deal.

Don’t worry, Brewers fans.  Doug Melvin didn’t give up too much to get last year’s AL Cy Young winner.  Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, Angel Salome, Michael Brantley, Brad Nelson, Zach Braddock, Chris Errecart, and Jeremy Jeffress are all safe.  It feels good to say that.

———————————————————————–

It was not the prettiest win of the season, but the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Pirates this afternoon with offensive fireworks.

Too bad the win got lost in the news that Doug Melvin and the Brewers just agreed in principle to a deal with the Cleveland Indians that will send C.C. Sabathia to Milwaukee for Matt LaPorta and two lower level prospects.

In case you forgot what happened, let me refresh your memory.

After his 16-game hit streak ended last night on a sacrifice bunt, J.J. Hardy started a new streak in a big way this afternoon. In the bottom of the first, the Brewers shortstop snuck one just inside the right field foul poll to start off the scoring. Rickie Weeks started the game off with a walk, so Milwaukee got out to a 2-0 lead quickly.

The lead grew 4-0 after the first once Ryan Braun hit a solo shot, and Bill Hall continued his fine hitting against southpaws with an RBI single that plated Corey Hart.

All looked good for the Crew. That changed in the top of the second when Jeff Suppan gave all four of the runs right back. Soup did not look sharp tonight. The umpire was squeezing him a bit at the bottom of the zone, but that is no excuse for giving up six runs in three innings of work. When your offense spots you four runs in the first inning, you have to maintain that lead and momentum. It appeared to be a long day in the making after the third inning ended.

The bullpen has been taking a lot of heat lately, but the collective group banded together and shut the door on the Pirates for the rest of the game. Ned Yost pulled Soup after three innings and handed the ball to Mitch Stetter, who pitched two scoreless innings and got the win. The ‘pen came through in a big way today, picking up the team after Soup struggled to keep the Pirates off the scoreboard.

Guillermo Mota even looked pretty good. He mixed up his pitches well. The pitch count was quite high for only an inning on the mound, but a scoreless inning should do wonders to help his confidence.

In other news, Ryan Braun is going to be a starter for the NL in the All-Star Game. Congrats, Ryan. You certainly deserve it. You all can also vote for Corey Hart to get the last spot on the squad. Vote, vote, vote!!!

Finally, on to C.C. Sabathia, the newest member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Man, it feels good to say that.

After thinking it over and reading online threads and whatnot, I could not be more excited about this trade for the Brewers. How often can a team get a bona fide Cy Young-caliber pitcher at the trade deadline and not sacrifice anyone completely integral to the team’s future?

Yes, I understand Matt LaPorta is a rare player, but he is blocked in Milwaukee’s system right now. Not to mention, a prospect is a prospect is a prospect. The young man has not proven a thing yet against major league pitching. He may very well be a star in the big leagues, but there are no guarantees. Best take a proven player when given the chance. That is what C.C. brings to the club. He is a proven winner.

It is unclear who the last two prospects are, but one can assume Taylor Green is one of them. The other may be someone like a John Axford or Alexandre Periard. Either way, I firmly believe Doug Melvin gave away more last season to get Scott Linebrink than he is giving away in the C.C. deal, and Milwaukee is receiving much more in return. The 1-2 punch of Ben Sheets and Sabathia is only rivaled by Dan Haren-Brandon Webb in Arizona. That is a legitimate playoff top of the rotation right there.

Finally, it is almost a foregone conclusion that Milwaukee will not be able to resign Sheets or Sabathia after the season. That could secure 5 draft picks through the first supplemental round. That is a draft where the team can restock the minor leagues. Even if Milwaukee doesn’t make the playoffs this season-which would classify the trade as a failure in my eyes-the team still will benefit from the gluttony of draft picks in the 2009 draft.

If nothing else, this trade has thrust Milwaukee into the national spotlight. It will generate massive revenue at the ticket office. I, for one, have already bought my tickets for Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies. I did not want to miss Sabathia’s debut as a Brewer. There will be more ticket sales, which will result in more money for the team. More money for the team means more money to spend on free agents or on our own players. If the team makes the playoffs, it will only augment the revenue gain.

The deal is looking better and better for the Brewers, and I am seeing the excitement everywhere I look from Brewers fans. Nice job getting the deal done, Doug Melvin. I, of course, will keep you all up-to-date on who Milwaukee is sending to Cleveland when the information becomes available.

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Brewers are tied with the Cardinals for the Wild Card lead. Big day for the Crew all around.

