Game Thread #34: Brewers (16-17) at Marlins (19-14)

Bizzaro 2007

I’m going to start referring to 2008 as Bizzaro 2007. The Brewers start off bad this season and end up winning the division, two games ahead of the Cubs.

Yes, I can see it now.

My non-embarrassing thoughts on the Brewers:
Two Fisted Slopper

by nmc on May 8, 2008 3:31 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

I am feeling a Gagne save tonight

Maybe just jinxed it, but it would be nice to have the start of a streak tonight.

It would be nice to have the story at the end of the year… “Through 34 games last year the Brewers were 24-10, and this year they managed to only go .500, yet found a way to win the NL Central in a closely contested race. Despite Yovani’s season ending injury and Prince Fielder’s 8 game suspension for charging the mound and seriously hurting Zambrano the Brewers rallied around a hot hitting Weeks from June-September”.

The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain's free throws.

by Kyguy922 on May 8, 2008 3:32 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

weave DiFelice and Rottino into that narrative

and you’ll really have something!

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on May 8, 2008 3:35 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

True, I was going to go with LaPorta and Weaver surging in August

or even possibly Tim Linceum or Barry Bonds, but decided to keep it with a struggling player

The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain's free throws.

by Kyguy922 on May 8, 2008 3:45 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Just insert

The 2008 Brewer’s season was filled with shocking moments. Who would have thought that Mark DiFelice, a career minor leaguer called up to take Dave Bush’s spot in the rotation after Bush came down with a case of Dessens, would end the season with 14 wins and 3.17 ERA? Many wrote off the season after Kendall suffered “Repetitive Concussion syndrome” after being setting a single game HBP record and went on the DL. Brewers fans were delighted when Vinnie “The Pride of Racine” Rottino finished the year with a .320 BA, and .400 OBP, with 15 HR, driving in the division clinching home run off Carlos Zambrano.

If anything sparked the team, it was probably the call-ups of Russell “3TO” Branyan, Alicides Escober, and a player known only as Hurricane, after a freak accident covering a bunt lead to Rickie Weeks, JJ Hardy and Bill Hall being injured for the season. It’s shocking that Gabe Kapler managed to hit so well, and manage the team to victory.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 3:46 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Plus

Seth McClung was a virtually unknown long reliever, until he broke Orel Hersheisers score-less innings streak, and then went on to assistant coach a girl’s college basketball team to victory in the men’s NCAA tournament.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 3:49 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Of Course

Mitch Stetter is stunning when he takes over as closer for Eric Gagne, and doesn’t give up a single hit throughout the post season.

Ben Sheets hits his first home run, a grand slam in July.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 3:55 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

The fondest memory of the season

When Geoff Jenkins, traded at the deadline by the Phillies for Joe Dillon, despite an injured leg, and being in the trainers room most of the game, pinch hits in the ninth, hitting a three run home run off of Papelbon. Jenkins limps around the bases at Miller Park, never to play baseball again.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 3:59 PM CDT up reply reply 1 recs

This nearly brought a tear to my eye.

by MillerParkSouth on May 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Don't forget Turnbow

And let’s not forget the stunning turnaround of Derrick Turnbow who, after being designated for assignment, hooked up with Dr. Phil.

People laughed in August when they launched the Warren Spahn-endorsed Baseball Balm ointment to calm clutching pitchers.

But as we all know now, Derrick and Phil got the last laugh when they sold the formula to Pfizer in the post-season for $1.5 billion.

1 girl. 81 games. www.mysummerofbaseball.com

by MSOBB on May 8, 2008 4:00 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

There were some low points in the 2008 season though

-Bernie’s Chalet burning down… Granted it lead to a 20 game winning streak, but still.
-Ned Yost’s heart attack on May 19.
-A clerical error leaves Military members without seats when the Giants accidentally trade Tim Linceaum straight up for Jeff Suppan.
-Counsell’s 50 game suspension after testing positive for grit.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 4:38 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

If you written last year's story

It may have been unbelievable as well.

The Brewers started 24-10 and go on to lose to the Cubs by two games despite being 8.5 games up in July. Ryan Braun missing almost two months had statistically the best offensive stats in the history of the MLB for a rookie while defensively was the worst third baseman in the majors since Gary Sheffield. Prince Fielder almost doubled his HR total from the year before while Ned Yost decided to intentionally bean Pujols who eventually scored in order to get revenge on Prince Fielder being hit, despite desperatly needing to win a game to catch the Cubs at the end of the year.

I probably am missing some big unbelievable moments from last year, but the amount of unpredictable things that occur during the course of a baseball season is incredible, I guess that is what happens when you go out to play 9 innings 162 games… the Rockies story for instance last year was absolutley incredible, as well as the emergence of Ankiel.

The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain's free throws.

by Kyguy922 on May 8, 2008 3:55 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Cards Lose! Cards Lose!

So we’ve got that going for us.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 4:58 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

After our 4 game winning streak,

we’ll be a game out of first!

by oconnobe on May 8, 2008 5:00 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

In former Brewer news

Joe Thatcher is now 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA for the pads. Looks like giving him up for Linebrink last year won’t hurt us too much.

