Round ‘em Up: Saturday

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

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

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

New day today. New game. Brewers win tonight.

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

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

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.

Crew falls victim to Sabathia hangover

It was something I had seen coming all day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hero of the Game: Prince Fielder

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

Goat of the Game: Ryan Braun

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

On Tap

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

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.

Brewers come from behind to bite the D’Backs

Milwaukee has secured at least a split in the road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The way almost all of the major leagues has played on the road this season, that is a victory in itself.  When you consider Brandon Webb will be on the hill tomorrow afternoon, the magnitude of this win is augmented greatly.

In one of the brightest stories of the 2008 season thus far for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seth McClung continued to impress on the mound as a starter.  I will be the first to admit that he did not have his A-stuff tonight.  The big guy may not have even had his B-stuff, but he battled and scraped together 5.1 innings while only giving up two runs.  The main thing: He gave the Crew a chance to win the game.  That’s what a starting pitcher must do.

Finishing with six strikeouts and only one walk, Seth excited the game in the sixth inning.  He scattered 8 hits and limited the damage.  Five of those hits, however, came in the first two innings.  His fastball had lots of life this evening, and McClung was dialing it up on the radar gun.  The big right-hander kept the team in the game and gave them a chance for a comeback.

And come back they did.

After Mike Cameron laced a two-out double in the seventh inning, Ned Yost called on Rickie Weeks to pinch hit.  Rickie has been out with a stomach virus the past two games, so it was a risky call on the part of the skipper.  Beware of the weary, however.  Weeks absolutely crushed an 0-2 pitch out of the park to left field.  3-2 Brewers.

The lead was short-lived though.  David Riske – who did throw more than fastballs today, by the way – gave up a first pitch bomb to Justin Upton.  It was almost a carbon copy of the Weeks home run.  3-3 Brewers.

For all the flak Mike Cameron has been getting from Brewers fans the past couple weeks, he came through in a big way tonight.  After Russell Branyan led off the inning with a single that ricocheted off Arizona first-baseman Mike Reynolds, Cam fought off a couple tough pitches before depositing the eventual game-winning single to left-center field.  That’s clutch hitting from the veteran center fielder.  That is why Doug Melvin signed him in the off-season.

Salomon Torres converted his 14th save after Branyan tagged third and threw a bullet to first base to end the game on a double play.  It was a big play by Russell, as Salomon worked himself in a spot of trouble after Orlando Hudson led off with a single and got to second after a deep fly ball to left.  All was for naught, however, as the Crew pulled out another one-run victory.

A couple other things to note after tonight’s game.  Did anyone else think that Stephen Drew’s cleat shot to Jason Kendall in the eighth was a cheap shot?  I understand he was trying to knock the ball loose from Kendall’s glove, but he risked seriously injuring Milwaukee’s catcher by spiking him in the gut.  I thought Kendall showed his true veteran mentality when he simply walked away from the situation.  Whether or not the Brewers catcher pursued the matter, I’m a little surprised a fine player like Stephen Drew would do that.  It was in the heat of the moment, but those metal spikes are no joke.

Joe Dillon pinch hit this evening and continued his fine approach at the plate.  He hit an absolute rocket out into deep left-center.  It looked to have a chance to get out of the park.  It certainly was going to give Milwaukee some insurance on the scoreboard.  That is, until Chris Young came out of nowhere to make a spectacular play, jumping into the wall and hanging on to the ball.  Fine play, Mr. Young.

Big Prince Fielder is still struggling at the plate.  He is going to very much welcome a little home cooking starting this weekend.  I’m not so sure Miller Park is going to help much unless he changes his approach at the plate, however.  He has a natural upper cut on his swing, which is why he hits so many home runs.  The upper cut is so pronounced right now though, that it is getting to Jim Edmonds territory right now.  Flatten out the swing, big boy.  That and don’t try to hit every ball out of the park.  That may help too.

This may be jinxing him, but J.J. Hardy continued his hit streak.  It is now at 14 games after a 2-4 performance with a clutch RBI in the sixth inning to start off the scoring for the Crew.  His bat is staying through the hitting area much longer right now, and he’s naturally getting better wood on the ball as a result.  That two-spot fits J.J. well, I think.

I have been unable to confirm this, but Arizona commentator Darron Sutton apparently said there is a deal going on between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers.  I did find it a little strange that Doug Melvin and Gord Ash have been attending this series, but there has been no confirmation.  The words were that the deal was going to come through “very, very soon.”

The only thing I can think of is a little help in the bullpen.  Arizona has some expendable arms with the likes of Tony Pena, Juan Cruz, and Chad Qualls.  They would almost certainly be looking for a bat in return.  Could Mike Cameron find himself on a plane to Arizona soon?  It could make some sense, as Gabe Kapler has been terrific.  Perhaps Gabe is the one in question.  Or perhaps this is completely unsubstantiated and nothing will happen.  Only time will tell.

Records: Brewers (46-38); Diamondbacks (42-43)

Hero of the Game: Mike Cameron

Mike came through today in a big way at the plate.  He almost hit one out of the park in the second inning, but it hit a little too far down on the trademark.  That at-bat was a sign of things to come for Mike, as he finished the game going 2-4 with two huge RBI.  His single in the ninth inning proved to be the difference in the game.  This is the type of player Mike Cameron can be on a daily basis.  Hopefully he can get on a hot streak sometime soon.

Goat of the Game: Prince Fielder

I understand Prince is an incredibly streaky hitter, but that swing needs to get a little flatter.  The plate discipline needs to improve.  He’s far too talented to fall into huge funks like he has this season.  Prince sorely needs to see Miller Park again.

On Tap

Manny Parra will take on Brandon Webb tomorrow afternoon in the series finale.  Parra has looked much better on the mound lately, and he’ll have to pitch effectively for Milwaukee to stand a chance against the fantastic Brandon Webb.

Home runs cannot push Crew past Twins

The offense did it’s part, but it wasn’t enough.

Corey Hart’s two homers were not enough to overcome Minnesota’s seven runs.  J.J. Hardy confused everyone watching by socking a two-run home run to the opposite field.  A monster blast by Russell Branyan was not enough.  The 12 hits pounded out by the Crew were not enough to pull out the ‘W’ tonight.

A long story short…one cannot blame Milwaukee’s offense for losing tonight’s game against the Twins.  Even Rickie Weeks continues to swing a pretty good bat since coming off the DL this week.  It may just be me, but Rickie always seems to rake after coming off an injury.  Just an observation.

The infallible Seth McClung came down to earth a bit this evening, struggling through 4.2 innings and giving up five runs.  Minnesota managed nine hits off the big right-hander.  Seth simply didn’t have his ‘A’ stuff tonight.  Heck, he didn’t even have his ‘C’ stuff.  After the bunch of fine performances in the past couple weeks, however, I am more than willing to look past this start.

Seth’s control was spotty at best today, as he found far too much of the plate far too often.  He seemed a little reluctant to throw the curveball this evening, and the Twins hitters jumped on his fastball.  The big man put together a poor outing in every sense, and he will look to rebound next week.  Let’s hope he does in a big way.  The rotation has begun to rely on Seth at the back-end.  If he begins to lose his command, the Brewers may seriously begin to push the C.C. Sabathia envelope.

With a tie game, Ned Yost turned to Guillermo Mota to preserve the 6-6 tie.  Mota has been struggling over the past month, but he looked to be throwing the ball quite well tonight.  Even Joe Mauer’s go-ahead solo shot was a 96 mph fastball at his shoulders.  That is not a location mistake.  A pitcher cannot do anything but tip his cap to the hitter at that point.  It was a good pitch.  Mota couldn’t go to the slider on an 0-2 count to a lefty.  If he hung it, it was gone.  He and Kendall made the right decision, and Mota threw it where Kendall wanted it.  Joe Mauer simply connected.  Ballgame.

The Brewers made it interesting in the top of the ninth against closer Joe Nathan, but were unable to capitalize.  Prince Fielder was up at the plate with runners and first and second.  A grounder to first base ended the threat, however.  Fielder is still over-aggressive when he has the chance to win the game in the ninth.  He needs to relax more at the plate.  Maturity will help alleviate that tension though.  It will come.