Records: Brewers (49-39); Pirates (40-47)

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

For now, I will assume J.J. is the hero until proven otherwise. There is no human being on earth that is hotter than J.J. right now. Maybe I should get plunked in the helmet like he did in Arizona. It seems to have helped him…

Goat of the Game: Jeff Suppan

You simply cannot, cannot give back runs after your team spots you four runs in the first inning. A veteran pitcher should know that he had the opportunity to take all the wind out of Pittsburgh’s sails right there, but nope. He wanted to leave after three innings instead. If he didn’t have a big contract in his pocket, Soup may be heading to the ‘pen now that Sabathia is on the team.

On Tap

RHP Seth McClung will take on LHP Ubaldo Jimenez at 7:05pm CT at Miller Park tomorrow. The Crew will look to stretch the winning streak to four games, and Seth will try to prove he belongs in the starting rotation. It could be a mini-audition for the big man now that Sabathia is in the rotation.

Round ’em Up: Sunday

UPDATE 07-06-08 6:05pm – Tom Haudricourt says the deal is done. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians have agreed on a deal to send C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers. The word is the package is Matt LaPorta and two-lower level prospects. It does not include Lorenzo Cain, as he has been sent to class-AA to fill the void left by LaPorta.

Welcome to Milwaukee, Mr. Sabathia.

————————————————————————–

UPDATE 07-06-08 3:38 pm – The first reports of the deal being finalized.

Castrovance is a beat reporter for the Indians for MLB.com. It may have some good credibility.

——————————————————————-

Prince Fielder and the Milwaukee Brewers no doubt partied a little bit last night, celebrating their walk-off victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Let’s hope the team doesn’t come out and lay an egg against Zach Duke today. Am I the only one that feels like we’ve faced the exact same pitcher three days in a row now?

• Over at Brew Crew Ball, roguejim posts an article that says Milwaukee is interested in doing a Greg Maddux for Tony Gwynn Jr. swap. His numbers are average and would probably inflate away from the pitcher-friendly park down in San Diego. This says nothing about his full no-trade clause, however. Even if the teams agree, Maddux can veto the trade. With his brother in Milwaukee, he probably would not knock it down though.
• The Brew Town Beat addresses this Maddux deal and hopes Doug Melvin gets it done, as well as the C.C. Sabathia deal. I really don’t think Maddux is an upgrade over any of our pitchers though. At least, not a big enough difference to warrant giving away TGJ for a rental. Is Maddux really that much better than Dave Bush? My gut reaction is to say yes, just because Bush is painful to watch sometimes, but Bush has the potential to do what he did last night quite often. Seth McClung has been very solid in the back-end of the rotation. Do we really need Maddux and Sabathia? My guess is that Melvin is kicking the tires in case the Sabathia deal falls through.
• Jim Powell talks about the Sabathia trade rumors. He says that Taylor Green is better than most people are giving him credit for. Powell also makes a good argument that Yovani Gallardo’s injury probably cost us Matt LaPorta and Green if this deal gets done. If Yo hadn’t gotten injured, Milwaukee most likely would not be searching for a high-priced starter right now. Ah, what if’s.
• Over at Let’s Go Tribe, many fans are hoping Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro can get both Matt LaPorta and Alcides Escobar in the deal. I think if they add Rafael Perez to the deal, they might have a shot at the two blue-chip prospects. It’s always interesting to see what other teams feel their players are worth. Naturally, some think C.C. Sabathia should garner the team some obnoxious bounty, but that is unlikely to happen.
• Some have speculated that Tampa Bay is a major player in the Sabathia sweepstakes. That now seems unlikely, as they are preparing to put forth a competitive offer for Brian Fuentes from Colorado. It will take one solid piece for them to get the Colorado closer, and everyone knows Tampa’s farm system is stacked. The Rays won’t have much competition if they truly want Fuentes.
• THonline.com has an article on Nic Ungs from the Huntsville Stars. He lost his mother to cancer recently, which has given him extra motivation when on the mound. The right-hander has pitched brilliantly in Huntsville the last couple weeks after struggling with Nashville to start the season.
• Bill Chuck from Baseball Digest Daily gives out his mid-season awards. Nobody from the Crew makes the list, but Ben Sheets gets an honorable mention for the NL Cy Young. It will be interesting to see if Edinson Volquez can keep up his unbelievable season. That Volquez/Hamilton deal this off-season has worked pretty well for both teams, no?
• Again away from Milwaukee, the Seattle Mariners are trying to prove that a managerial change mid-season does not spell disaster for the team. They have gone 10-5 since the switch, and their once-inept offense is now producing. Don’t look for that to last, however.
• Chipper Jones has been struggling at the plate as of late. As you can see by the probability chart, his odds of hitting .400 for the season is the lowest it has been for a couple weeks. Perhaps he should just get his average over the .400 mark then get injured and shelved on the DL for the season. That would cement it.

