Is this a hit?
I say no.
Regardless, all in all it was a nice little month for Milwaukee.
August 2007: Milwaukee was 9-18.
August 2008: Milwaukee was 20-7.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Pac Man is back
In honor of PacMan Jones' reinstatement to the NFL yesterday, I present, for about the fourth time on this distinguished web site, the invite to PacMan's birthday party from a few years back. Good Times!
Daunte Culpepper Has A Terrible Agent
Who is it? Himself. Without having a real agent to do, well...agent stuff, Daunte and his roll-on are relegated to writing a letter explaining his unemployment to profootballtalk.com. Although sometimes slimy, now I know why players hire agents.
Great Ahman Green Contract Insight
Andrew Brandt, the Packers former contract guy, has is part of a football website called The National Football Post. This week he has a great post that provides insight into the contract dealings with Ahman Green prior to the 2007 season. Very interesting stuff. I wanted Ahman to be a Packer i 07 just because they had no other rushing options to start the season. I do agree, and thought at the time, that the Texans were paying way too much. Things worked out fine for the Packers, but no so much for Ahman. I liked Ahman and look forward to seeign him in the Packer Hall of Fame one day.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
God Bless The SEC
Anybody catch the South Carolina game? Up 27-0 with 5 minutes left, Spurrier airs it out and completes a 50 yard bomb. Only the Ole' Ball Coach. The OBC...one of the many reasons SEC football gives me a tingling sensation in my loins. Others?
- SEC is 9-1 in their last 10 BCS games.
- 5 coaches are wearing NCAA championship rings (Ball Coach, Les Miles, Nick Saben, Phil Fullmer, and Urban Meyer) and a 6th (Tommy Tubberville) went undefeated but didn't get a chance...because the BCS is a turd sandwich. Three others (Houston Nutt, Bob Petrino, Mark Richt) are considered excellent college coaches...and I haven't even mentioned the 2007 SEC coach of the year, Sylvester Croom. That's a solid list.
- Pressure. At every institution but one (Kentucky), football is king. More interest = more pressure. More pressure = more resources dumped into football. More resources dumped into football = You better F-ing win now, or you're canned!
- Stadiums: Death Valley, The Swamp, Neyland, The Hedges, Bryant...the list goes on...
- Talent. More starters in the NFL hail from SEC schools than any other.
- Verne Lundquist. Sure, he might butcher 2 out of every 3 names he tries to pronounce, but a SEC game on CBS with Verne at the mic is always a must see/listen.
- Speaking of, how's this to get the juices flowing? Goldy loves the Old School NFL Today song (which is sweet), and I'm partial to the March Madness theme....how about this? CBS College Football Theme Song.
Enjoy the College Football season, Mopes....if it only had a better ending....
Quick prediction: Badgers 38, Akron 17
Larry Dobrow Appears to be Stealing My Stuff
Renowned columnist Larry Dobrow's latest MLB Power Rankings on CBS Sportsline look a tad familiar, at least in one of his comments regarding the Brewers:
Today's incomprehensible Ned Yost batting-order machination, brought to you by Lactaid: Half-assed analysis reveals that he almost always aligns the order by position -- 2B, SS, LF, 1B, RF, 3B, CF, C, P -- regardless of who happens to be playing that day. Somebody ought to tell him that batting orders are as easily customizable as minivans or birthday cakes.
That sounds an awful lot like The Money Order, as researched by the Chuckie Hacks interns. Half-assed, huh Larry? Are you calling the interns half-assed?
Oh, and Larry's crack research ([cough] plagiarism) didn't come up with the fact that Ned has actually gone away from the Money Order consistently since last Friday.
In case you don't know Larry Dobrow, here's his bio on the Sportsline site:
Larry Dobrow writes a whole lotta words, a solid 40 percent of which are coherent, for a whole lotta publications.
He is currently in his fifth year as Maxim Online's baseball columnist and regularly contributes to the site's entertainment coverage as well. In the latter role, he once picked up his phone to hear, "Larry brutha, this is Mr. T!" on the other end of the line. Nobody else seems to think this story is as entertaining as Larry does.
Larry appears every Monday night on Maxim's Sirius radio channel and, as Stuff's online television critic, gets to view HBO's Sunday night shows and 24 a whopping three weeks before everyone else. This makes him feel special. He also contributes to a host of media and technology publications, including Advertising Age, and writes MediaPost's biweekly Magazine Rack column.
In sum, Larry is busier than you are, though probably not taller. He lives in New York City with six guitars and approximately three malnourished plants, and counts running and napping among his diversions.
Apparently, he's so busy that he needs to steal material, without giving credit. As Goldy said, is being Maxim's on-line baseball columnist kind of like being Baseball America's movie critic?
Today's incomprehensible Ned Yost batting-order machination, brought to you by Lactaid: Half-assed analysis reveals that he almost always aligns the order by position -- 2B, SS, LF, 1B, RF, 3B, CF, C, P -- regardless of who happens to be playing that day. Somebody ought to tell him that batting orders are as easily customizable as minivans or birthday cakes.
That sounds an awful lot like The Money Order, as researched by the Chuckie Hacks interns. Half-assed, huh Larry? Are you calling the interns half-assed?
Oh, and Larry's crack research ([cough] plagiarism) didn't come up with the fact that Ned has actually gone away from the Money Order consistently since last Friday.
In case you don't know Larry Dobrow, here's his bio on the Sportsline site:
Larry Dobrow writes a whole lotta words, a solid 40 percent of which are coherent, for a whole lotta publications.
He is currently in his fifth year as Maxim Online's baseball columnist and regularly contributes to the site's entertainment coverage as well. In the latter role, he once picked up his phone to hear, "Larry brutha, this is Mr. T!" on the other end of the line. Nobody else seems to think this story is as entertaining as Larry does.
Larry appears every Monday night on Maxim's Sirius radio channel and, as Stuff's online television critic, gets to view HBO's Sunday night shows and 24 a whopping three weeks before everyone else. This makes him feel special. He also contributes to a host of media and technology publications, including Advertising Age, and writes MediaPost's biweekly Magazine Rack column.
In sum, Larry is busier than you are, though probably not taller. He lives in New York City with six guitars and approximately three malnourished plants, and counts running and napping among his diversions.
Apparently, he's so busy that he needs to steal material, without giving credit. As Goldy said, is being Maxim's on-line baseball columnist kind of like being Baseball America's movie critic?
Brewers also a bad influence on Pacman Jones
God are our Brewers just a bunch of knucklehead troublemakers. Even Pacman is blaming them for his past wrongdoings.
I need to keep doing what I've been doing to get reinstated, staying with myself and my teammates and staying away from those knuckleheads and just stay focused."
Damn it Braun! Stop being such a bad influence on Pacman! You knucklehead!
I need to keep doing what I've been doing to get reinstated, staying with myself and my teammates and staying away from those knuckleheads and just stay focused."
Damn it Braun! Stop being such a bad influence on Pacman! You knucklehead!
Packers Preview - Offensive Line
Tootie Robbins getting owned by the Minister
I feel the Packers O-Line is too harshly criticized. Is it an elite group? No. Are their question marks? Yes. Does rotating your guards every other quarter exude confidence? No. BUT, look at the facts: they gave up the least amount of sacks in the league last year, and, after Ryan Grant came along, they ran the titties off the ball! I know they couldn't run against the Giants, but they did pass-protect well. The Patriots couldn't do either. Brady almost got decapitated. No, nobody is confusing this group with the 1990's Cowboy's O-Line, but it's not brutal either. Anyway, here we go.
Starters/Reserves:
Well, it's been a revolving door. After the first week of camp, they were gonna go with the following line and let them gel: Chad Clifton, Allen Barbre, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Mark Tauscher. Then, the injuries came. Wells is still dealing with a "trunk" injury...I didn't know he was part elephant. Sitton, a rookie, was impressing the coaches, but just got rolled up by lard ass Dwayne Robertson and is out until week 3. In comes last year's starter at RG, Jason Spitz. They tried Junius Coston Center, who proceeded to bounce multple shotgun snaps off his testicles. That never works. Tony Moll is now at Center, but Wells should be ready for week 1. As for Barbre, he's reportedly in the doghouse for no apparent reason. Daryn Colledge is back at LG. Get all that? Clear as mud?
Tausch and Clifton are the old guards at the Tackle positions. Despite showing their age on a few pre-season plays (anybody see Denver's Elvis Dumervill blow by Tausch like he was standing still?), they should continue to be one of the best T combos in football.
All told, this is your probable starting line vs Minny in week 1: Clifton, Colledge, Wells, Spitz, and Tausch...just like last year.
Unit Grade: C+. If they could ever get the same 5 on the field at once, that would help.
Minor League Update
Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a walk-off bomb last night for AAA Nashville.
No word on whether he untucked his shirt while staring down the shot from the batter's box, then crawled into the stands in Albequerque and beat the piss out of some fan, in keeping with the teaching of the minor league instructors in the Brewers farm system.
Oh, Gamel also went yard yesterday for Nashville. He only has 1 error in 3 games. Good times.
No word on whether he untucked his shirt while staring down the shot from the batter's box, then crawled into the stands in Albequerque and beat the piss out of some fan, in keeping with the teaching of the minor league instructors in the Brewers farm system.
Oh, Gamel also went yard yesterday for Nashville. He only has 1 error in 3 games. Good times.
Wisconsin Football 2008 Preview
Chris Pressley, not mentioned in this preview even though he is a good FB and an exceptional team leader, blocks a useless Hawkeye during a big P.J. run last season. Thanks to Myles Long for the photo.As the 2008 college football season gets ready to kick off tonight, I figure it is high time to post my outlook on the upcoming Badgers' football season. Thankfully, unlike Deadspin, which has gone to crap since Will Leitch left, this post will not be written by an Iowa fan. It will be written by a Wisconsin alum. Also hopefully Tyler Donovan's Mom will not stop by again like she did last year.
So, most of the pre-season polls and predictions have the Badgers ranked in the 10-15 range with a 2nd or 3rd place finish in the Big Ten. To be honest, I think this team has way too many questions to be ranked that high and challenge OSU for the Big Ten title. With the practices closed to the media this season, there is less pre-season info out there about the Badgers. Hopefully some good things happened during camp and they are ready to explode on the scene.
Last year the Badgers were ranked around #5 in the country coming in to the season and there was talk of a national title shot. They played poorly in the early games and were not able to pull away from the likes of UNLV or The Citadel. They lost a game at Illinois they easily could have won and then came out with one of the flattest performances I have ever seen at Penn State. They had the lead on OSU in the second half, but the piss poor D couldn't stop the Buckeyes. It was a decent season but could have been a lot better.
Coming in to this season there are several question marks on the starting roster and these players will have to step up for the Badgers to have a legit shot at the Big Ten title.