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 5:16 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

So I was looking at the Lincecum kid again

Wow is he scary good. He is strike out more than a batter an inning. He has good control and a very solid K/BB ratio. Looking at the PITCHf/x data this year he has now started to throw a slider to go along with his change and curve. Apparently, his curve has a bit of a hump and he is now using his slider to right handed batters. I wrote about this in my article on him over at THT but the pitch he doesn’t get enough credit for is his change. Actually, that might be his best pitch. He throws that to lefties a ton and they just can’t hit them. Check out his career MLB splits:

LHB: .690 against
RHB: .649 against

That is what is going to make him a great pitcher for a really long time. If the Giants are shopping him we should trade the farm for him. Also, if the Giants do trade him they should be contracted along with the marlins.

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 5:27 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

yeah he's pretty solid

Harveys Wallbangers, Bambie's Bombers, Yosts....youngsters?

by harveyswallbangers on May 8, 2008 5:38 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

That is OPS against

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 5:41 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Villy pitch count

for the past two games was about 75 when the roof began to cave in. This may be one of the more interesting stats to watch this evening. My fave stat would be Joe Dillion with 12 total bases at game’s end…..

by heybatterbatter on May 8, 2008 6:08 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

That's around where Bush lost it, too

Maybe we really do need to institute A-ball style pitching duos…

by Zeyes on May 8, 2008 6:34 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

I know there's a lineup thread elsewhere...

and I’m sorry for the language…

but fuck you Ned Yost. I’m not sure I’m satisfied with the fact that he’ll eventually be fired. I think some sort of public humiliation ceremony is now called for on the day of his departure, perhaps where fans get the privilege of tatooing phrases like “you guys have no concept” on various parts of his anatomy.

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

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 8, 2008 6:12 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

With a new day

Comes new Hope!!!

LET’S GO RICKIE

Personally, I think we got hosed on that one! - Harry Doyle

by reverse24 on May 8, 2008 6:14 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

Nice AB by Rickie despite the out

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 8, 2008 6:15 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

It sure seems like he has had his share of those

BABIP!

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:29 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

His pitch-count per at bat isn't bad, in fact.

It’s just everything else that sucks.

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

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 8, 2008 6:34 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

i hope that when i get to the ballpark tomorrow and sit down in my seat corey hart is batting leadoff

"Cubs fans boo again – 99% of these people can’t see the plate." -Ueck

by dux2bux on May 8, 2008 6:23 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

UGH

It just looks so easy for our opposition these days.

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:32 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

It looks like Cantu was hitting

off of a tee.

Brewers, Brewers keep turning up the heat.. Milwaukee Brewers..

by Aschen on May 8, 2008 6:34 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Starting to think

that Carlos doesn’t have the goods to be a starting pitcher

by UWbrewball on May 8, 2008 6:33 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

Options are sadly limited right now

At the beginning of spring training starting pitching depth was the last problem I thought we would have.

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:34 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

So many HR's....

by UWbrewball on May 8, 2008 6:37 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Well, he decided

to fall apart before the 75 pitch count.

Is it just me, or does it seem like any bit of adversity (stolen base, error), even with two outs, causes our pitchers to give up and throw a meatball down the middle of the plate??

Personally, I think we got hosed on that one! - Harry Doyle

by reverse24 on May 8, 2008 6:34 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

The HR rendered it moot...

but it didn’t take Rivera long to demonstrate why he’s best left on the bench. That throw was 8ft from the bag….

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

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 8, 2008 6:35 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

They're fulfilling the team's mandated meltdown quota

Covering for Turnbow’s absence ain’t easy.

by Zeyes on May 8, 2008 6:35 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

The team was getting annoyed by sixth inning melt downs, so CV decided to move it up.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 6:45 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Maybe JJ is a 5 hole hitter after all

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:35 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

I'd be thrilled if Ned turns out to be right about that and the rest of tonight's lineup.

I’d prefer the taste of crow to another loss…

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

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 8, 2008 6:37 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Also our bench should be very strong

If it is close that should help/

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:38 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

give me a heapin helping any time

by ol Pete on May 8, 2008 6:38 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Well

We have a RISP.

He's the round mound of profound

by drezdn on May 8, 2008 6:38 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

ah, Ueck...

“George Webb Restaurants is turning 60, and you can get 60 cent burgers and 60 cent fries anytime – doesn’t matter how many runs the Brewers are scoring!” Talk about hitting a little close to home right now…

by Zeyes on May 8, 2008 6:39 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

At least we are making him throw a lot of pitches

Even if we can’t score.

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:40 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

That is a great way of starting the inning

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:47 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

Amazing

How quickly you start to expect lead-off walks.

by svaustin on May 8, 2008 6:48 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

how about a double play?

by ol Pete on May 8, 2008 6:50 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

How about 6 of them?

That would appear the only way to get a “quality start” tonight.

BTW, in a pre-game interview, Ned spent about 5 minutes explaining why Dave Bush really pitched well last night.

Doug, please fire Ned.

Love,
Everyone.

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 8, 2008 6:52 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

gosh, I'm sorry I missed that

really, though, its become bizarre. It used to be that the guy was the teacher’s pet, but he blew chunks last night.

by ol Pete on May 8, 2008 6:53 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Speaking about defense

Remember when early on the crews defensive numbers were looking good. Not so much anymore. plus/minus at -11 tied for 4th worst in the NL. RZR of .812 2nd worst in the NL.

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by dixieflatline on May 8, 2008 6:52 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs