Monday's Frosty Mug

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 9:20 AM CDT Comment 46 comments

So, just to make sure we're clear: Retro uniforms - unlucky. Pink bats - awesome.

Sunday's Win Expectancy Graph
Sunday's BR Box Score
Sunday's BDD Recaps

Saturday's Win Expectancy Graph
Saturday's BR Box Score
Saturday's BDD Recaps

Today, apparently, is a big day. So big I used two unnecessary commas in my opening sentence. It's a big day because Doug Melvin and Ned Yost are meeting to "discuss the Milwaukee Brewers' personnel and what might be done to improve the club."

Scott over at In-Between Hops seems to think making Prince eat a steak will improve the club.

Al notes that the team hasn't announced a starter yet for Thursday. Perhaps that will be addressed in the meeting.

Yovani Gallardo will have surgery tomorrow morning to repair his torn ACL. Hopefully the extended delay in surgery won't keep him from being ready for spring training in 2009.

Apparently commenters are watching to ensure I use the proper level of snark when posting power rankings. I hope they'll find today's snark appropriate. Or they'll find something better to do than burn half a day commenting on how I addressed Phil Rogers.

Phil Rogers is widely seen as a subpar baseball writer. He has the Brewers 21st in his most recent power rankings.
The Southpaw improves on those rankings in two ways. First, they moved the Brewers up to 18th. Second, they included a picture of Summer Glau. Who is Summer Glau? I have no idea.

On injuries:

Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo has been placed on the DL with a strained forearm.
Mets 2B Luis Castillo left yesterday's game with "quad discomfort."
Chone Figgins is on the DL in Anaheim with a strained hamstring.
Kevin Millwood had to leave his start over the weekend after just two outs, and has been placed on the DL with a groin strain.
Vernon Wells has a broken non-throwing wrist and will miss 6-8 weeks.

A news flash from Chicago: Apparently the ladies love "some asian guy."

In other Cubs news, it looks like Ryne Sandberg is getting pretty good at getting ejected from games. He's been suspended from Midwest League action following a confrontation with an opposing manager Thursday.

I'm really easily distracted some days: I got up early to write the Mug this morning, but lost all the time I gained when I spent half an hour on Keith Law's list of ten home cooking mistakes.

Oh, and the Mets have DFA'd Raul Casanova.

Drink up.

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Maddux to MKE?

Now I know Phil Rogers isn’t to be relied upon, but is there any substance to his comment (under the Padres ranking) about the possibility of Greg Maddux being traded to Milwaukee? I know by now he’s just an average innings eater like Suppan, but he’d probably still be an upgrade over Bush or Villy

Brewers fan lost in South Carolina.

by SCBrewer on May 12, 2008 10:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If that happened

Would Mike try to get him to make adjustments?

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 12, 2008 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

pffft.

Apparently commenters are watching to ensure I use the proper level of snark when posting power rankings.

it’s not “commenters” it’s me, jacob.

I hope they’ll find today’s snark appropriate.

I didn’t, it was sarcastic.

Or they’ll find something better to do than burn half a day commenting on how I addressed Phil Rogers.

Wow. Serious? Just because i’m not impressed with who you choose to link to doesn’t mean i should buzz off, does it?

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:20 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy my sarcasm.

Perhaps you’ll enjoy this reply more.

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

would you prefer

that i don’t comment in your frosty mug threads?

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow

It’s not just the Brewers clubhouse that’s getting testy.

Don’t let your expectations betray you. If you only picked the Brewers to be a couple games over .500 this year (and many people did), then this team hasn’t been in an early season slump. They’ve been playing pretty much how they’re going to play all year. Resign yourselves to a nice 3rd-place finish in the central, and enjoy the baseball season.

Oh, and fire the manager, because someone is going to have to take the fall for missing the playoffs again this year.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 12, 2008 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey marty

did you mean this as a reply to me? i don’t follow.

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

not to you specifically

except that you and klsnow were jousting, so it made me think if it.

Lots of people are cranky about the Brewers this year, and they’re pretty much at .500, which means they’ll have good and bad streaks, but probably play at this level all year. It’d be nice if expectations could be adjusting for that, so that discussions can be more friendly.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 12, 2008 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

but don't you understand?

this is all just proof that bush, suppan, villa, and parra can’t pitch, rickie, jj, and billy can’t hit, prince has no power, and the bullpen sucks.

i thought that was obvious.

oh, and we’re probably going to get about two more starts from sheets this year.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 12, 2008 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

kendall too

before the season kendall was lauded as a horrible, horrible signing. In the last 27 games he has hit

.222/.320/.278

but because you can’t see that in his overall line, and because people remember him hit well the first two weeks, the criticism has stopped.

it’s nothing new, it’s all, “what have you done for me lately”

there is something deep and interesting about the human psyche that exposes itself in what marty is hinting at. not only when expectations are not met, but how/wether we perceive it or not…

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

specifically about baseball/sports fans

I’m finding it interesting how we tend to read more into bad starts than good ones. No one really thought Kapler is the next Pujols (though people did revise expectations upwards), while I get the sense people worry Weeks will be a career minor leaguer. Same with Hall.

