Bleacher Report - Articles by Right Field Bleachers

Looks Like Melvin is Sick of the Underperformers

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:43:51 -0400

Last year it was axing the manager to get a spark in the clubhouse, this might be what Melvin hopes to spark the 2009 Brewers with…

JJ Hardy was optioned to AAA Nashville and Bill Hall was designated for assignment. Also, Pitching Coach Bill Castro was sent packing for former Brewer Chris Bosio.

Alcides Escobar and Jason Bourgeois were brought up to replace Hardy and Hall.

Hardy had underperformed at the plate all year, hitting .229 so far this year. Hall had underperformed for almost three years, even though he hit his first home run in over a month last night.

The Brewers’ pitching has been atrocious this year and Bill Castro looks like the fall guy…and he should be. I was rooting for Bill right away and I hoped for nothing but the best, but he has looked lost and over his head this year. There are some pitchers that are good relievers, but not good starters and I believe there are some coaches who can only go so far as well.

Escobar was hitting .298 in Nashville with 42 stolen bases, 76 runs, and 34 RBI’s. Bourgeois was hitting .316 in AAA, stealing 36 bases, knocking in 41, and coming across the plate 61 times. Chris Bosio was the pitching coach for the Nashville team

Requiem for a Vinny: An Epilogue to Greatness

Right Field Bleachers — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:59:50 -0400

Last week’s acquisition of Claudio Vargas was one met with a collective mouth fart from the Brewers faithful. That trade alone signaled the conclusion of Milwaukee’s pursuit of a top of the rotation pitcher and, to some, the front office’s surrender of the 2009 season. But to one fan, Friday’s Vargas for Vinny Rottino trade signified something entirely different—the end of an era.

I’ve made no secret of my, at times strange, but entirely heterosexual adoration of the Racine native on this site. Sure, I knew a 29-year-old, career .208 hitter, who proved himself equally ineffective at eight positions was no hero, but he was someone to pull for.

For residents of a state that considers actions like breathing deeply and standing for short periods of time to be sports, the hometown kid turned 2004 Brewers minor leaguer of the year was a figure to look up to, a man to unfairly pressure our unborn sons into one day becoming, a less talented Eric Hinske.

I’d been heavily drinking the tart and unforgiving ambrosia of Rottino backing since 2006. For me, it’s been an interesting experience harboring an unhealthy interest in the career of a marginal semi-pro athlete, one wrought in its ups, like his first Major League hit, and the downs, like his demotion to Huntsville earlier this season. But more than anything, the steady middle of lingering in Nashville, waiting tirelessly for the next promised opportunity to be delivered, and ultimately being passed over once again.

In hearing of the news of his trade, I launched into the seven stages of grief. I can only now bring myself to reveal my thoughts on that fateful day.

Stage 1: Shock and Denial
Rottino!?! No… no, that couldn’t be right. I’m sure Anthony Witrado had something to do with this report. Yeah, that’s it. Witrado.

Stage 2: Pain and Guilt
Oh Christ, the ticker is right. This hurts so much! Not only do I have to deal with the new fact Claudio Vargas is one of Milwaukee’s better pitchers now, that choad coming to town means Vinny will never be a full-time Brewers player. I should have cherished his time here. I was too busy paying off crippling student loan debt and having regular social interaction to purchase a DVR and subsequently save each of his 24 sporadic at bats… and now he’s gone.

Stage 3: Anger and Bargaining
Seriously, Doug? You finna play me like that?!? Oh never mind, I forgot Vargas was totally awesome the last time he was a Brewer. Wasn’t Johnny Estrada part of your last trade involving Vargas coming to MKE? He was cool too. Hustled, didn’t look legally dead behind the plate… great move. Doug Davis and Dana Eveland were so worth that prize package.

Why me? Is it not enough that I bear a slight resemblance to a less hot “Booger” from Revenge of the Nerds and have larger than average lips? Haven’t I been through enough? If Rottino comes back to Milwaukee, I promise I’ll never attempt to organize a stupid photo contest only two people participate in. I SWEAR IT!

Stage 4: “Depression,” Reflection, Loneliness
People don’t seem to care about this as much as I do. Some people are even making jokes about the trade. I agree, the Vargas part is really funny… but I still miss Vinny. Man, I really used to like the guy. Shit, I even personalized a Rottino shirt jersey once. Sure, it was using a MLB.com gift certificate, I didn’t want anything else and I mostly did it to be funny, but there was something about that shirt that just felt right; perhaps it was the 10% Rayon blend, but maybe it was the name on the back—though it probably was the 10% Rayon blend.

Stage 5: The Upward Turn
Wait a second, Vinny was languishing in double-A and posting a sub-.250 AVG there before the trade. Maybe he’s not the answer. Actually, I won’t ponder this right now. I just remembered internet porn, binge drinking and Thai food still exist. No time to cry.

Stage 6: Reconstruction and Working Through
Maybe I don’t need to maintain a semi-serious admiration for a fledgling aged prospect. He had some good moments in the Brewers' system, the fact he worked his way up from unsigned free agent to three-time September call-up proves that. Maybe I could start looking for another longshot player to base my pathetic existence around. Maybe I’ll cut up a Rottino card and use it to make soap. Out of respect.

Better times

Stage 7: Acceptance and Hope
I’m now at peace. Vinny wasn’t in the Brewers’ long-term plans (apart from previous six-year dickaround in the minors). The fact he was traded one for one to nab a player who will serve Milwaukee on the big league level is a pretty nice parting shot—even if that player kind of sucks turds.

Though technically a Dodger, Vinny Rottino will always remain a Brewer —especially when he accepts a minor league coaching job in the Brewers system within the next two seasons. I hope that happens.

Goodbye Vinny and best of luck, until you return.

OurFB Winners

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:55:41 -0400

Following a two-week wait and a whopping two entries (and one kind-of entry where our shirt was almost completely covered by another shirt), the time has come to bring this marginally successful contest to a merciful conclusion.

• Matt immediately jumped at the chance to show us his Right Field love. Plus, his submissions were funny - and one even features a certain FSWisconsin celebrity.

Matt beering Milwaukee on three wheels.

And…

Matt, left, trying to sneak a peek of Nellie's Nuggets.

• On the ladies side, Staci answered the call with a last minute shot of her Bringing Back the Mug at EAA Airventure.

In Soviet Russia, mug brings back YOU!

Thanks, Matt and Staci. Keep an eye out for these pics on our Gear page in the near future. Your prize packs will be mailed to you by the end of the week.

The Halladay Special

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:50:34 -0400

A couple days ago, I said the signs coming from the Brewers front office indicated the flirtation with the Blue Jays front office regarding Roy Halladay appeared to be more than just a passing interest (POST).

Today, it looks like I was right. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman has reported that the Brewers are a “serious threat” to get Toronto’s ace in a trade.

He went on to call the Brewers a “serious player” and stated they were “aggressive” in their pursuit of the talented righty. Heyman even quoted one “Brewers person” (wow, that’s vague…) as saying, “We’re going to be aggressive,” and spoke with two executives from other teams that said GM Doug Melvin has what it takes to get a deal done.

The part of the article that stuck out to me though is that Heyman seems to believe lefty starter Manny Parra would be part of any swap between the clubs. I just can’t see that happening.

First of all, the Brewers are considering a trade for Halladay because of their dreadful starting pitching depth. Including Parra in the trade would improve the front end of the rotation significantly, but they’d still have to start Mike Burns or another replacement pitcher until Dave Bush, who is still weeks away from returning, comes back from injury.

The effect would almost be a wash. The team would likely win most of the games Halladay starts and lose most of the games their fifth pitcher starts. Even with Halladay, the Brewers would have to bank on Parra and his recent improvements to help them make the postseason. They can’t deal him away.

Secondly, looking beyond this season, Parra is a 26-year-old starter that the Brewers control for something like five more seasons. Yes, he’s struggled at times, but the reason Brewers fans have been so frustrated with his production is we can all see how much raw talent he has.

His ceiling is at least a No. 2 pitcher, perhaps higher. It’s no shock he’s appealing to the Blue Jays despite his struggles. But the Brewers are starved for pitching in the majors and have very little in the way of pitching in the higher levels of the minors.

Can they really afford to deal a young starter that’s already contributing on the big-league team? I just don’t see it happening…

When you consider the other names Heyman mentioned as trade targets for the Blue Jays in the article—prospects Alcides Escobar, Mat Gamel and Brett Lawrie—the trade just becomes too much to stomach.

One of those three top prospects as part of a package would be one thing (though I’ve mentioned that I don’t see a scenario where the Brewers deal Escobar), but one of those prospects along with Parra and probably even more? It might not be out of line for the Blue Jays to ask for that, but I can’t imagine that fitting into the Brewers’ plans.

Meanwhile, as these Parra rumors surface, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi continues to say a deal for Halladay is unlikely, but don’t be fooled. Halladay will be on another team by the end of the month.

His value is as high as it will ever be and the organization cannot put the team and the player through this grueling process again. When it comes down to crunch time as the trade deadline approaches, the Blue Jays will have to accept the best deal and move on.

Ricciardi said today that four teams are “serious” in competing for Halladay. Rumored teams include the Brewers, Phillies, Cardinals, Angels and Dodgers. The most mentioned destination, Philadelphia, might actually be losing steam as the Phillies are rumored to have moved on after not being open to including top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek in a trade.

The Cardinals probably don’t have the prospects to finish a deal and the Angels and Dodgers seem more like they’re just poking around than serious at this point. That leaves the Brewers. But are they a match?

Halladay would be an outstanding addition for the Brewers and one that could help them this season and next. The Brewers have some nice prospects they could package in a deal that would benefit both sides and the team might even be willing to include shortstop J.J. Hardy if the Blue Jays are interested in him. But if I were Melvin, I’d leave Parra off the table. If the Blue Jays won’t pull the trigger on a deal without him, move on. Halladay isn’t the only arm out there.

Uecker Announces LaRoche Trade to Pirates' Faithful

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:40:28 -0400

In the sixth inning of this afternoon’s ballgame, Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit walked to the plate to face Brewers reliever Todd Coffey after Garrett Jones hit a two-out double. The game was knotted at seven and Pirates' fans near the Brewers’ radio booth were calling for a pinch-hit appearance by first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Unbeknownst to them, however, the elder LaRoche had been traded to the Red Sox shortly before the game, so he was obviously not available. Brewers' radio announcer and good samaritan Bob Uecker decided to take a pause from the broadcast to let the fans in on the deal.

Say what you want about Bob’s penchant for going into the “Get Up! Get Up!” call a tad too early once or twice a week or the occasional game where he’ll use more air time on stories than play-by-play, especially if the Brewers are behind by a few runs, but I never want to listen to a Brewers' game without Ueck behind the mic. I doubt I’ve ever gone a whole game without him making me laugh out loud at least once.

