Blog Feed: The Brewers Bar

Brewers Claim Cody Ransom, Demote Maysonet

Published on 2012-05-23 18:26:42

Photo: Christian Peterson/Getty ImagesThe Brewers played another round of musical shortstops today, claiming infielder Cody Ransom off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioning Edwin Maysonet to Nashville. The 36-year old Ransom has split time between Arizona and AAA Reno this year.Considering the current state of the Brewers infield, Ransom will probably get some playing time, but the chances of him being the permanent solution don't appear especially good. Ransom has had a very nice start to [..] > read more

The Case For And Against Rickie Weeks

Published on 2012-05-17 16:34:23

Today we're introducing a segment we're calling "Point/Counter-Point" here at The Brewers Bar. > read more

Series Preview: @ Houston

Published on 2012-05-16 10:33:17

(photo courtesy Getty Images) > read more

Braun Arbitrator Fired by MLB

Published on 2012-05-14 21:42:19

Photo: Jae C. Hong/APIt appears that the Ryan Braun saga isn’t over just yet. The Associated Press reported today that Major League Baseball has fired Shyam Das, the arbitrator who overturned Braun’s 50-game suspension in February. Yesterday, Das revoked a 100-game suspension for Padres catcher Eliezer Alfonso over the same chain-of-custody issue that affected Braun’s sample. He had been MLB's arbitrator for 13 years.According to ESPN's Karl Ravech, Das was canned due to the fact that he � [..] > read more

Series Preview: Brewers vs. NY Mets

Published on 2012-05-14 12:32:44

Milwaukee is coming off of a loss, but an overall series victory of the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park and now embark on one of the strangest roadtrips of the season as they play two in New York against the Mets and then two in Houston against the Astros. > read more

The NL Central is Caddyshack

Published on 2012-05-12 17:33:38

(h/t to Baroness Wezenhausen for coming up with this idea)During Friday’s game, there was a little discussion on Twitter about how the NL Central was like the movie Caddyshack. A lot of the ideas people threw around were pretty funny, and I got around to thinking about the similarities a little more. I’ve seen the movie once or twice, but I’m guessing there are people here who know it a lot better than me. So, if you have anything to add (I couldn’t come up with a match for Lacey Undera [..] > read more

Brewers Hope 13 Inning Victory Carries Momentum

Published on 2012-05-12 10:10:41

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. > read more

Series Preview: Brewers vs. Cubs

Published on 2012-05-11 11:24:37

I can't believe we're saying this, but this weekend's three game series with the Cubs is a battle to avoid the cellar in the NL Central as the Brewers and Cubs share equal 13-18 records and are 7 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central division race. > read more

What Will Gonzalez's Injury Cost The Brewers?

Published on 2012-05-08 23:55:53

Photo: Jeff Chiu/APThe Brewers learned yesterday that Alex Gonzalez has a torn ACL, meaning they have lost three regulars (totaling somewhere around five wins) for the rest of the season. In a year that has been almost nothing but bad news, this may be the worst break yet. The Brewers have already lost Chris Narveson and Mat Gamel, but they will likely be able to recoup most of their value with their replacements: Taylor Green may even end up being a better hitter than Gamel, and Marco Estrada h [..] > read more

eCentral Information: Cincinnati Reds Q&A

Published on 2012-05-07 09:29:26

We're bringing back out eCentral Information > read more

Depleted Brewers Suffer Another Loss

Published on 2012-05-06 20:49:24

"These are the times that try men's souls."  - Thomas PaineMIL Starter:Shaun Marcum: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR > read more

Multiple Brewers to the DL, Maysonet & Green Called Up

Published on 2012-05-05 18:45:38

According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: > read more

Brewers Lose Game, But May Have Also Lost Gonzalez too

Published on 2012-05-05 16:31:23

The Brewers entered today's game looking for a little momentum, instead they ended up losing both on the scoreboard and in terms of players. > read more

Breaking Down Brewers Pitching: What Gives?

Published on 2012-05-05 12:42:19

Being a Brewers fan this season is becoming an exercise in extreme patience to say the least. > read more

On the Farm: No Hitter for Wisconsin!

Published on 2012-05-04 23:56:23

We're back on the farm tonight and happy to be back as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers did a good thing today. > read more

Brewers Outwit, Outlast Giants in 6-4 Victory

Published on 2012-05-04 22:38:41

(photo courtesy of Brian Kersey/Getty Images)Coming off of an 18 inning shut out streak to end the Padres series and facing Tim Lincecum minus Ryan Braun you'd be forgiven if you gave up hope on tonight's game. > read more

The Mystery of Zach Braddock

Published on 2012-05-04 19:55:20

Photo: Jeff Hanisch - US PresswireThe Brewers called up infielder Brooks Conrad from Nashville today, replacing the injured Mat Gamel. Conrad didn't have a spot on the 40-man roster, so somebody had to go. As a result, the club released left-handed reliever Zack Braddock, bringing an end (at least in Milwaukee) to what was once a very promising career. This move comes as a big surprise to everyone: Less than two years ago, Braddock was one of the best pitchers on the Brewers' staff at age 22, le [..] > read more

Candidates to Replace Mat Gamel

Published on 2012-05-02 22:53:02

Photo: CBS SportsAfter tearing a ligament in his knee last night, Mat Gamel is headed for surgery, and will probably miss > read more

Suppan Sinks Brewers in Padres 5-0 Victory

Published on 2012-05-02 20:20:55

When we all heard the word that Jeff Suppan was making the start against the Brewers today most thought this could be a chance for the bats to come alive. > read more

Marcum's Great Outing Spoiled in 2-0 Loss to the Padres

Published on 2012-05-01 23:45:43

If you were to tell me that Shaun Marcum would throw 7 innings of scoreless baseball, I'd assume the Brewers would win that game, but that wasn't to be the case on Tuesday night as the San Diego Padres blanked Milwaukee for a 2-0 win. > read more

Braun's Career Night Lifts Brewers to 8-3 Victory

Published on 2012-05-01 00:01:21

Sometimes it pays to be a night owl and if you were one of those that witnessed the series opener with San Diego it turned out to be a game you won't soon forget. > read more

Series Preview: Brewers at Padres

Published on 2012-04-29 22:07:12

Photo: MLB.comGame One: Randy Wolf (21.1 IP, 5.72 FIP) vs. Joe Wieland (17 IP, 5.07 FIP) Wolf had his first quality start of the year last time out, though facing the Astros probably helped. It worked out nicely that Wolf, a fly-ball pitcher who sometimes struggles with the home run, was able to start at spacious Petco Park.He will be facing Joe Wieland, a rookie right-hander thirteen years his junior. Wieland was never a great prospect, but has steadily improved as he has climbed the minor-lea [..] > read more

Series Preview: Brewers at Cardinals

Published on 2012-04-26 23:03:03

Cardinals Lineup: Rafael Furcal - SSMatt Carpenter - 1BMatt Holliday - LFCarlos Beltran - RFDavid Freese - 3BYadier Molina - CJon Jay/Skip Schumaker - CFDaniel Descalso - 2B (Note: The Cardinals shift their lineup around a lot, so this isn't terribly definitive.) Game One: Marco Estrada (11.0 IP, 3.18 FIP) vs. Jake Westbrook (20.2 IP, 2.95 FIP) Last Saturday, Estrada did an excellent job in the absence of Chris Narveson, striking out nine over five one-run innings. It would be a surprise to [..] > read more

Brewers Streak Crashes to Earth in 7-5 Loss to Astros

Published on 2012-04-25 20:20:01

All good things must come to an end and that's exactly what happened today as the Brewers 11 game winning streak over the Astros came to an end in a 7-5 loss to close out the Miller Park homestand. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/25/12

Published on 2012-04-25 08:54:08

Monday wasn't exactly a banner day for the Brewers farm system and yesterday they actually found a way to top Monday for pure suckage as they went 0-4 once again, but did so in a way I've never seen before.In fact, we'll lead-off with the game that led me to just shake my head and that came from Brevard County. > read more

Greinke, Brewers Sneak Past Astros

Published on 2012-04-24 20:47:51

Starters: MIL - Zack Greinke: 6 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 HR (115 pitches, 71 strikes)HOU - Lucas Harrell: 5 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (86 pitches, 53 strikes) MIL Highlights: Ryan Braun: 3-4, 2B, HRJonathan Lucroy: 2-3, BB HOU Highlights: Carlos Lee: 3-5Jed Lowrie: 2-5, HR Notes: - Zack Greinke didn't have anything near his best stuff, but was still able to turn in a fine start. Unsurprisingly, his strikeout and walk rates were excellent, but he was knocked around for eight hits wit [..] > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/24/12

Published on 2012-04-24 00:44:21

It's been a few days off here in our On the Farm reporting and I apologize for that, but let's get into the heat of things as they stand right now and not dwell on something that can't be undone. > read more

Series Preview: Astros at Brewers

Published on 2012-04-23 07:46:09

Astros Lineup: Jordan Schafer - CF Jose Altuve - 2B J.D. Martinez - LF El Caballo - 1B Brian Bogusevic - RF Chris Johnson - 3B Jason Castro - C Marwin Gonzalez - SS Game One: Zack Greinke (17.2 IP, 1.31 FIP) vs. Lucas Harrell (17.2 IP, 3.00 FIP) So far this year, > read more

Gallardo's Big Day Spoiled by Late Rockies Comeback

Published on 2012-04-22 15:37:55

After breaking out the bats for once on this home stand last night the Brewers found themselves in another pitchers duel in the series finale with the Colorado Rockies. > read more

Replacing Chris Narveson

Published on 2012-04-20 20:55:26

The Brewers suffered a significant blow to their pitching staff today with the loss of Chris Narveson for what may be the rest of the year. Narveson went on the 15 day DL today with a torn rotator cuff, and, barring a second opinion, is likely headed for surgery. > read more

Narveson's Season in Jeopardy as He's Placed on 15 Day DL

Published on 2012-04-20 15:06:41

Pitching is a funny thing sometimes and Chris Narveson's horrible last outing may have an actual explanation other than he just sucked as it was released today that he's being put on the 15 day DL with a torn rotator cuff. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/20/12

Published on 2012-04-19 22:05:09

The affects of Tuesday's rain outs in Nashville and Huntsville continued into Thursday as Nashville played a double bill today to make up for that game. > read more

Series Preview: Rockies at Brewers

Published on 2012-04-19 20:31:47

Rockies Lineup: Marco Scutaro - 2B Dexter Fowler - CFCarlos Gonzalez - LFTroy Tulowitzki - SSTodd Helton - 1BMichael Cuddyer - RFRamon Hernandez - C > read more

Brewers Comeback Comes Up Short in 4-3 Loss to Dodgers

Published on 2012-04-19 19:15:04

Milwaukee entered the series finale on the heels of two dramatic walk-off wins and looked to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a furious late innings rally came up short this time as the Dodgers took the finale 4-3 over the Brewers. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/19/12

Published on 2012-04-18 23:14:41

After a small day on Tuesday due to bad weather, yesterday was guaranteed to be a busy day and with 4 games overall in the Brewers Minor League system you can bet it was a busy day. > read more

Has Mat Gamel Arrived?

Published on 2012-04-18 13:09:08

There's always that moment when a young player puts his stamp on a game and you know that he'll be a fine professional baseball player. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/18/12

Published on 2012-04-18 11:18:08

Usually this is something you get with your morning bowl of Wheaties or whatever your routine is and I apologize for the lateness of this post, but *cliche time*: It is what it is. > read more

Kottaras Stays Hot In Walk-off Win

Published on 2012-04-17 23:03:29

Starters: MIL - Yovani Gallardo: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 62 GSc (97 pitches, 59 strikes)LAD - Chad Billingsley: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 66 GSc (83 pitches, 54 strikes) > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/17/12

Published on 2012-04-16 20:14:54

Last night was a bit of a lighter load down on the farm as Wisconsin's game against Burlington was postponed due to some very nasty weather involving rain/sleet, high winds, and temperatures in the low 30's. > read more

Monday Minor League Breakdown: Brevard County Manatees

Published on 2012-04-16 17:15:40

We're on our 2nd team at the single-A level and it's the high-A Brevard County Manatees' turn under the microscope for the week here in our MMLB series. > read more

Monday Minor League Breakdown

Published on 2012-04-16 15:11:22

Since being assigned to the Minor Leagues as a first year member of the Brewers Bar team out of Spring training I've decided to add a new feature to my coverage of the farm system and I'm calling it the Monday Minor League Breakdown. > read more

Series Preview: Dodgers at Brewers

Published on 2012-04-15 20:32:28

Dodgers Lineup: Dee Gordon - SSMark Ellis - 2BMatt Kemp - CFAndre Ethier - RFJuan Rivera - LFJames Loney - 1BJuan Uribe - 3BAJ Ellis - CGame One: Yovani Gallardo vs. Chad Billingsley (188 IP, 3.83 FIP in 2011) Coming off an excellent outing (7 innings, one run, game score of 67) against the Cubs, Gallardo made a lot of people forget > read more

BrewTown Sports Podcast Appearance!!