- QB - For those who remember, I was really hoping Allan Evridge would have won the QB job last year. He wasn't able to overtake Donovan, and Donovan, while tough, just couldn't make the throws. This year Evridge gets his chance. Not so much because he is a great QB that wowed the coaching staff in Spring and Fall practices, but because the guys behind him (Sherer, Tolzien) didn't look any better. Evridge is a Senior meaning next season, the Badgers will have their fourth QB in four years. Hopefully Curt Phillips can step up after red shirting this year and have a Bollinger type run. But this year is Evridge's year. He lost some weight in the off season, but is still a sturdy guy who can run. He didn't look great when he was in the games last season, but hopefully the confidence of being the starter is enough to spark Allan. He will need to be a legitimate passing threat to open up the ground game for Hill, Brown and Clay.
- Secondary: This is my biggest concern. The safeties were just brutal last season. Many people like to tout Shane Carter as something special, but I think the guy was just brutal last year. Sure, he had 7 picks, which is great, but the guy takes some of the worst angles when attempting to make a tackle that I have ever seen. Thing is, when he actually pursues correctly, his isn't a very sure tackler. Last season was his first season seeing extensive playing time in college, so hopefully the coaches worked with him on these weaknesses and he will be solid in the middle of the field this year. Aubrey Pleasant was the starting strong safety last year. He played like Carter, but without the INTs. Thus, it sounds like Jay Valai will be the starter this year. He is know for big hits. Lets just hope he knows how to cover as well. The corners are in bad shape right now because of injury. With Ike gone, Allen Langford and Aaron Henry, both coming off serious knee injuries, were set to be the starters. However, Henry, who the coaches feel will be a very good player, had a setback and another knee surgery a few weeks back. He hopes to be back by the Big Ten portion of the schedule. This means redshirt Freshman Mario Goins and little used to this point Niles Brinkley better be up to the task, because they are going to see a lot of playing time. I also worry about Langford because he was never known as a speedster and got by based on being a technically sound CB. If the injury has robbed him or any speed, he could get beat deep often.
- LBs: The linebacking crew was a disappointment last season, but much of that can be attributed to poor MLB play. Look for Jonathan Casillas, he of the punt block recovery in the Minnesota end zone of 2005, and DeAndre Levy to have solid seasons yet again. The key will be the play of new starter Javery McFadden at MLB. If he doesn't improve the play at the position and the safetys blow again this year, the Badgers will have a soft middle and it could be a long year.
- RBs: Hey, something positive! I thought P.J. Hill looked great in the bowl game last season. It looked like he made a statement that he was not going to give up his starting job without a fight. If, a big if, he can stay healthy all season, he could have a monster year. I know he gets knocked because of his injury history, but he has 2,800 yards in two seasons, 29 TDs and averages over 5 yards per carry. That is good stuff. People like to knock Hill, but he is a good all around back. Zach Brown showed last year that he could pick up the slack if needed. He rushed for 250 yards against the Gophers, but he looked to be missing that extra gear to finish off long runs. Hill has this gear, Brown is still looking for it. The wild card if Johnny Clay. He is a big dude with a ton of hype. If he can show something in the pre-Big Ten games, the three headed monster at RB could be something else.
- New Kickers: The Badgers will be welcoming in a new kicker and punter this season. Losing Melhaff will hurt. Not only was he a steady field goal kicker, but his ability to register touchbacks was huge. The kicking battle is still going on, as far as I can tell, between big legged redshirt Freshman Phillip Welch and consistent walk-on Junior Matt Fischer. Taking over the punting duties this year will be Freshman Brad Nortman. These guys are going to have to step up to replace two solid kickers. Poor kicking and punting can doom the field position game.
- WRs: I'll keep this short. Tons of potential. Minimal experience. Somebody is going to have to step up to help out Evridge and open up the field for the running game. This will be eased by the fact that you have a preseason AA at TE in Travis Beckum and another solid TE in Garrett Graham.
- Schedule: The Badgers open up with what should be two wins before heading out to Fresno for a season defining game. Win this game and it is a great springboard into the Big Ten season, proving the badgers are worthy of a Top 10 ranking. Lose and you are looking at another ho hum season. I know people like to bash the Badgers schedule, but how many BCs teams are willing to play at Fresno? Not too many. This is a huge game and could be one of the top 10 non conference games of the season, since good non conference games are few and far between. Wisconsin gets Penn State and OSU at home this season, but watch out for the game at MSU.
So, I am going to go with a 9-3 season. To many questions, in my mind to make a legit run at a Big Ten Title. I see a loss at Fresno, a loss to OSU and a loss at MSU.
No matter what, I am pretty excited college football kicks off tonight. Not that excited about he NFL this year, but the college football season has plenty to offer and crazy stuff usually happens. usually during those late night Pac 10 games on FSN. Anyhow, looking forward to a couple trips to Madison this fall and a yet to be determined roady. I've only seen one loss on the road and that was last tear at Illinois, so maybe I need to go to East Lansing this year to ensure a win.
On Wisconsin.
These are the words of one Bernie Miklasz
It's official. I hate the franchise. The St. Louis Cardinals are now on the same level as the Minnesota Vikings for me. Nothing but a bunch of bitchers and moaners. Ooooooooooooooooo...those Brewers are finally having a good year! Look at them! They untuck their shirts after games and look at their home runs after they hit them! One of their pitchers got a little fired up after working out of a bases loaded jam! What a bunch of arrogant assholes! They've never won anything...only we can do that!
Christ.
Basically, my malcontent feelings towards the franchise reached a boiling point after reading this, which is quite possibly the stupidest thing ever written:
* One more thing: I don’t understand the Brewers. I just don’t. Really, I admire that team and its talent. Doug Melvin is one of the best guys in the game and an excellent GM. There are so many good players on that roster. But why do the Brewers always have to pull stunts? Why do they have to go knucklehead on us so often? What’s up with yanking their shirts out of their pants on the field as soon as they win a game, which, despite what they claim, really is an insult to the other team? What’s up with some of the showboat HR trots? What’s up with a journeyman like Villanueva gesturing wildly and cursing in the direction of the STL dugout? I don’t understand why this talented team feels that it needs to act up like NBA bad boy Ron Artest, or something. I don’t understand why this Milwaukee team feels the need to be controversial. I don’t understand the arrogance, considering that the Brewers have won NOTHING since 1982. And I don’t understand how Yost continues to allow it to happen. The Brewers will probably make the playoffs. They are that good. But we must ask: can you fellas at least hold off on the showboating until you actually win something?
My REACT: Unreal. Simply unreal.
-What stunts are you referring to? Motorcycle jumps? Thrilling late-inning escapes? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
-The Brewers go "knucklehead" on you? In what context? Did any Brewer physically tap his knuckles on the head of a Cardinal? Again...what does this mean?
-Oh...I see what you mean. These "stunts" and "going knucklehead" are really your phrases and descriptions for when the Brewers pull out their shirts at the end of the game. WHY do they do it? They've been doing it basically all year you dolt. It's a silly little tradition Mike Cameron started that caught on because it was the first thing his Dad did when the workday was over (untucking his shirt). Jesus Christ. It's not an insult to anybody. Perhaps to Ralph Lauren...but not the other team. It's not directed towards the other team! OMG...I'm actually writing about the Brewers untucking their damn shirts! Who the F cares?! NOBODY CARES. They've been doing it all year and now the Cardinals are finally realizing they aren't the best (or 2nd best team) in the NL Central this year and they are looking for reasons. They are looking for someone to blame. They are looking for any reason to "shame" the Brewers.
-What's up with the Showboat home run trots? Are you joking? This has been happening in the majors for the last 15 years. ALBERT PUJOLS...a guy on your team...the infallible one...DOES THIS ALL THE TIME! Showboating home runs? This isn't specific to the Brewers you donkey.
-Maybe Carlos got a little excited...maybe. I'll give you that. But did you just call Carlos Villanueva a journeyman? What? A journeyman? Did you just call a 25 year old who has been traded 1 time in his minor league career and has been pitching on 1 major league roster for 3 years now a journeyman? Do you even know what journeyman means? Ron Villone is a goddamn journeyman. Dude's been on like 10 teams. Kent Mercker...yeah...I'd say he was a journeyman. But Carlos Villanueva? No...not a journeyman you fool.
-This "journalist" seriously compared the actions of the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers to that of Ron Artest. Ron Artest plays basketball. He's a maniac. He once jumped into the stands and attacked a fan. He also once beat up a woman, starved dogs, and made a freaking rap album. SOMEHOW HE AND ANY EFFING MEMBER OF THE 2008 BREWERS HAVE THINGS IN COMMON.
-CONTROVERSIAL. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
-And then...he ends it all by saying this: can you fellas at least hold off on the showboating until you actually win something? Yes...there it is. This man feels it's ok to "showboat" when you win something. I feel like his entire article became moot at this juncture. Because good sportsmanship can go out the window once you "win" something...
...or in his case, when you are the St. Louis Cardinals.
Christ.
Basically, my malcontent feelings towards the franchise reached a boiling point after reading this, which is quite possibly the stupidest thing ever written:
* One more thing: I don’t understand the Brewers. I just don’t. Really, I admire that team and its talent. Doug Melvin is one of the best guys in the game and an excellent GM. There are so many good players on that roster. But why do the Brewers always have to pull stunts? Why do they have to go knucklehead on us so often? What’s up with yanking their shirts out of their pants on the field as soon as they win a game, which, despite what they claim, really is an insult to the other team? What’s up with some of the showboat HR trots? What’s up with a journeyman like Villanueva gesturing wildly and cursing in the direction of the STL dugout? I don’t understand why this talented team feels that it needs to act up like NBA bad boy Ron Artest, or something. I don’t understand why this Milwaukee team feels the need to be controversial. I don’t understand the arrogance, considering that the Brewers have won NOTHING since 1982. And I don’t understand how Yost continues to allow it to happen. The Brewers will probably make the playoffs. They are that good. But we must ask: can you fellas at least hold off on the showboating until you actually win something?
My REACT: Unreal. Simply unreal.
-What stunts are you referring to? Motorcycle jumps? Thrilling late-inning escapes? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
-The Brewers go "knucklehead" on you? In what context? Did any Brewer physically tap his knuckles on the head of a Cardinal? Again...what does this mean?
-Oh...I see what you mean. These "stunts" and "going knucklehead" are really your phrases and descriptions for when the Brewers pull out their shirts at the end of the game. WHY do they do it? They've been doing it basically all year you dolt. It's a silly little tradition Mike Cameron started that caught on because it was the first thing his Dad did when the workday was over (untucking his shirt). Jesus Christ. It's not an insult to anybody. Perhaps to Ralph Lauren...but not the other team. It's not directed towards the other team! OMG...I'm actually writing about the Brewers untucking their damn shirts! Who the F cares?! NOBODY CARES. They've been doing it all year and now the Cardinals are finally realizing they aren't the best (or 2nd best team) in the NL Central this year and they are looking for reasons. They are looking for someone to blame. They are looking for any reason to "shame" the Brewers.
