Friday's Frosty Mug

by KLSnow on Sep 19, 2008 9:15 AM CDT Comment 15 comments

So yesterday was a first. For the first time in 2008, I actually had to get up and leave my computer during a Brewer game due to fear I might vomit.

Win Probability Graph
BR Box Score

Tom H. is calling it the worst defeat of the season. I'm not ready to say it's head-and-shoulders above the Arizona debacle, but it certainly wasn't fun.

So, did the Brewers' playoff hopes end yesterday? Chuckie Hacks, The Brew Town Beat and Two-Fisted Slopper all seem to think so.

This got somewhat lost in everything else, but it's worth noting: The baserunning was awful yesterday. As an example, here are two pictures of J.J. Hardy getting thrown out at bases. But, Sveum blamed the wind.

So what now? Jeff Suppan will start tonight, since McClung was forced into duty in yesterday's game. There are some more hints for the future in this JS roundup, which I'll summarize for you:

No one knows when/if Sheets can pitch again.
Yovani Gallardo will throw one more time today, then rejoin the team.
Gabe Kapler is back with the team but can't slide head first or throw.
Mat Gamel's elbow pain has been diagnosed as tendinitis.
Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall will only play against lefties the rest of the way.
Mike Rivera isn't going to play at all. No reason. Just sitting a guy who's hitting .311/.382/.443 as a catcher but will finish the season with less than 70 plate appearances on a team that's "going for it." Did Mike Rivera kill somebody's pets? I'm honestly flabbergasted by this one.

Baseball Musings says Dave Bush's slugging percentage allowed is the one thing keeping him from becoming an elite pitcher. To me, he seems a little farther away than that, but he certainly gives up the long ball.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, CC Sabathia made Baseball Analysts "Getting it Done" pitching staff.

Even after losing two of three in Chicago, the Brewers only need 6 wins in their last 9 games to finish with 90 wins. If they do that, the Astros and Marlins win out and the Phillies and Mets falter a bit, we could still have a five-way tie for the NL wild Card.

On injuries:

A's SP Justin Duchsherer will miss his scheduled start Saturday as he continues to rehab his surgically repaired hip.
Michael Young reinjured his fractured finger last night and could be done for 2008.

Symmetry in action: John Fay notes that the Reds have 4 starting pitchers that have made 25 starts with an ERA below 5.00 for the first time since 1992. That struck me as a really long time, so I looked up the last time the Brewers did it. Also 1992. With luck, they'll break that streak in 2008. Sheets, Parra, Suppan and Bush all have 25 starts, and Suppan is the only one at immediate risk of having his ERA sneak over 5.

Maybe this guy can still pitch? Eduardo Rodriguez was the only Brewer to take advantage of a save rule that allowed a pitcher to get a save without finishing a game, in 1974.

Ned Yost won't be on the Braves staff next year after all. The Braves announced yesterday that their entire coaching staff will return for 2009.

This Mug is already getting kind of long, so I won't reveal any of them here, but there's some good stuff I didn't know in this 25 Fact Baseball Roster.

Oh, and Ryan Howard isn't leading the NL in strikeouts. Who knew?

Drink up.

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Un - fricking - believable

I can’t believe Rivera won’t get any time the rest of the way.

I sense some gritty blackmail going on.

by Bernie's Mustache Wax on Sep 19, 2008 9:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

So where is the silver lining?

We are only 1 1/2 games behind NY, and 2 games in back of Philly.
Maybe the pressure will be off a bit now that we have nothing left to lose.
Fielder is heating up.
We still have CC for maybe 3 more starts.
Gallardo is coming back.

by grant76 on Sep 19, 2008 9:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

My wallet will be $1,500 dollars richer… with a refund.

by SgtClueLs on Sep 19, 2008 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hardy appears safe at the plate

Isn’t Soto tagging him with the glove while the ball is in his right hand?
Not that you are going to get that call since he was dead meat, but the picture makes it look like he is safe.

by Rooster Cogburn on Sep 19, 2008 10:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Awesome

It’s only taken 3 games for Sveum to show he’s not a good MLB manager. No worries about keeping him around next year.

by Marty McSuperFly on Sep 19, 2008 10:48 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

you dont like him?

i think he has been taking chances that yost wasnt willing to do.
-parra out of the rotation.
-he pushed sheets out there to pitch, when yost probably wouldnt have.
-tony gwynn isnt playing anymore

he could have won all three of those games. and really should be 2-1; if torres doesn’t cough it up last night.
im so confused…

MY BREWERS PICS ON FLICKR

by Jamie in LA on Sep 19, 2008 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Jamie....

