| Al's Ramblings | |||
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
(5/14/2008 08:59:00 PM) - Jason Christopherson Manny Parra deserved better tonight. His curve was outstanding--too good for this umpire who missed a couple of strike threes. If I remember correctly, Parra retired the last nine hitters in his last start so it looks like maybe, just maybe, he's starting to figure some things out. It will be a most welcome site if that is true. Fortunately, Andruw Jones flails away yet again and Parra is still in line for the win. It is clear that Manny, Villy, and Bush are feeling the heat from the fire that has been lit under them and this week at least they are all responding nicely. 5/14/2008 08:59:00 PM Tuesday, May 13, 2008 (5/13/2008 09:32:00 PM) - Al I think big league umps get 2-6 weeks off a year, depending on seniority, so I think Bill is a bit low on his guess of 130-135. "Average" probably work about 140. 5/13/2008 09:32:00 PM (5/13/2008 09:30:00 PM) - Al After 37 pitches last night, I'm very surprised to see Gagne up tonight, never mind in a save situation. 5/13/2008 09:30:00 PM (5/13/2008 09:24:00 PM) - Al Claudio Vargas brought up, Nelson Figeroua DFA'd. Two former Brewers swap spots. Nelson did a fine job, compiling a 5.12 ERA after being forced into the rotation...if he were a few years younger, I'd be all for giving him a shot, but at 34, he'd be fortunate to keep it below 5.50 for long. 5/13/2008 09:24:00 PM (5/13/2008 09:20:00 PM) - Al I will be unlikely to post much the next couple days, I have a meeting tomorrow in the Dells area, and then am headed down to Milwaukee for poker and a game, as long as I am more than halfway there. 5/13/2008 09:20:00 PM (5/13/2008 09:13:00 PM) - Al Negative feelings about Obama from WV Dems...I'll be the first to admit WV is a rather heavily rural state, but so are many others. 5/13/2008 09:13:00 PM (5/13/2008 09:11:00 PM) - Al Capuano will have another Tommy John surgery, all but assuring he has thrown his final pitch with the Crew. Good luck to Cappy, he is unlikely to have much of an impact until 2010. 5/13/2008 09:11:00 PM (5/13/2008 09:04:00 PM) - Al A bit surprised to see Sal Torres back to the 7th inning role, but he can go 2 frames, a true benefit. 5/13/2008 09:04:00 PM (5/13/2008 04:18:00 PM) - Al Pirates purchased the contract of RHP Marino Salas from Triple-A Indianapolis. Salas gets the nod over Jesse Chavez after posting a 0.77 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. It will be the major league debut for the 27-year-old former Orioles prospect.--Rotoworld The Brewers picked up Salas for nothing and traded him for Sal Torres. He's probably nothing more than an 11th or 12th man on a staff, but it looks like a trade that worked for both clubs. 5/13/2008 04:18:00 PM (5/13/2008 02:18:00 PM) - Al Not a good start for Derrick… The good news is that he should at least get quite a few more chances in Nashville to figure things out than he would have anywhere else. Would be a big boost to the team to have him come back strong later in the season. I wouldn't bet much on that happening but I have seen stranger things happen. Jerod Tom H of the JS weighs in here, with a classic final line: If he continues to be a disaster, you have to wonder how long the Brewers will wait before releasing him, $3.2 million salary or not. Well yes, I'm sure the Crew would much rather they pay him to perform on someone else's AAA roster than their own.:) Will Derrick ever "figure it out"? No one knows, but I can promise you 29 other teams would happily pay him AAA meal money and let the Brewers pay his salary and hope he does, as you cannot teach velocity. No one cares how the Sounds W/L record ends up. I would assume he'll be pitching every other day there unless he's working privately with their coaches. I'm sure that line will be the source of amusement to many in the organization tonight. 5/13/2008 02:18:00 PM (5/13/2008 01:47:00 PM) - Al Al, Just wanted to thank you for a great job on the blog. It's the first website I check as soon as my computer is turned on. It is a breathe of fresh air. For anyone that is a regular of jsonline's blog of the brewers is just... well, it's painful. That garbage is just horrible. Those "fans" just seem ignorant. No one seems knowledgable. It also overflows into the ignorant editorials from readers they print in the Sunday edition. Do people that know what's going on not write in or do they just purposely post the bad ones? The reason for this rant is because of what I heard yesterday (Sunday). After a great game yesterday, I went with my uncle to Menards to buy shingles. He had 1250 WSSP (SportsRadio) on. I'm not a fan of sports talk radio for the same reason as the JS blogs. They spent at least 10 minutes on this subject: Prince Fielder and how the Brewers are NOT going to be able to resign him. They won't be able to afford him. They should spend the money alloted for him on a free agent starter when he leaves. So do the math with me. If the Brewers are not able to resign Fielder, it means it is the year 2012. We are 37 games into the season and they are worried about free agent starters for the 2012 season? Now I enjoy thinking about the future (this years draft and the prospects we have), let alone a shot at this years playoffs, but this is a little crazy. Am I a minority or do I just have to put up with it? Dan Thanks for the kind words, Dan, I appreciate them. I share your opinion of sports talk radio exactly, so you're preaching to the choir. However, one thing to remember is that most "personalities" are not paid to be full of sports knowledge, they are paid to deliver ratings, which dare I say, is primarily generated by being loud, rude, and full of cliches and a strong opinion on everything. Let's be honest, Dan, if I had a radio show, I'd be known as "that guy who puts you to sleep", talking about numbers, payroll, years of service, roster construction and management, free talent, success cycles...people would say I have no idea what I'm even talking about, because they don't care to learn those parts of the game. No one would give me the 15 minutes I need to explain why 10 runs = 1 win, and why OXS is 98% effective in the amount of runs a team will score. No one would listen to me as I politely explained why CLE is not going to deal CC Sabathia to us for Tony Gwynn Jr. and "some minor leaguer". Instead, the hosts look to make bold, often silly statements