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.

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.

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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.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

Last night was a little frustrating to watch down the stretch, but the Brewers were able to pull out a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 2008 Brewers certainly have a knack for making their wins tough at the end of the game. They need a few blow-out wins. My heart gets a little stressed out after wins like last night.

• Brew Crew Pub has a recap of the game from last night. Make sure you show BN reader Aaron a little love.
• Jim Powell has an interview with Ryan Braun about the All-Star Game and a mailbag from last night’s game. He has a little token recap of the game, but nothing in-depth.
• In case you were confused last night, Rickie Weeks missed the game because of a stomach virus. I’m not sure how long he will be out, but stomach viruses can last for a few days. At least Joe Dillon has looked incredibly solid in his past couple games. It might be good for him to get a few more at-bats.
• Before last night, Milwaukee had not scored in 22 and 1/3 innings against relief pitchers. It is amazing that they have won as many games on this road trip as they have with those numbers. Part of the struggles have been due to the lack of patience at the plate. The streak ended last night when Mike Rivera it that ridiculous opposite-field double at his eyes.
• FOX Sports Fantasy Baseball says that Salomon Torres appears to have secured the closer’s role in Milwaukee. Really? Perhaps the fact that Ned Yost said Torres is Milwaukee’s closer was a little too subtle. Sheesh. Salomon has been 13 for 13 in save situations since Eric Gagne went on the DL. Of course he’s staying put.
• Al’s Ramblings has a quote from Peter Gammons on his blog today. It says that scouts believe there are at least five legitimate major league players on that roster. Another scout says that Huntsville has the best prospects he has ever seen in a minor league system. Jack Zuriencik, I thank you on behalf of all Brewers fans.
• Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports says that the Brewers are interested in RHP Vicente Padilla. Rosenthal says that it would take quality young pitching to get Padilla out of Texas, however. The 30-year old right-hander has a 4.06 ERA playing in the tight Texas ballpark. Let me put it this way, Vicente Padilla is not my first, second, or third choice for a starting pitcher acquisition. In fact, he was not on my radar. Doug can do better than that.
• Dugout Central has a nice look at the year thus far, giving a bunch of stats on every team in every division.
• The Baseball Analysts has a Triple-A All-Star team on its site. Today, the site selected its starting rotation and bullpen. Mark DiFelice is coming out of the ‘pen. His walk-to-strike out ratio is ridiculous. I very much like DiFelice and think he can be a productive member of Milwaukee’s bullpen in September and into next season.
• Diamond Hoggers gives Ben Sheets the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. I understand the logic, but Gabe Kapler deserves a look for that award. He was completely out of baseball last season and is now hitting north of .300 in the major leagues. That’s a comeback.Oh, and I utterly disagree with Joey Votto being the NL Rookie of the Year. I’ll excuse it though, as the site has an obvious Cincinnati bias. Not that it’s a bad thing. This site may or may not have a pro-Milwaukee bias.
• C Michael Roberts made quite the debut last night for the Helena Brewers. He homered in his first professional at-bat, and also had a two-run triple later in the game. Not bad, young man.
• The Philadelphia Phillies demoted Brett Myers to the minors yesterday, and he surprisingly accepted the move. This all but cements Philadelphia’s inclusion in the starting rotation market. They are said to covet Erik Bedard, but C.C. Sabathia could become a real possibility in a couple weeks.

Round ‘em Up: Tuesday

There is not too much going on the web today.  At least, nothing of too much substance.  Everything is focused on the possible C.C. Sabathia trade to Milwaukee.  That is understandable, as that would be the biggest news that happened to Milwaukee baseball in quite a few years.

• (Hat tip to battlekow at Brew Crew Ball) A Cleveland Indians blog, Tribe Report, takes a look at what Milwaukee could give Cleveland to get the deal done.  They are focused on getting Prince Fielder.  I will never say never, but…I see very, very, very little chance of Doug Melvin trading Prince before the off-season.
• Doug Melvin talked to Tom Haudricourt about some trade possibilities.  The Brewers GM said that he is always keeping his ears open to trades.  It certainly does sound like Doug is pretty set on making a trade before the deadline.  He says he is not going to do anything stupid, however.  I guess he is saying that because of the Linebrink trade last season.  Let’s hope a Linebrink-esque trade doesn’t happen.
• Joe Morgan from ESPN says that Milwaukee should try to sign Ben Sheets this off-season.  Good.  I’m glad he’s incredibly informed.
• Jeff Sackmann from Brew Crew Ball takes a look at the first half of the season.  He concludes that Milwaukee is quite lucky to have 44 wins at this point.  I think the negative run differential is mostly due to the beginning of the season.  That will need to change though.
• Scout.com says Manny Parra is starting to figure things out on the mound.  That is good news for the Brewers, obviously.

Round ‘em Up: Monday

I think all Brewers fans are relieved that Interleague play is over.  More specifically, I think we’re all happy to get out of Minnesota.  They are playing some very, very good baseball right now.  They made the Milwaukee Brewers – who are playing good ball in their own right – look very pedestrian.

The Crew now moves on to Arizona to take on the D’Backs tonight.  Let’s see what’s in the news.

• I hope you all have some medicine handy.  The Milwaukee Brewers activated Eric Gagne from the 15-day DL and sent down Mark DiFelice.  Gagne has been analyzed every way possible, so I’ll leave that alone.

  DiFelice, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise this season.  He has struggled against left-handers in the big leagues, but still posted a 3.95 ERA in 10 appearances.  The word is that he’s going to start in Triple-A.  That should bring some relief to a horrid starting rotation in Nashville.

• Jayson Stark from ESPN.com says that one GM that has talked to Doug Melvin reported that Milwaukee will not be afraid to ship its prospects to Cleveland to get C.C. Sabathia in a Brewers uniform.  It will be interesting to see if this is true.  Will Doug be willing to ship the likes of Jeremy Jeffress, Matt LaPorta, or Mat Gamel to Cleveland?  I’m not so sure he is.

  This is not a very reliable source, but a post in the Brewerfan.net forum gives a recap of a radio show in which Doug Melvin appeared.  He said that the Brewers are interested in adding a #2 or #3-type starter to the rotation.  There are some untouchables in the farm system.  He says he will not trade someone he can control for six years for someone he only has for a couple months.  It would be a “quantity trade.”

  To me that “quantity trade” sounds like something right up Billy Beane’s alley in Oakland.  Rich Harden anyone?

• Right Field Bleachers gives a little review of the past week.  I didn’t realize that Ryan Braun was tied for third in the NL in outfield assists.  He does have a great arm out there, that’s for sure.
• The Brew Town Beat wonders if Ned Yost is setting up the Milwaukee Brewers for another Summerfest Swoon.  I still think it is crazy how their post after winning Saturday’s game is all about how 08 is totally different than 07, yet after a single loss, the whole season is going down the drain.  It’s a long season.  There are going to be ups and downs throughout the whole season.  I enjoy their writing at The Brew Town Beat, but their outlook on the season changes game-by-game.  Look at the bigger picture boys.
• Our friend Aaron has a Brewers-Diamondbacks preview for you all.  Give it a look, as he spends a lot of time writing those previews.  It’s good stuff.
• The Yost Infection is back after a long hiatus, and his target is Michael Hunt from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  The hilarity of his name aside, Mike Hunt is apparently a little slow in figuring out that Ben Sheets was going to test free agency all along.
• The newly drafted Evan Frederickson has performed so well in Helena in the couple weeks he’s been there, that he has been promoted to West Virginia.  (Hat tip to battlekow at Brew Crew Ball.  He certainly knows how to get it done.)
• There has been a lot of movement in the Brewers farm system in the past week or so.  Let me give you a run down of some of the promotions, demotions, etc.

  RHP Jason Shiell – Transferred from Nashville to Huntsville
  RHP Jake Orodizzi – Sent to AZL Brewers
  RHP Josh Wahpepah – Transferred from Huntsville to Brevard County
  LHP Troy Cate – Acquired from Orange County and sent to Huntsville
  RHP Joe Bateman – Transferred from Huntsville to Nashville
  LHP Steve Bray – Transferred from Nashville to Huntsville
  RHP Nic Ungs – Transferred from Nashville to Huntsville
  LHP Evan Frederickson – Transferred from Helena to West Virginia
  C Martin Maldonado – Transferred from Brevard County to Huntsville
  C Chris Corporan – Transferred from Huntsville to Nashville

Complete Game Sheets Saves the Day Again

I’m stunned, absolutely stunned. If you told me in April that Ben Sheets would be as dominate as he has been this season I would have laughed you out of the refrigerator box I live in. Sheets has great stuff (which is an understatement) and has proven to be durable when he’s healthy. But that’s the key phrase: “healthy.”

We’ve all come to getting used to Big Ben getting hurt. Even the local NBC affiliate began this season updating us with a new Brewers stat, DOR, or “days on roster” for Sheets. The feeling was that is was nice to have Sheets around, but an injury was inevitable.

I can’t say for certain that something won’t happen to Sheets, but so far this season he is pitching like a mid-season CY Young candidate. There have been games where he has struggled with his command at times or his single terrible outing against the Dodgers, but when its all said and done Sheets has been unbelievable.

Last night was no different. Sheets went nine innings, allowing only four hits, one run, while striking out seven. The two most impressive parts of his performance were that: 1) he didn’t register a K until the last out of the fourth inning, so all seven took place in less than five innings ; and 2) he is also a workhorse. Going into the pre-bottom of the ninth inning commercial break the Crew was in a save situation. Was Salomon Torres going to have to come out again? Nope, Sheets to the rescue. He had retired the last 13 batters in order, so wasting the last three in order was nothing new to the staff ace.

Mike Cameron was great in his return from a toe injury, putting the Brewers on the board in the second with a two run home run to left. The first runs against Jo-Jo Reyes spelled trouble for the young pitcher. By the third inning, Reyes was pulled by Braves manager Bobby Cox, after giving up two more runs and loading the bases. Unfortunately, the Braves wiggled off that hook and held Milwaukee scoreless for the rest of the game. Buddy Carlyle three 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball allowing only two hits and stranding Brewer runners at third in three separate innings.

But, the Brewers had Sheets on the mound and as the Braves tightened their part of the game, he only got better.

Records: Brewers (42-34), Braves (38-40)

Hero of the Game: Ben Sheets

If I didn’t give the “hero” award to Sheets he’d be as mad as if Ned Yost didn’t let him finish last nights game (remember when Yost took him out with one out left a few weeks ago?). Everything about how Sheets went through last night’s game was a testament to what a great pitcher he is. All his strikeouts came in the fourth inning or later. He faced only one, ONE, three ball count during the whole game. SIXTEEN batters in a row. Seventh consecutive win. 6-0 on the road. 9-1 record. The achievements are astounding. Punch his ticket to Yankee Stadium this All-Star break.

Goat of the Game: Bill Hall

Poor guy can never catch a break. A rare start and he goes 0-for-4, with a strikeout, and leaves three on base. Everyone of his at-bats he put hard hit balls into play. If Russell Branyan wasn’t so dominate right now I’d really be feeling for this guy.

