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Monday's Frosty Mug

Major League Baseball doesn't care about me, so for a day I didn't care about Major League Baseball.

Living in Iowa, I don't get to see the Brewers on TV very often. So I was pretty excited for yesterday's game on TBS. I planned my day around it. At 3, my commitments were done, the dog had been walked and I was on the couch waiting to catch game 3 of the Brewers-Dodgers series. Except I couldn't.

You see, I live in Iowa. And even though I'm hundreds of miles from Milwaukee, Iowa is technically part of the Brewers' "home market." So yesterday's game on TBS? Blacked out. Major League Baseball does this to encourage me to watch the game on FSN Wisconsin. But I don't live in Wisconsin.

All I wanted yesterday was to see a rare national television broadcast involving a team I listen to everyday but have only actually seen about a dozen times in 2008. Major League Baseball took the possibility away from me. So I skipped the game. I didn't watch it, obviously. I didn't listen to it. I didn't watch the highlights. This morning while preparing the Mug I heard it was an exciting game. I would've liked to see it.

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

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

Friday's Win Expectancy Graph
Friday's BR Box Score

The biggest weekend news is injury related. As noted in the fanshots, Rickie Weeks sprained his (surgically repaired) left thumb yesterday. I'm assuming an MRI is in the not-so-distant future, but he hasn't been DL'ed yet, so there must be a possibility it's a minor problem. Of course, there are some that would suggest that keeping Weeks from playing isn't a problem at all.

Furthermore, Salomon Torres was pulled from Saturday night's extra-inning extravaganza after one inning of work due to stiffness in his groin. If it lasts more than 4 hours, he should call a doctor.

All of these injuries are, of course, retribution for the Brewers' consistence on continuing to commit baseball's greatest atrocity: the untucking of shirts. Go ahead and click that link, if for no other reason than to look at the look on Ned's face while he's "congratulating" Prince.

I'm a few days behind on this one, but In-Between Hops was upset over Ned's decision to bat Laynce Nix third in Thursday's lineup. I was upset over how dumb it made me look for predicting Nix wouldn't get a single at-bat as a Brewer just hours before the lineup was announced.

The Hopster also took a moment to point out that if Mike Rivera kept up his current production and had been given Jason Kendall's playing time, he'd have 35 more hits and 65 more RBI.

Over the weekend, John Sickels reviewed his preseason Top 20 Prospects for the Brewers. Turns out he hit the nail on the head on most position players, but there's still pretty much no pitching in the pipeline.

After watching Saturday night's back and forth exchange during the final few innings, Adam Charles of Bugs and Cranks thinks the Brewers are showing signs of bipolar disorder. Also at Bugs and Cranks, Tyler Maas commemorates the one-millionth article on Prince Fielder's vegetarianism.

Worth noting: Of all 30 Major League Baseball franchises, the Brewers charge the lowest "convenience fees" for ordering advance tickets. They're still too high.

The Brewers rank 8th in Phil Rogers' most recent Power Rankings, seven spots behind the Cubs and five spots behind Scott Boras.

Jon Heyman has predicted the contracts some upcoming free agents will receive this winter. For Sabathia: six years, $150 million. For Sheets: three years, $51 million.

Apparently Ted Simmons likes art, but doesn't want to talk about it.

Marc Hulet of Fangraphs compares Jeremy Jeffress' drug situation to that of Josh Hamilton. Maybe I'm missing something, but last I heard Jeffress likes pot and has been suspended one time, right? That's a bit different from having to go back to living with your grandmother while recovering from cocaine addiction.

On injuries:

Chris Carpenter is back on the DL with a posterior shoulder strain.
Tom Glavine is on the DL with a strained elbow.
Angels SS Maicer Izturis is done for the season with a torn ligament in his thumb.
Jeff Kent is going to get hurt if he keeps talking trash about Vin Scully. (h/t Jim Powell)
Kazuo Matsui is on the DL with an irritated disc in his back.
Carlos Silva is on the DL with triceps tendinitis.

The Mets pulled off a trade over the weekend, acquiring reliver Luis Ayala from the Nationals. Just when you think the trades are over, there's another one. And the Nats, never one to miss an opportunity to make things worse, followed up the trade by failing to sign their first-round pick.

Three former Brewers in the news today: the Yankees DFA'd Richie Sexson after he hit .250/.371/.393 in 35 plate appearances. Gary Glover is back in the big leagues with the Tigers, and R.A. Dickey tied a major league record with 4 wild pitches in one inning.

Oh, and do you need a new tailgating grill? go win one here.

Drink up.

