Wednesday's Frosty Mug
Some things to read while getting ready for a 9:30 am doubleheader. (h/t Rattler Radio)
The Brewers will return to action tonight and look to avoid being swept at home by the Reds. Rickie Weeks says he's fine and will return to the lineup tonight when all the Brewers will wear #42 to honor Jackie Robinson.
Weeks is not the Brewers' only health concern, however. Tom H. is speculating that Ryan Braun may be struggling with his intercostal muscle as well. Getting Braun heated up would do a lot to help this team.
Making sure your best hitters are up in the game's critical stages would also help. Brewed Sports makes an argument that will sound familiar to anyone who frequents our game threads: Allowing Jason Kendall to hit for himself late in close games is not a good decision.
Braden Looper will take on Micah Owings to close out the series tonight. Owings is likely baseball's best hitting pitcher, but will still bat ninth.
Jeff Suppan is getting bumped back a day in the rotation to allow him to get an extra bullpen session in and try to work through some of his early season struggles (also noted in FanShot). With the off day tomorrow, the Brewers could have treated him like a fifth starter in April and skipped his spot entirely. The rotation shuffle means Yovani Gallardo will face Johan Santana on Saturday. Santana may not sleep much between now and then, as his wife gave birth to their first child yesterday.
Down on the farm, Victor Wang of The Hardball Times ranks the Brewer farm system 13th in overall value, with an assessment of $128.52 million. That value could go up dramatically following the 2009 draft, when the Brewers will have five of the top 74 picks.
Looking for something to do this afternoon while waiting for tonight's game? You could listen in to today's Timber Rattlers game, which starts at 12:05. If there's enough interest, I may consider opening up a game thread for it: leave a comment if that's something you'd like to do.
Around the league:
Astros: Brian Moehler has a strained MCL and may miss his next start.
Blue Jays: Jesse Litsch has been placed on the DL with forearm tightness.
Braves: Tom Glavine will take two weeks of rest for his inflamed shoulder, but may consider retirement if further rehab is needed.
Cardinals: Chris Carpenter left last night's start with an oblique strain and is likely headed to the DL.
Dodgers: Reportedly traded Delwyn Young to the Pirates for two players to be named.
Mets: Mike Pelfrey has been attempting to pitch through forearm tendinitis.
Rays: Evan Longoria will miss the next couple of days to attend to a family matter.
Red Sox: Josh Beckett has been suspended for six games for throwing at Bobby Abreu and approaching the plate afterwards.
White Sox: Signed Scott Podsednik to a minor league deal.
I've been saying he'd be the first manager gone for a while now, but I didn't expect the drum to start beating this early: Ken Rosenthal says Cecil Cooper's job as manager of the Astros is already in danger following the Astros' 1-6 start.
Everyone loves a player who says what we're all thinking: New Padres closer Heath Bell is calling out ESPN for their obsession with the Yankees and Red Sox.
Oh, and you can't win a division in April, but you can build a pretty nice cushion in the sausage race standings.
Drink up.
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42 comments
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Comments
Painful
This team is just painful to watch right now, we have to be leading the Majors in runners left on base (how many times can we load the bases and not get a run?). I can’t even get started with the pitching.
by dedgtc on Apr 15, 2009 9:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I thought the Hot Dog fell on its face on Opening Day
Maybe it was a different sausage, opening the door for the hotdog.
by tcyoung on Apr 15, 2009 10:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
sure
i am really impressed with the hot dog, id say we get a poll started to see who everybody normally roots for in the sausage race
by BrewerBlue87 on Apr 15, 2009 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
According to my wife...
Who had the good fortune to attend opening day, while I toiled at the office: the hot dog did fall on opening day, but it was at the end of the race, as he was crossing the finish line.
It should be noted: the wife was bombed out of her mind on opening day. It is entirely possible, if not likely, that she’s full of it on this issue.
by Rubie Q on Apr 15, 2009 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s what happened. He also had 3 come from behinds over the next few days, but Brat won last night edging out Italian and Hotdog by blocking their inside moves.
by SgtClueLs on Apr 15, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought I saw all the other sausages pass the hot dog's horizontal body.
