Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Closing Up Shop

Good morning every one. I thought I was done with my stint over at Bernie's Crew, but after a week of work, Jim was very pleased and made me an offer to join him. Considering the traffic over at SportsBubbler, and at Jim's blog specifically, it was an offer I could not refuse. So while the Brew Crew Pub is closed, it sort of remains open over at Bernie's Crew.

But don't fret, I have been given liberties to continue and write my ridiculous stat head articles often enough to keep me plenty satisfied. On a good note, I won't have to put all the work into game recaps, as Jim and I will be splitting those duties. That is an immense relief considering the amount of work that is put into each and every one of those posts.

Thank you to every one who has read and supported this blog. It was a pleasure entertaining you at this site, and I hope to hear from all of you over at SportsBubbler, which I am learning day by day is a fantastic site for all Wisconsin sports.

Slainte! Go Crew!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Check Me Out at Bernie's

With Jim taking the week off over at Bernie's Crew, my recaps and analysis can be found there until Sunday. Should be a nice upgrade in the reading audience for a few days and perhaps will toss me a few extra hits. I'd love to hear from any and all of you over at the best blog in the Brewers Nation. Jim does great work, and I hope I can keep him afloat while he's gone.

Just for fun...

There's a lot of people calling for Rickie's head, and it may be because of the media or because no matter what Rickie does the rest of the season, his numbers are going to look pretty rough. Nevertheless, I just wanted to compare Rickie's starts to Ray Durham's since his arrival, and here we go.

Ray Durham: 7 GS, .259/.333/.519, 1 HR, 4 2B, 3 BB, 4 K, 6 R, CS
Brewers record in those starts: 4-3
Rickie Weeks: 14 GS, .310/.388/.517, 2 HR, 2 3B, 2 2B, 7 BB, 1 HBP, 15 K, 10 R, SB, CS
Brewers record in those starts: 9-5

Rickie has had two fielding mistakes in those games which go unnoted here, but his production has been unbelievable. I'm beating a dead horse here as I always do, but it's hard to argue taking out Rickie when he's clearly producing at a very high level. Both of these guys have had a hard time getting around the bases, though, because JJ Hardy is slumping big time. Durham benefited from some Craig Counsell productive groundballs and scored three of those runs in one game. Rickie's scoring percentage isn't nearly as high as it was to start the year, which I would suggest is a direct result of a lack of aggressiveness on the base paths. Sad thing is, when he is aggressive, he gets burned, which hasn't been the case until the second half. Hopefully he can remedy that down the stretch.

Monday, August 11, 2008

6/11 Brewers Nationals Series Recap

The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Washington Nationals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 6 Washington Nationals 0
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Washington Nationals 4
Milwaukee Brewers 7 Washington Nationals 1

MVPs of the Series:
Brewers Starting Rotation: 31.1 IP, 21 H, 3 BB, 30 K, 2 ER, 3 Ws
Lastings Milledge: 7/17; HR, 2 RBIs, 2 SBs, R

The Brewers rotation took advantage of a powerless team that was aggressive early in the count. The results were astounding. Back to back complete game shutouts by the pocket aces, a seven inning one run performance by Manny Parra and a six and a third, one run performance from back end starter, Dave Bush. And the best part of it all is what these performances did for the bullpen. After a day off on Thursday last week, the Brewers started a 13 day 13 game stretch, where starting at home for three, then six on the west coast and three more back at home. The three days of rest for the bullpen via the off day and the two CGs, allows quite a bit of flexibility. Big nod to the rotation for taking advantage of a bad team.

Milledge continued his recent hot streak this week with a solid performance all around. The unfortunate thing for him is that it offered little to no production, as the rest of his teammates couldn't get a hit if their pay check was on the line. Milledge is hitting .409/.469/.795 in his eleven games in August. While this production is obviously going to come down quite a bit, this is the guy the Mets thought they had before he was traded. Unfortunately his character issues combined with disappointing performances pushed him out. Perhaps Lastings has found himself a little bit, and that could pay off for the Nationals as they try to produce a winning team after getting a new ballpark.

What was the Difference?:
In such a dominating performance, it's almost impossible to pin point one thing, but the Brewers long ball paid dividends yet again. Eight launches led to nine of the Brewers runs, all of which seemed to have come in pivotal situations. Gabe Kapler hit a walk off solo shot on Sunday. Rickie Weeks hit a solo shot to tie the game on Monday afternoon. Corey Hart hit a two-run go ahead blast to lead the Brewers to victory on the same day. The Nationals, on the other hand, did their best to use the long ball, but came up short with their two blasts on Sunday.

Causes for Concern:
That Nationals are just bad. Poor defense, no power, no bullpen and one solid starting pitcher. I understand the revenue boosts that come with new stadiums, and perhaps the team is simply building that revenue so they can build a team, but right now things in DC look pretty bleak with almost no light at the end of the tunnel. It may perhaps be a stretch to think of it them like the Brewers organization before they built Miller Park. But I've seen the type of people and the amount of hard work it takes to make a contender out of garbage, and I believe there's a rare breed of people that can make it happen. Unfortunately, I have trouble believing the Nats front office is that breed considering they've brought in guys like Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard and Cristian Guzman.

