Trading Up

First off, to Francisco Cordero, Tony Graffanino, Kevin Mench and David Bell, welcome to Milwaukee!! Secondly, to all those naysayers out there who blasted the Carlos Lee trade, it looks like Doug Melvin knows what he's doing after all. The four new players acquired over the last week have made their presence known, in a most positive way, and I, for one, am thrilled to see management putting their money where their mouth is.

Francisco Cordero, criticized by some as being overrated and useless, has been spot on in all three appearances for the Crew. Not to say that he's infallible, but it was a blessed relief to have someone to come in and bail out Turnbow yesterday when it was obvious he hadn't worked out whatever is ailing him. I don't know that Turnbow couldn't have finished out the inning, but the way he's been pitching, I was glad to see someone else come in and get the job done.

It would be hard for Kevin Mench to be more productive that he's been since first buttoning up his Brewers uniform. One for four with an RBI on Saturday, and three for four with all four RBIs yesterday. Granted, he doesn't have the offensive numbers that Carlos did, but I'm seeing a lot more hustle in left field, and Mench is a player who hits for contact, which is something much needed in the Brewer lineup.

As is David Bell. This was a player I'd actually heard of, and seen play, so I knew what he was capable of. Again, he's another guy who's going to hit for contact. He's a veteran who knows how to play and is accustomed to playing everyday, unlike Old Man 'Rillo. Bell went one for three on Saturday, and scored two runs. He was 0 for four on Sunday, but his defense made up for his lack of offense.

My point is that these guys came in and were effective immediately. The fact that Doug Melvin traded for major leaguers versus prospects proves that management is still in it to win it, and more importatly, shows that Mark Attanasio is willing to do what it takes to field a winning team.

I know, some of you are going to say that he would have given Carlos more money if he was serious about turning this team around, but honestly, I wouldn't have given Carlos five years either. Carlos was determined to test the free agent market. He turned down about $50 million for four years. He didn't even bother to counter because the two sides were so far apart. I really think he would have rejected any offer the Brewers made. He wants to see how much he can get. I'm sorry, I liked Carlos and his offensive production, but he's simply not worth the kind of money he's looking to get, not in the NL. If he gets the kind of money he wants, it's going to be AL. I just can't imagine that any NL team will give him $75 mil for five years. But I could be wrong. It's been known to happen.

I also like the fact that Doug Melvin made a move now, instead of keeping Carlos for the season, then losing him in return for draft picks. He went out and found players we can use now, who will make an impact now. And I'd be willing to bet that we'll be able to keep at least a couple of them. We have an option on Cordero for next season, Mench has a couple of years of arbitration eligibility, which can be bought out, and I don't think Bell would even be offered a long-term big money contract at his age. Granted, 33 isn't old in reality, but it's ancient if you're looking for a long-term deal in the NL.

So to get back to my original point (rambling induced by too many margaritas at lunch!), I think Doug Melvin did a bang up job in getting the team some quality players to fill the voids left by Weeks, Hardy, Koskie, and Lee (and Turnbow if you consider his lack of dependability lately).

So with the help of the new Brewers, we took two of three from Cincy, and are now five games back in the wild card race. Thanks to a four game sweep by the Cubs of St. Louis, we're 8 1/2 back from first place. The Crew takes on the Colorado Rockies tonight, who sit a half game above them in the wild card standings.

We have one of our most dependable pitchers on the mound, leftie Chris Capuano, even though he's struggled since the All Star break. Chris goes up against Aaron Cook tonight, who is 6-9, with an ERA of 3.88. For July, however, Cook is 0-2, with an ERA of 5.23 in five starts. Here's hoping Cappy can get back to his usual form and beat the crap out of the Rockies tonight with help from his new teammates. Until next time, go Brewers!

In Other News . . .

Loyal listeners of WKTI heard me on the radio this morning having a chat with Reitman and Mueller and Amy Taylor about the upcoming Brady Street Artisan Food Festival. Those of you who read my profile know that I work in PR, and my firm has been retained to promote the one-day festival. Yes, I do manage to hold down a full-time job between going to Brewer games and writing this blog. Gotta pay for those tickets somehow!

I'll be going to Pittsburgh next month to see the Crew take on the Pirates at PNC Park, and would welcome suggestions or tips from anyone who's been there. This trip will be my first time seeing the Brewers play on the road and I'm pretty excited about it, even with their dismal road record. The cameramen always seem to find the Brewers fans during away games, so be sure to watch on TV. You just might see me in the stands!