-What's up with the Showboat home run trots? Are you joking? This has been happening in the majors for the last 15 years. ALBERT PUJOLS...a guy on your team...the infallible one...DOES THIS ALL THE TIME! Showboating home runs? This isn't specific to the Brewers you donkey.
-Maybe Carlos got a little excited...maybe. I'll give you that. But did you just call Carlos Villanueva a journeyman? What? A journeyman? Did you just call a 25 year old who has been traded 1 time in his minor league career and has been pitching on 1 major league roster for 3 years now a journeyman? Do you even know what journeyman means? Ron Villone is a goddamn journeyman. Dude's been on like 10 teams. Kent Mercker...yeah...I'd say he was a journeyman. But Carlos Villanueva? No...not a journeyman you fool.
-This "journalist" seriously compared the actions of the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers to that of Ron Artest. Ron Artest plays basketball. He's a maniac. He once jumped into the stands and attacked a fan. He also once beat up a woman, starved dogs, and made a freaking rap album. SOMEHOW HE AND ANY EFFING MEMBER OF THE 2008 BREWERS HAVE THINGS IN COMMON.
-CONTROVERSIAL. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
-And then...he ends it all by saying this: can you fellas at least hold off on the showboating until you actually win something? Yes...there it is. This man feels it's ok to "showboat" when you win something. I feel like his entire article became moot at this juncture. Because good sportsmanship can go out the window once you "win" something...
...or in his case, when you are the St. Louis Cardinals.
Darrin Sharper Likes Wine
....or, he is wine. Or, he wants himself in your mouth. Or....ah, screw it, here's the quote:
"I'm like a fine wine, a Cabernet-Merlot-Shiraz blend. It can do a lot of things. It gets better as you open it up and let it get out there and air out, filtrate, do all those things. I don't even need a decanter. Just let me go out there and run. Pour me in your mouth, suck it up and let it run."
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
For What It's Worth...
...the "experts" at ESPN have made their NFL predictions. Notes of interest from the 16 VOTERS:
- Half had Green Bay winning the NFC North, the other half picked Minnesota. Detroit and Chicago...you'll get nothing and like it!
- 12 of 16 had Green Bay in the playoffs. - A whopping 13 of 16 picked Dallas in the Super Bowl (New Orleans got two votes, Seattle the other).
- San Diego is the pick of choice in the AFC.
What does all this mean? Absolutely nothing...got to play the games.
They also have a rundown of every team, here's the Packers.
- Half had Green Bay winning the NFC North, the other half picked Minnesota. Detroit and Chicago...you'll get nothing and like it!
- 12 of 16 had Green Bay in the playoffs. - A whopping 13 of 16 picked Dallas in the Super Bowl (New Orleans got two votes, Seattle the other).
- San Diego is the pick of choice in the AFC.
What does all this mean? Absolutely nothing...got to play the games.
They also have a rundown of every team, here's the Packers.
Playoff Chances? A Lock!
It's officially time to print playoff tickets. Yup, your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers are playoff locks. Its' over...LOCKS, I say. No, this isn't any reverse psychology...it's the real deal. And yes, that would be a %100 flip-flop if you're scoring at home. I've gone from planning the Brewers funeral in May, to playoff lock in late August.
Even Ned can't screw this up. We hope.
Wake me when the playoffs start....football season starts tomorrow.
Even Ned can't screw this up. We hope.
Wake me when the playoffs start....football season starts tomorrow.
How Not to Pitch to Ryan Braun
A final note about last night. Check out this little rant from a St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist about Ryan Braun:
– One more thing: I simply do not understand what the Cardinals are trying to do in their approach to Milwaukee bopper Ryan Braun. This kid simply murders them, and the numbers almost read like fiction.
– In 57 ABs vs. the Cardinals this season Braun has 28 hits for a .491 BA. He’s slammed 7 homers and has 13 RBIs. His OBP is .516, and his SLG is .965 …
– In his two-season career, Braun has 99 ABs against the Cardinals and he’s raked ‘em for 43 hits … that’s a .434 BA … and he has 10 homers and a SLG of .838.
– And yet the Cardinals keep pitching Braun the same. In yesterday’s blog I relied on the STATS scouting reports to offer a glimpse at Braun’s weak spots as a hitter, and basically you pound him low with fastballs and sliders and mix in the change. Or you can ride the fastball up and get him to chase it. What you don’t do is throw this guy any heat from the top of the knees to the belt; he’ll destroy you. And you don’t try to blast him inside; Braun loves to turn on those pitches in. So what do the Cardinals keep doing? Of course: throw the mid-thigh gas, and try to smoke him inside. That was their strategy Tuesday, and Braun launched a thigh-high fastball into the Milwaukee bullpen for a two-run jack. And he added two singles. That’s right: give it to Braun exactly where he likes it. And let the dude keep mauling them. It’s almost comical the way Braun slaps them around. And they simply refuse to alter their approach. It’s as incomprehensible as anything I’ve witnessed of this team in recent years. Yep, the Cardinals will keep showing Braun that they’re right; you just watch.
Yeah - what he said.
– One more thing: I simply do not understand what the Cardinals are trying to do in their approach to Milwaukee bopper Ryan Braun. This kid simply murders them, and the numbers almost read like fiction.
– In 57 ABs vs. the Cardinals this season Braun has 28 hits for a .491 BA. He’s slammed 7 homers and has 13 RBIs. His OBP is .516, and his SLG is .965 …
– In his two-season career, Braun has 99 ABs against the Cardinals and he’s raked ‘em for 43 hits … that’s a .434 BA … and he has 10 homers and a SLG of .838.
– And yet the Cardinals keep pitching Braun the same. In yesterday’s blog I relied on the STATS scouting reports to offer a glimpse at Braun’s weak spots as a hitter, and basically you pound him low with fastballs and sliders and mix in the change. Or you can ride the fastball up and get him to chase it. What you don’t do is throw this guy any heat from the top of the knees to the belt; he’ll destroy you. And you don’t try to blast him inside; Braun loves to turn on those pitches in. So what do the Cardinals keep doing? Of course: throw the mid-thigh gas, and try to smoke him inside. That was their strategy Tuesday, and Braun launched a thigh-high fastball into the Milwaukee bullpen for a two-run jack. And he added two singles. That’s right: give it to Braun exactly where he likes it. And let the dude keep mauling them. It’s almost comical the way Braun slaps them around. And they simply refuse to alter their approach. It’s as incomprehensible as anything I’ve witnessed of this team in recent years. Yep, the Cardinals will keep showing Braun that they’re right; you just watch.
Yeah - what he said.
Opening up a can of....
12-0. Wow. That's all I can say. You know what 12-0 is? It's the score of a Redskins - Ravens game...not a Brewers - Cardinals game. I have two points about last nights game:
-St. Louis didn't even sell out the stadium last night. Get serious Redbirds.
Despite the wild-card implications, the announced attendance of 41,121 was about 3,000 shy of capacity. This after the Cardinals had offered half-price tickets to stlcardinals.com subscribers and free tickets to season ticket-holders with $1 face value in an attempt to paper the house.
I thought St. Louis was a supposed "baseball" town. Nice work city. Way to not pack the house during a playoff race late in the season against the team you are chasing.
-Here's a post yesterday from Cardinals Diaspora that I almost ripped to shreds, but because I'm a decent guy...I waited until today:
But every now and again you get to witness a turning point- a finite moment- and you know its coming....Tonight it’s coming...The Milwaukee Brewers come to town this evening and it’s pretty simple, really. If the Cardinals win they’re certified Wild Card Contenders and the season gets exciting. A loss and a very nice season becomes a very nice third place season.
Well guess what Cardinals fans...12-0. 12-0. I didn't write the above paragraph...but I'll gladly agree with the end result. Your season is done. Finished. Enjoy 3rd place and drinking budweiser. I'll be thinking about you in late September while enjoying a refreshing MGD and peeing my pants.
Don't believe me? Well then...believe Cardinals fans. Because they've mailed it in. LOL.
Order up, St Louis Fans!
Yes, now you can buy the shirt....Untuckem! Why the F didn't we think of this?
Thanks to Jagr for the tip.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Are Cardinals Dangerous When Angry? Because These Particular Peckers Seem Mad.
Wow - I just took a peek at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch coverage of the Cardinals/Brewers series. That's a very exercised group down there in St. Louis.
They seem to be all hot and bothered over the shirt-untucking that the Brewers do after a win. And are still angry about Braun and Hall admiring their majestic game-winning home runs. If they want payback against Hall, it isn't likely to happen with two righthanders on the mound for St. Louis.
I especially enjoyed some of the reader comments to the stories:
#1 from "cncdaddy": Ryan Braun is a punk. He has barely been in the league for a year and he is walking down to first admiring the ball...I would stick a high and tight one right in his ear hole first at bat to let him know he has to earn that privilege.
I wasn't aware of the rule that you needed to play in the league for more than a year and get hit in the head by a pitch before being allowed to admire a game-winning home run. Good to know.
#2 from "Wally the Weasel": It’s not surprising given that the Brewers are quite an unprofessional bunch of goons, and there’s a lot more to their bad attitude than untucking shirts. How about they make the playoffs just once before they start flaunting their success? I’m surprised D.G. is acting as a Brewers apologist. These guys are thugs, and I hope the Cardinals take them down a couple of notches.
Goons and thugs? My Brewers?
#3 from "Elena" (who may or may not be Hispanic): I don’t believe that made-up explanation for a minute. Hispanic players have been doing it for years. It’s really disrespectful when done at away games. Makes me really dislike the Brewers.
Does she dislike Hispanics? Or just untucked shirts? It's unclear, but she seems angry.
Of course, it is entirely possible that LaVodka got drunk today and was posting comments under some of his favorite aliases. Sadly, we'll never know.
They seem to be all hot and bothered over the shirt-untucking that the Brewers do after a win. And are still angry about Braun and Hall admiring their majestic game-winning home runs. If they want payback against Hall, it isn't likely to happen with two righthanders on the mound for St. Louis.
I especially enjoyed some of the reader comments to the stories:
#1 from "cncdaddy": Ryan Braun is a punk. He has barely been in the league for a year and he is walking down to first admiring the ball...I would stick a high and tight one right in his ear hole first at bat to let him know he has to earn that privilege.
I wasn't aware of the rule that you needed to play in the league for more than a year and get hit in the head by a pitch before being allowed to admire a game-winning home run. Good to know.
#2 from "Wally the Weasel": It’s not surprising given that the Brewers are quite an unprofessional bunch of goons, and there’s a lot more to their bad attitude than untucking shirts. How about they make the playoffs just once before they start flaunting their success? I’m surprised D.G. is acting as a Brewers apologist. These guys are thugs, and I hope the Cardinals take them down a couple of notches.