I totally agree with the poll. I hate the hotdog. To me, the only people that should be rooting for the hot dog are 4 year olds who haven’t eaten any sausage other than hot dogs. They also think that the other “sausages” should be pizza slices and macaroni.
by tcyoung on Apr 15, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps we should go with which sausege do you hate the most?
Is it the Dominican Chirizo? Perhaps that pompous ass hot dog. That lazy Polish? Maybe it’s the arragant Italian, or that racist Brat.
I just sit back and root for the taser
I'm on Twitter now. www.twitter.com/Enrico_Palazzo_
by Hyatt on Apr 15, 2009 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The greatest hits of all time...WNAM...
I’ll be listening to the T-Rats via the Intertubes. But I think I’ll wait until game time. Right now, they’re playing a Kenny Rogers/Anne Murray duet. Or maybe it’s Andy Gibb and Marilyn McCoo. Or TheJay and Kirbir.
"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 Apr 15, 2009 10:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Efrain Nieves has it going on.
After 3 innings, 7 ground balls and 2 Ks
by cmow on Apr 15, 2009 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nieves retires his first 14 batters before giving up a single. Through five innings pitched, he has 4 Ks, 0 BBs, and 11 groundball outs.
by cmow on Apr 15, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lawrie with another XBH
He now has five hits, and four are of the extra-base variety. As And That at BF.net notes his first four hits comprised a cycle.
jeff: but i shudder to think of the bullpen analogy to sending the runner
by battlekow on Apr 15, 2009 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wheels came off for Nieves in the 7th
* Dan Robertson grounds out, third baseman Juan Sanchez to first baseman Brock Kjeldgaard.
* Sawyer Carroll strikes out swinging.
* James Darnell walks.
* With Allan Dykstra batting, James Darnell steals (1) 2nd base.
* Allan Dykstra doubles (1) on a line drive to left fielder Michael Vass. James Darnell scores.
* Matt Clark doubles (2) on a line drive to left fielder Michael Vass. Allan Dykstra scores.
* Pitcher Change: Brandon Ritchie replaces Efrain Nieves.
* Angel Mercado singles on a line drive to center fielder Cutter Dykstra. Matt Clark scores.
* Kevin Hansen flies out to left fielder Michael Vass.
You could argue that the fact that he allowed his first two flyball outs of the game in the sixth was a good sign that he was tiring (leaving the ball up) and should have been pulled after that inning.
jeff: but i shudder to think of the bullpen analogy to sending the runner
by battlekow on Apr 15, 2009 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nieves
is doing quite well in my Baseball Mogul 2010 game.
by Braunstalker on Apr 15, 2009 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Allowing Jason Kendall to hit for himself late in close games is not a good decision.
Allowing any of our hitters to hit for themselves is not a good idea right now. How many bases loaded situation are Prince and Braun going to pop-up weakly to center field/2nd base? Don’t get me wrong. I read the boxscores and watch the games just like everyone else, but singling someone out at this juncture is an exercise in futility.
by MadtownTim on Apr 15, 2009 10:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe if your only looking at stats for this season but Kendall over the last two years has been a terrible hitter and is in the game for almost entirely defensive purposes. There is no reason to let him hit late in the game when you need some offense, I think it is pretty safe to say that he is the worst hitting position player on the team.
by Trent Durrington on Apr 15, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Clearly you've forgotten the importance of saving your back-up catcher
If you don’t have a back-up catcher on the bench at all times, you’re just asking for disaster. You clearly learned nothing from last year.
by ecocd on Apr 15, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You could learn something from Cincinnati
For the last two or three seasons, we’ve carried three catchers on our roster. Sure maybe it “eats up a roster space,” or “hamstrings your bench,” but when you have the chance to carry Paul Bako, David Ross, AND Javier Valentin on your 25 man roster… Shit, son. Ain’t no choice at all.
by Brendanukkah on Apr 15, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But he's an *emergency* catcher
We need a full-fledged back-up catcher. Silly drezdn. You’ll never manage in the majors.
by ecocd on Apr 16, 2009 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
more news of This Week in Walks
As we (or, really, me) were discussing in last night’s game thread, Daisuke Matsuzaka was having a horribly crappy night involving lots of pitches out of the strike zone and got pulled after the first inning.
The Red Sox are saying that he has “arm fatigue” brought on by the WBC. Matsuzaka, on the other hand, says he isn’t hurt. What’s Japanese for WTF?
If he does get DL’ed it wouldn’t be the first instance I recall of the Sox putting someone on the 15-day for suck—they did it for Buchholz last year and said he had a broken fingernail. (Can someone tell Soup to start biting his like Sheets used to? ^^;)
by morineko on Apr 15, 2009 10:59 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Japanese word for WTF?
I’m pretty sure they don’t have one. Or even the concept, really.
by Brendanukkah on Apr 15, 2009 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Charlie Fermaint apparently released
Check out his minor league stats; he was a pretty promising toolshed for awhile there.
jeff: but i shudder to think of the bullpen analogy to sending the runner
by battlekow on Apr 15, 2009 1:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I'd say it's tough to get released ten (hitless) at-bats into the season...
but I guess that’s to be expected when your last good season was in 2006 and you’ve steadily dropped on the depth chart.
by Zeyes on Apr 15, 2009 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's interesting that he wasn't promoted after 2006
I’m sure the way the Brewers looked at it was: he was young for the level, he didn’t dominate it, let’s give him another shot at it. Not that I’m in a position to comment about his mindset or attitude, but looking back, it’s hard not to wonder if maybe challenging him with AA in 2007 would have been the right call instead.
jeff: but i shudder to think of the bullpen analogy to sending the runner
by battlekow on Apr 15, 2009 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Castro
How much of the control issues are Castro’s fault? Who was working more with Turnbow last year – Castro or Maddox? Any chance Castro is the glue for all of the control problems that Turnbow, Suppan, Gallardo and Parra have shown to date?
Should we start up FireBillCastro.com?
Also, how did pitchers fare in late 2002 when he was the man in charge?
How long did he work for the Dominican Republic – ie, did any pitchers receive extensive training from him? How’d they fare exactly in the WBC?
by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 15, 2009 1:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
How would Bill Castro make the Brewers pitchers throw balls?
It’s not like any of them had their mechanics overhauled in the offseason.
jeff: but i shudder to think of the bullpen analogy to sending the runner
by battlekow on Apr 15, 2009 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Getting Braun heated up would do a lot to help this team."
I’ll do my best.
"If lovin’ Braun is wrong, I want to be a repeat offender!"
RIP Nick Adenhart: Stop Drunk Driving
by kirbir on Apr 15, 2009 1:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Rockies
The Rockies are beating the Cubs 2-0 after 2 :)
by tcyoung on Apr 15, 2009 2:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Harden
Already up to 90 pitch with only 2.2 pitched.
by SgtClueLs on Apr 15, 2009 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, he's getting rocked
Ex-Cub Jason Marquis knocked in a run with hsi bat
by tcyoung on Apr 15, 2009 2:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
What the..
Did Lou just let Harden BAT then replace him?
by SgtClueLs on Apr 15, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not sure
But Soriano had an error
by tcyoung on Apr 15, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
In other NL Central News
Carpenter, everybody’s reasoning for the Cardinals taking the 2nd spot in the division, is (surprise, surprise) injured again. Too bad for him, I’ve always liked Carpenter, but he just can’t stay healthy in the majors.
by tcyoung on Apr 15, 2009 2:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Prediction:
Billy Hall hits a Game Winning Home Run; and then petitions the commissioner to wear # 42 everyday.
by Jamie in LA on Apr 15, 2009 3:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Prediction
Through an odd twist of fate, Jamie and Johnny Estrada become roommates in LA, and the MLB Network makes a reality show about it. :)
"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 Apr 15, 2009 5:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
ha! that would be awesome! i hope johnny isnt allergic to cats!
by Jamie in LA on Apr 15, 2009 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This just in
Jamie in LA is a cat.
"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 Apr 15, 2009 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
well...that sucked
lets try this one

by PagsBrewCrew on Apr 16, 2009 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs




























