Introducing...the Bill Schroeder Commentary Drinking Game!

Similar to the "24" drinking game in which you take a shot every time Jack Bauer yells "Dammit" or "We're out of time! Give me a name!" or tortures a suspected terrorist...I'd like to try out an experiment before the all star break. I'm interested in how trashed one could get watching a Brewer game and taking a drink every time Bill Schroeder says one of the following:

"Where did that miss?"

"My Goodness..."

"Are you kidding me?"

"You betcha partner (said to Anderson)."

I'm confident there are a solid dozen shots each night if we stick with these original rules. If you'd like to expand on the game and report back your findings...we'd love to hear it.

Enjoy your beverages.

A couple K bye's

If anybody was wondering if Michael Jackson was picked in my celebrity death pool...here's the update: I picked him in the 4th round. I'm like the Jack Z. of Death Drafts, I know where to find the best sleepers.

Related to that, here's a true story of an event that happened to me last night. No exaggeration. I'm pulling through the Taco Bell drive through after work when the following exchange happens between me and the girl working the window (not attractive by any reasonable measure):
Girl - "That'll be $7.45...HEY! Oh my God did you hear Michael Jackson died?
Me - "Oh yeah...he's out. It's all over the internet and radio."
Girl - "Wait...I heard it could only be a heart attack and he might be alive!"
Me - "He's gone. Deal with it."
Girl - "It's just crazy...you know?!"
Me - "You know what else is crazy? I picked him in the 4th round of my celebrity death pool. I get a point for that."
Girl - "Ummm...that's kind of weird."
Me - "You know what else is weird? Starting a conversation with a customer in the drive thru lane at Taco Bell about Michael Jackson's death."

And finally, on a Chuckie Hacks personal note...I'll basically be ending my run of posting here on the old site. Job promotion and studies for the CPA exam will do that to a blogger. It's been a good run and I can retire knowing I'm the 2nd best Brewer blogger in the business (nobody tops KLSnow...even I'll admit that). I'll still comment from time to time and maybe throw up a post if I get real worked up about something...but that's basically it. I hope if I left a lasting mark on anyone its that the word "billups" has made it's way into their everyday vocabulary.

K bye Richard Jefferson!

Hmmm...I must admit I didn't see this one coming. I guess all he was worth was a 1-year run.

The Milwaukee Bucks agreed to trade Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto a Bucks source told ESPN.com.

Two Name was the guy who told me about this...referring to it as a "pure salary dump." Can't say I disagree. According to the article all 3 of the guys we are getting in return have expiring contracts...which in the poker game of the NBA are basically wild cards. They are highly valuable in numerous ways.

And...the Bucks continue their complete revamp AGAIN this off season. Seems like they don't know which way to go.

More questions will be answered (or not) depending on who they draft. The fate of Charlie V and Ramon Sessions are the other two big question marks besides the draft.

And oh...I think I might have scooped the JS on the ESPN article...so you know...I got that going for me...which is nice.

Only one word to describe tonight's game...

Game of the year. Hell of a display for Braun and Fielder in front of a national audience.

2 random points of awesomeness from watching the ESPN telecast:

-Phillips and Schulman were calling the game and had Uecker on in the 4th inning, mainly to talk about the 20th anniversary of "Major League." I'm paraphrasing what was said exactly but at one point Uecker was just thanking the guys for letting him be there and he says "Thanks Stevie and...(pause) you too (in reference to Schulman)." Now, I can't be sure...but that sounded like he forgot Schulman's name. It's just like Harry Doyle in Major League...
"Hello Tribe fans, Harry Doyle here along with Monty...uhh...what's his name."

-Later that game they had Peter Pascarelli on the broadcast. His very first words were "I just miss Oral." Needless to say, from his outside appearance, I bet Peter has "missed Oral" for quite a long period of time. Zing!

There's a new Prince in town!

So a fella by the name of Josh Prince was selected in the 3rd round yesterday. Good for him. Hey! Check it out! He's got a facebook page!

Now, there's probably a 10% chance that this is the same Josh Prince...but it's not like the picture looks ridiculously different from the other ones I've seen.



Could this guy really be our 3rd round draft pick? God I hope so. Plus I like the fact this guy has Hillary Duff listed under his favorite music section.

Brewers draft Indiana Basketball player who believes he's next Jonathan Papelbon

I think that the MLB draft is slowly becoming one of my favorite in-season baseball topics, mostly because of the ridiculous stories, stats, & quotes you get from most of the draftees. Its nice because they haven't been trained yet in any sort of humility. Don't forget our boy Brett Lawrie, who last year famously stated that he expected to be in the big leagues in a "year and a half." Brett must not have been thinking TOO clearly at the time, because hey...you actually have to play professional baseball to make the big leagues (not sit on the bench for Team Canada in the Olympics).

So here's the "hot" news about the Crew's first round draft pick:Mr. Eric Arnett.

A) He wanted to play basketball at Indiana, but couldn't because of scholarship problems. So, because HE'S A GAMER, he suited up and practiced with the team and even traveled with them! And as result, TOM CREAN lobbied for him to get drafted!

Crean was a regular at Miller Park during his 10-year tenure at Marquette, where he rebuilt the program into a national power. He's trying to do the same at an Indiana program short on top players.

So short that Arnett walked on and would have had a spot on the team if not for a scholarship technicality. Instead, he suited up as a practice player and traveled with the team throughout the season. He made a mark on Crean.