Goons and thugs? My Brewers?
#3 from "Elena" (who may or may not be Hispanic): I don’t believe that made-up explanation for a minute. Hispanic players have been doing it for years. It’s really disrespectful when done at away games. Makes me really dislike the Brewers.
Does she dislike Hispanics? Or just untucked shirts? It's unclear, but she seems angry.
Of course, it is entirely possible that LaVodka got drunk today and was posting comments under some of his favorite aliases. Sadly, we'll never know.
Time Warner Finally Did Something Right
I'll be honest - I'm pretty excited about the news that Time Warner has finally struck a deal with the Big Ten Network.
Now I can watch that big game this weekend with the Zips of Akron.
Now I can watch that big game this weekend with the Zips of Akron.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Packers Preview - Running Backs
The Packer Sweep. Yeah boys, they don't run it like that anymore.
Starters:
Ryan Grant...half year wonder, or legit NFL horse? Grant was acquired at the end of the 2007 training camp for a bag of peanuts, didn't do much until week 8, then took the league by storm. Had the second most (after Tomlinson) rushing yards in the NFL post week 7. Was the only RB to get 100 against Minnesota. Had a 20+ yard run every 17.1 carries...best in the NFL. Was this a fluke? No. He's big, fast, and hauls ass after the initial cut - just what the zone blocking scheme calls for. Of course the musical chairs/MASH unit that is the O-Line will hinder production. And he also has to scrape off some rust after sitting out most of camp with a hammy tweak. I say Grant starts slow, only to improved as the season goes on. The night and day improvement of the running game pre/post Grant cannot be overstated.
Korey Hall and John Kuhn basically split reps at fullback. They never get a carry, but have decent hands and are good blockers.
Bench:
Brandon Jackson looked terrible at the start of 2007. Darrell Thompson thinks this guy looked bad. But after he finally figured out what he was doing, he showed glimpses of being a fine #2. Will he ever be "the man" for some team? That, I don't know. DeShawn Wynn was always nicked up and lazy...which will get you walking papers. I think Noah Herron will also get cut. Vern Morency is like Herron, only more explosive. Rookie Kregg Lumpkin seems to be a more interested and athletic Wynn.
Unit Grade: B. I really think Grant is the real deal, and Jackson has improved. With the O-Line situation in flux, it would be crazy to expect Grant to continue running how he did the second half of last year, but it's a pretty solid overall unit. The FBs are fine.
Random Thought
Mike Cameron's recent offensive surge has given him a stat line that is quite similar to that of a certain rotund first baseman on the Brewers, in significantly less at bats.
Add in Cameron's baserunning and defense, and he's arguably been more valuable to the team this year than Prince has, at least in my opinion.
Cameron:
.257/.345/.528, 23 HR, 58 RBI in 339 at bats
Prince:
.270/.369/.501, 28 HR, 78 RBI in 471 at bats
Time to pick it up, big fella. It would be nice if Prince got hot for a couple of weeks in September...
Add in Cameron's baserunning and defense, and he's arguably been more valuable to the team this year than Prince has, at least in my opinion.
Cameron:
.257/.345/.528, 23 HR, 58 RBI in 339 at bats
Prince:
.270/.369/.501, 28 HR, 78 RBI in 471 at bats
Time to pick it up, big fella. It would be nice if Prince got hot for a couple of weeks in September...
Ballpark Review: Busch Stadium
Hit the new Busch on Friday just in time to see the Cards pour an 18-3 gallon drum of ass whoopin on the Braves. Here's the rundown:
Ballpark:
Red, red, and more red. Pretty much everything you would expect from a brand new ballpark: wide concourses, roomy seats, large menu, clean, etc. Great view of the Worlds Largest Croquet Hoop arch. Nothing to complain about, really. Except for all the Cardinals fans.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Atmosphere:
St. Louis does like their baseball, no doubt about that. When your NFL team has only been their for about 12 years, you don't have an NBA team, no large college to dominate the town, and the Blues play, em, hockey....no wonder the Cards are king. It was a fun atmosphere inside and out. Score: 4.5 out of 5
Bonus Points :
- They don't sell Miller products. Minus 1 Point
- There's a giant crater right next door where old Busch was. Gonna have to order a few yards of top soil and fill that thing in, fellas. Minus 1
- Jeremy with this classic dialog:
Jeremy: "Can't believe I caught a Pujols home run ball!"
Some random guy: "Uh, Pujols didn't hit a home run."
Jeremy: "But it was foul."
Random guy: Blank look on his face and just walks away. Add 1
- You think beer is expensive in Milwaukee? Try $8.25! Minus 1
- The jumbo hot dog was ridiculously good. Add 1
Total Bonuses: Minus 1
Scoreboard
Ballpark: 4.5
Atmosphere: 4.5
Bonus Points: - 1
Grand Total: 8.5 Out of 10....highly recommended.
Huge Loss for Marquette
Well, I definitely didn't see this coming...
Trevor Mbakwe, an absolute beast of a forward who was expected to be the first big guy off the bench, decided to just quit the Marquette basketball team and not show up for classes this week. Now, Marquette is severely weak at that position, and is not going to be able to sign another scholarship player in time for the season.
I...for one...was pretty excited to watch a Marquette lineup at times that would trot out James, McNeil, Matthews, Lazar Hayward, & Mbakwe. That would be a fun team to watch.
In the JSOLINE Marquette blog, they did a follow up this morning. There is no reason given as to why Mbakwe quit, but it looks like he is going to attend a juco this year. You can also read between the lines and see that Buzz isn't particularly happy...probably because he can't fathom why the F Mbakwe would leave a Big East school.
"He had a great summer," said Williams. "Did a very good job academically, progressed toward a degree, had a great summer with our guys in the weight room. So I was completely caught off-guard."
"For all that you have to go through -- through an academic year, through a basketball season, through all the practices, individual workouts, weight sessions, you want guys that are committed to being one of us," he said. "And if you're not committed, then good luck wherever it is that you go."
And just like Keyser Soze...poof...he's gone.
Trevor Mbakwe, an absolute beast of a forward who was expected to be the first big guy off the bench, decided to just quit the Marquette basketball team and not show up for classes this week. Now, Marquette is severely weak at that position, and is not going to be able to sign another scholarship player in time for the season.
I...for one...was pretty excited to watch a Marquette lineup at times that would trot out James, McNeil, Matthews, Lazar Hayward, & Mbakwe. That would be a fun team to watch.
In the JSOLINE Marquette blog, they did a follow up this morning. There is no reason given as to why Mbakwe quit, but it looks like he is going to attend a juco this year. You can also read between the lines and see that Buzz isn't particularly happy...probably because he can't fathom why the F Mbakwe would leave a Big East school.
"He had a great summer," said Williams. "Did a very good job academically, progressed toward a degree, had a great summer with our guys in the weight room. So I was completely caught off-guard."
"For all that you have to go through -- through an academic year, through a basketball season, through all the practices, individual workouts, weight sessions, you want guys that are committed to being one of us," he said. "And if you're not committed, then good luck wherever it is that you go."
And just like Keyser Soze...poof...he's gone.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Chuckie Hacks, a Beacon of Sanity
Bowing to either public pressure or to common sense, Ned went away from his Money Order tonight by switching Hall and Cameron (errrr...3B and CF) in the batting order today.
Perhaps on account of Billy's Golden Sombrero from Wednesday. Or on account of Mike Cameron being red hot. Or because Ned had a brain fart.
Regardless, the Money Order streak ends at 19.
Perhaps on account of Billy's Golden Sombrero from Wednesday. Or on account of Mike Cameron being red hot. Or because Ned had a brain fart.
Regardless, the Money Order streak ends at 19.
Friday afternoon enjoyment!
Sorry about the lack of posts today gentlemen...even great bloggers such as ourselves take the day off every now and again. Wake us up Monday after the Brewers sweep the Pirates.
Anyway, enjoy this old post from WWTDD. I find the writing to be comical.
And what the hell...enjoy this picture too. The Brewers are 18 games over after all...
Anyway, enjoy this old post from WWTDD. I find the writing to be comical.
And what the hell...enjoy this picture too. The Brewers are 18 games over after all...
Crawfish Boxes hire Mike Hunt
I find this to be a pretty funny post. I can completely tell where this guy is coming from though. The Astros are pretty much out of the Wild Card race, but within a week, if a couple things break the right way, they could be within shouting distance. It most likely won't happen and this guy concedes that, but as a fan, he is hanging on to any sliver of hope that may remain.
Chanelling his inner Mike Hunt, the writer states:
"Anyways... Yes, we sucked in the last 2 series and yes we're probably not going to make the playoffs... But let's look on the bright side... We could be the Tampa Bay Rays.. wait.. Doh, they are good this year... scratch that. With the loss today, the Astros are back to being 8 1/2 games out of the Wild Card Race...
I'm still an optimist... not an eternal optimist... scratch that... I'm not an optimist... I'm a realist... and the reality is... a 4 game sweep of the Mets and a 4 game losing streak for the Brewers could happen... I doubt it will... but it could. And if that did by some chance happen... we could be 4 1/2 games behind the Brewers."
Mike Hunt would be proud.
Chanelling his inner Mike Hunt, the writer states:
"Anyways... Yes, we sucked in the last 2 series and yes we're probably not going to make the playoffs... But let's look on the bright side... We could be the Tampa Bay Rays.. wait.. Doh, they are good this year... scratch that. With the loss today, the Astros are back to being 8 1/2 games out of the Wild Card Race...
I'm still an optimist... not an eternal optimist... scratch that... I'm not an optimist... I'm a realist... and the reality is... a 4 game sweep of the Mets and a 4 game losing streak for the Brewers could happen... I doubt it will... but it could. And if that did by some chance happen... we could be 4 1/2 games behind the Brewers."
Mike Hunt would be proud.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Gwynn Jr., Not a Prospect
I saw an interesting little tidbit buried in Ken Rosenthal's latest column (which primarily dealt with the 130 pitches thrown by Sabathia on Monday - really? still talking about that?)
Tony Gwynn Jr. has only 10 extra-base hits in 328 at-bats at Class AAA.*
(*Actually, I just looked up the stats and it's 11 extra-base hits in 343 at-bats at Nashville. But that doesn't change the premise - the dude is slugging .316 in almost 350 at-bats in AAA.)
Wow. I think we know why he hasn't been called up when guys like Laynce Nix have been. Gwynn is not that great of a baserunner, defender, or on-base percentage guy to make up for that stunning lack of pop in his bat. Counsell slugs better than that.
So people need to stop calling for Gwynn Jr. to be the starting centerfielder next year. It's not going to happen. Gwynn hasn't shown that he's anything close to being a starting-caliber player in the major leagues. Cameron is going to be the guy next year.