Records: Brewers (43-36); Twins (44-36)

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

I know Corey Hart hit two home runs today, but J.J. did something I never thought I would see again.  He drove the ball with authority to the opposite field and hit a home run.  The Brewers shortstop went 2-5 in the two-hole in the lineup.  He has continued to look pretty good since being moved to the two spot.  If Hardy can consistently drive the ball to right field with authority, pitchers will have to pitch him inside again.  Brewers fans should know what Hardy can do with an inside fastball.  His scorching start to the 2007 season should be an indicator of that.  He mashes the inside fastball.

Goat of the Game: Seth McClung

This award cannot go to Guillermo Mota tonight.  He did not throw a bad 0-2 pitch to Joe Mauer.  It was shoulder-high and at 96 mph.  What more can you ask for from Guillermo?  The all-star catcher simply deposited his strikeout pitch over center field.

Seth McClung, on the other hand, had a terrible outing.  The big right-hander was unable to preserve any lead Milwaukee had over Minnesota, and it eventually came back to bite the Crew.  I look forward to next week when fans can see how he responds to this start.  He’s done nothing but impress thus far, so I suspect that will continue next week.

On Tap

Rookie left-hander Manny Parra will battle veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez tomorrow night in Minneapolis.  The game will start at 6:10pm CT.  Manny looks to rebound from a below-average start, but it will not be an easy task against the surging Twins.  Control will be key for Manny tomorrow evening.

Round ‘em Up: Monday

Unfortunately, I had to move to a new place yesterday, so I was unable to watch the game. It is pretty hard to give analysis of the game without watching it. The last thing I want to do is patronize you all with secondhand commentary.

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

Today’s Round ‘em Up will be much better than yesterday’s. There is much more for you all to read, as the work week started. Let’s take a look:

• The bullpen looks to be getting some help with the return of David Riske next week, but Eric Gagne could be coming back in a few weeks. He threw his first bullpen session since being injured. It’s not much, but it is a start. Salomon Torres appears to have the closer’s role secured upon Gagne’s return, but Eric will be a very valuable part of the middle relief squad.
• Perhaps the best story of the year has been the success of Seth McClung in the starting rotation. After another very solid start yesterday, Brew Crew Ball analyzes the release point and movement of McClung’s pitches. Both have been much, much more consistent since he’s switched to the starting rotation. That mysterious “mechanical fix” has worked wonders for the big right-hander. He’s throwing much more over-the-top, which makes his curveball very much like that of Ben Sheets.
• Speaking of David Riske and his imminent return, The Brew Town Beat hopes Doug Melvin and Ned Yost will send down Julian Tavarez rather than Mark DiFelice. I understand the reasoning, but Ned’s preference for gritty veterans will help Tavarez stick in the bigs. DiFelice would have more upside, however.
• The Brew Town Beat also says that Brewers fans should give Lyle Overbay a huge standing ovation upon his return to Milwaukee tomorrow. I completely agree. Let’s not be like Cubs fans. Lyle gave the Brewers many good years, and he deserves to be congratulated for it. Brewers fans proved they are classy when giving Randy Johnson a standing ovation after moving into second in the career strikeout list. They should give that same respect to one of their own, Lyle Overbay.
• Brew Crew Pub takes a look at the situations at third base and in center field. I agree that Russell Branyan has done nothing but prove he deserves more playing time. His defense has been better than anyone thought, as well. In center field, I’m not sure what should happen. There are arguments for both Mike Cameron and Tony Gwynn Jr. I will have to think about this a little more before coming up with a conclusion.
• Brew Crew Ball interviewed RHP Garrett Sherrill, the Brewers’ 12th-round pick from Appalachian State University.
• Brewerfan.net has their Farm Hops for May 2008. It’s a little late, but it has a great overview of the whole system. It even takes a look at a couple of the players the players drafted in the MLB First Year Player draft. They particularly like Jake Orodizzi with the sandwich pick. He’s compared to Will Inman, which cannot be anything but positive.
• Fire Ned Yost is quite concerned with the Helena Brewers. Yost’s son, Ned IV is now the manager. Oh goodness…
• There were a couple promotions yesterday in the minor leagues!LHP Chris Cody has been promoted to Brevard County.
  C Jonathan Lucroy has also been promoted to Brevard County.

  Congratulations to both players. They both were a bit old to be playing in West Virginia, so this promotion was a long-time coming.

UPDATE 06-16-08 – Jeff Sackmann from Brew Crew Ball is done with Tom Haudricourt and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

I agree with the sentiment that Haudricourt and Witrado can be snippy at times, but the Milwaukee JS still has incredible ties to the Brewers organization.  They can get information that no one else can.

I’m not willing to sever ties with the Milwaukee JS at this time.  I may change my mind if the trend continues, however.  His comments to Mass Hass at Brewerfan.net were inexcusable.  Mass Hass is a fantastic resource and extremely credible.  Tom Haudricourt was out of line.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

Last night officially sucked. I’m glad I was unable to catch any of the game, as it would have made for a disappointing evening. I have a good feeling about today’s game though. Manny Parra has been looking good, and Brandon Backe is due to get shelled by the Crew.

Be sure to check out the tab just under the banner on the site – 2008 MLB Draft Selection / Signing. It has every player Milwaukee drafted. It is sorted by round selected, and there is a scouting report linked to every player. I know, I know…I overdid. Enjoy!

• Since Rickie Weeks went down with injury, Ned Yost made wholesale changes in the lineup. I know hindsight is 20/20…but I think last night showed that it didn’t work. Then again, Roy Oswalt was absolutely dealing last night.
• On to some good news. David Riske is feeling much better after a 30-35 pitch bullpen session yesterday. He will be sent to the minors for a couple rehab starts during the Brewers’ next homestand. My guess is that Mark DiFelice will be sent down to make room for Riske. That’s too bad, as he has better stuff than Julian Tavarez. He probably can make a throw to first base as well.
• The Brewer Nation (not to be confused with this site, BrewersNation) is losing faith in Milwaukee’s road offense. After the past four games, I have too.
• Jim Powell has a short little recap of yesterday’s game, along with a couple of audio clips. He seems to believe that Seth McClung has cured his control problems for good. I must admit, I have been very impressed with Seth since he’s been plugged in the rotation. He needs to hit the 100-pitch mark soon, as his arm should be sufficiently stretched out.
• Right Field Bleachers has a nice Week in Review type of post. The Brewers’ batting average has actually been quite high this week, including on this road trip. The problem is that the hitters cannot plate any runs with runners in scoring position. Aggressiveness at the plate is great, but you have to show some semblance of plate discipline. I’m talking to you Ryan Braun.
• Between the Green Pillars analyzes Milwaukee’s Pythagorean record, and things do not look all that promising. Unless the team can start scoring some runs consistently, the Brewers will not get too far above or below .500.
• In-Between Hops takes a look at the road woes of the Brewers. It’s fine to simply look at the stats, but that means nothing unless it has some sort of analysis with it.
• Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports says that the Brewers are poised to make a run at a starting pitcher. The wealth of valuable trade chips in Double-A Huntsville very much appeal to other teams. Who will the Crew try to nab though? I don’t expect any big names to be coming this way.
• The Baseball Analysts love Brett Lawrie’s bat. If I hit over .400 against pro talent in the Dominican Republic at age 18, they would love my bat too. I’ll work on that… The only hard part is that I would have to be able to reverse years to be 18 again. I’ll just lie like Miguel Tejada. Problem solved.
• Huntsville has a new utility infielder, Michael Garciaparra. That’s right, Nomar’s younger brother. Michael was once regarded as a star prospect, but injuries have slowed him down considerably. He is now in a back-up role on the talented Huntsville Stars team. Perhaps he can find his game again.

UPDATE 06-11-08

For any fans hoping Jeff Weaver had found something in the minor leagues, it may be time to give up hope.  He had posted a couple of very solid starts together down in Nashville.  Hopes were high that he would help out at the big league level sometime soon.

Today, however, Jeff went out and gave up 8 earned runs in six innings of work.  He gave up 11 hits and walked 4 batters.  It seems his opt-out clause may be calling his name in the near future.