Oh you bet Arnett loves Mr. Tom Crean!

"He's been awesome, calling people. I'm using him as a reference," Arnett said.

B)When asked who he would compare himself too...he says Jonathan Papelbon and also says they have the same "mentality." I like the fact our new draft pick somehow thinks he has the same testicular fortitude as a guy who has saved games in the World Series and did an Irish Jig afterward.

He believes his stuff is in the mold of Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon.
"I compare to him with his mentality and everything," Arnett said. "I don't know if I have that look that he does. I don't know. I have a pretty good slider and hopefully I can work on the changeup a little more to perfect that and improve my split."

You know Eric...I don't know you...but I bet you have Papelbon's look. Don't ever doubt yourself. Tom Crean believes in you.

C)Perhaps the best quote in the story:

"I'm a fairly signable guy," Arnett said. "I don't think it should take too long."

Thanks for being signable Eric. Chuckie Hacks welcomes you to the best organization in baseball.

I'll try and get more stuff up on some of the other draft picks today. Power of google and all...

He's Back!

Oh yes Ladies and Gentlemen, Jorge "3 and 2/3 innings pitched" de la Rosa will be back in Milwaukee (career ERA at Miller Park of 8.47!!!) and pitching against the Crew for the Rockies on Wednesday.

Call your bookie. Take the over on Wednesday. Doesn't matter what the line is. The Brewers will have him bounced by the 4th after he'll finish with 9 earned.

In other news, Chuckie Hacks has learned from Brewers personnel that the following two things will be placed behind the pitching mound when the Rockies are in the field Wednesday to accommodate Jorge:
A bucket: For which before the start of each inning Jorge will vomit profusely into, to calm his nerves.
A fresh towel: Will be replaced each inning for him...to be used in between pitches to wipe down the sweat that will no doubt be dripping from every pore on his body.

I'm going tonight, but won't be there tomorrow. If any Hackers go there and are within heckling distance, please give it Jorge. I loathe him.

The "Marquette Got Screwed" Rule

It doesn't change the fact that Marquette got screwed near the end of the game during their 2nd round loss to Missouri this past NCAA tournament, but hey...at least the bureaucrats actually changed something to make sense.

We'll call this change the "Marquette Got Screwed" Rule.

No longer can a coach call on any player — as MU's Mike Anderson did in summoning Kim English from the bench for the injured J.T. Tiller with 5.5 seconds left and the score tied 79-79 in that second-round tournament game. English hit both in MU's 83-79 win.

Now, the opposing coach will choose from the four remaining players on the floor.

I like it! Not sure if they went a little too far by allowing the opposing coach to make the selection...but at least one of the guys on the floor will be taking the shot in these situations. It only makes sense. You can't have a guy come off the bench to shoot a technical.

The bottom line is this: that call lost Marquette the NCAA Championship this year (not even up for debate).

H/T: Two Name for the tip.

1/3 of the way through the season...

Just wanted to check in with everybody to see who's still "on board" with the current Brewers' team. There's been a decent amount of grumblings recently online and on the radio that a trade (for a starting pitcher again) will be the only way the Brewers' can remain competitive in the long run for a playoff spot. There's some truth to that on the surface. At 31-23, the Crew is on pace for a 93 win season (and most likely a playoff berth). Their expected W/L though (based on runs scored v runs allowed) has them on pace for an 86 win season as a result of their lower run differential. St. Louis is currently ahead of us in this respect. So the argument can be made on some level that the Brewers have over-performed this year to date.

But on the flip side, I see no reason to panic. We still are...after all...31-23 and tied for first in the central. The team has made improvements (I use that word loosely) at some of the bench positions with the dumping of Brad Nelson, Duffy, and the gas can. The loss of Rickie Weeks (based on projecting his hot start through a whole season) looms somewhat large but it looks like McGehee and C3 are at least up to the challenge at shouldering perhaps half of Rickie's production.

As surprisingly good (overall) as the starting pitching has been, there hasn't been a quality start in a week. With the way this rotation is built however, we (as fans) have got to get used to this happening a couple more times down the road this season. With the exception of Gallardo, these guys are all 5-6-7 inning pitchers. NOW, that's not a BAD thing. But there are going to be 2 week stretches where each guy goes 6 or 7 plus, and there are going to stretches (similar to this week) where maybe Gallardo struggles for a game and next thing you know each guy is struggling to get 5 innings in. Nature of the business.

So what are the major problems of the team? I see 3 main areas of improvement, 2 of which have been shoved down your throats numerous times so far this year all over, the last hasn't been mentioned much.
Manny Parra:
Just can't figure the guy out. He started off sucky, then went through a good stretch, and after his last start is at the low point of his young career. After his last start Adam McCalvy reported some alarming stats for the guy: At that time he led the NL in walks, losses, and earned runs. EGAD! We know two things about Parra: 1) The Brewers need him to be the pitcher he was in the first half of last year to succeed this year, and 2) he is seriously costing the Brewers wins so far with his abysmal performance. These 2 things don't mesh well. I'm just not sure how much more of a leash he's got, especially with Tim Dillard throwing quality innings down in AAA ball.
Bill Hall: I think it's safe to say the ONLY reason Bill Hall gets any playing time right now is because of his contract. The man is just putrid (yet somehow is currently the 3rd vote getter in the NL All Star voting amongst 3rd basemen...thanks Milwaukee!). A guy called in to the 1250 post game show last night and said what needed to be said. Hall's contract is what it is. Macha and Sveum need to sit him down NOW...TODAY...and say if he doesn't change his batting stance, listen to Sveum and maybe try to give this team a little help with the bat in the 2nd half of the season, he will be buried on the bench with almost 0 playing time because he can't be trusted as a pinch hitter. He will not see the field unless he listens to Sveum. It's gotten past the point of any kind of defense for Bill Hall. He's the worst player on the team. It's that simple. Yeah...I'll say Jody Gerut is better. Hell, I'll even say Kendall is better, and I'm about to bash him in my next paragraph.
Jason Kendall: Here's one that not many people are talking about. Jason Kendall. Good God is he done with the stick. After 178 plate appearances, he is slugging .260. TWO FREAKING SIXTY! You know who could slug .260 after 178 plate appearances in the major leagues? I'll tell you. ANYBODY. The receptionists who work in my office could do that. Matt's wife could do that. Watching a Jason Kendall at bat right now is like getting your teeth pulled. You do nothing but cringe and moan the entire time and you want it to be over. I know he's around for his defense and he brings hard to quantify "intangibles" to the table...but here's the question guys: AT WHAT POINT does Kendall's complete inability to be any kind of an offensive threat outweigh whatever value you want to assign to his defense and intangibles? I'm not sure of the answer to that. All I know is that with Mike Rivera, you are getting much more offense then you would with Kendall without losing as much on the defensive side. I mean really, is Rivera that bad? Of course not. I just hope that as we move forward into the season, Kendall's playing time decreases from 80% to closer to 50%. Who knows, maybe at this point in his career the decreased playing time with only boost his numbers.

We're all interested to hear in what you guys think. I'm still sticking with my original prediction of the Brewers being a 94 win team.

Join us Live at the Sportsbubbler!

Hey! Goldy and I (and possibly Brad...if his wife lets him) will apparently be "live blogging" the Brewer-Marlins game tonight.

Go here and look for the Brewers-Marlins game 4 live blog.

Now, I have no idea what this all entails. All I do know is that whatever it is, I'm going to dominate it, Woz style. Cause that's how I roll.

It's a baseball town!

There may...I repeat...MAY be 300 people in the stands tonight at the Marlins-Brewers game. For shame.

As I type this...Prince Fielder just got thrown out stealing 3rd base, and it may have been one of the worst baseball decisions I have ever seen.

Perhaps the swine flu has taken over Florida?

Brandon Phillips isn't impressed...

So the Brewers finished up a sweep of the Reds this afternoon with a standard Brewer type victory: got up early then opened it up with a home run, then coasted the rest of the way with Yo on the mound. Nice game for a Sunday.

But Brandon Phillips had a little more to say after the game.

>"I feel like we're a better team than the Brewers," he said. "But today, they executed better than we did. They did the little things. We didn't do the little things the last two games. That's why they won the game."

Now, I don't mind Phillip's confident attitude (Example A: Ryan Braun thinks he's the best baseball player ever) but I just find timing of the quote sort of amusing. His team just got swept in a series in relatively convincing fashion in 2 of the games by a reigning playoff team and current division leader. He then chooses that time to state that he "feels" his team is a better team.

I'd also like to know if he considers 2 & 3 run home runs to be "little things."

For the record, I do think the Reds are a dangerous team with weapons at the key spots. Just now sure about them over a 162 game season (pure opinion). I just found the fact weird that Phillips would choose to say this to the media at this juncture. We'll see if his quote gets any reaction from the Brewers clubhouse the next day or so.

Fun with Numbers on a Friday

Pop Quiz for all the loyal CH readers:

The subject is Mr. Chad Fox. Former Brewer reliever and standard MLB journeyman. Guy is/was hurt constantly.

How much cash do you think over the course of his career he made per inning?

No cheating. The numbers are pulled from his baseball reference page. I find it somewhat laughable if you think about in the grand scheme of things.

You know you're a Billups when...

...Tomo Ohka replaces you on a major league roster!

Poor Action Jackson. He's looking more and more like he can only top out at Triple A. Small sample of innings this year, but he got shelled yet again. 14 hits over 8 innings of work isn't going to get it done.

For the record, I still like the CC Sabathia trade...

Hat Tip to Two Name again for the update.

Boring Game = Picture of hot Alaskan Chick

So I attended the baseball game at Miller Park this fine evening, hoping to witness some level of excitement during the event. Boy was I wrong. The only positive thing I can think of from the game was that C3 got two opposite field hits. Everything else completely sucked.

I was thinking about writing something about the Brewers...but you know what? I'm not. I'm not going to waste time. They'll be fine. Eventually Corey Hart will remember he's playing baseball and not cricket and the team will rebound.

So let's get down to some real business: random hot Alaskan women. Anybody see the preview during Monday's game of Ice Road Truckers Season 3? Can you say...sexy vixen!

Lisa is a rambunctious tomboy and a motocross-riding daredevil who is as full of energy as she is cute. Lisa has crashed both trucks and motorcycles, but she doesn’t let fear get in her way on the road. She must battle the big boys daily just to keep her job.

I love it! Let's check out the photobook shall we!

She looks good even when she gets a little dirty. You work on that truck girl.



I'm digging the look. Oh baby are you a little cold?

