Game Thread #26: Brewers (14-11) at Cubs (16-9)

by Jeff Sackmann on Apr 29, 2008 5:00 PM CDT in Game Threads

Lots of storylines here, in addition to the usual Cubs-Brewers stuff. Sheets is back, let's hope for more than 5 innings. Cameron has finally arrived, though with the way Kapler and Gwynn played, we didn't miss him very much. And, of course, we only had the one day off, so we need a lot of innings from our starters to protect our hopeless overworked bullpen (TM).

The matchup is Sheets and Jason Marquis, starting at 7:05 CT. The Cubs are Soriano-less, but with the way the rest of the lineup has been hitting, it really doesn't matter. If you want to delve deeper into the splits, here's the BR Game Preview.

I'm not sure I'm going to keep doing this for every game all season long, but at least for this series, I fired up the Project-a-Tron again. ZiPS really doesn't like Marquis this year, so it gives the Brewers a pretty big edge:

Brewers 5.85
Cubs 4.5
Brewers WinExp: 57%

That's as dramatic of a difference as the Project-a-Tron has spit out all year; without taking home-field into account, it's a 62/38 split in favor of the Crew. Mr. Tron, of course, is assuming that Sheets will give us 6+, and that his arm won't fall off.

Go Brewers!

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Totally off topic

Just got the mail … from Netflix today, The Hebrew Hammer! Finally…now to find a day where I have enough time to watch both the game AND the movie…

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Apr 29, 2008 5:23 PM CDT 0 recs

57%

I’ll take the under. :)
vr, Xeifrank

by Xeifrank on Apr 29, 2008 5:33 PM CDT 0 recs

Do you run all teams through your simlulator?

Or do you just have a special interest in the Brewers?

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 5:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

Sim

I run all NL West games and then compare results vs Vegas odds. I run the Brewers games because Jeff is cool enough to have his own predicting system. Hope you don’t mind. Just doing it for fun. :)
vr, Xeifrank

by Xeifrank on Apr 29, 2008 5:57 PM CDT up 0 recs

marquis' not good.

what projections are you using?

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on Apr 29, 2008 5:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

His own

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 5:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

projections.

2008 ZIPs.
vr, Xeifrank

by Xeifrank on Apr 29, 2008 5:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

sadly

he did really well against the Brewers twice last season. Sinker, slider… sinker, slider. Smart managing by Lou to send Marquis rather than Hill out.

by ol Pete on Apr 29, 2008 6:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

Just spun by the other BCB...

and the cubs fans are already in form for tonight’s game. Cub fans are so obnoxious I’d root against their team even if Jesus was their leadoff man.

"He just needs to eat some bananas." - Lou Piniella

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Apr 29, 2008 5:38 PM CDT 0 recs

now that guy has some grit and hustle

"If there is a more reactionary blog with idiotic commentary out there I'd be surprised." -On Bleed Cubbie Blue

by Michael M on Apr 29, 2008 5:40 PM CDT up 0 recs

Would you throw at Jesus if he hung his elbow out over the plate?

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 5:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

undoubtedly

Lordz Of Vengeance....Sometimes I drink...Okay...I drink most of the time.

by Dikembe Meiztombo on Apr 29, 2008 5:46 PM CDT up 0 recs

Jesus likes to crowd the plate

Have to let him know who’s in control.

"My thing is that you guys eat meat all day and you can't hit a ball. That's my thing." - P. Fielder

by SRB on Apr 29, 2008 5:50 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ben Sheets is bigger than Jesus

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 5:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

Not at his head.

The trouble with throwing at the omniscient is you lose your plausible deniability. “Sorry, Jesus. It just got away from me.”

"He just needs to eat some bananas." - Lou Piniella

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Apr 29, 2008 6:25 PM CDT up 0 recs

I wouldn't mind that

No, sir, not at all.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Apr 29, 2008 5:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

Nicely done.

Next time I’ll specify. The one I meant would have to play for the halos.

"He just needs to eat some bananas." - Lou Piniella

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Apr 29, 2008 6:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

Brent Brewer already committed another error

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 6:07 PM CDT 0 recs

Methinks you need a special Brent Brewer-themed sig

for comments such as that one…

by Zeyes on Apr 29, 2008 6:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

"He's extremely quick and not particularly good."

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 6:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

But…but his last name is Brewer! He has to make it!

by Stoa on Apr 29, 2008 7:29 PM CDT up 0 recs

"Brent Brewer believes real men field without gloves."