My friend Jodi and I ran into Ben Sheets at Moe's last night. After working a little late in preparation for our radio shows this morning, we decided to go downtown and have a drink, and there was Ben, waiting on some takeout. I congratulated him on his great outing the other day, said how glad I was to have him back in the rotation, but Ben didn't seem to want to talk. Nor was he interested in the drink we offered to buy for him. Guess he thought I was trying to hit on him. Well no offense Ben, but tall, dark and married isn't my type. Just some southern hospitality from one Louisiana native to another.

Well that's it for now. Let's all send some good vibes to the Crew tonight as they take on the Reds once again in a crucial three game series. Good luck, boys! Until next time, go Brewers!

Hasta La Vista, Carlos

Well it's official. El Caballo is gone. News leaked out this morning that Carlos Lee had rejected a four-year, $48 million deal late last night. I guess he didn't want to stay in Milwaukee after all. Or perhaps $12 million a year just wasn't enough. Or that fifth year was the straw that broke the horse's back. At any rate, Carlos Lee has been traded to the Texas Rangers, along with Nelson Cruz, for Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, Laynce Nix and minor leaguer Julian Cordero. On the positive side, at least he was traded out of the National League.

One of the hosts of a local sports radio show was after Mark Attanasio's head this morning, and seemed to get really annoyed with all the callers who didn't agree with him. I hate to tell you, dude, but I don't agree with you either. Yes, we all know that Mark has a lot of money. But it's not his job as the owner to personally finance the entire payroll for our team. And even if it was his responsibility, I would have a hard time committing to Carlos for five years. He's not known for his hustle in the outfield, and he's only 30. How quick is he going to be in three years? Four years? Five years? If we played in the American League, absolutely, five years, done. Carlos would be DH bound. But I agree with Doug Melvin and Mark Attanasio, and wouldn't have offered five years either.

Yes it really sucks that we're losing one of, if not our best, offensive producer. But Bill Hall isn't too far behind Carlos in home runs, and Bill, Geoff Jenkins and Prince Fielder are all have respectable RBI numbers.

One of the sports radio callers this morning said that certain things have to fall into place in order for a team to make a run for the playoffs, and those things haven't fallen for the Brewers this season. The team has been plagued by injuries that depleted the bullpen and middle infield. Then there was the bullpen meltdown and the revolving door starting rotation. I can only imagine where we might be if we'd had JJ Hardy all season. What could we have done if we'd had Ben and Tomo all season? Or hell, even if we'd had at least one of them?

We'll never know, obviously. I honestly think contention this year was possible, had we had our full roster healthy. Yes I'd still love to make a run for October, but at this point I'd almost be happy with a winning season. Baby steps, you know?

The Cincinnati Reds are in town, again, for the biggest series of the season for the Brewers. Previously it was thought that this series would be the deciding factor in whether Carlos would stay or go, but now it's become about any kind of run for the postseason. If the Brewers have any chance at all, they have to sweep the Reds. There is no other option.

Tomo Ohka faces off against Eric Milton tonight, the same matchup we saw in Cincy on Sunday. Tomo got the win in that game, throwing eight outstanding innings to lead the Crew to a 4-1 victory. I'd love to see an encore performance tonight. Until next time, go Brewers!

There's No Place Like Home

So it would seem for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew beat the spit out of the Pittsburgh Pirates last night, 12-8, in front of 30,252 fans, myself included. (I hadn't been to a game since July 5th, and was in desperate need of a fix!) It looked like the game would be more of a blow out early on, but some sloppy defense in the 6th allowed the Pirates to come within six. It had to feel good for the team to come home after that dismal road trip and get a win in front of that huge crowd of screaming fans.

For the most part, the fans were screaming in excitement, but quite a few boo birds rained down on Chris Barnwell after he took over for Rickie Weeks at second base. I hate to say it, but his "defense" last night makes Rickie look like a Golden Glover. He ran into shallow center and flubbed a pop-up that could have been handled easily (or so it appeared) by Tony Gwynn or Geoff Jenkins, and collided with Prince Fielder behind first base on another pop-up that Prince or Jenkins could have pulled down with no problem. Didn't anyone ever tell this guy to call the ball? Or get out of the way when someone else does?

Luckily it all worked out for the Brewers, even though the inning was severely extended and the Pirates scored three runs. Hard luck pitcher Doug Davis finally scored his 6th win, even though he had been very effective in his last few outings, (he had fallen victim to the bullpen more times than I want to count), and my attendance record climbed back to .500, at 10-10.

Matt Wise appeared to have much better control over his change up last night, after struggling with that pitch for a while. He was throwing it too hard, and getting the speed up into the mid-80's. Last night it looked very effective, ranging in the mid to high 70's, and Matt breezed through his two innings of work, giving up only one run and striking out three. It was quite a relief to see some effective relief coming out of the bullpen.