Brewers Fans at New Yankee Stadium

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:03:55 -0400

While on vacation, the lady and I went to a Yankees game. This is our story.

We took the D to Yankee Stadium, which took about 20 minutes from Columbus Circle in Manhattan. I wasn’t sure how the day was going to go because I decided to wear my Braun jersey from the 08 All-Star Game. I figured that is how I could get away with being a proud Brewers fan in NY.

When we got off the subway, we were about a block away from both Yankee stadiums. The old one and the new one look very similar, but of course the new stadium is brighter. It basically looked like one of those Whitestrips commercials, before was on the left and after was on the right.

While walking up, people were selling shirts, water, and hot dogs. There were hot dog stands all around the stadium selling dirty water dogs and water for 2 bucks. It’s a much better deal than you get inside, more on that later.

As you’d expect, there really isn’t any parking near the stadium and there isn’t any tailgating. There are 3 trains that come to Yankee Stadium and the closest parking I found was a few blocks away and up a hill.

We walked in Gate 8 with our tickets from StubHub. When you first walk in this gate, you can go straight into the Mohegan Sun sports pub (it’s basically a mix between the Metavante Club and Fridays to give you a frame of reference.) We had to take a sharp right to get up to the bleachers.

Something you notice right away is that everything is big. The columns are big, the stadium is big, the screens are big, the prices are big…it’s all quite extravagant until you get to the backless bleacher seats. What? All kinds of money, but ran out before you could put backs on bleachers? I guess that’s why they were much less expensive than any other ticket.

See the guy in the red jacket? That's basically where our seats were

New Yankee Stadium has 3 HD scoreboards with small dot matrix boards that are basically closed captioning for scoreboards. The main scoreboard is HUGE (and I cannot stress this enough) and crystal clear. I’ve seen pictures of the board and it didn’t look so huge, but it is.

When fans dance and pose, they basically look like monsters over the people standing above the sports pub. It’s so big, I could basically count all the pieces of patchy stubble on Joba Chamberlain’s face. Even the two twin smaller screens are in sparkling HD and are both seemingly larger than the one color screen at Miller Park.

The seats had a great view and we were able to see inside Monument Park, which is in dead center and is directly below the sports pub. It was Old Timers day and even though we only caught the end, I still was able to see Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry and more.

We didn’t have time to eat before the game, so we needed something to tie us over. I walked past the Budweiser carts ($10 a beer), into the food court. The food court has a sushi, noodles, pizza, and more.

We could have had Nathan’s hot dogs (for 5-6 dollars each) but instead we split an order of chicken tenders (for $7.50). We also had a water (for $5) and wanted fries, but those were $7.25. It took about 30 minutes in line and all the lines were as full…even the sushi line…

While in line, a Yankees fan tapped me on the shoulder. I thought..OK, here comes the line about wearing a Brewers jersey to a game with no Brewers…but no! A fan was trying to figure out the people on the posters. She figured out Ruth and Reggie, was able to guess Steinbrenner, but couldn’t get one more. I told her it was DiMaggio and she goes “Of course! the guy who dated Marilyn Monroe!” It was at this time that I realized that no one really gives a crap about what is on my jersey.

Speaking of jerseys, since the Yankees are full of history, there are many, many jerseys there. Still, I could not find a Maris jersey which interested me only because I recently watched the Maris-centric movie 61. Also, the Yanks have so many retired numbers, you have to think that someday the Yankees will have to be the first club that uses three digit numbers.

One thing that I thought was cool was something the Yankee right field bleacher crowd does: They have a chant for every member of the starting outfield and infield. (For instance, “Derek Jeter, Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap” “Tex, Tex, Tex…” They continue to chant until each player waves or acknowledges the fans in YRFB.

My favorite was Nick Swisher because he full out salutes the fans. There’s even a shirt that has the “Swisher Salute”. Finally, at the end, they don’t cheer the battery but they do chant “Box Seats Suck!” That was fun, but about the only life from the crowd…until the 9th…

It was about the 3rd inning when I realized how hot it can get in the bleachers especially with no partial roof and I started to burn like I did at County Stadium. A-Rod hit a home run in our general area and fans cheered him much louder than I thought they would. After the 6th, we decided to stop the burning and take a walk.

We went onto the Field Level and saw more places to eat, but what I really wanted to see was the Great Hall. It was pretty massive, I’m not going to lie. It basically felt like I was in a Roman Coliseum instead of at a baseball game. There were huge banners all over, another giant HD screen, two full size restaurants (NYY Steak and a Hard Rock), and two stores.

While in the stores, I heard the most annoying voice in baseball. That’s when I realized that the woman who shouted about “Rohjah Clemens” probably does every game! It made me shudder and want to get back to the game itself.

We decided to stand right behind home plate for awhile and it was still a good view…similar to the standing room at Miller. Standing next to me was a stereotypical Yankees fans. Stereotypical how? In the way that he overly critical and quick to react irrationally. It was in the 7th and Joba was pitching a very good game.

However, his pitch count was really high (107). They took him out and this fan went nuts towards his friend! “Oh my God, what the hell is Girardi doing? Joba’s throwing the best game of his life and he’s taking him out? For who? For who? Coke? Man, I hope Girardi gets fired after this year…he makes so many dumb decisions.” No wonder the New York media is so crazy if there are more fans like this!

We walked down a little farther. Phil Hughes came in and I thought about Tyler’s aspirations for the guy and how he’s now a reliever. After that thought, I had a better one! It’s 2-1…in the 8th…We’re going to be able to see Enter Sandman. And we did.

Most of the outfield crowd all got up when the doors opened. Out ran Rivera…and a camera guy? Anyway, Enter Sandman starting blaring…it was louder than any other song played the whole game. Then the fans who were up did sort of a dance…it was kinda cool and very dorky.

That’s probably why the fans in the infield didn’t seem to join in. Rivera saved the game, 46,000 plus cheered and they started singing along to “New York, New York”.

By the way, there is an average of about 3 home runs hit in every game. There were 3 home runs hit when we were there. Another interesting tidbit: I saw and heard people say that this stadium was “The House that Juice Built”

Getting out of the stadium is just as slow as walking across the bridge in Miller Park and the Subways fill up fast! Luckily, the D just came as we were coming down the stairs and we were able to sit for the entire ride back…which took a lot longer because they made all local stops on the way back.

Overall, it was a great experience, we both had a good time, and I can’t wait to visit another stadium. I think most Yankee fans get a bad rap for being harsh on other fans…they were very respectful and the only people who were ragged on were Phillies fans and Boston fans.

(We had problems with airport security so in lieu of the tons of pictures we took, these pictures are similar to what we saw so I used some of them in this post..hope the guy doesn’t mind)

Roy Halladay's Trade Value

Right Field Bleachers — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:14:12 -0400

As is often the case in trade speculation, there is a wide range of opinions on what Roy Halladay is actually worth on the trade market.

His perceived value—in the media, amongst fans and on blogs—ranges from obscenely slanted in favor of the Blue Jays (any five players in any minor-league system) to ridiculously weighted in favor of whatever team the Blue Jays trade him to (salary dump for marginal prospects).

Obviously, the truth is somewhere closer to the first suggestion, but I still feel Halladay’s perceived value is skewed way too high in general right now.

Luckily, Halladay wouldn’t be the first ace to be dealt in the past few seasons. We have precedence to go on. Johan Santana, CC Sabathia, Jake Peavy, Dan Haren and Erik Bedard all have ace-like numbers and have been dealt in recent seasons. Let’s analyze those trades on the surface and see if we can come up with any conclusions.

Johan Santana

The Mets sent four players to the Twins—their Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 7 prospects, according to Baseball America.

Santana was younger than Halladay at the time of the trade, has better numbers than Halladay and the Twins offered the Mets a window of time to sign Santana to an extension. The Jays will not do that with any Halladay trade. So, the Blue Jays should get slightly less value in a trade of Halladay than the Twins got for Santana.

CC Sabathia

The Brewers sent four players, including their No. 1 prospect, according to Baseball America, to the Indians. Michael Brantley, a highly regarded AA outfielder at the time, likely would have been in the Brewers’ top 10 this year if he was still in the system and he was ranked No. 9 in the Indians system.

Rob Bryson was a lower level prospect and Zack Jackson was a failed prospect.

Sabathia was younger than Halladay and as good of a pitcher as him, but was just a half-season rental in this trade. The Blue Jays should get more for Halladay than the Brewers paid for Sabathia.

Jake Peavy

Peavy nixed the trade, but the White Sox were prepared to send their Nos. 2 and 3 prospects, according to Baseball America, and two players to be named later to the Padres in a deal for the San Diego pitcher.

Peavy is younger and has very similar numbers to Halladay. He is signed to a reasonable deal through 2012 with a 2013 option so any team that would trade for him would be getting him for a handful of years.

That increases his trade value to some degree, but the financial risk involved is also greater. I think the Blue Jays should expect a similar return on Halladay to this nixed deal.

Dan Haren

The Oakland A's received six players, including their Nos. 1, 3, 7 and 8 prospects, according to Baseball America, for Haren.

Haren was younger than Halladay, had similar numbers and was signed to a low-cost deal for three years. The Blue Jays should not expect as much as the Diamondbacks paid for Haren if they trade Halladay.

Erik Bedard

The Orioles got five players, including former Mariners No. 1 prospect Adam Jones (he was entering his second year in the majors at the time) and their No. 3 prospect, according to Baseball America. The Orioles also received a nice MLB relief pitcher, George Sherrill, and two other minor leaguers.

The Mariners got Bedard for two full seasons. The pitcher was younger than Halladay and had great numbers in 2007, but was less proven and more of an injury risk. The Blue Jays could probably expect a similar return on Halladay.

What Have We Learned?

First of all, this all very subjective since prospect rankings within individual systems depend on how good that minor-league system is, but it can at least give us a general idea of what Halladay is worth.

Based on recent trades of aces, it looks as though the Blue Jays should be able to reasonably expect to get two top-five prospects, another prospect in the top 10 range and one additional player for Halladay.

What Could the Brewers Offer?

I made a post yesterday about the possibility of including shortstop J.J. Hardy in a trade with the Blue Jays. The tough thing there is it’s hard to peg down what Hardy’s value would be to the Jays or if they would even be interested in him. They definitely need a shortstop of the future, but Hardy is only a season and a half away from free agency.

If the Jays thought he could be the answer at the position for them, they could trade for him and hope to work out a long-term deal before he reached free agency. With so many ifs in that scenario though, I’ll go with a simpler proposal for now.

The Brewers could offer third baseman Mat Gamel (the Brewers' No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America), catcher Angel Salome (No. 5), pitcher Zach Braddock and one additional prospect.

The Brewers could afford to deal Gamel because they have another highly regarded third base prospect, Taylor Green, climbing up the system. Likewise, the Brewers could trade Salome because catcher Jonathan Lucroy is a level behind but equal or ahead of Salome in prospect rankings.