The Sunday Harvest

Player of the Week: C/OF Eric Fryer

Last 10 Games:  .514 BA, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 SB

One of the biggest surprises in West Virginia this season has been the play of Eric Fryer.  WV has been playing him a lot in the outfield, but he is capable of calling games behind the dish as well.  As you can see from the statistics, Eric has been an absolute hit machine over the past week and a half.  His breakout season is a bit of a surprise, as he only hit .209 in Helena last season.  Whatever the reason, balls have started to drop for Eric.  The power is there, and the plate discipline has been better than average.  In the past week, he has drawn four walks and struck out five times.  Not bad.  It will be very interesting to see how the season progresses for Eric Fryer.

Honorable Mention

C Jonathan Lucroy – (Last 10: .333 BA, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI) – No matter the level, Jonathan Lucroy has shown he can swing the stick.  One of the more overlooked aspects of his game has been the superb plate discipline.  Since joining the Manatees, he has a 2:1 BB:K ratio.  If his defense can progress as scouts say it has, Lucroy will be challenging Angel Salome for the top catcher in the system.

OF Lorenzo Cain – (Last 10: .368 BA, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, SB) – Rumor has it that Lo may be on his way out of Milwaukee’s farm system, but he is certainly not leaving quietly.  Since struggling in April, Cain’s stats have been clamoring for a promotion.  The power is starting to come, and he’s driving the ball more consistently to all fields.  The plate discipline could be better, but Milwaukee will wait for that to develop.  Lorenzo is a five-tool player that may be on the verge of a breakout year next season.  No one is sure if that will be in Milwaukee’s system or Cleveland’s, however.

OF Christopher Dennis – (Last 6: .320 BA, 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI) – I do not know much about Dennis besides the fact that the scouts rave about the young man’s abilities at the plate.  He seems to be another above-average offensive player that still needs development on the defensive side of the game.  Does Milwaukee draft anyone otherwise?

Pitcher of the Week: LHP Sam Narron

The Nashville Sounds have been starved for pitching this entire season.  So when a Sounds pitcher goes the distance in a game, he almost certainly gets the nod as Pitcher of the Week.  Sam pitched a beautiful game against Memphis last week, going the distance while only allowing one run to score.  He scattered nine hits, while walking two hitters.  Sam relies on inducing ground balls and doesn’t strike out many opposing batters.  His strikeout numbers may need to climb a bit for him to challenge for a spot in the big leagues, but he’s quickly becoming one of the most consistent pitchers down in Nashville.

Honorable Mentions

LHP Mike Ramlow – After Ramlow dominated hitters as West Virginia’s closer, the team decided to try him out as a starter.  That experiment did not work as well as planned, so Mike returned to the bullpen.  In one appearance this week, he bounced back very nicely.  He went 4.2 innings and recorded the win, while surrendering no runs.  It may not seem like much, but Ramlow has been an extremely effective reliever for WV.  The fact that he is a lefty may earn him a promotion rather soon.

LHP Daniel Merklinger – Daniel has been horrendous for most of the season, as his 6.70 ERA would suggest.  A left-handed fly-ball pitcher will not turn many heads in single-A ball.  His last start will, however.  The young man gave up one run and struck out nine in six innings of work.  That is the type of performance WV has expected from Merklinger all season.  Perhaps he’s just beginning to find his stride going into the second half of the season.

RHP Adam Arnold – Helena’s closer has been lights-out since inheriting the role.  He is now 3-for-3 in save chances and is striking out almost one batter per inning.  After walking two batters in his first outing three weeks ago, the young right-hander has only walked one in his last six-plus innings.  He has had a little trouble against lefties, but that should be expected from a pitcher in rookie ball.  The start has been bright from Adam.  Hopefully, he can keep it up all season.

Prince reigns over Pittsburgh

Prince Fielder may be struggling at the plate, but sure saved the Brewers tonight with timely hitting in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In a 1-1 game in the bottom of the ninth, Rickie Weeks battled back from a 0-2 count to draw a huge walk to start the frame. That turned out to be a huge boost for the team.