On Tap:

The Braves march Charlie Morton (1-0, 4.91 ERA) to the mound to stop the bleeding. Dave Bush (3-7, 5.26), coming off his best start of the season, will try to secure the road series win for the Crew. Game time 6:05 CT on FSN.

By: Dan Wiersema

Small Ball, Sheets Win the Night

The polar opposite of the night before where all seven of the Brewers’ runs came courtesy of the home run ball, the Brewers put their faith in timely hitting, smart base running, and another solid, albeit short, outing from Ben Sheets. The victory last night, 5-4, guaranteed another series win for the Crew and the win over the Blue Jays meant the Brewers are sitting on a three game win streak.

Sheets, who threw six innings, was relieved by Carlos Villanueva, who quickly gave up two hits and a run in 2/3 of an inning of work. The relief pitching was more troubling when Guillermo Mota came in to work the eight. Showing a troubling pattern of alternating strong appearances with downright scary appearances, Mota brought out his Halloween game allowing three hits, a walk, and a run in only 23 pitches.

Salomon Torres to the rescue. Torres showed up in the eight inning with two outs, escaped unscathed and proceeded to record his ninth save of the season the next inning.

Besides a little solo home run love from Russell Branyan in the second and Mike Cameron in the sixth it was the small ball that propelled the Crew to the win. The key inning was the bottom of the fourth, with the game tied at ones, when Corey Hart lead of with a ground rule double. Hart would then be put over to third by Branyan’s sac fly. On the ensuing play Cameron rolled what amounted to a swing bunt back to the Jay’s pitcher Shaun Marcum. Hart, on a dead sprint from third, beat the fielder’s choice throw at home and Cam was safe at first (he should have made it to second as the catcher spiked the ball after Hart was safe).

Cam stole second, advanced to third on Jason Kendall‘s single, and scored on a squeeze play. Squeeze plays have been notoriously bad for the Brewers this year with either the batter or runner missing the calls on multiple occasions leaving runners for dead, but this one played out perfectly, if not a bit unmethodically (if that’s a word). Sheets put down a great bunt, catcher Gregg Zaun looked Cameron back to third and threw Sheets out at first. That was when Cam broke for home scoring without even having to slide.

Sheets working from the mound look good in the opening frame striking out two, but unraveled a bit as the game went on. Sheets walked for batters, tossed two wild pitches, and gave up several hard hits. Yost lifted Sheets for a pinch hitter in the sixth, a call that I second guess.

Records: Brewers (38-33), Blue Jays (35-38 )

Hero of the Game: Mike Cameron

I’ve been harping on Cameron a bit lately, but last night he epitomized an all around solid baseball player. He mixed small ball with the powerball scoring Hart on his (very) small ball and scoring himself with a solo homer later in the game. But it was his smart base running to sneak a run in from third in the fourth that gets the big kudos. The box score 1-for-4 doesn’t show how intelligent one is on the base paths to try to take home plate on a bunt, hold, then break for the base, and beat the tag with some great speed. Good work, Cam.

Goat(s) of the Game: Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder

Both the big men in the line up had “oh fer” nights. RB and PF came to the plate and left empty all four times and racked up two Ks each. The plate discipline is looking a bit shaky guys… work it out.

On Tap:

David Bush (2-7, 5.37) takes on AJ Burnett (6-6, 4.90) in the matinée wrap up of this Interleague series. Which Bush will show up? Game time 1:05 CT on FSN.

By: Dan Wiersema

Round ‘em Up: Saturday

UPDATE 06-14-08 - This comes to you courtesy of our own Dan Wiersema.  The Milwaukee Brewers have been known for converging in the outfield for a jumping high five.

Yahoo! Sports writes an article about how the Brewers are saving the game by not falling into the fad of the “hip bump.”  Not only does that just sound stupid, but the Brewers are just too good for it.

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I apologize for not getting up a game wrap-up for last night’s game. I was unable to watch the game, as I got together with some friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was a nice evening, and by the looks/sounds of it, I didn’t miss much of a game at all anyway.

Here’s a couple game wraps for you – SportsBubbler – Milwaukee JS.

Let’s move on to the stories of the day:

• J.J. Hardy has a strained rotator cuff. The consensus is that he will be out for the whole Twins series, but the Brewers shortstop will be ready to go for the opening game of the Toronto Blue Jays series. It’s just a hunch…but Brewers players are always out for longer than originally reported. I wonder if Milwaukee will put J.J. on the DL “just to be safe.”
• The Junkball Blues is quite concerned with the increased workload Ben Sheets has been getting in his past few starts. I have been surprised that Ned Yost would ride Sheets so hard early in the season, but he’s the Brewers ace. He has had injury problems in the past. The injuries have never been arm problems, however. Sheets has a relatively stress-free delivery for a maximum-effort pitcher. There is no cause for concern until Benny begins to lose velocity. He’s still popping the glove with a 95-96 mph fastball at pitch 115. His arm clearly isn’t overly fatigued.Sure, it would be nice to see Ben have an efficient outing his next time out, but his arm doesn’t need it. He’s also been injured the last few seasons. His arm is still relatively fresh in comparison to other pitchers his age, as he hasn’t thrown so many innings.

  Here’s something else. It may just be a little cynical on my part, but some of me wants to believe Ned is using all he can get out of Ben Sheets now. He won’t be with the team past this season. Why not let it all hang out with Sheets this season? Like I said, that’s quite the cynical view.

• Brew Crew Pub has a list of the Five Things the Brewers Need to Do to Make the Playoffs. Most of them are obvious, but there are a couple points that are a bit off.I hate to break it to Brewers fans, but the Brewers organization is not going to call up Mat Gamel this season. It would stifle his defensive development. The Crew needs Mat to be a polished player when he gets called up. There is no need for him to learn on the job. That was fine when the Brewers were a sub-.500 team. The team needed to have Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun, and Prince Fielder learn the ins-and-outs of baseball while playing every day. The 2008 Milwaukee Brewers do not need that. Mat needs to get his defense polished up so he can make a run at the starting lineup for the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers. Give the kid a chance to marinate down on the farm a bit.

  Not all the problems can be solved through trading or calling prospects up to the big leagues. When things are not going well for a team, it is only natural to clamor for changes to spark a turn-around. The great thing about the Brewers is that they are not scuffling anymore. They have their flaws, sure, but the team is playing pretty good baseball as a whole right now. You can look on the down side and ask when the home runs are going to stop coming, but the fact is the Brewers are a home run hitting team. We will live and die by the long ball. It’s not desirable, but it’s a fact of life in Milwaukee right now. If that needs to be changed, Brewers fans will have to wait until the off-season.

• Dugout Central has a list of 12 Outfielders the author would rather have than Ichiro Suzuki. That’s a bold statement right there, but number one on the list is Ryan Braun. Understandable. Pat Burrell though? C’mon…
• Some of the newest Brewers are in Arizona having a quick rookie “training camp” before the Rookie League season starts. The article catches up with 5th-round pick Maverick Lasker who seems to have his head on straight. He sounds ready for business. 20th-round pick, Liam Ohlmann, however appears to be a deer in the headlights. He’s so in awe of everything that his first few outings are going to be rough. I can tell that already.
• The Charleston Daily Mail has an article on West Virginia infielder, Steffan Wilson. He has the reputation of a big power threat in the line-up, and he’s proving that again this season with 11 long balls already. I would like to see his average climb a bit (and so would he), but he’s shown the ability to hit for average too last season. His versatility in the infield will also be a big advantage for him moving up the ladder in the minors. He’s an interesting prospect to watch, as he has “breakout” potential. If he can get a bit more consistent at the plate, he will be one to watch.

Bats Support Sheets’ Outing

An up-and-down afternoon for Ben Sheets was held up by another home run barrage from the Milwaukee Brewers bats. Corey Hart, feeling right at home in the lead-off spot, Prince Fielder, Mike Cameron all connected for long balls in a monster second inning to lift Ben through his start.

From early on Sheets was having trouble with his curveball. The power curve that usually slams down on opposing hitters was hanging up in the zone allowing the Astros to feast on some early chances. With the curveball looking shaky Miguel Tejeda launched a fastball into the stands for a early Houston lead. Fielder evened the match with a solo shot of his own. Cameron put the Brewers ahead with a solo home run of his own; a lead the Crew would not surrender. Hart continued his power binge smashing a three-run home run.

Sheets struggled over the next two innings giving up an RBI single to Michael Bourn in the second and a solo home run to Darin Erstad in the third. Sheets looked out of sorts. His curveball wasn’t dropping and he seemed to be taking much longer in between pitches. Normally, Sheets works very quickly from the stretch, but this afternoon he was pacing about the mound instead of setting and pitching right away.

Whatever problems he had early on, Sheets put the Astros on lock-down like a prison warden after a riot. He retired Houston in order in the fourth and fifth innings. In the sixth and seventh innings, Sheets found his payoff pitch curveball. He dropped the hammer on Hunter Pence in the sixth and Tejeda and Lance Berkman in the seventh. Sheets finished the afternoon with a season-high nine strikeouts, with six of those coming in his last four innings of work.

Some poor glove work by Fielder in the eight made the game interesting, setting up a two-run Mark Loretta home run, but the gap between the Brewers and Houston was restored in the ninth with super-sub Gabe Kapler solo shot and an RBI single from Ryan Braun.

Records: Brewers (35-31), Astros (33-34)

Hero of the Game: Corey Hart

I LOVE this guy. I wrote yesterday that his two home runs should silence any critics of a previously soft bat and another home run today, one that put the Crew on top and gave Sheets the breathing room he needed to get comfortable, should put those critics six feet under. Hart even managed to make improvements on his defense with a great foul ball catch in the I-can’t-remember-inning.

Another point I wanted to make is that Hart’s success with the long ball has been parallel to the Brewers success as a team in the home run category. The Crew launched 10 home runs in the Houston series, including nine in the last two games. Over the last 12 games the Brewers have put 25 ball into the stands.

Goat of the Game: Lance Berkman

Its nice to put Jerk-man in this spot after his performance from Friday night. Berkman was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against Ben Sheets, including the one in the seventh where he looked like a total chump going after Sheets’ dirt ball. Not to mention he playfully hugged Fielder when trying to run out the third strike in said dirt. No one touches Princey.

On Tap: Dave Bush (2-6, 5.85 ERA) hits the mound against Minnesota’s Kevin Slowley (2-6, 5.26 ERA) in the opener of the Brewers’ nine-game homestand against the Twins, Blue Jays, and Orioles.

By: Dan Wiersema

Power Propells Players

A few days ago a commentator on this blog wrote that he was concerned about right fielder Corey Hart’s lack of power so far this season.  Hopefully all of those concerns have been eliminated because it was the power bat of Hart that lead the Crew to a 10-6 win over the Houston Astros.

For as punchless as Milwaukee was last night, the opposite was true for the Crew against a far less capable Brandon Backe.  He tried to locate the same inside pitches that Roy Oswalt was throwing (with great success) the night before, but he was off all night.  The result was hit after hit for the Crew (12 in all) that found the 3rd base line or the stands.  The Brewers ended a five game losing streak at Houston’s “Juice Box.”