about Prince, Braun, or Ben Sheets...the people casual fans have heard of, know are good, and so on. They do not want to hear why 1B is the most easily replaced position on the diamond, and why Prince's "body type" and skills do not project well...heck, let's not forget at one time many fans argued vehemently that Richie Sexson should be signed "at any price" and Fielder was "just another unproven kid". Now, the comparison is very silly, even if you don't concern yourself with the fact Prince makes $650K and Richie makes a bijillion. My goodness, not only do a lot of those in attendance at any game not understand that, many have no idea Sexson ever played in Milwaukee, though some liked that Overbay guy enough to suggest having either Lyle or Prince play LF (then in the next breath, say the Crew needs to improve their defense). I agree, worrying about Prince in '12 is at least 3+ years beyond where I like to project to. But, just by saying "Prince" and "leave" in the same breath will keep many from tuning out. I still recall the last time I bothered with any type of radio banter about the Brewers, it was the post-game call in on WTMJ, after Jim Powell's show had wrapped. Two hosts were discussing a myriad of things, and one said, "I really like this Julio Santana guy. Now sure, he's just a youngster, and he'll probably go back down to the minors soon, but I feel he's got potential". That was fine, of course, except: 1. He was not young, he was 32. 2. He will not go back to the minors unless he pitches poorly. 3. His potential was nil. He was what he was, a back of the bullpen relief guy, who threw hard. Now, if you can look past statements like that, by all means, tune in. Otherwise, it's just guys spouting nonsense, and doing it at a high volume, using the words "disaster" and "need a spark" just often enough so Joe Six Pack will go, "Hey, that's what I said before I passed out". 5/13/2008 01:47:00 PM Monday, May 12, 2008 (5/12/2008 09:45:00 PM) - Al Stetter has had some trouble with his control 2-3 times this year, but has never allowed a big hit to mess with numbers. Tonight, Mota keeps his ERA low. Mitch is probably not used to being used as he has, as in the minors, relievers rarely pitch consecutive days, and usually are not asked to loosen up unless they will pitch, as wins and losses are secondary to development. 5/12/2008 09:45:00 PM (5/12/2008 09:27:00 PM) - Al There is no income that is safe from overspending. I blame President Bush. 5/12/2008 09:27:00 PM (5/12/2008 09:18:00 PM) - Al Gagne is pretty much Ryan Braun on the mound...very inconsistent from one pitch to the next. However, as Braun can easily go from looking foolish on one pitch to slugging a ball 500 feet on the next, Gagne has not shown he has that recovery capability. I think they were hoping he would go 3 innings, but after throwing about 30 pitches in the 8th (37 total in the 7th and 8th), going deep in the count to almost every single batter, that doesn't look likely. 5/12/2008 09:18:00 PM (5/12/2008 09:13:00 PM) - Al Ryan Braun looked to have beat out an infield hit easily, and yet was called out by the 1B umpire, who did not even make a call for several seconds, as if he wasn't paying attention, and did not expect a close play. Thus far, the umps are just phoning it in for 2008. I'm not sure who the czar in charge of such matters is, but he has his work cut out for him, as there is no fear whatsoever among the ranks. 5/12/2008 09:13:00 PM (5/12/2008 08:58:00 PM) - Al I pretty much always feel 3rd party runs for the presidency are ego driven facades, and Perot and Nader's shoes both fit, to say the least. I know nothing about Bob Barr, so I look him up on Wikipedia, and find him to be as anti-Libertarian as one can be. I guess he could be considered a Christian Libertarian (as is Vox Day, popular commentator on WMD, but then we're talking about a minority of a minority), but his anti-abortion and his anti-drug stance is the exact opposite of the Libs. I doubt he'll even get the nomination, as I doubt those few Libs who feel strongly enough to show up at the convention will feel like selling out to a publicity seeker who embodies little of what the party stands for. 5/12/2008 08:58:00 PM (5/12/2008 08:46:00 PM) - Al Wainwright being asked to eat some frames tonight, as the Cards have elected to "punt" this one, barring them scoring a few to get back into the game. Sounds like the meeting Doug had with the coaches focused mainly on the back end of the rotation, but no changes are immediately on the horizon. I would have to believe Doug wanted to ask the fellas who they felt was struggling and would benefit from minor league time/being moved to the 'pen. He might have also touched base with scouts or Frank Kremblas about the AAA guys and who was pitching best. Even if the worst guy (let's just say Parra, since Bush pitched nicely tonight) can only be counted on for a 5.50 ERA, can Jeff Weaver do that? He didn't last year. 5/12/2008 08:46:00 PM (5/12/2008 08:36:00 PM) - Al You get the feeling that Molina simply did not want to be around anymore tonight. That said, as the announcers noted, he's going to get a game or three off as well in addition. I was shocked to not see a coach for the Cardinals pull him away much quicker...they could have saved him a day or two. 5/12/2008 08:36:00 PM (5/12/2008 08:21:00 PM) - Al The Brewers now have Sheets listed as the starter for Thursday's game. Either they changed their mind, or possibly MLB.com simply listed it incorrectly. Seth McClung, you are still in the bullpen. 5/12/2008 08:21:00 PM (5/12/2008 06:59:00 PM) - Al I've heard of several large cities having rat issues, and apparently, DC is one of them. Next time to think the feds are going to solve the problem with cost effective health coverage for all, think to yourself that if they can't eliminate rodents from the city, I doubt they'll have a whole lot of success covering all medical maladies. 5/12/2008 06:59:00 PM (5/12/2008 06:46:00 PM) - Al Gagne says he is ready to close when needed. I would have to guess he will used in earlier, low-pressure situations prior to a save opp. 5/12/2008 06:46:00 PM (5/12/2008 04:56:00 PM) - Al Padres designated infielder Callix Crabbe for assignment. Crabbe hit .176/.282/.206 in 34 at-bats for the Padres. The Brewers will have the option of taking the Rule-5 pick back if he clears waivers, but they might just give him to the Padres for a minor prospect. He's not part of their future plans, and they were pretty happy to see him get an opportunity elsewhere when he was selected in December.--Rotoworld I would tend to agree. Crabbe is a 2B/OF without a bit of power, or the ability to play a passable SS. Hernan Iribarren is a much better prospect, and he's unlikely to be a starter either, so if the Padres want Crabbe, I would have to believe the Crew will allow them to keep him for a minimal return. 5/12/2008 04:56:00 PM (5/12/2008 04:20:00 PM) - Al The big surprise on the other side is that Albert Pujols has the day off, we're assuming.--JS It's a surprise if you don't check Rotoworld, which I guess Tony doesn't. 5/12/2008 04:20:00 PM (5/12/2008 02:05:00 PM) - Al DePod has started a public blog. When Doug Melvin retires, he'd be my first choice to replace him, and as a bonus, it sure seems that Paul is a lot less publicity shy. 5/12/2008 02:05:00 PM (5/12/2008 01:56:00 PM) - Al A T-shirt for your favorite Seinfeld fan...$19 is pretty steep, but I'd consider it if it came in the proper fat guy size. 5/12/2008 01:56:00 PM (5/12/2008 01:51:00 PM) - Al The Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs "are exploring the possibility" of signing Jim Edmonds. Let go by the Padres last week, Edmonds' arrival would send Felix Pie back to Triple-A. He batted .178/.265/.233 in 26 games with the Padres, whereas Pie is hitting .222/.286/.286 through 29 games, and Edmonds is 15 years older.--Rotoworld I always find it funny when teams talk about defense all the time, and then ignores it and plays the bat anyway. Pie will eventually be an everyday OF, and probably be stellar defensively, but the Cubs refuse to give him a chance. Edmonds has some life left, I bet, and would likely do well starting a few days a week and resting his feeble body the rest of the time. 5/12/2008 01:51:00 PM (5/12/2008 01:49:00 PM) - Al According to manager Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols will likely be out of the lineup Monday night. La Russa has said that he'd likely to get Pujols some time off, but he'll no doubt be tempted to use him as a pinch-hitter even if he doesn't start. Chris Duncan is expected to replace Pujols at first base.--Rotoworld With a struggling Dave Bush on the mound, I think it's safe to say the Crew will run with that. 5/12/2008 01:49:00 PM (5/12/2008 01:46:00 PM) - Al Red Sox released LHP Abe Alvarez. Alvarez was once thought of as a top prospect within the organization and received all kinds of love from Peter Gammons, but began this season at Triple-A for the fourth straight year, posting a 6.46 ERA and 8/11 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings. He's still just 25 years old and figures to latch on somewhere, but has a 5.14 ERA in 378 career innings at Triple-A.--Rotoworld First of all, didn't BOS ever think to try him as a reliever? With his K ratios, I would figure half the teams in MLB would be trying to get him for AAA and see if they can make an adjustment. 5/12/2008 01:46:00 PM (5/12/2008 01:15:00 PM) - Al While Robert was at the movies, Deadspin was at Miller Park, which he reviews here. He is a cool weather person like myself, as he wonders why the roof was closed, apparently, not knowing how cold the average woman would have been. Heck, Bill Hall's mom had a windbreaker on anyway...think she would have appreciated it being cooler? Nope. 5/12/2008 01:15:00 PM (5/12/2008 10:06:00 AM) - Robert R. I attended a couple of movie previews in the last few weeks, so new reviews. My Brother is an Only Child This is a new Italian film that's a throwback to the Italian New Wave films of the 1960s and 1970s by Bernardo Bertolucci and the like. It particularly echoes Bertolucci's Before the Revolution. The story focusses on two brothers, Accio (Elio Germano), who is the "My" in the title, and Manrico (Riccardo Scarmarcio), with Accio being the primary focus. It's something of a coming of age story for Accio mixed with Italian politics, the revolutionary spirit of the 1960s, and brotherly rivalry/love covering about 16 years of highly contentious times. Much of it is summed up in the politics of the two brothers, Manrico becomes a charismatic Communist rabble rouser and Accio becomes a neo-fascist, at first. They also fall in love with the same woman, cementing their rivalry. However, while Manrico becomes more and more radical, Accio experiences various disillusionments and becomes more apolitical as the film rolls along, eventually coming to a point where he becomes more pragmatic than idealistic. While it's at heart serious, there's more than a little humor in the mix. Given the perspective of time, most of the political posturing is shown to be more than a little foolish. And the brother's affection is brought out by them physically fighting with each other in practically every meeting. There's a Three Stooges aspect to their relationship which becomes something of a running joke. They literally hit each other before they can embrace each other as brothers. The story is set in the 1960s and 1970s and the film tries to emulate the Italian film styles of the period. There's lots of hand held camera work, quick cutting, and a color scheme that relies more on pastels than vivid primary colors. It's a vivid recreation of the period and there's plenty of striking photography. However, for those that have problems with movies like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, the prospect of reading subtitles while trying to keep up with a rapidly moving camera is going to be problematic. While I think it's a very interesting film, it's certainly not in the class of the period classics it tries to emulate. Those were original while this is treading over well worn ground. The family is more than a little cliche', in addition to hitting there's a lot of yelling, and it really doesn't have anything particularly insightful to say about politics. It's perhaps best emphasized by the title which translated fails to account for a sister in the mix and is therefore inaccurate. My Brother is an Only Child will be making the standard arthouse rounds this Spring/Summer. You can view the trailer here. Labels: movie review, My Brother is an Only Child 5/12/2008 10:06:00 AM Sunday, May 11, 2008 (5/11/2008 11:27:00 PM) - Al Interesting that the Crew has TBD listed as the SP for Thursday's game versus LA, and Ben Sheets listed as starting Friday's game in Boston. One guess would be the Crew is inserting Seth McClung into the rotation Thursday, and felt it would be better for Seth to make his debut in the friendly confines of Miller Park versus a club with far less firepower than the Red Sox. But, unless Gagne is DL'd, that would seem to mean that the Brewers may well be planning to send a current SP down...possibly whoever pitches least effectively in the next 3 days, and replacing them with a fresh arm for the bullpen. Time will tell. 5/11/2008 11:27:00 PM (5/11/2008 08:54:00 PM) - Al Mike e-mails to inform me Dusty has had a batting order mishap happen before. 5/11/2008 08:54:00 PM (5/11/2008 08:34:00 PM) - Al The Brewers, despite their closer issues, are 13-1 when leading after eight innings. Much of the "whoa is us" mentality has been from fans who have not really paid a whole lot of attention to anything except overreacting to this and that. The team is a game under .500 right now, and while many seem to think that's not enough victories, the truth is, they are just a couple games below where a 90 win team would be at this time in the season. With the rotation, at best, struggling thus far, they are fortunate to have as many W's as they do. I'm still thinking if they can get through the next couple weeks, a stretch of tough games and mostly road games thus far in the season, they might just be near where they want to be when June 1st rolls around. If they can raise that team OBP some and start getting an average of 6.25-6.5 frames out of their SP's (thus far, it's 5.77), they might just end up where we expected. More than anything else, they are in a spot in which they need Ben Sheets healthy and pitching every 5th day. They had the depth to be all right without him, but they have now lost it. 5/11/2008 08:34:00 PM (5/11/2008 08:26:00 PM) - Al Though Corey Patterson was supposed to be at the plate, David Ross batted out of order in the ninth inning of an 8-3 loss to the Mets on Sunday. What is this, Little League? Per MLB rules, Ross has to complete his at-bat to be ruled out, and the outcome of his at-bat is then discarded with no runners allowed to advance. The Mets allowed him to do so, and since he lined out to right there was little harm done. Ross was the batter listed in the order after Patterson, so he was forced to come back to the plate for his 'real' at-bat and Patterson was charged the out. Ross singled after returning to the batter's box. There's almost too many jokes here for us to enjoy. Patterson making outs even when he's not at-bat is just one of them. One also has to wonder exactly what function Dusty Baker is serving if he can't even make sure his hitters know where they're hitting.--Rotoworld I find it hard to believe not a single coach noticed it in time, though it was 8-3. That's the first I have ever heard of this happening that did not involve a changed lineup card, or someone writing the same name down twice. 5/11/2008 08:26:00 PM (5/11/2008 05:11:00 PM) - Al Such a simple game when you have a starter give you 7 good innings. The back end of the rotation should have been taking notes. Let's hope the Crew can start getting a few more outings like that. The idea it takes 100 pitches to get through 5 frames is the epitome of wasting pitches...you can either challenge them 3-2 or 0-0...I know what I would choose. 5/11/2008 05:11:00 PM (5/11/2008 05:05:00 PM) - Al I have little doubt at least a minor change will come out of the meeting tomorrow...it doesn't take much to realize all three spots, other than Suppan and Sheets, have been the reason guys like Torres have been so overworked thus far. Depending on how Weaver did today, I would expect either he or McClung would move into the rotation. UPDATE: Weaver pitched well through 4, giving up a single run, but was unable to get out of the 5th, ending up with 4 2/3 IP, 5 ER's. Looks like he's still a couple starts away from having the stamina to give you 6-7 solid frames. 5/11/2008 05:05:00 PM (5/11/2008 02:18:00 PM) - Al Padres optioned LHP Joe Thatcher to Triple-A Portland. This probably should have happened a couple of weeks ago. Thatcher took four losses despite throwing just 17 1/3 innings out of the pen for the Padres. He had a 6.75 ERA, and lefties were hitting .333 off him.--Rotoworld Thatcher is better than this, but not nearly as good as he was last year in his tiny sample either. He'll probably have a nice career as a loogy, but needs to get his confidence back first. On the same note, Mitch Stetter was awful in Nashville the first half of 2007, and is currently almost superhuman in the bigs. Sooner or later, guys find their midpoint. 5/11/2008 02:18:00 PM (5/11/2008 01:22:00 PM) - Al How McDonald's caters to local taste. I think I'd enjoy 4 of them. 5/11/2008 01:22:00 PM (5/11/2008 12:22:00 PM) - Al Cameron is indeed given a day off, and Gagne is given a "mental break", which I would assume means he would only be used as a mop-up man today and tomorrow. Yost did say the staff knows of a mechanical issue they will work on with Eric. No closer named, but I still feel it will be Torres, as I think Ned will continue to use Mota in the 8th. That said, we might see Stetter, Shouse, Riske, and so one used in a piecemeal approach. 5/11/2008 12:22:00 PM (5/11/2008 12:22:00 PM) - Al Before we get started, Eric from Portland, OR, I deleted your e-mail. Please shoot me a line when you get a chance. 5/11/2008 12:22:00 PM Saturday, May 10, 2008 (5/10/2008 11:41:00 PM) - Al Ned often gets a reserve or two a start on Sunday afternoons, and if he does, I'd have to guess Tony Gwynn Jr. finds himself in the lineup. Cameron, despite taking a bases loaded walk, has been in a funk since hitting 2 HR's in a game versus HOU. Given Bill Hall's past success on Mother's Day (while I'm the first to say such criteria is probably a bad way to decide), he might well play, but he'd probably be next in line to sit. 5/10/2008 11:41:00 PM (5/10/2008 11:28:00 PM) - Al Blue Jays designated RHP Tracy Thorpe for assignment. Thorpe had been on the 40-man roster for more than two years, but he never got a look in the majors. It's interesting that this move comes just a couple of days after he spoke out about the lack of African Americans in Toronto's organization. He certainly was one of the worst bets for the future of the players on the roster, but it's not great timing for the Jays. The 27-year-old had a 2.63 ERA as Triple-A Syracuse's closer.