Bullpen Blowup Bumps Brewers

A perfectly good start by Seth McClung was wrecked by the relief efforts of one Julian Tavarezin the seventh inning and some shoddy defensive plays proved to be the difference as Milwaukee fells to the Astros, 6-1.  Ned Yost shook up the line-up big time, but it proved to be a non-issue as the bats were pretty anemic.  Corey Hart was in the lead off spot, with JJ Hardy following him up, Russell Branyan was now protecting Prince Fielder in the fifth spot, Mike Cameron dropped to the six hole.  Bill Hall got the surprise start at second base for the injured Rickie Weeks.  I have to believe that was only because Hall is the Brewers second best hitter against Roy Oswalt (Hall has 15 hits against him, Jason Kendall is numero uno)

Oswalt turned (4-6, 5.38 ERA) in an above average performance to thwart the Brewers’ bats.  He tossed a season-high 10 strikeouts.  He was throwing a ridiculous amount of inside pitches last night. 

Oswalt’s strong night would have been a moot point if the Brewers would have held tight in the seventh inning.  Tavarez, who has been pretty darn good so far for the Crew, looked absolutely terrible.  Michael Bourn bunted on, Brad Ausmus got on and Bourn moved to third courtesy of Tavarez’s bungled throw to first.  Before you know it, the bases are loaded for Mr. Lance Berkman, the hottest hitter in the National League.  Berkman laces a two-strike pitch to center and what looks like out number three sails over Mike Cameron’s head.  Three runs are in and the slim hopes of the Crew pulling ahead faded into the night. Only a nice snag at the wall by Hart prevented further damage in the inning.

The Brewers again struggled with runners on base on the off-hand chance they got on.  A bright start in the first left new lead-off man Hart on third and that set the tone for the night.

Ryan Braun went deep for Milwaukee, but once again the bases were empty.  Lame…

Records:Brewers (33-31), Astros (33-32)

Hero of the Game: Lance Jerk-man

Berkman’s two-run shot off of McClung in the bottom of the first would have been enough to secure Houston’s win, but the punk had to go ahead an blow the whole game wide open.  Bases-loaded and he goes and drops a bases-clearing triple.  Stop being so good!

Goat of the Game:Julian Tavarez

It would be easy to label Cameron the “goat,” but I never take the easy route (ha!).  Cameron would have never been in the position if it wasn’t for some poor defensive plays by Tavarez.  The Crew could have made a play at Bourn’s bunt single, but Tavarez ran in the way of Kendall.  McClung had the good sense to get out of the way of Kendall earlier in the game, but Tavarez did not and Bourn was on base.  Follow that up with an absolutely awful throw to first by Tavarez that allowed Ausmus to get on base and put Bourn on third with no outs.  Frankly, Tavarez was on thin ice the whole inning getting lucky (especially with the weird wind-up that got Hunter Pence to strikeout).  His two-strike pitch to Berkman was RIGHT down the middle and the rest was history.

On Tap:Manny Parra (4-2, 4.83 ERA) faces off against Brandon Backe (4-6. 4.77 ERA).  Parra is a winner in his last three starts and looks to be pretty locked and loaded.  Backe, despite his record has pretty similar numbers to Parra so it should be a good match up.  Game time… 7:05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

Pitchers’ Duel Goes Brewers Way

If you were to tell me that we were in for a pitchers’ duel last night, frankly, I would have been very surprised.  It’s not that I don’t think that Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan can’t throw a good game, but Jo-Jo Reyes?  The Braves lefty walked into Miller Park with a 5.84 ERA after having just been shelled by Arizona last week.  Well, color me surprised as the Suppan and Reyes faced off over eight (almost) scoreless innings.  I’m pleased to write that the Brewers came out on top, 1-0.

I’ve said it before, but the Brewers plate discipline has made many pedestrian pitchers look like staff aces and last night was shaping up to be a dozy for the Crew.  Reyes handcuffed the Milwaukee bats, striking out eight and allowing only three hits over seven innings.

Suppan was equally masterful.  He gave up only four hits and while his walk count was higher than usually (five) he countered that with a season-high in strikeouts (seven).  Suppan was supported by some awesome defensive plays that help strand eight Braves batters on base.

Reyes was marching right along until the bottom of the eighth when he issued his third walk of the evening to JJ Hardy.  Braves manager Bobby Cox brought in Blaine Boyer and Jason Kendall bunted Hardy to second.  Things were looking a bit perilous when pitch hitter Joe Dillon struck out to leave next batter Rickie Weeks with two outs.

Weeks had other ideas as he laced a perfect shot that hugged the third base foul line to bring Hardy home with a RBI triple.

Weeks’ contribution was good enough as Salomon Torres came into to record a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

Records: Brewers (26-27); Braves (28-25)

Hero of the Game: Jeff Suppan

I said it already, but Soup’s night was a masterstroke.  Finally, we’re getting some mileage out of our starting pitchers.  After struggling to make six innings for a lot of our guys, seeing Suppan and Sheets pull extended duties and get quality outings from McClung and Bush has to leave Brew Crew fans with some optimism and the bullpen a big sigh of relief.

Getting back to Suppan, I usually expect that he’ll give up a few hits and tally a few runs being the ground ball pitcher he is.  Suppan’s style requires a tight defense behind him and after Hall’s error in the second I thought this might be another night where the bats would have to be the major contributor.  The defense tightened up (in fact on the next play it was superb D by Kendall, Hall, and Weeks to turn a cross diamond double play) and was above average all night (finishing in style with Hardy’s layout snag to end the game).

Suppan, obviously, had no runs with seven strikeouts… a total that is very un-Suppan-like.  I felt like I was watching something special last night and I was willing to bet that Ned Yost would have walked him out for the ninth if his spot in the line up didn’t come in the crucial eighth.

Runner-Up Hero: Rickie Weeks. Knocks in the only run of the night… need I say more?  Sure? How about 2-4 (making up 2/3rds of the Brewers hits) and some solid DP turning on the defensive side.  That’s the Pretty Rickie we like to see.

Goat(s) of the Game: Mark Texiteira and Ryan McCann

I know Jim usually has to pick a Brewer for this part, but I didn’t want to do the whole wrap without commenting on a bit of drama that helped Suppan get out of the eighth innings thanks to a few PO’ed Braves.  Texiteira got all huffy about a called third strike (there were a TON of them last night… Reyes has six Ks on called third strikes) and spent a few moments belly aching about the call.  The real drama came when the next batter McCann had the same issues with home plate umpire Mark Wenger.  After a first called strike McCann refused to get back in the box and according to new rules set down at the owner’s meetings umps can charge a strike to stalling batters or have the pitcher throw even thought the batter isn’t in the box.

I’ve never seen a more uncomfortable pitch thrown in my life then the second called strike that Suppan threw with McCann half in the batter’s box.  Suppan subsequently struck out McCann who had more words for Wegner and Cox came out to argue his batter’s case.  No one was tossed, but a bit of stubbornness on the part of the Braves batters cost them some ABs when chances were few and far in-between in this game.

On Tap:

The Braves march out Jorge Campillo (1-0, 0.86 ERA) against Seth McClung (2-1, 3.55 ERA) this afternoon to try and steal one game of the series from the Brewers.  It will be the battle of the stretched out relievers as Campillo makes his third start of the season and McClung his second.  The game gets started at 12:05pm and is ON FSN (schedule change).  Good thing, too. I’m recovering from knee surgery and this is just what I need to get through a boring day on the couch.

By: Dan Wiersema

Round ‘em Up: Sunday

Writing the Round ‘em Up in the morning is a lot more pleasant after a win. The Brewers sites are a lot more pleasant to read, and I don’t have to relive the loss thirty times each morning. Not too much has been written on the Brewers this morning, however. That’s probably due to the people that are wasting gas and traveling this weekend.