If there's anything the Brewers should have fear about, it's the fact that they continue to rely way way too much on the long ball. This weekend they were able to accumulate a ridiculous amount of walks, 30, in just four games. But this season has proven that we cannot rely on these to get us through, one because the Brewers will be facing better pitching and two because the Brewers offense does not really have the plate discipline they showed this weekend. It's a sick feeling to see a team that's so good, have a big Achilles' heel. You just have to hope that when the weakness exposes itself, the strengths of this team can overcome it, which for much of the season it has.

Causes for Excitement:
I tell you what, I've seen John Lannan pitch twice now, and I really like what he's brought to the table. While his walk total is still a red flag, Lannan has the composure on the mound to be a solid pitcher in this league for quite a long time. He's got a solid and deceiving change with great action and fastball that's just good enough to sneak by most hitters. Toss in Milledge perhaps living up to his offensive potential, and the Nationals have at least a few pieces in place. It may not be much, but it's a start.

Did I mention the Brewers took THIRTY walks this weekend? God that just makes me drool. The thing that befuddles me is that only one of those walks scored via the homeruns the Brewers smoked. Nevertheless, the Brewers anemic offense did show up this weekend, but the 30 walks allowed them to push through the top of their order over and over again. Eventually lightning struck. As a result, the Brewers picked up four wins, 1.5 games on the Cubs and two games on the Cardinals. Even better, the Brewers head to the west coast this week to take on another last place squad in the San Diego Padres. The Cubs have an excellent record, but don't forget they have played ten extra games against the weak NL West. It's about time the Brewers get their own piece.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Where are they now?

I've been noticing something interesting lately. Former Brewers pitchers are turning into good pitchers. Here's some names you may have forgotten that once were in the farm system or in Brewers blue.

Grant Balfour (TB): 32.1 IP, 1.39 ERA, 49 K, 14 BB
Mike Adams (SD): 40.2 IP, 2.21 ERA, 46 K, 12 BB
Dennis Sarfate (BAL): 57.0 IP, 4.58 ERA, 58 K, 45 BB
Will Inman (AA-SD): 118.1 IP, 3.12 ERA, 126 K, 61 BB
Joe Thatcher (AAA-SD): 27.2 IP, 1.63 ERA, 30 K, 8 BB
Joe Thatcher (SD): 25.2 IP, 8.42 ERA, 17 K, 13 BB
Robert Allen Dickey (SEA): 88.2 IP, 4.36 ERA, 48 K, 38 BB
Greg Aquino (AAA-BAL): 25.2 IP, 2.45 ERA, 29 K, 6 BB
Greg Aquino (BAL): 9.1 IP, 12.54 ERA, 9 K, 9 BB

I wanted to see this basically because of Mike Adams, who I remember from about three years ago. He had two solid years in 2004 and 2005 and was traded to the Mets for Geremi Gonzalez. That one almost worked out. Now look at the kid.

Then there's Grant Balfour, who the Brewers fans couldn't stand, but good lord did that guy have nasty stuff. Nothing has changed since Balfour has left except for the shell shock of the big leagues is gone. Now he's a future elite closer in TB. If Percival wasn't there, his save numbers would be ridiculous.

Inman has changed his entire delivery, and has had success. Thatcher had it going in 2007, but just can't put it together in the bigs again. He's a straight up LOOGY and needs to be treated as such. Aquino = AAAA and RA Dickey has been waiting to show off his knuckleball on a regular basis for years. He is a poor man's Tim Wakefield, but hey, Wakefield has a ton of wins over the year for being just above average his entire career. And Sarfate is just a filler right now for the Orioles. Far, far too many walks.

Any one have any others?

8/8 Brewers Nationals Series Preview

The Series:
Washington Nationals (44-71) @ Milwaukee Brewers (64-51)

Who's on Tap?:
August 8th: Collin Balester (2-3, 4.55 ERA) vs. CC Sabathia (11-8, 3.28 ERA)
August 9th: Tim Redding (8-6, 4.44 ERA) vs. Ben Sheets (10-5, 3.14 ERA)
August 10th: John Lannan (6-11, 3.55 ERA) vs. Manny Parra (9-5, 4.18 ERA)
August 11th: Garrett Mock (0-2, 5.27 ERA) vs. Dave Bush (6-9, 4.50 ERA)

Who Should You Watch?:
The Nationals come to town on one of their hottest streaks of the season, having swept Cincinnati at home and taking three of four from the Colorado Rockies in Denver. But don't be fooled. Prior to that the Nationals had lost nine straight and were looking like one of the worst teams in the league. But the addition of second baseman Emillo Bonifacio has been a blessing and his lit a fire under this team. Since arriving on August 1st, Bonifacio has hit .375 in his seven games. However, the biggest change this month has been Lastings Milledge, who has hit .407/.484/.926 in the month of August with four bombs already. This is a big jump from his season numbers of .254/.321/.405. On the mound, it's clear that John Lannan has gone overlooked as far as the league's concerned, but on the Nationals, he's clearly the best pitcher. In his last start against the Brewrs, the 23 year old Lannan tossed five innings of three run baseball with a solid 7-3 groundball rate. Six of his last seven starts have been solid ones, so look for him to be pretty good this weekend.