Published on 2012-04-15 16:19:12

Earlier this weekend yours truly joined one of the most fun and informative Brewers podcasts out there with Mr. BrewTown himself. > read more

Deja Vu: Brewers Outslugged by Braves, Swept in the Process

Published on 2012-04-15 14:18:09

It's supposed to be "Sunday Funday" at the ball park, but if you were putting on a Brewers uniform Brandon Beachy had his own meaning to that term as he completely baffled the Milwaukee bats in route to a 7-4 win over Milwaukee. > read more

Nobody To Blame In 2-1 Loss

Published on 2012-04-14 23:39:20

Starters:MIL > read more

Brewers To Lose Gonzalez Temporarily

Published on 2012-04-14 10:55:03

The Brewers made a minor move after last night's game, moving shortstop Alex Gonzalez to the paternity list. Gonzalez's wife is in Florida and is due to give birth soon. In his place, the club called up infielder Eric Farris from Nashville. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores 4/14/12

Published on 2012-04-14 10:11:07

Yesterday was Friday the 13th, but it wasn't all bad for the farm system. > read more

Brewers Outslugged by Braves 10-8

Published on 2012-04-13 21:15:46

Getty Images > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores - 4/13/12

Published on 2012-04-12 22:32:33

It's Friday the 13th today, but yesterday was anything but scary as the Brewers farm clubs lost two games and won two games and one of those losses did in an excellent starting performance. > read more

Brewers Blanked by Cubs in Series Finale, 8-0

Published on 2012-04-12 17:20:49

(Garza Dominated the Brewers in the Series Finale/Getty Images)What started out as a second straight day of a pitchers duel between the Brewers (4-3) and Cubs at Wrigley Field quickly turned into a dominating performance as the Cubs (2-5) took it to Zack Greinke in the 3rd inning in route to an 8-0 win the series finale. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores - 4/12/12

Published on 2012-04-11 23:25:48

The Brewers are on a bit of roll early this week, but they aren't the only team in the organization that's playing great baseball out of the gate. > read more

Aoki's Patience Paying Off

Published on 2012-04-11 21:11:50

AP Photo > read more

Kottaras Saves the Day in Narrow Brewers Victory

Published on 2012-04-11 13:45:37

What started out as a pitchers duel between Yovanni Gallardo and Ryan Dempster ended with some fireworks as the Brewers got a 2 run home run from catcher George Kottaras and that proved to be enough in a 2-1 victory over the Cubs. > read more

OTF: Morning Boxscores for 4/11/12

Published on 2012-04-10 23:39:51

It was double your pleasure for the Brew Crew at Wrigley Field and the farm clubs had a bit of success of their own on Tuesday night and I stress a bit of success as the margin of victory couldn't be much lower.The Brevard County Manatees continued their hot start to the season with another one run victory, this time taking down Lakeland 4-3. > read more

First Inning Runs Propel Brewers Over Cubs

Published on 2012-04-10 21:23:50

(AP Photo) > read more

What Does it Mean?: Melvin & Greinke's Agent Break Off Talks

Published on 2012-04-10 17:56:36

As reported by multiple sources including Adam McCalvey and Tom Haudricourt the talks between Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin and the agent for Zack Greinke - Casey Close, have been suspended. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/10/12

Published on 2012-04-10 00:06:55

After a light day down in the minors everyone was back in action on Monday and it was a very mixed bag of results, so let's just get right to it.Nashville continued to have issues with the bats as they dropped the series opener against the Oklahoma City RedHawks, 4-2. > read more

Milwaukee Squeezes Past Cubs in 7-5 Victory

Published on 2012-04-09 22:04:46

The top of the Brewers order and timely pitching came through big time as the Milwaukee Brewers (2-2) won 7-5 over the Chicago Cubs (1-3) at Wrigley Field on Monday night. > read more

Series Preview: Brewers at Cubs

Published on 2012-04-09 15:26:04

Cubs Lineup:David DeJesus - > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/9/12

Published on 2012-04-08 21:54:41

It was a light day on the Minor League front yesterday as both single-A clubs had the day off before starting new series'. > read more

Lynn Masters Brewers as Cards Take Series

Published on 2012-04-08 15:26:24

It's Sunday at the Masters and the Brewers saw a masterful performance from St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn in route to their series winning 9-3 victory over the Brewers on Easter Sunday. > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/8/12

Published on 2012-04-08 10:46:03

First off Happy Easter to everyone that believes, if not enjoy what should be a great Sunday for baseball. > read more

Greinke Cruises as Brewers Blank Cardinals

Published on 2012-04-07 17:58:49

Starters MIL- Zack Greinke: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 HR, 7 K (91 pitches, 61 strikes) STL- Adam Wainwright: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 6 K (88 pitches, 56 strikes) Brewers Highlights Rickie Weeks: 2-4, HR Ryan Braun: 2-3, 2 2B Corey Hart: 2-3, 2 HR Cardinals Highlights David Freese: 2-4 Yesterday Recap Zack Greinke was on his game today, and it was awesome. The right-hander shut out the Cardinals for seven innings, and Corey Hart added two home runs as the Brewers topped S [..] > read more

Odds and Ends from Opening Day

Published on 2012-04-07 12:40:43

A lot went on yesterday, so much that I couldn't cleanly fit it all into one post. So, we're going to do a quick roundup of the things we didn't cover: (Ed. Note: Unless I suddenly get much better at fitting this kind of stuff into a larger narrative, this will probably become a semi-regular thing. -NP) -- Alex Poterack from Disciples of Uecker already pointed this out, but it's worth restating: The decision to pick Travis Ishikawa over Brooks Conrad for the last spot on the bench seems even [..] > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/7/12

Published on 2012-04-06 22:42:50

While it was Opening Day at Miller Park for the big league club it was just another day down on the farm for the Brewers minor league affiliates as they played game number two yesterday. > read more

Brewers Drop Opener, Will Be OK

Published on 2012-04-06 17:51:56

Baseball returned today, with some 46,000 fans packing into Miller Park to watch the Brewers face the hated Cardinals, and with it the return of tailgating and sausage races in earnest. The weather was excellent for the beginning of April, and the excitement and energy of the crowd still tangible through a TV screen or Twitter feed. If Joe Attanasio's rendition of the national anthem before a huge, cheering, partially intoxicated mob of Brewers fans didn't signal the return of baseball (and life [..] > read more

OTF: Morning Box Scores for 4/6/2012

Published on 2012-04-06 00:01:51

Welcome to the 2012 season and as the newest member of The Brewers Bar I've taken up residency in the farm system of the Brewers this year as is appropriate for a rookie of my standing. > read more

On the Farm: Introducing the 2012 Nashville Sounds

Published on 2012-04-05 08:07:57

It's Opening Day for everyone of the teams in the Brewers organization, minus the big league crew of course, and that leaves us with a look at the triple-A club left on the docket for today. > read more

On the Farm: Introducing the 2012 Huntsville Stars

Published on 2012-04-05 00:38:29

We're past the halfway point in our look at the Opening Day rosters and that means the double-A Huntsville Stars are up. > read more

On the Farm: Introducing the 2012 Brevard County Manaatees

Published on 2012-04-05 00:22:33

In our 2nd part of our look "Down on the Farm" we preview one of the most intriguing rosters in the Brewers system, that of the Brevard County Manatees of the Florida State League. > read more

On The Farm: Introducing the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Published on 2012-04-04 22:14:21

It is opening day across a lot of baseball and that's also the case for the Appleton, WI based Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. > read more

Over/Unders To Start The Season

Published on 2012-04-04 20:10:23

Yes, this is the time of year that brings a lot of predictions, where authors spend a day voicing their opinion as boldly as possible, then spend most of the rest of the year trying to make people forget about what they said. I thought I'd try something different: Do a post that provides some points we can argue either side of, then let the discussion go from there. So, here are my over/unders for the 2012 season: Over/Under Number One: 19 homeruns for Mat Gamel A month ago, most people [..] > read more

Ishikawa Beats Out Conrad For Final Roster Spot

Published on 2012-04-04 11:38:46

> read more

Hart Gives All But Brewers Drop Pair Today/Tonight

Published on 2012-04-03 22:34:50

The Brewers chose to go Split Squad in their Spring Training day/night doubleheader this year with one team, comprised of almost all the Double A guys, and the other nearly all the Major Leaguers. Both teams came up empty by equal 5-3 scores as they lost to the Cubs and the Diamondbacks respectively.The Double A squad plus Jonathan Lucroy, Mat Gamel, and Nyjer Morgan couldn't solve the Cubs in the 5-3. > read more

What Does Matt Cain's Contract Mean For Greinke?

Published on 2012-04-02 19:40:06

Around baseball today, it was anything but a typical Monday, with two of the game's better players signing long-term deals with their clubs. Reds first baseman Joey Votto signed a 10 year deal worth $225 million running through 2023(!!!). Also, Giants right-hander Matt Cain inked a 5 year, $112.5 million deal with a vesting option for 2018.The Votto deal certainly affects the Brewers by keeping an MVP candidate with one of their division foes for a long, long time, but Cain's contract will likel [..] > read more

Brewers Beat Southsiders as Bats Come Alive in 13-7 Win

Published on 2012-04-02 19:29:47

Late in Spring Training it appears that the bats are clearly ready for regular season play as Milwaukee took care of the Chicago White Sox by a score of 13-7. > read more

Brewer News For April Fool's Day

Published on 2012-04-01 14:57:23

Hey guys, I have to apologize here. There's been quite a bit of big news this week that, for one reason or another, me and Andy haven't found the time to cover. So, we're going to do a quick roundup of what we missed (by the way, happy April 1st): -- The Brewers and Zack Greinke have agreed to a 5 year, $90M extension with an $19M option for 2018, as well as a clause that allows the right-hander to participate in one pickup basketball game per year over the life of the deal. Doug Melvin spoke t [..] > read more

Gamel, Gonzalez Slug In Brewers Win

Published on 2012-03-31 17:31:14

> read more

Brewers Overcome Best Efforts of Former Teammates in 9-4 Win Over Dodgers

Published on 2012-03-30 17:15:12

It looked bleak early on for Milwaukee but the Dodgers bullpen couldn't hold the Brewers bats down late in a 9-4 Spring Training win at Camelback Ranch this afternoon. > read more

It's a Howler for Wolf in 9-3 loss to Reds

Published on 2012-03-29 18:36:15

Cincinnati is expected to challenge for the Central Division title and with Spring Training winding down they slapped around Randy Wolf and the Brewers in a 9-3 win at Maryvale Baseball Park. > read more

Hart Returns To Action; Schafer and Gindl Cut

Published on 2012-03-28 21:55:08

Just three weeks after having knee surgery, Corey Hart is back in action. Hart took part in his first game since the surgery today, suiting up with the Triple-A squad. Hart didn't see action in the field (he appeared as the designated hitter), but came to bat four times, getting a single and a double. It's definitely a good sign that Hart is back playing, but whether he will be back for Opening Day or not is still a bit unclear. Both Hart and the Brewers have said they will wait until they a [..] > read more

Huge 5th Inning Propels Milwaukee to 7-1 Victory

Published on 2012-03-28 17:35:37

On a day when Yovani Gallardo was officially announced as the Opening Day starter for Milwaukee it was Zack Greinke and a huge offensive explosion to take care of the Diamondbacks in a 7-1 win that took the headlines. > read more

Royals Get to Gallardo in 9-7 Kansas City Victory

Published on 2012-03-27 18:37:37

It's been a very good Spring for the Brewers starters, but it hasn't been perfect and Yovani Gallardo proved that today as the Kansas City Royals roughed up the Milwaukee ace for 4 runs on their way to a 9-7 victory at Maryvale Baseball Park. > read more

Lucroy Deal Solid Right Now With Bargain Potential Later

Published on 2012-03-26 22:31:11

From Greinke to Marcum to > read more

Holy Aoki! Brewers Outfielder Lifts Crew to 6-5 Win

Published on 2012-03-26 20:21:05

The Brewers signed Noriachika Aoki as insurance in case Ryan Braun was down for 50 games and while we all know the end result of that situation he's quickly making a case for some major playing time as of late. > read more

National Previews Overstate Loss of Fielder

Published on 2012-03-26 07:34:04

Sports Illustrated came out with their MLB preview issue last week, and I just got around to reading it now. There's actually some very interesting stuff in it, including a bunch of one-liners from scouts about each team. However, I didn't quite agree with the storyline they attached to the Brewers and the NL Central as a whole. Here's how they see the division shaping up:1. Reds (89-73)2. Cardinals (87-75)3. Brewers (84-78)4. Pirates (70-92)5. Cubs (66-96)6. Astros (57-105) All the projectio [..] > read more

Today's Game Report, In Haiku Form

Published on 2012-03-25 20:18:06

(Ed. Note: Normal game recaps will resume tomorrow. At least I think so. --NP)As Spring passes, games Increase in > read more

Sea Bass, Aoki Not Enough in 4-6 Loss

Published on 2012-03-24 17:51:30

(Photo: AP) Randy Wolf had another solid start, but more trouble on defense and some less-than-airtight bullpen performances led to another Brewers loss, this time a 4-6 defeat by the White Sox. To the notes:-- > read more

Greinke Shines In Brewers Loss To Angels

Published on 2012-03-23 18:34:20

Zack Greinke pitched a fantastic game today, but a surprising implosion of the back of Milwaukee's bullpen led to a 3-6 Brewers defeat at the hands of half of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. There's no narrative we can really attach to Game 18 of the Cactus League season besides the fact that the result was not particularly meaningful or enlightening in any way, so we'll just jump to the usual series of notes:-- There was a lot of talk about Zack Greinke's start, and rightfully so. While w [..] > read more

Bob Uecker To Get A Statue: Alternate Ideas

Published on 2012-03-21 23:08:31

Today, we learned that the Brewers plan to honor broadcasting legend Bob Uecker with a statue outside Miller Park. Uecker will join Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, and Bud Selig as people depicted in bronze near the stadium. Uecker will be portrayed standing up, with his hands in his pockets, like so many players have apparently seen him around the batting cage. This is actually a pretty big story, and we're all genuinely excited for Ueck, even if the statue was long overdue. However, it's hard to s [..] > read more

Pitching Duel in the Desert Ends in Tie

Published on 2012-03-21 19:48:10

When the Brewers and Diamondbacks get together it's becoming commonplace to expect a competitive and close game, but this one was a bit ridiculous as they managed a 0-0 tie in front of a Salt River Fields record setting crowd of 12,579 fans. > read more

3 Up, 3 Down - Spring Training Report #2

Published on 2012-03-20 21:24:00

We're back, only a bit later than last week to give you our look into the Brewers making headlines and low-lights in Spring Training. > read more

Milwaukee Drops Pair of Games to AL West Foes Today

Published on 2012-03-13 20:59:39

So far the Brewers haven't had much in the way of luck when it comes to Split Squad days and today added to their misery as they dropped a pair of games.  One team lost to the Oakland A's 8-6 while another that featured ace Zack Greinke lost 7-4 to the Seattle Mariners.  That makes it 0-4 in split squad games.  However, we all know that the final scores aren't the important results in most Spring Training games as it's really about individual performances and building up to the regular season [..] > read more