--Rotoworld Thorpe fits the mold of prior Doug Melvin pickups, as he's a large man and judging solely by his numbers, would appear to be a hard thrower. As mentioned, he was also doing ok in AAA for the first time this year. He's probably a low ceiling, back of the bullpen guy, but this is the kind of guy Doug has taken a look at in the past...though I am unsure of the 40 man situation. 5/10/2008 11:28:00 PM (5/10/2008 09:35:00 PM) - Al Support is growing in Democratic ranks for Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland as vice president. He would bring to the ticket maturity (66 years old), experience (six terms in Congress) and moderation (rated "A" by the National Rifle Association). He is very popular in Ohio, a state Republicans must carry to elect a president.--Bob Novak I think "must" is a strong word, but OH would sure be one of the key states. That said, John Edwards did not deliver NC in 2004, and TN did not vote for Al Gore in 2000 either, so exactly how much using a candidate to win their home state helps is debatable. 5/10/2008 09:35:00 PM (5/10/2008 08:44:00 PM) - Al "The bottom line is I missed the sign," said Kendall, a 13-year veteran known for his fundamental soundness. "It's unacceptable. I can't do that. I don't recall the last time that happened to the Crew. I'm not sure if it ever has. 5/10/2008 08:44:00 PM (5/10/2008 07:42:00 PM) - Al Remember when I said I've never seen a closer ask out of being the closer? Now, this makes twice in 24 hours. As most readers know, I'm not a big believer in any sort of magical formula to get 3 outs in the 9th as opposed to the 7th or 8th. I'd probably go with Sal Torres myself, but you could almost make an argument for darn near anyone in the bullpen, or to just "go with the hot hand", or "by situation", which almost always means they are moving the set-up guy to closer (see Ryan Franklin)...but not announcing it. 5/10/2008 07:42:00 PM (5/10/2008 07:29:00 PM) - Al As is often the case, when a guy isn't going good, he doesn't get many breaks either. Today, Gagne got a pop-up/soft fly ball from the first hitter and then a DP ground ball from the next guy...but was left with 2 on and none out after the first one dropped in and the second found a hole. The terrible luck even continued when Aaron Miles, who looked like a HS kid in that PA, hit a ball as weakly as a guy can, but instead of it being a 1-4-3 DP, it was a perfect swinging bunt. Eric probably is not "on" his A game right now, but when you are running bad, it's gotta be tough to have confidence when you come into a game and everything finds a hole. We'll have to see what it said about the squeeze attempt gone bad, as you'd think Kendall simply missed the sign. It was a perfect pitch to bunt as well, so if that was the case, it was a nice call (I admit, I had considered saying it was a good time for a bunt, but held off because of the pitcher's wildness). Hey, you can't go to the plate for your guys. 5/10/2008 07:29:00 PM (5/10/2008 03:43:00 PM) - Al Al, As a loyal reader to your "Ramblings" I appreciate your insight on the Brewers and other topics. I recently moved to Portland, OR which obviously limits my Brewers viewing - so I was elated to say the least that the Brewers were going to be nationally televised on Fox today. Unfortunately Fox is airing the Yankees - Tigers game instead to this market. Why would Fox claim to nationally televise 3 games at the same time (the third being Cubs - DBacks) and pick which market sees which? I understand that this is an American League market - but why not just show one game? I guess I'll get to listen to Uecker again through MLB Audio. Thanks, Eric They always have a main game and a backup or two. The main reason for that is in case in rains. They also try to have teams with national fan bases (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and to a lesser extent, the Cardinals). Looks like they succeeded nicely today. 5/10/2008 03:43:00 PM (5/10/2008 02:43:00 PM) - Al My son, dog and myself all made our first visit of the new year to the state park near us, Rib Mountain. This is something we do about once a month once the weather warms up, as the two little guys love to walk through the hiking trails. Today, we went on the "yellow" trail, which is by far the longest. We've never walked it before, as I always was able to come up with an excuse. All winter, Andrew kept saying "next year, we'll have to go on the yellow trail", so we knocked it off right away. I was shocked to see how many bugs were out already, and how muddy much of the trail was at its lowest. Fortunately, most of the walking was straight uphill or downhill, so no water was sitting there. And yes, I'm being sarcastic. At one point, near the end, it was so steep going uphill, I turned around and saw my son walking on all fours. We rested at nearly all of the benches they have set up along the way, even though I really didn't need to (note to readers, yes I did). Amazingly, while both my son and I loudly proclaimed our exhaustion, Ronnie seemed thirsty but fine (we took a bottle of water, and I did pour some into his mouth, but that only kinda/sorta works). The Rambling son, on the way there, said, "This was the longest winter I can remember". It's only funny if you realize he's 5, and if you heard the exasperation in his voice. 5/10/2008 02:43:00 PM (5/10/2008 01:55:00 PM) - Al The Obama 57 state lapel pin. Heh. 5/10/2008 01:55:00 PM (5/10/2008 08:22:00 AM) - Al Adam discusses the rotation options, including info that the Crew is sending their top scout to Vegas to watch Jeff Weaver pitch tomorrow. Almost without a doubt, I think we'll see one new member in the rotation soon, and possibly two. 5 inning starts of dubious success will not get it done. 5/10/2008 08:22:00 AM (5/10/2008 12:22:00 AM) - Al Jim Edmonds released...call me a old softie, but I think he might have something left, as a part-time player. I wonder if the A's might like to see him play 2-3 times a week versus RHP. 5/10/2008 12:22:00 AM (5/10/2008 12:07:00 AM) - Al While on the road yesterday, every single person, expert or amateur, radio or in person, said Obama would be easier to defeat in November than Clinton. Now, I have no idea if they believe that or not. That said, suddenly, critical thoughts are being tossed out and printed all over the blogosphere, while a few months ago, it was a free pass, hope and change, change and hope. Glenn links to a couple things here, one is comments about Obama's seemingly unattainable "things we'll make corporations do", and another as to him saying he's been to 57 states. I do admit, thew difference between GW saying that, Quayle saying that, and Obama is all but off the charts. I know he misspoke, probably brought on by being fatigued. But, even after all those SNL skits, he still gets a pass from a media that just loves making a big deal out of such misstatements and bad quotes. 