After a bad Suppan start, it’s a horrible signing, he’s done, maybe we can trick some other team into taking his contract off our hands.

After yesterday (7 IP, 1 ER) ... silence? good effort? thanks for doing your job today?

Well, that’s a sub 1.50 ERA. Why don’t the same people who watch a Rickie, 0-5 with 3 Ks performance and say he belongs in the minors watch supp’s start yesterday and demand he be put on the all-star team?

I have an idea of what the answer to that is, but it’s aggravating nonetheless.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 12, 2008 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmm

I think it’s also that, as “customers”, people feel justified in demanding 100% satisfaction all the time – even in areas like sports fandom where that’s inherently impossible. And that trend seems to be getting worse the higher athletes’ salaries are.

by Zeyes on May 12, 2008 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

excellent point

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 3:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ugh

For me, it’s all the extra commercialization. I pay 30-some dollars for a ticket, and then between innings I have to be bombarded with Palermo’s Pizza pepperoni toss, the BP race around the track, the Mercedes-Benz lamest-contest-in-the-world, the Dew Deck, the Time Warner triple plat, etc, etc.

I hate Wrigley Field, but the one thing I like about going to games there is that I don’t have to watch commercials between innings.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 12, 2008 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that ties into what I was getting at...

Things going from “just paying to go to a ballgame” to a full-fledged commercial assault probably contributes to that feeling of entitlement (for lack of a better word). Teams have pretty much turned the eyeballs of their ballpark audience into an all-access commodity, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that contributes to some people feeling that they’re owed a successful team all the time.

by Zeyes on May 12, 2008 6:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see how being unnecessarily cynical about the Brewers will make discussions of Phil Rogers' writing ability more civil

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 12, 2008 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's not really about phil rogers

It’s just the general tone on the various sites, and I don’t think I’m being unnecessarily cynical. They’ve had a rough streak, but they’re only one game below .500. I know I’m the wrong person to call out negative posters, but jeez. A little perspective would be nice.

I haven’t even found anything substantive to complain about in Yost’s managing this year. It can’t be the end of the world yet.

by Marty McSuperFly on May 12, 2008 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

right. rough segue.

ok, i got it.

i think the brewers definitely affect my mood. clearly other people are affected as well.

but honestly, even if the brewers were winning more, or i expected less from them, or didn’t realize it is a LONG season, i’d still criticize the choice to link to phil rogers. I’d still criticize klsnow’s position that he just passes the links on and isn’t making judgements about their content. And i wouldn’t expect a direct attack, like “Or they’ll find something better to do than burn half a day commenting on how I addressed Phil Rogers.” as a reply. That’s just rude and uncalled for.

Now the recent fanposts… well… that’s a great example, you’re right about adjusted expectations helping the congenial nature of the discussions.

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The recent FanPosts have been awful

Adjusting expectations isn’t going to help stupid people get smarter.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 12, 2008 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

right.

it’s that adjusted expectations would actually be stupid people being smarter. so helping people adjust their expectations is helping people be smarter.

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

But alas...

regardless how hard we try, someone will always be wrong on the internet.

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

right.

and as long as we sort the good sources of information and knowledge from the bad ones, we can help, as a community, reduce the number of “wrong people on the internets.”

if nobody was wrong the world would be a better place. if you take the position that there is no wrong and right, there is only information, then there is zero reason to exchange ideas, right? just like your cartoon suggests.

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Difference of opinion

I think we have a difference of opinion on what the goal of my daily posts should be.

I gather things I find interesting from around the web almost every morning, usually spending around an hour, sometimes more. If I find 3-4 stories on the same topic, I’ll usually work to make sure I link to the best one.

But at the end of the day, there’s a fine line distinction between best and most interesting. And that’s where we differ. I post stuff like Phil Rogers’ power rankings because I think they’re interesting. You’re the only commenter that’s ever complained about that. By all means, if anyone else out there has an objection to my decision to list Phil Rogers’ power rankings in my post, let me know.