• This post made my entire night last night. Russell Branyan has been called up from Nashville and will start tonight against the right-handed Tim Redding. To make room for the veteran, Tony Gwynn Jr. got sent down to Triple-A. The young man needs to play every day.Russell is not going to come into Milwaukee and hit .400 against righties, but I can almost guarantee you that he’ll succeed more than Bill Hall against right-handed pitching. It’s nice to see Doug Melvin taking steps towards improving the team. You can only say “it’s early” for so long before time comes to adjust the lineup. I am happy this morning.
• Tom Haudricourt says that Derrick Turnbow is not going anywhere, despite his downright awful numbers in Triple-A. It’s to the point that I don’t really care now. Jeff Weaver, however, has the option to be released from his contract in a couple weeks if he does not make the big league squad. If he continues pitching the way he has, Jeff may be searching for another team soon.
• After spouting off about the Brewers yesterday, The Brew Town Beat is markedly happier today. Seth McClung has infused them with a bit of hope as well. Russell Branyan is another reason to put a smile on your face this morning, Brewers fans. The article also mentions that Carlos Villanueva should get an opportunity in the closer’s role. Disagree. Carlos does not have the stuff to be a closer. His change-up is not good enough right now to be the Trever Hoffman-type closer. And I completely disagree with the comment on Salomon Torres struggling. If Bill Hall wouldn’t have forced him to get five outs last night, he wouldn’t have had to throw many pitches. In fact, Torres almost got two saves in one night…
• Dugout Central mentions that the Milwaukee Brewers have had eight straight seasons with a losing record on the road. In past years, the Brewers were under .500 on the road because they were a bad team. Now, I blame Ned Yost. If you cannot get your players energized to play for you on the road, you are not doing your job as manager.
• As mentioned yesterday, RHP Donovan Hand was promoted to Huntsville yesterday after dominating high Class-A ball with Brevard County. Here’s a nice article on Donovan.  He credits his fine pitching this year to his hard-breaking slider he worked on this off-season. Before 2008, Donovan got by with a fastball and a change-up. He needed that third pitch.It’s crazy to think that Donovan has been promoted three times already in his minor league career, and he was only drafted in June. He was still pitching in college at this point last season. Impressive.

Post of the Day:

After talking about Mat Gamel and his defensive improvements at third base, The Huntsville Times wrote a very, very nice article about Gamel. You cannot help but like the guy after reading this article. He’s taking his defensive trouble’s personally. He wants to prove everyone wrong about his defensive capabilities. His coaches say that his throws have gotten much more consistent this year, but he has still made 11 errors this season. It’s not great, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The other aspect of the article I very much enjoyed was Gamel’s humility. He didn’t tell his girlfriend he was a star prospect in the Brewers system until after she came home to meet his parents. He didn’t tell anyone about being considered for a call up to the big leagues to play DH against Boston. The third baseman is too concerned with becoming a complete baseball player. That starts on the defensive end.

Great article.

McClung is McSolid in D.C.

The hard-throwing Seth McClung certainly knows how to make a good first impression.

After fans (including myself) have been lamenting over his inability to throw strikes as a starter, Seth comes out this evening and pounded the strike zone for five very strong innings…with zero walks.  So much for my theory about his BB:K ratio.  Seth was taken out after the fifth and only 68 pitches (46 of which were strikes), presumably because Ned is still stretching Seth’s arm out.  No use in putting too much pressure on his arm this early in the season.

Offensively speaking, Corey Hart continued on his homer binge, socking his fifth home run of the season off John Lannan.  It was a very balanced attack tonight.  Every Brewer position player collected a hit, except for Ryan Braun.  The left fielder took the hat trick, striking out three times. 

Mike Cameron also had a strong game, going deep in the 8th inning.  He finished the game with 2 hits and scoring twice.  That is the player the Brewers paid for during the off-season.  I’ve said it many times before, but when Rickie Weeks and Cam are getting on base with regularity, Milwaukee’s offense is infinitely better.  Funny how that works out.

As Ned Yost promised, the closing duties tonight went to Salomon Torres.  It was interesting that Salomon threw almost exclusively fastballs tonight.  My guess is that he did not wish to make a mistake with a hanging off-speed pitch with a three-run cushion.  Even though Bill Hall forced Torres to get five outs instead of three, the former Pirate was able to retire the side yielding no damage.

Records:  Brewers (23-26); Nationals (21-29)

Hero of the Game:  Seth McClung

No, Seth didn’t pitch a complete game.  No, he didn’t pitch a scoreless five innings even.  What Seth did bring to the rotation was hope.  Brewers fans around the country are now hopeful that Seth McClung and his mysterious “mechanical adjustment” are the answers to the fifth spot in the rotation.  The big right-hander pounded the strike zone, which is a refreshing sign.  With his velocity and his nasty curveball, Seth does not need to work the corners so much.  He simply needs to throw strikes.  McClung’s solid outing this evening has caused me to get my hopes up for him this season.  Do not disappoint me, Seth.

Goat of the Game:  Bill Hall

Sure, Ryan Braun took the collar and struck out three times.  Billy had two errors in the ninth inning, however, and almost made the game too close for comfort.  I told you the Brewers cannot even win comfortably.  They need to make everything nerve-racking.  Even though Bill has shown the capability to make highlight plays at the hot corner, he is also showing the propensity to be incredibly error-prone.  His play is making Russell Branyan infinitely more appealing.

On Tap

Left-hander Manny Parra will battle Washington’s Tim Redding tomorrow afternoon to decide the series.  The game will start at 12:35pm CT.  

Bill Hall will be sitting out the game, so I don’t have to be mad at him so much tomorrow.  Seriously, two errors in the ninth?

Randy Wolf to Milwaukee?

The collective wheels have fallen off for the San Diego Padres early this season.  Already over ten games back in May, GM Kevin Towers hinted he may be gearing up for a firesale this summer.  The LA Times mentions that Randy Wolf could be a good fit for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Let’s take a look and see if this is true.

Randy Wolf has a relatively reasonable contract for San Diego to trade.  He’s signed only for 2008, and the veteran is a relative bargain at $4.75M.  Money would not be an issue for the Brewers, especially since Mark Attanasio has said that he is willing to ante up the cash to bolster the starting rotation.  That part checks out rather well for Milwaukee.

How about Randy’s 5.05 ERA?  Would the Brewers want to give up someone like CF Tony Gwynn Jr. for those numbers?  It is early in the season, but Randy’s ERA has been consistently on the rise in the past couple years.  Last season, Randy posted a 4.73 ERA with a 1.451 WHIP, both worse than the league average.  Not exactly the ideal numbers to be placing in the rotation to give it a kick start.

Add in the fact that Wolf has been an injury waiting to happen the past few years, it seems that Milwaukee would be foolish to court Wolf.  Starting in the 2005 season, Randy has only had 13 games started, 12 GS, and 18 GS, respectively.  The Brewers have an injury liability in Ben Sheets heading the rotation.  Melvin would be foolish to attempt to bolster the rotation with an injury risk.  The team cannot trade its future for an unknown entity that is only a rental.

If Randy Wolf is not the answer, who is?

I don’t believe there is anyone worthwhile on the trading block that will be semi-affordable for Milwaukee.  The answer has to be in-house.  Carlos’ 6.43 ERA and 12 home runs allowed are not working in the rotation. Ned Yost and Doug Melvin want to put Villy in the ‘pen to get his control issues and confidence worked out.  Who are the internal options?

RHP Seth McClung

Seth is getting the ball this Saturday, so he is obviously the #1 choice to round out the rotation.  Brewers coaches have been raving about the mechanical changes Seth has made in the past week or so, and they believe he is ready to produce in the rotation.

Those mechanical changes better be big changes, as his numbers as a starter have been atrocious.  The big guy started for two seasons in Tampa Bay, posting a 6.59 and a 6.29 ERA, respectively.  Those numbers would scare anyone away.  Even more concerning, his BB:K ratios in those seasons were 62:92 and 68:59.  I’m not a stat-head, but you do not need to be a rocket scientist or a mathematician to understand those numbers are less than ideal.

With that said, Seth has a great arm.  He has a blistering fastball and a curve that he has been throwing for strikes lately.  Two pitches will not be enough to get through a major league lineup two or three times, however.  The team says that Seth has developed a pretty good change-up this season, but I have not seen it much in game action.

Seth McClung is an interesting option, but his past numbers do not look promising.  His control issues will most likely not translate well to the starting rotation, as he still has a 13:20 BB:K ratio.  Those mechanical changes must be pretty darn good ones.  Still, I do not believe Seth is the answer.  He has been effective from the bullpen, however.  I’d keep him there after Saturday unless he really impresses.

RHP Jeff Weaver

The Milwaukee Brewers signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league deal to deepen the starting rotation.  He is more of an innings-eater type of pitcher.  In 2004 and 2005, Jeff logged over 220.0 innings pitched, but his innings total has gone down in the past couple years.  In 2006, he had 31 games started, but he only had 172.0 innings pitched.  That is a significant decrease in only three fewer starts.  Jeff is clearly not as effective as he once was.

