How Weeks is killing the Brewers

I don't need to hide it or pretend like I still have hope for him. The sooner the Brewers figure out that Rickie "Dick" Weeks isn't an everyday player, the better equipped they will be to make a serious run at the NL Central. The only ray of hope I have for him is that someday Ned will realize that his current lineup makes zero sense given the way Weeks plays and he'll switch it up. Weeks batting leadoff when Jason Kendall is in essence the "second leadoff" hitter in front of Weeks is absurd. You don't want a free swinger batting .190 to have more RBI opportunites than Braun, Fielder and Hart which is exactly the way this lineup is constructed.

I've heard too much talk about how Weeks' OBP makes him a worthy leadoff and everyday player. I'll admit that a .330 OBP for a guy toiling away around the Medoza line is an impressive spike upward from his average, but it's far from a reason to keep suggesting he's about to "come around." When compared to the rest of the league's leadoff men, here's how Dick Weeks doesn't stack up. (Stats are representative of season to date through games played on Wednesday, April, 30). As you can see, Dick Weeks boasts the 9th worst OBP in the entire league! And it's even worse than just that considering that both Ichiro and Jose Reyes currently have worse OBP's. If anyone reading this actually thinks those two players will finish out the season with a worse OBP than Weeks, then you're probably the same folks that thought J.J. Hardy was going to continue hitting HRs at the pace he set in April 2007 over the entire year. It's worse still when you factor in Crisp of Boston is below him, but Ellsbury often leads off for the Red Sox and his OBP (.396) is well above Weeks as well. Get Weeks out of the leadoff spot and consider sitting him down for an extended period of time. He's done nothing to garner being the everyday 2B at the MLB level. Let him think about it and make him prove he belongs in the lineup. If Weeks wasn't a first round pick, he certainly wouldn't be inked into the starting lineup everyday. He's getting by solely on where he was drafted at this point and all of the vast potential I've heard so much about. He's not the on base machine all the Weeks fans think he is.

Player - Team - Average - OBP
Curtis Granderson - Det - .375 - .531
Rafael Furcal - LAD - .381 - .462
Nate McLouth - Pit - .342 - .425
Fred Lewis - SF - .337 - .419
Chone Figgins - LAA - .313 - .417
David DeJesus - KC - .333 - .404
Grady Sizemore - Clev - .287 - .402
Hanley Ramirez - Fla - .324 - .400
Skip Schumaker - Stl - .317 - .400
Ryan Theriot - ChiC - .323 - .396
Alex Rios - Tor - .306 - .386
Johnny Damon - NYY - .276 - .385
Nick Swisher - ChiS - .226 - .381
Brian Roberts - Bal - .280 - .371
Jayson Werth - Phil - .278 - .370
Kurt Suzuki - Oak - .289 - .367
Brian Giles - SD - .267 - .361
Ian Kinsler - Tex - .300 - .358
Willy Taveras - Col - .272 - .350
Felipe Lopez - Wash - .263 - .337
Chris Young - Ariz - .227 - .336
Rickie Weeks - Mil - .202 - .336
Kelly Johnson - Atl - .241 - .323
Coco Crisp - Bos - .293 - .311
Ichiro Suzuki - Sea - .252 - .310
Kazuo Matsui - Hou - .260 - .309
Jose Reyes - NYM - .250 - .307
Akinori Iwamura - TB - .210 - .300
Corey Patterson - Cin - .214 - .280
Carlos Gomez - Min - .265 - .279

BTB: Babe O' the Week

Hmm, Brew Crew slumping, weather still TFC (too cold), what do we need here in the Brew Town? The Babe O' the Week! We welcome Rachel Bilson, who will forever be Summer Roberts in our hearts. Prime time TV needs this vixen back, stat.

Brian Shouse - Barry Zito

The San Francisco Giants just exiled former ace, Barry Zito, to the bullpen. As recently as 2002, Zito was as nasty a pitcher that existed, winning the Cy Young Award as a member of the Oakland A's with a 92 mph fastball and a hook that was essentially, unhittable. Due to what I'll go out on a line and label as steroids or Hgh, Zito's fastball now tops out at a Brian Shouse-like 84 or 85. He can still touch 87 if he really lets one rip. I said last week that Barry Zito is an incredibly expensive Brian Shouse, and now that's blisteringly true.

In fact, his 7.53 ERA and seven-year, $126 million contract suggests that any team would actually rather have Shouse in their pen as a lefty specialist. It's a sad story that a guy that at one time was the best pitcher in the game is literally nothing more than a lefty specialist/long reliever out of the bullpen and yet another reminder of baseball's black eye that was the steroid era. Don't feel sorry for Barry though, he's working on a $126 million contract and should be labeled the smartest man in sports for landing that deal. The Brewers gave Shouse a $2 million deal for his efforts in 2008.

Cameron In, Bush Out

The Brewers begin their season on Tuesday in Chicago. At least that's the way they view it. In the same stadium where their season officially began four weeks ago, the Brewers take on the Cubs only this time at full strength.

Mike Cameron served his 25 games suspension and even got in a few tune ups in Nashville, now he rejoins a team that desperately needs him to produce offensively. To make room for Cameron, the Brewers optioned down Dave Bush to AAA Nashville. Say what you will about Bush (apparently I'm the lone Dave Bush fan in Milwaukee), but the man was a gamer. He's never hurt, he takes the mound every 5 days and you know he'll give you 5 innings at the very least. I've said it numerous times, but other than Suppan, Bush is the only guy they have who they can count on for 30 starts and 200 innings. That's a lot bigger than most people realize.

I don't like Parra and Villanueva in the rotation from day one. I don't like putting young guys in your rotation early. Parra especially could use more time in AAA. What's wrong with starting him in AAA to stretch out the arm and bringing him up in a few months? Nothing. The more Parra struggles to give them anymore than 5 innings, the worse this move will look. Their bullpen is so tired because of numerous 4 and 5 inning Manny Parra performances. I think Bush got hosed on this one.

The Brewers were forced to play yet another extra inning game yesterday as they fell to the Florida Marlins 3-2. Their are two things alarming about this, the first being the Brewers once again failing to produce offensively. This is a team we were to believe, that was going to be pounding out 4-6 runs a game. Other than the first series against the Cubs and a few blips here and there, we haven't seen that. The second area of concern is that the Brewers have been a very mediocre team at home this season (7-6, 3 wins coming against the awful Giants).

Ryan Braun is really struggling this season. Teams have figured out that Braun will chase the breaking ball low and away, and as a result Braun has gotten a steady diet of those.

After an incredible April last year (7 home runs and 17 driven in) J.J. Hardy has been horrendous so far this season. Hardy is still hovering around the mendoza line (.218) and hasn't shown the same pop he did a year ago.

Prince Fielder has gotten off to a slow start, but he notoriously does. It also can't help that Braun and Corey Hart haven't provided him with adequate protection by struggling as much as they have.

The offense as a whole has been extremely disappointing this season. Rickie Weeks is still in the leadoff spot for reasons only Ned Yost knows, while Jason Kendall (a prototypical leadoff hitter) continues to reach base, hit above .300 and get stranded on base each time weeks comes to the plate. Why wouldn't you want to switch the two in the order? For all of his offensive struggles (.193 average) Weeks still has a high on base percentage all things considered (.333). If he were batting 9 and on the basepaths for Kendall, you'd have to assume that would lead to a lot more runs scored than Kendall on base for Weeks. But I digress...

The pitching has taken it's share of criticism, but I think more of this falls on Yost. Sheets, Suppan and Gallardo have all been fantastic, while Bush, Parra and Villanueva have left little to be desired. Parra and Villanueva has struggled to get past the 5th inning in each start this season. The Bullpen is extremely overworked and we're only in April. There are two reasons for this and they both lie on Ned Yost's shoulders.

1. They don't trust Turnbow.
I don't blame them, he's proved he cannot be trusted in a tight spot (his save last week not withstanding). Because of this, they don't use him in tight spots, they instead opt to go to Torres, Mota, or Riske. Every day. Of course their arms are going to get tired if you're keeping a guy on the roster who you don't trust using. Just option him down or cut him already. You're essentially going at it with a 24 man roster because of him. You could argue Doug Melvin deserves equal blame here.

2. Ned has poorly handled the staff/bullpen
Other than a Bush start earlier and Suppan's start in New York (which he managed to win anyway), they haven't ever had the start where they've had to pull a guy, they've just opted to. Knowing that your pen is gassed and it's only April, why hasn't Ned once taken the stance of "Tough, you're just going to have to stick out there for 6 and hope you can get the job done. If you get your brains beat in, oh well." He hasn't done that yet. Instead he routinely sees a guy run into a rough spot and goes the pen immediately.

Ned is managing to win every game he's in. Don't get me wrong, that's a nice mentality to have, but last season's collapse has clearly spooked him. Rather than recognizing the season is a marathon and not a spring, Ned thinks he can't afford to lose any close games because of what happened last year and goes at each situation thinking it's game 7 of the World Series. You need to surrender a few battle losses to win the war Ned, something he clearly doesn't understand.

Look at the Cubs last year. They knew all they had to do was remain in striking distance and then turn it on late. It's been said many times that you can't win a division in April, but you can lose it. By burning out your bullpen and being too stubborn to alter your lineup (and I don't mean swapping Hart and Hall one spot each) and not playing the hot hand, Ned is doing his damnedest to lose this division.

2008 NFL Draft: Day Two Review

The NFL Draft rolled on early Sunday morning, and the Packers continued to make moves. The Packers made 4 trades in all, moving up in the fourth round to acquire defensive end Jeremy Thompson, and even acquiring an 09 choice. In all, the Packers selections were as follows:

R3 (91): Jermichael Finley - TE - Texas
R4 (102): Jeremy Thompson - DE - Wake Forest
R4 (135): Josh Sitton - G/C - Central Florida
R5 (150): Breno Giacomini - T - Louisville
R7 (209): Matt Flynn - QB - LSU
R7 (217): Brett Swain - WR - San Diego State

I love the Finley pick, he's an athletically gifted tight end, with good size (a shade over 6'4") and ran the forty in the low 4.6's. He's still very raw and needs to improve on his blocking, but he has the tools to become a Jeremy Shockey type player.



Thompson is a hard worker and has a great motor. He doesn't do anything great, but he does everything good enough. Sounds very similar to Aaron Kampman, doesn't it? I think he'll made an immediate impact and see regular snaps on the D-line. So far, I like Thompson's first two choices of day two.

Sitton and Giacomini I don't know much about. Giacomini is very athletic, having converted from TE to T. You have to believe this plays favorably in the zone scheme. Sitton floated around between T, G and C at Central Florida. He is listed as a T, but indicated the Packers have asked him to play Guard or Center. He's flexibility is a real asset to a line that could use an upgrade. Sitton sounds like he could compete for a starting job out of camp, while Giacomini sounds like a little more of a long-term option/project.

I saw Matt Flynn quite a bit last year. He doesn't do anything to wow you, but he carries all the intangibles you'd like in a QB. I think Flynn will be a very good backup quarterback for many years in the NFL. Doesn't have the tools you want a franchise QB to have, but he's smart and has great leadership. He's played in big games many times in College and hasn't been phased by them. I'm thinking he'll probably be tucked away on the practice squad this year.

Swain is another guy I know absolutely nothing about. He's average sized for a receiver and sounds like he's no more than a slot guy/3rd option at best. He's another guy who will probably end up on the practice squad, unless he has a great camp and proves he can be a valuable special teams guy.

I'm not a fan of grading draft picks the day after, because we really just don't know. You need to give a draft 3 years before you can really tell what you've got. That being said though, I like what Thompson did. My only question was grabbing Jordy Nelson in the 2nd round. Makes you wonder if Ruvell Martin and/or Koren Robinson are pre-season cuts. I don't necessarily have a problem with it. James Jones really hit the rookie wall last year, and this should push him, but it does raise some eyebrows.

I don't have a problem with him taking two QBs. People that argue with Thompson saying "he just added value" by saying he didn't because only one QB can play at a time. Thats just dumb. Rodgers is still unproven, actually the only thing he's proven is that he can't stay healthy. I like Rodgers, but I like bringing in Brohm to push him. That being said, I don't think there is anyway Brohm wins the backup job this season. I know they want to add a vet to backup Rodgers, but I wouldn't be shocked if they just stuck with Craig Nall.

So, I won't attach a grade, but I like what Thompson did. And seriously Thompson haters, you're getting a bit ridiculous. The man has a plan and knows how to find talent, give it a rest.

2008 NFL Draft: Day One Review

As many expected, the Packers traded out of the first round - shipping their pick to the Jets in exchange for an additional 2nd (36th overall) and 4th (113th overall) round pick. 