Lefty Zach Braddock is having a breakout season this year and has moved up to AA. He was not listed on the BA top 10 before the season, but would likely be near the bottom of the top 10 if they redid the rankings now.

In fact, Braddock is the Brewers No. 7 prospect, according to the most recent BrewerFan.net Power 50. The final prospect would probably someone in the No. 10-20 range in terms of prospect rankings. A high-ceiling pitcher like Wily Peralta, Cody Scarpetta, Evan Anundsen, or Jake Odorizzi would probably fit the bill.

So, What Do You Think?

Should the Brewers offer a deal of something like Gamel/Salome/Braddock/Odorizzi for Halladay?

The Brewers are in a unique position where the top two prospects in that proposal would have other highly regarded prospects at their positions that could move up the totem pole behind them if they were to be dealt. It would make the deal’s blow to the minor-league system a bit easier to take, in that regard anyway.

However, it would hurt to lose the pitching prospects since the Brewers’ minor-league system is starving for pitching at the higher levels and the Brewers hope those players will develop into big-league arms in the coming seasons.

The addition of Halladay would be a huge boost to the team though. The starting rotation is the clear weak spot and an upgrade is necessary if the team is expected to make the playoffs this season. A top two of Halladay and Gallardo would be imposing in regular season match-ups and even more so in a postseason series.

The money Halladay is due would certainly be an issue as it would put major constraints on an already tight budget for this season and next, but if the front office can make it work, it’d certainly help set up this team for success.

Furthermore, the NL Central and the NL as a whole are pretty weak this season, so any boost, and especially an addition as good as Halladay, could mean a big difference in how far the team can go.

Since the Brewers would have Halladay again next season, it would set up well with the window this team has to compete.

Many of the key young players will reach free agency years by 2011 or 2012, meaning the Brewers will have some tough decisions to make in regards to contracts and who should be traded to restock the minor-league system by the time those seasons roll around. Realistically, 2009 and 2010 are probably the last years this core group will be together.

The more I think about a move like this, the more I support it. I’m usually not in favor of gutting a minor-league system, but the circumstances seem to be right in this case for the Brewers to make an aggressive push for the postseason.

If you were the Brewers GM, would you offer Mat Gamel, Angel Salome, Zach Braddock and Jake Odorizzi for a season and a half of Roy Halladay?

Tip One Back in Honor of a Milwaukee Legend

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:16:16 -0400

One of my favorite elements of Major League Baseball is how cherished the history of the game is. Unfortunately, I don’t think Milwaukee Braves legends like Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, and Eddie Mathews are held up in the same light as Brewers greats like Paul Molitor and Robin Yount.

When I saw that Oklahoma-based Choc Beer Company released a beer honoring Spahn, the winningest lefty in MLB history, I knew I had to try it. I’m not a jersey guy, but I’ve often said if I did get one, it would either be a Spahn jersey, an Aaron jersey, or a Cecil Cooper jersey—three players who I think are severely underrated in Milwaukee baseball lore.

Spahnie 363 is a combination of the Hall of Famer’s nickname and the number of victories the lefty tallied in his outstanding career. The Choc brewery teamed up with the son of Spahn (spawn of Spahn?) to create the beer in honor of the ace of the 1957 World Series championship Milwaukee team.

Spahn, who played 12 of his 21 remarkable seasons in Milwaukee, was good friends with the owner of Choc, which is now run by his son. The brewery describes Spahnie 363 as, “an unfiltered ale made with Wisconsin grain, and with Warren’s unique style in mind.”

Tyler and I were lucky enough to be able to pick up a six pack of Spahnie 363 for reviewing purposes. After popping the tops on a couple bottles, it became clear that we’re much better at drinking beer than reviewing it, but we gave it a shot anyway…afterall, we’ve never been prone to turning down free beer, or a new excuse to drink it.

My review:

Personally, I thought the beer was good, but not remarkable. It doesn’t have a strong taste, but does have a hint of bitterness, and is not unlike Heineken in that respect. It’s a smooth-drinking beer, and while it doesn’t have a distinctive flavor, I could easily drink several while catching a ballgame.

All in all, I think I summed up Spahnie 363 best when Joe asked what I thought about it; “It’s beer.”

Tyler’s review:

Warren Spahn is a name synonymous with greatness, longevity, and consistency. Spahnie 363, however, seems quite the opposite.

Let it be known, I am far from a brew master, but as an appointed taster to a beer seemingly honed to the preferences of baseball-loving traditionalists like myself, I felt as if the end product of “363” was not something fitting of an all-time great like Spahn.

Aesthetically, the bottle, packaging, and accompanying text is pretty cool, and would make a great holiday buy for the Milwaukee baseball aficionado in your life. But after tasting it, I consider Spahnie 363 to be more a novelty gift than a qualified beverage.

In direct opposition to the presence the beer’s namesake had in 21 seasons on the mound, the unfiltered ale’s flavor is lacking. It seems watery, if anything. A light skunk, a la Peroni or past-date Rolling Rock, posed the only semblance of flavor.

Again, I’m no beer snob, so I almost certainly missed certain accoutrements a more specific palate may enjoy. But Spahnie 363 isn’t a beer I’d choose to take tailgating, sip while taking in a game on the radio, or even purchase.

The unique and specific look of the product seems something fitting of Warren Spahn, but the taste seems more fitting of Brett Tomko.

Here's a review from BeerAdvocate.com.

Spahnie 363 is the latest variation of the Choc beer to be released by the brewery. It pours up quite easily with a moderate carbonation that creates a bit of froth above the very hazy, straw-pale golden body. The zesty aroma has some wheat berry maltiness that contributes a subtle sweetness.

The flavor starts off with some flaked wheat graininess followed by a light citrus (lemony) fruitiness & a grassy bitterness that develops late bottle to create a balanced, off-dry finish.

This light-medium bodied beer is very approachable with a good quaffability which is what the brewers intended, but it’s certainly not a Kölsch or even a Wieß. No matter what it’s described as, it’ll be nice to find a good hand-crafted beer like this around at the baseball stadiums & special events in OK.

I found the first incarnation of this beer called Lefty 363 which was considered by many to be a farmhouse (saison-style) ale much more interesting. I seriously doubt it was the beer that Warren Spahn visited Pete’s Place for, as he mostly drank Heineken but it makes a good story nonetheless.

Here’s to one of baseball’s greatest pitchers!

For more information on Spahnie 363 visit the brewer’s Web site or check out articles on the beer by On Milwaukee, 620 WTMJ, BizTimes.com, or Draft.

Spahnie 363 is available at the following locations in the Milwaukee area (alphabetical by city name):

Chill Zone, 801 Park Ave., Beaver Dam
Market Basket, 14835 Lisbon, Brookfield
Otto’s Beverage, W63n157 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
South Shore Inn, 5483 S Lake Dr., Cudahy
Club Paragon Pub, 3578 S 108th St., Greenfield
Forest Home Beer & Liquor, 5612 W Forest Home Ave., Greenfield
Loomis Food & Beverage, 4415 W Loomis Rd, Greenfield
Otto’s Beverage Center, N88W15413 Main St., Menomonee Falls
Scotty’s Beer and Liquor, N56 W14108 Silver Spring Dr., Menomonee Falls
Blatz Market & Liquor, 270 E Highland Ave., Milwaukee
Coach’s@13th-Pub & Grill, 5356 S 13th St., Milwaukee
Corner Pub, 7602 W Lisbon Ave., Milwaukee
Derry’s Pub, 5328 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee
Friday’s Front Row, 1 Brewers Way, Milwaukee
JJ Stripes, 3101 S 15th Pl, Milwaukee
Kampus Foods, 1414 W Wells St., Milwaukee
Long Wong’s, 5230 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee
McGinn’s/McZar’s, 5901 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee
Oklahoma Liquor, 933 W Oklahoma Ave., Milwaukee
Otto’s Bev Ctr Milw, 4163 N 76th St., Milwaukee
Rnr Liq & Conv/A1 Petro Inc., 8333 W Morgan Ave., Milwaukee
Rookie’s Sports Club-Howel, 3915 S Howell Ave., Milwaukee
Steve’s on Bluemound, 5841 W Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee
Gary’s Corp of Oak Creek, 9555 S Howell Ave., Oak Creek
Woodman’s, 8131 S Howell Ave., Oak Creek
Piggly Wiggly, 1300 Brown St., Oconomowoc
Sonoma Cellars, 1290 Summit Ave., Oconomowoc
Sentry, 101 W 7 Hills Rd, Port Washington
Shopko, 1011 N Wisconsin St., Port Washington
Snarley’s, 1400 Missouri St., South Milwaukee
Discount Liquor, 919 Barstow St., Waukesha
The Icechest, 96 Gateway Dr., Waupun
Colonel Harts, 7342 W State St., Wauwatosa
Sentry Foods, 6700 W State St., Wauwatosa
Mc Guire’s Bar Inc., 6235 W National Ave., West Allis
Oklahoma Liquor & Tobacco, 10711 W Oklahoma Ave., West Allis
4th Base, 5117 W National Ave., West Milwaukee

Is J.J. Hardy Heading to the Toronto Blue Jays?

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:51:32 -0400

It’s rare for a team to deal a key member of the team in the middle of a season in which they hope to compete in the playoffs, but the Brewers are in a unique position.

With one of the best prospects in baseball, shortstop Alcides Escobar, knocking at the door, the Brewers could choose to deal J.J. Hardy for pitching.

It would be a calculated risk that would involve losing a veteran leader and potentially disrupting clubhouse camaraderie, but it might be in the best interest of the Brewers for this season and possibly beyond.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports recently reported on the possibility of a Hardy trade:

A team that talked to the Brewers was told that shortstop J.J. Hardy could be available “in the right deal.”

“In a right deal” is a pretty vague term, but one would have to assume a trade involving the Brewers receiving Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay would be the “right deal.” Halladay would give the Brewers the legitimate difference-maker in the rotation that they need.

There are many questions surrounding a possible deal involving Hardy, however.

Would Halladay be worth it?

Yes.

He’s been one of the most consistent, injury-free starters in baseball for the last several years. He’s widely considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, and his stats should only improve with a move to the NL.

Could the Brewers afford to go with a rookie at shortstop in place of Hardy if they still want to compete this season?

That's hard to say.

Escobar might be ready for the jump to the majors right now, but he also might struggle.

By all accounts, he is a perennial Gold Glove talent at shortstop, so the defense should actually improve at least a little (since Hardy is no scrub defensively either). Offensively, Escobar does not have the power or experience Hardy has, so there would likely be a dropoff.

That said, Hardy is having a bad year at the plate. He’s hitting just .229 this season with only 11 home runs and an OBP under .300.