Tony Gwynn Jr. has only 10 extra-base hits in 328 at-bats at Class AAA.*
(*Actually, I just looked up the stats and it's 11 extra-base hits in 343 at-bats at Nashville. But that doesn't change the premise - the dude is slugging .316 in almost 350 at-bats in AAA.)
Wow. I think we know why he hasn't been called up when guys like Laynce Nix have been. Gwynn is not that great of a baserunner, defender, or on-base percentage guy to make up for that stunning lack of pop in his bat. Counsell slugs better than that.
So people need to stop calling for Gwynn Jr. to be the starting centerfielder next year. It's not going to happen. Gwynn hasn't shown that he's anything close to being a starting-caliber player in the major leagues. Cameron is going to be the guy next year.
"Big" Game
My guy
Does a "big" preseason game exist? Probably not. But lets just say tomorrows game vs Denver will be watched a little more closely than most. The Packers basically soiled themselves in San Fran last week in every area possible. Running, throwing, catching, tackling, penalties...everything. Yeah, if Driver/Lee catch those balls the score is much different than it was...but those would have simply been lipstick on a pig.
Even the stalwarts have been struggling thus far: Driver's dropping balls, Kampman hasn't sniffed the QB, and even Clifton was getting bull rushed 5 yards in the wrong direction. I can't remember that ever happening.
On to Denver they go. They're still missing some big pieces to the puzzle (Pickett, Hawk, Grant), but who isn't this time of year? Yes, it's still the preseason, but another 34-6 keg of whoop ass would be very hard to swallow. Need to get something going...on both sides of the ball. Don't kick it to Jordy, Denver...DON'T DO IT!
Hitting a roadie to check out the new Busch Stadium and Comisky Park tomorrow. Any tavern suggestions near the parks? A recap on Monday.
Nick Barnett will be able to feed his family...
...well maybe. He had to "go there" with this one little nugget:
I go with the rules they set. Now I get to play Monday night. Pockets are a little lighter, but I still get to play.
Pockets a little lighter Barnett? Lighter? Try to look at things from the big perspective pal:
Barnett will lose $155,882 of his $2.65 million salary this season.
That's right Barnett. $2.65 Million this one effing year. You donkey. Shut your mouth.
Oh I'm not done yet. How about over $15M so far for his career?
Cheer up Nick, you'll get through these tough times. I hear they sell 5 Jack's frozen pizzas for $10 up there in GB...so stock up now before the money dries up.
I go with the rules they set. Now I get to play Monday night. Pockets are a little lighter, but I still get to play.
Pockets a little lighter Barnett? Lighter? Try to look at things from the big perspective pal:
Barnett will lose $155,882 of his $2.65 million salary this season.
That's right Barnett. $2.65 Million this one effing year. You donkey. Shut your mouth.
Oh I'm not done yet. How about over $15M so far for his career?
Cheer up Nick, you'll get through these tough times. I hear they sell 5 Jack's frozen pizzas for $10 up there in GB...so stock up now before the money dries up.
Just when your hopes were getting up about the Bucks
Jesus Christ.
“I think it’s a ligament,” Bogut said.
I was actually somewhat excited about the upcoming Bucks' season. When I mean excited, I mean on a scale of 0 to 10...maybe a 3. But that was better then last year when my excitement level was 0...so there.
We dumped the two most hated players in Milwaukee, and drafted an athletic role player. The team resigns the steadily improving 7 footer, and things actually are looking up.
Anyway, here's to hoping it's nothing serious.
UPDATE: Well, it appears to be just a sprained ankle...and Bogut won't miss any significant time.
“I think it’s a ligament,” Bogut said.
I was actually somewhat excited about the upcoming Bucks' season. When I mean excited, I mean on a scale of 0 to 10...maybe a 3. But that was better then last year when my excitement level was 0...so there.
We dumped the two most hated players in Milwaukee, and drafted an athletic role player. The team resigns the steadily improving 7 footer, and things actually are looking up.
Anyway, here's to hoping it's nothing serious.
UPDATE: Well, it appears to be just a sprained ankle...and Bogut won't miss any significant time.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Olympic Rant
This is sure to be the only Olympic post in Chuckie Hacks history. I could give a crap less about every event except one...the 100 meter dash. How sweet would it to have "World's Fastest Man" on your resume? Usain Bolt is currently that guy. After watching him obliterate the field in the 200m dash, I wanted to see the all time 100m results. The findings offered up some observations.
First, while it seems like guys are breaking the world record every 4 years, the number hasn't dropped as much as you would think. Sure, we're only talking about a 10 second race, but it really hasn't. Some guy named Harold Abrahams ran a 10.60 in the 1924 Summer Games. Bolt just set the record with a 9.69. All we've shaved off in the last 84 years is 0.91 seconds??? That's it? Less than a second, in 84 years!! And Abrahams was some white guy from Great Britain. I figured it would be more than that. Way more.
Second, Darvis Patton finished 8th in the 100m final with a time of 10.03. Of course, that's Vince Coleman-fast. BUT, can you believe he would not have taken gold in the 1964 Olympics? That's 44 years ago! I just assumed that the 8th fastest guy today would easily win the Olympic gold 44 years ago. Not so. I would have put good money on that bet.
Third, although the 100m W.R. does keep getting lower and lower...when does it plateau? 9.00? 8.75? I mean, 300 years from now are guys gonna run it in like 6.55? Don't all records (sprints/swimming) have to plateau at some point? What's that point?
Ah, just a bunch of useless questions that cross my mind while watching Mr. Bolt run like a puma.
First, while it seems like guys are breaking the world record every 4 years, the number hasn't dropped as much as you would think. Sure, we're only talking about a 10 second race, but it really hasn't. Some guy named Harold Abrahams ran a 10.60 in the 1924 Summer Games. Bolt just set the record with a 9.69. All we've shaved off in the last 84 years is 0.91 seconds??? That's it? Less than a second, in 84 years!! And Abrahams was some white guy from Great Britain. I figured it would be more than that. Way more.
Second, Darvis Patton finished 8th in the 100m final with a time of 10.03. Of course, that's Vince Coleman-fast. BUT, can you believe he would not have taken gold in the 1964 Olympics? That's 44 years ago! I just assumed that the 8th fastest guy today would easily win the Olympic gold 44 years ago. Not so. I would have put good money on that bet.
Third, although the 100m W.R. does keep getting lower and lower...when does it plateau? 9.00? 8.75? I mean, 300 years from now are guys gonna run it in like 6.55? Don't all records (sprints/swimming) have to plateau at some point? What's that point?
Ah, just a bunch of useless questions that cross my mind while watching Mr. Bolt run like a puma.
The Money Order
Some of our more astute readers have picked up on a trend that I've noticed recently as well involving Ned Yost and his automatic batting order.
If you're paying close attention, you might have noticed that over the last few weeks, Milwaukee's batting order has gone as follows, regardless of the players who occupy each position:
2B
SS
LF
1B
RF
3B
CF
C
P
For sake of brevity, I'm going to call this Ned's "Money Order."
As I was curious about how long this has gone on, I had the Chuckie Hacks research staff pore over box scores to identify exactly when the Money Order trend began and how consistent it has been. In short, the results were shocking.
In August, Ned has gone with his Money Order for each of the 19 games played. You have to go all the way back to July 31, the final game of the Cubs series, to find a game in which Ned did not go to the Money Order (in that game, which was pure desperation time for the Brewers, Counsell played 3B and hit 2nd, Hardy played SS and hit 3rd, Braun played LF and hit 5th and Kapler played RF and hit 6th).
Amazingly, since July 6, Ned has gone with the Money Order in 39 out of 40 games, with July 31 being the only exception.
This includes:
If you're paying close attention, you might have noticed that over the last few weeks, Milwaukee's batting order has gone as follows, regardless of the players who occupy each position:
2B
SS
LF
1B
RF
3B
CF
C
P
For sake of brevity, I'm going to call this Ned's "Money Order."
As I was curious about how long this has gone on, I had the Chuckie Hacks research staff pore over box scores to identify exactly when the Money Order trend began and how consistent it has been. In short, the results were shocking.
In August, Ned has gone with his Money Order for each of the 19 games played. You have to go all the way back to July 31, the final game of the Cubs series, to find a game in which Ned did not go to the Money Order (in that game, which was pure desperation time for the Brewers, Counsell played 3B and hit 2nd, Hardy played SS and hit 3rd, Braun played LF and hit 5th and Kapler played RF and hit 6th).
Amazingly, since July 6, Ned has gone with the Money Order in 39 out of 40 games, with July 31 being the only exception.
This includes:
- The famous 8/14 game against Jake Peavy, when Craig Counsell played SS and hit 2nd and Laynce Nix started in LF and hit 3rd. It was just shocking that the team managed only 2 runs that game with that duo at the top of the lineup.
- All of the games that Ryan Braun has missed with his intercostal thingy; in each case his replacement (usually Kapler) has hit 3rd. Although Kapler has generally been decent as a replacement, he isn't a #3 hitter. This burned Milwaukee when he came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs twice on Tuesday, and failed each time.
- All games in which Counsell played 3B or SS - meaning that he hit either 6th or 2nd depending upon the position that he played. Honestly, if Counsell has to play, he needs to hit 7th or 8th. Not 2nd or 6th.
Ned also used the Money Order 7 times in mid-late June.
Seriously, if Prince played catcher for some reason, would he bat 8th? Based on the research, I think you'd have to say yes, he would.
Obviously, this is insane. Nobody does their lineup based strictly upon the postion that the player plays. I'm not a Ned hater. In fact, I've generally been a Ned defender. But conventional wisdom would tell you that batting Kapler 3rd every game that Braun doesn't play is nuts. In that situation, Hart should hit 3rd, with Cameron hitting 5th. Counsell should never, ever, ever, ever bat 2nd and he has no business batting 6th either. If he plays, he hits 7th or 8th. Look, the idea is to get your best hitters more at bats, and your sluggers more at bats with the potential for runners to be on base.
But the craziest thing? The Money Order works. In the 39 games that Ned used it since July 6, the Brewers are 24-15. In the 7 games that Ned used the Money Order in June, the Brewers were 5-2. That's 29-17 in 46 games with the Money Order since mid-June.
Meaning that the Money Order will be sticking around for a while - and if they win 63% of their games the rest of the way using the Money Order, then I'm OK with it. But I have to believe the Money Order is costing the team runs when Counsell and Kapler bat way out of position.
Astros 2008 R.I.P.?
If you believe this game thread from over at the Crawford Boxes, the Brewers just ended Houston's season with today's victory over the Astros.
Not that I take any particular pleasure in that - I don't hold any ill will towards the Astros. Except when they're trying to make the playoffs instead of the Brewers. Personally I thought their season was over quite a while ago, especially when Lee got hurt, though they have been rather hot lately.
I say, buck up Houston. You have 6 games left with the Cubs and 3 left with St. Louis - now go get some wins.
Not that I take any particular pleasure in that - I don't hold any ill will towards the Astros. Except when they're trying to make the playoffs instead of the Brewers. Personally I thought their season was over quite a while ago, especially when Lee got hurt, though they have been rather hot lately.
I say, buck up Houston. You have 6 games left with the Cubs and 3 left with St. Louis - now go get some wins.
Playoff Odds
The brilliant minds over at Baseball Prospectus keep an ongoing Postseason Odds link up on their website, so basically at any time you can check in and see what you're favorite team's odds are!
How do they compute it? Hell...I don't know. Try reading through all that stuff. I guess they run a million different simulations and then base their odds on that. A million simulations seems like an appropriate number.
Here are the current odds in the NL to reach postseason:
Mets - 68%
Phillies - 30%
Cubs - 99%
Brewers - 78%
Cardinals - 16%
DBacks - 57%
Dodgers - 43%
If you break the Brewers 78% down, they are 72% likely to win the wild card & 6% likely to win the division. So yet again, just another example of how impossible it is for the Brewers not to make the playoffs this year.
An ohhh...the Nationals...yeah their playoff chances are at 0%, along with a few other teams. Enjoy September guys!
We'll check back on this odds report a few more times the rest of the way.
How do they compute it? Hell...I don't know. Try reading through all that stuff. I guess they run a million different simulations and then base their odds on that. A million simulations seems like an appropriate number.
Here are the current odds in the NL to reach postseason:
Mets - 68%
Phillies - 30%
Cubs - 99%
Brewers - 78%
Cardinals - 16%
DBacks - 57%
Dodgers - 43%
If you break the Brewers 78% down, they are 72% likely to win the wild card & 6% likely to win the division. So yet again, just another example of how impossible it is for the Brewers not to make the playoffs this year.
An ohhh...the Nationals...yeah their playoff chances are at 0%, along with a few other teams. Enjoy September guys!
We'll check back on this odds report a few more times the rest of the way.
Milwaukee Fail
WTF?? This looks NOTHING like the Fonz. Holy Crap, that looks terrible. Did that blind woman from that 1980s Lionel Ritchie video sculpt this? Sorry, Fonz.
Reds Apologize For Being Shitty
I, for one, predicted good things from these Reds. Didn't happen. The team issued a rather comical letter to the fans explaining their situation.
I like how they talk about how they've "capitalized on our burgeoning younger players" without mentioning Edinson Volquez? Odd. And you have to be happy about them signing a vast majority of their 50 draft picks....I.E. "We'll mention the draft picks because we know we'll suck for the foreseeable future."
Letter
I like how they talk about how they've "capitalized on our burgeoning younger players" without mentioning Edinson Volquez? Odd. And you have to be happy about them signing a vast majority of their 50 draft picks....I.E. "We'll mention the draft picks because we know we'll suck for the foreseeable future."
Letter
No longer a sleeper pick
Wow...all I can say is this: If Tom Bosley isn't a first round pick in next year's Celebrity Death League...somebody in our league hasn't been doing their research. I mean...he's basically there already. Prove us wrong Tom!
Photo pulled from JSONLINE.
Feels so right...it can't be wrong...
...rocking and rolling all week long!LOL...effing Potsie!
Picture found on JSONLINE.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Packers Sign DT Rodney Allen
Who? Rodney Allen, from your Odessa Roughnecks of the Intense Football League...which is exactly where you should be scouting football players. Its an indoor league with a bunch of teams from God-for-saken cow towns in Texas and two in....Alaska. Because traveling from Odessa, Texas to Fairbanks, Alaska is pretty common.
Anyway, Allen has a few things going for him:
1) He played at Kansas, a BSC school
2) He's from Coral Gables, Florida...a football Mecca,
3) He's cousins of Willis McGahee, good bloodlines. And,
4) He's a big dude who's hard to move. Green Bay needs all of those they can find right now.
Anyway, Allen has a few things going for him:
1) He played at Kansas, a BSC school
2) He's from Coral Gables, Florida...a football Mecca,
3) He's cousins of Willis McGahee, good bloodlines. And,
4) He's a big dude who's hard to move. Green Bay needs all of those they can find right now.
CC pwned Cecil
So much for the sweep...huh Cecil? Congratulations on your first Billups of the Week win.
As far as Brewer games go...that was about as fun as one can get to watch. 2 out- run scoring hits, home runs, and a dominant performance by the Guerranimal that is CC Sabathia. I can't even adequately express in words how awesome this guy is. Dude's a freaking beast.
The only armchair manager decision in question about that game was the fact that CC went back out to finish off the game in the 9th inning, holding a 7 run lead and with an already high pitch count. We already know that WV doesn't like it...but what do you guys think?
I wouldn't have minded if he would have gotten pulled, but I also like the fact that he finished it off. That is 5 complete games in 9 starts for the Crew. What he is doing is incredible. If he keeps up his pace, this mid-season acquisition will be remembered for a very long time. And you know what...the MAN himself says he's ok.
“It’s not that big a deal,” Sabathia said of his pitch count, which tied for the second-highest in the NL this season. “I knew I had an extra day (before pitching again).”
So there you go. A Ryan Braun "It doesn't matter I own you all" type of comment. CC gets an extra day off this week with the off days. Then he's going to come back out and pitch another complete game. That is what soul owners do.
As far as Brewer games go...that was about as fun as one can get to watch. 2 out- run scoring hits, home runs, and a dominant performance by the Guerranimal that is CC Sabathia. I can't even adequately express in words how awesome this guy is. Dude's a freaking beast.
The only armchair manager decision in question about that game was the fact that CC went back out to finish off the game in the 9th inning, holding a 7 run lead and with an already high pitch count. We already know that WV doesn't like it...but what do you guys think?
I wouldn't have minded if he would have gotten pulled, but I also like the fact that he finished it off. That is 5 complete games in 9 starts for the Crew. What he is doing is incredible. If he keeps up his pace, this mid-season acquisition will be remembered for a very long time. And you know what...the MAN himself says he's ok.
“It’s not that big a deal,” Sabathia said of his pitch count, which tied for the second-highest in the NL this season. “I knew I had an extra day (before pitching again).”
So there you go. A Ryan Braun "It doesn't matter I own you all" type of comment. CC gets an extra day off this week with the off days. Then he's going to come back out and pitch another complete game. That is what soul owners do.
Back to the Bench
Well, Ryan Braun appears to have reinjured himself last night after striking out.
I have a solution for this little problem, Ryan: Stop swinging and missing.
I predict that obviously, Braun will miss the next 5 games.
I have a solution for this little problem, Ryan: Stop swinging and missing.
I predict that obviously, Braun will miss the next 5 games.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Good thing we dumped LaPorta
Matt LaPorta's dismal month continues.
First he suffers through a terrible slump after being traded to the Indians' organization.
Next thing you know he gets attacked by China.
China manager James Lefebvre was the first man to be ejected after twice leaving the dugout to protest plays before relief pitcher Chen Kun was also given his marching orders for delivering a fast ball drilled into the helmet of Matt Laporta.
The injury doesn't appear to be severe...but LaPorta did spend the night in the hospital for observation.
Ahhh...you stay classy Jim Lefebvre. If this doesn't prove that the Chicago Cubs are Communist Sympathizers then I'm not sure what does.
The lesson again...as always...China sucks. So do the Cubs.
First he suffers through a terrible slump after being traded to the Indians' organization.
Next thing you know he gets attacked by China.
China manager James Lefebvre was the first man to be ejected after twice leaving the dugout to protest plays before relief pitcher Chen Kun was also given his marching orders for delivering a fast ball drilled into the helmet of Matt Laporta.
The injury doesn't appear to be severe...but LaPorta did spend the night in the hospital for observation.
Ahhh...you stay classy Jim Lefebvre. If this doesn't prove that the Chicago Cubs are Communist Sympathizers then I'm not sure what does.
The lesson again...as always...China sucks. So do the Cubs.
Astros in Town
After a just your basic .500 west coast road trip, the Brewers are back in town tonight for a week against the surging Astros and lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. The Astros are up first. The bad for the Crew? The Astros are on fire. They have basically been around 7 or 8 games under .500 all year and have picked up the pace the last month. They are now 2 games over and sit 7.5 behind the Crew in the Wild Card. Good for them.
The good for the Crew? We're trotting out CC, Sheets, & Parra for the 3 game set. You gotta like that right? You gotta feel good about your chances in a series with those 3 guys right?
But if you're Cecil Cooper...what do you do??? You predict a sweep.
In response to a reporter saying that the Astros could sweep the Brewers, Cooper said, "I'm predicting that, I'm going out on a limb. You heard it here first."
Interesting take Cecil...I thought I was the only guy that can make asinine predictions about sweeping teams.
Well Cecil...you twisted my arm. I'm also going to go out on a limb. I'm going to predict that the Brewers DO NOT get swept by your overachieving team, in a series where we miss your ace, you don't have Carlos Lee, and we have our top 3 pitchers going.
Yeah...I'll throw the Woz Guarantee up for that.
Friday, August 15, 2008
This Classic Works Better
OK, The Quizno's things get annoying, but this classic works much better. I am thinking of throwing some whistle tips on the Saab. Just for decoration. It is also fun to waqlk down State Street with the Senator as he is throwing out lines from this clip. Good Times.
Stupidity to help me through the night
Well, I didn't get hit by a car, so maybe this will help. They have a pepper bar.
My Feelings Regarding this Series
I wouldn't play this too loudly at work. Unless you work at the F Bomb factory. Then you are probably good to go.
Bigfoot & a Chuckie Hacks update
Here's your Friday non-sports related link: Freaking Bigfoot! I love shit like this. It's for sure real. Totally. Here's the quote of the story:
“There’s a lot of comment being made that it looks fake, or it looks like a suit,” Mr. Dyer said. “But these people wasn’t there when I was sweating, pulling this thing through the woods.”
You're right Mr. Dyer...people were not there. But I think you got a little confused. I think when you were sweating and "pulling this thing through the woods" you were really "masturbating furiously in the woods." But that's neither here nor there.
Also, here's a somewhat related Chuckie Hacks site update. You may have noticed along the right side we added a few more sports blogs under the "good stuff" category. We also added a "Non-Sports Tomfoolery" category in which we listed some other awesome sites for daily time-wasting perusal. Enjoy yourself. There's plenty for everybody.
This is just another step we are making towards becoming the internet's "one stop shop" for everything you need. Basically, I don't why you need to go to any other sites. So thanks for your continued support of our site, and please click on a few sponsorships everyday on the top of the site. Our sponsors pay big bucks, and Brad has a serious Taco Bell problem that requires lots of funds.
LA is Gagne's turf
Hey wait a minute...isn't Eric Gagne married? Do you think his wife will be happy when she hears he is gallivanting at some hot spot in LA looking for trim?
Click here to see the video.