The Packers selections on the day were as follows:

36: Jordy Nelson - WR - Kansas State

56: Brian Brohm - QB - Louisville

60: Patrick Lee - CB - Auburn

Starting with the Nelson selection, it was a tad bit surprising considering the Packers seem to already have an abundance of depth at the WR position.  It did seem that way on the surface, but after looking at a few highlights of Nelson, and reading more about him, his frame and his 40 time, I really think they'll ask Nelson to bulk up and convert him to tight end.

He doesn't look all that fast and seems to run upright.  He didn't look like a WR, at least not to me.  He does run good routes, has soft hands, and is excellent at running after the catch, but his is big (6'3") and most scouts agree he could put an additional 15 pounds on his frame.  I really think they found their tight end here.

Brohm was an interesting pick to say the least, but a great one.  Brohm suffered from staying one year too long.  When you play four years, critics find more things to nit-pick you on.  Had Brohm declared last season he would have been the consensus best QB in the draft and a top 10 pick.  The Packers get arguably the best QB in this draft, and didn't have to move up to get him.

I don't think this should be viewed as a message to Aaron Rodgers.  Thompson drafted Rodgers, so he obviously likes something about him and plus you can never have enough depth at QB.  Factor in the talent and leadership that Brohm brings to the table, they were able to get him in the second round (meaning less pressure, but more importantly less money) and the fact that Rodgers has shown some serious durability concerns, and this is a great pick.

Lastly, the Pack finished off the day by selecting Auburn CB Patrick Lee.  Not to toot my own horn, but I did call this pick yesterday.  Lee has good size and likes to play physical and jam receivers at the line, something the Packers love.  Not only that, but you'd have to think he'll benefit from playing behind Harris and Woodson with that style.  The only major knock on Lee is that he was only a one year starter.  Not too big of a concern considering he'll only be asked to play the Nickel at the most.  

Overall, I thought it was a pretty good day for Uncle Teddy.  

Stay tuned for tomorrow, the Packers have 6 picks on the day (assuming Teddy doesn't swing any more deals), 3 of those coming in the third round.

Most blown saves in a season that the team still wins

Monsieur Gagne's penchant for blowing saves in the early going got me to thinking. It seems peculiar that despite blowing four saves already through April 25th, that the Brewers have still emerged victorious in three of those games. I got in touch with the wizards at Stats, Inc. and posed the question to them: "What is the MLB record for most blown saves in which the closer that blew the save's team still won the game?" Keep in mind that a save didn't become an official MLB statistic until 1969, but here is the list. It has two Brewers on it already, Doug Jones and Dan Plesac. Gagne is well on his way to finding his way onto this list. It's a true team statistic, because the team that thought they had the game in the bag has to re-wake up and re-discover its bats.

1978
Bruce Sutter, Cubs
8

1976
Rollie Fingers, Athletics
7

1983
Joey McLaughlin, Blue Jays
7

1998
Doug Jones, Brewers
7

1969
Frank Linzy, Giants
6

1970
Dick Selma, Phillies
6

1975
Steve Foucault, Rangers
6

1976
Bill Campbell, Twins
6

1976
John Hiller, Tigers
6

1978
Gary Lavelle, Giants
6

1982
Steve Howe, Dodgers
6

1983
Dan Quisenberry, Royals
6

1984
Lee Smith, Cubs
6

1985
Ted Power, Reds
6

1986
Greg Harris, Rangers
6

1986
Dave Righetti, Yankees
6

1987
Dan Plesac, Brewers
6

1987
Mark Williamson, Orioles
6

1987
John Franco, Reds
6

1987
Dave Righetti, Yankees
6

1988
Bryan Harvey, Angels
6

1989
Tom Gordon, Royals
6

1989
Tim Burke, Expos
6

1990
Rob Dibble, Reds
6

1990
Jay Howell, Dodgers
6

1991
Mitch Williams, Phillies
6

1992
Jeff Reardon, Braves
6

1997
Roberto Hernandez, Giants
6

2007
Francisco Rodriguez, Angels
6

Mock Draft

Round 1

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long
OT, Michiagan

2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long
DE, Virginia

3. Atlanta Falcons - Glenn Dorsey
DT, LSU

4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden
RB, Arkansas

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Vernon Gholston
DE/OLB, Ohio State

6. New York Jets - Jonathan Stewart

RB, Oregon

*7. New Orleans Saints - Sedrick Ellis

DT, USC

8. Baltimore Ravens - Matt Ryan

QB, Boston College

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Derrick Harvey

DE, Florida

10. New England Patriots - Ryan Clady

OT, Boise State

11. Buffalo Bills - Leodis McKelvin

CB, Troy

12. Denver Broncos - Devin Thomas

WR, Michigan St.

13. Carolina Panthers - Rashard Mendenhall

RB, Illinois

14. Chicago Bears - Jeff Otah

OT, Pittsburgh

15. Detroit Lions - Chris Williams

OT, Vanderbilt

16. Arizona Cardinals - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

CB, Troy 

17. Kansas City Chiefs - Aqib Talib

CB, Kansas

18. Houston Texans - Keith Rivers

LB, USC

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Kenny Phillips

S, Miami 

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mike Jenkins

CB, South Florida

21. Washington Redskins - James Hardy

WR, Indiana

22. Dallas Cowboys - Limas Sweed

WR, Texas

23. Pittsburgh Steelers - DeSean Jackson

WR, Cal

24. Tennessee Titans - Felix Jones

RB, Arkansas

25. Seattle Seahawks - Kentwan Balmer

DT, North Carolina

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - Phillip Merling

DE, Clemson

27. San Diego Chargers - Sam Baker

OT, USC

28. Dallas Cowboys - Trevor Laws

DT, Notre Dame

29. San Francisco 49ers - Gosder Cherilus

OT, Boston College

30. Green Bay Packers - Tyrell Johnson

S, Arkansas St.

31. New England Patriots - Cheated

32. New York Giants - Jerod Mayo

LB, Tennessee

* New Orleans sends 10th overall pick and 3rd round pick (78th overall) to New England for 7th pick.