Hart, of course, wasn’t the only hero for the Brew Crew. His 3-for-5 night, with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs makes him our “hero,” but more on that later.  Manager Ned Yost‘s line up moves, looking pretty poor in the opening game of the Houston series, played out with much more success.  JJ Hardy got on in the first inning with a double only to be replaced immediately by Ryan Braun with his RBI double.  It would set the tone for the evening.

Pitcher Manny Parra was looking strong through four innings before getting roughed up in the fifth, but his teammates bates were available to bail him out. After three consecutive wins and going deeper into the games, this start was a bit disappointing for Parra.  The bullpen was rested, though, and Carlos Villanueva and Mota (rebounding strongly from a rough Rockies game) proved to be solid. Mike Cameron, Russell Branyan, and Jason Kendall all provided timely home runs to create some breathing room for the Crew.

The trouble spot of the evening happened in the bottom of the fifth when shortstop Hardy appeared to re-injure his surgically repaired left shoulder and was replaced in the line up by Bill Hall.  Craig Counsell (the starter at second in Yost’s “soft platoon”) took over at SS and Hall fit in at second.

Despite this dark spot, Yost’s line up-shake up, in the absence of Rickie Weeks, proved to be very effective last night.  Hart was electric in the lead off spot and Branyan was equally up to the task of protecting Prince Fielder, although he hardly needed any protection after another tough evening.

Records:Brewers (34-31); Astros (33-33)

Hero of the Game: Corey Hart

In a night full of solid hitting, Hart was the brightest star.  The Brewers’ most consistent hitter was again amazing.  Despite his lack of power hitting, he has been just mashing the ball.  I was never concerned about the few homers as long as he kept on making solid and consistent contact with the ball.  Now the home run ball caught up with his base hit ball.  His only blemish was the missed diving catch late in the game. 

Goat of the Game: Prince Fielder

Fielder had an “oh-fer” game on Tuesday night and a 1-for-5 night yesterday.  As on Prince was just a week or so ago, he has slipped.  Prince has looked very comfortable at home, but shaky on the road and one might be able to connect the Brewers subsequent road woes to those struggles.  For the Crew to compete consistently on the road, Fielder has to be available too.  His defense has been pretty solid this year and his play last night as the cut off man cut another runner down on the bases (last night’s victim… Carlos Lee, whose out and prevented RBI was the difference for a while in a tight game).

On Tap: The Brewers will try and secure road series win with their ace on the mound.  Ben Sheets(6-1, 2.62 ERA) works against Brian Moelher (3-2, 3.76 ERA) in a matinee game with first pitch at 1:05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

Bullpen blows up as Brewers fall to struggling Rockies

This loss stings a little more than the rest of them.

The Milwaukee Brewers continued their losing ways on the road yesterday, dropping the opening game of the series with Colorado 6-4. All looked fantastic for the majority of the game, too.

Right-hander Ben Sheets was not dominate by any stretch of the imagination. He did, however, get through six innings with only one run allowed. That’s what an ace does for his team. Even when he does not have his best stuff, Benny still puts zeros up on the board to keep Milwaukee in the game.

Milwaukee was more than in the game though. In fact, going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Crew was up 4-1. Russell Branyan and J.J. Hardy both hit home runs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie at the time, and Jason Kendall snuck a triple down the right field line to score Hardy in the seventh to stretch the lead to 4-1.

Carlos Villanueva looked brilliant in the bottom of the seventh, and I waited for Villy to trot out the mound in the eighth to shut down the Rockies again. That was not the case, however. Ned Yost called on Guillermo Mota for the eighth inning.

That backfired on Ned extremely fast. Mota fell behind in the count early and often to the Colorado hitters. He gave up back-to-back singles to Jonathan Herrera and Ryan Spilborghs. The hot-hitting Todd Helton then smoked a double off the center field wall. Mota then falls behind in the count again and serves up a game-tying triple to Garrett Atkins. Needless to say, Brewers fans were falling all over themselves they were so upset.

Brian Shouse then came in the game to try and escape the jam. It didn’t work so well for Brian. On the first pitch he through, Brad Hawpe tattooed a curveball for a two-run homer. Rockies up 6-4.

After getting the wind knocked out of their sails in the bottom of the eighth, the Crew was unable to put anything together in the ninth inning. Brewers dropped their first game in their last seven, and not surprisingly came on the road. Tough, tough way to lose a game.

I don’t normally question Ned’s pitching changes, as hindsight is an unfair and unprofessional way to criticize a manager. Ned’s management of the bullpen needs to be addressed, however. After last night’s game, the Brewers manager said that he went to Mota in the eighth because he’s been Milwaukee’s eighth inning pitcher for the majority of the year. Why change now?

Besides the closer’s position, do relievers really need to have assigned roles? Did Ned not specifically say at the beginning of the year that the bullpen was stacked with quality arms, so he would mix-and-match roles with who was throwing the ball well? There has not been a reliever pitching any better than Carlos Villanueva. Using that philosophy, it would have been a no-brainer to leave Carlos in the game.

Ned’s response is that he would have left Carlos in the game, but it was a save situation. Therefore, Ned must follow his prescribed plan that has Guillermo Mota pitching in the eighth and Salomon Torres in the ninth. I don’t know why it needs to be that way, but apparently it does.

I understand that relievers want to know their roles. I understand that if Mota cruised through the eighth, we wouldn’t be having this conversation this morning. You know what though? Mota did blow up. The Brewers did lose the momentum they gained at home this past week and a half. This is a loss that can really take the wind out of a team’s sails.

It is true that Carlos could have done the exact same thing as Mota. All signs pointed to an easy bottom of the eighth for the former starter, however. You stick with the hot hand in the bullpen, Ned. I thought Yost was beginning to understand that concept when he started Gabe Kapler in center (who had an RBI single in the first, by the way). Apparently not. Save the closer’s role, relievers do not need assigned roles in the bullpen. A win does not need to be formulaic. Why go to an unknown entity in Mota when you have visual proof that Carlos is throwing the ball exceedingly well? I just don’t understand.

Records: Brewers (32-29); Rockies (23-38 )

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

J.J. had a solid game all around today. He scored two of the Brewers four runs yesterday. The power has returned a bit for the Brewers shortstop, as Hardy hit another home run. He also scored on Jason Kendall’s triple in the seventh inning. The Brewers need J.J. to keep hitting if they want to be more consistent on offense. With that said, Milwaukee didn’t lose last night’s game because of a lack of hitting.

Goat of the Game: Guillermo Mota

In the eighth inning of a road game, with a 4-1 lead, Mota gave up four earned runs without recording an out. You have to pound the strike zone when leading a close game. The former Met failed to do that the entire inning. He fell behind hitters consistently, and the Rockies made him pay. Throw strikes, Guillermo.

On Tap

After yesterday’s brutal loss, Milwaukee will trot RHP Dave Bush to the mound to take on LHP Greg Reynolds. Game two of the series will start at 7:05pm CT. The Brewers need to win this game. They do not want to start another losing trend on this road series.

Parra Perfect, Bats Bash in Sweep

I’m working really hard on my alliteration so look out for more tongue-twisting headlines on the site. Moving on… the Brewers pulled out the brooms for the second consecutive home series and swept away the NL West leading Arizona Diamondback, 10-1. Manny Parra went seven innings (his longest outing of the season thus far) and the offense banged out 14 hits to cap what has been an amazing homestand for the Mil-town side.

Gabe Kapler started the game in centerfield and I can say that this was both a surprising move, yet totally appropriate. Mike Cameron, while solid defensively, has been a disaster at the plate. I saw the numbers before the game and he strikes out on average every 2.95 ABs (swear to God that it seems higher than that lately though). Manager Ned Yost, ever the loyal dog, usually sticks with his strugglers because he’s “not concerned with that,” but instead through us a welcome curve ball (which Cameron would have missed.. ha!) and put the ridiculously hot Kapler in the starting line-up.

Kapler started the scoring for the Brew Crew with a RBI double in the first and Parra would give up his only run in the third, but the scoring binge was reserved for the third and fourth innings when the Brewers smashed out nine hits and nine runs.

Corey Hart produced an in-the-park home run to score three (en route to a four RBI night)and Kapler was 4-for-5 (hit total tying a career high) on the evening. Parra was sharp as ever striking out eight, tying his career high. Oh, and Russell Branyan hit another homer run… big surprise there

Records: Brewers (32-28), Diamondbacks (32-28 )

Hero of the Game: Jim Skaalen

Let me paste the box score first, then I’ll comment.

Milwaukee	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Weeks, 2B	5	1	1	0	0	2	2	.209
Kapler, CF	5	2	4	1	0	0	0	.330
Braun, LF	4	2	2	2	1	0	2	.299
Fielder, 1B	3	2	1	1	1	2	2	.280
Hall, 3B	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.228
Hart, C, RF	4	1	2	4	0	0	2	.290
Branyan, 3B-1B	4	1	2	1	0	1	0	.321
Kendall, C	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	.244
Counsell, SS	4	0	1	0	0	2	2	.236
Parra, P	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	.208
a-Dillon, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.286
Tavarez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Villanueva, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.143
Totals	36	10	14	10	2	8	11

If I were Skaalen I’d been pretty darn pleased with this. Every regular Brewer, with the exception of Jason Kendall dropped a hit on Arizona… even Parra got a double! This Brewers team has found something special recently, picking up 12 of their last 16 games winning five series and sweeping two since the disastrous Boston roadie.

Despite being near the top of the NL in strikeouts, looking like chumps at times to Randy Johnson last night, and registering 8 Ks this afternoon, the Brewers are benefiting from some awesome offensive production. Players like Hart and Ryan Braun have been on target for sometime, but Prince Fielder and JJ Hardy are now coming online. Add to the fact that guy like Kapler can pretty much produce automatically as a pinch hitter, sub fielder, or as a starting has to put a smile (or whatever he does) on Skaalen’s face.

Goat of the Game: Jason Kendall

Sorry, dude. You got the collar, you get the goat. Shhh…. I don’t want to hear anything about you getting that nice RBI sac fly to score Princey. Shhh… I don’t want to hear anything about your 42% caught-stealing percent. Shhh… no excuses that Cameron wasn’t in the line-up to strike out a lot and take the goat. It’s all yours tonight. Just don’t let it happen again.