J.J. Hardy then sacrificed his 16-game hitting streak by laying down a sac bunt to move Rickie to second base. Pittsburgh reliever Tyler Yates chose to next intentionally walk Ryan Braun to get to a struggling Prince Fielder and to set up the double play.

Brewers fans rose to their feet in support of their Prince. Yates started him off with a couple fastballs on the outside part of the plate to head in the count 0-2. The right-hander then tried to make Prince chase a ball at his eyes. Prince appeared to be too eager at the plate and almost obliged. Now down 1-2, I thought Yates was going to bury a ball in the dirt, as Prince showed he wanted to swing at everything. Instead, he tried to sneak an outside fastball by the big lefty. It didn’t work. Prince served a line drive to left-center field that scored Rickie from second. 2-1 Brewers. Ball game.

Milwaukee got an absolute gem of a start from right-hander Dave Bush. He changed speeds beautifully all day, and his curveball stayed down in the zone all day. Bushie had fantastic control this evening, especially on the outside corner. I’m not sure how often it has happened all season, but he did not walk an opposing batter all game, while striking out six.

It turned out that Dave Bush needed to pitch well tonight, as Paul Maholm also spun a gem on the mound. Besides a nice opposite field home run from Mike Cameron, Pittsburgh’s left-hander went eight innings without surrendering another run. His curveball and change-up fooled Milwaukee hitters all evening. Tonight’s game was the epitome of a pitcher’s duel.

Even Eric Gagne threw the ball well, pitching the top of the ninth without giving up a run. He gave up a hit and struck out one. While his velocity has gone way down since injuring his shoulder, the command has been a thousand times better. His change-up has been absolutely nasty for him, falling right through the zone and fooling opposing batters. The command on his fastball has been much better. He has been able to work the corners much more effectively than before his stint on the DL.

The lack of velocity will be a hindrance of Gagne, but the better control may land the former closer 8th inning duties. If he is able to keep up the fine performances, I wouldn’t mind that at all. Don’t worry, that’s not a self-fulfilling prophecy at all.

There is some news on the C.C. Sabathia trade front.

Tom Haudricourt reports that Doug Melvin is waiting for a response from the Indians on their trade proposal. All signs point to the package being Matt LaPorta/Taylor Green/Lorenzo Cain. The Indians will probably wait until Monday or Tuesday before deciding on anything. They could perhaps ask for more in return, but nothing new seems likely to occur before Monday.

ESPN.com’s Buster Olney says that the Indians are fielding other offers from the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tampa seems more focused on a right-handed outfielder and probably lacks the motivation to make a strong offer for Sabathia. If they do decide to make a play, however, Milwaukee may be on the outside looking in. Tampa has an incredible farm system and can outplay the Brewers. They will test the waters, but most likely will look elsewhere.

The Dodgers need a shortstop, but could change gears and hone in on the left-hander. They should have enough to get the deal done. It all depends on the motivation and the transparency of their proposal. Olney says Los Angeles has a tendency to balk at proposals. They will say one player is available, then back off and say he’s not.

Most likely, the Philadelphia Phillies will be the toughest opponent if they choose to be aggressive. Their farm system does not have as many offensive five-star prospects, but they could offer more players to get the deal done. I have heard that Philadelphia prefers Erik Bedard though.

Records: Brewers (48-39); Pirates (40-46)

Hero of the Game: Prince Fielder

The award could easily go to Dave Bush for his gem of a performance, but I came away from the game very impressed with Fielder’s resilience in the ninth inning. He has fought his swing the past couple weeks, but the big guy came up big to win the game. After trying a little too hard on the first three pitches, the fourth pitch from Tyler Yates turned out to be the charm. He didn’t overswing and took the ball where it was pitched. A great win for the Brewers.

Goat of the Game: Jason Kendall

Jason just didn’t look comfortable at the plate tonight. He did call a superb game for Dave Bush this evening, but he went 0-3 at the plate. The catcher doesn’t really deserve the Goat. Sorry, Jason.

On Tap

RHP Jeff Suppan will battle LHP Zach Duke in the series finale at Miller Park. The Crew looks to sweep the Pirates and continue their fine play. The game starts at 1:05pm CT on FSN North.