Round 2

32. Miami Dolphins  - Brandon Flowers

CB, Virginia Tech

33. St. Louis Rams - Carl Nicks

OT, Nebraska

34. Atlanta Falcons - Brian Brohm

QB, Louisville

35. Kansas City Chiefs - Malcolm Kelly

WR, Oklahoma

36. New York Jets - Tavares Gooden

LB, Miami

37. Atlanta Falcons - Martellus Bennett

TE, Texas A&M

38. Baltimore Ravens - Calais Campbell

DE, Miami

39. San Francisco 49ers - Jordy Nelson

WR, Kansas State

40. New Orleans Saints - Dustin Keller

TE, Purdue

41. Buffalo Bills - Ray Rice

RB, Rutgers

42. Denver Broncos - Duane Brown 

OT, Virginia Tech

43. Carolina Panthers - Joe Flacco

QB, Delaware

44. Chicago Bears - Chad Henne

QB, Michigan

45. Detroit Lions - Chris Johnson

RB, East Carolina

46. Cincinnati Bengals - Dan Connor

LB, Penn State

47. Minnesota Vikings - Anthony Collins

OT, Kansas

48. Atlanta Falcons - Jamaal Charles

RB, Texas

49. Philadelphia Eagles - Quentin Groves

DE, Auburn

50. Arizona Cardinals - Curtis Lofton

LB, Oklahoma

51. Washington Redskins - Reggie Smith 

S/CB, Oklahoma

52. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Earl Bennett

WR, Vanderbilt

53. Pittsburgh Steelers - Tracy Porter

CB, Indiana

54. Tennessee Titans - Mario Manningham

WR, Michigan

55. Seattle Seahawks - Fred Davis

TE, USC

56. Green Bay Packers - Roy Schuening

OG, Oregon St.

57. Miami Dolphins - Marcus Harrison

DT, Arkansas

58. Jacksonville Jaguars - Cliff Avril

DE/OLB, Purdue

59. Indianapolis Colts - Chila Rachal

OG, USC

60. Green Bay Packers - Patrick Lee

CB, Auburn

61. Dallas Cowboys - Matt Forte

RB, Tulane

62. New England Patriots - Charles Godfrey

CB, Iowa

63. New York Giants - Oniel Cousins

OT. U.T.E.P.

'Something's Bound To Happen'..What The Hell Does That Mean?

Brett Favre appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman last night. I don't get the impression Favre wants to go the TV route in his post playing days, which is really a shame, but he said something last night that makes you wonder if he playing days are over.

When asked about his retirement, particularly the off-season work, Favre replied: "I wasn't excited about it last year. I think when training camp gets close, I will - something's bound to happen."



I still think Favre will remain retired and this was nothing more than just a bad choice of words, but it certainly adds fuel to the constant will he come back or not debate. I don't get the impression Favre is playing chicken with the Packers, or retired as a knee-jerk reaction. I think he just grew tired of the off-season work, the aches and pains he woke up with, being away from his home, and more importantly being away from his family - one that had taken many hits the past few years.

Favre realized last season was a magical season. He restored his image, gave us one last Brett Favre victory tour, and came within an eyelash of taking his team to the Super Bowl. Not quite as good as John Elway's swan song, but pretty darn close. Favre realizes nothing in this league is for certain, the Packers could go 4-12 as easily as they could repeat what they did a season ago.

Favre went out on his terms, and at the perfect time. Lets leave it at that. Now let all the asinine "He's not retired" talk by national talking heads begin.

Miller Park observations

Myself and two friends were at Miller Park yesterday for the return of Uncle Geoff Jenkins as a member of the Phillies. We sat in the LF Loge Bleachers (aka, party central) in the second row. I don't mind the bleachers when you're in the first few rows. Here are some quick, top line observations after what was my third game of the year. Oh yeah, I'm 3-0 so far. Bang.

1. No more Sparks. Our efforts last season to single handedly keep Sparks in the beer men's arsenal has failed. I'm not to go lie, this sucks. It was perfect in the third inning when it was time to put the screws back in.


2. The two-fisted slopper. He's back! Remember the old "Two Fisted Slopper" bit on the old dual colored scoreboard at County Stadium? The one where at the end the cane comes in from the side and hooks him? They now play that skit on the Jumbotron! It's pretty cool to have that routine back.

3. Go Getta. Ryan Braun has officially ditched Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" as his batting music and went back to Young Jeezy's "Go Getta." His average has been raised significantly lately. Coincidence?

4. The fans. Fans seem more informed this season. At least last night they booed and cheered (except once when they booed Bush, but I think they were booing Nedders decision) at all the right times.

Narron Flirts With A No-No

Brewers pitching prospect Sam Narron nearly had a perfect night last night. Narron had a perfect game going with two outs in the 8th before finally surrendering a hit. Narron finished the night by tossing a two hit shut-out in Huntsville's - The Brewers AA affiliate - 9-1 victory over the Mississippi Braves. More can be read about Narron's night here.

As you may recall, Manny Parra tossed a perfect game for the Brewers AAA affiliate last June.

Culpepper Rolls Into GB

Dante Culpepper and his stupid celebratory hand motion, has reported arrived in Green Bay for a visit.

The Packers have made it no secrect that they'd love to add a veteran QB to help continue the maturation of Aaron Rodgers, but Dante Culpepper? I don't think thats the type of mentor they had in mind. Personally I think the guy is washed up, and since his knee injury took away most of his mobility he hasn't been the same QB he once was (losing Randy Moss didn't help much either). I'd be shocked if anything came from this, but it's interesting no less.

One Teams Trash Is Apparently Another's Treasure

I think I speak for all readers when I say, thank god Daron Sutton is gone. He was a very nice guy, extremely personable and easily accessible during his time in Milwaukee, but man was he an awful announcer.

Now the play-by-play man for Arizona, Sutton is paired up with the colorful Mark Grace - even though he was a Cub, one of my all-time favorite players and personalities. I know what you're thinking, someone colorful, funny and insightful paired with someone bland, dull and annoying. This is where'd I'd point out the "but", but there isn't one.

Sutton talked way too much, seemingly not realizing the difference between television and radio, and was far too over dramatic on numerous occasions. I give you one more of those occasions...



I remember those calls all too well. Lets all send out a big thank you to Brian Anderson...for not sucking as much as his predecesor.

Series Preview: Phillies at Brewers

The Matchups

Wednesday: Cole Hamels (2-2, 1.86 era) vs Dave Bush (0-3, 7.02 era)
Thursday: Jamie Moyer (1-1, 4.79 era) vs Jeff Suppan (1-0, 4.13 era)

Ben Sheets was supposed to start Thursdays game, but had his start pushed back to the series opener in Chicago and Tuesday due to tightness in his arm. His start on Tuesday will mark an 11 day gap since his last start. With the ridiculous amount of pitchers they are carrying (14) and their lack of trust in Derrick Turnbow - meaning they're essentially going at it with a 24 man roster - you really have to wonder why Sheets wasn't just placed on the 15 day DL. What is the difference between missing 11 days and missing 15? Especially when it's only April and Sheets has a history of breaking down. By history I mean he does...every single season.

