Well, the Brewers were eliminated today by the San Diego Padres 6-3. If at the beginning of the season you would have told me that the Brewers would finish in 2nd place and have a .500 record or better, I would have been happy. However, when the Brewers had an 8-1/2 game lead on the division after the All-Star game and were 14 games over .500 at more than one point during the season, expectations understandably were raised. That, coupled with the division going to the irritating Chicago Cubs makes it all the worse.Now, I want to see the Brewers actually finish over .500 and make the Padres earn a place in the post-season. I'll be very disappointed if the Crew roll over and play dead the last two games.
"It's a test is all it is. We didn't lose a game in the standings. How do we react to that? My money is that these kids are going to bounce back just fine. It's all part of the process." ~~ Ned Yost, Milwaukee Brewers manager
"Iceberg? What iceberg?" ~~ Captain Edward John Smith, RMS Titanic
Can this team ever hold a lead? Off to a 3-0 lead through 5, the Brewers fall apart in Colorado to get killed 11-4. This after a week of blowing 5 and 6 run leads. Including Sunday's choke job against the Phillies where they gave away a 5 run advantage going into the top of the 9th at home. They haven't recovered from that yet and probably won't. The Brewers are repeatedly blowing games with a bullpen that is 50/50 at best to get anyone out. Pitcher Matt Wise hasn't recovered from shattering a Cincinnati Red's face two weeks ago. Now he's afraid to pitch inside. When he does occasionally find the plate with a pitch, he throws a batting practice meatball that gets drilled. I thought our bullpen problems were solved when they traded away Grant Balfour (or "Grant Ball Four") and actually got more than a bag of used balls in return. But no, the problems were just beginning.Yes, the Cubs aren't winning right now either but they're dealing with the injury to Soriano gutting their offense. The Brewers aren't pitching, aren't hitting and the managerial decisions are questionable. At least they're consistent top to bottom. I guess that's something. And we have Youvonni Gallardo pitching tomorrow so maybe we can salvage a game in the series against the Rockies.8/8/07 Update: Nope, Gallardo wasn't the the stopper today. He got shelled for 11 runs in 2-2/3 innings. His ERA went from #5 in the National League at 2.30 (or thereabouts) to 4.90. Yeech. Oh, and the Brewers lost 19-4.
I was listening to tonight's Brewers-Giants game online (MLB Gameday Audio) and in the bottom of the 3rd with the Brewers leading 3-1, Brewers rookie third baseman, Ryan Braun, came up to bat with a man on first. Braun flew out routinely to Barry Bonds in left field and a chorus of boos decended upon Bonds as he made the catch. Brewers broadcaster, Jim Powell (the great Bob Uecker's broadcast partner), commented that "Bonds gets booed for just catching a flyball. As well he should. He gets booed going to the grocery store. He certainly gets booed going to the drug store." I nearly wet myself with laughter.I don't think that's Major League Baseball's official party-line but I'm sure it voiced the sentiments of many. It certainly voiced my sentiments regarding Bonds and his tainted pursuit of Hank Aaron's record. I just wonder if Powell can get into trouble for the comments. Hopefully, he'll be on the air tomorrow night with more on-the-nose commentary and analysis.
Well, the Brewers FINALLY won a game. Held on by the hair on Coco Cordero's chinny chin chin. Fortunately, no one else in the division seems able to win a series and gain any ground. The Cubs, the supposed class of the division, can't get out of their own way and Sweet Lou Piniella is heading to a nervous breakdown.Of course, the Brewers can't count on everyone else losing the rest of the season. And they can't count on playing the Pirates and Nationals all year long. They're a young team but they need to find a way to pull themselves together. And finding a replacement for Dave Bush might not be a bad idea. He's pitching tomorrow and will doubtlessly get lit up. Sure, he's a number 4 or 5 starter but geez he's automatic. An automatic loss. Hopefully, the Cubs will get shellacked too.
Or is it Ben Prior? Or Ben Dover? Ugh. Ben Sheets is hurt again. Injured his groin. He's fragile enough to be a Cubs starter. I really don't know how a baseball player injures his groin. If you warm up properly, you shouldn't have any trouble. Yet, Sheets always finds away to get hurt.Ironically, Sheets got hurt on the same day that the Cubs' Mark "The Porcelain Doll" Prior was shut down for the year. Unfortunately, Sheets' injury allowed the Cubs to salvage the final game of the series against the Brewers today. He had shut them down for three innings before coming out and his no-name replacement got lit up. But Milwaukee is still in first place. Hopefully, Sheets won't miss too much time. He's still the Brewers' ace at least he would be until the next injury.When asked about the decision to shut Sheets down after three innings, Mark Maddux, the Brewers pitching coach commented that a groin isn't something you want to mess with. Really? I spent much of my single life doing just that.For more on Sheets' injury, click here.