The past two seasons, Jeff has posted a 5.76 ERA and a 6.20 ERA, respectively.  I’m not sure if the Brewers want to be relying on someone with those numbers.  Especially since he appears to not have improved too much this season.  Through four starts, Jeff has an unimpressive 6.35 ERA.  I have to believe that Milwaukee will be looking elsewhere to fill the void in the starting rotation.

LHP Zach Jackson

Once one of the top pitching prospects in the system after being acquired from Toronto in the Lyle Overbay trade, Zach has struggled to consistently succeed in either the big leagues or Triple-A.  Last season, Zach limped in with a 4.46 ERA in Nashville, which suggests that the lefty is not ready for another shot in the bigs as a starter.

With that said, Zach Jackson looks to have found a niche in the bullpen.  In his last two relief appearances, the southpaw has not allowed a run in 4.2 innings of work.  His walk rate has dropped dramatically, and his strikeout rate has remained solid.  He’s been impressive enough out of the ‘pen for Milwaukee to call him up to serve as the second lefty and compliment to Brian Shouse.  The Brewers are no longer looking at Zach as a potential starter.  I believe he may settle in the pen as a long reliever, left-handed specialist type of pitcher….not a starter.

LHP Chris Narveson

Chris broke on the scene during Spring Training and almost pitched his way onto the team as a non-roster invite.  The former St. Louis Cardinal unveiled his new cut-fastball, and he commanded it beautifully on his way to a high strikeout rate.  Ned Yost came home from Arizona impressed with Chris.  Perhaps he’s the one to fill the rotation.

Chris’ 3.94 ERA suggests that he does deserve a shot in the big leagues.  He is consistently striking out about six batters per nine innings, which is impressive for a left-hander.  The problem is the WHIP.  It is at an uncharacteristically high 1.42.  His career average WHIP is 1.28, and he had a 1.18 with St. Louis in 2006.  He is walking almost four and a half batters per nine innings and giving up bunches of hits.  I suspect that his WHIP will come down a bit, and the Brewers will be tempted to give him a chance in the bigs.  He may have the best chance in the long run, but his control is not where it needs to be to help immediately.  Doug Melvin needs to look elsewhere.

RHP Mark DiFelice

The Brewers recently called up 31-year old journeyman, Mark DiFelice to fill the spot vacated by Mitch Stetter in the bullpen.  DiFelice has been toiling in the minor leagues the past 11 seasons, never getting a big league call-up.  His blood pressure must have been incredibly high when he made his debut in a Brewers uniform at Fenway Park.  He had a very uninspired outing, giving up three runs in an inning of work.  I’m not going to condemn Mark for this outing, however.  Most other Brewers pitchers struggled in that series, and it was his first outing.  I’ll cut him a little slack.

Looking at his career numbers in the minors, I believe that Mark is the pitcher that best fits the back-end of the rotation for MIlwaukee.  In Nashville this season, his control has been impeccable…to the tune of a 1:28 BB:K ratio.  Not too shabby.  In his 11 seasons as a minor league pitcher, Mark has averaged a 3.54 ERA.  That is far and away better than anyone else in this discussion.  The Brewers need someone that can log some innings and control the baseball.  Last season in Nashville, Mark averaged six innings per outing.  I think Brewers fans would gladly take that after watching Villanueva, Parra, and Bush struggle to get past the fifth.

It is quite the long-shot, I must admit, but Mark DiFelice appears to have the best chance to succeed at the back-end of the rotation.  His debut in Boston was atrocious, but I believe the Brewers have him working from the bullpen so he can get acclimated to the big leagues before giving him a shot in the rotation.  If Seth McClung falters Saturday, look for DiFelice to get the call the following time through the rotation.

After analyzing Milwaukee’s internal options, I realize that there is not much to hang your hat on.  DiFelice, Narveson, or McClung could work out and be a surprise, but they easily could flounder in the starting rotation.  Unless the Brewers can hit a hot streak, however, it would be unwise for Melvin to go outside the organization to find a replacement.  Milwaukee does not need a rental player to get them above .500.  If the Brewers are going to trade future pieces away, they must be in the race.  It is only a quarter of the way through the season, but the Brewers are not in the position to be “buyers.”  Let’s hope Seth McClung can pitch successfully on Saturday and give the team and starting rotation a boost.  If not, however, the team does have internal options better and cheaper than the likes of Randy Wolf and his 5.05 ERA.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

Brewers fans went to bed happy last night after beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2.  We will have to see if they can make it two in a row tonight.  Ben Sheets is on the mound, so I think the Crew has a good shot.  Benny might feel like he has a little something to prove after last week’s debacle in the seventh against the Dodgers.

BrewersNation reader BJ noted an article on the possibility of Randy Wolf being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.  I originally was going to include the article in the Round ‘em Up, but after BJ’s question…I thought I would give it its own post.  I’ll write on that later tonight.

• So…Ned Yost is not happy about the false report of his being fired yesterday.  I mean really displeased.  The Brewers manager let a bunch of four-letter words fly as he went through a tirade on the blog posting.  I think he has a right to be upset about the way the post was handled…especially by Tom Haudricourt and the Milwaukee JS.  For more on that…go here.

  While Ned got rightfully upset about the situation on Monday, his comments simply left me a little empty and quite upset.  Why have Brewers fans never seen Yost get this riled up before?  Why does he play this stoic, confident manager that is certain everything will turn out alright if he has this mean-streak in him?  Why not try to spur on his players by getting upset and admitting that maybe…just maybe…it isn’t early and things aren’t “okay”?  The stoic facade that Yost has been putting up the past couple months has obviously not been working, and yesterday’s comments gave Brewers fans a glimpse of what could be.

  After getting upset about the blog reports, Ned reverted back to his old self.  He’s not worried about the comments made by Ryan Braun because all teams lose confidence when they are losing.  Great, Ned…just act like everything is fine and nothing is wrong.  Perhaps Brewers fans would feel better if you treated your job and the team’s success with the same passion.  You may feel as passionately inwardly, but it certainly does not show in the media and in the dugout.

• The other big development yesterday was Seth McClung transitioning to the starting rotation, while Carlos Villanueva will search for more consistency and success in the bullpen.  In last night’s telecast, Brain Anderson raved about McClung’s mechanical adjustment and the development of his change-up.  It’s nice to hear those things, but I will have to see it before I believe it.
• Remember when Salomon Torres thought about retiring because of his dysfunctional relationship with the Pittsburgh organization.  He tries not to talk about it to the media, but his disrespect for the management is clearly still there.
• The Milwaukee Brewers struggle at PNC Park.  It is not a secret.  No Brewers fan has been able to understand how the team can have a losing record against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC, but it has been the overwhelming trend.  Jim Powell takes a look at the struggles.  Yesterday’s win is not a signifier that the curse is gone, but it is a start.
• The Brew Town Beat reacts to Eric Gagne‘s struggles yesterday before being removed because of shoulder “stiffness.”  They believe that most or all of his success can be attributed to steriods of HGH.  I enjoy much of the writing that happens over at that site, but I believe that is a cop-out answer and a gross oversimplification.  HGH may have helped Gagne get a few miles per hour on his fastball.  I will grant them that.  HGH does not, however, improve your mentality on the mound.  It does not improve your release point and improve your control.  Sure, you can argue that HGH improves your stuff, so you trust it more.  That’s a valid point.  I would just hesitate to believe that Gagne got his reputation as “Game Over” because he had a few more mphs on his fastball.  His change-up was also better, and he had a better curveball when he was with Los Angeles.  HGH doesn’t help that.
• Beyond the Boxscore analyzes the strength of schedule for the NL Central.  The Brewers have had by far the most difficult schedule in the Central to this point.  Through the rest of the season, the Crew will have about 50% of their games against opponents with a sub-.500 record.  The moral of the post: Do not count out the Brewers yet.
• SportsBubbler names SS Alcides Escobar the Prospect of the Week.  Alcides has improved his plate discipline and power numbers in the past couple weeks, which greatly augments his status as an elite prospect.  The other name to look at is RHP Luis Pena.  Could he be a Brewer in the near future?
• LHP Sam Narron recently got called up to Triple-A Nashville, and he has continued rolling through hitters.  Sam went six innings, only giving up two earned runs.  His manager said that Sam didn’t have his best stuff, which is extremely encouraging for the young man.  The southpaw has increased his strikeout total a bit, but his value lies in his ability to induce the groundball.  Keep an eye on Sam.
• Here’s a nice article on RHP Patrick Ryan.  He’s quietly been having a productive season as a reliever in Double-A Huntsville.  The right-hander is being overshadowed by Omar Aguilar, but a call to Triple-A is not out of the question later in the season.