Round ’em Up: Saturday

Thank goodness the Crew came back with a nice win yesterday.  Milwaukee could not afford a hangover after the horrendous collapse on Thursday.  Dave Bush looks to build a little winning streak tonight against Paul Maholm and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Tom Haudricourt says that the Brewers are still actively pursuing C.C. Sabathia.  The latest rumor is that Doug Melvin is offering Matt LaPorta/Taylor Green/Lorenzo Cain as a package to try to get last year’s AL Cy Young award winner to Milwaukee by Tuesday.  This is quite a bit to be giving up for a 2 or 3 month rental, but it could very well push the Brewers over the top.
• The Brew Town Beat fully expects Sabathia to be in Milwaukee by Tuesday.  I’m not totally sure that will happen, but Doug Melvin could perhaps get it done if he so chooses.  Brew Town also says that Melvin should also trade for Brian Fuentes.  I do agree that the bullpen needs another quality arm, but it needs to be one that can be controlled past the 2008 season.  That is not Fuentes.  Besides, Fuentes has not been pitching well at all the past couple weeks.  I’ve read that scouts have not seen an “out pitch” from Fuentes lately.  None of his pitches are moving much.  That is not who I want to trade a valuable prospect for this season.
• Between the Green Pillars says that Ned Yost managed scared yesterday afternoon.  Because he used Carlos Villanueva for 3.1 innings, which makes him unavailable for the next three or four days.  The article argues that Yost should have used a different pitcher in the eighth and ninth, but he was too scared to do so because of Thursday’s collapse.  I do agree with his point that Milwaukee is now without a long man in the ‘pen because of yesterday.  You want to know what is interesting?  If C.C. Sabathia makes it into Milwaukee’s rotation, either Dave Bush or Seth McClung becomes the long man.  That would work out pretty nicely.
• The Baseball Analysts continued their All-Star team from Triple-A.  Brad Nelson makes it in the outfield for the Brewers.  Nelson could be a nice addition to the team in September.
• The Yost Infection asks Milwaukee’s play-by-play announcers to please stop celebrating J.J. Hardy’s defense.  It is not more than average because of his terrible zone rating.  I personally think the zone rating stuff is a little overrated.  J.J. is a rock at shortstop.  He doesn’t make plays?  In the last road trip, he flipped a ball with his glove to Rickie to start a double play, he made a diving stop in the hole, and his throws are always perfect.  Doesn’t make plays, huh?
• Florida Today has an article about how difficult it is to hit home runs down in Brevard County because of this winds.  That is why you have to take the low power numbers from the likes of Lorenzo Cain and Taylor Green with a grain of salt.
• The Charleston Daily Mail says that Milwaukee Brewers most likely will not renew their contract with the West Virginia Power next season.  Rumor has it that the Crew wants to sign the local Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton, WI to their Class-A affiliate.  I would absolutely love that, as I currently live in Appleton.  I would be a regular at the games, if that would happen.
• Huntsville infielder Michael Garciaparra does not regret his move to play professional baseball over taking his scholarship to Tennessee.

Minor League Boxscores: Saturday

Nashville Sounds (34-54), 19.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Round Rock	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	1		4	8	3
Nashville	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2		3	5	2

LHP Chris Narveson – (L, 2-11) 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs (2 ER), 0 BB, 5 K – 5.64 ERA
RHP Luis Pena – 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – 3.74 ERA
CF Tony Gwynn Jr. – 3-4, 3 1B, run – .312 BA
1B Brad Nelson – 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI – .305 BA

Huntsville Stars (9-8), 2.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
Birmingham	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	2
Huntsville	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1		2	7	1

LHP Troy Cate – ND, 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K – 2.13 ERA
RHP Juan Sandoval – (W, 2-3) 0.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 3.68 ERA
LF Cole Gillespie – 2-4, HR (12), RBI – .276 BA
RF Matt LaPorta – 1-3, 1B, BB, run – .291 BA

Brevard County Manatees (6-8), 2.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Daytona	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	5	0
Brevard County	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	X		4	8	0

LHP Chris Cody – (W, 1-3) 7.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K – 4.66 ERA
RHP Casey Baron – (S, 3) 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 2.35 ERA
RF Lorenzo Cain – 2-3, 2 1B, BB, run – .285 BA
3B Taylor Green – 1-4, 1B, 2 RBI – .296 BA
1B Stephen Chapman – 2-3, 2B, HR (11), 2 RBI – .211 BA

West Virginia Power (10-5), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Hagerstown	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		4	5	1
West Virginia	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0		3	11	2