On Tap: The Brewers hit ye ol’ dusty trail to Colorado where Ben Sheets (6-1, 2.71 ERA) will face off against the Rockies’ Ublado Jimenez (1-6. 5.37 ERA). Game time: 8.05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

Round ‘em Up: Monday

(Insert witty comment here) Let’s get rolling:

• I missed this article yesterday because I was hastily trying to write a post for you all, but here it is for your reading pleasure.  Beyond the Boxscore berated Ned Yost for letting Ben Sheets go for 122 pitches against the Astros last weekend.  I honestly was surprised that Ben came out for the ninth, but all seemed well until the 11-pitch at-bat for Lance Berkman.  We can criticize Ned’s decision all we want, but at some level, the manager has to trust his pitcher.  If Benny said he could go the ninth inning (which he obviously did), Ned should trust him.  None of Ben’s injuries have been because of a stressful workload.  They have been freak injuries.  People are blowing this situation out of proportion.
• Brew Crew Pub has a recap of the Astros-Brewers series and a preview for the series against the D’Backs.  It says that Brewers fans will get to know Connor Jackson this week.  Connor has been fantastic this year, but the Brewers will be dodging a bullet this week.  The slugging first baseman is going to be shut down for the next few days with a right quad injury.
• This story has very little merit, but someone on Brew Crew Ball wrote that the Brewers should trade Matt LaPorta for Brian Fuentes from the Colorado Rockies.  First of all, it would take more than LaPorta to get Fuentes out of Denver.  Secondly, why?  The bullpen has been very solid of late, and Salomon Torres looks very comfortable in the closer’s role.  Why would we trade strength in the farm system for a rental play that is relatively unneeded?  Blogging is great, but comments like this are frustrating to read.
• Tom Haudricourt has a piece about the upcoming draft and how the Brewers are going to approach the draft.  I’m very glad to hear that Doug Melvin is not interested in taking fliers just because the team has more picks this year.  I would like to see the Brewers take some polished players early in the draft, but it seems more likely that the team will take a high schooler in the first round.  I’m going to have my first round projections in the coming days.
• One of the names surrounding the Brewers’ camp is Canadian prospect, Brett Lawrie.  He’s widely regarded to have the most major league ready bat of the high school players.  His position on the field is a bit up in the air, but he’s shown he can hit against high competition.  The Baseball Analysts have an interview with Brett.  The young man was just down in the Dominican Republic playing against professional summer league teams affiliated with the majors.  How’d Brett do?  Try a .486 BA with 3 HR.  Not bad.
• The Nashville Sounds wants you to get to know Brad Nelson.
• MiLB has a look back on the happenings in the minors in the month of May.  Darren Ford and his five stolen bases in one game are mentioned.
• 3B Taylor Green and OF Darren Ford will represent the Brevard County Manatees in the FSL All-Star game.  Green definitely deserves the trip, but Darren Ford?  Besides his blazing speed on the base paths, he’s done almost nothing productive at the plate.

Round ‘em Up: Sunday

UPDATE 06-01-08 1:15pm – I apologize for skimping a bit this morning, but I was really busy.  There’s not too much written on the Brewers anyway.  It’s funny how much nice weather affects people’s ability to post regularly.  Don’t worry.  That won’t happen here!!!

I have another article for you.  Jayson Stark from ESPN.com has his Rumblings and Grumblings page up.  He says that the Milwaukee Brewers should be worried because very few teams have made the playoffs after being under .500 on June 1st.

Good thing the Brewers aren’t under .500 today.  They are right at the .500 mark.  I’m going to tell myself that Jayson’s point becomes moot because of that fact.  Psychologically, a 28-28 mark feels much better than a 27-29 or even 28-29 mark.  Let’s hope the Brewers can stay above the meridian today.

Jayson also says that Eric Gagne and Guillermo Mota may be available for the right price.  I highly doubt any team would want Gagne after his start, and the Brewers will not eat any of his contract.  Gagne will not be going anywhere.

Mota, on the other hand, could be moved theoretically.  Realistically, the right-hander has been a vital part of the Brewers bullpen, and he will stay in Milwaukee as long as the team stands a fighting chance.  He’s thrown the ball extremely well this season.

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Ben Sheets pitched another gem last night at Miller Park. Russell Branyan hit a home run that hasn’t quite come down yet. I think they accidentally measured Branyan’s home run in yards, so his homer was actually 1395′. Okay, maybe not. It was a bomb though.

Anyway, the Round ‘em Up is going to be short and sweet today. Here’s what I have for you:

• Ned Yost is emptying the bench today in the series finale against the Houston Astros. That is, except Bill Hall. Billy’s still getting to warm the bench as Russell Branyan starts against the right-hander Shawn Chacon.
• Jim Powell is wondering if the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers have arrived. Let’s see them take a difficult road series first. Then we’ll see.
• The Junkball Blues takes a look at Ben Sheets and what it will take to re-sign him.
• Take a look at the mock draft for the Milwaukee Brewers at Minor League Ball. I don’t think the person in charge of the Brewers is all too smart. There is no way the Crew will take so many high-risk high school players.
• Dugout Central says that the Cubs are overusing Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano. Dempster is a concern, as he’s been a closer for the past few years. He’s not used to this much strain on his arm.

Sheets stellar as Brewers take series

The Milwaukee Brewers kept it rolling this evening, beating the Astros 4-1. The team has now failed to drop a series in their last four. This is how the Brewers were supposed to play the entire season.

There are several things that can be gleaned from tonight’s game:

1. If the bullpen needs a rest, the Brewers only need to call on Ben Sheets. After pitching a complete game against the Pittsburgh Pirates two starts ago, the Brewers ace goes 8 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the suddenly slumping Astros. Sheets is eating innings and pitching efficiently and effectively.Benny would’ve had a complete game, but Lance Berkman took too much out of his tank in the ninth. After the Berkman at-bat, he was at 122 pitches. Ned Yost made an unpopular, yet necessary move to call on Salomon Torres at that point. Sheeter was visibly upset at being taken out of the game. That is a nice sight to see for the Brewers pitcher. He always pitches better when he has a chip on his shoulder.




2. The Russell Branyan call-up has been a good decision thus far. He is hitting .300 (in admittedly a small sample size), and he already has two home runs. Tonight’s shot was an absolute beast, measuring in at 465′. That is good for the third longest home run in Miller Park history. Russell may have a long swing, but it is dialed in right now. He is striking out at a high rate, but he is also drawing a healthy amount of walks. His on-base percentage is over .430 after tonight’s game. This “soft platoon” may get hardened if Russell can keep mashing like this.




3. Prince Fielder likes to hit bombs with two strikes on him. Of his eight home runs this season, seven have been with two strikes. Fielder hit another two-run shot with two strikes on him off Brian Moehler tonight. Heat up, Prince. The team could use it.




4. All the talk about Jason Kendall having an awful arm behind the plate is total bunk. After throwing out three runners in tonight’s contest, the Brewers catcher is now hosing runners at a 42%+ rate. It looks like all the work during the off-season helped Jason behind the dish. He’s been a terrific signing thus far in 2008. It is obvious that Ben Sheets loves pitching to him.




5. Ryan Braun is not yet completely comfortable in left field. The Brewers announcers said that the wind made the ball difficult to judge after Braun made a couple of ugly adjustments, but I’m not sure that is totally correct. He is not breaking on the ball perfectly just yet. Braun is improving immensely, however. I will certainly not take that away from him.

Records: Brewers (28-28 ); Astros (30-27)

Hero of the Game: Jason Kendall

Ben Sheets may have pitched 8 2/3 innings of only one-run ball, but he wouldn’t have done it without Jason behind the plate. Kendall baled Sheets out of a couple of jams in the third and fourth inning by gunning out Astros on the basepaths. I’m especially talking about the instance when Kendall threw out Kaz Matsui trying to steal third. If Kendall doesn’t make any of those throws, Sheets is pitching a completely different ballgame.

Goat of the Game: Mike Cameron

Mike looked utterly lost at the plate tonight, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. The Brewers center fielder missed almost the entire first month of the season, and he still has 41 whiffs. That’s quite alarming, actually. With that said, Brewers fans should not have expected anything else from Mike. We all knew that he is a high strikeout guy that will hit about 20 home runs, steal 20 bases, and hit about .240. It may be a matter of weeks before JJ Hardy is batting second and Cameron is shuffled down to sixth or seventh in the order.

On Tap

RHP Dave Bush will take the hill tomorrow in the series finale against the Houston Astros. The Brewers will attempt to sweep the Astros, but RHP Shawn Chacon is likely to have other ideas. The game will start at 1:05pm CT at Miller Park.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

I’m feeling well today after the Brewers pulled out an exciting, yet also frustrating, game against the Atlanta Braves.  The Crew will face a lefty in Jo-Jo Reyes today, so Bill Hall will be in the lineup.  Perhaps he’ll play with that same emotion he played with, especially since he said he hasn’t lately.  Interesting comment…

• After Russell Branyan’s call-up on Monday, MLB Trade Rumors says that Bill Hall could be one of a handfull of third baseman that could be had near the trade deadline.  That would be an interesting move for the Brewers to make, and I believe they will seriously consider it if the Brewers continue to scuffle.

  Anyone else notice Dallas McPherson on that list.  He would be an interesting player to have in Triple-A.  He’s young, been hampered by injuries, but he can flat out hit.  Doug Melvin won’t make the move, as the Marlins are notorious for demanding an arm and a leg.  It would be an intriguing move though.

• Speaking of trades, Eli from MLB Rumors says that Prince Fielder will not be moved this summer.  I hope he doesn’t believe he’s relaying some groundbreaking news here.  The Brewers are not moving their superstar when they still have control of him for another three years.  They might consider it once his salary reaches the $10M range, but not now.

  Eli also says that the Brewers may entertain trade proposals for Ben Sheets near the deadline if the Brewers cannot return to their winning ways.  Really?  I just don’t understand why he feels this is enlightening.  People have been saying this since the season began.  Before that even.

• Eli is just Brewers central today.  He also says that the Brewers are still probably interested in Huston Street.  First of all, Milwaukee is in no position to be buyers right now.  Milwaukee is playing worse than Oakland.  That trade makes no sense.  Secondly, Salomon Torres has handled the closer’s role just fine, thank you very much.  The Brewers will not be trading prospects for Street (who has a history of arm troubles, by the way).  Eli has lost a lot of credibility to me right now.
• Brewerfan.net has a 2008 Draft Preview up.  You all should definitely check this out.  Get to know some of the faces that may be a part of the Brewers farm system in just a couple months.
• Dugout Central names Ned Yost as one of the five managers who are most likely to get fired.  Duh.
• Brewers Fanatics has a little prospect information up about Jeremy Jeffress.  If you want a little more in-depth look at Jeremy, here’s a Prospect Profile of him that I did when I first created this site.  The site has come a long way, no?
• SportsBubbler.com names RHP Omar Aguilar the Prospect of the Week.  I agree that his fly-ball tendencies are a cause for concern, but Ben Sheets also is a fly-ball pitcher.  Benny’s doing just fine.  If Omar can spot his slider, the fly-balls will not matter so much.
• Tennessean.com has an article about Derrick Turnbow and how he’s trying to find his stuff down in Nashville.  Do you want to know why Derrick cannot make it in the big leagues anymore?  Look at what he had to say:

  “I felt like I was always one more bad game away from getting sent down or released,” Turnbow said. “Pitching under that kind of pressure doesn’t lead to good things.”

  If you cannot pitch under pressure, Derrick, I do not want you coming into tight games.  I do not want to rely on you to get an out with runners on base if you cannot deal with pressure.  That comment from Derrick just makes me sick.

• John Sickels has a round-up of the Top 50 pitching prospects and how they are doing.  He says that Manny Parra has been struggling with his command, which is why he has posted a 5.00+ ERA.  John still likes him for the long-term though.  Me too, John.  Me too.
• Here’s an article from Charleston, WV about OF Eric Fryer.  Eric came to WV as a catcher, but has played strictly in the outfield thus far.  He’s done everything the team has asked him to do, and he’s produced along the way in 2008.  You have to like a guy that will play wherever the manager wants him to play and still produce.