Round ‘em Up: Monday

The Milwaukee Brewers won one for the mothers in the stands yesterday.  Ryan Braun looked to have enjoyed using those pink bats.  Let’s hope they can pull out a series win today against the Cardinals!

• For more on yesterday’s win, here’s the Milwaukee JS article.
• Yovani Gallardo will have surgery tomorrow morning.  The team sought second and third opinions on the injury.  Apparently, the team wanted Yo to avoid having the surgery if possible.  That would have been foolish on the team’s part, in my opinion.  You do not take chances with your young ace.
• Between the Green Pillars discusses the “dreaded Closer By Committee” now happening in Milwaukee.  Ryan seems to believe that the Brewers do not have someone that can consistently be the closer, as he wishes the team would acquire one elsewhere.  Give Guillermo Mota and David Riske a shot before we go giving players away for a closer.  Plus, there is not a quality closer available right now.  Huston Street is struggling, and the only other worthwhile closer would be George Sherrill in Baltimore.  Not impressed?  Me neither.
• Al’s Ramblings notes that a starter has not been announced for Thursday’s game.  Perhaps this signifies that Seth McClung will get an opportunity to get a spot start for the Crew.  That would be interesting, even though it would not be my first choice.  It may be a long shot, but Thursday would also be near-regular rest for Mark DiFelice.  He’s put up a 3.91 ERA in Nashville thus far.
• The Brew Town Beat has some suggestions for the Brewers offense.  They like my idea of a Bill Hall/Russell Branyan platoon.  They also suggest that Tony Gwynn Jr. should get more at bats in lieu of Mike Cameron.  Sure, Cameron has not lit the world on fire with his start for Milwaukee, but no one expected him to hit .300.  Mike is someone that can give you 20/20 stats, but will only hit about .240 with lots of strikeouts.  Those who thought Milwaukee was getting something else is either naive, or didn’t know much about Cameron as a player.
• Also from The Brew Town Beat…they are wondering if Eric Gagne is tipping his pitches.  After Ned Yost’s cryptic comments the other day, I began to think the same thing.  Brew Town makes a very convincing argument.  If that is the case, Eric should be able to get back on track fairly easily.
• In-Between Hops says that Prince Fielder is not performing as well because of his vegetarian diet.  Either that or he is trying to hit every pitch 500 feet.  I’m tired of the vegetarian talk.
• Tom Haudricourt has a preview of the 2008 First Year Player Draft.  Actually, he does not really preview anyone the Crew might draft.  The article simply dwells on the fact that Milwaukee has many more picks early in the draft than usual.  That has been well-chronicled here.  I’d like to see some analysis of actual potential-draftees.
• The Huntsville Times has an article on Matt LaPorta.  This just in: Matt LaPorta can hit very well.
• MLB Trade Rumors notes that the Chicago Cubs are considering signing veteran centerfielder, Jim Edmonds.  He would replace Felix Pie in the lineup.  Personally, I hope they sign Edmonds.  He has hit .178/.265/.233 in 103 plate appearances.  That would be an improvement for them…

Round ‘em Up: Saturday

Finally!!!  Rickie Weeks comes through last night with a huge hit in the bottom of the ninth.  Unfortunately, I was unable to catch the game last night.  I missed a dandy.  It feels wonderful to get off the losing streak.

• Derrick Turnbow has accepted his move to Triple-A Nashville.  I figured that Derrick would not be able to forfeit his $3.2M contract just to keep his pride.  Four teams were apparently interested in Turnbow, but a deal could not be worked out.  The teams wanted Doug Melvin to pay for most of Turnbow’s contract and were only offering a middling prospect in return.  That is certainly not worth losing an arm like Derrick’s.  I hope he can figure something out in Nashville.
• Tom Haudricourt is reporting that Yovani Gallardo should be having surgery next week.  Yo says that he hopes that he can get back before the season is done.  I appreciate the enthusiasm, but the Brewers need him for the next few years.  Yo cannot jeopardize his future with Milwaukee trying to rush back.
• (Hat tip to Right Field Bleachers) I has been reported, albeit from an unreliable source, that Ryan Braun has signed a long-term contract with Milwaukee.  It appears to be worth between $8-9M per year and will buy out one of his free agency years.  That price tag seems a little steep to me, especially for a player with only one year of experience.  We shall see.
• The Junkball Blues has my favorite post for today that analyzes the struggles the offense has dealt with.  It outlines the attributes that are taken into consideration for what a good approach at the plate truly means.  Let me give you a little hint, Ryan Braun does not take many pitches and does not walk often.  Shocked?  Check out the rest of the post.
• Al’s Ramblings believes that Seth McClung should get a shot at the starting rotation.  Really?  I think he’d have to come in during more important situations and prove himself before I give him the ball every fifth day.
• RHP Amaury Rivas from the West Virginia Power is getting some praise.  This article delves a little into Amaury’s arsenal.  He has a 95mph fastball that overpowers young hitters, and a slider that is big league ready…according to his manager.  It sounds like he still has some control issues, but his stuff is electric.  The 22-year old Dominican will be one to watch out for this season.

  The article also notes that LHP Mike Ramlow will be on his way to Brevard County sometime soon.  The big lefty has shown dominant stuff in West Virginia thus far in 2008.

• Florida Today writes an article on Brevard County’s CF Darren Ford.  In case you did not know, he’s fast.  He had five stolen bases in a game last week.  He has 21 stolen bases already.  That is seven more than his closest competitor in the entire league.  The article does note that his swing needs some work.  The offense as a whole is not where it needs to be, but Darren does possess some special gifts that will separate him from everyone else in the system.  Don’t blink, you just might miss Darren as he flies up the prospect list.

Don’t forget to comment on Dan’s article from yesterday.  I would really like to know if Dan’s work is something you all would like to see on BrewersNation regularly, and I’m sure Dan would love to get some feedback.  So please, comment on the article below!!!

Fielder homers in comeback victory

Everyone has questioned his switch to a vegetarian diet. People have questioned his pitch selection. Should he wear the high socks? Prince Fielder has heard it from everyone…including himself.

Prince put the Brewers ahead for good with his two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning off of Brad Thompson. He was obviously overjoyed to get the first one out of the way. He smacked Ryan Braun in the head after crossing the plate and jumped up and down looking for anyone to high-five in the dugout. It was a big moment for the big man. Hopefully, this home run can spark a power surge for him.

Manny Parra struggled mightily with his control today. He only pitched four innings, and it was not pretty. It looks like he may be the pitcher sent to the minors once Yovani Gallardo comes off the DL on Sunday. The young man has the stuff, but he’s pressing too much.

After Parra left the game, Seth McClung came in and worked three innings of scoreless ball. He certainly made a nice statement today, as he is also playing for his job with the big league club in the coming days. He kept the Brewers in the game when it looked to be a blowout.

The Brewers offense looked lifeless again today for the most part. Kyle Lohse continued his fine performance this spring by throwing seven innings of shutout baseball until running into trouble in the eighth. The Crew struck for three runs in the eighth inning. Better late than never, I suppose.

Eric Gagne made it interesting in the 10th inning, but he regained his composure and shut down the game. He looks to have the tendency to overthrow a bit in big games, but he settled down nicely. His change-up was spectacular today. Notch another save for Gagne.

Records: Brewers (9-6); Cardinals (11-5)

Player of the Game: Prince Fielder

How can you not give it Prince? He had the game-tying bloop double in the eighth inning, and the go-ahead two-run bomb in the tenth. If today’s home run can spur him on to a hot streak, the Brewers will greatly benefit. Their offense looked awful again for the most part, going after balls way too early in the count and making it simple for Kyle Lohse most of the day. This win is huge for the Brewers, as well as Prince Fielder.