Yeah...I know I know. Definitely not a 10 (or even a 9 or an 8). Judging from the photographs she appears to lack a decent frontcourt, but I can overlook that. What I like though...is the attitude gentlemen. You don't mess with her. This chick isn't afraid of a spider. She can make herself look good...while at the same time driving a big rig across a icy death trail. YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE THAT. To paraphrase Johnny Drama, She's the kind that you grab on to...and surrender all control.

The DVR for Ice Road Truckers Season 3 has been set.

Road Trip - St. Louis

Caught all of the 2+ games in St. Louis this past weekend. Road Tripped it down with 9 total people in 3 cars. Got hotel rooms in a classy establishment about 5 blocks from the Stadium, roughly 3 blocks from the Arch. All at a reasonable cost. I'm not sure how it would have been possible to NOT have a good time. Here are the random moments from the trip:

One of the guys in the group (whose internet name is The Great One) is in the lead of the caravan on the way down in his car. He has the paper directions along with a GPS that TELLS YOU where to go. We are somewhere in Illinois (shudder). Naturally, the Great One misses a turn and all 3 cars lose a half hour. Billups point #1.

Some food is in order. My car has fallen behind by a few minutes as a result of the missed turn, thus we call ahead to see where the caravan has stopped. The Great One informs my vehicle that the rest of the crew is going to Culvers. 5 minutes later, we pull into Culvers. Nobody is there. They were all at KFC. Naturally...because you know...that's where they said they would be. Billups point #2.

Eventually we get into St. Louis and one of our rooms gets upgraded to a suite. With 3 hours to spare before the game, we decide a vicious 1 hour speed quarters game is in order. Here is a list of comments made by the Great One during this 1 hour period (Side Note: If you haven't figured it out yet, the Great One is a large, obnoxious, beast of a man who has no idea what an inside voice is. Everybody has "that guy" in their friend group.).
"I'm for sure bringing a chick back to the hotel tonight. I don't care if I get the swine flu. Seriously, it's big time overrated. I heard you don't even die from it."
"Did anybody do any research online about the asian massage parlors in the area? I might have to get deep."
"I'm finding the biggest black woman I can find and bringing her back to the room tonight. Woz you better be ready to go down the hall if I bring her back."
(While sitting down): "Wow...I don't think this chair can hold me for much longer. The over/under is 12 minutes before a severe break."
(The TV is on in the background with nobody paying attention, he jumps up randomly...points at the TV and screams): "F*cking die you Bitch!" Everybody is flabbergasted and confused. When he sits back down he calmly says: "That was Queen Elizabeth. I have her in the Celebrity Death Pool." Needless to say, that was my favorite quote of the trip.

We start walking to the stadium. The atmosphere is just great. Everybody is friendly. Nobody is saying anything bad about the Brewers or anything. Basically it is the opposite of being in Chicago.

We walk into the Stadium and I inform the rest of the guys to "go to the seats" as I head to use the facilities. Little did I know this was a mistake because it took me 15 minutes to get to the seats after that. In hindsight, I will say that the stadium is awesome, but highly confusing to get where you need to go. Maybe I'm just used to Miller Park, but there seemed to be a general lack of staircases and the ones I used seemed to always take me to the wrong level.

Eventually I get to my section, but before I do a couple of hot chicks stop me (nothing new). They ask me "what it's worth" for the Cardinals T-shirt around my neck (stadium giveaway). I respond with a "I'd like to have a good time tonight." They give me a disgusted look and walk away. I give myself a satisfying grin and walk to my seats.

Eventually the monsoon comes in. We start asking people how it's possible to build a stadium without a roof. Over the next 15 minutes this question is asked to any Cardinals fan within talking distance. People may have been annoyed. I'm not sure.

Eventually the game gets called off but as Goldy mentioned in a previous post I was "well on my way" and wasn't going to stop. It's about 11pm. Most of the guys in our party went back to the hotel to pass out. That's not how I roll on the first night. Myself, the Great One, and another dude hit up the "hot spot" in town apparently referred to as "The Landing." Our first stop is in a Brewery of some sort. In a very short period of time we have a group of females in our presence. While not realizing it, both of my companions tell me one of the chicks is VERY INTERESTED in being deflowered by Woziszeus. After talking with her for a little bit she informs me she:
A) Is a pharmacist
B) Grew up on a farm
C) Makes A LOT of money (she actually reiterated that numerous times)
D) Would become a Brewers fan if I got to "know her better."

Point D sealed her fate. It shouldn't take a little sweet talking from Woz to get one to like the Brewers. We left that bar soon after that. It might also have something to do with the fact that she wasn't that attractive and I was completely plowed at that point, but regardless.

I wasn't prepared for the next place. I have no idea of the name, but there was a live band covering Rage Against the Machine and chicks dressed like strippers dancing for your enjoyment on the bar. No exaggeration. I thought I had stepped into a strip joint for a second. These babes weren't messing around. If they had it, they shook it. I paid dearly for my satisfaction of my current state with numerous shots and tips.

Sometime after that, I stumbled back to the hotel with my other buddy while the Great One went to the Casino down the street and won $800. I ate an entire box of gushers and went to bed.