Brewers eke out a win in extra innings

Prince Fielder, Gabe Kapler, Carlos Villanueva, and Salomon Torres may have saved Ned Yost his job for the time being.  They were the instrumental players in the extra frames and led the Brewers to a victory over the Washington Nationals 4-3.

Prince served an opposite-field double over the head of Ryan Langerhans.  I wasn’t completely sure what happened next was the correct move, as Corey Hart sacrifice bunted Prince to third.  If he would have done this earlier in the count, it would have made plenty of sense.  A 3-1 count though?  You have to let the best clutch hitter on the Brewers do some damage there.

The move appeared to be the incorrect one, as big Russell Branyan struck out for the fourth time of the game to follow Corey.  Gabe Kapler picked up his teammates, however, and laced the first pitch he saw into center to score Prince.  Milwaukee had a chance to add to that one run lead, but Rickie Weeks grounded out to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Salomon Torres then came in and shut the door relatively easily on the Nats.  It was very nice to see a Brewers closer breeze through in inning.  Perhaps Ned has found someone he can trust at the back-end of the bullpen.  Torres sure looked good this afternoon.

I cannot tell you how impressed I was with Carlos Villanueva today.  After struggling in the rotation and getting flak from every Brewers fan and their mother, Carlos came into the game in the ninth inning and struck out the side to send the game into extras.  He then set the Nats down 1-2-3 again in the bottom of the 10th to prolong the game.  In that inning, the young man struck out the first two batters before getting Christian Guzman to ground out to Craig Counsell.  Carlos was sharp today.  Perhaps there is something to the closing idea that The Brew Town Beat has thrown out for the past couple weeks.

The Brewers were down early after Ben Sheets gave up a first inning home run to Christian Guzman on a hanging curveball.  Benny pitched fairly well today, going six innings and striking out six.  He could have gone more, as the Brewers’ ace only had 86 pitches.  The Brewers needed offense though, so Ned pulled Benny in the top of the seventh in favor of Joe Dillon.  Joe reached on an error.

Overall, this was a good win for the Brewers.  They split the series with the Nationals, and the team went 4-6 on the road trip.  After getting swept by the Boston Red Sox, I cannot complain.  I have no way of proving this, but my gut tells me that the Brewers saved Ned’s job today with this extra innings win.  Gord Ash, Doug Melvin, and Mark Attanasio were on hand today.  They were no doubt scouting the skipper to see how he handled himself.  So far, so good for Ned.

Records: Brewers (24-27); Nationals (22-30)

Hero of the Game: Gabe Kapler

Gabe saved the Brewers today with his RBI-single in the top of the 11th.  After sitting on the bench all day, he steps into the batters box and lines a first-pitch fastball into center to score Prince Fielder.  It turned out to be the winning run.  One of the most difficult aspects of baseball is being a pinch-hitter, and most batters take a pitch or two to get comfortable in the box.  Not Gabe.  Not today.  He manned up and roped one to center.  I’ll consider today’s win a Memorial Day present.

Goat of the Game: Russell Branyan

It’s tough to give Russell the Goat after being so excited about his being called up yesterday, but he definitely deserves the award.  After a very nice performance in yesterday’s game, Russell struck out four times tonight.  The big one came in the top of the eleventh, as he only needed a sacrifice fly to get Prince home.  Instead, Russell swung at the first three pitches and quickly got sent back to the dugout.  Rough outing for Branyan today.

On Tap

Milwaukee will head home tonight and start a tough homestand tomorrow against the Atlanta Braves.  The struggling Dave Bush will looked to straighten himself out against the veteran Tim Hudson.  The game will start at 6:05pm CT.

Round ‘em Up: Saturday

Yesterday, BrewersNation reader Aaron asked about Mat Gamel and his defense.  Mat is raking in Huntsville (see the boxscores below), but his defense is holding him back from the big leagues.  Last season, the third baseman put up 56 errors.  That’s a lot of errors.  Anyway, I got in contact with Brett Pollock, who is the play-by-play announcer for the Huntsville Stars.  He and I are currently working on an interview that will probably be up on Monday, but here’s a little bit on Gamel’s defense.

BrewersNation: Some of my readers are wondering how Mat Gamel’s defense has been progressing in Huntsville?  We know he can mash the ball, but how’s the defense coming?

Brett Pollock: Gamel has played real well at third base, better than most of us thought he would based on his error total from last season. The only real bad game he has had was in late April against Jacksonville when he made three errors.

He has made numerous outstanding plays going to his right on the backhand and has displayed a strong arm in those situations.  He still gets himself tangled up at times with footwork and could be a little more consistent going to his left but for the most part he has played well.

By comparison, he is ahead of Braun since he has always played the position, and has the ability and the makeup and desire to turn himself into a good defender.  He will not not make because he didn’t work hard enough..he realizes he has a good teacher in Don Money and is using him as a resource to make himself a better player at the position.

Stay tuned for the rest of the interview in the coming days.  Now…on to the Round ‘em Up.  It’s going to be short and without commentary, unfortunately.  I apologize.

• SI.com writes an article that says Ned Yost is the man that Brewers fans love to hate.
• FOX Sports’ Dayn Perry says that Ned Yost is not the manager that can bring Milwaukee to the next level and that he should go.
• Eli from MLB Rumors has Yost as the second most likely manager to get fired.
• Brew Crew Ball takes a look at the problems at third base for the Brewers.  Obviously, Bill Hall needs to be sat against right handers.  As of now, that would put Craig Counsell in against righties.  Not ideal.
• David Riske is still feeling discomfort in his elbow.  Like I said, this injury is a lot more serious than the team is pretending it is.
• Between the Green Pillars lists some of the pitchers the Brewers can go after in the off-season.  How the Brewers have a chance at Rich Harden or AJ Burnett, I have no idea.  I have a feeling that the Yankees are going to offer a lot of money to Burnett.
• Doug Melvin says that the Brewers are still interested in Julian Tavarez.  I thought the Brewers were going to try Tavarez in the rotation, but Melvin says that he could help the bullpen.  That’s not so bad.  I could get behind that….maybe.
• Brew Crew Ball thinks that Jason Kendall is struggling a bit at the plate because he is catching too much.  I disagree.
• Right Field Bleachers writes an open letter asking for the Brewers to sign Ben Sheets after the season.  If Brewers think that Sheets will take a “hometown discount,” they will be surprised come November.
• The Brew Town Beat throws a little hissy fit about the Brewers.  I agree with some of it, but they are overreacting on some of the points.

Minor League Transactions

Jason Shiell got called up to Nashville from Huntsville to help out the pen since Dillard, DiFelice, and Jackson left.

The big right-hander, Donovan Hand, got the call to transfer to Huntsville from Brevard County.  Congrats Donovan.  You definitely pitched your way up the ladder.  You deserve a shot.

Big Ben goes the distance

I was a little worried coming into tonight’s game.  Eric Gagne was on his way to Milwaukee to get tests done on his right shoulder, so he was unavailable tonight.  The bullpen lost another arm as well because Seth McClung is scheduled to start on Saturday.  Carlos Villanueva technically was available tonight, but I don’t think Ned Yost had any plans to use him.  Needless to say, the Brewers’ ace, Ben Sheets, needed to eat up some innings tonight to save the depleted bullpen.

Brewers fans got more than they hoped for tonight.  Ben Sheets pitched a complete game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, scattering 11 hits over the nine innings and only allowing one run.  The one run came on a Xavier Nady solo home run in the fourth inning.

Ben may not have had his best stuff tonight, but he was more than effective.  He struck out five batters in the first four innings, but only retired one more Pirate on strikes through the next five.  The pitch count was a little high, but those 123 pitches are a little less concerning in the cooler weather.  Pirates hitters jumped on Ben’s first pitch fastballs all night, and they pounded out 11 hits.  It all came for naught, however, as Ben consistently worked out of jams and got the Pirates hitters to pop out numerous times.

The offense may be coming together.  The Crew may have only put four runs on the board, but hitters consistently hit the ball hard and still matched the Pittsburgh hit total with eleven.  Ryan Braun and Corey Hart continue to see the ball very well.  Ryan hit a two-strike pitch from Ian Snell to the deepest part of the ballpark and got an RBI-triple.  Corey followed up Ryan’s triple with a two-strike, two-out bloop single.  It may not have been pretty, but the 6’6″ right fielder kept the bat in the hitting zone and put the bat on the ball.  He protected with two strikes.  That’s all a hitter can do.

Folks, Rickie Weeks has officially arrived as a fully-functioning lead-off hitter.  In the past four games, the second baseman is hitting .412 with 3 RBI, a home run, and 5 runs scored.  It is no coincidence that the offense has been producing much more when Rickie hits well.  Rickie even flashed a little leather in tonight’s game, snagging a tough chopper on a bad bounce.  I cannot say enough about how well Rickie is playing right now.  He is an exciting player when he sees the ball well.

The Brewers clinched the series tonight.  That means that Milwaukee just won a series in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2006.  Chew on that bit of knowledge.

Records: Brewers (22-24); Pirates (21-25)

Hero of the Game: Ben Sheets

What can you say about a guy that goes out on the mound and gives a struggling team a complete game when the bullpen was shorthanded?  He’s a bona fide ace in every sense of the word, even if he is a little injury prone.  I’m not sure how many change-ups he threw for the entire game, but he began to work in the change a bit in the ninth inning.  That pitch could be huge in saving his arm down the stretch of the season.  Benny mixed in a solid curveball today with a pretty good fastball.  The Pirates don’t get cheated up there at the plate.  They pounded out 11 hits today, but Benny was able to limit the damage to one run.  I tip my cap to you tonight, Ben.  You proved to all the Brewers fans around the country tonight that you are the ace of the staff, whether or not Yovani Gallardo is healthy.  Well done.

Goat of the Game: Craig Counsell

I’m not completely sure there was a true goat of the game tonight, but Craig was the only Brewer to take the collar tonight.  Even Ben Sheets had a hit tonight.  Craig did not play a bad game.  He’s just the only one to give the goat to tonight.

On Tap

Dave Bush will swap spots in the rotation with Jeff Suppan for tomorrow evening’s game.  Bush will take on lefty Tom Gorzelanny in the third game of the series.  The Brewers will go for the sweep tomorrow night at 6:05pm CT.

Ten Optimistic Things To Think About

It’s been a couple rough weeks for Brewers Nation (not this site, the fans) with the double sweep in Houston and Florida, the surprising losses at home against the Dodgers, and another sweep in Boston. Trolling through the comments section on sites around the web, one would think that its time to start propping ourselves on the ledge of the US Bank Building in Milwaukee and strongly consider jumping.

As Jim wrote, it’s no fun heading into Pittsburgh looking up at the Pirates in the standings. Being what it is us Brewers’ fans need some lifting up, and I thought I’d put together a post to life the spirits of the Brewers faithful. No calling for Yost’s head or Week’s bat here. The following is ten reasons to still be optimistic about your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers.

* This is not the 2004 Brewers

Granted the Brewers are sitting in last place for the first time since 2004, but this team is certainly not those Brewers. In 2004, the only reliable pitcher on the staff was Ben Sheets and of course he got injured again. Lyle Overbay starred for the offense. These 2008 Brewers are more experienced and talented that the former squad that had a decent season through the All-Star break and then suffered a terrible collapse to finish 67-94.