LHP Evan Frederickson – ND, 4.0 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K – 6.75 ERA
RHP Corey Frerichs – (L, 3-6) 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run (0 ER), 2 BB, 3 K – 2.54 ERA
2B Eric Farris – 3-5, 2B, RBI, run – .251 BA
LF Eric Fryer – 3-4, 2B, RBI, BB – .347 BA
3B Zelous Wheeler – 2-4, 2B, HR (7), RBI – .284 BA

Helena Brewers (9-9), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Helena	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2		3	6	0
Billings	0	0	0	3	5	2	0	1	X		11	17	2

RHP Michael Bowman – (L, 1-1) 4.0 IP, 9 hits, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 4.26 ERA
CF Cutter Dykstra – 2-4, 2B – .278 BA
LF Christopher Dennis – 2-4, 2 HR (7), 2 RBI – .273 BA

AZL Brewers (1-9), 6.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
AZL Brewers	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	3	0
AZL Giants	2	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	X		6	10	2

LHP Kristian Bueno – (L, 0-2) 3.0 IP, 6 hits, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K – 8.64 ERA
RHP Joel Morales – 2.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 2.70 ERA
1B Pedro Ramos – 2-4, 2 1B, run – .179 BA

Round ’em Up: The Trade Deadline

UPDATE 07-04-08 12:50pm – Again, I apologize for a lack of a Friday NL Central Review.  I just didn’t have the time this morning to write it, and I have to run out in a few.  After trying to keep up with the Sabathia rumors, I’m kind of spent on the writing front for this morning.

Tom Haudricourt gives 10 reasons why the Brewers should trade for the Milwaukee Brewers.

I hate the reason that Mark Attanasio needs to prove he’s serious about trying to get to the playoffs, yet it does make a certain amount of sense.  I cannot imagine why any fan would believe Mark is not trying to create a winner.  He has brought a higher payroll and has made Milwaukee a respectable destination.  The notion that he is not trying to bring a winner to Milwaukee is ludicrous.

Doug Melvin may offer up a knock-out deal to get C.C. to Milwaukee right away.  It would perhaps give C.C. about three or four more starts in Milwaukee.  That may be a big difference in making the playoffs.

——————————————————————————–

I wasn’t going to do a Round ’em Up this morning, as I’m working on the Friday NL Central Review. I came across two articles that made me write one. A lot happened after Milwaukee tanked it this afternoon, to say the least. Let’s take a look.

• MLB.com says that besides C.C. Sabathia, Milwaukee has been connected to several names in the trade market. Doug Melvin and the Crew has been looking at Randy Wolf and Greg Maddux from the San Diego Padres. Apparently there is no coincidence that Mr. Melvin and company had a very long meeting before the game this afternoon when the Padres are coming to town tomorrow. Maybe Doug will stay behind and chat with the Padres. I personally don’t want either of the pitchers for the well-documented reasons.The Brewers have also kicked the tires on Zack Greinke and Matt Cain. That’s more like it. Melvin says, however, that those two pieces are not likely to be moved until the offseason. Both the Royals and the Giants will be able to get more by holding out longer. That’s probably true. If that’s the case, Greinke/Cain are going nowhere before July 31st. Too bad.
• Now onto the more interesting/terrifying article. FOX Sports writer Ken Rosenthal says sources have told him that the Milwaukee Brewers are offering Cleveland Matt LaPorta AND Alcides Escobar for C.C. Sabathia. I could not believe what I was reading at first. Two of the Huntsville 5 for a 2/3 month rental? Doug Melvin said that he would not do that.I understand Milwaukee’s insistence on landing C.C. This season is the best chance for the Crew to be competitive for the next couple years because of Ben Sheets leaving and the rumor that Prince Fielder may be packing his bags over the winter. If that is the case, Melvin may be wise to make the move for Sabathia and make a run for the post-season.Melvin cannot, however, offer up Escobar and LaPorta in the same package. It makes no sense unless the Brewers are receiving more than Sabathia in return. Perhaps they are asking for a reliever as well. Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez are both available. I think Perez would be a much better pick-up. That is the only way I see Alcides Escobar and Matt LaPorta being offered in the same package.

  Tom Haudricourt also says Taylor Green interests Cleveland and may be included in the package. LaPorta, Escobar, and Green would be a huge, huge haul for Sabathia and Perez. Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro would be the GM of the month if he could land that deal. On the flip side, Doug Melvin could look very stupid if Milwaukee does not make the post-season. It would be an incredibly dangerous deal for the Crew.