The rest of the weekend was spent attending the other two Brewer games while checking out more of the "traditional" things to do in St. Louis as evidenced by this photo:


Some additional good times were had though. Here they are in no particular order:
-I'm sitting in line early Sunday morning outside the stadium ticket office. There is a large sign that clearly states "Tickets" and a line of maybe a dozen people waiting to get to the windows. There is basically nothing else in the surrounding area. A woman comes up to me (again, I'm in the ticket line of a major league baseball stadium) and asks: "Why are people in line? What's this for?" I just stare at her for 5 seconds...then say very slowly..."T I C K E T S."
-On the "Kiss Cam" during Sunday's game, the last couple they showed were two middle-aged women with short haircuts. They had a long, passionate kiss and at the end stared into each other's eyes. I have nothing to say about this, the event just simply needs to be documented.
-I had a conversation with a Cardinals fan in front of me during the Sunday game about Looper and Suppan. He asked me how I liked Looper in a Brewer uniform and I told him something along the lines of "he's doing decent so far, it's nice having that kind of guy in the rotation, He's just like Suppan but we got him at a more reasonable cost...blah blah blah." The gentleman then states that Suppan is "way" better then Looper and that he didn't feel like Looper could "take it to teams" and "step it up a notch when it matters" like Suppan could. I kind of let the conversation lull after that. No point in arguing. I guess Soup is still somewhat of a demigod down there from his performance in 2006.

All in all, GREAT trip. Like I mentioned already, the Stadium is in a great location and designed very well with the St. Louis skyline right in the background. Everything (bars, restaurants, the river, the stadium, hotels) are within a mile of each other. And, I will say it one more time, the St. Louis fans were extremely friendly.

I know there is a budding fued going on between certain members of the St. Louis media and the young shirts-untucked Brewer Whippersnappers...but I saw none of that arrogant close-mindedness when I was down there. But hey, I guess there isn't much to make fun of if you're a Cardinals fan and you're up against a superior team like the Brew Crew.

Quite possibly my favorite K Bye of all time...

K bye Brad Nelson!

The internet was blowing up tonight with reports trickling out that Mr. Mat Gamel was on his way to Milwaukee. Rumors were rampant if a trade was in the works, blah blah.

Scratch all that garbage. Gamel can hit...and he's up here to stay. Welcome to the show Kid. Oh yeah...I'm 26 now. I can call people kids.

Anyway, the Brewers have been playing so well lately the complete non-productivity of the bench (C3 excluded) has been somewhat overlooked. Yeah we've (I've) had a lot of fun teasing Brad "DFA" Nelson and to a lesser extent Chris Duffy...but how bad has it actually been?

Oh I'll tell you!

Brad Nelson - 0 for 21
Chris Duffy - 3 for 28
Casey McGehee - 3 for 15

Ummm...sure...small sample size...but hey...that's 6 for 64! between the 3 guys! That's .094 combined! Dryhump me!

Good to see some accountability. That's all I got to say.

All those nice stories about Brad Nelson during the spring seem like years ago. I'm not a gambling man (ha!), but I would feel pretty confident he'll never see time again for any team in the show barring injury or a September callup. This isn't personal. I'm sure Nelson's a nice guy and all that. But God, watching him at the plate was just BRUTAL.

K bye Brad. Good luck in all future endeavors.

Marlins Series

A couple of stats/things to keep in mind tonight as you watch the game while trying to limit the amount of nagging by the wife:

The Marlins started out the year on a tear at 11-1...and...doh...now sit at 17-15 with a 6-14 record since then. Weird year for them so far. 6 of those first 11 wins came against the Nationals, who as we know...ummm...suck, so that's no surprise there. But during their slide they even got swept by Pittsburgh. Can you really have any respect for a team that can't even take a game off Pittsburgh in a 3 game set? Seriously, I can see Braun in the clubhouse right now walking around telling the guys these clowns got swept by the team the Brewers currently own stock in.

The Crew meanwhile, is chugging along at 18-14, and have either won or tied every series since they were out in New York and were 4-8. The 4 letter network seems content with our little hot streak to place us back in the top 10 in weekly power ranking...in the 7 spot. While the offense has been nice to watch, a little love must be given to the starting 5. The Brewers currently lead MLB in Quality Starts with 19. Great to see. I've said it before...the offense will take care of itself. But if the starting pitching can keep up a similar pace we're in for a good summer.

Ken Macha will also get his own paragraph shout out here for how he's used the pitching staff thus far this year. Still early to crown him, but lets just say I'm enjoying the usage a lot more then the previous regime.

And finally, pitching tonight for the Fish is a guy they just called up from Triple A. Apparently he used to be a Cub. Can't say I remember him. Dude hasn't pitched in the Bigs since 07. Good luck pal. The Crew hits lefties pretty well. I'm thinking a nice 8-3 victory tonight. No Woz Guarantee...still too early for that.

Getting To Know Your Chuckie Hacks Blogger

We did this once before, it’s time for Round 2. This might be the longest post in CH history.


Favorite Bucks player of all-time?

GOLDY: Moncrief. Reminds me of the times when the Bucks were good. Plus I have an awesome old Sports Illustrated poster of him. Yah, the one with the white border.

BRAD: Terry Cummings - beast. I think he was one of the first NBA guys to start lifting weights. Had some guns back in the day when most guys his size – James Worthy, for example – were string beans.

MATT: Sadly, it is probably Big Dog. I wish I felt otherwise. I was also a big Terry Cummings fan.


Most memorable game you attended?