Speaking of pitching, as you all know, Big Ben Sheets makes his return to the mound tonight. I'm cautiously optimistic about Ben's comeback. The stabilization of the starting rotation has been so hyped over the last 11-12 weeks, but I really don't want to get my hopes up. The guys still have to play effective defense, and they still have to produce some offense. The starters can't do it all. The stars will not magically align and rain losses down on the Cardinals and Reds just because we got our starting rotation in order. We still have to win. A lot. Especially on the road.

I cautiously submit that the Brewers' second half schedule shouldn't be as challenging as the first half, but with their propensity to lose against bad teams, you just never know. They have several matchups with the Cubs (and God knows they have to redeem themselves for losing three of four earlier this month), Pittsburgh and Houston. If they can play up to their ability consistently, they could legitimately make a run for the post season.

Of course a lot of this depends on how they play over the next six days. The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Brewers are still somewhat in contention. As you all know, this is relevant in deciding whether the team will keep Carlos Lee or trade him away. Personally, I want to keep Carlos, but from what I've heard, he's looking for big payday. Rumor has it that the Brewers have offered $10 million per year for four years, but Carlos wants $15 million for five years. That's a $35 million dollar difference and I honestly don't think the Crew can absorb that kind of salary. Ultimately, it's going to come down to how greedy Carlos wants to be.

I know that sounds crappy, but it's the truth. Seriously, how much money does one person really need? Can he not feed his family on $10 mil per year? Does he really need that extra $5 mil to run his cattle ranch, or gas up his big old truck? He's banking $8.5 million for this season, so $10 mil for next year would be $1.5 million raise. That's more than twice what Matt Wise is making for the whole season, and that's just how much Carlos's salary would increase. So it all boils down to how greedy he's going to be. He keeps saying how much he likes Milwaukee, and how much he wants to stay here, blah blah blah. Well Carlos, this is your chance to prove it. Until next time, go Brewers!

Enough is Enough

Well it seems Ned Yost finally got a clue. According the Brewers' website, Derrick Turnbow is getting a rest from his closing duties. It looks like Dan Kolb will get the ball in save opportunities, but that doesn't thrill me much more than Turnbow has lately. Personally, I'd rather see Jose Capellan get the ball.

It's honestly way past time for Yost to make this move. Turnbow cost Doug Davis two wins this month, and he cost Chris Capuano his 11th last night. Of course Chris, as gracious as he always is, refused to put the blame on Turnbow, saying he let the Reds back in the game when he walked the lead off batter in the 7th, then gave up a home run. Not many players could be that gracious in that situation, so kudos to Chris.

Does anyone else realize that if the Brewers had back the five games that Turnbow has blown this month we'd be tied with Cincinnati for 2nd place in the NL Central? More importantly, we'd be tied for the wild card. If that doesn't put things in perspective, nothing will.

Until I read the webpage this morning, I was convinced that Ned Yost was going to singlehandedly guarantee that Carlos Lee would be gone in a few days. So I'm glad to see that he's addressing the situation and doing something about it, instead of continuing to trot Turnbow out to the mound to blow game after game.

That's about it for today. Not much else to say. The offense got it done last night, Chris Capuano was back to form, and the defense was there. Once again, the Brewers won a game on the road and Derrick game in and gave it away. Enough said. Here's hoping something different will happen tonight. Until next time, go Brewers!

Can I Count??

Someone help me out here. The last two stories I've ready by Adam McCalvy on the Brewers' website (July 19, July 20) mention that the team has lost nine of its last eleven games. I look at the schedule, and I see seven losses out of the last eleven games.

3 games against SF (July 17, 18, 19) 1 win, 2 losses
3 games against AZ (July 14, 15, 16) 1 win, 2 losses
4 games against CHC (July 6, 7, 8, 9) 1 win, 3 losses
1 game against CIN (July 5) 1 win

When I count, I get eleven games, four wins, seven losses. Can someone please help me out and tell me how Adam McCalvy comes up with the Brewers losing nine of their last eleven?? Have I forgotten how to count?

'Pen Strikes Again

I'm a bit frustrated today, and don't have much positive to say. Once again, the Brewers blew an opportunity to capitalize on losses by St. Louis and Cincinnati. Or should I say Geremi Gonzalez blew it? Or Derrick Turnbow blew it? I keep hearing so much about how lousy the team plays on the road, but after the last two games, I'm wondering how many of those road losses were actually lost by the bullpen, as opposed to just generally bad play by the team as a whole.

Something has got to give with Turnbow. I like the guy, don't get me wrong, and I'm not one to start ripping on a player after one bad outing. But he's blown every save opportunity he's had in July. His ERA for July is 29.70, and his regular season ERA has ballooned to 5.54. He keeps saying that he's worked out whatever mechanical difficulty he was having, but his stats tell a different story. The powers that be keep saying "he's our closer" and keep trotting him out there. And he keeps blowing it. This must change.

I used to know, without a doubt, when Turnbow came in, game over, Brewers win. But now, it's almost automatic to assume he's gonna blow it. Ned has to do something different. Throw Turnbow in only when we have a bigger lead. Let Matt Wise pitch in close games. Let Jose Capellan give it a shot. Seriously, could it get much worse? Doug Melvin said we wouldn't think of trading Carlos Lee unless we went into a major tailspin. Well, I'd say at least a minor spin is upon us.

Getting the starting rotation back in order obviously wasn't as big as a deal as everyone made it out to be. Tomo Ohka looked great on Tuesday. He did his job. He was the exact same pitcher we had before his injury. He doesn't have explosive stuff, but he gets the job done.

So why didn't we win? This is what we were waiting for, right? To get our starters back? Well it doesn't do a damn bit of good to have great starters if the bullpen is going to come in and piss away the lead. In my humble opinion, it's not so much the starting rotation that needs examination right now. Something has got to be done about the bullpen situation.

It also appears to me that Geoff Jenkins hits infinitely better in the 7th spot than he does in the 3rd. I don't know if there's less pressure on him, or he gets better pitches or what, but he seemed to be much more consistent when he was lower in the lineup. That change worked for Brady Clark. He wasn't doing well in the leadoff spot, but he started doing much better in the 8 spot.

I can't even rip on Rickie Weeks anymore, because he finally got his head of out his butt and started playing some damn good defense. (knock on wood!) The offense is still inconsistent, but blowing a 6-1 lead is just unacceptable. That's something the Cubs would do. Come on, guys. You're better than that!

At this point, any and all suggestions are welcome, because something has to be done if the Brewers are going to have any chance of contending this season.

Helling is My Hero!

Rick Helling got thrown into a major mess last night in San Franciso. 6th inning, bases loaded, no outs, Brewers up by four, tying run at the plate. A good outing would be to get out of the jam with only one or two runs across. Helling took out the Giants, 1-2-3, nothing plated. That's a save if I ever saw one. Helling was absolutely masterful last night, not to mention efficient, throwing only 37 pitches in his three innings of work. In fact, Rick faced only 9 batters, and retired every single one. Zach Jackson got the win, but that 'W' was a gift from Rick Helling.

The entire team played pretty masterfully last night, displaying some of, if not the best defense I've ever seen. Jeff Cirillo, Bill Hall and Rickie Weeks turned an outstanding double play off of a bunt attempt. Gabe Gross chipped in on a DP with Mike Rivera when he threw that rocket from shallow center, and Rivera pulling a Sal Fasano block at home plate to tag Vizcaino. I could go on, but you get the idea. These guys played like a team for a change, and it was an absolute thrill to watch, even if I did have to stay up till after midnight to see it all. (did I mention that I hate West Coast trips??)

And speaking of thrilling, how about the offense last night? Bill Hall crushing a three run homer into the stands in left field. Mike Rivera blasting a two run homer to right center. Mike Rivera scoring between the feet of Giants' catcher Eliezer Alfonzo. (Outstanding call by home plate umpire Gary Darling, by the way.) A three-hit night for Prince Fielder; two hits for Carlos Lee; two for Jeff Cirillo plus a walk; two walks for Rivera; a hit for almost everyone else.

The best part? The majority of this offense came against All-Star Jason Schmidt, who shut out the Brewers on May 3 at Miller Park, (his first of four wins in May), and went on to win NL Pitcher of the Month.

Jackson's outing last night wasn't exactly pretty, but it got the job done, with lots of help from his defense. Sadly, last night might be the last we see of Zach for a while as tonight marks the long-awaited return of Tomo Ohka to the Brewers' rotation. Someone has to be sent down to clear a roster spot for Tomo. My suggestion would be Dana Eveland, but in order for Zach to continue to get starts and sharpen his skills, he would be the logical choice. And with Dana working from the pen and not starting, he can't do as much damage as in previous stints with the Crew. At least Zach would, most likely, get sent to AAA Nashville, which is a promotion in a sense, since he got called up from AA Huntsville. We'll all know for sure at some point today.

But back to Ohka. He said he wanted to come back sooner, but trainers wouldn't let him for fear of re-injury to his shoulder. As outstanding as Helling was last night, I'm sure we all remember his not-so-glorious comeback from the DL. Here's hoping that Tomo has a better first outing. He's going up against former Brewer Jamie Wright, who is winless in his last eight starts, and says without hesitation that he is ready.