Dale is at least managing like every game is playoff game. It helps that he has an expanded roster to work with. That last game was just Torres blowing it.

Torres should not have gone a week between outings. You can blame Yost or Svuem for that. Torres has faced 15 guys on 6+ days of rest this year. He has hit two guys and walked another without striking out anybody. The fact that he has only given up one run in those four games is miraculous. He pitched on Wednesday and Thursday after pitching the previous Wednesday and he got hit pretty hard both days.

I’m not a huge fan of having Cameron lead off, but I kind of like having Hardy hit behind Fielder.

All in all, I haven’t seen any glaring problems with Svuem so far.

by grant76 on Sep 19, 2008 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do not like him

Better than Yost is a pretty low bar to clear :)

The Brewers are showing more offense, but they’re also leaving a lot of guys on base, and generating a lot of outs on the bases. I’m having trouble watching the games because every time I see Jason Kendall, I go blind with rage. Inevitably, when my vision returns, Kendall has failed. 2 for 12 with a walk and a sacrifice in the Chicago series, and apparently there’s nothing to keep him from starting every game until the end of the season. Picking an arbitrary length of time, Kendall is .241/.322/.317 since the beginning of June. Is there any defense that he provides which allows for this?

Incidentally, I don’t think Rivera is an automatic offense generator. However, why isn’t he even considered? It’s Kendall every day, and fuck everyone else.

I don’t know why it’s a good thing that he pushed Sheets out to pitch, nor do I think Yost probably wouldn’t have. If it really had been bothering Sheets since Aug 26, then Yost already had pushed him out there for a few games. And he only pitched an inning before leaving the other night, so where’s the benefit? One inning of an injured Sheets is better than a start by McClung?

Tony Gwynn hasn’t played since he’s been called up, anyway (His last start was May 18). And it’s not like Hart has been doing anything. Even when he gets on base lately he blows the play (missing the plate on the slide Wednesday night).

Dale is not hopeless when it comes to the bullpen, which is a welcome improvement. The baserunning and personnel decisions (Hart and Kendall) are baffling to me.

by Marty McSuperFly on Sep 19, 2008 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mike Rivera was Barry Bonds' driver.

Ryan Braun: He loves it.

by SRB on Sep 19, 2008 11:33 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Despite claiming to be hopeful...

I’m not watching another game this regular season unless McClung starts. It’s the only way I can keep my sanity. Yes, even if he happens to totally suck when starting.

by morineko on Sep 19, 2008 12:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

seth was awesome last night. too bad we couldnt get a win...

MY BREWERS PICS ON FLICKR

by Jamie in LA on Sep 19, 2008 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I'm out.

I’m not watching another game unless it’s a playoff game. I’ve invested too much emotion into this team to see them cough up seven of the last nine or something.

by warwick5s on Sep 19, 2008 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'm in the same boat (except for the Mcclung thing)

I was so angry, I decided in the 9th last night that I’d be pissed off EVEN IF THEY WOUND UP WINNING! This love-hate relationship must be how fathers must feel toward their kids who turn about to be jag-offs.

BTW, while I’m ranting, Ned’s whole “we’re better off last year because we have experience in a pennant race from last year” is and always has been utter nonsense. There is never any psychological edge that comes from having failed. It only adds to the pressure (ask A-Rod, Peyton Manning, etc.) The only possible way failing can help is if players weren’t giving it 100%. I would much rather have no experience than experience choking.

by keephopealive on Sep 19, 2008 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not only that, with the total bullpen turnover and other additions and subtractions, the pennant race experience wasn’t even with the Brewers.

by morineko on Sep 19, 2008 10:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It will be ironic tonight!

Cordero will ‘finish’ off our season…fitting isn’t it!!!

If you always do what you always did you'll get what you always got.

by scottyak on Sep 19, 2008 2:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

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NL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	91	71	.561	0	Lost 6
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	83	78	.515	7.5	Lost 1
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	80	82	.493	11	Won 3
Cincinnati Red Reporter	78	84	.481	13	Won 2
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	74	88	.456	17	Lost 3
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	62	99	.385	28.5	Lost 2