GOLDY This would have to be a tie between the 1999 Rose Bowl and the 1997 Wisconsin-Minnesota basketball game at the Fieldhouse. The ’99 Rose Bowl was great because it was my first time in the Rose Bowl and the setting and the game were awesome. Wisconsin won a tight one thanks to Ron Dayne coming up just yards short of the Rose Bowl rushing record and scoring three TDs (I think), a Fletcher pick-six off McNown, UCLA running a fake punt that ended up about 2 yards short of a first down, and Bryant with a sack to seal the deal. Remember, this was the team that Craig James called the worst team to ever play in a Rose Bowl. UCLA was also on their way to the national title game until they lost a late November game to the Edge James led Miami Hurricanes in a game played in late November thanks to being postponed by a hurricane earlier in the season. The game was close all they way through and it was awesome to see how many Wisconsin fans made the trip and how in to it everyone was. UCLA had to call a time-out at the goal line because the crowd noise was too loud and they couldn’t hear McNown. How many times have you seen that in a bowl game, and in UCLA’s home stadium? Just a great game and a great trip out to LA in a mini-van with 4 great buddies.
The 1997 Wisconsin-Minnesota basketball game is another one I will never forget. This was the year Minnesota went to the Final Four (now vacated) and was ranked #2 in the country at the time. It was the last game of the Big Ten season (No Big Ten Tourney at the time) and the Badgers needed a win to most likely make the NCAAs. It was a huge deal at the time. Remember, at that point the Badgers had only made the NCAAs once since the ‘40’s, and that was in 1994. The Fieldhouse was rocking. Definitely the loudest sporting event I have ever been at. I remember Ty Calderwood coming up huge in that game. The Badgers won by one, but Minnesota had a shot to win at the end. I remember thinking to myself, “Sam Jacobson is going to kill us here.” Thankfully he didn’t. If memory serves my right, Jacobson did take the last shot for the Gophers, but it didn’t fall. The students stormed the court. I had to make it down from my seat on the second level. Still, the only time I have ever run on to the court/field following a victory. As an added bonus, you can see the back of my head in the famous Calderwood photo that ran on the front of the JS sports page that Sunday. Great game, great times!

BRAD: The Antonio Freeman Catch on His Ass. It was a cold and rainy MNF game. The Packers on the sideline blocked my view of the catch. I saw the ball in the air, and then heard everyone groan. A split-second later, Freeman started running back into my view. Everyone sort of stopped? Nobody really knew what happened until moments later…Lambeau went crazy.

MATT: Because memorable doesn't mean good, I would say the most memorable game I attended was a 3-3 tie between Wisconsin and Illinois at Camp Randall my freshman year of college. Just an awful, awful game, but we stayed because I brought one of my buddies up for the game and he'd never been to a Badgers game. Darrell Bevell nearly got killed by Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy, and we got our first glimpse of a shell-shocked Mike Samuel. Oh yeah, and it was cold. The Brewers playoff win was pretty cool last year too.


County Stadium was…..

GOLDY:…like home. I loved County Stadium. It had nothing going for it, but it was the place I grew up watching Major League Baseball. Yes, by the end of its life it was a dump, but you have to remember that up until Camden Yards was built, stadiums were nothing special and County was no worse or better than most MLB stadiums. I loved the fact that I knew where every section in the ballpark was located. I loved the fact that I knew where to go for whatever food item I wanted. I loved the Speed Pitch. I loved that my Dad would sign up for the Designated Driver program to get me two free sodas and then go buy himself a beer. I loved running to our car after the game to beat the rush out of the lot. I loved seeing two NFL benches on the same side of the field. I loved hearing my Grandpa chant “Dilweg Sucks!” at a Packer game. I loved watching Molitor’s hit streak, Ryan’s 300th win and Robin’s 3000th hit in person. And I loved the ceremony after the last game at County. Back when the Brewers could do nothing right, this was done right. All the old Braves coming out on the field and Hank wearing his old Braves jersey. Robin the last one to come out and doing a lap on a motorcycle and the current players passing the flag from the old stadium to the new. I have only seen my Dad shed a tear three times in his life. The first time was when I came home from college right before my Grandpa died. The last time was when my Dad had to tell me he had cancer and only had about three months to live (support pancreatic cancer research!) and the other time was the last game at County. Great memories and I will always thing fondly of that place.

BRAD…awesome. No frills, just a ball yard. You could pretty much sit where you want. I don’t think I ever had my ticket checked to see if I was in the right seat. And Bernie sliding into the beer barrel was phenomenal.

MATT: …fine, until I got to Miller Park. I did enjoy watching games in the bleachers at County - that was good times.


Favorite Wisconsin Sports Announcer?

GOLDY The color commentator for Marquette Women’s Basketball. No, my answer is Matt LePay for Wisconsin basketball. Does a great job. Very descriptive, gets into the game at the right moments and is willing to question Bo’s strategy from time to time and can admit when a bad call goes in Wisconsin’s favor. Some games I almost prefer to listen to on radio. LePay paints a great picture of what is going on. He also gets bonus points for his call of the Schabert to Evan TD pass against Ohio State in 2003

BRAD. Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren. Larrivee is one of the best in the business, and McCarren isn’t afraid to say when the Packers are playing like crap. I like when he describes the line play – usually don’t get too much of that on the radio.

MATT: I agree that Lepay is a very good announcer, and so is Wayne Larrivee. So is Ted Davis - that guy makes a Bucks game entertaining, which is a feat. However, if I were going to listen to a game just for the announcer it would have to be Uecker, even though his stories are tired. He is entertaining to me, still. And he's a legend.


Least favorite Wisconsin sports announcer?

GOLDY Homer and McIlvaine. Had to listen to these guys for the first half of Marquette’s first round NCAA game this year. Just brutal. They cried so much it was like listening to a Bears game on the radio. However, I must admit my sample size on this is small since that was the only half of Marquette basketball I have ever listened to on the radio.