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Apr 29, 2008 6:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

reason to like AAA

Promotions like “Thirsty Thursday” for the Sounds with 1$ draft beverages.

Wonder how much work the local police get.

by ol Pete on Apr 29, 2008 6:22 PM CDT 0 recs

Nashville is getting healthy against Victor "I Can't Be Fixed In Five Minutes" Zambrano

He walked the first three hitters and then gave up a two-run single.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 6:24 PM CDT up 0 recs

Rottino with a 2 rbi triple

I wonder if he is “the catcher of the future.”

by ol Pete on Apr 29, 2008 7:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

I went to a

Thirsty Thursday Sounds game during Spring Break last year. It was…interesting. 7 guys, 6 f them drinking $1 beers, plus baseball, plus sitting pretty close behind home plate makes for quite an entertaining evening. That, plus the fact that it was in the 30s.

by Stoa on Apr 29, 2008 7:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

Cruised over to bleedcubbieblue

Reading their gameday thread, I can’t tell if its more like middle school or some sort of devolution like Omega Man.

There is actually a bunch of them that are offended because Gagne doesn’t keep his shirt tucked in.

by ol Pete on Apr 29, 2008 6:46 PM CDT 0 recs

Damn

MLB.TV gives me the Cubs broadcast. I hate Len and Bob

Can't pitch Gagne in rain. He’s like the B-2 bomber of baseball.--TheJay

by verno329 on Apr 29, 2008 7:07 PM CDT 0 recs

I like Len Casper

by sheeter on Apr 29, 2008 7:08 PM CDT up 0 recs

Traitor Yuppie

;) (him, not you)

by Lake County on Apr 29, 2008 7:09 PM CDT up 0 recs

Be careful

My banning finger is twitchy today.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:10 PM CDT up 0 recs

I'm really not the "get banned" type btw

by Lake County on Apr 29, 2008 7:13 PM CDT up 0 recs

What are you talking about?

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:14 PM CDT up 0 recs

where have I been?

.191 for Rickie? I knew he wasn’t hitting a lot, but damn

by sheeter on Apr 29, 2008 7:07 PM CDT 0 recs

Welcome back, Mike!

That almost went out.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:09 PM CDT 0 recs

Pfft

Way to go Jeff.

This is exactly the sort of half-assed, poorly edited and fact-checked, mean-spirited nonsense that will always keep that site to nothing more than Jeff, and a dozen of his drunk neighbors. I won’t be surprised at all if SB Nation wakes up soon, and goes with another Brewers blogger; someone that can at least attract hits.
Nice job guys; you had a nice chance to market your site, and attract some new visitors, but you decide to to go low brow, and play the penis-envying little brother role.

I believe the correct response is as follows:

I’m rubber; you’re glue
Anything yo say bounces off of me and sticks to you.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Apr 29, 2008 7:09 PM CDT 0 recs

Well, they like dixie and TheJay

rj, eh…

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

The funny thing

I don’t think I’m that obnoxious, even toward Cubs fans. (I prefer “pithy.”) Well, at the very least, I don’t think I’m insulting.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Apr 29, 2008 7:20 PM CDT up 0 recs

It might have something to do with your avatar

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

Hmmm

There is that. That’s not an insult so much as an inevitability.

(Oh well, there goes the “not insulting” thing too. How about nicely insulting?)

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Apr 29, 2008 7:25 PM CDT up 0 recs

Hah!

Instant karma, baby!

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Apr 29, 2008 8:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

Shucks, missed out on visitors

We’re worse off for not having guys like that commenter, I’m sure.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Apr 29, 2008 7:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

at least Jeff

doesn’t use unnecessary commas.

Grammar beats snark!

by 400metres on Apr 29, 2008 7:16 PM CDT up 0 recs

Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

Drunken Neighbor

I just found this site on my own exploring so I’m neither drunk nor his neighbor. But I certainly haven’t gotten the feeling at all that Jeff is mean spirited at all, in fact I think the whole 5 questions thing every series is really nice and good, fun way to reach out and chat with other respectable fans of opposing teams.

"You have no honor!" - McClung to Fukudome

by zsxander567 on Apr 29, 2008 7:33 PM CDT up 0 recs

Hey, Jeff says to remind you to get some eggs on your way home from work

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on Apr 29, 2008 7:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

Jeff

yes dear

"You have no honor!" - McClung to Fukudome

by zsxander567 on Apr 29, 2008 7:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

As soon as you sober up

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Apr 29, 2008 7:37 PM CDT up 0 recs