5/10/2008 12:07:00 AM (5/10/2008 12:03:00 AM) - Al "They can't keep sending me out there when I'm pitching the way I'm pitching," Isringhausen said. "We're going to have to figure out some kind of remedy. I'm sure it will give me some time off from the role and get somebody in there that can do a better job right now. "I don't have an explanation. I'm just pitching like a second-grader." I cannot recall ever seeing a closer "ask out" of being the closer...until now. That is especially strange to hear from a major league reliever, who has been solid for many, many years. He gave up 4 well struck balls in a row, including Hall's shot that was caught by Ankiel, and a walk. 5/10/2008 12:03:00 AM Friday, May 09, 2008 (5/09/2008 11:51:00 PM) - Al The Brewers are 13th in bullpen ERA in 2008...but if you remove Derrick Turnbow's numbers, they are 6th, with a 3.62 ERA. That's why it seems the 'pen has been very good, because they have. 107 IP 97 H 53 BB 102 K 1.40 WHIP 8.58 K/9 1.92-1 K/BB The walks total is high, but you can get away with that if you have that many K's. 5/09/2008 11:51:00 PM (5/09/2008 11:41:00 PM) - Al Seth McClung, minus one outing versus the Reds in which he was asked to "take one for the team": 13.2 innings pitched, 2 ER, 1.32 ERA, 8 BB, 17 K, 8 H, 1.21 WHIP Those are numbers that could win you a lot of games, if they are able to translate to the rotation. With his velocity and plus breaking ball, I'd love to see him given the opportunity. 5/09/2008 11:41:00 PM (5/09/2008 07:39:00 PM) - Al Sadly, Manny Parra is proving exactly why spring training means less than nothing. Young pitchers often struggle with the mental aspects of the game, and he is doing exactly that. Too bad so many fans don't get it. The braintrust may well have overemphasized it as well. 5/09/2008 07:39:00 PM (5/09/2008 07:08:00 PM) - Al This is supposed to be the Big One, the Mother of all Recessions, a once-in-a-generation/lifetime purging of greed and liquidation of excess—of such enormous magnitude and degree that Bruce Springsteen will write folk ballads about it and Oliver Stone will make a sparsely attended movie about it. But so far the data say "no." Read the whole thing here. I admit, I do find the disgust at the lack of a recession rather humorous. 5/09/2008 07:08:00 PM (5/09/2008 06:41:00 PM) - Al Doug Melvin said on a radio show this afternoon that Seth McClung may get a start or two, as he has pitched nicely in long relief. He also had positive things to say about Jeff Weaver, but said he needed a couple more starts in Nashville to build up his pitch count. And of course, who saw this coming? EDIT/UPDATE: Weaver has actually done nicely in AAA, especially considering he had not spring training. He might well be a start away from the bigs. 5/09/2008 06:41:00 PM (5/09/2008 04:16:00 PM) - Al Looks like the Spring Madness promotion that my family often attends, but not this year, will be another success...single tickets only remain for tonight's game, and hardly any for tomorrow afternoon's affair. If the Saturday game would have been at night, we would have headed down for our usual night/day DH, but when the game was switched to the daytime, we delayed our first trek this year. 5/09/2008 04:16:00 PM (5/09/2008 03:59:00 PM) - Al Thanks to Aaron Gleeman, a mention of Ramblings "still humming along", which may be the kindest thing anyone has ever said about it. Here's the original 2004 article, by the way. 5/09/2008 03:59:00 PM (5/09/2008 03:22:00 PM) - Al The Jays add Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson. Whenever money is not involved, TOR seems to do a fine job of building cheaply and smartly. 5/09/2008 03:22:00 PM (5/09/2008 03:03:00 PM) - Al Al, Any "ramblings" of Ned being fired? Eric You will not get any thoughts from me on the subject, other than reports of if such a move may be upcoming. On their Milwaukee radio show this AM, both Tom H and Drew Olson felt such a move was both a long ways off and unwarranted, and I would agree with both aspects. I feel no more like firing Ned than I did giving him an extension last week. Usually, teams fire managers when things are going badly, of course. Any manager would obviously do his best to win games. The one thing I will always say about Ned is that he has been protective of young arms, never pushing them to high pitch counts which will nearly always lead to injury. My goodness, Cito Gaston and Ozzie Guillen have both won titles, and neither could strategize their way out of a paper bag. I wonder how much difference a manager makes, and have said as much several times. I really hope that a bump in the road does not move the team off the long-term plan it has put into place. To me, the biggest problem is the team's lack of quality starting pitching...3/5th's of the rotation is fortunate to make it through the 5th, and the 6th is barely even dreamed of. As I said last night, I think Seth McClung starts next week, and it's possible they even give Jeff Weaver or Mark DeFelice a shot, as almost anyone can go 5 frames and give up 3-4 runs. 5/09/2008 03:03:00 PM (5/09/2008 09:24:00 AM) - Jason Christopherson To continue the piling on of Witrado--did anyone else catch him on Jim Powell's pregame roundtable last night? McCalvy sounded thoughtful and made good conversation. Witrado repeated everything Adam said with enough pauses and "yaknow"s to make the standard Prince Fielder interview sound like an Al Gore speech. Truly, truly painful. 5/09/2008 09:24:00 AM (5/09/2008 12:01:00 AM) - Al MLB.com reports that Derrick Turnbow has been placed on irrevocable waivers by the Brewers after several potential trades fell through. According to general manager Doug Melvin, teams were only interested in trading a mid-level prospect for Turnbow if the Brewers picked up the bulk of his contract. Now he's available to any team that wants to assume his remaining salary, which is about $2.5 million. If Turnbow goes unclaimed, he'll have the option of reporting the minors or becoming a free agent while forfeiting the money.