Where We Stand After a Week

Published on 2012-03-13 13:58:59

We're a week into Spring Training and we have a decent sample size to start looking at the roster and pitching staff for the Brewers.  Each week I'll be taking a look at my three up and three down based on the week and overall performance through Spring Training.  It's a bit strange thinking that for the most part the roster itself is pretty much set, but the battles for final spots on the roster and pitching staff are heated for sure.  I'll be giving you three for each of the position player [..] > read more

Brewers Top Rockies 5-4 In Cactus League

Published on 2012-03-11 20:22:59

Most of you were probably watching the Big Ten championship game, but the Brewers played today, too. The Crew snapped their losing streak by edging out a 5-4 victory against a split Rockies squad. Yovani Gallardo started, allowing 3 hits and a walk while striking out two over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Marco Estrada added three innings of excellent relief, holding the Rockies scoreless on a hit, a walk, and three strikeouts. Another bright spot was righty reliever Santo Manzanillo, who finished t [..] > read more

Morgan Beaned As Brewers Swept In Split-Squad

Published on 2012-03-10 17:46:38

After a 12-2 win yesterday, the Brewers fell back down to earth, dropping a pair of split-squad games. A team that included Rickie Weeks, Aramis Ramirez, John Axford, and Chris Narveson dropped a 1-6 contest to the Cubs, and a squad including Nyjer Morgan, Carlos Gomez, and Mat Gamel lost to the Giants 3-13. Neither of these games were rife with highlights, but I'm going to run through some of them anyway:(My game write-up is going to look a little different than what Andy usually does, as I'm� [..] > read more

The Brewers and Contract Extensions: Part Two

Published on 2012-03-07 18:00:30

  This is the second part of our series on the recent contract extensions doled out by Doug Melvin. (If you missed part one, you can find it here.) Today, we're going to look at the contracts of Yovani Gallardo and Bill Hall, and wrap things up with what we can learn from these deals. April 8, 2010- Brewers sign Yovani Gallardo to a 5 year, $30.1 million deal with a $13 million club option for 2015.  Like the Braun deal, Gallardo's extension appears to Melvin's effort to lock as much [..] > read more

Brewers Find Bats in Cactus League Victory over White Sox

Published on 2012-03-07 17:38:07

A day after Brewer bats were silenced in a shutout loss to the A's, Milwaukee responded back in emphatic fashion, winning 10-6 over the South Siders of Chicago.  In another example of just how little results themselves mean this was hardly the Brewers opening day lineup, but it also goes to show that players on the outside looking in and those with established spots on this roster still treat the game with meaning and respect when they are out there.On a day when only three likely opening day s [..] > read more

Errors Prove Costly as Brewers Blanked by A's, 6-0

Published on 2012-03-06 18:51:25

Thankfully this game didn't count the standings as the Brewers saw a combination of bad offense and bad defense propel them to their first defeat of Spring Training, losing 6-0 to the Oakland A's.  The Brewers allowed the A's 14 hits and committed 4 errors that led to 4 runs in the loss. Credit to Tom Milone who led the A's pitching staff today, going three innings and allowing just a double to Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy to get the victory.Don't think the Brewers pitching staff was bad ei [..] > read more

Unlikely Sources Give Brewers 7-3 Victory Over Giants

Published on 2012-03-06 09:39:09

You know it's Spring Training When..... (fill in the blank).  How many times have we heard or thought those words?  Well, that's how last night's contest between San Francisco and Milwaukee felt.  After tying, yes I said tying in the first of back to back games the Brewers took home their 1st victory of the Spring, winning 7-3. Starting pitcher Chirs Narveson looked sharp, retiring all six of the Giants he faced and was able to get some good work on a new pitch, the cut fastball.  However th [..] > read more

The Brewers and Contract Extensions: Part One

Published on 2012-03-05 19:16:10

(Photo: Jeffery Phelps/AP)  Nothing definitive has happened yet, but one of the things that has been the subject of a lot of discussion around Brewers camp has been talk of contract extensions. At various times in the past couple weeks, it's been speculated that John Axford, Zack Greinke, and Shaun Marcum are all candidates to be locked up before Opening Day (as well as manager Ron Roenicke and GM Doug Melvin). Axford and the Brewers have already had conversations about a deal, and it looks li [..] > read more

Corey Hart To Have Knee Surgery

Published on 2012-03-04 20:04:51

The Milwaukee Brewers are one game into Spring Training and already have their first casualty. Today, it's come out that outfielder Corey Hart has a torn meniscus (right knee) that was discovered in an MRI this weekend. Hart is going to require arthroscopic surgery, and will likely miss 3-4 weeks. This means that the Brewers are likely to begin the season without Hart, who was slated to play right field and hit fifth behind Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez. To put it lightly, this wasn't quite the [..] > read more

Pros and Cons of a John Axford Extension

Published on 2012-03-03 01:42:21

One of the numerous things to come out of Brewers camp in the past week has been the prospect of a long-term extension with closer John Axford, which has been met by fans with an emphatic “heck yeah!". Both Axford and the Brewers seem very open to a deal, to the point that it looks very possible that something will get done by Opening Day. Followers of the team in all capacities seem very excited as well, and with good reason: Axford has been one of the top relievers in the league for a couple [..] > read more

eCentral Information: St. Louis Cardinals

Published on 2012-03-01 08:38:13

Welcome to the 2nd edition of eCentral Information, our attempt to give you an idea as to what the mindset of our NL Central foes is like.  Up today is the St. Louis Cardinals and we were lucky enough to sit down with our friends and fellow Bloguineers from Cards Diaspora as we find out what life after Albert Puljos and winning the 2011 World Series is like.  If you missed our 1st eCentral Information about the Houston Astros please go here for the full interview.  Now on to the nitty gritty [..] > read more

Aaron Rodgers Visits Brewers Camp

Published on 2012-02-29 18:58:31

(Photo: Morry Gash/AP) The first couple weeks of camp, before games start, are usually a pretty boring time. Occasionally though, something unexpected will come up, and we'll get something decent to read and write about besides the usual "Pitcher X is working on a cutter." That happened today, with Packer quarterback/Discount Doublechecker/well-liked dude Aaron Rodgers paying a visit to the Brewers' camp in Maryvale. Rodgers was in camp to film a couple commercials for the Brewers, apparently [..] > read more

eCentral Information: Houston Astros

Published on 2012-02-29 13:11:38

Welcome to the first of our eCentral Informtation series as we take a look at what is going on with the other teams in the National League Central.  We'll be doing this at the beginning and end of Spring Training and as we meet in the regular season.  Up first are the Houston Astros who are under new ownership and entering their final year in the National League.  The folks over at The Crawfish Boxes were kind enough to answer our questions and give us their insight, so without further delay [..] > read more

Braun Saga Gets Weirder: What Do We Really Know?

Published on 2012-02-28 17:18:59

(Photo: Morry Gash/AP)    In the five days since Ryan Braun's successful appeal was announced, more information about the events surrounding his test and what led to his victory has come out, which I think we were all expecting. What does continue to surprise is the relative lack of insight we've gained from it all. Braun, MLB, and now the collector who handled Braun's sample have all released statements, various other details have leaked out, but we still know very little about what ha [..] > read more

Pesky Science Getting in the Way of Braun Narrative?

Published on 2012-02-28 15:25:04

           (photo courtesy AP/Jae C. Hong)We've tried hard to move on, honestly we have, but the talking heads at the four letter network and some other mainstream media outlets just won't let us.  Of course I'm talking about the Ryan Braun situation.  You and I have heard it all from both sides: "Braun is innocent" and "He got off on a technicality."  However according to this report it very well could be a case of science flying in the face of a narrative the four letter network would [..] > read more

Lining Up The Brewers

Published on 2012-02-28 11:02:46

Let the Countdown to games being as we now stand 5 days shy of the 1st game of Spring Training against the San Francisco Giants.  I've avoided talking much about what the Brewers lineup and fielding will look like because we knew so little about what would happen to Braunie.  Well now we know and it's as good a time as any to try and construct what a potential Brewers lineup could look before a pitch is even thrown against the 2012 Brewers.The easier of the two lineups to come up with is vs. R [..] > read more

No WMLW for Brew Crew in 2012

Published on 2012-02-27 13:15:04

Do you hear that sound?  Yes it's much rejoicing from around Brewers Nation and no it's got nothing to do with Ryan Braun other than seeing him on your TV screen in a Brewers uniform.  That rejoicing you are hearing comes from the announcement of the full 2012 Brewers TV Schedule.  It was announced that 150 of the 162 games will be carried by Fox Sports Wisconsin and ZERO games will be on WMLW (over the air Milwaukee only channel).  It was also announced that for the first time since the 200 [..] > read more

Sixteen Year Old Broke Braun Story Last Week; Brewers Bloggers Are Awesome

Published on 2012-02-25 11:52:21

(Photo: SI)   We're a little late to the party here, but this is still pretty cool. If you haven't seen it already on Deadspin or Bloguin's Outside Corner, sixteen-year old Curt Hogg posted this on his blog a couple weeks ago: "An anonymous source has reported to Plushdamentals that Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun’s drug test that tested positive for increased levels of synthetic testosterone was mishandled, thus likely altering the results of the test. The report exclusively reached Plushda [..] > read more

Braun Reaction: Post Press Conference

Published on 2012-02-24 10:45:55

By now we've all heard the news that Ryan Braun was exonerated and will not serve any suspension at all.  What had been in question was what exactly went on and today we finally got a chance to hear from Braun himself for the first time since this whole issue broke and boy did we get details.Some may have wondered why we hadn't heard from him before his press release yesterday and press conference today at Maryvale Baseball Park, but it's because he followed the protocol of the appeal process u [..] > read more

Ryan Braun Found Not Guilty: Early Reactions

Published on 2012-02-23 20:06:11

The Brewers haven't even had a full-squad workout yet, but they already have one major win in the books. As reported by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel (behind paywall), outfielder Ryan Braun's appeal of a positive drug test was successful, and he will not be suspended 50 games. The MLB panel in charge of the appeal reportedly voted 2-1 in favor of Braun, with union representative Michael Weiner and independent arbitrator Shyam Das on his side, and MLB VP Rob Manfred ruling in [..] > read more

Brewers Non-Roster Invitees: Infielders

Published on 2012-02-22 19:34:34

We're going to conclude the NRI series today with infielders, a list that should be more interesting than the veteran minor-league catchers we looked at yesterday: There's a decent chance that three of these four guys see at least some time in the majors this year. In fact, unless Ron Roenicke manages to fall in love with the newly acquired Jay Gibbons, it's very plausible that one of the players pictured here turns into the veteran bench player that we'll be complaining about in June [..] > read more

Mat Gamel & 2012 Expectations

Published on 2012-02-22 09:33:34

As fans we know that replacing Prince Fielder won't be easy but no one knows that better than the man who enters Spring Training as the odds on favorite to win the position, Mat Gamel.  But it also brings up an interesting conundrum in figuring out what are realistic expectations for Gamel in his first full season in the majors.He's stepping in for a man that had 100+ RBI's in all but 2 of his full years in the majors and a man that averaged 38 Home Runs a season.  So those are huge numbers to [..] > read more

Vegas Sees Brewers as Mediocre at Best

Published on 2012-02-21 12:53:18

Every year we see Vegas set the odds of teams reaching the World Series and every year the Brewers aren't that close to the top, something that shouldn't shock any of us in Brewers nation.  However, what most don't pay attention to is the line set on the over/under for wins by a team.  Well, Vegas sees the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers as an average at best team according to the over/under line set at 81.5 wins for the Brew Crew.I don't know about you, but for me that's a shockingly low number and i [..] > read more

K-Rod Might Sue His Former Agents

Published on 2012-02-20 15:57:27

(Photo: Rueters) The first couple weeks of spring training are usually a pretty dull time, with recently-arrived players boasting about their physical fitness, doing stretches in the sun, and marking time until games start, but setup man Francisco Rodriguez apparently has other plans. We learned last week that K-Rod was going to be at least a few days late to camp with what appears to be an unrelated issue, but now word has come out that he's thinking about a lawsuit against his former agents, P [..] > read more

Brewers Non-Roster Invitees: Catchers

Published on 2012-02-19 22:02:00

We're going to continue this series, only with catchers (we'll do infielders in a couple days). This is not going to be the most exciting list, considering that these guys are around mostly for this purpose of catching the large number of pitchers in camp and not with any eye on a big league job. We'll proceed anyway:Mike Rivera   Rivera may just be the rare guy today who never got the shot that he deserved. A decent catching prospect (though perhaps "hitting prospect" would be more appr [..] > read more

Brewers Non-Roster Invitees: Pitchers

Published on 2012-02-18 20:11:45

(Jeff Gross-Getty Images) Every year, the non-roster player is an overlooked-yet-essential part of spring training baseball: A minor league guy who is invited to big league camp for the purposes of making sure the regulars aren't pressed into duty too suddenly. This is usually a pretty good deal for both sides, as the player gets some time in front of the major-league brass while eating better clubhouse food for a couple weeks, while the club gets a look at their prospects and minor-league free [..] > read more

Brewers Bar Fantasy Baseball League

Published on 2012-02-18 12:12:59

One of the main things me and Andy wanted to do when we took over the site was keep up with the blog's tradition of high-quality writing while trying to interact with fans more. In the past week, we've ramped up our use of Facebook and have gotten a new email and Twitter. Now, we're starting up a fantasy baseball league.   This is the league, and you can join by clicking here (and signing in with/creating a yahoo account and sending me an email) or just by emailing the blog saying you want [..] > read more

The 2012 Brewers Rotation: Flying Under the Radar?