0 recs | Comment 29 comments

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Comments

Display:

Dickey's wild pitches

He was certainly a bit off, but Kenji Johjima isn’t the greatest catcher in the world, either.

by morineko on Aug 18, 2008 11:34 AM CDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Oy!

$25 million/year for 6 years for CC. I was hoping it’d be under $20/million per season, but that might be unrealistic. I’m surprised that he sees Sheets NOT getting a longer deal, injury history and all.

"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 Aug 18, 2008 11:48 AM CDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Sabathia has to get J. Santana money. I don’t think there is any chance we keep him.

Sheets is a possibility though. I could see us offering $60 million over 4 years. It might not be enough, but I think Melvin will give it a shot.

by grant76 on Aug 18, 2008 12:12 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If they can sign Sheets to a 3 year deal, make it happen

I think they could go up to 3 and $20 per, for 3 years, $60 million. I don’t think the Brewers object to tying up that much money, it’s more the years they’re worried about.

And neck size to baby eating ratio.

by Jordan M on Aug 18, 2008 2:12 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If we sign Sheets for 3 years, $60 million

We’ll have two years, $40 million of Sheets milking every injury and whining at every post about how no one believes his pinky finger strain/ear infection/stubbed toe is bad enough to warrant a month on the DL. Then we’ll have a repeat of this season when it’s about time for him to cash in again.

So, the question: Is 200 good innings of Ben Sheets combined between 2009 and 2010, then 200 great innings in 2011 worth $60 million? Someone on the open market will say so, but for the Brewers, I think the answer is no.

Hence my decision to call it "screwing around" as opposed to "in-depth study."

by KLSnow on Aug 18, 2008 3:52 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Jeffers/Hamilton

insane comparison. I would take a pot head over a drunk every time, and I am a bit of a drunk myself. I would also take 1000 drunks over a coke head. Live a little Sickles.

by Braunstalker on Aug 18, 2008 12:47 PM CDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

The campaign that included Reefer Madness lives on

People think you’ll go insane from using it once, et cetera.

by ol Pete on Aug 18, 2008 1:18 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Anyone else hear

the big news for A-Rod?

"Brett Favre looks like a man in a parking lot playing with boys." - John Madden
"Pujols just unloaded." - Bob Uecker

by kirbir on Aug 18, 2008 1:05 PM CDT reply reply actions actions   1 recs

Should Matt Laporta be added to the injuries section?

The Chinese team beaned him in the head and gave him a concussion (hopefully not the Cory Koskie kind)

by grant76 on Aug 18, 2008 2:36 PM CDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

That sucks

He ran into their catcher earlier in the game, I guess. After the Jayson Nix thing and now LaPorta, I doubt many baseball front offices are too upset baseball has been dropped from the Olympics.

This is a cool pic of Nate Schierholtz running into the backup Chinese catcher:

I didn’t know ex-Brewers interim manager Jim Lefebvre was managing the Chinese.

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

by TheJay on Aug 18, 2008 3:14 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nope

Gone for the 2012 games, but could be reinstated for the 2016 games.

by brewfan2 on Aug 18, 2008 3:52 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think trampoline and speed walking is still in. And you still can’t go wrong with guys cross country skiing with .22s.

by ol Pete on Aug 18, 2008 3:56 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

well...

would YOU want to tell the cross-country skiiers they weren’t in the olympics anymore, considering they have guns?

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 18, 2008 5:28 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Screw China

I secretely hope that all their gymnasts step out of bounds, their swimmers hit the lane dividers, runners smash the hurdles, etc. Now they’re hitting our baseball players in the head.

And neck size to baby eating ratio.

by Jordan M on Aug 18, 2008 3:40 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

To be somewhat fair

That play involving Schierholtz pictured above was quite a cheap shot. The catcher didn’t have the ball and I don’t believe the ball was coming, and was not blocking the plate.

Retaliation should never involve beaning someone in the head, but the Chinese are playing a lesser polished brand of U.S. baseball.

by brewfan2 on Aug 18, 2008 3:55 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I feel bad saying it was cool

If it was such a cheap shot.

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

by TheJay on Aug 18, 2008 9:37 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Counsell with the untucked shirt?

Say Wha??? He grew up in Whitefish Bay (and not the po’ side either), what’s he know about blue collar jobs?

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 18, 2008 5:25 PM CDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

speak for yourself

I worked at Kopps Custard.

Still…that’s not real blue collar :)

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 18, 2008 7:07 PM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

they exist?

in all seriousness, I worked with black people AND puerto ricans and other latinos. So near to whitefish bay!

Sadly, I began to accurately predict what clientele we would get on a given day based on the flavor-of-the-day (at that time there was only one FotD, except Thursdays)

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 20, 2008 12:14 AM CDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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