Of course I could make the comparison that this Brewers squad is not one of many other terrible Brewers teams, but that’s not the point. The point is that rather than looking at the 2004 season as the beginning of something positive we should be looking at the 2008 season as a continuation of the franchise’s growth. Many expected 2008 to be the breakout season for the Brew Crew, but that may or may not be the case.

Either way, compared to four years ago, this year’s team in infinitely more talented. They will not rely on single players to carry the team. People like Jeff Suppan in the rotation and other young (and improving pitchers) will back up Sheets and while Overbay is gone, there are no solo stars on this year’s team. A Prince Fielder is not alone or a Ryan Braun is not alone or a Corey Hart is not alone. The fact that I listed three players (any could more) shows that this offense is not alone in talent like teams of old.

* Its only ¼ way through the season

I’m a teacher so there are not many students that I give up on after just one quarter of the school year. One of the best things that the Brewers have going for them that, at this point, the season is still young. After about 40 games in we are certainly not the perfect position, but certainly not in the worst position either.

Anyone that was also a fan last year knows that strong or weak starts to the season have little bearing on the end result of a season. The Cubs played absolutely wonderful post All-Star break and the Colorado Rockies played out of their minds to close the 2007 season. With almost 120 games to play and any number of combinations of risings and fallings of the various NL Central teams, this Brewers team is by no means finished. The squad has all of the tools to be competitive. The only thing needed is consistency.

* Corey Hart

Speaking of consistency I hear that Milwaukee right fielder Corey Hart is legally changing his name to Corey Consistency. Mr. Consistency has been that and more for the Brewers. If 2008 was supposed to by Rickie Weeks’ breakout season, Hart may have stolen his thunder. Currently batting nearly .300 and getting extra-base hits like they’re going out of style, Corey has been the rock in the Brew Crew’s line up of struggling hitters.

* Braun is on a tear (no sophomore slump)

If you asked me earlier in the season if I was worried that Braun was being crushed under the weight of expectations for his second Major League Season you may have gotten a “yes” out of me, but after a slow start the $45 million dollar man has shown that he will probably avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. His batting average is soaring in the three-hole of the lineup and he is making big time pitchers look like chumps. At this pace he could add a MVP trophy next to the Rookie of the Year one.

* Melvin is on the case

Which is why it’s so important that Doug Melvin nailed Braun down to that eight-year, $45 million contract. Some Brewers fans are concerned that his off-season bullpen moves are not ironing out, but no one can doubt that this GM is trying to establish long-term success while balancing short-term expectations. The Mike Cameron move showed that right now we want success, but Melvin is clearly trying to establish success alongside development with Braun the future of left and possible Hart, Gwynn (although unlikely) and LaPorta being groomed for the outfield.

Melvin is working on signing such players as JJ Hardy, Prince Fielder, and Hart to long-term deals and getting vocal people like Braun to sign first and encourage others to follow suit is the right steps to take.

* Attanasio has got the big bucks and a small ego

All of which wouldn’t be possible except for the support and checkbook of Daddy Warbucks, Mark Attanasio. Time and time again Mr. Attanasio has not only spoken of building a long-term contender, but he has put his money where his mouth is. He has even made comments that said, if need be, he would shell out some money to strengthen the rotation this year.

Attanasio bought the Milwaukee Brewers not just so he could have a play-thing, but because he saw potential in the massive amount of talent the Brewers have and its incredible fanbase. This is not a Steinbrenner owner with fingerprints all over the management decisions. Attanasio is active without being overbearing.

* The young arms will improve

Pitchers like Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra take a lot of flack because they don’t hold up quite so well the third time through the order, but often times that blurs the fact that these pitchers (along with the injured Gallardo) have great stuff. Part of being a young pitcher is that there is a massive learning curve and just like Fielder has to adjust to not being pitched inside as much these young pitchers are talented and smart enough to recognize that they must (and will) improve to become more dominant as the season goes on.

It’s easier for offenses to focus their lenses on these pitchers because they are studying one player, but our guys have to study countless batters for each game and re-work their pitch selection and delivery to go deeper into games. They will.

* Kendall is not Estrada

So it’s important that a man like Jason Kendall is behind the plate instead of Johnny Estrada. Kendall brings much more talent offensively and defensively than the embattled 2007 catcher Estrada. A hot beginning of 2008 and some great clutch hitting thus far has made Kendall’s 9-hole batting an essential part of many Brewers offensive outbursts. Offensively, Kendall is sniffing around .300 as a career hitter, walks a lot, and strikes out few and far in between. A far cry from the painful hitting of Estrada (who I swear to God only got hits with 2 out and no one on). After playing runner-up to Estrada as the worst defensive catcher in baseball last year, the 12-year veteran has pushed his caught stealing percentage is above 30 percent.

Even more important than the offense/defense numbers is that an experienced catcher that molds well with his pitching staff. This is why I worry less about our young pitchers, because Kendall knows how to call a

game and given his work ethic he will only work harder to improve these kids.

* The defense is stronger

Of course I started writing this part before the six errors in Boston, but I’ve made the point in a previous column that the defense is far and away better than it was last season. Numbers show that they are near the bottom in errors and tops in fielding percentage. Moving Braun away from the hot corner and signing Mike Cameron have been well-documented. Are they perfect? Hell no. But improvement is always a step in the right direction. The point above about Kendall is just one more area of less concern with the 2008 Brewers.

* There’s always next year

This one isn’t so much about the 2008 season (obviously, because I’m saying next year…), but Brewers’ fans need to keep everything in perspective. Expectations were and continue to be massively high for this season. Those expectations may cost someone who shall remain nameless his job and maybe even result in a few Brewers finding new homes, but most sane people realize that harnessing young talent is an on-going process. Melvin and the ownership are working on securing these young lads for the long-term, but not everything works out as quickly as the fan base expects.

Whether or not this season is a wash doesn’t mean all is lost. These are not the Florida Marlins which, in the past, have assembled one year teams and then dissembled them. Teams like the Brewers are being built for the long-term. It has been 26 years since the Brewers have sniffed the post-season so as much as it pains me each year to say it… there’s always next year if this one doesn’t work out.

By: Dan Wiersema

Sheets shelled in seventh

Ben Sheets was the model of efficiency through six innings. The Brewers ace had his best stuff, keeping the ball down and pitching to contact to keep his pitch count low. He was locked in a scoreless dual with Dodgers starter, Chad Billingsley.

Then came the seventh inning. Andruw Jones clobbered a shoulder-high fastball out of the park, and Jeff Kent followed by depositing a belt-high curveball over the fence. The Dodgers then added insult to injury when the relatively powerless catcher, Greg Bennett, hit a three-run bomb on another belt-high curveball. Why did Sheets struggle? His pitches were belt-high. Big league hitters will not miss those.

The offense reverted back to its listless ways today. Ryan Braun hit a home run in the eighth inning, but the Crew only managed two hits prior to the seventh inning. One of those was by Ben Sheets. It’s not a positive situation when Benny is providing half of your offense. Something needs to be done with this offense. I’ll think about stuff and write an article this weekend.

Records: Brewers (20-21); Dodgers (21-19)

Hero of the Game: Brian Shouse

This is only because he prevented the game from becoming a laugher in the ninth inning, cleaning up Mitch Stetter’s mess. Stetter walked the bases loaded. Shouse got out of it unscathed, however.

Goat of the Game: Ben Sheets

I feel bad giving Ben the goat because he pitched a great game until the seventh inning. Still, there is a reason the game is nine innings long. I am willing to look past this game as an aberration. Sheets had good command until the seventh, walking no one. Perhaps he got a little fatigued later in the game and started to get the ball up. Yes, I’m grasping for straws here. There is no way he was tired…his pitch count was under 80 pitches to start the seventh. I don’t know what happened.

Links

Because I missed the Round ‘em Up for the day, I decided to include some links here. To all that were concerned about tomorrow’s NL Central Review, there will be one tomorrow…don’t worry.

• David Riske got placed on the 15-day DL today with a hyper-extended right elbow. Tom Haudricourt also says that there is a bone chip or a bone spur that may need to be cleaned out. David will be out for a while.
• Right-hander Mark DiFelice has been called up to fill Riske’s spot in the ‘pen. DiFelice started for Triple-A Nashville and was 3-0 with a 3.91 ERA. He had only one walk in 23 innings and struck out 28 strikeouts. How’s that for a BB:K ratio?!
• ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark is reporting that the Brewers made a major push for Julian Tavarez this week. After Boston released him this week, I thought the Brewers may make a play for him. I just didn’t realize it would be considered a major play. The Brewers would rather keep Jeff Weaver in the mix and pay him less anyway.
• Between the Green Pillars wonders whether or not Carlos Villanueva should be moved to the bullpen. I understand the logic, and it could be interesting. In fact, I believe they might do that once June approaches. They will want to get Jeff Weaver up in the big leagues before they lose him because of the opt-out in his contract.
• Is it time to move Rickie Weeks down in the order? No. He may not be hitting much, but he does get on base. When he does get on base, he scores. Plus, who else do you want to put at the lead-off spot? Mike Cameron? Yesterday should show you how that would work out…and please do not tell me Corey Hart. He is the only protection that Prince Fielder has right now.

Round ‘em Up: Thursday

Burke Badenhop shut down the Brewers.  That’s how bad we are right now.

• In-Between Hops runs down many numbers about the Brewers.  Like, it has been 14 games since J.J. Hardy has hit a home run.  7 games since Prince Fielder has driven in a run.  Stats like that.  Give it a look!
• Jim Powell has a little rundown of the game last night in Florida.  It’s not a pleasant read, just because I already know the outcome.
• No Brewers starter other than Ben Sheets has won a game since April 5th.  That is pathetic.  Here are the stats, courtesy of The Brew Town Beat.
• Ned Yost keeps track of how many relief appearances a pitcher has.  He does not want them to get overworked.  What a concept Ned!  You know…ESPN and sites like that also keep track of it for you.
• Jim Powell has an audio interview with Corey Hart.
• Ken Rosenthal says that the Milwaukee Brewers still have hope that their bats will turn around this season.  It’s nice that someone from outside the Brewers organization is saying that, but my faith is seriously being tested right now.  It’s a good thing I’m not like a Cubs fan and leave my team when they’re down.
• Buster Olney from ESPN.com believes that the Brewers should consider trading Ben Sheets at the trade deadline to get some pitching talent for next season.  Agree, agree, agree!
• Remember Mel Stocker from last September?  Here’s a nice article about how he’s trying to make it to the big leagues again against all odds because of his small stature.

Looking towards the future

After the Houston series, I began to think about how the Brewers will look a few seasons down the road.  How many years do we have before our core hits free agency?  Interestingly enough, a post on Brew Crew Ball offered a look at this same topic.  I’ll add a couple different things though.  I wrote this article a little off the cuff, so I may have forgotten a couple of prospects or different scenarios.  It will, however, be a good little summary of what the Brewers have in the foreseeable future.