Someone left me a comment suggesting that I make more predictions since Milwaukee won last night and St. Louis lost. (see yesterday's post) Well, I don't make predictions, but I do cross my fingers and wish real hard! Is it wrong in a situation like this to root for the Mets, the Braves and the Cubs? Just this once, of course!

So here's hoping the Braves can once again tomahawk the Cards, fingers crossed that the Mets can continue their domination and beat the crap out of Cincy, and maybe, just maybe the Cubs can muster something to get past Houston. Anything's possible. Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. Until next time, go Brewers!

Crew Bites Back

Finally, the Brewers give me something to write about, as they defeated the Diamondbacks last night, 10-5, avoiding a sweep and snapping the five game losing streak. Adam McCalvy mentioned this "all road" losing streak in his article on the Brewers' website, as he discussed how the team usually plays so badly away from home. Call me crazy, Adam, but I would have sworn those last three losses before the All-Star break were at Miller Park. Or maybe he's referring to the sweep at Minnesota, (which occured before the last homestand), plus the two losses at Arizona. Hmmmm.

At any rate, the second half has not gotten off to the blistering start that we all hoped for, (and need if we're going to keep Carlos Lee beyond the end of this season). Well actually, I take that back. The Brewers did get off to a good start, defeating the Diamondbacks Friday night, that is until Derrick Turnbow came in and gave it away on four pitches. D-Bow said he felt good, he just "left one up" in the strike zone to Estrada, who pounded a two-run homer to snatch away the Brewers' victory. Well, Derrick, it's your job not to leave one up.

Derrick also mentioned before the All-Star game that he was looking forward to sitting in the dugout and picking the brains of all the other closers. Apparently the only brain he picked was Trevor Hoffman's.

I just don't even want to talk about Saturday's game. It was just plain ugly, which is a suprise considering we had Chris Capuano on the mound. I guess that's what eight days of rest will do to you. Maybe Ned should have gone with his original plan of having Chris pitch Friday, and Davis on Saturday. Or maybe if Phil Garner had, I don't know, maybe played one of the players that he didn't pick, instead of favoring his own guys, Chris could have stayed sharp.

I have my own theory about the Brewers' inconsistency, and I've mentioned it before. I believe the team is hexed by their announcers. During the Minnesota series, (I think,) Daron was going on and on about how the bat of one particular Twin had been so quiet. The word "quiet" was still coming out of his mouth when the player in question hit a home run. An awkward silence, then "till now." That home run started a deluge of hits by the opposing team from which the Brewers never recovered.

Yesterday, Jim Powell was talking about how Dave Bush was throwing a no-hitter. The second after the words had been spoken, literally the next pitch, Bush have up his first hit of the game. Isn't it a well-known superstition that you never mention a no-hitter until it's over?

Those of you who watch and listen to all the games, as I do, know that this happens with alarming frequency. Bob Uecker never makes comments like the ones mentioned above. He sticks to the cold hard stats until after the at-bat, or inning, or whatever the case may be. I'm fully convinced that if Bill and Daron could simply shut up and just call the game, the Brewers would win a lot more. Of course, this theory isn't grounded in any kind of reality, but it gives me somewhere to focus my frustration when the team loses, instead of actually facing the reality that they may not be the playoff contending team I believe them to be.

By the time the team gets back to Miller Park on the 24th, it will have been 19 days since I last attended a game. (I'm already starting to go through withdrawals.) The next homestand is huge, as we are playing division rivals Pittsbugh and Cincinnati. Well, actually because we're playing Cincy, a team that really needs to be taken down a few pegs. I hope you will all join me in welcoming the Crew back to Miller Park, and cheering them "northward" in the division standings.

But first, rookie Zach Jackson takes on All-Star Jason Schmidt and BALCO, I mean Barry Bonds tonight in San Francisco. "Zachson," as he has been dubbed by the HOG's Bob and Brian, is coming off a tough loss against the Cubs on July 7. Schmidt, is coming off a July 9 loss to the Dodgers, and hasn't recorded a win since June 6.

St. Louis begins their series against the surging Atlanta Braves tonight, but Cincy and Houston both have the night off. Cincinnati will take on the Mets starting tomorrow night, and Houston begins a series against the Cubs. With any luck, Atlanta can take a couple from St. Louis, NY can beat the crap out of Cincy, and the Cubs can find some magic against Houston. If the stars can align and we can take at least a couple from San Fran, then a couple from Cincy, (and Bill and Daron could stop jinxing the team!), we could be looking pretty good heading back to the Brew City next week.