Goat of the Game: Manny Parra

This kid has the potential to be a big time major league pitcher. He showed what he can do against the San Francisco Giants, but has not been consistent enough. Today was a perfect depiction of how he’s been the past couple starts. He is falling behind hitters, throwing too many pitches, and walking too many batters. He threw 86 pitches through four innings today. The personnel decision for Ned Yost may have just gotten much easier this weekend. Manny needs a couple more months in the minors. He’ll be back though. He’ll be back, and he’ll be dynamite.

On Tap

The Milwaukee Brewers will head to the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH to face the Cincinnati Reds for the second time in as many weeks.  Ben Sheets will face Bronson Arroyo at 6:10pm CT.  I believe it is time to get some payback for what happened at Miller Park.  A road series victory would be wonderful to see!

Reds pound Brewers to end winning streak

The Brewers may have taken the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, but they certainly wasted little time in giving it back to the Cincinnati Reds.

Starter Dave Bush gave up five runs, only four of them earned, but he gave up three key runs in the top of the sixth.  Bush did not have very good stuff today, in my opinion.  He needs to keep his walk rate down, as he walked three more batters today.  His fastball got up in the zone.  I thought his curveball was fine, but why would any of the Cincinnati Reds swing at a curveball when they know they can get a belt-high fastball later in the count?

The bullpen did not help, either.  David Riske came in and had zero control of his fastball.  It was very straight and over the plate.  I was confused as to why he did not want to throw his splitter very much, but he must have not had a very good feel for it today.  He escaped the inning without giving up an earned run, but it does not mean he pitched well.

Derrick Turnbow displayed his characteristically wild command.  He walked Ken Griffey Jr. to start the inning, and Adam Dunn parked a home run just over the outstretched arm of Gabe Gross.  Actually, Gross should have had that ball, but that is a different story.  Seth McClung came in to mop up the game for the Crew in the eighth and ninth innings.  Instead of keeping the score manageable, Seth gave up five earned runs and walked three batters in two innings.  I understand momentum can be a big thing in baseball, but it was amazing how poorly everyone threw the ball once Bush started to struggle.

At the plate, all was fairly quiet.  Ryan Braun and Bill Hall both hit solo shots to continue their hitting ways.  Jason Kendall and Corey Hart had two hits a piece, but no one else got a hit in the game.  Dave Bush did in the fifth inning, but no other Brewer position player tallied a hit in the game.  With that said, the game was not out of reach until the bullpen blew up.

Poor games like this will inevitably happen.  The Crew started the season in great shape, and fans are kidding themselves if they think that a blowout was not going to happen this month.  The important thing is that the Brewers rally around Carlos Villanueva tomorrow and score a third-straight series win.

Records: Brewers (6-2); Reds (5-4)

Hero of the Game: Bill Hall

Billy hit another home run in the bottom of the ninth to put his season total up to four.  He is seeing the ball pretty well, and he has his power stroke back.  That is not the main reason for naming him the hero of the game.  I’ve been incredibly impressed with his defense this season.  Brian Anderson mentioned that Billy is making one highlight-caliber play per game at the hot corner.  I agree.  He has made the Brewers defense immensely better.  He made a very nice play on Ryan Freel, I believe it was.  He ranged to his right, picked the ball cleanly with his glove, spun, and fired a perfect ball to Prince Fielder over at first.  That play is not easy.  It certainly looked like it was though.

Goat of the Game: David Bush

David.  You simply cannot, I repeat cannot, come into the game in the top of the sixth and give away the lead your team just stole in the bottom of the fifth.  The momentum had begun to swing towards Milwaukee, and the bats looked like they were about ready to break out in a big way.  Instead of building on that momentum, Bush imploded and lost all momentum for the Brewers.  All Brewers fans know that David is susceptible to the big inning, but it always comes at the wrong time (if there ever is a good time).  I am sick of seeing the Brewers offense get the lead and then watch Dave Bush come in and give it right back.  I admit that David Riske did not help a bit after getting the call to pitch, but Bush started the carnage.  I can only hope that when Yovani Gallardo comes back from the DL, Bush is the pitcher to go.  I don’t know what to do with him at this point.  I will address this when I am in a better state of mind, but he needs to go.

On Tap

Carlos Villanueva will toe the rubber tomorrow in the series finale against the Cincinnati Reds.  He will go up against Cincy’s ace, Aaron Harang.  The rubber match will start at 12:05pm CT.  This will be a tough match-up for the Crew, but they need this win badly.  Milwaukee does not want to head out to Shea Stadium on a sour note.

Monday’s Round ‘em Up

I have today’s Round ‘em Up for you.  The final one before the regular season starts tomorrow in Japan.  Lets see what we have:

• Tom Haudricourt breaks down some of the roster decisions that Milwaukee will have to make.  Most of them I completely agree with, but I do wish that Carlos Villanueva could make the starting rotation.  I don’t know who he would replace though.  Claudio Vargas needs to be in the rotation because he has no options left.  I would say that he should be the long man in the pen, but Seth McClung seems to have that spot wrapped up.

  It will be interesting to see who gets bumped out when Yovani Gallardo gets back into the rotation.  I feel like Manny Parra may be the victim, as Ned Yost seems reluctant to send Dave Bush anywhere.  Ned does want a lefty in the rotation though, so I’m not completely sure what will happen.  If Manny pitches well for the first couple starts, he’ll be in the rotation when Yo comes back.

• Beyond the Boxscore thinks that Derrick Turnbow is one of the most unlucky pitchers in the bigs.  The stats say that his WHIP goes way up after runners get on base, and apparently that makes Derrick unlucky.  To me, that simply means that Derrick gets ungodly worse when a runner gets on first.  He’ll obviously have to work on that.
• Seamheads.com has an NL Central preview.  The problem?  They forgot to pick a winner.
• If you are interested, RealGM Baseball previews the Chicago Cubs.  Apparently, Kosuke Fukudome and Jon Lieber are going to make a very big difference.  In fact, they think that Fukudome should bat third.  I know the Cubs will be good, but it’s obvious that a Cubs fan wrote this.
• Are you confused about Chris Capuano‘s injury?  Baseball Digest Daily breaks down the injury and explains what Chris will need to do to rehab his elbow.  It does not sound fun.

Round ‘em Up: Braun, Previews, Prospects

I apologize for taking a couple days off on the Player Profile series, but I’m working on a full-out bullpen preview. That should be up in a couple days. In the meantime, here are some links to keep you busy while you’re at work:

• Ryan Braun still has the tight Achilles tendon, and he will be sitting out for a couple more days. This may just be me overreacting, but I’m beginning to get nervous about this situation. Tom Haudricourt says that the consensus seems to be that Braun got this tight Achilles because he wore a new pair of shoes. Let’s hope that Ryan is back and ready for action sometime soon. If he needs a week off, give it to him.
• Need another dose of those ever-popular NL Central previews? I have you covered. ESPN.com has their preview. The news is simply the same…the Brewers do not have enough pitching, but the Cubs have enough. Apparently, 8 major league caliber starters does not qualify as “enough” depth. Oh, and Ben Sheets needs to stay healthy. I forgot he was important. Thanks for reminding me.RealGM Baseball has the Brewers taking 3rd place in the Central, finishing behind the Cubs and the Reds. This preview does not even have Milwaukee posting a winning record this year. I don’t have too much to say about that other than…really?
• Baseball Digest Daily has their Top 100 prospects. Three Brewers make the list. Matt LaPorta checks in at number 44, Manny Parra is the 75th best prospect, and Jeremy Jeffress makes the list at number 77. Manny is quite low on this list, in my opinion. Jeffress may be struggling with a marijuana addiction, but he still has the physical tools to be a fantastic pitcher. LaPorta continues to receive high praise after only playing a limited amount of time in professional baseball. Hopefully the new draft class later this spring will infuse Milwaukee’s system with more high-ceiling prospects.Please look at the video for Clayton Kershaw in the #7 slot. That curveball is just nasty!!!!
• Anthony Witrado writes a complete fluff piece on Jeff Suppan. Give it a look if you want to read about how Soup keeps his life centered.
• Doug Melvin and Ned Yost will have some very difficult decisions ahead of them concerning the pitching situation. Claudio Vargas and Seth McClung are both out of minor league options. This would mean that another team could pick them up if the Brewers try to send them down to Triple-A. Yost mentions that he might fight for a 13-man pitching staff if he does not want to lose one of his veterans. Of course, this could all be solved if Melvin moves one or two pitchers before Opening Day. It feels like something is going to happen in a week or so, but I have no confirmed source to tell me that. I’m starting to think that Vargas may be the one to go.
• Aaron Shinsano from MLB Trade Rumors mentions that the Los Angeles Angels could come calling the Milwaukee Brewers for starting pitching help. If you do not remember, I mentioned that exact situation in yesterday’s Round ‘em Up after I saw that John Lackey got injured. It seems likely that the Angels will stay in-house to find their answer, but Doug Melvin’s phone could ring a couple times.
• (Hat Tip to KL Snow for the find on this one) It looks like Kerry Wood will be the Cubs’ closer in 2008. I understand they like his veteran leadership and experience, but Carlos Marmol is flat nasty. Nobody could hit him in ’07. Perhaps Kerry Wood has impressed ol’ Lou this spring. Either way, Howry-Marmol-Wood will be very difficult at the end of games. Wood does have the injury-prone bug to get over still, however.