What To Watch For

Mr. Brewer
Geoff Jenkins makes his triumphant return to Miller Park after signing with the Phillies in the off-season. No one really wanted to see Jenkins go, including Jenkins himself, but with the Brewers plans of moving Braun to the outfield and Gwynn, Corey Hart already on the club there was just no room. Jenkins spent 10 seasons in the Brew Town. He left 2nd all time in Home Runs (212) and slugging percentage, 5th in hits and 4th in RBIs (704).

I only had the chance to see Paul Molitor and Robin Yount for the last few years of their career. Those two are without question the greatest players in the history of the franchise, but Geoff Jenkins is in the top 5. More than that, Jenkins was my favorite Brewer...ever. He showed up every day and played hard. He played during a span when the Brewers were historically bad, and yo never heard one complaint come out of him.

Jenkins was one of the greatest defenders in team history. He was robbed of numerous Gold Glove awards because he played on a bad team that didn't get any national attention. His hard-nosed, gritty style of play took it's tole. Jenkins missed numerous games to injuries because of his all out style, and suffered from bad luck. I'll never forget the sight and sounds of screams when he dislocated his ankle against the Astros in 2002 (something I can relate to all too well), or when he broke his thumb in 2003, just as the Brewers were on a 10 game-winning streak - Jenkins being an integral part. The injury ended his season and the winning streak came to an end the next day.

I expect he'll get no less than a standing ovation when he's announced tonight, and rightfully so. Afterall, the man was Mr. Brewer. He was our first prospect who actually panned out. The sad thing about seeing guys like Jenkins and Cirillo go is knowing the Brewers are on the cusp of the postseason. Something those two desperately wanted to be in, and deserved to be in. How fitting was it to see Mr. Brewer and Brett Favre look-alike, Jenkins leave Milwaukee in free agency months before Brett Favre would announce is retirement?

It marked the end of an era for both franchises (Jenkins legacy nowhere near Favres obviously). So Geoff, I say thanks. Thanks for being the only guy on the team to play hard, embracing the team and town and enjoying your time in Milwaukee. Best of luck to you in Philadelphia. Hopefully the Phils return to the post-season, you deserve it. I'll just never get used to seeing you in Red and White.

Who's Hot

Philadelphia: Chase Utley
Utley finally had his home run streak snapped last night, but he's still racked up 6 homers over the past 6 games with 11 RBIs over that span. He is without question the leagues hottest hitters and he and Ryan Howard are a main reason why Mitch Stetter got the call up from Nashville.

Milwaukee: Guillermo Mota
Only one word can describe what we've seen from Mota this season. Nasty. 7 games, 9 innings and 1 earned run. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 7 innings. Mota is arguably the best setup man in baseball and has been nearly unhittable this season. If only their 9th inning man was as reliable.

Who's Not

Philadelphia: Eric Bruntlett
Called upon to replace the injured Jimmy Rollins, Bruntlet hasn't gotten it done thus far. Obviously he can't match the offensive production the reigning league MVP puts up, but he'll need to do better than .180 batting average, .246 OBP and 1 homer and RBI each.

Milwaukee: Eric Gagne
The more slack I cut the guy, the more ridiculous it sounds. He's blown his last two saves - has only converted 6 of 10 on the season - and has allowed 4 runs in his last two appearances. I will say this, I think there were a combination of things that went wrong in the Reds game on Sunday. He was tired and had been overused, once again - just as it was in the season opener- he didn't look comfortable on a wet mound, and I really think the Reds figured out he was tipping his pitches. Encarnacion took him deep on a good pitch early in the count, and then Paul freaking Bako drilled the first pitch out. I think something was up there. But alas, this is a results oriented sport, and Gagne has not been getting the results as of late.

Prediction

Jenkins will get a standing ovation in an emotional homecoming. Chase Utley will go yard at least once in this series, Dave Bush puts together a good start, and the Brewer bats come alive after yesterdays spark.
Brewers sweep

More on Shaun

As much as I have pushed and prodded about the Seahawks releasing Shaun Alexander and the possible implications it could have for the Packers because of the Alexander/Thompson connection, let me clarify a few things.
1. I'd be stunned if the Packers sign Alexander and more so, if Alexander signs with the Packers, if you catch my drift. He was the MVP two years ago and is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Figure it out.
2. I've talked with several different sources about Alexander (including my own input) and this guy is finished. While he might always possess that nose for the end zone, he's not a move the pile type of runner. Less now, than ever before in his career.

Alexander to the Pack?

I hate to toot my own horns on this one, but I was all over the Shaun Alexander being released by the Seahawks back in late February and early March when they were adding Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett.

I realize Ted Thompson's history in the free agent market or lack thereof would suggest otherwise, but if Alexander isn't at least brought to Green Bay for a visit by the guy who drafted him in Seattle, I would be a little surprised. He's far from the 2005 unstoppable back he once was, but a backfield of Ryan Grant and Shaun Alexander toting the mail sounds awfully nice.

The one thing to keep in mind is that the majority of teams around the league have already exhausted the majority of their cap room, meaning they may not be able to afford Shaun even if they wanted to. I'm still betting on a team overpaying for his services, or he'll take a big cut to play with the Cheatriots (like apparently all players do.) But keep your eye on this development heading into the draft weekend.

More on Gross for Josh Butler

You can read more about the slightly stunning trade here. But the excellent news is that Josh Butler was the minor league rich Rays 16th rated prospect going into the season according to Baseball America. Here's his full write-up, from the Baseball America Prospect Handbook. It sounds like the Brewers got a nice ROI on what was essentially an afterthought player in the grand scheme of things.

Josh Butler (RHP)
Born: Dec. 11, 1984; B-T: R-R; Ht: 6-5; Wt: 200; Drafted: San Diego, 2006 (2nd Round)

Butler reached High Class A in his first full pro season, continuing to show filthy stuff even after a sprained thumb cost him three weeks starting in mid-July. The 47th overall pick in 2006, he had his pro debut cut short by biceps tendinitis. His arm strength returned last season, and he has one of the best repertoires among Tampa Bay pitching prospects. Butler owns a 92-95 mph fastball with outstanding movement, including late sinking action. He also has an overhand curveball with tight spin and a hard sharp slider. His changeup continues to show improvement, though he tends to abandon the pitch to readily. The Rays like Butler's competitive streak and his work ethic. He simply needs innings against better competition so he can become more consistent with his changeup and his release. Tampa Bay has worked with him to incorporate his legs more in his delivery. He'll open the season back in High Class A and should move up to Double A at some point during 2008.