Meanwhile, Escobar, who was once considered a long-term project offensively, has made great strides with the bat in Triple-A. He’s hitting .295 with three home runs and a .349 on-base percentage for Nashville this season.

Those numbers likely wouldn’t translate to MLB at those levels, but one would think Escobar should at least be able to match Hardy’s offensive contributions to this point. He won’t hit as many home runs, but he has a lot more speed, as he has 33 stolen bases so far this season.

Also, with the recent acquisition of Felipe Lopez, he could shift over from second base to shortstop if Escobar were to struggle.

Why not trade Escobar instead of Hardy?

Hardy will be a free agent after next season, and as the young Brewers players become free agents over the next couple of years, the team will have to make some tough financial decisions.

With Escobar coming at a much lower cost and already on the cusp of the big leagues, Hardy is expendable. The Brewers will control Escobar more cheaply for more years, and he is the future at shortstop.

Trading Hardy would also make it a little bit easier for the Brewers to take on Halladay’s big contract, which is the rest of the $14.25 million he’s owed this year and all of the $15.75 million he’ll get next year.

How much more would it take?

The Blue Jays aren’t going to swap Halladay for Hardy alone—not even close.

They’ll want at least one top prospect and probably two additional high-ceiling types to fill out the deal.

I’d say Hardy, third baseman Mat Gamel, and two B-level prospects should be close to getting it done. That’s a proven MLB player, one of the top prospects in the Brewers' system, and two other high-ceiling prospects, with probably at least one and possibly both of them being pitchers.

The Brewers can afford to trade Gamel since they have some depth at third base both in the majors and the minors, and there is no guarantee Gamel will stick at the hot corner anyway. Milwaukee's system is thin on starting pitcher prospects in the high levels, but there are a number of intriguing pitching prospects in the lower levels.

While it would hurt to lose one or two of the quality young arms the Brewers are trying to build up, it would be worth it for a season and a half of a surefire ace like Halladay.

Will the Blue Jays even want Hardy?

Most reports say that the Blue Jays are interested in Escobar, which isn’t surprising, but the Brewers aren’t interested in moving him.

So, would the Blue Jays want Hardy?

That's hard to say.

Hardy has struggled this season so far, but he was an All-Star two years ago and had an All-Star-caliber season again last year.

Hardy has significant power for the shortstop position and is above average defensively. He’s still young, and you have to believe he’ll shake out of this slump at some point, especially since he’s a notoriously streaky hitter.

He has one more year of arbitration left after this season, so the Blue Jays would have him through the 2010 season. The Jays could hold onto Halladay through the 2010 season if they wanted, so with Halladay on the trading block right now, it’s unlikely they view 2010 as a season to go for it.

With that said, the organization needs a shortstop for the future, since Marco Scutaro is not a long-term answer.

They could view Hardy as the man.

While the Jays would have a hard time coming up with the coin to lock up Doc Halladay for the long term, they could likely sign Hardy to a multi-year deal if both sides were interested.

So, what if the Blue Jays don’t want Hardy?

I think Hardy remains the Brewers’ best trading chip, both in terms of what other teams value and what the Brewers can afford to give up. So if the Blue Jays aren’t interested in Hardy, the Brewers should shop him elsewhere.

Would the Red Sox swap Clay Buchholz for Hardy?

That deal would benefit both sides, as the Sox would upgrade a major team weakness without giving up a player on their MLB roster, and the Brewers would get a talented young starter that they’d control for the next several years. Buchholz has proven he’s ready for the bigs again and could have a strong second half in the majors.

A well-known Mariners fan blog suggested last week that a trade of starters Erik Bedard and Wisconsin native Jarrod Washburn, both free agents to be, for Hardy would make sense for both teams.

Would former Brewer head scout and current Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik actually consider this?

If so, that’s a great alternative for the Brewers. They’d get two quality starters and could collect some draft picks when the pitchers leave in free agency after the season.

Would the Indians be interested in taking Hardy as part of a Cliff Lee deal?

Asdrubal Cabrera is a pretty nice option at shortstop for the Indians, but he can also play second base, where the Indians don’t have a solid starter.

I wouldn’t give up Hardy for other options that are out there right now (Brad Penny, Doug Davis, Jon Garland, etc.), but who knows what else might happen before the trade deadline?

The Brewers should keep all options open.

The Bottom Line

Hardy is a fan favorite and a respected veteran in the clubhouse. Dealing him in the middle of the season would shake up the fanbase and the clubhouse, but if the team can get quality starting pitching for him in a deal, it might be the right move to set the team up for a big second half.

Brewers Trade for Felipe Lopez

Right Field Bleachers — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:18:56 -0400

Milwaukee acquired second baseman Felipe Lopez from Arizona on Sunday for outfielder Cole Gillespie (Triple-A) and RHP Roque Mercedes (A-Advanced).

Lopez provides a stable solution to the second base and leadoff hitter shuffles that ensued following Rickie Weeks’ season ending injury. The 29-year-old switch hitter has six homers, 25 RBI and a impressive .372 OBP in 85 games this season.

Mercedes, 22, posted a 1.08 ERA in 41 2/3 innings of relief at Brevard County. Gillespie, 25, hit .258 with eight home runs, 36 RBI and 10 steals between his time at Brevard County and Nashville this season. Gillespie seemed to be blocked from advancing to Milwaukee’s outfield.

I feel like Milwaukee landed a player who can do volumes to help address the team’s present problems, and didn’t damage their future in doing so. Lopez will be a free agent following the ‘09 season, and a Type B status wouldn’t be out of the question for the veteran infielder. I like the move.

InReview: All-Star Grades for Milwaukee Brewers

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:00:04 -0400

Since I’m in the middle of moving and taking a vacation, I won’t have much access to the Internet. That’s why I’m doing a mid-year review special.

Grades

Jason Kendall, 258 AB/.233 BA/.322 OBP/25 R/23 RBI/0 HR, Grade: C+

He is still a high-quality defensive catcher and game caller. He still can’t find his bat, but at least he gets on base.

Mike Rivera, 49 AB/.245 BA/.294 OBP/2 R/2 RBI/0 HR, Grade: C

We may never know the real Mike Rivera. Unlike last season, the hits aren’t falling, but he doesn’t get enough at-bats to be at fault. He is solid at calling games and on defense.

Prince Fielder, 308 AB/.315 BA/.422 OBP/58 R/78 RBI/22 HR, Grade: A

This year, Fielder has the highest on-base percentage out of all the Brewers. That’s amazing. Not only that, but he leads the team in home runs, RBI, and doubles.

For all the crap Fielder gets at first, he has only had three errors this year and has been the team’s leader.

Rickie Weeks, 147 AB/.272 BA/.340 OBP/28 R/24 RBI/9 HR, Grade: I

I feel bad for Weeks; I really do. He might have been able to put together an amazing year both offensively and defensively, but he has been playing hurt the entire year.

Craig Counsell, 224 AB/.281 BA/.354 OBP/34 R/15 RBI/2 HR, Grade: B+

I may have been tough on Craigy in the past, but he’s been solid this year. A fun stat is that he already has more hits this year than all of last year. When Weeks went down, Counsell held the team together with his play and leadership.

J.J. Hardy, 298 AB/.232 BA/.301 OBP/41 R/38 RBI/10 HR, Grade: C-

Hardy is having bad luck this year. For a while, he was hitting the ball well; unfortunately, he was hitting it right at his opponents.

Hardy might be the slowest starter on the team, and he has grounded into 11 double plays already, tied for 28^th in the entire league.

Hardy’s arm is still strong, and he has made some strong defensive plays. I expect a big second half from him.

Bill Hall, 191 AB/.199 BA/.260 OBP/20 R/19 RBI/5 HR, Grade: D-

Hall was given the position of starter at the beginning of the year, again. The Brewers sent down their hot third base prospect to give Hall a chance, again.

Hall even had his eyes checked over the offseason to help his batting. Gamel and McGehee have taken over Hall’s hitting responsibilities by this halfway point, so Hall is basically a defensive player.

Hall has continued to suffer from Jenkinsitis (swinging at a low breaking ball near the dirt) and now strikes out with high fastballs as well.

I feel bad for the guy, but he is basically the invisible man. Even Mike Rivera thinks Hall doesn’t get on the field much anymore.

Casey McGehee, 146 AB/.329 BA/.387 OBP/24 R/27 RBI/6 HR, Grade: A-

McGehee is the surprise of the year! He had a rough start after a great spring training, and he didn’t see much playing time.

However, he caught fire from the middle of May to the middle of June. McGehee has had some problems fielding (probably because he plays both second and third), but I’m hoping he can keep it up!

Mat Gamel, 105 AB/.248 BA/.350 OBP/10 R/16 RBI/4 HR, Grade: B-

Since people were expecting the second coming of Ryan Braun, many Brewer fans have not noticed that Gamel has been a good call-up. Not having consistent playing time is tough, but Gamel has been doing well.

True, he shrinks in the clutch, but I hope he will improve the future.

Ryan Braun, 332 AB/.310 BA/.391 OBP/61 R/58 RBI/16 HR, Grade: A

Braun has been on a recent cold streak, but I still believe he deserves an A. He’s made some nice plays in left (and some errors), and he’s hitting well over .300. He’s also the first Brewer to start two consecutive All-Star games since Robin Yount.

Mike Cameron, 287 AB/.258 BA/.368 OBP/40 R/42 RBI/14 HR, Grade: B

Cameron has made some amazing catches, and he was the hottest hitter in April. He is streaky, but this is the Cameron that I had expected last season: A .250+ hitter with power and makes great catches in center field.

Corey Hart, 304 AB/.253 BA/.322 OBP/46 R/35 RBI/9 HR, Grade: C-

Corey Hart makes me sad. The fans voted him in to the All-Star Game. To repay the fans' kindness, he then said the fans don’t support the team enough during the Cubs series.

Then he disappeared late in the season, but we, the fans, stuck by him the entire time.

This year, I’ve noticed less hustle in getting to fly balls and running out grounders from Hart.

He’s turning it around at the plate as of late, but it was tough for quite a while. I’m starting to rethink my expectations of Hart. I gave him a low grade due to those high expectations, but he may not be a .290-.300-with-20 HR-and-20 steals player.

Frank Catalanotto, 47 AB/.277 BA/.327 OBP/2 R/5 RBI/1 HR, Grade: C

If I was comparing Catalanotto to Jody Gerut, he would get an A. He’s been serviceable in limited play time. He’s been a better outfield backup than Chris Duffy, Brad Nelson, and Gerut.

Jody Gerut, 152 AB/.191 BA/.226 OBP/21 R/16 RBI/4 HR, Grade: F

Remember when the Brewers traded Tony Gwynn Jr. because Duffy and Nelson weren’t hitting? That was a long time ago, right? Jody Gerut has had four hits since becoming a Brewer.