--Rotoworld Looks like the Crew feels Derrick is a better bet than a middling prospect, which makes sense to me, considering Turnbow's success in the bigs. I may be totally off base, but I'd like to see Derrick go to AAA and start every 5th day, to get as many innings in as possible and work on his mechanics and consistency. I think he'd improve by taking a few mph off his fastball and just hitting his spots with it. 5/09/2008 12:01:00 AM Thursday, May 08, 2008 (5/08/2008 08:48:00 PM) - Al Considering McClung just went 2 frames last night, this may be a "show us your stamina" type of outing. He might well replace Carlos or Manny in the rotation next week. Other than the one game versus the Reds where he was left in to "take one for the team", he has been as good as anyone, albeit a tad wild...though that is often the case when you get sporadic work. EDIT: Or for Dave Bush. 5/08/2008 08:48:00 PM (5/08/2008 08:30:00 PM) - Al You can't say much about the quality of pitch that the HR was hit, but what led to it; a 3-2 pitch that was called a ball that might have easily been called a strike, an IF hit, and a blooper to left...not to mention the HR hit the pole in LF. When you're going bad, that all adds up to a big inning. 5/08/2008 08:30:00 PM (5/08/2008 08:00:00 PM) - Al I don't think you can have much better signs that the economy is slowly getting better than to have both McDonald's and Wal Mart report sales are up.--Ramblings increased sales at mcdonalds and wal-mart does not mean the economy is getting better... when people spend more money at those places in particular in actually means the economy is not doing so well. this is because people do more penny-pinching with their expenditures when cash is tight. thus they shop at wal-mart when they don't have a lot of money, and they buy nicer things and more expensive stuff when they are making more money. its the same principle you learn in economics on inferior goods- where people buy more hotdogs, for example, when their income is down, and less when their income is higher. -Kevin Those 2 companies are the breadbaskets of America, however. Anyone can bag a lunch rather than eat at McDonald's, and if you're short on funds, it makes sense you would spend $90 at WM rather than $100. Neither is happening. Now, a sign that the economy is all the way back might be Tiffany's be way up in sales. I ate at KFC today, and noted a 3 piece white meal is $7.09...with no soft drink. If you're close to losing your house, you ain't eating there, and it's certainly not considered upscale. While I drove into an empty lot at 11:50, by the time I left at 12:15, it was 75% full, probably 30 people eating inside. Things have slowed down in the last year, without a doubt. But given the lack of negative growth in the first quarter, and solid April sales at 2 American stalwarts, I'm hard pressed to forecast a recession. 5/08/2008 08:00:00 PM (5/08/2008 07:51:00 PM) - Al This is one of the most informative and well written columns I've seen in ages...consider me shocked it came from the New York Times. And, even better, it makes the conspiracy theory nuts look even dumber. 5/08/2008 07:51:00 PM (5/08/2008 07:43:00 PM) - Al After Mike Rivera steals 2B, Carlos Villanueva drives him in with a single down the RF line. There's a sentence I never thought I would type. 5/08/2008 07:43:00 PM (5/08/2008 07:37:00 PM) - Al Filling in for Tadahito Iguchi, Callix Crabbe went 0-for-4 with a walk and committed two errors on Thursday. Crabbe's roster spot is very much in danger with Juan Castro available in Triple-A. The Rule-5 pick is hitting .176 with one extra-base hit in 34 at-bats.--Rotoworld Callix would have to clear waivers and then be offered back to the Brewers before the Padres can send him to AAA. He's not much more than major league depth, as he is basically a 2B/OF with no pop at all; so Doug could well choose to accept a trade or cash to let Crabbe stay where he may have more of a future. 5/08/2008 07:37:00 PM (5/08/2008 07:29:00 PM) - Al Anyone wondering why the Crew is running bad need not look further than the 3rd, in which Carlos gave up 3 ground balls...every one of which found a hole and turned into a hit, including one that hits 1B. Luckily, he escaped further damage by getting a 5-4-3 DP. When things are going good, he's sitting in the dugout after 8 pitches and it's a really easy game. 5/08/2008 07:29:00 PM (5/08/2008 07:22:00 PM) - Al Dave Pinto with an article at TSN that all but shows why old media is dead, or at least terminally ill, showing how the NL is outscoring the AL this year, despite the DH. This is exactly what you'd expect to find from a blogger. If Tony Witrado of the JS would write an article like this...heh, never mind. Note how the NL has more PA's from those 26, and 28-30, and then how many more the AL has of 31-32 year-olds. 5/08/2008 07:22:00 PM (5/08/2008 07:08:00 PM) - Al I don't think you can have much better signs that the economy is slowly getting better than to have both McDonald's and Wal Mart report sales are up. 5/08/2008 07:08:00 PM (5/08/2008 04:59:00 PM) - Al Cleveland area Papa Johns sold pizzas for 23 cents to benefit the Lebron James Foundation. Not worth the wait to me, but obviously, worth it to many. 5/08/2008 04:59:00 PM (5/08/2008 04:48:00 PM) - Al I just finished reading Witrado's game story from Wednesday's loss. The guy's digging his own grave. They're going to stop talking to him. He seems no smarter than the people who comment on the Brewers blog. James I know better than to read JS recaps, but James feels he's as worthless as I do. I cannot believe we're the only two. 5/08/2008 04:48:00 PM (5/08/2008 04:41:00 PM) - Al Ben Sheets. If the Brewers are going to contend this year, they're going to need Sheets in the rotation. However, they're 16-17 right now, and likely won't see Yovani Gallardo for the rest of the season. The Brewers likely won't keep Sheets after this year, anyway, so if they're still in the middle of the pack, they can use the oft-injured ace to reload on players that can help them next year. Their lineup is still very young, with only two regulars over the age of 28. An influx of pitching could set them up well for next year.