So let's all stay up late the next few nights (I hate West Coast trips!) and send some good karma to our boys out in California. Until next time, go Brewers!

Good News, Bad News, and Lots of Rain

That title pretty much sums up my day yesterday. The good news, obviously, was that Phil Garner removed his head from his behind and chose Chris Capuano to replace Tom Glavine. Glavine took his regular start yesterday, which made him unavailable to pitch on Tuesday.

During a press conference before the game against the Cubs yesterday, Chris talked about how he grew up watching Tom Glavine play for Atlanta. So even though Chris was a Red Sox fan growing up, Glavine was his favorite pitcher. Chris said he hadn't thought about his selection from that angle (replacing his childhood idol) until a reporter mentioned it during the press conference. He said the whole experience was still very surreal, and hadn't quite sunk in yet. Chris and the other Brewer All Stars, Derrick Turnbow and Carlos Lee, traveled to Pittsburgh in style, on board a private jet, courtesy of owner Mark Attanasio.

I must say that I am more and more impressed with Mr. Attanasio as time passes. First he came in and increased our payeroll, helped propel our team to its first non-losing season in years, and took a genuine interest in the Milwaukee area. He bought a share of the Milwaukee Admirals, funded an exhibit at the Art Museum, and promotes programs that work with area kids. To top it all off, he outbid Bill Hall to buy the pink bat that Bill used on Mother's Day to hit his game-winning home run. Mr. Attanasio then presented the bat to Bill's mother, Vergie. Mark is a hands on owner, and frequently attends games, both at home and on the road. He even sits out in the stands with the fans as opposed to a fancy owner's box. It seems he is genuinely committed to seeing this team improve, and contend for years to come, and I, for one, welcome his enthusiam. He also hinted during a radio interview on WTMJ that money wouldn't be an obstacle to re-signing Carlos Lee.

The bad news goes without saying: the dismal series against the Cubs this weekend. I guess I was too quick in commending Ned Yost for making pitching changes before things get out of hand. He didn't make a move when Davis walked the bases loaded. He didn't make a move when the Davis walked in a run. He didn't make a move until after Davis gave up a two-run double. Once again he waited until all the horses had escaped before trying to close the barn door.

Since there is nothing inspiring worth writing about concerning the Brewers today, I thought I would shift to something non-baseball related. (this is where the lots of rain comes in) I went to Summerfest Sunday night to see just one act, Marc Broussard. I'm sure most of you have never head of him. He's a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Carencro, Louisiana, and has a large following within the state. I was introduced to Marc's music by a friend of mine when I went home to Louisiana for Christmas last year.

Anyway, due to the torrential downpour yesterday, Marc's show was cancelled. Apparently, he heard the large crowd that was still gathered (in vain hope that the show would go on), and came onstage with his acoustic guitar. Then he jumped down into the pit between the barrier and the front of the stage and sang to us. He sang only one song, but I thought it was extremely classy of him to acknowledge his fans. Then he went around to the side of the stage, talked to the fans, took pictures, and sang some more. This is definitely one guy to watch. For more information on this up and comer, go to www.marcbroussard.com.

Ok, enough with the non-baseball talk. I just needed to focus on something positive for a moment, because the Brewers going into the All Star break with a losing record is certainly not positive. In fact, we're sitting in exactly the same spot we were last season going into the break, two games under. One positive, however, is that we might actually see Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka in the lineup by the end of July. Both pitchers' rehab starts went well, and for the first time, Sheets said his arm didn't hurt. Fingers crossed that we can get these guys back in the rotation sooner rather than later. Another good thing to focus on is that our second-half schedule shouldn't be nearly as grueling as the first half. Of course that could just be wishful thinking. The Brewers seem to win against great teams and lose against crap teams. This team sometimes reminds me of Forrest Gump. The Brewers are like a box of chocolates, you never what you're gonna get. Until next time, go National League!

Cappy Still Our All Star

Phil Garner must not care too much about winning the All-Star game. Otherwise he would have chosen Chris Capuano to replace Pedro Martinez over his own Astro Roy Oswalt. Anyone watching Cappy's masterful performance last night would have to agree that he deserves to be in Pittsburgh next week.

Chris continued his dominance over the Cubs last night at Miller Park, recording his second complete game shutout of his career. Ironically enough, both came against the baby bears, and most likely would be three if he hadn't gotten hit by that liner from Aramis Ramirez last week.

Cappy limited the Cubs to six hits in his latest outing, and did so very efficiently, tossing only 97 pitches, 66 for strikes. Last night's game was also Cappy's 17th quality start of the season, which leads MLB. I guess Phil was too busy to read up on other pitchers before selecting Oswalt. Just for fun, though, let's compare the stats from this season.