Yovani Gallardo, 8-7/114.2 IP/ 3.22 ERA/123 K/ 1.230 WHIP, Grade: A-

Gallardo has been stellar this year, and he shouldn’t be an almost-.500 pitcher. He should be an All-Star, so I hope he has a chip on his shoulder during the second half.

More than anything, I hope his last two starts are not a sign of things to come. Remember, this is hopefully his first full season.

Jeff Suppan, 5-6/99.2 IP/ 4.70 ERA/53 K/ 1.605 WHIP, Grade: C

After a horrendous start to the season, Suppan has been an innings eater. What pisses off Brewers fans is that he’s an expensive innings eater.

But take a look, he’s has the second-lowest ERA of any of the top five starters. His propensity to walk batters has killed him.

Manny Parra, 3-8/71.2 IP/ 6.78 ERA/62 K/ 1.786 WHIP, Grade: F+

I like Parra, I hope his recent stint in the minors turned his season around, but you have to say that he was terrible the first half of the season. His ERA is still over six, even with his great last start.

I know Parra has the skills to succeed, and I hope he does. The Brewers need him.

Braden Looper, 7-4/102 IP/ 4.94 ERA/59 K/ 1.382 WHIP, Grade: C+

Braden, like Soup, has been an innings eater. He’s just won a couple more games, struck out a couple more batters, and surrendered a few less walks. Braden has been a calming starter on the team, which is needed at times.

Dave Bush, 3-4/81 IP/ 5.67 ERA/59 K/ 1.346 WHIP, Grade: C-

Bush has also had some bad luck, since he has a very low WHIP. However, much like Mike Burns, he’s been prone to the gopher ball.

Bush had a solid second half last year and, once he’s back, the Brewers are betting on more of the same.

Seth McClung, 3-2/54 IP/ 4.17 ERA/33 K/ 1.519 WHIP, As a Reliever: A-, As a Starter: F

McClung’s ERA as a reliever is only 2.89 in 46 innings. He worked his way back into the rotation, and he deserved a shot. But he took the shot and and hit himself with it.

McClung, like Carlos Villanueva, is probably going to be an above average reliever and a below average starter, and that’s Ok if the other starters get their act together.

Mike Burns, 2-2/26 IP/ 5.54 ERA/19 K/ 1.423 WHIP, Grade: C-

When Burns gets in trouble, he throws the ball right done the middle of the plate. When Burns is cruising, he is hard to hit. The problem is, sooner than later, Burns will have problems and has given up two home runs per nine innings, well above the league average.

Mitch Stetter, 2-0/29 IP/ 2.76 ERA/36K/ 0.989 WHIP, Grade: A-

Stetter set a record for most consecutive strike out-outs and has a WHIP under 1.000. He has been great as a lefty specialist and good in normal relief.

Carlos Villanueva, 2-6/39 IP/ 6.14 ERA/37 K/ 1.449 WHIP, Grade: C-

From Opening Day to June 6, Carlos had a 3.33 ERA, and opponents were only hitting .167 against him.

Since June 6, hitters have hit .419 against him, and it shows in his 13.14 ERA. Usually when you see numbers like this, you think someone has to be hurt.

Todd Coffey, 4-1/45 IP/ 2.80 ERA/40 K/ 1.244 WHIP, Grade: B+

Before the Trevor Hoffman came, Coffey was the only shining star in the bullpen. After Hoffman came and became a sensation, Coffey has still thrown very well and is a mini-sensation as well with his memorable run to the mound.

Chris Smith, 0-0/22.2 IP/ 2.38 ERA/17 K/ 1.147 WHIP, Grade: B

This guy has been a total surprise and has been good at eating up innings. Problem is, these innings are mostly during losses. I’m very interested in seeing more because I can’t tell if he’s lucky or good.

Mark DiFelice, 4-1/34.1 IP/ 1.83 ERA/31 K/ 0.961 WHIP, Grade: A-

DiFelice has been one of the more steady arms from the bullpen and is getting almost no publicity for it. I was at a game in June and heard one “Brewer fan” say the following: “Awh, I don’t know why they’re putting in DiFelice? Do they want to throw this game away?”

Check the kid's numbers, and you will be impressed. When Hoffman said he was representing all Brewer relievers at the All-Star Game, you know he meant mostly DiFelice.

Trevor Hoffman, 1-1/26.1 IP/ 2.05 ERA/20 K/ 1.063 WHIP, Grade: A

I was guardedly optimistic about Hoffman coming to the Brewers. He was good in Petco, but I wasn’t sure that would translate to Miller Park. It has, and the crowds have taken notice.

Whenever Hells Bells starts to ring, the crowd gets up and gets loud, and you almost know the game is over. Now, I’m starting to think that Hoffman should never be put in a non-save situation. He has a 5.40 ERA in non-save situations and a 1.27 ERA in save situations.

Team as a Whole, Grade: B-

I thought the team would be a little better than two games over .500, but if the team is in the race after playing so inconsistently, I have to be a little happy.

I like Ken Macha’s style, and even though there have been some question marks, I’ve been pleased with his results and the patience he has instilled on the team.

I’m worried that Bill Castro isn’t going to be the pitching coach after this year.

Don’t believe the hype that the Brewers' fielding is much better. The Brewers are averaging an error per 1.8 games. Last year, it was one error per 1.6 games.

Great Moments of the First Half

Trevor Hoffman saving his first 16 games without a blown save (April 28-June 15)
30-20 (June 1)
Prince Fielder’s first grand slam to win the game (June 15)
Fielder winning the Home Run Derby (July 1
Braun, Fielder, and Hoffman in the All-Star Game (July 14)

'Bout-Damn-Time Moments of the First Half

Brewers are in first (May 13-May 26, May 29-June 19, June 26-July 2)
Bringing up Gamel (May 14)
Cutting Julio (June 2)
Starting McGehee more (started May 19)

Boost From Bush?

Right Field Bleachers — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:33:48 -0400

Mike Burns has pitched OK for the Brewers as a fill-in starter, but he’s not the long-term answer for the rotation and a major trade acquisition for the starting rotation might be a pipe dream. Luckily, however, we do have one roster addition to look forward to. Dave Bush should be returning from the DL relatively soon.

Bush made a rehab start for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Friday and gave up four hits over 4 2/3 innings. His command was great as he threw 43 of his 55 pitches for strikes. He collected five strike outs and no walks in the game. Bush will make one more rehab start, most likely with Huntsville, and the Brewers hope to have him back for the July 20 game against Pittsburgh.

Bush has struggled for much of the season this year, but he had a 4.18 ERA in 185 innings last year, and he will be a big addition to the club if he can pitch like he did in 2008.

One of the 5,433 fans to attend the game at Fox Cities Stadium was frequent RFB commenter D’Amico’s one good year and he sent some photos of Bush from the game over to us for you all to check out.

Tracking Manny

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:49:50 -0400

Manny Parra’s been lost! According to Tom Haudricourt at JSOnline, the Sounds released their probable starters and Parra is MIA.

Obviously that gives the feel that Mr. Parra will be back on the Brewers and likely starting tomorrow’s game against the Cardinals. I say tomorrow’s game because as of right now the Brewers starter is TBA. Looper could go, with Parra starting Saturday, but Parra was on schedule to pitch today. They probably don’t want to push his start back another day or two.

I personally would have liked to see Parra have a couple more starts for Nashville in order to keep working on mechanics and more importantly gain more confidence. Let’s face it, that’s his biggest problem. That being said, I don’t see any better option for the Brewers. Besides immediately going out and trading Jody Gerut for Roy Halladay, of course. Or if you’re general manager Chris Havel, trading Corey Hart, JJ Hardy, Casey McGehee and $1 million for Halladay.

Braun's Comments

Right Field Bleachers — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:40:35 -0400

By now, I’m sure you’ve all read them, but here’s a recap of some of what Braun said today after the game (cut out of the JSOnline article and the Brewers.com article):

“We’re at the point right now where it would be important for us to go out there and acquire somebody.”

“I know (Melvin) is trying to make our ballclub better. I know he recognizes the importance of making a move and making it soon, but at the same time I think everybody’s recognized there’s a lot of teams that are still in the race.”

“With that being said, it would be nice to make a move to help us out for the time being. The sooner we do it, the better.”

“It’s always important to have some momentum going into the second half and to show everybody that we’re for real so we can go out there and make a move and improve our ballclub. We want to be headed in the right direction, not the wrong direction to go out and do that.”

“(The Cubs) threw the ball a lot better than our starters did. They certainly swung the bats better than we did as well. Clearly, they were the better team.”

“Their starting pitching was clearly a lot better than ours in this series. All four guys we saw in this series are No. 1, worst-case, No. 2-type starters. They make big pitches in big situations. You’re not always going to get hits in those situations.”

“We need to find a way to throw the ball a little better to have success. When you’re constantly behind in games, it’s not easy. It’s not fun. Their starting pitching was clearly a lot better than ours this series.”

Personally, I don’t have a problem with anything Braun said. I don’t think his comments will make him any tighter with Seth McClung or Mike Burns, the players he seems to be calling out, but McClung seems like the kind of fiery guy that will react positively to comments like this (although he’s likely ticketed for a return to the bullpen) and Burns, well, he’s really just a warm body they can throw on the mound right now anyway…

Melvin probably isn’t too keen on being called out by his own players, but I’m sure he respects Braun’s intensity. Afterall, they both are after the same thing — winning.

What I think has been lost a bit in the comments is that they should work to rally the team too. Braun has done this before. Remember the Red Sox series at Fenway last year and the “I almost felt like this series, we didn’t expect to win” comments?

The Brewers aren’t nearly as bad off now as they were then, but Braun’s comments can serve the same purpose: to unite the team, refocus them a bit and get them fighting together again. The Brewers turned things around after Braun called his teammates out last year. Why not this year too?

Dave Bush and Manny Parra should return in the coming weeks and that will help. Plus I think we all believe Melvin will do something before the trade deadline, and whatever players he does acquire will serve as an additional boost to the team.

The Brewers are a game out of first place and have the first place team coming to town. It’s time to rally, not panic. Braun’s comments could help push the Brewers to a strong finish to the first half of the season and give them some momentum before they get to the stretch run.

MLBPA Exec Steps Down: Can't Stand the Fehr

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:48:03 -0400

Donald Fehr has stepped down as executive director (or head) of the MLB Players Association. As a child who was burned by the loss of the 1994 season, which could have been one of the most amazing seasons ever, I have nothing but disdain for Fehr.

I would watch the news everyday, hoping that there was a positive development, but all I would see was his fat face keeping baseball locked out. I saw my favorite baseball player, BJ Surhoff, sitting by Fehr and I actually screamed at the TV “Get away from him, BJ! He’s evil!”