Brewers pitchers shine in wins

Since Milwaukee had its first split squad games today, this will be the first time that I put both games into one post.  In case you didn’t see the scores, Milwaukee beat Seattle 2-0.  Milwaukee turned the tables on the Mariners from last week and only allowed them to put two hits on the scoreboard.  Oakland also fell to the Brewers, 5-2.

Records: Milwaukee (7-4); Seattle (4-6); Oakland (8-3)

Batting

There was generally no offense to speak of in the Seattle game.  J.J. Hardy recorded a two-RBI double in the third inning to score the only two runs of the day.  Rickie Weeks continued to struggle at the plate today.  He went 0-3 with a strike out.  He is now hitting only .130 this spring.  It looks like those “breakout” projections are going to be a little off unless he can pick it up sometime soon before Opening Day.

The Oakland game gave Brewers fans a little more offense, but most of it came from minor league players or reserves.  Tony Gwynn Jr. continued his fine play at the plate, going 2-4 at the plate.  Cole Gillespie played in his first Spring Training game of the year, and he started it off in a big way.  He went 1-1 with a three-run bomb in the 8th inning to put the Brewers up on Oakland for good.

Pitching

In the Seattle game, Claudio Vargas pitched brilliantly.  Claudio threw five scoreless and hitless innings, while only allowing one walk.  He had the best pitching performance by a Brewers starter so far this spring.  This certainly gives him a strong case for a starting rotation spot, or perhaps he simply increased his trade value.  We’ll have to see.

Also in the Seattle game, Derrick Turnbow seems to have found a nice groove, as he pitched another scoreless inning.  He struck one batter out and did not allow a batter to get on base.  Seattle’s first hit came against Eric Gagne in the seventh inning, but it didn’t much matter.  Eric shut the door on the rest of the batters he faced and also posted a scoreless inning.  It’s very nice to see those two have a couple nice outings in a row.  Minor leaguers Erasmo Ramirez and Tim Dillard also pitched scoreless innings to hold Seattle scoreless for the game.

Now to the Oakland game.  Non-roster invitee, Chris Narveson, also had a very successful outing for the Crew.  He pitched four scoreless innings with two strike outs, while giving up two hits and a walk.  The 26-year old used to be a prospect in the St. Louis organization before needing surgery on his arm.  It looks like he’s bounced back rather nicely and could provide some quality depth in Nashville this season.

Mitch Stetter worked one scoreless inning and struck out two A’s.  Luis Pena continued his fine spring by throwing another scoreless inning.  He may make a charge for a bullpen spot if he continues to pitch like this.  Everyone that’s seen him pitch this spring has said that he’s looked extremely good.  Seth McClung gave up one run on two hits, while striking out one.  That is certainly not a bad outing, but compared to all the scoreless frames Brewers pitchers put up, it does look that way.  Fantastic work by Brewers pitchers today.

On Tap

Dave Bush gets the start tomorrow against the Chicago Cubs at 3:05pm CT.  Dave looks to rebound from a couple rough starts.  Ned Yost called him out yesterday and said that Dave needs to show some major improvement to secure a spot in the starting rotation.

Brewers rally to beat Rangers

The Milwaukee Brewers spotted the Rangers a three run lead, but they managed to crawl their way back to win. The 9-8 win puts the Crew back over .500 for Spring Training.

Records: Brewers (5-4); Rangers (5-4)

Batting

Ryan Braun hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning, his second homer in as many days. Braun finished 1-2 with a walk for the day, bringing his Spring Training average to .353. Jason Kendall continued his hot hitting as well, going 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. He’s now hitting .412 for the spring. I certainly hope, and so do many Brewers fans, that Kendall will continue to produce this well in April.

Vinny Rottino gave the Brewers the lead for good with a go-head two-RBI single in the 8th inning. Vinny is going to make the backup catcher position a very difficult battle and decision for Ned Yost.

I reported yesterday that Corey Hart has struggled mightily in Spring Training thus far, and that did not change today. Corey went 0-3 with two strike outs. He’s now batting a measly .190 this spring.

Pitching

Chris Capuano got the start today, and everything seemed fine through two innings. He cruised along nicely until disaster struck in the third. Chris gave up six runs without recording a single out. His performance forced Yost to end his day early, and Luis Pena finished the inning for Cappy. This goes with the criticism leveled on Cappy today in my Player Profile. He does fine to start the game, but when batters have a chance to see him once or twice, they crush him.

Carlos Villanueva aslo got his work in today. His day was a bit mixed. He only gave up one run in three innings, striking out two batters, but he also gave up three hits and three walks. Those stats are a little worrisome, but it’s only three innings of his spring. He’ll bounce back. He was able to limit the damage against him, unlike Capuano earlier in the game.

Seth McClung recorded the save for the Brewers, striking out two in the 8th inning. Brian Shouse struggled a bit today. He only gave up one run, but surrendered three hits in one inning on the mound. Past performance on Shouse tells Brewers fans that he’ll come back again in a couple days and throw the ball well.

On Tap

Milwaukee stays in Phoenix to play the Kansas City Royals tomorrow at 2:05pm CT. Jeff Suppan is slated to get the start for the Crew. He looks to pitch a bit better than he did in his last outing, in which he gave up two runs in three innings.

Yost sticks up for his players

I had been looking forward to Tom Haudricourt’s Sunday article for a few days. Ever since he promised to shed some light on the Pujols-Fielder plunking situation from last year, I’ve patiently waited until today to read it. Most of the story is on Ned Yost’s growth as a manager during the off-season, but let me outline the Brewers-Cardinals game that is of interest.

St. Louis pitcher Brad Thompson throws a fastball up and in at Prince Fielder‘s head during the series finale. It was so well aimed at Prince’s head, in fact, that Prince had to lift his shoulder to protect his head and deflect the ball. Prince had belted his 49th and 50th home runs the inning before, so it became obvious to him that the Cardinals threw at his head on purpose.

Ray King, who used to pitch for the Cardinals, knew the sign for throwing at a batter. King went back into the clubhouse and saw the replay. He saw Kelly Stinnett call for the fastball at Prince’s head. King relayed this message to manager Ned Yost, and when Prince did not tell his manager not to retaliate, Ned knew he needed to stick up for his player.

The following inning, Yost calls in Seth McClung from the bullpen with one mission, to throw at Albert Pujols in retaliation. McClung and Yost were predictably thrown out of the game, but Yost said that he would not have changed his decision. He would do anything for his players to let them know that he was in their corner.

Derrick Turnbow then came into the game trying to keep the deficit at 3-2, and his control had abandoned him once again. The Cardinals ended up cruising to a 7-3 victory, and Milwaukee was effectively eliminated from the playoff race.

This story is fascinating to me. Tony LaRussa, who originally called for Brad Thompson to throw at Prince’s head for no other reason than he had dominated them thus far, got in no trouble whatsoever, yet Yost got ejected and ridiculed for sticking up for his players.

People have accused LaRussa for baiting Yost into that situation. But why would he do that? The Cardinals had nothing to gain by winning that game. They had already been eliminated from the Wild Card race. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that St. Louis intentionally threw at Prince Fielder and could have caused a career threatening injury had his reflexes not been so great. I don’t expect this story to go away. It will be interesting to see what happens when Milwaukee plays St. Louis next. Expect an angry Prince Fielder to show up. That should be scary enough to any Cardinals fan.