Cappy -10-4, 3.21, 19 G/GS, 2 CG, 2 SO, 129.0 IP, 127 H, 49 R, 46 ER, 10 HR, 3 HBP, 25 BB, 112 SO, 1.18 WHIP, 17 QS
Oswalt - 6-5, 3.10, 17 G/GS, 2 CG, 0 SO, 119.0 IP, 123 H, 44 R, 41 ER, 9 HR, 3 HBP, 24 BB, 80 SO, 1.24 WHIP, 13 QS

Cappy has five no decisions, but the team has gone on to win three of them, which means that the Brewers are 13-6 when he starts. Oswalt, on the other hand, has six no decisions, and the Astros went on to win just two. So in total, Houston is 8-9 when he starts.

Two shutouts leads the majors, and only five other pitchers have recorded more than two complete games. (five MLB pitchers tied for 1st with 3 complete games) 17 quality starts leads the majors. Cappy is tied for 4th in MLB with 10 wins. Six wins doesn't even get Oswalt in the top 50. Chris is tied for 5th in the majors with 112 strikeouts; Oswalt sits 36th. But hey, Oswalt has a better ERA. That must have been the deciding factor for Phil. Don't even get me started on National League stats, cause Oswalt would be taking an even worse beating!

Looking at these numbers, it's easy to see who I'd want on my team. But then again, maybe Phil is pretty sure his team isn't going to be in the World Series this year, so what difference does it make to him who has home field advantage?

Ned Yost said he wouldn't call Garner to lobby for Chris, but would give him his opinion should he call. Maybe today Ned should call Phil and offer to help him pull his head out of his butt. Don't worry, Chris. That Cy Young award this year will make up for the All-Star snub! In the meantime, enjoy Cape Cod during the break. Go Brewers!

Roster Shuffles and Rehab Starts

For those of you who have been calling for Chad Moeller's head on a AAA plate, you got your wish. Moeller was DFA'd after the game last night, and minor leaguer Mike Rivera was called up to replace him. Moeller said he understood the decision, and would accept the assignment to AAA Nashville should he clear waivers. "I don't know why in the world I would go elsewhere," Moeller said. "I have too many people who like me here, and I like the organization. I just didn't hit. Plain and simple. There isn't any other reason."

Mike Rivera, on the other hand, has been hitting. He's hitting .298 for Nashville with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs in 58 games. This is in stark contrast to Moeller's .184 this season with two home runs and five RBIs, and just five hits in his last 52 at-bats. I'm personally sad to see Chad go, because he is a very nice guy, but the Crew needs solid, dependable offense at every position if they're going to make a push for October.

As I mentioned earlier, Carlos Villanueva was optioned to AAA Nashville after the game last night, and Dana Eveland was recalled. Ned Yost made this move to get a fresh arm in the bullpen going into the series against Chicago. Villanueva also wasn't scheduled to make a start for 13 days because of the upcoming All Star break, but with this shuffle he can get some work in the minors.

Speaking of working in the minors, Ben Sheets will finally go on his first rehab assignment this weekend. He's scheduled to throw 65 pitches with AAA Nashville on Sunday in Round Rock, TX. He'll rejoin the Brewers for a workout in Arizona after the break, then throw 85 pitches in an Arizona League game before being re-evaluated. Ben says he's "cautiously optimistic" about rejoining the team for August and September.

Tomo Ohka is slated to make his second rehab start this weekend in Florida, and another in Arizona in mid-July. His status will be evaluated after that start. Jorge De La Rosa was in Milwaukee for evaluation recently, but will make at least three more rehab starts before rejoining the Brewers' bullpen.

JJ Hardy may be off on a rehab start by mid-July as well. He's resuming fielding drills this week, and will leave for a rehab assignment on July 13, barring no other complications.

It looks like slowly but surely our walking wounded are finally on the mend. We could have an amazing second half if we get all these guys back in uniform soon!

Once again, voting continues for the last spot on the NL All Star team, and Cappy is still trailing Nomar Garciaparra. Get to your computers and vote vote vote until 5 pm tonight! Until next time, go Brewers!

Brewers Clinch Sweep in 13th

I never have had the good fortune of actually being in the ballpark for the truly amazing victories. Bill Hall's Mother's Day homerun? Watched it on TV. Carlos Lee's Father's Day homerun? Watched it on TV. The five-homerun-inning game? Listened to it on the radio. Every single extra inning victory this season? TV or radio. Well not last night, my friends. I was there, front and center, through all 13 innings, as the the Brewers handed the Reds their 5th straight loss, climbed back up to .500, and moved into sole possession of 3rd place in the NL Central. In fact, the Crew is now only 3.5 games out of first place.