In all, Fehr was behind three work stoppages in baseball and was the head of the Players Association during the steroid boom. During his tenure, the Players Association held the commissioner’s office by the balls. He has succeeded in making sure that the salary cap stayed away from baseball causing decades of frustration for many teams who lose their talent from big teams with big pocketbooks.

However, he turned the cheek when steroids, HGH, and other PED’s came into the league. He even helped make sure stricter and random testing was not part of the 2002 agreement, which was another year the Players Association brought up the possibility of a strike. However, he did agree to “anonymous” testing and that decision is what is causing so many headaches all over baseball as Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa have been two players named out of more than 100.

Fehr may have been apart of the great financial rise in baseball, but his golden touch has been losing its luster since 2005. Since first appearing before Congress defiantly in March of that year, Fehr has watched while the government probed his sport and organization. There were rumors that the association told players not to help with any of Mitchell’s investigations, but Mitchell was still able to find enough damning evidence to bring the sport to change its policies.

Finally, Fehr had to admit he was wrong to congress and the nation. Also, the very players Fehr swore to fight for became part of the great steroids circus show. Many of these players now have a cloud of shame over them wherever they go and probably won’t be in the Hall of Fame because of his inability to be both a financial leader and an ethical leader.

There are many people who speak of admiration for this man and they should, I admit, because he made a lot of people filthy stinking rich. But as a child who was almost turned off of baseball for life because of the 1994 strike, his face still brings back memories of a summer of sadness. And his reign of anguish for young fans is tied to another generation who grew up watching the titanic home run shows in the late 90s and early 00s only to find out they were cheating their bodies and the sport.

Thank you, Donald Fehr, for finally stepping down and I charge the next head of the MLBPA to learn from the successes and, more importantly, the mistakes of the past.

By the way, after I finished writing this whole thing, I read this on MLB.com and I really appreciate the excellence that Mark shows by truly showing the strong feelings both sides have about Fehr.

Party of Five: Completing a Rotation

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:57:04 -0400

The fateful day is approaching for Milwaukee’s starting rotation. Following Manny Parra’s demotion last week, the Brewers have relied on off days to make a temporary four-man rotation possible. But with Dave Bush likely to miss his next start due to arm fatigue and no off days until July 6, a decision must be made in the coming hours.

Someone has to take that fifth spot.

To be frank, I’m not in love with any of the in-house options at hand, but some are certainly better than others and capable of holding down the job in the short term. The following list details some of the potential suitors for the job Parra inaccurately threw himself out of.

Seth McClung

The fire-balling firecrotch has started games for the Devil Rays and, last season, for the Brewers. In 2009, he’s posted a very respectable ERA (3.32) and is sixth on the team in innings pitched. Endurance shouldn’t be an issue.

Carlos Villanueva

Another option on the 25-man roster, Villy began as a starter, but didn’t perform to standards in the role. Moving either he or McClung from reliever roles doesn’t bode well for an already overworked, under-performing and (mostly) young bullpen. I’d shy away from giving the ball to Carlos as a starter.

Mike Burns

The Sounds starter has some big league experience in past seasons and pitched four scoreless frames for Milwaukee in the Marlins series. The link provided up top indicates he’s scheduled to pitch for Nashville on Thursday, so he could instead go for the Brewers in the Twins finale.

He has a 2.55 ERA in 77 2/3 frames for the Sounds this season.

Tim Dillard

It seems like T-Dilly’s name is always thrown around when any pitcher gets hurt or demoted. He pitched well for Milwaukee late last season and is throwing fairly well for the Sounds this season (7-3, 4.31 ERA, 28 BB, CG).

Chase Wright

The prize claimed in the Eric Fryer trade is proving as a Sounds starter that he’s not the same pitcher who gave up homers to four consecutive Red Sox hitters in 2007.

Wright pitched Sunday to the tune of 7 1/3 innings, six hits and one earned run. His ERA is an impressive 3.82, but having started Sunday makes him an unlikely promotee for the time being. I like Wright a lot.

Manny Parra

In his first start back on the farm (6/18), Manuel tossed six innings and fanned four, while surrendering just four hits and a single run. I’m personally under the assumption the Brewers want to leave him in Nashville a bit longer to work out those pesky control/confidence issues.

Lindsay Gulin

See Dillard, Tim and subtract Major League experience.

Trade for Jarrod Washburn or sign Pedro Martinez

Just kidding.

A decision will probably be made later tonight or tomorrow, when Moustache, Whitey and Gord Ash’s bald nugget are expected to discuss the matter. What do you think the best option is?

Braun Commits (Dating) Error

Right Field Bleachers — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:05:03 -0400

Ryan Braun and his girlfriend Andreena Clarke reportedly have broken up (according to this Kiss FM blog).

As legions of female Brewers fans celebrate across our great state and beyond, I have to admit I’m less than thrilled about the news. No, not because my fiance is one of the thousands of women who will now lustfully thrust themselves upon Braun at the next possible opportunity in an attempt to rip one of those god-awful Remetee shirts right off him, revealing his 86 pack of abs.

I mean, she is probably one of those, but I’ve grown to accept it.

What bothers me about the break up is that I will no longer get the chance to see sporadic photos of Braun’s former arm candy, Andreena Clarke. And that’s a damn shame.

As Ryan undoubtedly embarks on a sexual conquest falling somewhere between the coital accomplishments of Wilt Chamberlain and the erotic exploits of Johnny’s twisted imagination, I can’t help but feel like we were just getting to know Andreena.

'There's Only One Thing Left to Do'

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:59:18 -0400

"I figure it's going to take 54 more victories to win this thing. Every time we win, we peel a section."

The Cleveland Indians celebrated the 20th anniversary of “Major League” this week and I’m pretty sure Ken Macha must have used some “Major League” tactics to turn things around for the Brew Crew.

The Brewers came into the series having lost six of seven games, scoring 27 runs combined in those seven games (3.8 runs per game). Five of the six losses came at home. In the three-game series at Cleveland, the Brewers swept the Indians and scored 30 runs (10 runs per game). Clearly, Macha channeled some Lou Brown to turn this thing around.

Speaking of “Major League,” Uecker was in vintage form once again on Monday as he discussed his role as Indians play-by-play announcer Harry Doyle in the classic baseball movie. Ueck talked at length about the film with his broadcast partner Cory Provus and Indians announcer Mike Hegan, who Uecker previously worked with in Milwaukee.

Uecker hit on everything from his deadly first pitch at Monday’s game, Charlie Sheen’s appearance fees, the shelf life of “Major League,” the less-than-classic “Major League 3″ and more. I pulled out most of the gems and put them together in the clip below. It got a little long (10 minutes), but it’s worth the listen.

“The post-game show is brought to you by… Christ, I can’t find it. To hell with it.”

Unjustly Judged

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:43:54 -0400

Over the past week and a half or so I’ve seen Jason Kendall’s name grouped with the likes of slumping Corey Hart, Mike Cameron and JJ Hardy on various boards including on this site and on the JSOnline board.

Perhaps all three of those guys have broken out of or are currently breaking out of their respective slumps, but why was Kendall even mentioned with these guys in the past three weeks?

Yes, I realize the man is still hitting a lowly .235 going into today after pretty terrible months of April and May, but he has hardly been slumping since the start of this month while the other mentioned players have been nothing short of nonexistent.

Kendall is hitting .333 with an OBP of .435 this month. Are his “power numbers” impressive? No. They never will be. As are many catchers, Kendall is asked to play great defense and lead a pitching staff, in which he has. As long as he maintains a decent OBP at the bottom of the Milwaukee order, he is also doing his job offensively.

With all that being said, I still ask: “Why do Brewers fans consider Jason Kendall amongst the struggling hitters?”

Where's Cameron? There He Is.

Right Field Bleachers — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:31:55 -0400

Mike Cameron, who took a 3-for-41 slump into the late frames of Tuesday’s 7-5 Brewers win, had been buried in the worst slump of his (what I estimate to be) 62-year career. Between sucking at the plate and being benched for sucking at the plate, Cameron went missing for pretty much all of last week and the beginning of this week, too.

But alas, he’s found his swing and his name can again be seen with whole numbers in the hit column of a box score. Cameron finally halted his bad streak when he clubbed a RBI triple in the top of the eighth. He added a single in the ninth.

Welcome back, Cameron. We’ve missed you.

Cleveland Parents Suck

Right Field Bleachers — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:04:47 -0400

Anyone that watched the game tonight on ESPN saw these two little chochbags behind home plate.

Like it’d be possible to miss them. They were dancing around before every pitch in the beginning of the game, making faces at the camera every time it faced them and jumping up and down throughout the game and seemingly never sitting down.

How did the guys sitting behind them not murder them? I would’ve lasted about two pitches before I threatened to rip their throats out if they even flinched the next time the camera was on them.

And the kid on the right had a shirt on that said “Brewers Suck Sausage.” Mildly funny I guess, but the kid looked 9 years old. Should he really be wearing a t-shirt referencing blow jobs on national television nonetheless?

All in all though, those tiny pixy stix OD-ing deviants made the come-from-behind win even more enjoyable. I love the way they wore the look of crushing defeat.

Eat it, you little bastards.

Tracking Manny Parra

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:55:34 -0400

(insert terrible Tyler PhotoShop of Manny Parra’s head exploding)

So everyone knows, Manny Parra was optioned to Triple-A Nashville mid-game on Saturday. To some it was long overdue, but I think all Brewers fans knew while watching him walk off the field Saturday, after only retiring four hitters, that he was on his way down.

While some may hope to never see his face or hear his name ever again, I personally am holding out hope for a Dave Bush-like tournaround.

Do I think it will happen?

No.

In fact, Jared has a better chance of making his future marriage work and producing a kid with some sliver of athletic talent than Parra has of putting an ultimately solid ‘09 season together.

But a man can dream, right?

Because of this far-fetched dream, I’ve already found myself wondering what’s going on with Mr. Head Case. So that leaves me with this little so-called column: Tracking Manny Parra. I’ll keep minor track of where he’s at during his trek. So the five people that actually read this site and care about Parra will stay relatively up to date.

First Tracking Manny Parra update: Manny Parra will likely make his first start for the Nashville Sounds this Thursday against the Oklahoma City Redhawks. Throw strikes!

In the News (6/11)

Right Field Bleachers — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:01:49 -0400

"Excuse me. Do you know where our offense went?"

Wednesday’s Game: Brewers 2, Rockies 4
Record: 33-25, 1st Place

Wednesday’s Game

- Red hot Rockies take another one from the Brewers at Miller Park. That shouldn’t happen. Where’s the offense? Did the Rockies bring the humidor to Milwaukee?

- The Brewers left eight players on base and went 2-12 with RISP. The Brewers are dying by the long ball now.

- Newbie Chris Smith pitched two innings of no hit ball in relief.

- Jorge De La Rosa got his second win of the year. That chaps my caboose.