The Brewers are coming off a fight, an anemic offensive week and a 4-2 road trip. But the Brewers offensive woes may have been cured by some mediocre pitching in Cincy, where the bottom half of the order stopped being a black hole for production and is turning into a mediocre group, which is all this team really needs right now. But the two big producers this weekend are expected to be Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks. After watching Rickie's approach on Wednesday, he may have found a way to eliminate that vicious black hole on the outside of the plate that was a guaranteed ground out to the left side. Prince has been looking like a beast lately, which can be attributed to his willingness to trust his hands and stay balanced at the plate. On the mound, look for Manny Parra to bounce back from the face smash this past week. Parra will have to make an adjustment to correct his command issues though. But there's not a better confidence booster than playing a team with a struggling offense.

Keys to Victory:
The Nationals need to keep hitting because their pitching staff has been known to have hiccups. Unfortunately for the Nats, they carry the NL's worst batting average (.245) and the third to worst OBP (.318). With only 83 HRs on the books, the Nationals can't afford to let this series become a pitchers duel, especially with Sabathia and Sheets on the mound. If they plan to take any games this weekend, it will have to be on the shoulders of Milledge and Cristian Guzman. If they don't show up, their offense will lull you to sleep.

The Brewers need to just play their game. I don't like saying this, but the Nationals give up a TON of HRs and the Brewers hit even more than that. While I would like to see some patience this weekend, I fully expect to see a barrage of power, that will only be overcome by a bad start by a Brewers pitcher. Look for the free swinging aggressors we've seen all season to rear their ugly faces. But let's hope they calm down a bit when they head to San Diego.

Predictions and Notes:
- Four game sweeps are a rarity, but I do believe the Brewers have the ability to take all four. Will they? I doubt it, but I fully expect three of four, with the only loss coming on Sunday's day game, when Yost will run out his 'B' squad to take on Lannan, including Jason Kendall on a day game after a night game. It's just a feeling that the Brewers will get 'Yosted' at least once this weekend, which I'm okay with because it would probably only be the third time all year. Look for Sabathia and Sheets to be lights out, and the offense to break out on Friday and Saturday in support of their pocket aces.

- Rickie Weeks hits two opposite field hits in three games he's played. Since arriving with the Brewers Ray Durham is hitting .185/.267/.296. Tom Haudricourt says, "BENCH RICKIE WEEKS." And Ned Yost responds, "There's a reason I'm so testy with the media. Tom, there's a reason you're a beat writer and not a coach."

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

8/6 Brewers Reds Series Recap

The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 3 Cincinnati Reds 6
Milwaukee Brewers 8 Cincinnati Reds 1
Milwaukee Brewers 6 Cincinnati Reds 3

MVPs of the Series:
Corey Hart: 6/11; 2B, 3B, SB, 2 Rs, 4 RBIs
Jay Bruce: 4/10; 2 HRs, 2B, BB, 3 Rs, 5 RBIs

Corey Hart busted out of his slump to lead the bottom of the lineup out of mediocrity, at least for two games, and did it in almost every way possible. From sliding catches to a ton of bullets right up the chute and to the left center gap. That was probably the most interesting thing about Corey's week is that he didn't have a single one of those lean out over the plate fliners that lands short in right. Instead, Rickie Weeks took that opportunity and went opposite field for three of his four hits today.

In the home dugout, Jay Bruce has quietly continue to produce as a rookie. Adam Dunn did little to nothing, which was a surprise, but even if he did, Bruce easily would have outshined him. He did it in every way, just as Corey did, except he was able to show off an absolute cannon, resulting in two outfield assists this afternoon and holding runners at bay when turning bases. On top of that, Bruce handled the bat magnificently, going dead center for a game-tying two run shot in this afternoon's game and fighting off a Brewers rally in the sixth inning on Monday with another two run bomb to help the Reds pull away. To say the least, Brewers fans cannot be happy they'll be seeing him for at least four more seasons in a Cincy uniform.

What was the Difference?:
Nothing sticks out heavily in this series, except for the offense. The Brewers racked up a ton of hits, but the Reds only managed 17 hits in the three games, and won the first game of the series despite only throwing up four hits. The Brewers, on the other hand, batted a solid .312 (34/109) in the series. That'll do against the Reds, but you can't expect that to happen all the time, especially when facing good pitching. It's amazing what a good offense can do for the Brewers' starters.