I got to attend this game courtesy of the Milwaukee Brewers and WE Energies. I wrote last week that I won four tickets to an upcoming game, which I won by voting online in the WE Energies High Energy Player of the Year Sweepstakes. I had specific games I could choose from, and last night was one of them. Praise be to the baseball gods that I picked last night, and got to witness that spectacular game firsthand, along with my friends Sheila, Lea and Matt (pictured with me below).



The Crew even claimed two spots in Sportscenter's Play of the Day countdown last night. Gabe Gross's diving catch in shallow center was #7, with the #1 spot being claimed by none other than Bill Hall and Corey Koskie, and their unbelievable "double catch" behind third base. Even Felipe Lopez had to applaud their effort, even thought it was his popup that was caught.

The only negative to last night's game was the lack of enthusiasm from the remaining crowd during the late innings. Quite a few "fans" left before the end of regulation, and even more trailed out as the game progressed. I would have thought that the fans who chose to stick it out would be the diehards, the ones on their feet, cheering, yelling, jumping up and down (like me!). But the fans who stuck around last night could have been watching golf for all the noise they made. Even into the 11th inning and beyond, the crowd would become almost completely silent between plays. I had to look around to make sure they were still awake! The lack of spirit certainly wouldn't have inspired me if I had been on the field last night. Our guys put on a great show for us Milwaukee, and we have to muster way more spirit than what was evident in Miller Park last night. I'm happily walking around without a voice today as a result of showing them my appreciation for all their hard work againt the Reds!

The Reds' trouble apparently didn't end when they left the field last night. Relief pitcher Brian Shackelford was arrested shortly after midnight last night at Miller Park on suspicion of third-degree sexual assault. Not much information was released, only that it involved a woman, and apparently took place on Monday. Shackleford faced one batter last night, Prince Fielder, and struck him out.

I had planned to write a little something about Ned Yost a few days ago, but he seemed to correct the situation I was going to discuss. I thought I would mention it today anyway since he addressed it again last night. During that horrendous Twins sweep, it seemed Ned was leaving the pitchers in too long before bringing in relief, in essence, closing the barn door after the horses got out. By the time Ned got around to sending in a reliever, the Crew was already so far in the hole that it was a pointless move.

I was very happy Tuesday to see that this trend seems to be at an end. Doug Davis had pitched a stellar game, and I wanted him to be able to finish it. He earned the right to finish that game, but he started to get in trouble in the top of the 9th. Ned promptly called in Brian Shouse, who recorded the last out and got the save. Ned didn't wait to see if Doug would get out of the jam, or deeper into it. As much as I wanted Doug to get his complete game, I think Ned made the right move.

He did it again last night. Villanueva had pitched a good game through the first five innings, but at the first sign of trouble, Ned went to the pen. Of course, I'm sure he never imagined he would go through almost the entire pen before the night was over. At any rate, I'm glad to see Ned seems to be more proactive these days in terms of bringing in relievers.

Our most reliable starter, Chris Capuano takes the mound tonight against Greg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs. Except for his last outing, Chris has been an innings eater all season, and he will certainly need to eat some tonight. I don't know if there is anyone left in the bullpen to work tonight, should Chris need early relief. No one except Dana Eveland, that is, who was called up last night after the game when Carlos Villanueva was optioned to AAA Nashville. Dana is a scary option after his last few outings for the Crew, but apparently he's been doing well for Nashville. Let's hope Chris can hold the Cubs off for a while and we won't need to go to Dana!

Incidentally, Chris is second in the All-Star vote to Nomar Garciaparra. Voting ends today at 5 pm, so get to your computers and cellphones and vote vote vote! We need to get Cappy to Pittsburgh!

That's it for now Brewer fans. Keep voting until 5 pm tonight! Until next time, go Brewers!

Vote for Cappy!

Ok Brewer fans, this is your chance to show your support for your team. Chris Capuano is in the running for the last spot on the National League All-Star team, but it's up to us to get him there. We all know he deserves to be there. He should have been picked already, and not have to rely on voting, but that's the way it goes.

Let's all show Cappy our support and get him to Pittsburgh. You can vote through your cell phone. Text the word "vote" to 36197. Thirty cents a pop. Or go online to mlb.com and submit your votes there.

The Brewers are doing their part to help Chris get to Pittsburgh as well. Kiosks and computers will be set up during this weeks' homestand so fans can vote. Brewers' closer Derrick Turnbow has even filmed a commercial asking for support for Capuano.

Come on everybody. The Brewers haven't had three all stars since 1983. It's time to change that. Vote for Cappy!