BRAD: As a Marquette fan, it pains me to agree with Goldy. Homer has a good radio show, but his play by play is piss poor. It sounds like what I would imagine the UW-Superior announcer to sound like. Jimmy Mac brings nothing to the table.

MATT: We are blessed in Wisconsin with a lot of good sports announcers. I might say Larry McCarren. He is generally very good and knowledgeable, but he is kind of a joke when he cheers in the booth in the background as Larivee calls a play, a la Ron Santo. (Noooooooo! AAaaaaarhgggghghh! Yes! Yes! Yes!) He's not terrible, but it's a personal taste of mine that I don't like cheering in the booth. I could see why some people would like him, especially Packers fans....... Hold the phone! I totally forgot about the Bucks TV announcers. Let me retract the McCarren answer and just say that Jon McGlocklin is awful, and I hate watching a game that he announces. Just terrible. I must have erased him from my memory momentarily. Paschke would be my #2 least favorite Wisconsin sports announcer.


Underrated fast food?

GOLDY Chick-Fil-A – I don’t know if this is underrated or just unknown in these parts. These places are huge down south, hence the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. The only Chick-Fil-A in Wisconsin is in Racine. I love that place. It’s the only reason I have gone in to the Regency Mall in Racine over the past 10 years. As a side note, the Regency Mall has to hold the record for most dollar stores in one mall. The chicken sandwich is great there, but it is the nuggets that take the cake for me. I think they are made of real chicken, so that is a plus. You also get waffle fries. A nice departure from the standard fry. The only drawback is they serve Coke products (another southern thing). If this place served Pepsi, it might surpass Culver’s in my book. When I lived in Kansas City, the only Chick-Fil-A in the city was located in the cafeteria at Johnson County Community College. I went there once and it was awkward.

BRAD: Wendy’s. Long live the square hamburger. And the 99 cent menu is pretty solid…for 99 cents.

MATT: Goldy stole my answer with the Chick Fil A. I will say Cousins subs. I am rarely disappointed at Cousins.


Favorite sports venue in Wisconsin?

GOLDY Tough one. I would have to go with Miller Park. As much as I loved County, I actually saw a Brewers play-off victory that I can remember in Miller Park. Plus, it’s a cool place.

BRAD: Gotta go with Lambeau. A fantastic mix of history and new age. Friggin Vince Lombardi coached there! And who else has a Hall of Fame open year round?

MATT: Miller Park. Or the Straits Course at Whistling Straits, if you count the fact that it has hosted the PGA Championship.


What was “your number” growing up? (What number did you usually have on your sports jerseys?)

GOLDY For baseball: 19/17/16 – Yount/Grace/Random number I stuck with in Legion and HS. Basketball – 21/10 – Wilkins/Random that I equated to “normal” Dennis Rodman.

BRAD: 21. I really don’t know how I got this one. Wanted 33 (Larry Legend), but always went to a beefier player.

MATT: #13, but that was because of Dan Marino, not Big Dog.


If you have a son and he only plays one sport, what sport do you hope he plays?

GOLDY Baseball

BRAD: Basketball. I’m thinking high school level here….playing in a packed gym just has a different atmosphere that baseball and football can’t match.

MATT: I have a son, and that boy better golf. I could play with him until I'm 80, if things go right. He doesn't have to play competitively, just be able to get it around the course with me.


Do you drink Red Bull with out vodka?

GOLDY Heck yah.

BRAD: No chance.

MATT: No. I don't drink Red Bull with, or without, vodka. Las Vegas. Bachelor party. We drank the Venetian sports book out of Red Bull. I might have suffered a minor heart attack. Probably could have died. Enough said.


Big Dog or Ray Allen, and why?


GOLDY: Big Dog. Why? Uh, because. Seriously, I can’t come up with a great answer as to why. It’s strange because both guys actually wanted to be in Milwaukee. I think if Big Dog hits that 10-foot baseline jumper against Philly, his whole Bucks career is painted in a different light. The guy was terrible on D, we all knew that, so you didn’t expect much out of him at that end. I also found it funny the few times a year that he would slash to the basket and throw down a hellacious dunk. You would wonder where that had been all career. In the end, I guess I’ll go with Big Dog because I owned a Bucks #13 jersey and never a Bucks #34 jersey.

BRAD: Dogg. I agree with Matt. Couldn’t defend a lick, but he gave you 22 a night – no matter what. Dogg always got his.

MATT: For whatever reason, I've always had a special place for Big Dog in my heart. I hated Grant Hill coming out of college seeing as he was on Duke, so I wanted Big Dog to succeed so badly. I compared his stats to Hill's during their first few years, and managed to convince myself that Dog was the better pick because Hill couldn't shoot from the outside, never mind the defense, assists, etc. all favored Hill. So I made Dog into a player that he wasn't and that carried over to him being my favorite Buck when he was on the team. I could look past his lack of defense, or his seeming laziness because the guy could score the basketball. So I say Dog, and it has nothing to do with me not liking Ray Allen.

WOZ: Ray Allen. Simply for the fact that he absolutely killed the role of “Jesus Shuttlesworth” in “He Got Game.” The scenes with him and Rick Fox during the college campus visit were outstanding film drama. I particularly enjoy the scene of them eating outside right after Fox tells the white chicks “we’ll catch up with ya’ll later aight…” and Ray responds as they walk away by pounding on the table and asking in a low voice, “You hit those?” To which Fox replies, “About 50% from the field.”