Minor League Boxscores: Friday

Nashville Sounds (34-53), 18.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	7	0
Memphis	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	X		5	8	0

LHP Lindsay Gulin – ND, 6.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K – 3.02 ERA
RHP Derrick Turnbow – (L, 1-2) 1.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 9.19 ERA
LHP Randy Choate – 1.0 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 3.86 ERA
1B Brad Nelson – 3-4, 3 1B – .306 BA
SS Adam Heether – 0-0, RBI, SB (6), 2 BB – .240 BA

Huntsville Stars (8-8), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Huntsville	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	0		4	8	0
Tennessee	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	0

RHP Nic Ungs – (W, 1-0) 7.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – 0.75 ERA
RF Matt LaPorta – 1-3, HR (20), 2 RBI, BB, 2 runs – .291 BA
LF Cole Gillespie – 1-4, HR (11), 2 RBI – .273 BA

Brevard County Manatees (5-8), 2.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Brevard County	0	0	0	0	3	0	2				5	4	0
Jupiter	0	0	0	4	0	0	0				4	9	0

RHP Alexandre Periard – (W, 7-6) 6.1 IP, 9 hits, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K – 3.88 ERA
RHP Mike McClendon – (S, 7) 0.1 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 5.00 ERA
RF Lorenzo Cain – 1-3, RBI, BB, run – .281 BA
DH Jonathan Lucroy – 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, run – .333 BA
3B Taylor Green – 1-3, HR (10), 2 RBI, BB – .297 BA

West Virginia Power (10-4), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Hagerstown	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0		2	5	0
West Virginia	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	X		3	7	2

LHP Daniel Merklinger – (W, 3-5) 6.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K – 6.70 ERA
RHP Rob Bryson – (S, 5) 3.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run (0 ER), 0 BB, 4 K – 4.25 ERA
LF Eric Fryer – 3-3, 3B, RBI – .337 BA
C Anderson De La Rosa – 1-3, HR (1), RBI – .250 BA

Helena Brewers (9-8), 2.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Helena	0	5	4	2	0	0	3	0	1		15	18	2
Missoula	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	1		6	7	1

RHP Nick Tyson – ND, 4.0 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K – 2.25 ERA
LHP Lucas Luetge – (W, 1-0) 2.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K – 0.00 ERA
CF Cutter Dykstra – 2-4, 2B, HR (1), RBI, BB, 2 runs – .250 BA
LF Christopher Dennis – 3-5, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB, 4 runs – .258 BA
3B John Delaney – 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB, 2 runs – .238 BA
C Derrick Alfonso – 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI – .353 BA
SS Mikey Maresco – 3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, run – .222 BA

AZL Brewers (1-8), 5.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
AZL Angels	2	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	1		8	11	1
AZL Brewers	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		1	6	3

RHP Luis Guerrero – (L, 0-2) 2.2 IP, 7 hits, 6 ER, 5 BB, 1 K – 9.00 ERA
CF Brandon Drespling – 1-3, 1B, SB (4), run – .222 BA

Playing GM

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark has an article about the Trade Deadline. He has some compelling evidence that buying rentals does not do any good, other than gaining draft picks. I’m beginning to believe that C.C. Sabathia is not the direction Milwaukee needs to go.

What should Milwaukee do then? This is wishful thinking, I’m sure, but Doug Melvin should consider these deals.

Deal #1

Milwaukee receives:

• RP Tony Pena
• Low-level pitching prospect

Arizona receives:

• CF Mike Cameron

This would be a big move to improve Milwaukee’s bullpen. Tony Pena is a young right-hander with a big arm. At only 26-years old, the Brewers would control the young man for the next four years. He even could project to be a big league closer in a few years. His fastball-slider combo is electric. Pena’s WHIP has been fantastic since coming into the big leagues. This year, it is at a very respectable 1.231 with a 3.23 ERA. That would be a welcome addition to the Brewers bullpen.

In return for Pena, Arizona would get Mike Cameron. Since LF Eric Byrnes may have injured his hamstring for the season, the D’Backs are thirsting for offensive help. Cameron has been playing much better as of late, and would provide Arizona with a legitimate 20-20 caliber player. He already has 13 home runs, after all. His Gold Glove defense would also be welcome in the outfield. The D’Backs would also have an option to keep Cameron after the season is over.

Cameron is a proven major league starter, and above average in the outfield. I would think that the Brewers are giving up more than are the D’Backs. They should include a low-level pitching prospect to even it out. Gabe Kapler has played fantastically in the outfield. He even has been playing nice defense in center. If Doug Melvin does not want Kapler to play against right-handed pitchers, the team could call up Tony Gwynn Jr. The two may not provide as much power, but the batting average would be higher. It would be a very positive trade for both teams.