Cameras caught the goateed cheater hangin' with his boy and Brewers teammate C.C. Sabathia outside of Foxtail, when suddenly Gagne decided it was time to add a little estrogen to the mix. That's when the star of such literary classics as "The Mitchell Report" waved two hotties over and star-powered his way into the club.
Stories like this are why I got into this business people. Because this video is just good times. Check out Braun rocking out his Affliction gear. Mike Rivera looking TOTALLY out of place. And of course, Gagne looking like he runs the town.
I for one am happy the boys are enjoying a little tomfoolery and LA poon. I wonder if Braun likes to cut a rug? Anyway, it's a good sign that Braun is out clubbing it. That has to mean he is ready to get back onto the field right?
Click here to see the video.
Cameras caught the goateed cheater hangin' with his boy and Brewers teammate C.C. Sabathia outside of Foxtail, when suddenly Gagne decided it was time to add a little estrogen to the mix. That's when the star of such literary classics as "The Mitchell Report" waved two hotties over and star-powered his way into the club.
Stories like this are why I got into this business people. Because this video is just good times. Check out Braun rocking out his Affliction gear. Mike Rivera looking TOTALLY out of place. And of course, Gagne looking like he runs the town.
I for one am happy the boys are enjoying a little tomfoolery and LA poon. I wonder if Braun likes to cut a rug? Anyway, it's a good sign that Braun is out clubbing it. That has to mean he is ready to get back onto the field right?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Manny's Left Arm
As Parra continues to pitch well, his innings count rises. It's currently at 132. Not counting possible playoff innings, he's is on pace for 185. For comparison, he only pitched 131 in 2007, and the most innings he's ever thrown was 139 back in 2003 in beautiful Beloit.
Worried about possible fatigue as he approaches a whopping 50 more innings than his previous max? Should they "save" some innings for September/October? Maybe skip a couple starts? Limit him to 5 innings/start?
Thoughts?
More Bulletin Board Material
I think the Packers are most likely about a 4-12 team this year. I really don't see how they win more than 6 games.
The 3 quarterbacks on their roster have a combined 0 starts in the NFL. Zero! None! Never started a game! Here comes another exclamation point!
I bet this has never happened before in the NFL.
That's the most important position in professional football, hell, the most important position in sports. And there is no experience on the roster.
Fine work Ted. Just a super job of managing your roster.
"Oh, but Aaron Rodgers has been in the system for 3 years. He's so great. He knows everything. He just needs his chance. Jeff Tedford quarterbacks are so great in the NFL. Blah blah blah."
Yeah, well, Rodgers has had 2 opportunities to play in the NFL so far in relief of Favre. And he got hurt twice. If I'm Green Bay, I don't feel real comfortable about that. Rodgers is the Justin Harrell of the quarterback position.
Get ready for a bunch of Brian Brohm this year, Packers fans.
This will be the last time I post about the Packers.
The 3 quarterbacks on their roster have a combined 0 starts in the NFL. Zero! None! Never started a game! Here comes another exclamation point!
I bet this has never happened before in the NFL.
That's the most important position in professional football, hell, the most important position in sports. And there is no experience on the roster.
Fine work Ted. Just a super job of managing your roster.
"Oh, but Aaron Rodgers has been in the system for 3 years. He's so great. He knows everything. He just needs his chance. Jeff Tedford quarterbacks are so great in the NFL. Blah blah blah."
Yeah, well, Rodgers has had 2 opportunities to play in the NFL so far in relief of Favre. And he got hurt twice. If I'm Green Bay, I don't feel real comfortable about that. Rodgers is the Justin Harrell of the quarterback position.
Get ready for a bunch of Brian Brohm this year, Packers fans.
This will be the last time I post about the Packers.
Pat Williams - Still Talking Smack
You all saw his earlier quotes about the Week 1 MNF match up. He's still at it, talking abou shutting down Ryan Grant:
Pat Williams admits he and fellow Pro Bowl tackle Kevin Williams have talked about what Grant did when he went for 119 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
"That ain't going to happen Monday night [in the opener]," Pat Williams said. "Trust me it ain't going to happen. I've got everybody focused."
Pat Williams admits he and fellow Pro Bowl tackle Kevin Williams have talked about what Grant did when he went for 119 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
"That ain't going to happen Monday night [in the opener]," Pat Williams said. "Trust me it ain't going to happen. I've got everybody focused."
Do the Brewers have the best pitching staff?
Like I said yesterday, the Padres should have just forfeited last night. Talk about BORRRRRRRRING! Watching CC systematically destroy hitters is becoming one of my new favorite pastimes (and they said he didn't have his "good stuff..." HA!) Assuming Ned Yost doesn't do anything stupid with the upcoming off days and lets CC pitch ever fifth day, we are looking at 8-9 more starts for the big fella.
Is it conceivable that CC could not lose a decision the rest of the way? It'd say it's conceivable. The question is: is 14-0 with a 1.40 ERA and a sub-1 WHIP enough to get the CY Young? Big time conceivable. I love that word.
Anyway, the bigger question to ask as we are the midst of this soul-owning 8 game winning streak: Do the Brewers have the best pitching staff in the NL? Granted, it's a slightly loaded and ambiguous question...so crude analysis will have to do.
Let's head on over to the ESPN stat page, which allows you to basically figure out any stat you want in any situation. Here is what we find out (all rankings based on ERA):
-The Brewers OVERALL have the 3rd best pitching staff in the NL.
-The Brewers OVERALL have the 2nd best starting pitching staff in the NL.
In both instances, the Cubs are ranked ahead of the Brewers. But we are not done yet: we haven't taken into consideration the CC Sabathia effect:
-Since the ALL-STAR BREAK, the Brewers have the #1 pitching staff in the NL, ranking #1 in ERA & #1 in WHIP.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen: We're the best around. We've currently got the best pitching staff in baseball, the best overall pitcher in baseball, and are riding high on an eight game winning streak. It's good times in Brew City.
Is it conceivable that CC could not lose a decision the rest of the way? It'd say it's conceivable. The question is: is 14-0 with a 1.40 ERA and a sub-1 WHIP enough to get the CY Young? Big time conceivable. I love that word.
Anyway, the bigger question to ask as we are the midst of this soul-owning 8 game winning streak: Do the Brewers have the best pitching staff in the NL? Granted, it's a slightly loaded and ambiguous question...so crude analysis will have to do.
Let's head on over to the ESPN stat page, which allows you to basically figure out any stat you want in any situation. Here is what we find out (all rankings based on ERA):
-The Brewers OVERALL have the 3rd best pitching staff in the NL.
-The Brewers OVERALL have the 2nd best starting pitching staff in the NL.
In both instances, the Cubs are ranked ahead of the Brewers. But we are not done yet: we haven't taken into consideration the CC Sabathia effect:
-Since the ALL-STAR BREAK, the Brewers have the #1 pitching staff in the NL, ranking #1 in ERA & #1 in WHIP.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen: We're the best around. We've currently got the best pitching staff in baseball, the best overall pitcher in baseball, and are riding high on an eight game winning streak. It's good times in Brew City.
Matt LaPorta Wishes He Was Back In Huntsville
Actually, I'm not sure if this is the case whatsoever, but check out the numbers.
Huntsville (AA, Milwaukee): 84 games, .288, .402 OBP, 20 HR, 66 RBI
Akron (AA, Cleveland): 14 games, .212, .250 OBP, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Huntsville (AA, Milwaukee): 84 games, .288, .402 OBP, 20 HR, 66 RBI
Akron (AA, Cleveland): 14 games, .212, .250 OBP, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Padres should just forfeit tonight
It could seriously happen. The Padres might just call in sick tonight. I mean what's the point of even trying to go up against CC.
Oooooo...who are they countering with? Josh Banks? Yeah I hear he's pretty good. Too bad he's got less wins this season (3) then CC has complete games since he came to the NL (4). Suck on that biatch!
"Don't do it Zeus," you might be saying. "Don't give the Woz Guarantee. It hasn't been working lately (or ever). The Brewers struggle against sucky young pitchers. "
F that. This game is in the bag. Consider it Shipped. Bet your farm, houseboat, tool chest, & Goldy's wife's jewelry collection on the Brewers tonight. I give it THE WOZ GUARANTEE.
Side note: The Woz Guarantee will be semi-officially retired if the Brewers don't win tonight.
Oooooo...who are they countering with? Josh Banks? Yeah I hear he's pretty good. Too bad he's got less wins this season (3) then CC has complete games since he came to the NL (4). Suck on that biatch!
"Don't do it Zeus," you might be saying. "Don't give the Woz Guarantee. It hasn't been working lately (or ever). The Brewers struggle against sucky young pitchers. "
F that. This game is in the bag. Consider it Shipped. Bet your farm, houseboat, tool chest, & Goldy's wife's jewelry collection on the Brewers tonight. I give it THE WOZ GUARANTEE.
Side note: The Woz Guarantee will be semi-officially retired if the Brewers don't win tonight.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Trading Gonzalez Was a Bad Choice
As I'm up past my bedtime watching Milwaukee and San Diego, wondering why, oh why, Craig Counsell is batting 6th again tonight, I thought I'd pass along the result of a quick chat I had with Brad tonight about the Padres.
We got to talking about Adrian Gonzalez, who is pretty much the most ignored superstar in baseball, playing out West for a struggling franchise.
Guy's numbers are ridiculous in 2008 - .281/.355/.518 with 28 HR and 88 RBI coming into tonight. He's on pace to improve on last year's breakout season, when he hit .282/.347/.502 with 30 HR and 100 RBI.
Consider these factors working against Gonzalez:
- he hits in Petco, which is where sluggers go to die (I'm looking at you, Brian Giles)
- he plays for a team with no protection in the lineup - unless you call Kevin Kouzmanoff protection. Why does anybody pitch to this guy?
But it gets better for San Diego. Guess how they got him?
Oh, they traded Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and some throw-in for Gonzalez and Chris Young. That's about as lopsided a trade as you can get in baseball. Although Young has been hurt this year, he was great in 2007 and 2006, posting ERAs in the low 3's both years. And we know that Gonzalez has been a steal.
Adam Eaton? He started 13 games for Texas in 2006, posting a 5.12 ERA. Moved on to Philly the next year, where he continued to suck out loud.
Otsuka? Good year in 2006, posting 32 saves and blowing only 4. Then in 2007 he got hurt and is now out of baseball.
I know there were reasons why Texas probably thought this was a good move at the time. They needed a closer. Texiera was blocking Gonzalez. But the trade looks really foolish right now.
A funny side-note on Gonzalez? He was actually traded for a closer once before - Texas got him from Detroit in a July 2003 deal for Ugueth Urbina. Yes, that Ugueth Urbina.
By the way, I think the Brewers just broke the record for the most times grounding out to the pitcher in one game.
We got to talking about Adrian Gonzalez, who is pretty much the most ignored superstar in baseball, playing out West for a struggling franchise.