Will you be going to Summerfest this year? If so, why? If not, why not?

GOLDY: There is potential. Honestly, I don’t have a ton of fun there. I guess it’s all about going with the right group of people and at this stage in my life, most of those people have kids, so it’s kind of hard to get everyone together at once. And honestly, I don’t find the scenery to be that great there. If you are all about single moms fro Stallis who smoke and have leathery skin from hitting the tanning beds too often, then this is the place for you. I guess if I come across free or severely discounted tickets and find some people to go with, I may attend. Leading bands to see of those who have been announced include: Rancid, Meat Puppets, Dropkick Murphys, The Gufs, Matisyahu, and Flogging Molly. Nobody I would go see just because they are there, but if I happened to be at Summerfest that day, I would see those bands.

BRAD: No. Last time I was there in about 1996, a bunch of thugs tried to run onto our shuttle bus (flashing gang signs the entire time) and whack my friend just because he is Asian. It was pretty surreal, actually.

MATT: If I go, it will be because my mother-in-law somehow got free tickets and I get dragged along with the family. I will spend my time marveling at the number of massive sunburns, and counting the number of chaches I see with no shirts on while wearing jeans. As you can see, I am not a fan of Summerfest. I will, however, be going to Fish Day.

WOZ: I’m a Summerfest junkie. People say it’s expensive, but if you are a music fan, you can’t deny the atmosphere. For a reasonable cost you have nothing but live music, beer, and the potential for deflowerment.


The last time I tailgated at Miller Park, I grilled ____ and drank _____.

GOLDY: Jim Beam burger from Sendiks (burger with bacon, cheese and Jim Beam in the patty) and drank High Life, Bell’s Oberon and some Red Bull and Vodkas.

BRAD: Johnsonville brats, High Life Light.

MATT: I grilled cheese/bacon burgers from Sendik's and drank Miller Hi Life Light.

WOZ: Meat and Miller Light. Then I went to the Spotlight Lounge after the game. Don’t tell me I don’t know how to enjoy myself.


If I could play only one more golf course in my life, it would be ________.

GOLDY: I really want to say Ives Grove in Racine since the fairways are wide open and that suits my game, but I need to pick something better than that. Since I can’t hit the ball straight, I don’t want to pick too difficult of a course, so famous ones are out. I’ll go with U Ridge in Madison. Much like Matt, I worked there in college and like playing the track and know how to play it. It has an open front and woodsy back, so you are getting some variation. Plus, I have the memory of washing Sal Bando’s clubs and getting a whole dollar as a tip. What a douche canoe.

MATT: This is very difficult to me. It would come down to one of four golf courses. Hawthorne Hills in Ozaukee County, University Ridge in Madison, Augusta or Pebble Beach. Obviously, these are very different plays. I grew up playing golf at Hawthorne Hills, and have played that course more than all other courses combined, I would venture to guess. So there are memories there, and I might want one last crack at it if I knew it would be the last course I play. Ditto for University Ridge. I worked there while in school, so I have played it a ton too, and again there are lots of memories. The other two are, in my mind, the best two courses that I haven't played. I've played the Old Course at St. Andrews, and I've played in Ireland, but to get to play Pebble or Augusta would be a thrill. I'm going to go sentimental here. Hawthorne Hills is my answer.

BRAD: Pirates Cove Mini Golf in the Dells. It’s the perfect combination of scenery, different colored balls, pirate ships and waterfalls.

WOZ: Assuming I’m picking a WI course, then I would go with the Fairways of Woodside in Sussex. Incredibly challenging relatively new course (maybe only 6-7 years old). The back 9 nine has one of the toughest 3 hole stretches in WI, with the last one being a DOUBLE dog leg par 5 with water to your left in play off the tee, and trees lining the fairway through the dog legs. If you don’t hit a perfect drive you are in jail the whole hole. I par it every time because I’m a natural athlete, but that’s beside the point .


Is NASCAR a sport?
GOLDY: Sure. Much more so than poker. The thing that kills me about NASCAR is listening to people at work talk about it. The highlights involve pit stops apparently. I think I am going to continue to stay away from this sport. I must say, I don’t mind “Days of Thunder” however.

BRAD: Yes. I watch the entire Daytona 500, and then about 10 laps combine the rest of the season. The pit crews, coordination with the crew chief, talent needed not to die…of course it’s a sport.

MATT: I will say yes, even though I don't follow NASCAR. It requires skill, people go to watch it. While it might not be athletically challenging like, say, basketball, I think it counts as a sport.

WOZ: There are people that claim bowling, darts, poker, backgammon, & cheerleading are sports. It’s all relative. Driving 200 miles an hour? Sure…why not. However, I don’t find it exciting like some people I know when discussing whether or not a guy should “pit” right now. So if racing is your bag, good for you. I’ll make fun of you behind your back.

A Chuckie Hacks Congratulations!

Chuckie Hacks would like to throw out a congratulations for Carlos Fernando Corporan for his first major league hit.

Brad Nelson...you're up next buddy. I can feel it. You're due.

EDIT: Slight oversight on my part with my comments regarding Mr. Nelson. Apparently he had 2 hits last year (Hey...how bout that!). Perhaps I should have simply stated..."Brad Nelson, still a donkey."

Thanks to noted Hacker Alan for the clarification.