---MLBTR MLBTR was recapping a Buster Olney insider article on ESPN, discussing who might be available at the trade deadline. I would agree with everything said, although I might say the Crew would have to be a few games under .500 to make the deal. 5/08/2008 04:41:00 PM Wednesday, May 07, 2008 (5/07/2008 08:05:00 PM) - Al I'll be out of town tomorrow, so updates will be light...if any. 5/07/2008 08:05:00 PM (5/07/2008 07:44:00 PM) - Al Q: PHOF of Shelbyville, Ind. - Tom, do you get sick of answering dumb questions? A: Anthony Witrado - Yes. --Anthony Q: Russ S of Delavan, WI - Tom, Do you get sick of answering the same questions on a daily basis from people who most of the time seem to know nothing about what they're talking about or fail to offer a solution to there ridiculous questions? Care to bet on how many times you're going to have to answer the "Are you on Ned Yost's Payroll?" question? The season has been frustrating for all of us (including yourself, I'm sure), but you can't constantly keep changing things around to get results. Personally, I think you do a great job of not only reporting, but also keeping your cool with the influx of idiots you have to reply too. And no, I AM NOT on Tom Hardricourt's payroll........ Keep up the great work Tom, and GO BREWERS!! A: Anthony Witrado - Anthony does get tired of people calling him "Tom" on his mailbag. Both from little Tony's mailbag today, in which he wastes his time and his readers by responding ignorantly to questions in which the reader dares to use "Tom", which of course is the name of the the regular beat writer. A couple weeks ago, I received an e-mail from someone who knows Tony, and basically said he's a know-it-all and a jerk. Well, thus far, the kid has literally done nothing except act like an idiot in the daily blog the JS does, "shouting out to his homies" like a rapper, and file daily articles which can only be called "crappy". And, not to pick on the fella, who is apparently quite "challenged" mentally, but if you wish to submit a mailbag question, it just goes to a general mailbox. "His" mailbag could just ignore questions to Tom, but he is not intelligent enough to do so. What's really sad is a paper in a media market the size of Milwaukee brings in a guy to write for a MLB team who previously worked on the Milwaukee prep scene...nothing wrong with that, of course, but if that's the high point o your resume, I don't think it's exactly screaming MLB. Newspapers make a lot of excuses for their declining circulation, but the answer for the most part is simple...the quality of writing they put out simply is below what Aaron Gleeman and many others provide online. Having a putz like Witrado insult his readers on a weekly basis does not help either. 5/07/2008 07:44:00 PM (5/07/2008 06:52:00 PM) - Al HBP, blooper, missed called strike three (note, when the batter starts walking back to the dugout...), and finally, one well hit ball. That's a perfect recipe for a rally, and as usual, it's bad luck and incompetence. I suppose this may break even eventually, but... By the way, the first pitch to Weeks was also a curve over the corner...strike one. Oof. 5/07/2008 06:52:00 PM (5/07/2008 06:50:00 PM) - Al Dusty Baker should not be allowed within a country mile of any pitcher under 25. 5/07/2008 06:50:00 PM (5/07/2008 05:05:00 PM) - Al Teams interested in trading for Derrick Turnbow want the Brewers to pay a significant chunk of the remaining $2.5 million on his contract, reducing the chances of a deal. The Brewers aren't interested in paying for Turnbow to possibly straighten out with another club. Better yet, they should get Turnbow through waivers, send him to Class AAA and attempt to fix him themselves.--Ken Rosenthal I would have to agree that the odds of Turnbow "figuring it out" with regular work is probably the best bet. I don't see any team, regardless of record, letting Derrick use the majors as his practice canvas after his last two outings with the Crew. 5/07/2008 05:05:00 PM (5/07/2008 10:18:00 AM) - Al Tom H tells us that Prince hits better when the Brewers' wins than in their losses. Of course, I would assume you can find similar numbers for every hitter, and for most pitchers, for that matter, because you usually win when the opposing pitcher is going bad...and that's when hitters will get their hits as well. Trying to find a correlation for something that obvious seems to be a monumental waste of time. 5/07/2008 10:18:00 AM (5/07/2008 09:39:00 AM) - Al Notes from an evening of channel surfing: Not much to worry about last night, Scott Olsen was simply excellent. Could have ended up a 1-0 game, as Jacob's HR barely made it out, and rarely do line drives like that go over the fence. I watched the late encores of The Deadliest Catch and The Alaska Experiment on Discovery last night, and both are proving to be interesting. Catch is always enjoyable, as much for the gruff personalities as anything else. Experiment takes a bunch of city slickers and dumps them in Alaska to live in extreme conditions. Last night, one of the groups found part of a bison carcass, and decided the meat was still good enough to take a chance on. I would not hesitate to do so either, especially if I was cold and hungry, but admittedly, I'd have a tough time allowing my son to eat that, no matter how long I cooked it. Keith Olbermann is pretty much a caricature of himself, and while his ratings are now up to a measurable amount, as he panders to the far-left crowd, he is watched by about 500K a night, which granted is as tiny as it gets. But, as a news channel, I'm not sure how MSNBC can justify having one of its anchors openly root for Obama, and distort information as it comes in. He couldn't have been more of a cheerleader had he been wearing a short skirt and a tight sweater. At one point, the difference in Indiana fell to about 20K, and he literally exclaimed, "It could not be any closer"...apparently, unaware that such numbers as 17K, 18K, and 19K exist. One network had on a Democratic strategist, who said he once called Lake County, IN to ask when the final tally would be posted, and was told "They'll be up as soon as you tell us how many votes you need". Heh. 6 frats suspended at San Diego State after a drug bust. Obviously, just a group of misunderstood youth. Jennie Finch was pitching last night as Team USA continues prepping for the Olympics. I always find it interesting that despite the fact people often say our culture is that says, "you can never be too thin", Finch is universally thought of to be very attractive despite having a large frame. That seems rather inconsistent. 5/07/2008 09:39:00 AM |
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