Causes for Concern:
Inconsistency continues to plague the Brewers in ways unimaginable. Their approach is inconsistent, their defense is inconsistent and worst of all, their confidence is inconsistent. It just seems that the Brewers have very little ability to start from scratch, but when they get a little wave of momentum going, they can ride it into a huge stretch and look like a playoff team. This leads to ridiculous swings in their game and in their record. Other than that, I have a few concerns about Manny struggling down the stretch. Jim over at Bernie's Crew and I disagree over the fatigue of Manny down the stretch. He believes that because Manny's age, the risk of fatigue isn't all the big, but I disagree. Manny pitched 139 innings in 2003, but only reached 132 last season after coming off the DL from an elbow injury. Manny's command has been rough around the edges all season, and was particularly frayed late in the pitch count on Monday. I'm not terribly worried yet, but want to monitor it closely. If he's really struggling, give DiFelice a spot start in September to catch him a breather if needed.

As for the Reds, defense is always a big concern. The only two guys I trust out there are Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce (okay, maybe Joey Votto). The biggest problem is definitely the left side of the infield, though I don't know a whole lot about Jolbert Cabrera. Other than that, there's a big problem in the bottom half of the order with Corey Patterson, Edwin Encarnacion and David Ross in the lineup. It's like a black hole that the power of the top half just can't make up for. It sounds a lot like the Brewers to be honest, but the Brewers make up a bit with pitching and a solid bullpen.

Causes for Excitement:
First of all, little things always go unnoticed, so I'm going to throw a few things out there that are worth keeping an eye on or just plain great for this team. Bullpen: 6 IP 0 ER, including two good looking performances from Eric Gagne and a much improved sinker by Salomon Torres, who has looked shaky since the break. Rickie Weeks went opposite field three times this afternoon and was rewarded all three times. God, imagine what this kid could do if he used the whole field. That will improve his BABIP immensely. Jason Kendall and Mike Cameron both had significantly better weeks considering their struggles, but you have to remember who was pitching. If they repeat these performances on the upcoming west coast road trip, excitement will be bellowing through me. And finally, Dave Bush had a solid performance on Tuesday, despite being on the road. Guess how. No home runs. Bush has given up 20 this year and in his last four victories, has given up not a one big ball. It's amazing how the numbers make sense doesn't it?

Yes, the Reds' manager is Dusty Baker, and somehow Corey Patterson still has a regular playing gig, but you have to be pleased with the direction the Reds are headed. There's a solid base there that oddly resembles the preamble the Brewers brought along four or five years ago. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Edinson Volquez offer hope to an organization that has had trouble obtaining success in recent years. But with a few prospects floating over via the trade of Ken Griffey Jr. and possibly one or two more in the likely trade of Adam Dunn, there's at least some light at the end of the tunnel. Jay Bruce looked phenomenal this weekend and Joey Votto is just solid over at first. Whether or not he offers up enough offense for his position remains to be seen, but at this point, I would be pleased with what he's offered in his first full time playing gig. Look for the Reds to keep gaining momentum from year to year, especially if they can grab some pitching on the way.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

8/6 Brewers Reds Game Two Recap

The Score:
Brewers 8 Reds 1

MVPs of the Game:
Dave Bush: 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K (W)
Edwin Encarnacion: 1/4; RBI, quality defense

Game Recap:
One game after 'the fight', the Brewers bounced back and took advantage of the plentiful mistakes of rookie Edinson Volquez. The Brewers tagged Volquez with five runs in five innings of work, while striking out only two. A low K rate usually means trouble for a power pitcher like Volquez. But don't be fooled, Dave Bush bounced back a bit from his rough return after the ASB to toss a solid game, riding the wave of offense to his sixth victory of the year.

The Brewers looked flat during the first two batters of the game. Durham popped out on the first pitch and JJ Hardy flailed his way into a groundout to third. But the big producers of the team showed up in a big way. Ryan Braun doubled to the gap and Prince Fielder was unintentionally, intentionally walked to bring up the struggling Corey Hart. Hart jumped from that slump with a 2-RBI triple, starting the Brewers in the right direction.

Dave Bush did his best to make things interesting though, at least in the first inning. Jeff Keppinger led off the game with a solid single up the middle and was followed by Joey Votto, who walked on five pitches, none of which even challenged the young man. Bush settled in though, getting Jay Bruce to pop out and Brandon Phillips to ground into a fielder's choice that should have been a double play that JJ slightly bobbled. After hitting Adam Dunn with a pitch to load the bases, Edwin Encarnacion smoked a ball down the line, that I thought was going to score three runs for sure. But Craig Counsell some how ranged over and stopped the ball on the foul line about eight feet beyond third base. Counsell's throw was off target, and the run scored, but he saved at least one run, maybe two in the process as Corey Patterson flew out to end the big time threat.