After trailing most of the game, the Brewers rallied for 2 runs to tie the score 4-4 in the 8th and then won on a Prince Fielder home run in the 12th inning. The Cubs threatened several times after the Brewers had tied the score but some timely fielding kept the game alive until Fielder could win it.Because closer Francisco Cordero had been used extensively over the weekend, Derrick Turnbow, came on in the bottom of the 12th for the save. After giving up a bloop single to Derrick Lee to lead off, Turnbow popped up Aramis Ramirez, struck out Jacques Jones on a pitch in the dirt and got Mark DeLaRosa to strike out looking (on a questionable outside strike). It should be noted that the umpire had been giving the outside strike all night to both sides.So, the first place Brewers take game one of the series and continue self-proclaimed Cy Young Candidate, Carlos Zambrano's, frustrating season. Although the "Big Z" pitched well, the bullpen's inability to hold the lead stole his chance for the win. My heart breaks.
Happy Easter everyone. No, no bunnies or eggs here. Not that I won't be eating chocolate ones for the next week or two.Weekend was full of fun and adventure. We signed up with a real estate broker to sell the condo on Saturday. He bemoaned the condo market right now but did like the upgrades we put into the place. We then went to see Wicked in downtown Chicago at the Ford Oriental Theater. It was a very good show. It wasn't Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, but it was very enjoyable. Some catchy tunes but probably not a soundtrack that I'll run out and get.We then drove up to Milwaukee Saturday evening. Stopped in Kenosha at The Chancery for dinner. I had the "Friday" fish fry which they now serve all week. It used to be all you can eat fish and fries but no longer. The breading isn't as good as it used to be either but it's still very good. Kerry had a good piece of tilapia and some onion cheezy soup. She thought it was good.Sunday, we went to my Mom's (and her husband, Gerry's) non-denominational church's Easter service. I'm still not a big fan of the informal service structure and contemporary music. I still kind of think it's a "follow the bouncing ball" service. And one song had a refrain: "What a Savior!" And I couldn't but help think of Russian comedian Yakoff Smirnoff and his catch-phrase: "What a country." We then went back to mom and Gerry's place and had a ham sandwich and fruit plate brunch before Kerry and I went down to Miller Park to watch the Brewers take on the Cubs. After dropping the first two games of the series, the Brewers got off to an early lead and then held on despite a Cubs rally in the 6th inning. The Brewers put the game away in the 8th to win 9-4 but the game was a lot closer than it needed to be.
Numerous pundits are picking the Milwaukee Brewers as a darkhorse contender for the National League Central Division in 2007. Does this mean the Brewers will be surprisingly good or the division is just going to be surprisingly bad. Well, with the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals and perennial contenders the Houston Astros suffing serious attrition to free agency the way got a whole lot easier. The Pittsburgh Pirates will struggle to sniff .500 and the Chicago Cubs, well, they're the Cubs. I don't care how much money they spent in the off-season.
The Brewers on the other hand have a solid starting rotation (assuming Ben Sheets stays healthy), a reliable closer and, if Derrick Turnbow can handle the "demotion" to set up man and continue to pitch like he has in Spring Training, the Brewers could make the game short for their opponents. The Brewers infield has been called the best young infield in baseball by ESPN (although this was before 3B Ryan Braun was sent down to the minor). Even with journeymen infielders Tony Granffanino and Craig Counsell platooning at third, the infield should be a definite strength this year. And if Braun can figure out how to field the position, he could be back this year. Heck, even Roger Dorn figured it out.
Now that Geoff Jenkins and Kevin Mensch appear to have stopped bitching about their potential platooning in right field, even the outfield situation seems to be firming up. Corey Hart may be an emerging star in left and Jack of All Positions Bill Hall will provide exceptional pop in centerfield.This could be the year to finally go above .500 and make a real run at the playoffs. I don't expect the Brewers to be the Yankees or Red Sox but some consistent hope would be nice. My usual mantra of "Just finish ahead of the Cubs" isn't going to be enough this year.
Finally, I just want to acknowledge one of the best designed logos in sports history: 
Well, the Brewers were eliminated today by the San Diego Padres 6-3. If at the beginning of the season you would have told me that the Brewers would finish in 2nd place and have a .500 record or better, I would have been happy. However, when the Brewers had an 8-1/2 game lead on the division after the All-Star game and were 14 games over .500 at more than one point during the season, expectations understandably were raised. That, coupled with the division going to the irritating Chicago Cubs makes it all the worse.