• J.J. Hardy – arbitration eligible 2008-2010, FA in 2011
  

• Prince Fielder – arbitration eligible 2009-2011, FA in 2012

• Corey Hart – arbitration eligible 2009-2011, FA in 2012
  

• Rickie Weeks – arbitration eligible 2009-2011, FA in 2012

• Bill Hall – signed through 2010 w/ club option for 2011, FA in 2012

• Ryan Braun - arbitration eligible 2011-2014, FA in 2015
  

• Yovani Gallardo – arbitration eligible 2011-2014 (I believe), FA in 2015

• Carlos Villanueva – arbitration eligible 2010-2013, FA in 2014

As roguejim points out on BCB, it appears that 2012 will be the season where the core of the 2008 Brewers will walk.  What will the Brewers do?  What should they do?

First of all, if the Brewers want to have any hope of building a perennial winner, the organization cannot hand out big contracts that will handcuff the team for years to come.  Jeff Suppan got one of those deals.  It is not team friendly.  The Brewers cannot make a habit of signing players to long-term deals.

This is why I am wary of giving players like Ben Sheets and Prince Fielder long-term contracts.  People are being incredibly short-sighted with Sheets.  I understand he is a bona fide ace when in the rotation, but that is never a certainty.  Someone like Soup is making $10M per year.  You can only imagine what Sheeter would cost the Brewers.  They cannot set aside that type of money to an unknown entity.  Yovani Gallardo will be around to take up the ace position in the rotation, so Brewers fans should not fret too much.  Jeremy Jeffress is an intriguing arm in the farm system that could make a large impact in the rotation in just a couple of years.  Zach Braddock is more of a long-term project, but his arm is one to watch.  He’s a lefty that could step into the rotation in three or four years.  The Brewers also have a boatload of picks in the first three rounds of this seasons draft.  Jack Z will most likely draft a couple of college arms that can rise quickly through the system.  Ben Sheets will certainly be missed, but the Brewers cannot afford that price tag.

How about Prince Fielder?  Surely there is no one in the farm system that can replace that beast.  I will grant that point.  Prince is a special player, and a leader in the clubhouse.  If anyone would be worth a long-term deal, it would be Prince.  That is, if we were someone like the Chicago Cubs or the Atlanta Braves, he would be worth that type of contract.  The Brewers are a team that needs to build its core from within, and players like Prince Fielder allow Doug Melvin and Jack Z to develop a deep farm system.  When 2011 comes around, Prince can bring in four or five elite prospects and major league ready players.  Look at what Seattle gave up for Erik Bedard.  Do you really think the price of an elite player will dwindle by 2011?  The price may actually get steeper.  Prince will demand somewhere around $15-17M per year, and the Brewers can definitely not afford that contract.  The Brewers must get prospects for Prince.  They must replenish the system when they have the chance, especially when you have a player like Mat Gamel or Matt LaPorta that can step in to fill the void.  I’m sorry Brewers fans, but Prince will have to go.

J.J. Hardy and Bill Hall will be the first players that will give Milwaukee a difficult and delicate situation do deal with.  Hall looks to have found a home at third base, but his average leaves a lot to be desired.  Is he worth that $9.5M in 2011?  Is he worth the money when players like Mat Gamel and Taylor Green will be waiting in the wings by 2011?  If Bill can raise his average, the answer is a resounding yes.  That is a big if, however.  The Brewers organization may even look to trade Hall if Gamel can improve his defense at the hot corner.

J.J. Hardy, on the other hand, presents a much more difficult decision.  He is an absolute fan favorite, especially amongst the crowd that has two X-chromosomes.  Hardy is a fantastic defensive player, even if his range is a little limited.  His throws are right on the money consistently.  Fans never have to hold their collective breath when he fires the ball to first.  Besides his offensive explosion last year, however, Hardy has not proven that he can cut it offensively at short.  He is a dead pull-hitter, and prolonged slumps are not foreign to J.J.  Alcides Escobar will also make this decision more difficult.  His defense is better than J.J.’s, but he has much less power.  Melvin and the Brewers organization love Escobar at short, so his big league career is all but a foregone conclusion.  If I had to make a decision, I would trade J.J. when he is in the midst of a hot streak at the plate.  It would not be a popular move, but teams would give up a lot to get a young shortstop like Hardy.  Alcides is perhaps a year away from the big leagues, and Abraham Nunez or Craig Counsell could provide a stop-gap until then.  Hardy is the most expendable amongst all these players, and Melvin would be wise to make a move with Hardy before his stock goes too far down because of his lack of offense.

Rickie Weeks will ride out his time in Milwaukee.  I have no idea how his tenure will end, as he has the talent to be an All-Star second baseman.  He has not been able to turn that talent into consistent success at the big league level, however.  The Brewers have no one on the horizon that can play second base exceptionally well.  Callix Crabbe appeared to be promising, but the Brewers lost him to San Diego in the Rule 5 draft this season.  The farm system does have Michael Bell, who is a power-hitting second baseman that reminds me of Dan Uggla.  He strikes out too much and needs to improve his defense, but he can hit the long ball.  Eric Farris will be interesting this year though in his first season of professional baseball.  He could be someone to watch as a potential successor to Weeks at second.  Until then, the Brewers will deal with the ups-and-downs associated with Rickie Weeks until he becomes a free agent in 2012.

The outfield appears to be a strength for the upcoming years for the Milwaukee Brewers.  Corey Hart and Ryan Braun are not going anywhere anytime soon, and they are both excellent candidates for a long-term contract that would buy out their arbitration years.  I would not advise locking these players up to a long-term contract, but it could work out in the team’s favor with Ryan if they can get him locked up in the upcoming months.  At that point, Ryan would be more apt to take a pay-cut down the road in favor of getting paid more in the coming years.  The team could then buy out one of his free agency years.  Corey Hart could also be a candidate for this type of deal, but he is a little too close to his arbitration years to work out in the team’s favor.  Plus, the Brewers farm system is chock full of solid outfield prospects.  Matt LaPorta is the obvious candidate for an outfield gig, but so is Tony Gwynn Jr. Further down in the system, Hernan Iribarren made an impressive debut for the Crew last month.  He is a scrappy hitter that could make a run at a big league job next season.  Caleb Gindl and Lorenzo Cain are also intriguing prospects that could be elite players in a couple years.  In short, there are plenty of options for the Brewers in the outfield.

Now on to the pitching.  Yovani Gallardo, Carlos Villanueva, and Manny Parra will be with the team for the foreseeable future, but only Yo has proven to be a solid major league pitcher.  Parra and Villanueva certainly have the stuff and the make-up of a good major leaguer, but they have not proven it yet.  The farm system is a little concerning when it comes to pitching though.  Jeremy Jeffress and Zach Braddock are good arms in the farm system, as I said earlier, but they are a couple years away.  Zach Jackson has proven to be a bust thus far.  I do not see him in a big league uniform in Milwaukee, unfortunately for him.  He is a lefty, so Milwaukee will give him a chance though.  A pitcher to watch is Steve Hammond in Double-A Huntsville.  His strikeout rate has skyrocketed this season, and success has followed closely.  He has a developed arm, as he is 25, so the Brewers could push him up the ladder in the next year or so.

There are a couple of relievers in the farm system that could make some noise in Milwaukee in the coming years.  Both Omar Aguilar and Luis Pena are flame-throwing pitchers that are rising up the system.  Pena may get called up this season, and Aguilar could see Double-A in the coming months if his success continues.  A prospect who is more of a sleeper is Tim Dillard.  He has recently moved to the bullpen, and he has found success in Nashville.  He is a durable reliever that has good stuff.  Tim could become a reliever in the mold of Salomon Torres, someone who is durable and effective.

Besides those prospects, there is not too much on the horizon for Milwaukee concerning pitching.  That is one reason why trading J.J. Hardy could be such a beneficial option.  It could bring back a proven starter, while still securing a couple top prospects.  Milwaukee’s organization and Brewers fans cannot be shortsighted and try to win now and mortgage the future.  If they play their cards right, they have a chance to be a small-market team, yet compete for years to come.  They may just need to follow the mold of Oakland’s Billy Beane and make a couple of unpopular moves to secure success in the future.  The Brewers have the personnel to make such a franchise, they just need to put the plan into motion.

Round ‘em Up: Thursday

I was going to write about yesterday’s game, but I’m a little too upset about it.  Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and try again tomorrow.  That’s what I’m going to do.  The Round ‘em Up is going to be a little short today, as there is not too much out there.  Here’s what I have:

• You want to know why I’m upset?  Read this.
• Should Derrick Turnbow be released?  Tom Haudricourt seems to think it is only a matter of time before Derrick gets let go by the Crew.  I must admit…Derrick has looked absolutely lost on the mound his last two outings.  He does, however, also have flashes of brilliance.  Granted, it is a guessing game with Derrick.  Like Ned Yost said yesterday, you never know if you’re going to get three strikeouts in an inning, or three walks and three hits.  I would much rather send Derrick to the minors and see if he can straighten himself out.
• The Hardball Times right a little about the insanity of carrying 14 pitchers.  I must admit, when you have to have a pitcher bat late in the game because you do not have any position players left, that is a little ridiculous.  I hope that the Brewers do not have to resort to that again, as it did affect our offense.
• The Baseball Analysts go over all the stats from April.  The only Brewer to make any of the lists is Ben Sheets.  The offense needs to pick it up.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

UPDATE 04-30-08 3:52pm – Here is the article Adam was talking about.  Miller Park is the second-highest rated stadium in the MLB behind Jacobs Field.  I personally think that Safeco is the nicest and Miller Park is second.  Just me though.

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The Brewers took the first game against Chicago in fine fashion. The offense looks to have shaken the slump that has plagued them throughout the year. Ben Sheets looks to have gotten over his tight triceps. Mike Cameron played extremely well yesterday. I’m a happy Brewers fan right now.

• Tom Haudricourt has a few quotations from Mike Cameron about his return yesterday. I don’t think Mike could have hand-crafted a better Brewers debut at the plate after the double and a run scored in the first inning.
• Amy Nelson from ESPN seems to enjoy writing the human interest pieces for ESPN.com. She has a nice article about Mike Cameron and his lonely road back to the big leagues to start the 2008 season. It’s cliche, but Mike seems to have found a more profound respect for the game this season. I respect a man who can sit back and reflect a bit on his life. Professional baseball players get to play the game they love and make loads of money doing it. They have it pretty good. Mike now knows that and does not take the game for granted anymore. If only everyone could find that kind of humility and respect for what we have in our lives. The world would be a better place, that’s for sure.
• Lost in Mike Cameron’s return yesterday was the return of Ben Sheets. He had a night he would like to forget, as he walked seven Cubs hitters. The Crew won the game, so that is of little importance. Everyone expected him to be a little rusty. The important thing is that he reported no pain in his right triceps after the game. I don’t know about this morning, but that was the best news of yesterday.
• Ned Yost has vehemently defended Derrick Turnbow to fans and reporters alike. He has said that he has full confidence in Derrick even when fans were booing him off the field. Let’s be honest…it was getting a little annoying. Ned’s tone changed today, however. He says that he no longer has the confidence to send Derrick out in important situations until he can become more consistent. Ned’s right, it is a guessing game with Turnbow. He can be electric and dominating, but he can also be just terrible. Turnbow needs to prove a little something to the skipper to get in the game again.
• The Brewer Nation wants to know what will happen when Joe Dillon is available to come up to the big league squad again. My response? Until the bullpen can see its workload diminish a bit, Joe will stay in the minors. We’ll revisit this question once it becomes relevant again. The Crew needs 13 pitchers right now.
• SportsBubbler says that 3B Mat Gamel is the prospect of the week. Gamel has been absolutely mashing in Double-A Nashville. If he can get his defensive deficiencies figured out, he may be in a big league uniform sooner rather than later. With that said, it is a big “if.” Mat is pretty bad defensively.
• Do you remember Greg Aquino? He couldn’t find the strike zone for the Brewers, and when he did, the baseball usually found its way out of the ballpark. It seems that the Baltimore Orioles have figured that out too. Baltimore DFA’d him today. It’s too bad. He has a great arm.