Guy's numbers are ridiculous in 2008 - .281/.355/.518 with 28 HR and 88 RBI coming into tonight. He's on pace to improve on last year's breakout season, when he hit .282/.347/.502 with 30 HR and 100 RBI.
Consider these factors working against Gonzalez:
- he hits in Petco, which is where sluggers go to die (I'm looking at you, Brian Giles)
- he plays for a team with no protection in the lineup - unless you call Kevin Kouzmanoff protection. Why does anybody pitch to this guy?
But it gets better for San Diego. Guess how they got him?
Oh, they traded Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and some throw-in for Gonzalez and Chris Young. That's about as lopsided a trade as you can get in baseball. Although Young has been hurt this year, he was great in 2007 and 2006, posting ERAs in the low 3's both years. And we know that Gonzalez has been a steal.
Adam Eaton? He started 13 games for Texas in 2006, posting a 5.12 ERA. Moved on to Philly the next year, where he continued to suck out loud.
Otsuka? Good year in 2006, posting 32 saves and blowing only 4. Then in 2007 he got hurt and is now out of baseball.
I know there were reasons why Texas probably thought this was a good move at the time. They needed a closer. Texiera was blocking Gonzalez. But the trade looks really foolish right now.
A funny side-note on Gonzalez? He was actually traded for a closer once before - Texas got him from Detroit in a July 2003 deal for Ugueth Urbina. Yes, that Ugueth Urbina.
By the way, I think the Brewers just broke the record for the most times grounding out to the pitcher in one game.
If There Really Are Football Gods....
...they must make this happen. AWESOME!
We’ve learned that Johnson has taken the first steps in the state of Florida toward legally changing his last name to Ocho Cinco.
Seriously.
Bulletin Board Material
Well...it appears there is one team that can't wait to play the Packers this year...the Vikings on the first Monday Night.
Good Lord, talk about old-fashioned trash talking:
“I’m going to try to crush all of ‘em,” Williams said. “That’s been the focus of my whole summer – the Green Bay Packers.”
“Playing Green Bay on Monday night to start the season – that’s everything you want,” Allen said. “Hopefully, I can put my helmet square in the back of his {Rodgers} spine. If I can do that and knock the ball loose, it’ll be a good day.”
Well...helmet on the back of his spine...that doesn't sound that violent.
Well, it appears the Vikings are this year's "sexy" pick to make some noise in the NFC (I believe last year it was San Fran...and ahem...that didn't work). Whatever...they say our QB might struggle? Take a look at who's in charge of the purple this year. Tavaris Jackson is not taking these clowns anywhere.
Good Lord, talk about old-fashioned trash talking:
“I’m going to try to crush all of ‘em,” Williams said. “That’s been the focus of my whole summer – the Green Bay Packers.”
“Playing Green Bay on Monday night to start the season – that’s everything you want,” Allen said. “Hopefully, I can put my helmet square in the back of his {Rodgers} spine. If I can do that and knock the ball loose, it’ll be a good day.”
Well...helmet on the back of his spine...that doesn't sound that violent.
Well, it appears the Vikings are this year's "sexy" pick to make some noise in the NFC (I believe last year it was San Fran...and ahem...that didn't work). Whatever...they say our QB might struggle? Take a look at who's in charge of the purple this year. Tavaris Jackson is not taking these clowns anywhere.
Green Bay Packers Preview: Linebackers
That's Ray Nitschke, bitches! Go ahead, try to steal this guy's lunch money. RIP, Ray.
Not a bad start for Green Bay last night. Rodgers and the #1 defense looked pretty solid. On to the previews...Linebackers:
Starters:
Nick Barnett is the heart and soul of the LB corps. He's a tackling machine with speed. DC Bob Sanders want to use he and AJ Hawk in more blitz packages this year...that can only utilize their strength. I've said this before, and I'll say it again....Hawk hasn't made too many impact plays, but if his only job thus far has been to tackle the guy who comes in his space, he's been fine. Hopefully DC Bob Sanders is more aggressive with Hawk and Barnett like he says they will. Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar are pretty much co-starters. They're gonna do a Ned Yost platoon here...Poppy's better against the run, Chillar stronger in pass coverage. Poppy played DE in college and will be used as a rush end in certain situations.
Reserves:
This unit is VERY deep. Who to cut from the following will be a difficult choice. Desmond Bishop is currently the #2 MLB, he'll probably make the team. After missing last year with tendinitis surgery in both knees, Abdul Hodge has been an animal. Last night was a prime example. He may have been the most impressive player (on either team) in the second half. And oh by the way, the 7th LB on the list, Tracy White, is the Packers best special teams player. These will be difficult cuts indeed. Sadly, Terry Tate did not make the roster...WOOOOH!!
Final Grade: B+. Deep and talented. If the attack style of defense is not just coach-speak, look for some big plays in 2008 ladies and gentleman.
Quote of the Week
This quote has it all - a thinly-veiled reference to the Parra/Fielder incident, and Silva referring to himself in the third person AND by his nickname. And his nickname is obscure - it's not like Francisco Rodriguez calling himself K Rod, or Randy Johnson calling himself the Big Unit. Carlos Silva's nickname is Chief? Who knew?
Just fantastic.
From John Donovan's latest column:
"Maybe 'Chief' has to go and grab somebody from his neck and throw him into the wall and something's going to change. I'm very close to doing that, so write that down."
-- Seattle pitcher Carlos "Chief" Silva, on the moribund Mariners
Maybe 'Chief' should grab himself by the neck and throw himself into a wall - he's currently 4-13 with an ERA just shy of 6 and a WHIP of 1.5. All for the low, low price of $8.25 million this year.
And the Mariners are 45-73.
Yeah, I think it's a little late for all of this, Chief.
Just fantastic.
From John Donovan's latest column:
"Maybe 'Chief' has to go and grab somebody from his neck and throw him into the wall and something's going to change. I'm very close to doing that, so write that down."
-- Seattle pitcher Carlos "Chief" Silva, on the moribund Mariners
Maybe 'Chief' should grab himself by the neck and throw himself into a wall - he's currently 4-13 with an ERA just shy of 6 and a WHIP of 1.5. All for the low, low price of $8.25 million this year.
And the Mariners are 45-73.
Yeah, I think it's a little late for all of this, Chief.
Thanks Nationals!
The Nationals coming into town is like back in college when you went over a month without getting laid. What do you need? Slumpbuster baby. It's like one of the girls you hang out with bringing one of her home town friends over to party for the weekend. Sure, she's a little "big" but you know what, her lower half ain't too bad and she's looking to party. You take care of business, and confidence is back. Next thing you know, you're back on a hot streak. You walk into Buckhead Saloon and start picking off co-eds 1 by 1. You're hot. That's what San Diego is. A team you can just pound on and continue the winning ways.
Let's go. Keep that hitting streak alive.
Monday, August 11, 2008
If Braun goes on the DL .....
... who do the Brewers call up?
This could be a devastating injury. Braun is the one guy who has been consistent all season. Heck, he is even clutch now. Taking him out of the line up for 2 weeks would be tough. But I really can't see the team flying him out to the west coast if his back is killing him. If he goes on the DL, it would be retroactive to yesterday and he would be able to come off the DL right before a series at St. Louis at the end of August. In the meantime, lets hope Ned doesn't go with just plugging in whoever is playing left in the 3 hole and hope he actuialy switches the line-up around a bit, based on who is called up. Lets look at some potential replacements.
This could be a devastating injury. Braun is the one guy who has been consistent all season. Heck, he is even clutch now. Taking him out of the line up for 2 weeks would be tough. But I really can't see the team flying him out to the west coast if his back is killing him. If he goes on the DL, it would be retroactive to yesterday and he would be able to come off the DL right before a series at St. Louis at the end of August. In the meantime, lets hope Ned doesn't go with just plugging in whoever is playing left in the 3 hole and hope he actuialy switches the line-up around a bit, based on who is called up. Lets look at some potential replacements.
- Tony Gwynn Jr. - In 75 games at Nashville this season TGJ is batting .273 with a Weeks-esq .331 OBP. He has 16 SBs, amazingly 1 homer and 21 RBIs. 71 of tony's 81 hits have been singles. erg.
- Laynce Nix - Nix has some MLB experience, unfortunately most of that was in 2004. Laynce (ghey spelling) is batting .284 with a .346 OBP in Nashville. He has some pop with 23 homers and 60 RBIs. He can also play the corners and center. Looks like he would fit in with 87 Ks so far this season.
- Jay Gibbons - The Brewers took a flyer on this guy for a situation just like this. In 60 ABs at Nashville, following a brief trip to Huntsville, Jay is hitting .300 with a Mensch like .311 OBP. He has 2 bombs and 5 RBIs. I don't think he is the best defensive player ever and how many steroid guys can one team have?
- Hernan Iribarren - If I recall correctly from his last time up, he may be out of options now. Hitting .280 with no homers and 27 RBIs at AAA. I just don't see it happening.
- Mat Gamel - The most exciting option. Doug already said he would most likely be called up September 1. Bring up Mat and put Hall in the OF. Mat is batting .333 with a .400 OBP and .945 OPS. Yah, that sounds good. He also has 17 homers and 86 RBIs. Is that something you might be interested in? He does have an astonishing 27 errors at third. Wow.
- Mel Stocker - Pinch runner extrodinaire.
A Chuckie Hacks congratulations!
Well, isn't this just a delightful little story!
We hear at Chuckie Hacks would like to congratulate Bob Gessert on his first ever hole in 1 at the Legend at BrandyBrook golf course! Click here and scroll about half way down to see the picture!
"So what Zeus?" you might be saying..."who the F is Bob Gessert?"
Oh...this is Bob Gessert ladies and gents...The old pal of my favorite Packer of all-time: Mark Chmura.
Could it really be 8 years since the famous party out in Hartland? Ahhh...so many memories...
We hear at Chuckie Hacks would like to congratulate Bob Gessert on his first ever hole in 1 at the Legend at BrandyBrook golf course! Click here and scroll about half way down to see the picture!
"So what Zeus?" you might be saying..."who the F is Bob Gessert?"
Oh...this is Bob Gessert ladies and gents...The old pal of my favorite Packer of all-time: Mark Chmura.
Could it really be 8 years since the famous party out in Hartland? Ahhh...so many memories...
No offense National's fans...
...but your team sucks. I mean the Nationals are truly terrible.
Anytime Ron Belliard is your first baseman I can't imagine there is much to be happy about.
Anytime Ron Belliard is your first baseman I can't imagine there is much to be happy about.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Brookfield Became a Whole Lot Prettier Yesterday
The Braun and Miller restraining orders prevented me from coming within 300 feet of this video shoot.
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I frankly don't know how this ad campaign can fail.
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Ryan Braun and Marisa Miller, two of the absolute best things in the world, probably in the history of the world, teaming up to sell some Remington cut-your-own-hair product?
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Best idea ever.
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Photo from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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