Both pitchers found the groove after that, each plowing through the second and third innings unscathed. Bush was placing his pitches well and Volquez was taking advantage of an inconsistent strike zone, forcing the Brewers to swing at borderline pitches. But in the fourth inning, Volquez stopped hitting the corners and started making mistakes. He left a changeup over the plate on an 0-2 pitch to Corey, which he smoked into center for a double. After advancing to third on a ground out by Cousnell, Mike Cameron pushed Hart across with a single to left. After stealing second, Cameron would get pushed across on Jason Kendall's hardest and furthest hit of the season. No, it didn't make it over the fence, but it did hit it and Brewers took a 4-1 lead.

The Brewers would manufacture another run in the fifth as JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun led off the inning with singles. Hardy would advance to third on a fly ball to left center and would score on a sac fly by Corey Hart. It's amazing what situational hitting and not strikeouts do can do for a team. This fifth and final run, sent Volquez packing when the inning was finished after tossing 96 pitches in just five innings of work.

Dave Bush, on the other hand, was efficient, which was a change of pace after his last outing. Bush avoided the long ball in this one and only walked two batters, and was really only challenged in his first and final innings. Bush looked poised to give up the big inning in both instances, but was saved by defense in the first and a ground rule double combined with solid pitching the seventh.

Prince Fielder put the exclamation point on the game with a two run blast in the top half of that inning after getting a little chin music the two pitches before. Who was the first man to congratulate him in the dug out? None other than Manny Parra. To be honest, Manny looked like he was just doing it for the sake of the team. No smile, no excitement, just a little fiver. Prince gave him that five and gave him a little tap on the cheek, as the Brewers patted themselves on the back after splitting the first two games of the series.

Game Changing Play:
The Craig Counsell stop really stands out in my mind, but momentum really didn't shift then, it simply stalled it for both teams. As a result, I'm going to go with Mike Cameron's RBI single, stolen base and Kendall's double as a sequence that really changed the complexion of the game. These guys have floundered immensely considering their 'veteran' status. Veteran's are expected to produce and these guys just haven't, but tonight their contributions, specifically in the fourth inning, pushed the confidence meter back to the green.

Note:
- It's interesting to note that Ray Durham was pretty rough at the plate tonight. He popped out twice, once on the first pitch and once after only three pitches. He then singled on a quality AB in the third and flew out in the seventh on a ball right down the middle after only four pitches. Yet, the media and those over at the JS blog, think Rickie is awful for having these nights. The guy made it past the four pitch mark once and was rewarded for it. Otherwise he never hit the ball hard. But he gets some slack because he's not Rickie Weeks. Frustrating. And I'm done beating a dead horse, at least for tonight.

Who's on Tap?:
The Brewers and Reds square off in a morning rubber match tomorrow, pitting Mr. August Jeff Suppan against former top prospect Homer Bailey. It should be interesting considering Suppan's struggles with the Reds and their long balls and Homer Bailey's inconsistent approach on the mound. Thankfully the Brewers have seen him once before this season, so they shouldn't be completely embarrassed at the plate.

Thank You

I received a couple of e-mails today from people who read the blog, and don't really comment. A lot of the time I feel like my work goes unnoticed, which it probably does, but when I do get feedback and any kind of response, it really motivates me to work harder on my writing and research skills.

Over the course of the season, I've gained a bigger audience, mostly because of the links Jim Breen sends my way over at Bernie's Crew. And I just want to say thank you to all of the readers out there who enjoy reading my stuff and take time out to listen to me babble on. In the words of the most overpaid AAA-Nashville ball player and his salad tong DLing buddy, 'Preesh!'.

8/5 Brewers Reds Game One Recap

So perhaps my new schedule offers me a new breath of fresh air as far as recaps, analysis and previews go. My new workout schedule allows me to ride an exercise bike, read and type simultaneously. Before I know it, I'm going to turn into that super exercise freak. Anyways, let us recap Monday evening's game because things went awry.

The Score:
Brewers 3 Reds 6

MVPs of the Game:
Ryan Braun: 2/4; HR, 2B, 2 Rs, RBI, BB
Jay Bruce: 1/2; HR, 2 Rs, 2 RBIs, BB

Game Recap:
It all started out as a pitcher's duel, but things changed swiftly and turned into a blow out that may spell the end of a Brewers season or spark the beginning of a new one. Both Bronson Arroyo and Manny Parra pitched gems until the fifth inning. However, Arroyo was able to pitch out of one and hit his way out of the other. In the end, a bout ensued in the Brewers dugout, pitting the Brewers first baseman against it's starting pitcher. You can only imagine what 100lbs can do to a lanky pitcher.

Arroyo and Parra put on a show, Arroyo looking like the 'ace' of old and Parra taking advantage of a free swinging lineup. Things looked favorable for the Crew, as they always seemed to be threatening, but they couldn't offer up productive outs when they mattered. And then the fifth inning came and the pressure left Manny bound and broken. The first thing to go was the command. After striking out Adam Dunn, Parra gave up a single to AAA-fresh Jolbert Cabrera and walked Jay Bruce on four straight pitches that weren't even close to the zone. Five pitches later, he repeated the business to David Ross, who is batting .228 this season. After getting down in the count to the pitcher, Manny battled back before pushing a 2-2 fastball right down the middle, which Arroyo promptly sent to the left field corner, scoring two runs. After getting Keppinger to ground out, Joey Votto tossed in a 2-out 2-RBI single to make the game 4-0.