Brewers Deal Gross

Minutes after defeating the Cardinals in 12 innings, the Brewers announced they have dealt utility outfielder Gabe Gross to the Rays. Gross was just starting to come around after being heavily criticized - a majority coming from myself - for most of the season. Gross went 7 for his last 21, racking up 8 walks and scoring 5 runs over that span. You could argue he'd been the Brewers most consistent hitter over that span. In exchange for Gross, the Brewers picked up minor league pitching prospect Josh Butler. More on Butler to come...

Well Gabe, I'm willing to admit you started to prove me wrong Gabe. You proved me wrong and over the past week, and I started to come around on you. Best of luck to you Mr. Gross.

Cubs Fans...

Another gem from Awful Announcing


I'll hold comments on the lady entering a hot dog eating contest in the bleachers, because Brewer fans are pretty easy targets as well.

I'd encourage everyone to check out their site on a daily basis, good stuff day in-day out.

Doug, If You're Reading This Please Cut Turnblow

The little used Derrick Turnblow entered last nights tie game - only because the Brewers bullpen had already been overworked - and quickly as he entered served up the Cardinals the lead. Derrick Turnblow sucks.

Now, can part of his struggles this season be attributed to the fact that he isn't used frequently? Sure, part of them can, but the fact of the matter is he sucks. Turnblow has only appeared in 5 games this season, pitching 4 and 2/3 innings. Of the 5 games, he's surrendered at least one run in three of those games - 5 total earned runs - and has an era over 9.

Turnblow seemed to rebound last year. He cut down on his home runs and era (who couldn't you though, his era in 2006 was a staggering 6.87), but was still feast or famine. He seemed to pitch well every other time he took the mound. You simply can't have a reliever do that. The book is out on Turnblow, he's lost confidence in throwing his slider for a strike, so more times than not he'll start you off with a first pitch fastball. The Cardinals teed off on his first and second pitches last night.

The Brewers clearly don't trust Turnblow anymore, and given the improvements they've made to their bullpen you can't disagree with that. He's no better than anyone in that bullpen, including Seth McClung. They're currently carrying a ridiculous amount of pitchers (14), because of an injury to Sheets and Turnblow. The bullpen is overworked because they're afraid to use him in a meaningful situation, and Turnblow did nothing last night to ease those fears.

They can't continue to keep a guy on their roster that they don't trust. They're essentially only going with 24 players now. Just cut the cord and release him, it does your team no good to keep him on the roster. Turnblow had a nice run, but it's over. We're starting to see that in his 39 save season everything fell into place and there wasn't a scouting report out on him. He throws hard, but doesn't locate well and doesn't throw enough strikes. Time to go Turnblow.

See if you can't pass him through waivers and sneak him into Nashville. Maybe there he can figure something out, but they can't afford on the job training at this point. If some team claims him, oh well.

At this point, Gabe Gross is 100 times more deserving of a roster spot than Turnblow. If we're really trying to reach the post-season this year, we can't afford to keep him on our roster.

Playing GM of the Bucks

In an effort to fix my beloved Bucks, I've decided to try my hand at General Manager. While John Hammond seems like a capable executive, the following are the moves I'd advise he make in the offseason.

1. Trade Michael Redd.
Michael Redd really has gone from a beloved figure to public enemy number 1 with roughly half the fans of the Bucks. Its become painfully evident that the team has far too many selfish players and not enough role players. I think Redd could be the best second option in the NBA. The jury is still out on whether or not he's willing to do that. I think he'd do it for a superstar, something he apparently doesn't feel Andrew Bogut is.

Of all their options, this move makes the most sense.

*The trade machine doesn't allow you to include draft picks, but I'm making this deal assuming Utah also gives up a future first rounder.

Utah would instantly become the favorite to win the Western conference if they were to make this deal. They've been looking to deal Kirilenko since the beginning of the season, and unlike other rumored deals (Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion) they get a bonafide scorer in return with this deal. They'd be giving up a first round pick, but would have two elite shooters (Redd and Korver) to compliment the two man game of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.

The Bucks would instantly upgrade their defense - first off because Redd is gone and secondly by adding Kirilenko. Kirilenko may have regressed on defense, but he is still capable of being an all first team defensive player and even defensive player of the year. The first round pick would presumably have some protections on it and would probably end up coming in 2010 or 2011, and the three other players acquired in the deal all have expiring (albeit small) contracts after the 2009 season. Of the three Morris Almond has a legit chance to hang on with the team and eventually start.

My Take

The Bucks would get rid of Gadzuric's contract and bring back a first round pick in return. They aren't necessarily getting rid of Redd's contract because Kirilenko's contract is nearly identical to Redd's (same amount of years remaining, about a million fewer dollars on the deal), but Kirilenko fits the style of play the Bucks are looking to play a lot better than Redd.

2. Trade Charlie Villanueva
His soft style and tendency to avoid the rim won't play favorably with newly hired coach Scott Skiles. Villanueva has always been a bit of an enigma - eerily similar to former Buck Tim Thomas - Villanueva has the talent to be an All-Star, but lacks toughness and motivation.

This trade actually makes sense for both teams. The Bucks get defense and a back up point guard, and the Nets get a power forward who can score.

Josh Boone is a big who plays around the rim and can get up and down the court. He'd compliment Bogut well when they're on the court together, and has already shown he has no problem coming off the bench. The Nets have all but given up on Marcus Williams with the addition of Devin Harris. Much like T.J. Ford, Williams is more of a pure point guard, he doesn't shoot consistently but has great court vision and is a terrific passer.

My Take

The Bucks get rid of another piece that doesn't fit the new style they desire to play and in return get a defender and a young point guard, which should allow them to move Mo Williams to the combo guard role off the bench. The move would be interesting in that all three men were once teammates at UConn.

3. Trade Bobby Simmons AND Yi
Bobby Simmons is a nice player, no more than a backup, but highly overpaid. One of Larry Harris' many mistakes was throwing big money at him. I've seen more than enough of Yi. In the past year we've found out he's three years older than he said he was, is far less athletic than we were told he was and is soft. He hit the rookie wall in January, but even then he wasn't setting the world on fire. He wouldn't have even been a first team rookie selection. All those who were comparing him to Dirk can officially stop now. Yi might turn into a decent player down the road, but not here (China won't allow it anyway, as there is no way he's resigning here when his rookie contract is up.)

This trade gives us 12 million in expiring contracts and puts Yi in a large market. Despite Isaiah being gone, the Knicks would still be dumb enough to do it thinking Yi is more talented than he is, and plus it's going to make a ton of money for them by grabbing the Chinese market.