Brewers News

- Day two of the draft was today and here’s the list of players the Brewers chose:
Steven Hall - Pick 136 - RHP - 18 Years Old - Can already throw a 91 MPH fastball
D’Vonteray Richardson - Pick 166 - RF - 20 Years Old
Hiram Burgos - Pick 196 - RHP - 21 Years Old
Khristopher Davis - Pick 226 - RF - 21 Years Old
Chadwin Stang - Pick 256 - LF - 20 Years Old
Jonathan Pokorny - Pick 286 - LHP - 21 Years Old
That’s it through the top 300…the rest you can find here.

- There’s a new Web site all about Ryan Braun. It’s titled “King of Swagger”. The design on the site is cool, but what is with fans and their need to make everyone royalty?

- Ryan Braun reportedly turned down a chance to go on the Bachelor. Smart choice.

- Chuckie Hacks found Josh Prince…but not really.

- Is it time to think about platooning Corey Hart with McGehee or Gerut?

NL Central

- The Pirates beat the Braves, Houston beat the Cubs, the Cards killed the Marlins, and the Reds beat Washington.

- The Pirates acquired Chris Snelling. Moving on.

- Heath Bell to the Cubs? Another question turned “rumor” by Eli.

Other News

- You may have noticed all the wussies players on the DL with personal problems. FOX Sports says it’s about time.

- Good reading for Pedro Cerrano (and apparently Cameron Garfield)

Milwaukee Brewers In the News: June 10

Right Field Bleachers — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:01:14 -0400

Mike Cameron was hit with a two-game suspension that he is currently appealing

Tuesday’s Game: Brewers 2, Rockies 3
Record: 33—24, 1st Place

Tuesday’s Game

I don’t know if this is the Rockies staying hot or the Brewers not doing enough, but the Brewers lost 2—3. Only two things of note:

- Looper had a great outing

- Gamel hit his first Miller Park home run

Brewers News

- As you can see below, the Brewers took pitcher Eric Arnett with their first pick in this year’s draft. From everything I’ve heard, I really like the pick. He could be a solid starter for years.

- With the first of the “Sabathia” Picks, the Brewers took CF Kentrail Davis from Tennessee (which goes along with the rumor that the Brewers were deciding between Mike Trout and Eric Arnett before Trout was taken the pick before). Kentrail is a short and raw player, but could develop into a multi—tool player.

- With the Shouse Pick, the Brewers took RHP Kyle Heckathorn from Kennesaw State. Jason Churchill from ESPN believes Heckathorn can rise through the minors quickly. He has a upper 90s fastball and a devastating slider.

- In the second round, the Brewers took a pair of high schoolers. They took right fielder Maxwell Walla (from the Yankees, part two of the Sabathia picks) and catcher Cameron Garfield. You can’t ever have too many catchers. Walla has the potential to turn into quite a left—handed power hitter while Garfield has some power in his arm and bat, but is a dead pull hitter that needs to work on handling curves.

- In the third round, the Brewers took shortstop Joshua Prince from Tulane

- Mike Cameron was suspended for two games for bumping an ump. He’s fighting the suspension but it probably won’t do anything.

- SI says that the Brewers have had the best drafts the past 10 years! Awesome…and I didn’t know that the Brewers drafted Hunter Pence. With him and Hart, that would have been one massively awkward outfield.

- Guess who’s back? Jorge de la Rosa. I love that Hacks calls him "Mr. 3 and 2/3rds." It’s so very true.

Minor Leagues

- Cute Sports gives the T-Rats some love.

NL Central

- The Braves beat the Pirates. McLouth finally realizes what it’s like to be on the winning side of a series

- The Marlins beat the Cards, which makes me feel a little better…just a little

- The Cubs destroyed the Astros.

First Round for the NL Central: (Analysis by ESPN.COM)

Pirates picked catcher Toby Sanchez (No. 4)

Sanchez is a solid catching prospect who has some pop, but he doesn’t have the upside you’d typically find in a fourth-overall selection.

The Reds picked RHP Mike Leake (No. 8)

A bit of an overdraft, but Leake is a four—pitch right—hander with good control.

The Cardinals picked RHP Shelby Miller (No. 19)

Cardinals get a top—10 talent, top—five for some, at (pick) No. 19.

The Astros picked shortstop Jiovanni Mier (No. 21)

The best pure shortstop in the draft, Mier brings range, a great arm, and the tools to develop at least an average bat.

The Cubs picked OF Brett Jackson (No. 31)

It’s not called the Windy City for nothing, and the Cubs just added a very good athlete who strikes out far too often.

Other News

- The Rays can’t stop taking former Brewers and have signed Jorge Julio.

- Power Rankings: CBS has the Brewers fourth, ESPN has them fifth.

Brewers Select Pitcher Eric Arnett

Right Field Bleachers — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:18:22 -0400

Eric Arnett was picked by the Brewers with the 26th pick. He is a 6′5″ right-handed pitcher for Indiana University. He was the Big 10 co-pitcher of the year and tied the school record for wins and strikeouts this year. He has a plus fastball and slider, also a curve, but his changeup isn’t ready.

MLB TV were all very positive about the pick, but they’ve been very positive about most people. They said he’s quite an athlete and is closer to pitching in the majors than many people think. Harold Reynolds said that Arnett was his favorite pitcher outside of Strasburg and is a Josh Johnson type pitcher.

Jason Churchill from ESPN insider:

"Arnett is a 6-5, 230-pound right-hander; 91-96 mph fastball, above-average slider, curveball, decent feel for pitching. He performed well late and that pushed him into round one. Seattle liked Arnett and now are staring at Scheppers and Paxton, among others."

The Sporting News had this to write:

"Arnett has all the makings of a rotation workhorse. Despite his tall, big frame, he has a loose body. Got himself in much better shape this year after working out with the IU basketball team. Brings a mid-90s fastball and only started realizing his abilities this year. Lots of upside and could move quickly up the minor-league ranks."

The Baseball Analysis wrote this about Eric:

Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana University

Height/Weight: 6-5, 225 | DOB: 12-25-1988

2009 stats: 12-1 W-L | 2.58 ERA | 101 IP | 77 H | 103-35 K/BB

"Arnett has been a late-riser up draft boards with his incredible 2009 junior year after just mixed success in his freshman and sophomore years. His fastball, which works in the mid-90s with good sink, and slider are both plus pitches, but his changeup is still a work-in-progress. Some scouts are worried that if the changeup doesn’t come around he will have to be a reliever in the majors. He has a big frame and has been durable during his college career. On the other hand he doesn’t have a track record of such a high level of success before this year and John Sickels notes that guys who burst onto the scene can implode just as rapidly." (Posted by Dave Allen)

ESPN’s full analysis of Arnett:

"Arnett, a former basketball player, emerged as a prospect this spring by showing improved velocity and a much better breaking ball than he had in the past. It can take him a while to get going, but he will sit 90-94 mph and hit 96 several times over an outing of 100-plus pitches. The pitch plays up because his long arms give him the ability to release the ball later than most pitchers can. His slider is sharp with a somewhat early break out of his hand at 81-83 mph, and his straight change in the low-80s has some promise, although he lacks feel for it and doesn’t use it often. He also throws a curveball, but the slider is more advanced. He has a drop-and-drive delivery and a surprisingly short arm action for a guy his height. His front foot lands crooked, slightly toward the third-base dugout instead of straight at the plate, which can affect command. Arnett’s main red flag, aside from the lack of a track record, is his very high workload, with six starts in which he exceeded 120 pitches. He’s a good athlete with the raw stuff to be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, although inexperience probably makes his ceiling more that of a mid-rotation guy."

Milwaukee Brewers In the News: Draft Day (June 9)

Right Field Bleachers — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:54:56 -0400

No Game Monday
Record: 33-24, First Place

Brewers News

- Ryan Braun has slipped to second among NL outfielders in All—Star voting. The Brewers as a whole are still fairing quite well.

- The Rockies come into town Tuesday. Good news: they swept the Cardinals. Bad news: that means they are hot.

- The draft is Tuesday. Many are calling for the Brewers to take a pitcher with the 26th pick of the draft. OnMilwaukee feels the same. Personally, I don’t think they should stray away from the Jack Z strategy of taking the best available, whether that be an arm or bat. Look how good picking pitchers in the first round has fared the Brewers in the last ten years.

- This mock draft has the Brewers taking a college arm.

- MLB.com has the Brewers taking a high school arm.

- How about a Big Ten arm?

- Bernies Crew has them taking Matt Davidson, a high school third baseman.

- Brew Crew Ball analyzes Brewers pitch selections.

- Brew Town Beat asks, How Can We Get Corey Hart Back?

- THANK YOU Miller Park Drunk. You did it again.

- When I saw this article, I just shook my head. I'm glad Chuck Hacks picked up on it. And I thought Chicago journalists were stupid.

- Brewers fans are happy to have, what seems to be, the Prince Fielder of the ‘07 season back. I agree with this article completely. Prince obviously appears much happier and that is certainly part of the reason he has been swinging a great bat. Doesn’t everyone in baseball always talk about how mental the game is? This is likely more proof of that. I also can’t argue that Prince is the MVP of the team at this point, though my personal vote would go to Yovani.

- A report on Brewers beat reporter Adam McCalvy.

- Dude, put your monies on the Brew Crew!

- …and Braden Looper.

Minor Leagues

- Cody Scarpetta is Between the Green Pillars prospect of the week.

NL Central

- The Rockies finished off the four-game sweep of the Cardinals. The Pirates lost to the Braves in 15.

Other News

- Braves manager Bobby Cox won his 2,000th game Monday.

InReview - Week 9

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:22:33 -0400

Weekly Record: 3-4

Current Record: 33-24

Likes:

Winning the series in Atlanta
Prince and Gamel hitting the ball very well
Prince is tied with Adam Dunn, Adrian Gonzalez, and Albert Pujols for most walks in the majors
Yovani Gallardo
Getting Rid of Jorge Julio…it needed to happen
The Brewers actually got to a new pitcher (Tommy Hanson)! Too bad they still couldn’t win…

Dislikes:

Losing three out of four to the Marlins and how great would it have been to go 4-3 on the road trip?
Two things: Villa usually can’t do back-to-back days very well and you usually know after the first two batters if he has it or if he doesn’t.
Corey Hart, J.J Hardy, and Bill Hall are all slumping
Manny Parra…seriously, what the hell happened?

This Week in Stats

Weekly ERA: 5.19 YTD: 4.13
Weekly BA: .241 YTD: .249
Weekly Opponents BA: .270 YTD: .243
Weekly Slugging Percentage: .397 YTD: .414
Weekly Fielding Percentage: .988 YTD: .985

Quick Hitters:

Villa has a 4.20 ERA when given no days of rest, and a 2.97 ERA with one game of rest. If you continue, you see that he has an ERA of 4.03 with 2 games rest and an ERA of 2.70 with 3 games rest.