Published on 2012-02-18 11:02:55

Ahh, the smell of pine tar, leather, and oil.  The sound of the crack of the bat and the snap of the catchers mitt.  Yes, it's that time of year again as Spring Training is here once again.  Today marks the return of the National League Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers as pitchers and catchers officially report, even though most of them and the rest of the team were at Maryvale Baseball Park for the better part of this past week anyway.  With the official reporting of pitchers and catchers [..] > read more

Spring Training: A Preview

Published on 2012-02-16 20:31:53

In just a few short days, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, and everything starts back up again. Updates will start coming in from Arizona, and masses of fans will get incredibly excited over the sight of players jogging through drills in 90 degree heat, en route to what will surely be a 162-0 regular season record and World Series win. By all means, get excited about the players being back and baseball returning in earnest: It's been a long winter, and this hope is what makes a l [..] > read more

Ryan Braun & The Waiting Game

Published on 2012-02-16 15:39:01

By now I'm sure you've heard it all and then some when it comes the ongoing Ryan Braun saga and frankly it's becoming more and more of a soap opera storyline set in yet another Wisconsin city, this one playing out in Milwaukee and not some tiny fictional town, and also playing out not on your TV screen but in real life.Sitting here writing this colum it's shocking me that I am sitting here just two days from pitchers and catchers reporting having to write this column, but mum's the word on wheth [..] > read more

My 1st Bar Experience

Published on 2012-02-15 23:54:57

What is going on Brewer Fans?  I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce myself to you as we launch The Brewers Bar 2.0 under the direction of Nick Prill.  First things first is I'm a Wisconsin native and also run MadTown Badgers here on the Bloguin network, so I'm not totally new to this whole idea of blogging, but I am new to the world of baseball blogging and I hope to bring a unique and fun perspective to our favorite team and the national pastime as well!!  I grew up as a Brewers [..] > read more

We're Back!

Published on 2012-02-15 19:46:21

Last week, I learned that Jaymes Langrehr was leaving The Brewers Bar to write for Disciples of Uecker. I was happy for him, but a little nervous both on my behalf and for the blog. Thanks to all of you, I had a lot of good experiences writing here over the past six months or so, well beyond any expectations I had going in, and I really didn't want to see that go away. Part of that probably was my own ego, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who, whether you read the blog or interacted wit [..] > read more

Moving On

Published on 2012-02-10 12:48:27

Sometimes, unexpected things happen.The past couple months, as we inched closer to baseball season, I argued with myself over whether or not I had the time and/or energy to keep things going here by myself. I've been working full-time for about 6 months, and after I got my "real job" in the middle of last season, I felt like the quality and consistency of my posts here dropped a bit. As the Brewers went on a run like we've never seen before, I wasn't 100% happy with the way I was able to [..] > read more

Can (and should) the Brewers extend Zack Greinke?

Published on 2012-02-02 13:37:24

Zack Greinke recently indicated he would be open to an extension with the Brewers, which is a perfectly acceptable reason to get excited as a fan. The prospect of a Greinke (or Shaun Marcum) extension has been bandied about among Brewer faithful for some time, and between Greinke’s excellent track record, possible room for growth, clean injury history, and apparent liking of Milwaukee, the right-hander would seem like to be almost an ideal candidate for a long-term pact.Obviously, everyone wou [..] > read more

Video: Nyjer Morgan skates with the Sharks

Published on 2012-02-01 21:00:50

You could say it was a good day for Nyjer Morgan. For one, the Brewers announced that the outfielder will be bobble-ized in 2012, something that appears to have been in the works for awhile. Then there was what everyone was talking about today -- Morgan's return to the ice, as he practiced with the San Jose Sharks.The video, courtesy the NHL Network:Yes, the Sharks let him score on a breakaway.No, there were no Happy Gilmore take-the-skate-off-and-try-to-stab-someone moments.No, he didn't get h [..] > read more

Brett Lawrie, Michael Pineda, and What-Ifs

Published on 2012-01-31 21:15:46

It's always hard to find things to write about in the last few weeks before Spring Training starts, but Tuesday afternoon we got a little bit of discussion fodder. Apparently, before trading Michael Pineda to the Yankees, the Mariners discussed the soon-to-be-second-year righty with the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle asked for Brett Lawrie, the Jays declined, and Pineda eventually wound up in the Bronx.It's fun to think about after the fact, and it does make you wonder if the Brewers could have po [..] > read more

Prince Fielder's Detroit Press Conference

Published on 2012-01-26 19:43:04

This is going to look weird for awhile.Prince Fielder had his introductory press conference in Detroit today, and if you're interested in reading just about everything that was said, Brew Crew Ball has a near-complete transcript.The highlights: Jim Leyland is going with a 3-4-5 of Miguel Cabrera-Fielder-Delmon Young. Cabrera is "100% on board" with the signing and will play third. Predictably asked about his dad, Fielder says "money doesn't take care of" any feelings about the relationship w [..] > read more

Happy Birthday, Bob Uecker

Published on 2012-01-26 09:01:02

Today is Bob Uecker’s birthday, as good an occasion as any to celebrate probably the most revered person in Brewer history. I was really struggling with my original plan of pouring my heart into a post on his influence on my childhood and the development of my fandom, so I thought posting these two fine photographs would be a more fitting tribute: For those unfamiliar, this is Ueck back in his playing days, attempting to catch batting practice fly balls with a tuba during the 1965 World Ser [..] > read more

Don't Blame Everything on the Rotation

Published on 2011-07-06 00:46:23

It's been a rough week or so for the Brewers. Just about everything that can go wrong has, and the starting pitchers -- the strength of this team through the first couple months of the season -- have seemingly regressed all at once. Things during the > read more

Prince Picks His HR Derby Team

Published on 2011-07-05 17:20:48

It looks like Prince Fielder may have let the cat out of the bag a little early on his Home Run Derby selections. As I write this, SportsCenter is hyping up an exclusive announcement of the Derby participants, but Fox Sports Wisconsin already announ > read more

Never Trust a Doug Melvin Quote

Published on 2011-07-05 00:16:34

Before the nightmare that was Monday afternoon's game, the biggest news of the day was Doug Melvin telling Tom Haudricourt that he "has no intention at this point" of demoting Casey McGehee to Triple-A to figure things out.Anyone who's followed this > read more

8th Inning Guy Jokes Aren't Funny Anymore

Published on 2011-07-04 20:46:30

I've had some fun with this before. The joke was funny for awhile. Now it's just kind of sad. “We have an eighth-inning guy and stopper who are doing good jobs,” said Roenicke. “We talked with Saito and thought he’d be a sixth- and seventh-i > read more

Zack Greinke Continues to Struggle with RISP

Published on 2011-07-04 00:44:49

Zack Greinke gave up five hits and four earned runs against the Twins -- an improvement over his last start, sure, but still short of whatever expectations we all have whenever he takes the mound.Giving up five hits isn't terrible. It's the 6th time > read more

A Birthday Lesson in Plushdamentals

Published on 2011-07-02 23:44:25

Saturday was the birthday of Tony Plush (a.k.a. Nyjer Morgan), and the man celebrated in style, carrying the Brewers to a late-inning comeback. Things looked bleak for the Brewers after the Twins jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the seemingly always-up > read more

Wolf (Eventually) Finds His Way

Published on 2011-07-01 00:05:15

The Brewers' 5-0 loss to the Yankees to complete a sweep was hard enough to watch as it was, but it could have been a whole lot worse. After throwing 36 pitches in the first inning, Randy Wolf rebounded to go 7 innings against New York -- something t > read more

Saito Roster Move Not Very Difficult

Published on 2011-06-30 11:36:09

With Takashi Saito scheduled to come off the disabled list any day now -- possibly as early as tomorrow in Minnesota -- Ron Roenicke told reporters today about the "difficult" roster decision that will have to be made soon. "We’re looking at some > read more

At Halfway Point, Brewers Still Look Good

Published on 2011-06-29 21:48:58

The Brewers finished the first half of their 2011 schedule with another road loss, wasting a few golden opportunities on their way to a 5-2 loss in Yankee Stadium. With what's happened during the first two games in New York, it's easy to get down on > read more

Blaming Greinke's Bad Start on Anxiety is Lazy

Published on 2011-06-28 22:35:32

Zack Greinke's battles with social anxiety are well-documented. They're very real, and it's something Greinke will continue to battle for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, they also make for a convenient explanation whenever he struggles on the m > read more

Sergio Mitre Getting DFA'd Shouldn't Be a Shock

Published on 2011-06-28 00:17:14

As the Brewers get ready to play in the bright lights of the Bronx, they shuffled the roster around a bit on Monday. Zach Braddock and Mat Gamel make their respective returns to the big leagues, replacing Mark DiFelice and Sergio Mitre, who was d > read more

Maybe Roenicke Should Leave Gallardo's Change Alone

Published on 2011-06-27 00:38:07

Considering how hard the Brewers have been pushing every pitcher in their system to learn a changeup lately, it's surprising to see just how much Yovani Gallardo has been avoiding it this year. Adam McCalvy did some crowdsourcing for numbers on Galla > read more

Carlos Gomez Loves Playing the Twins

Published on 2011-06-26 00:16:03

Carlos Gomez seems to take games against the Minnesota Twins personally. It's a small sample, but Gomez came into Saturday night's game against the Twins hitting .304 with an OPS of .770 in 24 plate appearances against them. Gomez continued that hot > read more

Prince Makes Things Interesting in Minny's Clubhouse

Published on 2011-06-25 17:26:27

The Brewers won game one of their border battle series against the Twins on Friday night, thanks to a late go-ahead double by Prince Fielder off of Jose Mijares. In case you missed it, things after the game got a little interesting in the Minnesota c > read more

Waiting For Casey

Published on 2011-06-22 11:01:25

I have been absent since the Florida series and I apologize for my subtle hiatus. In that time frame, however, the Brewers have been the best and quite possibly the most relevant team in baseball as we "officially" enter the summer months. I say this > read more

Zack Greinke Turns in His Best Start Yet

Published on 2011-06-22 00:43:39

Zack Greinke turned in his best start as a Brewer by just about any measure, holding Tampa Bay to just four hits and a run while striking out ten. How much better was he on Tuesday night compared to his other starts, though? Just looking at a couple > read more

Sorry, Pujols Injury Doesn't Do Much for Brewers

Published on 2011-06-21 11:43:31

News broke on Monday that Albert Pujols would be out four to six weeks with a fractured forearm. A popular thought among Brewers fans and some local media yesterday was that this injury gives the Brewers an opening to take control of the National Le > read more

Is Prince Worth the Price?

Published on 2011-06-20 17:35:18

The recent swing through Fenway Park provided an opportunity to compare two high-profile first basemen. Adrian Gonzalez was one of the most sought after talents last offseason. Prince Fielder, on the other hand, has put himself in a favorable positio > read more

Holy Hanging Curveball, Yovani

Published on 2011-06-20 00:31:30

Sometimes, you just don't have it. Just five days after he dominated the Cubs with a 10-strikeout performance, Yovani Gallardo dropped the ball (literally and figuratively) against the Red Sox. Perhaps his first inning error got into his head, or ma > read more

Randy Wolf Pitching Like It's 2009

Published on 2011-06-19 00:05:30

When the Brewers signed Randy Wolf, he was coming off a season that most people assumed he wouldn't be able to duplicate. At age 32, Wolf logged 214 innings for the Dodgers in 2009, putting up an ERA of 3.23 that was largely seen as lucky.His first > read more

Is Zack Greinke Too Efficient?

Published on 2011-06-17 00:23:38

Zack Greinke is having one of the weirdest seasons I can remember a Brewers pitcher ever having. If you look deep into his numbers, he looks dominating. After his start against the Cubs on Thursday, Greinke has now racked up 70 strikeouts and just 9 > read more

Unusual Braddock Situation Takes Another Turn

Published on 2011-06-16 00:37:06

How's this for some surprising postgame news? Zach Braddock has been sent down to Triple A, and Danny Ray Herrera is being brought up to take his place.In the post game press conference, Ron Roenicke said that Braddock has come along well with the t > read more

The Randy Wolf Catching Triangle

Published on 2011-06-14 15:44:30

For the fifth start in a row, Randy Wolf was paired as a battery mate with Wil Nieves. Ron Roenicke insists that the current pairing is only temporary, but as most Brewers fans know, the lack of communication between Wolf and every-day starter Jonath > read more

Ron Roenicke Channels Ned Yost

Published on 2011-06-13 23:58:44

Ron Roenicke, following the Brewers' 1-0 loss to the Cubs on Monday night, on going with the struggling Kameron Loe in the 8th inning (transcribed by Brew Crew Ball): No, it's not a tough call. Not if he can go it's not a tough call. He's our eighth > read more

Prince Fielder's Game-Changing Hot Streak

Published on 2011-06-13 00:37:24

Prince Fielder hit his 8th home run in the Brewers' past 10 games on Sunday, helping Milwaukee finish off a sweep of the Cardinals and take control of the NL Central. The most impressive part of Fielder's hot streak was pointed out by Adam McCalvy du > read more

Bunting and the Brewers

Published on 2011-06-11 12:54:39

The Brewers opened an important three-game set against the Cardinals with a win on Friday night, scoring in just about every way imaginable, including a little bit of smallball -- they had three sacrifice bunts on the night to go with their two home > read more

Transcribing Tony Plush

Published on 2011-06-09 00:15:35

Nyjer Morgan had the first walkoff hit of his career on Wednesday night, although he apparently thought the Brewers were already winning, so he was confused when his teammates came out to mob him. As you would expect, Tony Plush was out in full force > read more

Summarizing Brewers Picks, Rounds 2-30

Published on 2011-06-08 11:38:11

It's easy to write 1500 words on first round draft picks, but day two of the MLB draft is my favorite -- you get a little bit of everything. Here's a quick summary of the kids who will start filling out the lower levels of the minors. I already have > read more

In Case You Forgot

Published on 2011-06-08 10:07:03

Carlos Gomez is really, really good in centerfield. You may have forgotten because he only played in three games on the past road trip, and Tuesday night was his first start since May 30. He had a rough night with the bat, but if it wasn't for his gl > read more

Brewers Grab Jungmann, Bradley in Round 1

Published on 2011-06-07 01:26:46

The Brewers had two picks in Monday night's first round, and as has become normal, the two guys they wound up with were a bit of a surprise compared to most of the mock drafts. Introducing your new Baby Brewers (you know, assuming they actually sign > read more

Previewing the 2011 MLB Draft with Patrick Ebert

Published on 2011-06-05 21:57:57

For a lot of reasons, the 2011 MLB Draft may just be the most important draft for the Brewers in some time. The offseason trades for Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke have paid off for the club at the Major League level -- after another improbable win in > read more

From One "Athlete" to Another

Published on 2011-06-05 18:45:20

A good friend of mine once told me what a "great athlete" Marlins catcher Brett Hayes is and as useless as that information is to me, Major League Baseball and Brett Hayes himself, I suppose it bared as much relevance as it could this afternoon. His > read more

Brewers Stay Hot in South Florida

Published on 2011-06-04 22:27:42

In a word, righteous. Being a Floridian via transplant I certainly feel as if I have lucked out by catching the Brewers at what is seemingly their road "warrior" peak thus far.I was hyped from the time the lineups were posted. Although the batting or > read more

No, Bill Hall is Not Better than Yuni

Published on 2011-06-04 12:28:47

photo © 2007 Jeramey Jannene | more info (via: Wylio)When the Astros signed Bill Hall to play second base, it sounded like a good deal for everyone involved. Hall rejuvinated his career with a solid 2010 season in Boston and was looking for a start > read more

Some Notes Entering the Marlins Series

Published on 2011-06-03 12:06:43

This weekend is special because it is the first time in a couple of years that I will be able to see the Brewers play in my residential region of South Florida. Starting tonight, the Brewers will begin a 4 game weekend/wrap-around series agains > read more

Jeremy Reed Sent to Nice Farm Family in Minnesota

Published on 2011-06-03 11:08:13

Jeremy Reed was shipped off to Minnesota for "future considerations" on Thursday, removing one piece of rotten wood from the outfield logjam in Nashville. Thanks for the memories, Jeremy. We'll always remember the time we got upset that you made the > read more

Time to Move McGehee Down?

Published on 2011-06-01 11:51:08

Last season, Casey McGehee was one of the main beneficiaries of teams pitching around Prince Fielder. With Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun also hitting ahead of him, it always seemed like McGehee had a runner in scoring position. More often than not, > read more

Brewers Have Nowhere to Go but Up

Published on 2011-05-31 11:32:07

In case you were wondering how the Brewers ended up with the worst road record in baseball entering the last day of May:Batting Average: .223, 30th in MLBOBP: .279, 30th in MLBSLG: .340, 28th in MLBIsolated Power: .117, 23rd in MLBBABIP: .257, 29th i > read more

Ryan Braun and the 30/30 Club

Published on 2011-05-29 15:33:46

Ryan Braun stole his 13th base of the season in Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Through 53 games, Braun has 12 home runs to go with those 13 steals. At this point, can we start getting excited about a potential 30/30 season for Braun > read more

Jonathan Lucroy All-Star Campaign Update

Published on 2011-05-27 11:44:00

(Screen cap from FS Wisconsin)A little while ago, Nick Petakas wrote a post kicking off a "Jonathan Lucroy, All-Star" campaign. It was admittedly early -- Lucroy had only been off the DL for a couple weeks -- but it was fun to think about what seemed > read more

Zack Greinke's Home Run

Published on 2011-05-26 11:38:30

(Screen cap from MASN)What you have there is photographic proof of Zack Greinke smiling.When Greinke came to Milwaukee, it sounded like he was most excited about getting the chance to hit. He was a talented hitter in high school and probably could ha > read more

Wilson Claim No Upgrade at Short

Published on 2011-05-26 00:18:30

I like to try to write about every transaction, but sometimes it's hard to come up with enough to say to warrant doing a full post. This was almost one of those times.The Brewers added to their infield depth on Wednesday afternoon, claiming shortstop > read more

The Legend of Tennessee Gamel

Published on 2011-05-25 12:10:18

Not too far removed from being a relatively valued bat in the Brew Crew farm system, former 4th rounder Mat Gamel seems doomed for another full year of AAA work and is seemingly jogging past the age of prospect desire -- being left off many prospect > read more

Hard Not to Like Brewers' Claim of Herrera

Published on 2011-05-24 10:59:37

The Brewers made an interesting waiver claim on Monday, picking up left-handed reliever Danny Herrera from the Cincinnati Reds. Herrera is known for a couple different things -- being listed at just 5'6" (that always seemed generous), and throwing a > read more

Can Shaun Marcum Keep This Up?

Published on 2011-05-22 11:26:56

There's little debate that Shaun Marcum has been the Brewers' most impressive starter thus far, and his first run through the National League has been incredibly fun to watch. Personally, I get disappointed when I have to miss a Marcum start.Here's > read more

Prince's Walkoff Blast

Published on 2011-05-21 16:08:35

There was no doubt that Prince Fielder's game-winning home run on Friday night was gone when it left the bat, but if you're wondering how far it *really* went, Hit Tracker Online has you covered.They have the "true" distance of Fielder's home run -- > read more

Aaron Harang, Offensive Road Woes, and BABIP

Published on 2011-05-20 11:16:00

"Yes, PETCO Park is a hitter’s nightmare. And, yes, the Brewers’ offense just hasn’t been the same this year away from Miller Park.But no runs against Aaron Harang and his 5.05 earned run average in eight innings? Really? This is what it has co > read more

Walk Yuni and Lose

Published on 2011-05-19 10:54:27

With his intentional walk Wednesday night in San Diego, Yuniesky Betancourt now has six (6!) walks this season in 156 plate appearances. When Bud Black called for the free pass, I -- along with just about everyone else on Twitter, it seems -- wonder > read more

Tony Plush Officially Joins Twitter

Published on 2011-05-18 13:06:02

This may go down as one of the best days in Brewers history. Tony Plush (or, if you prefer to refer to him by his lesser name, Nyjer Morgan) has offically joined Twitter, as confirmed by John Axford.Behold, what could become the greatest Twitter feed > read more

Carlos Gomez Becoming Elite CFer

Published on 2011-05-17 11:02:21

photo © 2011 Steve Paluch | more info (via: Wylio)The Brewers have made a few web gems already this season, but I'm a sucker for robbing home runs -- that's why Carlos Gomez robbing Juan Uribe in the second inning of Monday night's game might be o > read more

The Brewers vs Dodgers Pitching

Published on 2011-05-16 17:53:42

The Brewers re-heated bats are scheduled to face Jon Garland and Hiroki Kuroda in an abbreviated 2-game series before the west coast trip extends itself to the unfriendly confines of Petco Park.Garland has handled the Brewers well in his career, beat > read more

47-pitch 5th Puts a Damper on Greinke's Day

Published on 2011-05-15 19:04:33

It would be easy to worry about Zack Greinke's start against the Pirates, but outings like this will happen when he's still working his way back to full strength. There was some talk in the postgame press conferences that Greinke was possibly tippin > read more

Gallardo Needs to Work Inside More

Published on 2011-05-14 22:31:56

While Yovani Gallardo's start Friday night against the Pirates wasn't as impressive as his previous outing in St. Louis, it was still a second straight solid appearance. Looking over the results of his start the other night, though, one thing stuck o > read more

The Jonathan Lucroy All Star Campaign

Published on 2011-05-13 21:20:17

The intangible, karmic effects of recent Brewers Bar posts need not be mentioned at a time when the club has not exactly equated the unlikely performance of some of the more unassuming players into wins. That being said, I would just like to formally > read more

Brewers Make Two Surprise Releases

Published on 2011-05-13 17:15:41

Both of these moves are surprising, for a couple different reasons.Alex Periard used to be considered one of the better pitching prospects in the Brewers' system. That's not saying much, of course, but he did look to have pretty good stuff. For what > read more

Mat Gamel (Still) Getting Mixed Messages

Published on 2011-05-12 18:09:05

Gord Ash, on whether he thinks Mat Gamel could play first base in Milwaukee next season: "I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable ... The only thing he doesn’t have is that experience. If we are going to be a Major League contending club, we are going to > read more

Axford Rebounding From Rough Start

Published on 2011-05-11 08:12:43

Despite the small scare on Tuesday night, John Axford has been on a bit of a roll since blowing a save on April 18 in Philadelphia.In eight appearances since that blown save, Axford has only allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, good for a 2 > read more

Giving Yuni Credit for a Save

Published on 2011-05-09 21:59:23

Sometimes, good defense can be the difference between a win and a loss. We saw it for much of last season, and we've seen it a few times already this season. It's not always the obvious mishaps that can cost a team a game -- sometimes it's as simple > read more

Recapping the Road Trip from Hell

Published on 2011-05-08 16:24:45

Well, at least it's over.The Brewers finished their 10-game, 10-day, felt-like-20-day road trip at 2-8 with a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Chris Narveson pitched pretty well despite running into trouble the third time through the St. Louis o > read more

Happy Mother's Day

Published on 2011-05-08 10:32:36

Because it wouldn't be Mother's Day without this clip.Brewes Classics Bill Hall Mothers Day 06' by timothyw80Best part is still Daron Sutton saying "how about a home run so we can get out of here?" before the pitch. > read more

No "Yo-No," But Gallardo Snaps Streak

Published on 2011-05-07 20:13:29

There are a few different definitions of "ace" out there, but no matter what you use as your criteria, there's one general guideline -- aces are supposed to stop losing streaks. With the Brewers coming into Saturday on a seven-game skid and needing a > read more

Is Shaun Marcum on a Strict Pitch Count?

Published on 2011-05-05 21:32:12

Shaun Marcum pitched another great game on Thursday night, but the offense and bullpen let the team down again, extending the recent losing skid to six games.Some have wondered why Marcum was taken out of the game after 7 innings and 98 pitches. He > read more

Looking Ahead to June's Draft

Published on 2011-05-05 15:51:40

With a woeful week hopefully in the rear view mirror of the Brew Crew faithful I find it therapeutic to look ahead and breed some optimism after a staggering road trip thus far (to say the least).The MLB First Year Player Draft is just about a month > read more

Stetter and Green Wasting Roster Spots

Published on 2011-05-04 21:13:51

After playing a doubleheader in which both starting pitchers failed to go 6 innings, the Brewers' bullpen looks like it will be working shorthanded for the rest of the roadtrip (barring a roster move in the near future). To make matters worse, they h > read more

Carlos Gomez: Worst 2nd Hitter in NL?

Published on 2011-05-02 16:30:15

photo © 2011 Steve Paluch | more info (via: Wylio)Carlos Gomez is hitting second again for the Brewers as they start a new series in Atlanta, looking to rebound from a weekend series loss to the Houston Astros. Gomez hitting second has been the sou > read more

Some Surprising Brewers Numbers Through April

Published on 2011-05-01 11:24:04

Despite an overall even month record wise, the Brewers bats netted their highest position player WAR through April than any other season in recent memory.Their everyday players have compiled a net 7.1 WAR, whereas the pitching efforts have evened out > read more

All Things Considered, April Successful for Brewers

Published on 2011-05-01 10:33:18

The Brewers closed April with another tough late-inning loss -- this time in Houston -- and it's only natural to be upset or disappointed. This is a season that holds a lot more meaning than usual, and we're going to be playing the what-if game with > read more

Marcum Trade Paying Off Early

Published on 2011-04-30 09:54:13

At this rate, I'm probably going to show up to a Brewers game carrying a "MARRY ME SHAUN" sign.I liked the move when it was made, I really liked the move heading into the season (picking him as my preseason Brewers pitcher of the year), and after a m > read more

Off-Day Musings on Plate Discipline

Published on 2011-04-28 08:46:36

Just some stuff to ponder on an off-day. Numbers from FanGraphs:O-Swing% (% of pitches outside the strikezone swung at): 29.4%, 13th in MLBO-Contact% (% of time contact is made when swinging at pitches out of the zone): 65.5%, 17th in MLBZ-Swing% (% > read more

No Need to Worry About Attanasio and the Dodgers

Published on 2011-04-27 07:49:19

Major League Baseball dropped a bombshell last week, announcing that they were effectively seizing control of the Dodgers' finances for the foreseeable future. Most people are assuming this is the beginning of the end for current Dodgers owner Frank > read more

Recapping the Reds' Dominance

Published on 2011-04-26 08:56:20

Brewers record against the Reds since the start of the 2010 season: 3-15. Total combined score against the Reds since the start of the 2010 season: 109-69. Here's a look at how every Brewers/Reds matchup has played out since the start of last year.5/ > read more

Gomez or Yuni

Published on 2011-04-26 07:45:10

In this short time that I have been contributing to The Brewers Bar I have been exposed to the intelligence and passion of the Milwaukee faithful just as I have seen how frustrated one can get with the everyday stylings of SS Yuniesky Betancour > read more

Benny Hill Brewers (and Astros)

Published on 2011-04-24 14:10:56

Because you were all thinking it -- the 8th inning of Saturday night's Brewers/Astros game set to Benny Hill music. You're welcome. > read more

Paul Schrieber Won't Give You Low and Away

Published on 2011-04-23 16:39:18

If you thought homeplate umpire Paul Schrieber was working a tight zone on Friday night, you were right -- especially when it came to the low outside corner against right-handed hitters. For Yovani Gallardo, that's a big deal. Every pitcher will fare > read more

This Seems Like a Bad Idea

Published on 2011-04-22 22:35:09

Blowouts in baseball lead to a lot of crowd shots. Like this one.200 phone calls and 600 texts later, her phone is in airplane mode and FS Wisconsin tracked her down in the stands.Why did she do it?"I thought it'd be cool to have my phone number on a > read more

Braun's Deferments Run Through 2031

Published on 2011-04-22 19:01:40

When Ryan Braun's 5-year, $105 million extension was announced, we knew that some of that money would be deferred so the team wouldn't be tying up a quarter of their payroll in one player. A day later, we know just how much money will be deferred, an > read more

Brewers Sign Ryan Braun to 5-year, $105 Million Extension

Published on 2011-04-21 14:10:33

photo © 2008 Steve Paluch | more info (via: Wylio)Talk about dropping a bombshell on an off-day.The Brewers announced Thursday afternoon that they've signed Ryan Braun through the 2020 season, a move the club touted as the "longest commitment to a > read more

Did Roenicke Overuse Brandon Kintzler?

Published on 2011-04-21 07:42:41

It's hard to be upset about taking 2 of 3 from the Phillies in Philadelphia. It's hard to be upset about hitting Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee better than most teams have this year. It's hard to be upset about a 4-4 road trip considering all the defen > read more

The Brewers Against Elite Pitching

Published on 2011-04-20 12:28:58

One might not have guessed that the Brewers would fair as well as they did last night against the seemingly untouchable Roy Halladay when in fact it wasn't just an unlucky BABIP fit Roy encountered -- the Brewers have a history of competing exception > read more

On Brandon Wood

Published on 2011-04-20 10:06:28

Brandon Wood was designated for assignment by the Angels last night, and it appears his days with the Halos are done. For those unaware, Wood was once one of the best prospects in the game -- Baseball America ranked him as the 3rd-best prospect in ba > read more

Why John Axford is Struggling

Published on 2011-04-19 08:53:39

The Brewers' extra innings win over the Phillies on Monday night was exciting. It was encouraging. But there was also a lot of the game that's going to create more worries going forward.The defense hasn't just been bad on this road trip -- it's been > read more

Solving the Bench Problem

Published on 2011-04-18 08:28:14

It's no secret that the Brewers' bench is bad, and that sort of thing is exposed when you have to play a getaway day doubleheader. Most of us knew the bench would be looking thin to start the year when Jonathan Lucroy and Corey Hart started the sea > read more

Bad Series Happen. Let's Move On.

Published on 2011-04-17 19:34:13

You aren't as good as you are when you're winning 7 of 8. You aren't as bad as you are when you're losing three or four straight. After a rather embarrassing effort in Washington, that's really all the Brewers can tell themselves.It was tough to watc > read more

Looking Back: The Brewers in Doubleheaders

Published on 2011-04-16 17:58:42

As we get ready to watch the Brewers play their first (and sorry, hopefully only) doubleheader of the 2011 season on Sunday, here's a look at how they've fared in doubleheaders over the past five seasons. As you'll probably notice, until last year, i > read more

Poor Defense a Team Effort in DC

Published on 2011-04-16 09:25:38

We knew the defense would be an issue this year. We knew it would cost the Brewers (at least) a handful of games. It's one thing to talk about it, but it's completely different when you watch it unfold in real time. The Brewers' defense in Washington > read more

Everything Coming Up Milhouse for Milwaukee

Published on 2011-04-15 17:27:51

Things have been looking up for the Brewers lately. They've won 7 of 8 heading into Friday night. They have the second-best team ERA in the National League (2.98), and over the last 9 games they've only allowed 17 earned runs in 81 innings. Since pic > read more

Looking at Jonathan Lucroy's Offensive Value

Published on 2011-04-14 13:43:47

Jonathan Lucroy is now healthy, and now every position player in the league (except Marlon Byrd) is no longer deemed fast enough to run on the Brewers battery. As Jonathan enters another year of what should be serviceable playing time status (+350 PA > read more

Braddock's Velocity (or lack thereof) a Concern

Published on 2011-04-14 08:30:02

Zach Braddock's velocity has been a concern for the Brewers since mid-spring. After averaging 93 mph on his fastball last season and occasionally touching the mid-to-upper 90s, he's been around 2 mph slower this year. Up until last night, though, ma > read more

Brewers' Pitching Staff Missing Bats Early

Published on 2011-04-13 07:52:13

With the rainout giving me more free time than I had anticipated, I decided to take a look at some of the numbers through the team's first 10 games. It's an admittedly tiny sample size, but there are still some interesting things I stumbled across, e > read more

Brewers Make Two DL Moves

Published on 2011-04-12 08:21:07

The Brewers made a couple of DL moves yesterday during their off day before starting a series in Pittsburgh tonight. One of the moves was a bit of a surprise, while the other left many wondering what took so long.First, Jonathan Lucroy was activated > read more

Rickie Weeks, Leading Off

Published on 2011-04-11 12:56:53

(Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Nick Petakas of Drunk at the Batrack, a general baseball blog. Nick will be contributing posts every now and then, and hopefully will provide a nice change of pace here. Feel free to comment on his first post > read more

Casey McGehee, Cub Killer

Published on 2011-04-10 21:20:49

Ever wonder what a 56.5% win expectancy increase looks like?A little something like this:No, the Cubs shouldn't feel bad about cutting Casey McGehee loose. But it sure seems like he's good for one game-winning hit against him every year, doesn't it? > read more

Brewers Ban Junk Food in Minors

Published on 2011-04-10 12:41:28

If you're a Brewers minor leaguer, the list of banned substances just got a lot longer. Among the items that are now barred from the clubhouse:Soda (regular and diet), snack cakes, pizza, bologna, Pop Tarts, cheese puffs, sugary drinks (with the exce > read more

Narveson's Changeup Keeps Cubs Off Balance

Published on 2011-04-09 22:30:58

I'll admit that for whatever reason, it took me a long time to come around on Chris Narveson.His stuff never seemed to be all that good, his initial success with the Brewers in late 2009 could have been explained by facing lesser competition in Sept > read more

C.B. Bucknor's Strikezone

Published on 2011-04-09 11:09:27

I, like many people across the state last night, was unable to watch Friday night's game between the Brewers and Cubs due to it being on WMLW. Those who were able to watch, though, complained quite a bit about the strikezone during the game, and appa > read more

Want to Watch the Brewers on TV? Too Bad.

Published on 2011-04-08 17:23:46

It's 2011. Many people have access to more TV channels than they can count. And with Friday night's game against the Cubs being broadcast on WMLW, 4 of the Brewers' first 8 games have been inaccessible to much of the state.Three WMLW games. One just > read more

"F***, He's Ryan Braun"

Published on 2011-04-07 16:53:20

The Brewers won their third straight game this afternoon, finishing off a 4-game series win over Atlanta with a 4-2 win. The main contributor on offense was Ryan Braun, who continued to hit Atlanta's Tommy Hanson well -- Braun's two-run home run in t > read more

A Plea to Stop the "Prince Isn't Clutch" Thing

Published on 2011-04-07 08:50:06

There are few things that annoy me more than talk about Prince Fielder not being clutch. Forget for a minute the whole argument over whether or not "clutch" even exists or is measurable. I just have no idea where this idea came from.Yes, he struggle > read more

Gallardo Incredibly Efficient in Two Hitter

Published on 2011-04-06 08:12:16

Aces are supposed to stop losing streaks, and that's exactly what Yovani Gallardo did on Tuesday night, throwing a 2-hit shutout to stop the Brewers' 4-game skid. Whether or not Gallardo is an ace depends on your definition (Best pitcher on the staff > read more

Looking For Positives After Starting 0-4

Published on 2011-04-04 19:24:50

Sometimes all you can do is laugh.With the Brewers starting 0-4, there aren't many people in a laughing mood, but it's unbelievable just how many things have gone wrong for this team in the past month.Weird spring training injuries, from pickup baske > read more

Home Opener Live Chat

Published on 2011-04-04 08:07:24

The Brewers may be 0-3, but maybe getting back home is what the team needs to get back on the right track. I know a lot of people are heading down to Miller Park for the home opener, but for those of you who aren't able to go, we'll be doing another > read more

Yuniesky Betancourt Lives Down to Expectations

Published on 2011-04-03 20:49:46

Yuniesky Betancourt came to Milwaukee with a laundry list of criticisms. He's bad defensively. He doesn't run out grounders. He's not much of a hitter. On top of that, he isn't patient at the plate. In the first series of the year, we managed to see > read more

Questionable Strikezone, Nerves Cost Marcum

Published on 2011-04-02 21:34:25

It's safe to say that this wasn't the debut many fans were hoping for when the Brewers got Shaun Marcum. In his first Milwaukee start, Marcum was only able to throw 4.2 innings before hitting his pitch count limit of 80-85, struggling with poor cont > read more

Marcum Gives Brewers Change of Pace

Published on 2011-04-02 12:05:08

There's a lot to like about the trade that brought Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee, but one thing I haven't mentioned before (at least in blog form) is just how much of a change of pace Marcum represents compared to the man he's following in the rotation, > read more

Can't Hang Opening Day Loss Solely on Axford

Published on 2011-04-01 08:32:35

It's easy to fault John Axford for blowing what probably should have been an Opening Day win for the Brewers, but hopefully a day off will help Brewers fans realize he was far from the only Brewer to blame.Yes, Axford was bad -- of his 21 pitches, 1 > read more

Opening Day Live Chat

Published on 2011-03-31 08:47:37

Come chat with the guys who helped put together the 2011 Maple Street Press Brewers Annual. The chat goes live at 1 PM Central, just a few minutes before the first pitch of the season.Opening Day: Brewers vs. RedsGo Brewers. > read more

Random Opening Day Musings

Published on 2011-03-31 07:50:51

Happy Opening Day! After what felt like an incredibly long March, the big day is finally here. I've had so many things floating around in my head about the first day of the season that I just decided to throw them all into one post.First, if you're g > read more

Zack Greinke Likely to Miss All of April

Published on 2011-03-30 16:25:01

This was probably to be expected when Zack Greinke didn't start his throwing program until the end of last week, but Adam McCalvy's latest has Ron Roenicke breaking the bad news -- Greinke is likely to be out for most (if not all) of April.Not exactl > read more

Does Zach Braddock Have Superpowers?

Published on 2011-03-29 19:21:57

In case you missed it, Brewers left Zach Braddock was stung by a scorpion in the final days of Spring Training -- just the latest (and weirdest) injury on a long list of them this spring. This has caused some members of Brewerfan.net to ask the obvio > read more

Brandon Boggs Clears Waivers

Published on 2011-03-29 16:30:44

A day after losing Luis Cruz when he unexpectedly chose free agency over accepting an assignment to Nashville, the Brewers got a bit of good news -- Brandon Boggs went unclaimed on waivers. It's no guarantee he stays -- he has until Wednesday to ma > read more

Reaction to Losing Luis Cruz is Overblown

Published on 2011-03-29 08:33:36

When the Brewers elected to put Erick Almonte on the Opening Day roster ahead of Luis Cruz, they did it with the assumption that Cruz would accept his assignment to the minors. We found out yesterday that Cruz had other ideas, instead deciding to e > read more

The Brewers Bar on Battle of Ohio Baseball

Published on 2011-03-28 21:22:04

You might not believe this, but some people actually want to talk to me about the Brewers. I was a guest on Battle of Ohio Baseball Radio the other night, talking about the Brewers for an audience of mostly Reds fans to preview Opening Day. We touch > read more

Ron Roenicke Is Going To Make Me Angry

Published on 2011-03-28 08:02:51

"You have to be thrown out to know what your limits are. If you're not thrown out, you're probably not stealing enough."--Ron Roenicke on WSSP 1250's Doug & Mike Show This is probably a good time to mention that the newly-acquired Nyjer Morgan h > read more

Brewers' 25-Man Roster Takes Shape

Published on 2011-03-27 16:08:23

The 25-man roster isn't finalized quite yet, but it appears things on the position player side are set. After trading for Nyjer Morgan this morning, Brandon Boggs was waived and Luis Cruz was outrighted to Nashville. It appears Jeremy Reed and Er > read more

Shameless Self Promotion

Published on 2011-03-27 14:36:45

It's already been a busy day in terms of Brewers news, but if you need something to do this Sunday afternoon, you can catch up on a few things I've been involved with.1. You're probably familiar with Tweets From 1982, which blew up on Twitter during > read more

"Prices Change" -- Brewers Trade for Nyjer Morgan

Published on 2011-03-27 10:49:25

photo © 2011 Mike | more info (via: Wylio)We should've learned our lesson. When it comes to trade talks, always take Doug Melvin comments with a grain of salt.He "wasn't motivated" to move Lyle Overbay. Then he was traded to Toronto to make room fo > read more

Greinke Begins Throwing, Stetter Makes Team

Published on 2011-03-26 14:07:10

The Brewers could certainly use some good news right about now, and it looks like they got some today -- Zack Greinke was able to play catch for the first time on Friday, and Ron Roenicke says that Greinke didn't feel any pain. It's a small step for > read more

Brewers Acquire Sergio Mitre from Yankees

Published on 2011-03-25 10:19:58

We have our trade for pitching depth. According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Brewers have acquired Sergio Mitre from the New York Yankees.In terms of long relievers/spot starters, you could probably do worse than Mitre. In 54 innings last year (24 > read more

Scouts: Brewers Could Be "Awful"

Published on 2011-03-25 07:50:00

Hey look, fans aren't the only ones capable of insane overreactions. From Peter Gammons' latest at MLB.com: Which brings up this a sentiment offered by three scouts watching the Brewers:"Milwaukee may be awful. They got a lot of hype, and between th > read more

New Commenting System!