Deal #2

Milwaukee receives:

• RHP Matt Cain

San Francisco receives:

• 2B Rickie Weeks
• 1B Chris Errecart
• OF Lorenzo Cain

This would be a huge move for the Brewers. It would bring in a legitimate #2 pitcher that could be a mainstay at the top of the rotation through 2011. A acquisition like this would allow the Crew to make a push for the 2008 post-season, but it would not mortgage the franchises future. It would be a controversial move, indeed, but it could get a top-flight pitcher to Milwaukee.

Cain has great stuff, and the stats to back it up. At only 23-years old, the San Francisco right-hander has never had an ERA over 4.13. That is in four years of work. Not bad for such a young pitcher. He even threw 200 innings last season. Needless to say, Matt Cain is a stud. Milwaukee would be wise to inquire on this move.

San Fransisco has plenty of pitching in their minor league system, but it is incredibly thin on the offensive front. Ray Durham is way past his prime, and it could be time to find a young replacement. Rickie Weeks has more potential than almost any second baseman in the game. Obviously, he has yet to realize that potential. Brewers fans know all about how Weeks teases, yet doesn’t produce. Perhaps a change of scenery is all he needs. He is a supreme talent.

Chris Errecart has been overlooked in Huntsville because of the other fabulous prospects down there. His power potential is obviously undeniable, and San Fransisco does not have a decent first base prospect. Errecart could give them a hitter that could turn in 25-30 home runs per year with a .270-.285 average. Not a bad catch at all for the Giants.

Finally, Lorenzo Cain could be a sleeper pick-up for San Fran. Cain is due for a promotion down in Brevard County, and it would be a little ironic to trade two players with the same last name. Cain is a legitimate five-tool prospect that could fly up the farm system with the Giants. With more aging players in the outfield, like Randy Winn, Cain could be one that mans left field or right field in just a couple of years. It would help give some much needed offensive depth in the Giants system.

Overall

This would be Milwaukee’s lineup:

C Jason Kendall
1B Prince Fielder
2B Joe Dillon/Craig Counsell
SS J.J. Hardy
3B Bill Hall/Russell Branyan
LF Ryan Braun
CF Gabe Kapler
RF Corey Hart

SP Ben Sheets
SP Matt Cain
SP Manny Parra
SP Jeff Suppan
SP Seth McClung

RP Brian Shouse
RP David Riske
RP Eric Gagne
RP Mitch Stetter
RP Carlos Villanueva
RP Tony Pena
RP Salomon Torres

This obviously weakens Milwaukee’s offense a bit, but the batting average and on-base percentage should go up with Kapler and Dillon at the plate regularly. Platoons are never desirable. That is undeniable. It could, however, potentially help some of the batting average with runners in scoring position. Kapler has been just as productive as Cameron thus far in 2008. Dillon has been swinging a very hot bat in the past month or so, and it presumably will only get better with more plate appearances.

The starting rotation is obviously better. It will alleviate the pain Ben Sheets’ departure will bring next season. Yovani Gallardo and Matt Cain will be a legitimate #1 and #2 combo. The best thing part of the deal is that Cain and Yo would be atop the rotation through 2011. Add the rapidly improving Manny Parra to the mix, and Milwaukee will have a very, very good starting rotation.

Finally, you may notice that Guillermo Mota is not in the bullpen in this scenario. If Pena were acquired, Mota would not have a place in the ‘pen any longer. Milwaukee could attempt to send him to Nashville, but the big righty would probably refuse that. I commend Doug Melvin for making the move for Mota in the off-season. It could have been a great pick-up, but Mota has been nothing but a train wreck the past month and a half. Pena gives the Brewers a future closer that would be able to take over the eighth inning role. Cameron would be missed, but Kapler should be able to fill the role for now.

If Milwaukee truly wants to make the post-season, they must improve one thing that never goes into prolonged slumps. Pitching. Offense will always go through its ups and downs, but pitching is what takes a team to the next level. The starting rotation would be much improved. Matt Cain is obviously much better than Dave Bush. The bullpen would also be much improved.

All of this could be done without sacrificing any of the “Huntsville 5.” This could all be done without trading for a rental. These two players will be very tough to get out of their respective teams, but it can certainly be done. The 2008 Milwaukee Brewers will improve, and future Brewers teams will benefit as well.