Tuesday's Plastic Cup Overfloweth
by Jeff Sackmann on Jun 17, 2008 8:01 AM CDT
in Milwaukee Brewers News
Email
PrintNo post-game links since there was no game yesterday, but we've got plenty to make up for it.
Tiger Woods is really good. Even if you aren't much of a golf fan, Joe Posnanski's post-Open essay is well worth your time.
The Junkball Blues notes the improvement from the starting rotation. Aside from Bush, everyone is doing their part, and as I've grown fond of pointing out, Jeff Suppan is pitching nearly as well as anybody right now. We've talked a bit about options to fix the back of the rotation, and another name that we could add to the list is David Wells. Emphasis on "could."
Speaking of Suppan, Royals Review has anointed him the 50th greatest Royal ever. He was an innings-eater there, too, but he did get the opening day nod three times.
The Brewers had the day off, but Adam McCalvy didn't. He posted a feature worth reading on Jason Kendall. He quotes Melvin saying, "If you look at the free agent catchers now, he might have been the best one." Could be, but I don't know if I'd put that on my business card.
Also at the official site, here's an article about 13th round pick Rob Wooten, currently closing games from North Carolina at the College World Series.
You might have heard that Prince Fielder is a vegetarian. Jonah Keri chimes at ESPN with feature on athletes--not just baseball players--who go meatless.
Perhaps you noticed that it rained in the midwest last weekend. Nashville played the Iowa Cubs Saturday in front of a crowd of two.
Moving away from the Brewers and their youngsters...
Willie Randolph was fired last night, along with pitching coach Rick Peterson and first-base coach Tom Nieto. It's the Nieto axe that'll really shake things up. You know when there's a bad seed coaching at first, it can poison the whole clubhouse. The new Mets skipper will be Jerry Manuel, therefore confusing all of us who can't keep Jerry Manuel and Charlie Manuel (managing the division rival Phillies) straight.
Also fired: Bill Bavasi, possibly the worst GM in baseball.
Not going to be fired anytime soon: Sandy Alderson, interviewed by Ducksnorts.
Finally, Josh's Hardball Times column this week uses pitch f/x data to figure out how best to pitch at Coors. Great stuff as always.
Check back this afternoon for five questions with a Blue Jays pundit.
13 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Bavasi
I think it is going to be really interesting to see who the Mariners hire. When you fire a guy mid season like that you wonder if some doors might be closed to them. Many teams let their assistant GMs look for work in the off season but now they are under contract in mid year and it is uncertain who might even be available. If I am a team I sure as hell am not going to be too happy if the M’s want to interview my right hand man at this point in the season.
From the piece on Kendall
The Pirates had a runner on first base and the Brewers had a 4-0 lead when Kendall put down the right combination of fingers for a slider. With a 1-and-1 count on Pittsburgh right fielder Xavier Nady, Sheets threw it, and Nady grounded into a double play.It fooled MLB.com’s Gameday application, which registered Sheets’ 87-mph offering as a fastball. And according to Sheets, it wasn’t the only one he had thrown this season.
Well it doesn’t take much to fool the gameday application but it has fooled my pitch identification algorithm too. I guess they probably are the change ups with positive movement but he hasn’t thrown enough of them for the algorithm to count them. I require at least 10 pitches for a cluster to count and if not it has to call the pitch something else and the speed matches the change up speed so it went there. Ben is right though if that is the slider he isn’t getting much movement on it.
Firings
It’s even more poisonous when the first base coach and the hitting coach are in cahoots to poison the clubhouse.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
The Tiger Woods essay
Is it just me, or is that essay written in an incredibly annoying tone? “I don’t know this, I don’t know that, blah blah blah” followed by “I DO KNOW this, blah blah blah” I couldn’t even finish the piece because I found the style and tone incredibly frustrating.
I really enjoyed it
I really like his writing generally and thought that piece was wonderful. Thanks for the link, Jeff
Can't pitch Gagne in rain. He’s like the B-2 bomber of baseball.--TheJay
That Nashville game
sounds pulled from the pages of “The Iowa Baseball Confederacy”—big rain, lots of innings, weird crowd stuff. All they need was an albino sitting on the bench….
Interview
Someone better ask a question about Lyle Overbay. I hope he gets a good reaction from the crowd today.
C. Magruder scored, R. Weeks to second on balk
He was quoted in one of the Canadian newspapers as wondering the same thing. Sounded like he hoped so.
I sure hope so, too
One OOOOOOOOOO chant for old (or ooold) time’s sake in his first at-bat shouldn’t be too much to ask for, and hopefully tonight’s audience agrees.
I'm going to tonight's game
maybe i’ll bring a bucket to wear as a hat, for old time’s sake.
"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!"
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Brew Crew Ball
Related FanShots on Brew Crew Ball
NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Cincinnati
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Houston
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Milwaukee
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
St. Louis
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
(updated 2.8.2012 at 7:00 PM CST)
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Does Billy Beane’s contract extension signal an optimistic dawn for Oakland fans?
- Ask Alex: Will Alex Avila be an All-Star again?
- Create-a-Caption: Matt Cain’s great pair of golf pants
- Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries autographed ball being auctioned by Twins
- George Brett lawsuit claims his company falsely advertises ion necklaces’ health benefits
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