Published on 2011-03-24 16:05:29

Just a quick blog news post -- over the past few months, you may have noticed a new commenting system slowly being tested and rolled out across the Bloguin network. Today, the new LiveFyre commenting system was installed on The Brewers Bar, and it's > read more

Hawkins, Farris Go On Charity Shopping Spree

Published on 2011-03-23 19:58:03

Sometimes it's too easy to get caught up on negatives -- who won't make the roster, who isn't performing, who would be a bad fit for the Brewers. It's also too easy to miss the positives, like professional baseball players spending a rare spring day > read more

Carlos Gomez Has Lofty Goals for 2011

Published on 2011-03-23 08:16:31

It's spring training. That must mean Carlos Gomez has changed and is ready for a breakout season.Last year, we heard a lot about how Gomez was working with Dale Sveum on his approach at the plate, and how he was determined to turn a corner in his dev > read more

Brewers Acquire Brett Carroll for Cash

Published on 2011-03-23 07:48:06

While you were sleeping (well, while I was sleeping), the Brewers made a trade. No, it wasn't for a starting pitcher or a shortstop or anything else likely to help the big league club. Milwaukee acquired outfielder Brett Carroll from Kansas City for > read more

Brewers Should Target Kevin Slowey

Published on 2011-03-22 16:16:45

The Minnesota Twins announced today that Scott Baker won the 5th spot in their rotation, sending Kevin Slowey to the bullpen. Aaron Gleeman from Hardball Talk seems to think the Twins would trade him for an impact reliever. And hey, what do you know > read more

2011 Rival Preview: Cincinnati Reds

Published on 2011-03-21 19:42:33

photo © 2010 dbking | more info (via: Wylio)We're doing previews of all the Brewers' division rivals again this year. We've already done previews for the Cardinals and Cubs, so if you've missed them, feel free to check them out. Now we turn our atte > read more

Brent Brewer Reaches Plea Deal

Published on 2011-03-21 13:46:52

In February, former Brewers prospect (and current University of Tennessee safety) Brent Brewer was arrested on charges of domestic assault. Brewer was released on $1,500 and Volunteers coach Derek Dooley suspended Brewer indefinitely.It appears that > read more

A Closer Look at Shaun Marcum's Mechanics

Published on 2011-03-20 14:50:21

The Brewers had their first official Shaun Marcum Injury Scare of the season this past week, when the right-hander was pulled early from a spring start due to shoulder stiffness. Luckily for the Brewers, it turned out to be nothing, and Marcum is on > read more

Zack Greinke Update: Uh Oh

Published on 2011-03-19 12:01:02

When Zack Greinke's rib injury was first made public, it was easy to overreact, but the Brewers seemed fairly confident that he would only miss a couple starts. Well, now things aren't looking so rosy. That estimated return date of April 16 depended > read more

Bullpen Not Looking Weaker, Just...Different

Published on 2011-03-18 08:14:31

Coming into spring training, it appeared that most of the bullpen spots were locked in. Assuming a 12-man pitching staff, that would leave seven potential bullpen spots. Six of those seven seemed to be guaranteed: John Axford, Kameron Loe, LaTroy > read more

Zach Braddock's Struggles a Concern

Published on 2011-03-17 08:25:54

There are a lot of things to like about spring training, but one thing that has always annoyed me a bit is deciding bullpen spots based on spring training results. It's already nearly impossible to predict the success or failure of relief pitchers fr > read more

Mark Rogers Optioned to Nashville; Hindsight is 20/20

Published on 2011-03-15 14:00:33

Yesterday, Mark Rogers took awhile to settle down in his first appearance of the spring. Today, he was optioned to Triple A Nashville.Now, it should be stressed that Rogers' demotion has little -- if anything -- to do with the results he got against > read more

Rogers Shaky in Spring Debut

Published on 2011-03-14 19:34:13

Mark Rogers made his first appearance in a spring game on Monday, and while the results weren't exactly pretty, the results aren't what's important.Rogers, who was on a 30-pitch limit like most starters making their first spring appearances, managed > read more

Rivas, Scarpetta Among First Cuts

Published on 2011-03-14 08:29:04

We're only about 2.5 weeks away from Opening Day, and that means roster cutdowns are going to start coming in. The Brewers starting trimming their spring roster on Sunday, sending six players home -- pitchers Amaury Rivas, Cody Scarpetta, Dan Merk > read more

Brewers M*A*S*H Unit Grows

Published on 2011-03-12 18:30:25

This past week has been a rough one when it comes to Brewers injuries, so why not add one more to the mix?To recap the past 7 days or so: Zack Greinke will start the season on the disabled list and miss 2-3 starts, Rickie Weeks is struggling with g > read more

How Quickly Things Change

Published on 2011-03-10 18:44:26

Tom Haudricourt, February 22, 2011: Many residents of Brewers Nation wouldn't say the same. As thrilled as those worrywarts were to get pitching ace Zack Greinke from the Royals in a blockbuster December trade, they weren't happy about the shortstop > read more

The Brewers Bar Behind Enemy Lines

Published on 2011-03-10 17:41:56

I answered a few questions on the Brewers and their 2011 outlook for Daniel Shoptaw of C70 At The Bat, a great Cardinals blog that's worth checking out (and is linked in our blog roll). Daniel is also the founder of United Cardinals Bloggers and the > read more

2011 Rival Preview: Chicago Cubs

Published on 2011-03-09 19:33:30

photo © 2009 Barbara | more info (via: Wylio)In case you missed it last week, we're doing previews of all the Brewers' division rivals again this year. Last week, we covered the St. Louis Cardinals (thanks again to Cards Diaspora for the help on the > read more

Zack Greinke To Miss Opening Day

Published on 2011-03-08 19:20:18

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this isn't what Brewers fans had in mind when the team acquired Zack Greinke. The team's newest ace and presumed Opening Day starter will begin the season on the disabled list after suffering cracked and bruised > read more

Brewers Sign Another Dominican Prospect

Published on 2011-03-08 08:43:51

After years of essentially ignoring the region, the Brewers are keeping themselves busy in Latin America:Last month, Milwaukee signed another teenager out of the DPL -- outfielder Elvis Rubio. The triple slash line for Matos looks impressive, but it' > read more

LaTroy Hawkins Nears Return

Published on 2011-03-07 13:53:03

LaTroy Hawkins is continuing to work his way back from shoulder surgery, and the Brewers have been bringing him along slowly this spring. It appears, though, that Hawkins may be nearing a return to the mound. He threw a bullpen session today, and see > read more

Mark Kotsay Looks Like #1 Bench Bat

Published on 2011-03-07 07:53:09

Manager Ron Roenicke, as quoted in the Journal-Sentinel: "He [Mark Kotsay]'s going to be a big part of what we're doing in late innings, when we need that good at-bat. He's a guy I'm counting on. Whoever that other outfielder is, whichever one we're > read more

Random Musings on Shaun Marcum's Cutter

Published on 2011-03-06 17:53:16

Shaun Marcum turned in his second solid start of the spring on Saturday, but the results -- as good as they were -- weren't the story. It was the fact that he decided to start mixing in a few cutters this early in the spring.Pitch f/x data says that > read more

Brewers Suddenly Searching for Starting Depth

Published on 2011-03-05 15:22:24

The Brewers have already received a lot of attention for their new-look rotation, and will probably continue to get a lot. As good as they could potentially be, the lack of depth is a bit worrisome. Apparently, though, it's an issue that Ron Roenicke > read more

2011 Rival Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

Published on 2011-03-03 20:26:47

photo © 2008 Dirk | more info (via: Wylio)Last year, I did a running series that previewed the Brewers' NL Central rivals that seemed to be pretty popular. I'm doing it again this year to help speed up that wait for Opening Day.We'll start with the > read more

Minor Leaguer Wayne Dedrick Suspended 50 Games

Published on 2011-03-03 19:07:26

Wayne Dedrick, a third baseman on the Brewers' Arizona Rookie League roster, has been suspended 50 games after testing positive a second time for a "drug of abuse."After 5 years of Jeremy Jeffress, Brewers fans know that phrase all too well.Dedrick > read more

McGehee Extension a Bad Idea

Published on 2011-03-02 08:36:25

Right now, Casey McGehee is the only player on the Brewers' 40-man roster without a contract. According to Tom Haudricourt, that may not be the case for long -- the Brewers and McGehee are reportedly working on a multi-year contract. And you thought > read more

Please Don't Panic About Zack Greinke

Published on 2011-03-01 17:13:07

Consider this your annual "Relax, spring training results are meaningless, Pitcher X will be fine" post.Today, Pitcher X is Zack Greinke, who had some control problems today against the Chicago White Sox. He was only able to get through 1 1/3 innings > read more

Marcum Good, But Uecker Shines in Spring Opener

Published on 2011-02-28 18:41:56

The Brewers went 1-1 in spring training games today, but that's not what's really important. The biggest news of the day came as the first pitches were being thrown -- Corey Hart went from needing a couple days to heal his oblique strain to needing a > read more

Spring Is Here!

Published on 2011-02-28 08:11:34

It's a split squad day, so the most noteworthy thing about the lineups is Jerry Narron's impeccable penmanship.The lineups were posted yesterday, but looking at them again this morning I stumbled upon an interesting tidbit -- also visible in the Twit > read more

Prince Fielder Bunts For a Hit. Really.

Published on 2011-02-27 16:35:59

I have not seen any video evidence, but multiple reporters say that Prince Fielder successfully bunted for a base hit in today's intrasquad scrimmage. I'll take them for their word.He was probably just messing around in a meaningless game, and Prince > read more

Brewers On Pace for Attendance Records

Published on 2011-02-26 20:35:25

The Brewers sold 98,000 tickets on Saturday as part of the Arctic Tailgate event, the first day on which fans could buy single-game tickets. Tom Haudricourt notes that a total of three games are already sold out -- predictably, one is the home opener > read more

Scoreboard Progress Update

Published on 2011-02-26 14:15:44

It's been awhile since we've checked in on the progress of the new HD scoreboard at Miller Park. Here's a recent picture tweeted by fellow Brewers blog BrewerNation.The photo quality is better if you click through to view it on TwitPic. It looks like > read more

Ken Macha Won't Let Braun Feud Die

Published on 2011-02-25 08:45:35

The first spring training under a new manager leads to all kinds of feel-good stories about how things will be different, how much better the new camp feels, and how the future is bright. Ryan Braun hit most of those topics shortly after showing up t > read more

Marcum, Dillard Named Starters for Spring Openers

Published on 2011-02-24 15:49:59

The Brewers haven't formally announced who will be their starter on Opening Day against the Reds, but they did name their starters for the spring openers:I wouldn't read too much into Marcum getting the first start of the spring, since he won't be th > read more

Wainwright Injury Doesn't Make Brewers Favorites

Published on 2011-02-24 08:23:05

photo © 2005 Dave Herholz | more info (via: Wylio)News broke on Wednesday that Adam Wainwright appears to need Tommy John surgery, and predictably, it seems as though many have already written the Cardinals off when it comes to the NL Central race. > read more

Brewers Fail to Place a Prospect in Top 100

Published on 2011-02-23 15:31:36

These days, there are so many prospect rankings that it can be hard to keep up. No matter how many fish there are in the sea, though, it seems like the Baseball America Top 100 list is still the king. These are the rankings that now go on a player's > read more

Ron Roenicke Really, Really Likes Yuni

Published on 2011-02-23 14:20:36

Ron Roenicke is a first-time manager. It's important for fans to remember this and cut him some slack when it comes to trying to figure out his tendencies and philosophies. With that said, looking at his recent comments on Yuniesky Betancourt, he's n > read more

Roenicke Giving Lineup Hints

Published on 2011-02-20 17:14:03

As position players begin to trickle into camp, it looks like new manager Ron Roenicke is dropping hints when it comes to his batting order. Considering the success of last year's group and the fact that not much has changed, it appears that Roenicke > read more

Brewers to Use Retros Six Times in 2011

Published on 2011-02-18 08:17:07

photo © 2006 Jeramey Jannene | more info (via: Wylio)The Brewers announced yesterday that they will wear the 1980s Ball-and-Glove uniforms six times in the 2011 season -- April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, and September 9th. It's only once > read more

Updated Baseball Prospectus Projections

Published on 2011-02-17 15:57:49

The other day, I mentioned that it looked like there were some preliminary PECOTA projections at Baseball Prospectus that had the Brewers winning an average of 85.5 games in their simulations.Yesterday, the official numbers were released as part of t > read more

Rickie Gets Paid; Four Years, $38.5MM

Published on 2011-02-16 14:50:12

Details are still coming out about Rickie Weeks' longterm extension, but we do know a few things. First, Tom Haudricourt broke the story. Then Ken Rosenthal added that Weeks will have the opportunity to earn up to $50 million over the next five seaso > read more

The Risk of Giving Rickie Weeks Five Years

Published on 2011-02-16 08:54:45

photo © 2007 Jeramey Jannene | more info (via: Wylio)After everything that was reported on Tuesday, it seems like a longterm extension for Rickie Weeks is imminent. With his arbitration hearing scheduled for Thursday, it seems possible that somethi > read more

Weeks, Brewers Still Negotiating

Published on 2011-02-15 14:35:33

#Brewers asst GM Gord Ash on Weeks multi-year talks: "We're making progress. We're not done yet. We're inching our way."--Ken Rosenthal, via Twitter It's nothing earth-shattering, but it is something when it comes to the Rickie Weeks negotiations. L > read more

This Week in Projections

Published on 2011-02-14 16:28:23

I'm about to drive myself mad waiting for pitchers and catchers to report on Wednesday, so to kill some time, let's take a look at some projected standings.The CAIRO projection system has the Reds winning the NL Central with an average of 87.2 wins a > read more

Former Prospect Brent Brewer Arrested

Published on 2011-02-13 15:34:54

WVLT in Knoxville, Tennessee is reporting that former Brewers prospect and current University of Tennessee safety Brent Brewer was arrested early Sunday on charges of domestic assault. He was released on $1,500 bond, according to the TV station.Tenne > read more

Introducing the Maple Street Press Brewers Annual

Published on 2011-02-11 18:14:10

Sometimes this blog-writing thing can lead to some cool and unexpected opportunities. A few months ago I was approached by Brian Carriveau, who some of you may know from Railbird Central, Cheesehead TV, and/or the Maple Street Press Packers Annual. F > read more

Marcum Avoids Arbitration, Brewers Get Great Value

Published on 2011-02-10 08:30:08

Shaun Marcum and the Brewers were scheduled to head into an arbitration hearing today, but managed to work out a deal at the 11th hour late Wednesday night. Marcum will make $3.95 million, which is actually a touch below the midpoint between his dem > read more

Rubio Signing Shows Recommitment to Latin America

Published on 2011-02-09 09:11:51

The Brewers aren't typically active in the international market, so when they do sign a Latin American player, it's typically noteworthy. Milwaukee has agreed to sign outfielder Elvis Rubio for a signing bonus of $95,000, but the signing won't be off > read more

Avoid Michael Young At All Costs

Published on 2011-02-08 08:27:00

photo © 2009 Keith Allison | more info (via: Wylio)Michael Young seems to be forcing his way out of Texas, and since he's a (former) shortstop, it's only natural for some people to wonder if he'd be a better option than Yuniesky Betancourt.Well, n > read more

Brewers, Like Packers, Will Need Role Players

Published on 2011-02-07 08:18:10

photo © 2008 Steve Paluch | more info (via: Wylio)This is shaping up to be a special year in Wisconsin sports.The Wisconsin Badgers won the Big Ten's football crown and played in one of the most-watched Rose Bowls of all-time. The Badgers are also p > read more

Brewers Lineup After Last Packers Super Bowl

Published on 2011-02-06 12:08:17

Most of the state of Wisconsin will be focused on Dallas and the Super Bowl today, so forgive me for posting on something only semi-related to the Packers today.By now we all know that the Packers are playing in the Super Bowl for the first time sinc > read more

Tying Up Loose Ends

Published on 2011-02-04 17:55:37

It seems like when the Brewers make news this offseason, a lot of it happens at once. To summarize what we've learned today:- The Mark Kotsay signing is official, with Roque Mercedes being designated for assignment to make room for Kotsay on the 40-m > read more

Dear Doug: Let the Trout Thing Go

Published on 2011-02-04 08:40:24

Unless you want to keep breaking down the Mark Kotsay signing, there isn't a lot to write about when it comes to the Brewers now. With about two weeks left until the start of spring training, Tom Haudricourt dusts off the old "The Brewers Could Have > read more

Kotsay Agrees to Deal with Brewers

Published on 2011-02-03 19:59:33

The Brewers' signing of Mark Kotsay is all but official, and according to Jon Heyman, he'll be earning $800k in base salary this season. He has the opportunity to earn up to $450k more in roster and performance bonuses.Of course, the question now is > read more

Thinking About Life After Rickie

Published on 2011-02-03 08:40:37

Unless something changes in a hurry, two weeks from today, the Brewers and Rickie Weeks will head into an arbitration hearing to decide his salary for the 2011 season. A few days later, he'll report to spring training and that's when he will reporte > read more

On Depth and Injuries

Published on 2011-02-02 16:19:21

Will Carroll of Sports Illustrated -- the "Injury Expert" -- wrote an article on Tuesday that takes a look at which teams in baseball have lost the most value (in terms of dollars) due to injuries over the past 10 years, and which have saved the most > read more

Kotsay Signing Based on a Mirage

Published on 2011-02-01 16:37:47

Ken Rosenthal reports that Mark Kotsay will be signing a major league deal with the Brewers.God help me, I tried to think of something positive to say about this. It wouldn't have bothered me if this was a minor league contract with a non-roster inv > read more

Yount and Molitor in La Crosse

Published on 2011-01-31 08:23:07

Brewers On Deck was yesterday afternoon, and it appears to have been a big success -- attendance was at an all-time high, bringing in nearly 11,300 fans from across the state. Among the attendees was Robin Yount, who has been busy lately. Before head > read more

Uh Oh: Weeks Sets Extension Deadline

Published on 2011-01-30 13:25:17

Up until recently, there was reason for optimism when it came to Rickie Weeks signing an extension with the Brewers. Yes, the asking price has gone up following a breakout 2010 season, but the desire to remain in Milwaukee was repeatedly mentioned. F > read more

Depressing Retro Brewers Previews: 2004

Published on 2011-01-29 12:28:57

Hopefully by now, you've read (and liked) the look back at the old Sports Illustrated previews for the 2000 and 2002 Brewers. Sure, it can be depressing at times, but it does help us remember just how far the team has come in the past decade. We'll c > read more

A Quick Look at Non-Roster Invitees

Published on 2011-01-28 09:02:43

Infielder Erick Almonte was added to the list of this year's non-roster invitees to spring training yesterday, bringing the total number of NRIs to 13. The Brewers usually do a good job of having a mix of prospects getting their feet wet, organizatio > read more

Cubs Sign Braden Looper

Published on 2011-01-27 16:39:42

It's only for a minor league contract, so he's not guaranteed to make the team, but still -- Braden Looper will be a Cub this spring. The last time Looper was pitched in the big leagues, he set a Brewers record by allowing 39 home runs in 2009. But h > read more

Players Pumped for 2011

Published on 2011-01-27 08:37:35

There isn't much going on in Brewerland at the moment, so I thought I would point you in the direction of a couple radio interviews from earlier this week. Ryan Braun and Randy Wolf both appeared on WSSP's Weekly Hot Stove show on Monday night, and b > read more

Happy 76th, Ueck

Published on 2011-01-26 08:10:27

Bob Uecker turns 76 years old today. 2010 was an eventful year for the face of Brewers baseball -- some of it was good (being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, for example), and some of it was bad (having to go in for a pair of heart surgeries and > read more

Mark Kotsay Far From the Best Option

Published on 2011-01-25 09:32:46

photo © 2009 Keith Allison | more info (via: Wylio)Ken Rosenthal reports that the Brewers are looking for a "veteran reserve," and after coming up empty on Willie Harris and Jorge Cantu, have set their sights on Mark Kotsay. He notes that Kotsay hit > read more

Saito Wants to Pitch in 60 Games

Published on 2011-01-25 08:05:21

Takashi Saito hasn't exactly been a workhorse for the past few seasons, and at age 41 this year, that's probably not going to change in Milwaukee. That's not stopping him from aiming high, though. From Japan Today: "I haven't pitched in 60 games in > read more

Former Teammates Have Harsh Words for Greinke

Published on 2011-01-24 07:52:07

Zack Greinke has been a member of the Milwaukee Brewers for over a month now, but that doesn't mean they're done talking about him in Kansas City. Over the weekend, 1B/DH Billy Butler signed a new contract extension that was largely made possible by > read more

Depressing Retro Brewers Previews: 2002

Published on 2011-01-22 16:29:01

Last weekend, we took a look at the Sports Illustrated season preview for the 2000 Brewers. It wasn't entirely meant to bring back bad memories, but rather take a look back at how bad things were for this club 10+ years ago. Hopefully this series wil > read more

Kameron Loe Avoids Arbitration

Published on 2011-01-21 20:45:58

Kameron Loe has avoided arbitration, signing a one-year deal worth $1.25 million, with up to an additional $115,000 available if Loe pitches in 78 games. Adam McCalvy was first with the story.As McCalvy notes, Loe is actually settling for less than t > read more

Jeremy Reed Signed to MiLB Deal

Published on 2011-01-21 17:57:40

photo © 2008 Mike Tigas | more info (via: Wylio)Continuing their search for anyone who could possibly challenge Carlos Gomez in centerfield, the Brewers signed Jeremy Reed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Reed is best > read more

Covey Adjusting to Life with Diabetes

Published on 2011-01-21 08:07:05

The first round of June's draft was officially set when the Twins re-signed Carl Pavano, the last remaining Type A free agent on the market. The Brewers will have two picks in that first round this year, due to their inability to sign last year's fir > read more

Suppan Finds Work with Giants

Published on 2011-01-20 13:29:08

Trevor Hoffman couldn't find a job to his liking, so he retired. Jeff Suppan, meanwhile, is expected to sign a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants with an invite to spring training. According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury New > read more

Not Everyone Impressed with the Brewers

Published on 2011-01-20 07:46:54

Following offseason deals to acquire Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee is sure to be a trendy pick by many in the media to win the NL Central, if not the World Series. Of course, there will still be doubters -- especially from those covering o > read more

Brewers Getting Bang for their Buck

Published on 2011-01-19 07:51:03

After Prince Fielder and Manny Parra avoided arbitration on Tuesday, the Brewers have three arbitration-eligible players remaining, and they exchanged offers yesterday. Adam McCalvy has a blog post on what each player demanded, what the team offere > read more

Fielder Avoids Arby with Record Deal

Published on 2011-01-18 13:31:09

Well, I was right and I was wrong at the same time.After posting this morning that Prince Fielder would likely demand a contract of historic proportions in his final year of arbitration, news came today that Fielder avoided a hearing with a one-year > read more

Fielder Arby Case Likely to Make History

Published on 2011-01-18 08:43:57

photo © 2008 Steve Paluch | more info (via: Wylio)With arbitration-eligible players and teams swapping their figures today, most of the focus will be on the business side of the game for the next few weeks. As noted yesterday, of the Brewers' five a > read more

Brewers Want Multi-Year Deal with Weeks

Published on 2011-01-17 18:16:16

The Brewers will exchange arbitration numbers with their five arby-eligible players tomorrow, and once the figures are known by both sides, contracts to avoid a hearing are sure to follow.Of the five -- Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Shaun Marcum, Man > read more

Help Build the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams

Published on 2011-01-17 14:04:06

I don't ask you guys from much, so when I do, you should know it's for a good cause.The Pepsi Refresh project provides grants to help people and organizations make a positive impact in their communities. One Whitewater family is trying to turn the tr > read more

Axford Receives Special Recognition Award

Published on 2011-01-16 20:58:08

John Axford may be a rockstar in Milwaukee, but it's nothing compared to the treatment he gets north of the border.Axford received a Special Recognition Award at the annual Baseball Canada banquet on Saturday night, honoring some of the game's best C > read more

Depressing Retro Brewers Previews: 2000

Published on 2011-01-15 14:19:49

An active and much-praised offseason has significantly raised expectations in Milwaukee, to the point where it almost feels like anything less than a serious run at the World Series would be a disappointment. While January and February are great mont > read more

Talking Capuano with "On The Black"

Published on 2011-01-14 15:37:52

Chris Capuano has moved on, signing a one-year deal with the Mets, and fans in New York are curious as to what he's all about. Kerel Cooper of On The Black -- a Mets blog and fellow member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance -- wanted to know a few thi > read more

Fielder Not Appearing at On Deck

Published on 2011-01-13 16:03:40

The Brewers announced this afternoon the list of players and managers scheduled to appear at this year's Brewers On Deck event -- in all, there are 25 current (i.e. on the 40-man roster) players listed, along with nine prospects, eight coaches, and t > read more

Eulogio de la Cruz Signed to Minors

Published on 2011-01-12 18:04:28

Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweeted earlier today that the Brewers have signed RHP Eulogio de la Cruz to a minor league deal. He played for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan last season, but only appeared in nine games, throwing 10.1 innings and s > read more

Brewers Shut Out of Sunday Night

Published on 2011-01-12 15:22:10

ESPN has announced its Sunday Night Baseball schedule for the first half of the season, and the Brewers aren't slated to appear a single time (h/t HardballTalk). The schedule through mid-July: April 3: San Francisco at Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN2)Apr > read more

Happy Trails, Trevor Hoffman

Published on 2011-01-11 16:33:36

After a dismal 2010 season and spending most of the winter holding out for a closer job, Trevor Hoffman has decided to retire. The Brewers won't be getting a compensation pick for Hoffman, who was a Type B free agent. He retires with 601 career saves > read more

Mets Showing Interest in Bush

Published on 2011-01-11 15:01:49

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports that the New York Mets may not be done shopping for former Brewers soft-tossers with a habit of giving up gopherballs -- they're apparently interested in Dave Bush. Add Dave Bush to the list of FA starters on the #Mets > read more

More Depressing Prospect Lists

Published on 2011-01-10 14:13:05

Usually, the unveiling of the Baseball America Top 10 prospects list is like Christmas morning for me -- for whatever reason, I can't wait to read through their rankings, projections, and reports. Over the past few years, they've had nice things to s > read more

God Bless Tony La Russa

Published on 2011-01-09 16:22:50

I never thought I'd say that. He's a holier-than-thou, I'm-smarter-than-you kind of guy that rubs everyone the wrong way. But this new crusade of his against sabermetrics and his never-ending quest to stand in the way of his own team's success, I'm h > read more

No, Garza Doesn't Make Cubs Contenders

Published on 2011-01-07 19:40:55

photo © 2008 Ferguson | more info (via: Wylio)The Cubs are set to acquire Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays in a multi-player deal, and predictably, comparisons to the Brewers' trade for Zack Greinke are popping up.The consensus seems to be > read more

Higuera Deserves More Walk of Fame Support

Published on 2011-01-07 16:28:50

Adam McCalvy reports that the Miller Park Walk of Fame is maintaining its high standards -- no one will be inducted this year. With Milwaukee Brave Lew Burdette being inducted last year, this means that the Walk has gone without an inductee in three > read more

Brewers Most Improved in Bodog Odds

Published on 2011-01-06 19:03:18

The Brewers' busy offseason has resulted in a shift in their World Series odds, but it doesn't look like Bodog is ready to completely buy into Milwaukee as a contender just yet.The gambling website has the Brewers at 28/1 to win it all in 2011. As Bu > read more

Is Schafer This Year's Cain?

Published on 2011-01-06 14:21:05

The Brewers announced some more non-roster Spring Training invitees today, giving Caleb Gindl, Anderson De La Rosa, Logan Schafer, and Zelous Wheeler tickets to Maryvale.None of the four are likely to make the roster out of Spring Training, but > read more

Trying to Say Nice Things About Gomez

Published on 2011-01-06 08:38:12

photo © 2009 Keith Allison | more info (via: Wylio)Carlos Gomez was a popular target for scorn in 2010, and with the likes of Jeff Suppan and Trevor Hoffman no longer with the team, you would think he's the odds-on favorite for "least liked Brewe > read more

Miller Park Scoreboard Progress

Published on 2011-01-05 15:54:03

From a fellow named Ben Coldagelli on Twitter:We all heard that it was going to be one of the biggest in the majors, but...holy crap. > read more

Grissom Falls Just 74.3% Shy of Induction

Published on 2011-01-05 14:23:57

The Hall of Fame Class of 2011 was announced today, with Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven (finally) getting the nod. I was a part of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance voting, and as a group we came up with the same two, although my ballot was more inclu > read more

Fielder on Fans' World Series Dreams

Published on 2011-01-04 18:30:50

Prince Fielder was on WSSP 1250 on Monday night for a rare interview, and touched on a variety of topics, including his remote-controlled toilet (TMI, brother) and his offseason routine (there really isn't one). You can listen to the whole 10-minute > read more

Another Backup Catching Option

Published on 2011-01-04 08:07:00

The Texas Rangers designated catcher Max Ramirez for assignment on Monday while clearing roster space for Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes. Ramirez only has a handful of career big league at-bats, but has hit .298/.396/.476 in 7 minor league seasons > read more

Mets Sign Capuano

Published on 2011-01-03 18:16:27

photo © 2006 Jeramey Jannene | more info (via: Wylio)Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that former Brewer Chris Capuano is headed to the Big Apple (h/t MLB Trade Rumors): Mets have signed pitchers Chris Capuano and Tyler Bucholz to one year de > read more

11 Expectations For 2011

Published on 2011-01-03 08:52:21

photo © 2009 Steve Paluch | more info (via: Wylio)Last year, I did 10 Things I Want to See in 2010, and while some of the expectations I laid out didn't end up happening, it was still a good way to gauge expectations at the start of the year and a w > read more

Thanks for an Awesome 2010

Published on 2010-12-31 13:23:22

The year is coming to an end, so I just wanted to spend a few minutes saying thanks for all the support in the past year. It's been a rocky 12 months or so, dealing with our old home of MVN shutting down, keeping things warm on Blogspot while waiting > read more