The Brewers responded in the top of the 6th with two walks and an RBI single from Corey Hart, but a two run bomb by rookie Jay Bruce in the bottom half extended the lead to five. Then things got messy. Parra and Fielder were walking side by side in the dugout when Fielder absolutely lost it and shoved Parra into the bench. He then continued the onslaught by taking both of his hands and shoving Parra's head back into the wall yet again. What was said, and how it came about is still pretty much unknown.

Reports say the fight ensued as a result of Manny wanting to go to the clubhouse to watch the rest of the game and Prince taking offense. But I have a feeling more was brought about. The poor defense and meager offense has to have had an effect on the Brewers staff. There's no doubt, Manny and Ben's records should be considerably better considering what they've done. But the defense and lack of offense have really made them look average if not, in Manny's case, a little below average. Manny's point at the field clearly indicates that more was implied.

But that didn't stop the game from continuing as the Brewers pushed two more runs across in hope of yet another come back victory. But with two on and one out in the ninth, JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun displayed the Brewers biggest weakness yet again... the inability to recognize a pitch. Hardy was called out on strikes and Braun flailed at four pitches, fouling off two potential balls in the process before finishing the game with an emphatic swinging strike three at the ankles.

Game Changing Play:
After Parra walked back to back batters and started Bronson Arroyo out with a 2-0 count, he battled back to 2-2. But instead of throwing his out pitch, he tossed a straight fastball instead of the splitter, which the PITCHER, Bronson Arroyo smoked down the left field line to score two. Parra managed to get the next batter to ground out, but the confidence was shot from the pitcher's double and Parra tossed up another meatball turning a 0-0 game into a 0-4 game and a meltdown of the Crew.

What's on Tap?:
The Brewers move on, despite a legitimate fight in the dug out, and take on Edinson Volquez, who has shown that he is more than capable to destroy the Brewers "powerful" offense, which basically means, no bombs = no runs. Dave Bush takes on the young righty and has about two weeks to show he deserves the job. Otherwise, he'll lose his job to Seth McClung and Yost will ruin both of their routines for a fourth time this year.

Look for the Brewers to come out angry and focused or a complete mess tomorrow. There won't be an in between. Fights like the Parra Fielder debauchery don't happen often, and happen even fewer times in Milwaukee. The Brewers don't win enough games for the players to care on most occasions. But things have obviously changed since 2002. Spark plug or kiss of death? These players offer the answer.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Brewers Reds Series Preview

The Series:
Milwaukee Brewers (62-50) @ Cincinnati Reds (51-61)

Who's on Tap?:
August 4th: Manny Parra (9-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 5.74 ERA)
August 5th: Dave Bush (5-9, 4.69 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-4, 2.71 ERA)
August 6th: Jeff Suppan (6-7, 4.75 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (0-5, 7.55 ERA)

Who Should You Watch?:
The Brewers come off a relatively successful series against the Braves and head to Great American Ballpark, where they are 2-1 this season. They make their last trip there in September. One Brewer that will enjoy his time there is Prince Fielder. At GAB, Prince is hitting a stellar .329/.398/.570. Considering his current hot streak, Prince should enjoy his time in the spacious gaps. JJ Hardy has also had some success again the Reds with 10 HRs in 34 starts. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Corey Hart and Ryan Braun have struggled mightily against Reds hurlers, so these Prince and JJ may have to really overachieve to get some runs. On the mound, keep your on Dave Bush, who has been back to his old tricks since the break, that is walking batters and giving up bombs. Bush is making his first 'non-platoon' start after giving up 10 earnies in his last 12.1 innings.

In the home dugout, the Reds roll out a Griffeyless lineup, which may actually be better for them in the long run, though they have to send out Corey Patterson more often than usual. On the plus side of things, Jerry Hairston Jr. is back off the DL and can spare Reds' fans of Dusty Baker's favorite player. As far as people you should keep an eye on, the obvious one is Adam Dunn, who has been a Brewer killer since he entered the league. Dunn is a .276/.425/.583 hitter when he gets in the box against Milwaukee and absolutely destroys Jeff Suppan (.500/.657/.875). On the mound, the Brewers dodge Aaron Harang again, since he's still on the DL, but are forced to take on the only player who is challenging Geovany Soto for ROY, Edinson Volquez. In his only start against Milwaukee, Volquez went seven strong, giving up only one earned run while striking out ten. That will probably play out in a similar fashion on Tuesday.

Keys to Victory:
The Brewers should have little trouble taking two games from the Reds with Arroyo and Bailey on the mound, but they can't just expect the wins to come. They'll have to do exactly what they did on Friday to Chuck James. In just 2.2 innings of work, James gave up four walks. That's usually not the Brewers game, I know, but Reds pitchers walk A LOT of batters. Arroyo's propensity to give up the long ball is his problem, but Volquez has walked 62 batters in 133 innings and Bailey 14 in 31 IP. The Brewers failed to do this in the last series, losing two of three at Miller Park. They did walk three times each game, but it was always secluded to one specific player. Come on guys, learn something from that Cubs series.

The Reds, need to rare back and hit the ball out of the park. Other than Manny Parra, the Brewers pitching staff gives up the long ball all too often. The biggest culprit is Dave Bush, who has given up 20 long shots in his 119 innings of work. Patience will help in this endeavor, but the Reds have big time power and will have to use it to their advantage when given the opportunity. Short porches in left and right won't hurt that one bit (325 ft in right and 328 in left).

Predictions and Notes:
- It's hard to imagine the Brewers losing on Monday or Wednesday considering the success the Brewers have had against Arroyo and the flat out disappointment of Homer Bailey. Tuesday will be a tough one though. Volquez has only had two rough starts all season (after looking at his numbers, I'm not sure if his ROY eligible), and I don't expect the third to show up in this series, though a full season of pitching may be finally getting to him. I think the Brewers' offense shows up big time tomorrow, despite Arroyo's recent success. Tuesday will be that game where every one on the offensive end struggles and every one on their team catches the breaks. Bush will probably pitch pretty reasonable, but he'll get the Ben Sheets treatment. And Wednesday is that good ole toss up game. I can't imagine Homer Bailey succeeding yet again against the Brewers, so I'll say a 6-4 win on the shoulders of a couple of homeruns.

- Look for Adam Dunn to not play against Parra as Baker has been going out of his way to pull him against lefties. Though that may change as they try to move him in a waiver trade. Dunn is soaking up some serious cash for a team that's in last place in the Central.

- Another guy to look out for this week is Joey Votto. Votto has finally gotten the playing time he's deserved and has often gone overlooked with guys like Dunn, Phillips and Jay Bruce on the team. Votto has stuck around the .275ish mark all season and is a picture of consistency, though his power is down somewhat.

- With all of the up roar about Rickie Weeks in the last two weeks, mostly because of Tom Haudricourt and the riotous uninformed fans, who don't know about Rickie's recent success, it should be noted he will get two starts this week with Arroyo and Home Bailey. If this doesn't happen, there's going to be some chemistry problems brewing the club house. Rickie is Prince's right hand man and if Rickie has problems, they really could be cancerous.

Brewers Braves Series Recap

The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 9 Atlanta Braves 0
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Atlanta Braves 2
Milwaukee Brewers 0 Atlanta Braves 5

MVPs of the Series:
Prince Fielder: 4/12; 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, 3 Rs
Jorge Campillo: 7 IP, 6 H, 6 K (W)

Prince Fielder has found his power stroke once again, and it comes in looking like that easy swing that I'm so used to checking out. It's really fun to watch Prince swing out of his shoes because of the power her conjure up with that big frame of his. But the fact of the matter is that those swings don't often make contact. This weekend's three homeruns were things of beauty. Simple, balanced and compact swings that sent the ball far far away. If Prince can stick to this type of swing, he may in fact get to that 40 HR plateau that I predicted this offseason.

Nobody was really impressive this weekend as far as the offense goes, so I'm going to go to the man who single handedly put the Brewers biggest weakness on display and gave the Braves their only victory in the series. The media has completely disregarded Campillo this season because of his soft 6-4 record, but let's be honest here. A 2.58 ERA in 108 IP is not something to be scoffed at. He's only started 15 games this year, which doesn't help his record any, and hasn't received nearly the amount of support most solid pitchers get. Nevertheless, his stuff is deceiving as hell and his propensity to throw strikes has gotten him the benefit of the doubt on a lot of pitches.

What was the Difference?:
The offense, more specifically the long ball. The Braves launched a total of zero homeruns this weekend, while the Brewers threw up four long balls, resulting in six runs, which was enough to win both Friday and Saturday. The lack of a long ball on Sunday and a game where manufacturing runs was a necessity, the Braves destroyed the Brewers. Go figure.

Causes for Concern:
It's hard to really be concerned about the Braves right now. They've given up on the season and for very good reason. Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are all on the DL. Toss in the trade of Mark Texeira before the deadline and the injury of Brian McCann, and the Braves have nothing to offer on the mound or at the plate. That's a concern in itself, but the real concern lies in the bullpen. The Braves are going to have a hard time next season unless they find a way to solidify that relief corps. The only reasonable guys in there are Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez. But Ohman is out next season, leaving guys like Buddy Carlyle and Jeff Bennett to pick up the slack. Gag.