J.J. Hardy grounds into more double plays on average than any other Brewer (he averages 17 a year).

Milwaukee Brewers News (June 8)

Right Field Bleachers — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:43:15 -0400

Sunday’s Game: Braves 8, Brewers 7
Record: 33—24, First Place

Sunday’s Game

- Sunday’s game was a disappointing one. The Brewers were able to out—slug the Braves early in the game and were able to hand a 7—5 lead to Carlos Villanueva in the eighth inning. Coming into Sunday’s game, Carlos hadn’t given up a hit in his past nine innings or a run in his past 15. Unfortunately, that streak came to an end. Villanueva gave up three runs in the eighth and ultimately lost the game 8—7.

- Casey McGehee led off the ninth with a walk and instead of having Jason Kendall bunt, Ken Macha stayed true to his game and had Kendall swing away. The at—bat ended in a double play. Those of you hoping all these double plays will change Macca’s game, you’ll be waiting a long, long time.

- Manny Parra’s struggles continued. He gave up 5 earned runs in 5.2 innings. He actually did look better than he has of late, walking only two. And a couple of the hits he gave up were on pretty good pitches. I would include both of Chipper Jones home runs in that category.

- Braun hit two two—run homers. Mike Cameron added a two—run homer as well.

Brewers News

- Mat Gamel started every game of the Braves series. Thank you, Ken Macha.

- The Brewers beat the Braves Friday night behind a fine pitching performance by Yovani Gallardo and a three RBI night by Mat Gamel.

- The Brewers got their second straight shutout against the Braves Saturday behind Prince Fielder and his two homers. Jeff Suppan didn’t go as late into the game as one would have liked to see, but he also didn’t surrender any runs. We, as Brewers fans, will take it.

- More talk of rumored interest in JJ Hardy from the Red Sox. I just don’t see this happening. It would take Clay Buchholz plus for this to even be considered. Also, Escobar is far from Hardy’s level at this point.

- What should the Brewers do with Manny Parra? There is at least someone that thinks Manny will be better this season. This is why.

- My favorite Brewers blog (besides RFB of course) Miller Park Drunk has a blog about how to start a charcoal grill. Sad, but apparently necessary (shaking his head). Luckily we have Grillmaster Jared.

- Brew Crew Ball has a poll on who you think the Brewers should pick in this year's draft.

- Between 2002 and 2008, the Brewers had the fourth fewest days missed due to injury. I like that.

- Is Ryan Braun the most hated figure in Wisconsin sports history? Could be. Nice article, Scottage.

- Awesome. Check out the video of Dynamic Dean Rosko rocking the seventh innings stretch at Miller Park.

- Video interview with Todd Coffey.

NL Central

- Pirates players are not happy about Nate McLouth’s trade to the Braves. Man, Adam LaRoche is a huge whiney loser.

- Their fans aren’t happy either. Man, this all must make McCutchen feel great. No pressure either.

In the News (6/5)

Right Field Bleachers — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:51:15 -0400

X’s Game: Brewers 3, Marlins 4
Record: 31-23, T-First Place

Thursday’s Game

- It looked rough from the start with Dave Bush taking a liner off his throwing arm. But Bush, being the badass he is, managed to fight through six innings. Josh Johnson’s first career homer proved the difference, as the Brewers dropped the series.

Brewers News

- David Riske was moved the 60-day disabled list, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster.

- In good pitching news, Trevor Hoffman was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for his work in May.

- They keep player hating the Brewers.

- JJ HAWDEE? Doubt it.

- Milwaukee is in first place after playing the toughest schedule in Major League Baseball to this point. That’s a great sign.

- PocketDoppler asks if Milwaukee should go for Tom Glavine.

- Between the Green Pillars thinks Corey Hart should be on the trading block. I disagree.

- Sheffield’s House wouldn’t be opposed to the Brewers signing Tom Glavine.

- THIS BLOG sees the Braves’ loss (of Glavine) as the Brewers’ gain.

- The Brewers need Glavine, or starting another pitcher. Uhhhh…?

- These links would matter more if the Brewers actually wanted Glavine.

- Tennessean article on Mat Gamel’s first (non-September call-up) opportunity with Milwaukee.

- Hilarious.

Minor Leagues

- Brett Lawrie’s sister, Danielle, and the Washington Huskies won the NCAA Women’s College World Series with Brett looking on – from hundreds of miles away.

- Lawrie will have minor surgery on his broken nose. He’ll miss a few games at most.

NL Central

- Geovany Soto and Lou Piniella met to discuss the catcher’s play… or lack there of.

- Jose Valverde declares himself healthy.

- The Astros will have NO discussion over trading Roy Oswalt.

- The Andrew McCutchen era began in Pittsburgh Thursday to the tune of two hits, three runs and one player to get excited about. I totally have him on my fantasy team.

Other News

- Good news steaming from bad news.

In the News (6/4)

Right Field Bleachers — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:39:10 -0400

Wednesday’s Game: Brewers 9, Marlins 6
Record: 31-22, First Place

- The Brewers won an ugly one.

- After taking a 9-1 lead behind a Braun home run, some good hitting, some bad Marlins defense and even worse Marlins pitching, Braden Looper coughed up four runs in the bottom of the next inning and the game got tight. Unacceptable… The Brewers really needed a good outing from Looper tonight to save the bullpen.

- Luckily, Seth McClung was able to eat 3 1/3 innings and gave up just one more run, on a Dan Uggla home run.

- McClung is funny.

- The Brewers had eight hits in the game and six came from Braun, Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee (two each). Mike Cameron and J.J. Hardy also had a hit each.

- Trevor Hoffman came in and worked around an error by Casey McGehee for his 14th save. He has not allowed a run yet.

- Tom Haudricourt has a theory on why Hoffman has been so good: He “runs a zillion miles a week.”

Brewers News

- Mark DiFelice was put on the bereavement list as he goes to attend his grandmother’s funeral and Chris Smith was called up from Nashville. Smith was 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 21 appearances with the Sounds. More HERE.

- DiFelice makes this list of top unknown MLB performers from ‘09.

- Manny Parra will not be sent down to AAA, yet. More HERE.

- JD at View From Bernie’s Chalet does not like the decision to keep Parra in Milwaukee.

- Dustin at Sheffield’s House speculates it would take Manny Parra, Taylor Green and Jeremy Jeffress to land Erik Bedard for a half season. If that’s the case, then no thanks… I don’t want to give up on Parra yet and that’s just too much for a half season of an injury prone starter.

- Tom H does some draft speculation.

- Should Prince bunt to try to beat the shifts played against him? Maybe once or twice, but it’s not really a big issue…

- Did you know you can get a hot dog, soda, peanuts and cookies all for just $4 at Brewers games?

- Deadspin isn’t terribly fond of Braun’s t-shirt line either… Photos from the recent Remetee event HERE.

- Miller Park Drunk finishes up their interview with Al from Al’s Ramblings.

- Winks talks jerseys.

Minor Leagues

- 23smrogo has a bunch of Timber Rattler videos on YouTube.

- At the Old Ball Game has video of newly called up Sounds pitcher Chris Cody warming up.

- Jeremy Jeffress has been a huge disappointment so far this season, but he took a big step forward earlier this week.

NL Central

- The Braves traded three prospects to the Pirates for outfielder Nate McLouth. Just in time for the Brewers to play the Braves, who also called up pitching phenom Tommy Hanson to face them…

- Carlos Zambrano might be a pretty good pitcher, but I’m more than happy he’s not pitching for my team. He missed a team flight, didn’t tell anyone he was going to miss it and now thinks it’s funny. Throw in the temper/insanity issues and you have a full-blown distraction. He hasn’t been all that good this year either…

- Tony LaRussa is suing Twitter.

- Kyle Lohse left the game Wednesday with forearm tightness. It’s a recurring issue and could mean DL time for the Cardinals starter.

- Cardinals release former first-rounder Tyler Herron.

- Geovany Soto is having a sophomore slump.

Other News

- Sammy Sosa is retiring. In related news, Ty Cobb has decided to officially file his retirement papers too.

- The Braves released Tom Glavine. Would the Brewers have any interest? Probably not…

- Vicente Padilla might also be available.

- Sports Illustrated has declared a 16 year old as baseball’s LeBron. There is no possible way this kid will live up to the hype of being put on the SI cover at 16.

- Claudio Vargas sighting.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Right Field Bleachers

Looks Like Melvin is Sick of the Underperformers

Requiem for a Vinny: An Epilogue to Greatness

OurFB Winners

The Halladay Special

Uecker Announces LaRoche Trade to Pirates' Faithful

Brewers Fans at New Yankee Stadium

Roy Halladay's Trade Value

Tip One Back in Honor of a Milwaukee Legend

Is J.J. Hardy Heading to the Toronto Blue Jays?

Brewers Trade for Felipe Lopez

InReview: All-Star Grades for Milwaukee Brewers

Boost From Bush?

Tracking Manny

Braun's Comments

MLBPA Exec Steps Down: Can't Stand the Fehr

Party of Five: Completing a Rotation

Braun Commits (Dating) Error

'There's Only One Thing Left to Do'

Unjustly Judged

Where's Cameron? There He Is.

Cleveland Parents Suck

Tracking Manny Parra

In the News (6/11)

Wednesday’s Game: Brewers 2, Rockies 4 Record: 33-25, 1st Place

Wednesday’s Game

Brewers News

NL Central

Other News

Milwaukee Brewers In the News: June 10

Tuesday’s Game: Brewers 2, Rockies 3 Record: 33—24, 1st Place

Tuesday’s Game

Brewers News

Minor Leagues

NL Central

Other News

Brewers Select Pitcher Eric Arnett

Milwaukee Brewers In the News: Draft Day (June 9)

No Game Monday Record: 33-24, First Place

Brewers News

Minor Leagues

NL Central

Other News

InReview - Week 9

Milwaukee Brewers News (June 8)

Sunday’s Game: Braves 8, Brewers 7 Record: 33—24, First Place

Sunday’s Game

Brewers News

NL Central

In the News (6/5)

X’s Game: Brewers 3, Marlins 4 Record: 31-23, T-First Place

Thursday’s Game

Brewers News

Minor Leagues

NL Central

Other News

In the News (6/4)

Wednesday’s Game: Brewers 9, Marlins 6 Record: 31-22, First Place

Brewers News

Minor Leagues

NL Central

Other News

Wednesday’s Game: Brewers 2, Rockies 4
Record: 33-25, 1st Place

Tuesday’s Game: Brewers 2, Rockies 3
Record: 33—24, 1st Place

No Game Monday
Record: 33-24, First Place

Sunday’s Game: Braves 8, Brewers 7
Record: 33—24, First Place

X’s Game: Brewers 3, Marlins 4
Record: 31-23, T-First Place

Wednesday’s Game: Brewers 9, Marlins 6
Record: 31-22, First Place