My Take

Bucks get to shave money off the cap, Yi goes to a big market and the Knicks can reach out into the Chinese market. Win-win-win.

Overall

A drastic overhauling of the roster no doubt, but one that gives them a team more concentrated on defense, and some cap flexibility the upcoming season with Desmond Mason, Ronnie Price, Jarron Collins, Malik Rose and Jerome James all coming off the cap. Their rotation before adding whoever it is they select in the draft most likely look like this:

PG: Sessions/Marcus Williams/Ronnie Price
SG: Mo/Charlie Bell/Morris Almond
SF: Kirilenko/Mason
PF: Boone/Kirilenko/Malik Rose
C: Bogut/Jarron Collins/Jerome James

They'd most likely be looking at a SF/PF in the draft with this rotation (which I think they will be anyway).

Series Preview: Cardinals at Brewers

The Matchups

Monday: Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.78 era) vs Carlos Villanueva (1-2, 6.19 era)
Tuesday: Kyle Loshe (2-0, 1.48 era) vs Manny Parra (1-1, 5.40 era)

What To Watch For

Pitching. Despite adding another pitcher to the roster - bringing the total up to a whopping 14- the Brewers bullpen is still overworked. Eric Gagne should have never taken the mound yesterday, already having pitched 4 days in a row.

Beyond the bullpen though, it's put up or shut up time for Villanueva and Parra. Neither has looked particularly good this season, their two combined wins have both come against the Giants. Parra has yet to make it past the 4th inning in either of his last two starts, and Villanueva hasn't been much better. Both are at risk of being removed from the rotation if Sheets is healthy, especially if they continue to routinely struggle to make it into the 5th inning. April is far too early to wear down your bullpen. Say what you will about Dave Bush, but he can eat innings.

While the Brewers rotation has struggled (aside from Sheets, Suppan and one start from Gallardo), the Cardinals has inexplicably been fantastic. Kyle Loshe has looked like an ace rather than a 4th or 5th starter, Braden Looper and Todd Wellemeyer have made a seemless transition from the bullpen to the rotation (thus far) and Adam Wainwright has been fantastic.

Of the four, I really only see Wainwright maintaining, but it is frightening to think that the Cardinals could possibly get Mark Mulder and Chris Carpenter back at some point this season. If that happens, it's officially time to worry.

Who's Hot

St. Louis: Skip Schumaker
Schumaker is 9 for his last 20 with 1 home run and 3 driven in. In the three game set against the Brewers last week, Schumaker homered and went 5 for 9.




Milwaukee: Guillermo Mota, Soloman Torres and Mitch Stetter
The Brewers bullpen has been fantastic during their recent road trip, but these three in particular have gone 13 and1/3 scoreless innings dating all the way back to April 8. Brian Shouse and Eric Gagne has also pitched extremely well until recent blowups. The bullpen has definitely been a bright spot this year, and upgraded from a year ago. The only problem is how much its been relied on with the terrible pitching the Brewers are getting from their 3rd-5th starters.

Who's Not

St. Louis: Rick Ankiel
After starting the season 11 for 35 with 3 home runs and 8 driven in, Ankiel is just 7 for his last 32 with 1 home run and 3 RBIs. Not exactly the production you're looking for out of your leadoff hitter, but the Brewers currently know about that all too well.


Milwaukee: Gabe Gross
Again, like I said until Gross proves me wrong...Weeks, Braun and Fielder have also been extremely disappointing thus far but this is so much easier to go with. I realize Gross played fairly well over the weekend, drawing walks, scoring runs and even getting a sac fly, but again, go two consecutive games with getting a hit (or even one) and then we'll talk.

Prediction

The Cardinals seem to have the Brewers number, and it doesn't help that the Brewers are throwing two of their three most struggling starters. I don't see the Brewers getting swept, especially at home, so I'll say the Crew and Cards each take one, splitting the series.
Brewers split

The Buck Stops With Skiles?

Citing a published report by the New York Post, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting Scott Skiles has verbally accepted the vacant head coach position with the Bucks.


The move is a tremendous one by the Bucks, but will have interesting ramifications none-the-less. In his playing days, the one time Buck was a hard-nosed gritty player. He epitomized team basketball, was a good on the ball defender and an excellent assist man, once holding the record for single game assits. As a coach, Skiles exuded much of the same traits. He stressed team ball and defense, but took no nonsense from his players.

Skiles coaching career began in Phoenix, where he lead the Suns to the playoffs two of his three seasons there. Under Skiles, the Suns eliminated the defending champion Spurs in the first round of the 2000 playoffs. Skiles would be fired after just 51 games and a 25-26 record in 2001-02.

In 2003 Skiles would return to the NBA as the head coach of the Bulls. In 2004, his first full season at the helm in Chicago, Skiles would lead the Bulls to a 47-35 record. It would be the first of three consecutive trips to the playoffs with Chicago, including a 49 win season in 2006-07. That season the Bulls would limit their opponents to a league low .422 field goal percentage, and put together a stretch of 26 games without allowing 100 points.

By 2007, Skiles blunt approach began to wear thing on this young team. The Bulls would fire Skiles on Christmans eve, after just 25 games (9-16).

Skiles will no doubt improve this teams defense. I question what players he'll be coaching though. Skiles doesn't coddle his players, he's upfront with them and his message can be very blunt. I don't see that playing well with players like Michael Redd, Mo Williams, Charlie Villanueva and especially Yi Jianlian. If nothing else, I think this move means Michael Redd is gone. His soft, selfish ways won't play with Skiles.

Andrew Bogut should be doing cartwheels upon hearing this news. The three players this alleged move will benefit the most are Bogut, Charlie Bell (yes, believe it or not) and young point guard Ramon Sessions.

The Bucks have added their General Manager (and Assistant GM), and have reportedly added their coach. You can believe trades are on the horizon. Once the 2008 season tips off, I'd expect the Bucks roster to look nothing like it did in 2007-08.