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 11:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

KLSnow

You take the time to put these things together, so you get to put on what you want. Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t worry about other people’s opinion.

by brewfan2 on May 12, 2008 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

entertainment

i get that these are for entertainment purposes, like i posted in last week’s thread, and as such i dont think anybody cares about the difference between best and most interesting. i asked for more snark because i want to know if you are linking to phil rogers cause he is interesting-good, or interesting-bad. that is the distinction i’m interested in.

i’m assuming that others, like me, are seeing your links as “interesting-good” and if you see phil rogers as interesting-good and are telling others he is interesting-good then i’m going to question your judgment. quite clearly he is interesting-bad. i worry that you feel your links are “interesting-neutral.” does that make sense?

also, i hope you don’t misinterpret these criticisms, i appreciate your list of links and commentary, and i like discussing the content as much as i like discussing whether they are link-worthy or not.

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I appreciate your insight.

I don’t think I see my work as “interesting-neutral,” as you put it. I have opinions about most things I post and on occasion I rant about them. But I think there’s also something to be said for posting something I found interesting and letting the reader decide for themselves whether they agree or disagree with it.

Certainly I don’t always do that – just a couple of days ago I called Michael Hunt irrelevant and uninformed. But if I took the time to go in depth on the history, past quality and relevance of every read, I’d have to quit my day job. And if I told you everything about every link, then there wouldn’t even be a point to having links, because you’d never need to click on them.

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

then again

I think jacob is also the only one to even comment on the linked power rankings altogether. I’ll freely admit my bias (I think power rankings are a dumb exercise and a waste of time even if they’re done reasonably well), but unlike much of what you link, it doesn’t seem to me that the power rankings ever inspire any conversation whatsoever (beyond jacob’s objections, which I gather are more about Phil Rogers).

by Zeyes on May 12, 2008 3:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

By all means, comment...

Let’s just not turn it into another debate on the failure of journalism schools. :-)

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

but how can we not?

we’re reading your writing every morning!

I kid because I love.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 12, 2008 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very nice work.

You win. :-)

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the failure of the journalism schools

may go down in history as the greatest failure of our generation.

but i won’t follow you down that path again, i promise.

two questions though, do you have a journalism degree, and are you personally offended by my audacious claim?

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have a journalism degree.

But if my writing is bad, it’s not a journalism school’s fault. It’s Jeff’s fault, for allowing me to perpetually produce poor writing. :-)

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe you just need an editor :)

Seriously, my writing has gotten a lot better (though still not great) since that guys at hardballtimes started to edit it. Once I see the mistakes I made I can learn from that and not make them again.

Visit my baseball blog ...or else!

by dixieflatline on May 12, 2008 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yay, steak

I thought we were done with the “Prince-betrayed-the-team” bandwagon. How come no one’s complaining that Corey Hart is only one pace for one-sixth the home runs he had last year?

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

by TheJay on May 12, 2008 10:20 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Because..

This is Wisconsin and we love meat, beer and large woman.

Ok maybe 2 of the 3. But you get the point. Corey Hart still eats meat, and it’s totally not the cause of his slumping power numbers. It has to be just be a normal meat enhanced slump. Not that Tofu power drain people associate with Prince. The meat bandwagon seems as weak as the lovely Gagme and Turnblow names. (Yeah I’m hung up on that)

by SgtClueLs on May 12, 2008 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We ARE done with it.

at least we were.

MGL has an interesting post from yesterday on what April numbers show for hitters. Interestingly it seems that good aprils are a decent indicator of a new talent level while bad aprils are not indicators of decreased talent. I don’t quite follow how he accounts for bad april hitters not getting more at bats to pull the pool down…

Bring Back The Old Logo!

by jacob on May 12, 2008 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Corey needs more steak too.

It’s the only logical conclusion.

by KLSnow on May 12, 2008 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thank you

as you all probably know, I love the Brewers, they’re my favorite team in the first sport I ever loved. But even if I knew Prince was only going to hit sac flies all year, no more homers, hell, all double play balls, I think it’s bullshit for anyone to complain about his personal moral choice. It’s like forcing Shawn Green to play on Yom Kippur (remember THAT controversy)?

by somethingvague on May 12, 2008 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thank you

As you all probably know, I love the Brewers, they’re my favorite team in the first sport I ever loved. But even if I knew Prince was only going to hit sac flies all year, no more homers, hell, all double play balls, I think it’s bullshit for anyone to complain about his personal moral choice. It’s like complaining about Shawn Green not playing on Yom Kippur (remember THAT controversy)?

by somethingvague on May 12, 2008 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Summer Glau

She was River on Firefly. I love that show.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 12, 2008 10:29 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

by TheJay on May 12, 2008 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

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NL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	44	38	.536	0	Won 3
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	42	38	.525	1	Lost 3
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	39	38	.506	2.5	Won 3
Cincinnati Red Reporter	39	39	.500	3	Lost 1
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	38	39	.493	3.5	Won 2
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	37	43	.462	6	Won 1