Sometimes it's just ridiculous to listen to Ned Yost from day to day. I'm not going to go after Yost here, maybe another post, but Yost basically states bluntly what's wrong with his team and then defends them. This weekend during the game on Fox, Yost promptly defended his team as a homerun team and says that, 'You can't teach power,'. And he's right, you can't. But does any one remember the Cubs series when he stated that this team just wasn't able to manufacture runs? Yost, WE KNOW! We've been saying it all season. No walks and zero situational hitting makes the Brewers a very inconsistent squad. When a guy like Campillo, who gives up very few dingers, toes the rubber, you have to make an adjustment. Either move up on the plate or sit dead on a changeup or curveball. The Brewers had plenty of opportunities to the narrow the margin on Sunday, but struck out every time a runner was on third base.

Causes for Excitement:
Obviously Jorge Campillo has to make the Braves happy campers, but I'm going to say the biggest surprise of the year for me is Gregor Blanco. In his first full season and only appearance in the big leagues this year, Blanco is hitting a solid .266/.370/.328. Obviously the slugging leaves a lot to be desired, but Blanco is clearly the lead off hitter of this team for a few years. He offers a ton of intangibles and will slowly improve on his base stealing abilities. Other than that, the Braves are in rough shape with all of their stars on the DL.

There was something very promising about Suppan's start on Friday. Twelve ground ball outs, and seven shutout innings makes you wonder if second half Soup is on yet again. I didn't get to watch a lot of the game, and I know the Braves' offense is running half empty, but the bite to Jeff's pitches was back and his command was pretty solid, with the exception of the fourth inning. Other than that, Prince Fielder is offering up another show. We knew that at some point he was start going on a tear. Fans couldn't wait though and have been going for his throat all season. I know I've said trade him in the off season, but not because of his play. More because he's a big contract next season and a liability at first base. But Prince has been solid all season and leads the team, as he has all season, in OBP and may single handedly will this team to a few more victories like he did on Saturday.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Tom Haudricourt Takes Personal Vendettas Too Far

In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today you will see a 'MLB Beat' article which basically goes after the heads of second baseman Rickie Weeks and center fielder Mike Cameron, saying that their bats have been awful and they don't deserve their job. Tom Haurdricourt has been after these two guys for about two weeks now and is trying to force the hand of Ned Yost to basically get rid of both of them and let the subs come in and do some damage.

But that's bull shit. Why now Tom? Rickie has been struggling all season, but has been a constant OBP guy as far as this team is concerned. Let's look at the regulars on this team and see where Rickie matches up as far as OBP goes...

Prince Fielder .374
JJ Hardy .344
Ryan Braun .338
Rickie Weeks .332
Jason Kendall .330
Corey Hart .319
Mike Cameron .316
3B Platoon .305

And he goes after Rickie?! What the hell is wrong with this guy. First off all, Braun's OBP is pretty much all average. Kendall is actually slugging lower than his OBP and Corey Hart has Braun syndrome this year with an IsoP of a disgusting 39. But that's not what Tom sees. He sees Rickie make two bad plays on defense and nit picks on every single little blunder. He then thinks that he has enough pull to talk to Yost on behalf of the fans as if the fans deserve the change despite it not being warranted.

Don't get me wrong here though, I'm not a total idiot. Ray Durham's .378 OBP makes me a very happy man, and I think he should get some playing time down the road, but ONLY against tough righties. Durham does not bring speed to the base paths any more, and since this team is purely a homerun team, he's unlikely to advance to scoring position when reaching on a single or walk. This is a real problem because of the team's .254 average and .324 OBP. Rickie, on the other hand, often gives us the best opportunity to score runs as his 68 runs on 136 appearances on the base paths indicates. If you're wondering about Ray Durham this year he's at in 47 in 122 appearances. Mind you he was on the Giants for most of that time. Rickie's 16 SBs and heads up running often moves him into positions Durham is no longer capable of doing (I saw him tag from first a couple times this year. How about turning singles into doubles against the Astros?)

You play Durham against tough righties who rely on the soft stuff and that's it. So that basically gives Durham 2-3 games a week and Rickie 3-4, which I'm okay with. But don't go after a 26 year old kid, who, in terms of this team, isn't under achieving as much as people think.

My problem with Tom is that when he writes articles, he never offers up any argument to the other side. For instance, Yost called Rickie a 'late bloomer' this week referring to Rickie's second half tear. Tom simply shrugs it off and doesn't even offer up the numbers. Well here's Rickie's second half stats from last season...

58 G .251/.422/.481 with 11 HR, 17 RBI, 16 SB, 0 CS and 48 R

Guess what guys, There's 51 games left. In Rickie's last seven complete games he is hitting:

.333/.406/.556 with 3 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB and 1 CS

Why would Tom ever write that in his column? It's one thing to go after a guy, it's another when you fail to offer up all the facts. Tom tells the public in print only what he thinks and not what's actually going on. Please refer to the Angel Salome suspension in which Tom printed he took steroids, when in fact it was ADD medication that had a banned stimulant in it. Tom never retracted the article or the statement.

I should be back this week if you were all looking for me. I needed a break after going to four games in that horrendous homestand. I believe more in silence than going after the throat of a team that really didn't play a single game of solid baseball for my 100 bucks worth of ticket sales.