Prospect check-up

Time to check-in on a few prospects in the Brewers minor league system that we could see making contributions in Milwaukee during the season. To further specify, not all of the players listed are technically prospects, such as Russell Branyan, but he’s definitely someone that could be donning a Brewers uniform at some point due to injury to the current starter or even a September call-up. The following 10 players are not in any way ranked in order of ceiling, as Matt LaPorta would be number one on that list. It is a random order collection of 10 players in the Brewers minor league system that have a good chance to be chipping in at the big league level at some point during 2008. (NOTE: POST WILL BE COMPLETED LATER)

Russell Branyan (3B – Nashville Sounds – AAA)
3TO is currently batting an unheard of .404 on the season. That's 4th best in the entire PCL! Considering his average, his OBP is a rather low .456, but this is Russell Branyan we’re talking about here. He has only one error, 3 dingers and 7 RBI’s. What? Has Branyan learned to play actual baseball? He also boasts 37 strikeouts. But his slugging percentage is a nearly unheard of .712 to give him an OPS of 1.168. Considering how quiet the bats have been in the Brewers lineup and the lack of left handed bats in general in Milwaukee, it won’t surprise me in the least to see The Muscle in Milwaukee as a backup 3B and LF when right handed pitchers are on the mound.

Vinny Rotino (C – Nashville Sounds – AAA)
Vinny hasn’t exactly done much after being handed the opportunity to be the Brewers number one catcher in a few years. He’s batting a Dick Weeks like .193 with a OBP of .210. Yikes. Those are scary bad numbers. If he were in Milwaukee, Ned would have him batting leadoff. His 13 Ks to only 2 BBs don’t project favorably either. He has committed only one error.

Hernan Iribarren (OF/2B - Nashville Sounds - AAA)
The Hurricane made his pro debut vs. the Mets when the Crew placed Tony Gwynn on the 15-day DL and he swiftly showed anyone watching that he is indeed a hitting machine, smacking a pinch hit single on the first pitch he saw. He then got his first major league pick off out of the way as well. But it was great to see him respond in a favorable way at the MLB level. While in Nashville, he was batting .300 to go along with an impressive .421 OBP. He's always been a bit of a free swinger, but there's nothing wrong with those numbers, nor his 7 BBs to 4 Ks. 4 stolen bases and no errors, despite playing in the outfield for the first time lead me to believe he will be a contributor at the big league level. He has September call-up written all over him.

Luis Pena (P - Nashville Sounds - AAA)
When Spring camp wrapped up, there was a lot of talk about his performance and whispers of him being a possible closer for the Brewers sometime soon. But his current 16.67 and 2.77 WHIP, both the worst (by far) on the team suggest he's likely to see a demotion to Huntsville before he's playing at Miller Park. He's pitched 4.1 innings and served up 8 earned runs. Not good. The only ray of light I see is he's managed to fan 4 in his 4.1 innings of work (but he's also issued 6 free passes).

Chris Narveson (P - Nashville Sounds - AAA)
He's started three games and is 0-3, but the Sounds are terrible as a team this year and he has a 3.94 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Not numbers that blow you away, but good enough to believe he could be called upon for a spot start if need be at some point in the big leagues. He's fanned 15 while walking 10 in 16 innings pitched.

Alcides Escobar (SS - Huntsville Stars - AA)
Well this is bad news all around. The promising young, slick fielding SS is off to a horrible start. A paltry .209 BA, along with an equally deplorable .254 OBP suggests he's confused at the plate. But the most puzzling stats are his 3 errors and 2 dongs. He possesses as good of a glove as anyone on the current big league team, yet he's booted three balls already and he's supposed to have next to no power, yet he's jacked two dongs. Interesting. He's struck out 12 times, compared to drawing only two walks. I'm sure his error total won't rise much above seven for the remainder of the season, but let's see if his bat can heat up.

Matt LaPorta (LF - Huntsville Stars - AA)
Just one year removed from playing college ball in the SEC, LaPorta is hitting the ball well at the Double A level. His .283 average is exactly where you want it to be, considering he's also boasting a .389 OBP and a .567 slugging. Here's the even better part, zero errors in LF thus far. His four dongs are good enough to tie him for the most in the league and his 15 RBI's are second most in AA. It's pretty easy to see why a lot of Brewers fans think he'll be up before the end of this season. He's struck out 12 times, but also walked 9. Yeah, this guy is legit. 2009 is his year. Anybody say logjam in the outfield?

Steve Hammond (P - Huntsville Stars - AA)
Sub 4.00 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched and a team (and league) leading 25 K's. He actually has mowed down two more batters than heralded Dodgers prospect, Clayton Kershaw. Impressive to say the least. 25 K's compared to only 9 walks makes it all the better. Only given up one long ball with a WHIP of 1.33. I'd say he's a prime candidate to finish the season in AAA, but he'll probably have to wait until September seeing as the Brewers are currently carrying and absurd 14 pitchers on their staff. Something's got to give and despite one of those things being Turnbow being given a pink slip, someone on the MLB roster will be in Nashville, making it difficult to bring up Hammond.

Robert Hinton (P - Huntsville Stars - AA)
The Stars closer has as sub 3.00 ERA with 2 saves. 7 K's with a WHIP of 0.64. He's one of my dark horses to be in Milwaukee before seasons end.

Zach Jackson (P - Nashville Sounds - AAA)
Poor Zack Jack. At one point it really looked like he was destined to be the next lefty in the Crew's rotation for years to come. What happened? Toiling around in Nashville with a deplorable 7.04 ERA, and a 1.78 WHIP, he'll never see a Brewers uniform again. If he does, he's out of options and he won't be back in the Brewers system. He's struck out 14, only given up one tater and walked only 8 and has logged 23 innings already, which leads the team. So maybe there's a silver lining. His innings pitched rank among the top 10 in all of the PCL.

Wow!

The Brewers have officially activated Yovani Gallardo from the disabled list, and he will make the start today. In stunning news though, the Brewers have announced to make room for Gallardo they are optioning down Joe Dillon to AAA. The move is surprising because it leaves the Brewers with only 11 position players and 14 pitchers. 14! Carrying 13 pitchers is considered a lot, but 14?

The decision to send down Dillon and keep 14 pitchers was apparently made because Ben Sheets' start will be pushed back 1 day. Gallardo will go today, meaning Sheets next scheduled start will be thursday rather than Wednesday. You'd expect Dillon will be recalled on thursday after completion of the game a pitcher optioned down or released, barring Sheets suffering a set back.

Another move on the horizon is the addition of Tony Gwynn. Nothing has been stated officially yet, but I'd assume Gwynn will be recalled and join the team anytime between tuesday and thursday.

***UPDATE
I stand corrected. Dillon has to stay in the minors for at least 10 days, unless an injury occurs. So unless they place Sheets on the DL, you'd have to think Gwynn will get called up by weeks end, and I'm speculating that Stetter will get sent down after that 10 day mark (and the Brewers finish facing left-handed heavy teams like the Reds, Phillies and Cardinals), making roon for Dillon.