Offense sparkles against Cubs

I don’t know what happened, but the Milwaukee Brewers decided it was time to break out of their offensive funk.  They broke out of it in a big way yesterday.

It all started with Mike Cameron in the first inning.  In his first at-bat with his new team in 2008, Mike ripped a double and later scored on a Prince Fielder sacrifice fly.  It set the tone for the day, and the offense never quieted against Jason Marquis and the Chicago Cubs.  Cameron finished the day going 3-5 with a double, two RBI, and two runs.  Not a bad way to start the year as a Brewer, eh?

Ben Sheets certainly did not have his best stuff today, but it was just nice to have him on the mound again.  He walked seven batters yesterday.  SEVEN!  In his previous four starts, he had four walks total.  I must admit, it was rather frustrating to see Benny have the control problems he did.  The most important thing, however, is the fact that he is pitching again without discomfort in his triceps area.  Hopefully, the Brewers were able to avoid any big injuries right there.

Back to the offense though.  Mike was not the only Brewer to have a big day.  Corey Hart went 3-5 and was just a home run short of the cycle.  J.J. Hardy went 3-4, which was crucial to the Brewers victory today.  The best at bat of the year for J.J. thus far was the at bat in the second inning when he stayed back on a Jason Marquis sinker and roped it to the opposite field.  Known as a straight pull hitter, it was very impressive to see Hardy take it the opposite way.  Bill Hall, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun also had nice games.

Records: Brewers (15-11); Cubs (16-10)

Hero of the Game: Mike Cameron

What a debut for Mike Cameron yesterday.  He got a double in his first at-bat with the Brewers, and he later scored.  I think that opened the floodgates for the team as a whole, but it also allowed Mike to relax and not worry about having to impress anyone on the team.  He already got his first hit out of the way, so he did not have to press.  I said it before yesterday’s game, and I’ll say it again: Mike Cameron could be the sparkplug this offense needed to get going.  If yesterday’s game is any indication, that could be correct.

Goat of the Game: Salomon Torres

It is hard for me to get too picky at this point, but Salomon almost blew an easy win for the Brewers.  In the seventh inning, the Brewers offense blew the game open with a three-run inning.  Torres came into the game looking to protect that lead so the bullpen (and Eric Gagne in particular) could rest.  Instead, he allowed the Cubs to put a three spot on the board.  It quickly became a game once again.  It turned out to be of very little significance, but it could have mattered.

Round ‘em Up: Tuesday

If you haven’t read Dan’s article below, give it a look.  Please give a comment and tell me what you think of it!  Also, if you would like the opportunity to write for BrewersNation, send me an email.  We can set up a day where your article would run, and we’d see what kind of response it got.  Anyway, on to the Round ‘em Up!

• Today is a big day for the Milwaukee Brewers.  In case you did not know that, Tom Haudricourt spells it out for you.  Mike Cameron will make his debut for the Crew today, and I am very excited to see him today.  Perhaps he can be a sparkplug for the Brewers offense.  We all know it needs it.  In addition, Ben Sheets comes back from his injury to take on the Chicago Cubs.  It is incredibly easy to overestimate the importance of a game this early in the season, but it is hard to say that this series against the Cubs does not hold some importance.  If the Crew can go into Wrigley and take two games, this week will be an automatic success.
• Prince Fielder looks to be getting hot at the plate.  In case you needed another reason to think he’s about to break out, Prince looooves the long ball at Wrigley.
• Sticking with Tom Haudricourt to start the day, he analyzes the clutch hitting for the Brewers.  They were ungodly awful with runners in scoring position (RISP) this weekend against the Florida Marlins.  I would prefer to forget that series ever happened, thank you very much.  J.J. Hardy and Rickie Weeks have been terrible with runners in scoring position this season.  Hardy is a little more worrisome, as he is batting ahead of the pitcher.  If he cannot get the runners in, the team will most likely not score that inning.  We all know the pitcher spot will not drive in the runs.  He needs to step up his game this week.
• Adam McCalvy answers fans questions in the Brewers mailbag this week.  Is it me, or does Adam seem to shy away from making any bold predictions or any concrete statements?  I suppose that comes with being a writer for the MLB.  You cannot afford to make anyone upset.
• Here’s an interesting article on Alcides Escobar and how he became such a good fielder.  He actually practiced as a youngster.  What a concept, huh?!  He is a fantastic fielder, but he’s struggled this year defensively for Huntsville.  I’ve been very surprised by that.
• Are you scrambling for information on Josh Butler, the player the Brewers acquired for Gabe Gross?  Here’s an article about what happened when the trade occurred.  Interestingly enough, Butler was about ready to pitch against Brevard County when he received word that he was just traded to Milwaukee.  Instead of pitching in that game, he simply crossed the diamond and put his stuff in Brevard County’s dugout.  That is incredibly ironic!
• Do you hate the Chicago Cubs?  Play Whack-A-Cub and relieve some of that stress.  Plus, it will save you from doing work for a while.
• RealGM Baseball has their Power Rankings up following Week 4.  I do not mean to be crass, but these rankings are stupid.  There is no possible way that the Cincinnati Reds are four spots better than the Milwaukee Brewers.  Zero chance that is true.
• People are beginning to ask if Francisco Cordero is worth the money the Reds are paying him.  The answer is no, no closer is worth that much money.  With that said, he has done nothing but convert every save opportunity for Cincinnati.  The problem is that Cincy has given Coco only four chances at a save.  That’s probably not good.

Round ‘em Up: Sunday

The Milwaukee Brewers were able to avoid another extra-innings game last night, courtesy of Prince Fielder and hit bomb in the bottom of the eighth inning off of Renyel Pinto.  Prince looks to be locking in at the plate a bit, which is a great sign for a struggling offense.  Carlos Villanueva mixed in his change-up and curveball very well today and logged a quality start for Milwaukee.  Villa looks to be settling into the rotation nicely.  His last two starts have been of the quality variety, and his command was much better last night (0 BB).

Manny Parra takes the hill this afternoon, and I have a sneaking hunch that he is pitching for his job.  If he cannot come out and go about 7 innings and allow 3 runs or less, I believe he will be sent down to the minors on Tuesday when Mike Cameron comes back.  Man, it will be nice to have Mike in the lineup.

• Ah, the Ben Sheets saga continues.  Will he pitch Tuesday or won’t he?  Benny threw a side session today, and everything went really well.  The fact that none of the coaches or Sheets himself would commit to a decision for next week worries me.  That normally means that something is up.  I hope Ben is able to go on Tuesday, but I would guess that he will sit out for one more start.
• Jim Powell says that Milwaukee caught the Marlins at a bad time in the year.  They’re a hot team right now.  I don’t know if I would necessarily agree with that.  Milwaukee’s offense is just in a terrible slump right now that is keeping the Fish in these games.  I look for the offense to break out in a big way today…yes, I just made that prediction.
• How about a little look at the starting rotation and their pitching efficiency?  The Junkball Blues analyzes the numbers, and guess what?  Ben Sheets is our best pitcher.  Shocking!  Although, it is fantastic to see Jeff Suppan come in second on the list.  He’s pitched very nicely this year.
• Dugout Central says that the real race this April has been a race between Manuel Corpas and Eric Gagne.  Who can have more blown saves in April?  Both are tied with four thus far.  My guess is that Eric Gagne will have more because Corpas lost his job to Brian Fuentes.  Plus, the Milwaukee Brewers have won three out of the four of Gagne’s blow saves.  Not to mention one of those blow saves was not his fault.
• Baseball Analysts take a look at the 2003 MLB Draft.  Rickie Weeks came in at the top of the list, but it is the general consensus that he has underachieved thus far.  At least he is still getting on base…
• In non-Brewers news, Matt Morris is absolutely terrible.  And the Pittsburgh Pirates finally figured it out.  Maybe it is his 9.67 ERA.  Maybe it’s the fact that he hasn’t been good in a while now.  Either way, the Pirates are trying to save face and salvage something out of Matt.  A bullpen move could be good, but he hasn’t started out games well either.  Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and deal with it Pittsburgh.

Round ‘em Up: Thursday

Derrick Turnbow came into the game last night and silenced everyone that called for his being traded yesterday.  I felt like he walked into my living room and told me to shut up as I cheered for him in the top of the ninth.  He was impressive last night.  That does not change the fact that I believe that he should stay in more of a mop-up role, but he proved he still has closer-stuff.

• Yesterday, I posted an article that said Milwaukee Brewers fans are the unluckiest fans in baseball.  Interesting.  Today, however, ESPN reports that Milwaukee Brewers fans are the fourth most satisfied with their team in the MLB.  Fans have Doug Melvin and Jack Z to thank for that.
• The Baseball Savant makes a revolutionary and eye-opening comment.  The Milwaukee Brewers need Ben Sheets to be healthy.  Oh, I wasn’t aware of that.  Thanks.
• Speaking of Derrick Turnbow, Tom Haudricourt has a nice post about last night’s game.  You know Derrick has been struggling when he’s getting this emotional about a save.  Interestingly enough, it had been one year to the day since his last save.  It came against the Chicago Cubs in 12 innings.  Prince Fielder also hit two home runs in that game.  I have April 23, 2009 marked down as a save for Derrick Turnbow.  He may not be on the team at the time, but it has to happen.
• Jim Powell sums up yesterday’s happenings.  No one should be worried about Prince Fielder’s diet anymore.  Everyone watching the game should have been happy for Derrick Turnbow last night.  Geoff Jenkins deserved the standing ovations he received last night.  No one was a better person and ambassador for the game in Milwaukee.  He played hard every night and gave much back to the community.  I was glad to see the fans remember that and not boo him.
• The Hardball Times has a great analysis of Yovani Gallardo.  The side-by-side videos of his fastball and curveball are extremely interesting.  The Brewers organization have a stud on their hands…in case you didn’t already know.
• After last night’s awful strike zone called by Rick Reed (if you didn’t see it, it was absolutely atrocious), it seems fitting that Beyond the Boxscore does a study on the consistency of a strike zone.
• Do you remember Dana Eveland?  He is now on the Oakland Athletics, and he is throwing the ball very well.  Everyone who remembers Dana knows that he has the stuff to be successful at the big league level.  He did have problems with the mental side of the game, but he looks to have figured that stuff out.  Minor League Ball does a nice analysis of Dana right here.