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Around SBN: Fighters React to Nick Diaz's Positive Drug Test

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

Some things to read while repelling flies.

The combined efforts of three Brewers were not enough to power the National League to victory last night, making the league 12-0-1 since adding the Brewers. Tom H. wonders if the NL players sit around and think back to the glory days of 2002, when the game ended in a tie.

This extended streak of NL futility is certainly notable but hardly unprecedented. I had this in my inbox from TheJay this morning:
With the AL victory last night, the AL has won 12 of the last 13 all-star games and 18 of the last 22. Since 1960, though, the AL is 22-29-2 in the midsummer classic (two games each year from 1960 to 1962). From 1963 to 1985 the AL won a whopping two times.
By the way, if you see TheJay today, be sure to wish him a happy birthday. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing to share a birthday with Nick Neugebauer. Also, happy belated birthday to Tristarscoop, whose birthday I missed yesterday.

As Tom H. noted, Trevor Hoffman pitched a scoreless inning last night but Heath Bell, his replacement in San Diego, gave up the winning run. Jeff Passan noted that Bell was the third Padre in four seasons to blow an All Star Game.

At least it wasn't a Pirate, I guess: Two Pirates were selected for the NL roster, but neither appeared in the game.

The JS has a look at the All Star experience for the three Brewers, which included meeting the President.

Hopefully Prince Fielder enjoyed the experience enough that he won't mind taking home less money than his teammates. I've previously mentioned that Braun received $50k for making the team and Fielder took home $25k. It turns out Trevor Hoffman got $50k too.

Of course, the All Star Game isn't just exciting for the players, it's also exciting for drunken, bandwagon fans, as Tyler Maas of Bugs & Cranks discovered.

Dave Bush is expected to start in Huntsville tonight in the final appearance of his rehab assignment, and could rejoin the starting rotation on July 20. Once he's back, he's got some serious work to do: he's hit ten batters in 2009, leaving him ten short of Jamey Wright's franchise record, set in 2001.

Want to get something cool for supporting a great cause? ESPN's V Foundation Auction is underway, and one of the items up for bid is a Brewers Batting Practice Experience, the opportunity for you and three friends to watch BP on the field at a Brewer game. The auction closes at 5:35 tonight, so time is running out.

The Brewers have two starters in tonight's AAA All Star Game: Alcides Escobar will play shortstop and bat second, and Brendan Katin will play right field and bat eighth. They'll both face International League starting pitcher Justin Lehr, a former Brewer.

The Brewers dropped another spot to 14th in WhatifSports' Power Rankings.

Around baseball:

Dodgers: Eric Milton had surgery to remove a herniated disk in his back and will miss the rest of the season.
Phillies: Signed Pedro Martinez to a one year deal worth $1 million, with up to $1.5 million in incentives.

Here are some non-Brewer related All Star notes:
  • Bernie Miklasz is still upset by Albert Pujols not winning the Home Run Derby, so he's proposing new rules.
  • Evan Longoria missed last night's game with an infected ring finger. That's the best euphemism for marriage I've ever heard.
  • I didn't realize it until this morning but, as Ryan Fagan points out, the Home Run Derby was actually 40 minutes longer than the All Star Game.
  • Despite having Sheryl Crow to sing the national anthem, and a cast of thousands on the field before the game, Major League Baseball didn't have anyone on hand to sing the Canadian national anthem.
  • Next year, homefield advantage in the World Series should be decided by a Mascot Relay Race. I'd rather watch that than celebrity softball.
So, let's say for a moment that you work in the front office of the Washington Nationals. You've got far and away the worst record in baseball, you recently fired your manager and you're quickly becoming a running joke around the league. How can you make this worse? Well, you could start by hiring Ned Yost to manage your team. He's reportedly a candidate for the job. (h/t William F. Yurasko)

Today we bid farewell to Chuckie Hacks, a Frosty Mug mainstay which has decided to shut down after several years of Wisconsin sports commentary. Thanks for the ride, guys.

Oh, and four years ago today Chris Magruder beat the Nationals, scoring the winning run in the tenth inning on a walk-off balk.

Drink up.

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Ah, Chris Magruder.. not to be confused with

MacGruber!!

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on Jul 15, 2009 9:48 AM CDT reply actions  

The best quote

From Canadian Jason Bay reagrding the lack of a live singer for O Canada:


“I didn’t really notice and then someone mentioned it,” Bay said. “I wouldn’t call it cheesy. It was a decent rendition. But you’d think someone in St. Louis would know the words to O Canada. Morneau and I could have sung it”

That would have been terribly awesome…or perhaps just awesomely terrible.

by grant76 on Jul 15, 2009 10:00 AM CDT reply actions  

I don't think Ned Yost would be a bad option.

I think he showed that, for a team that is going to be (re?)building with young players, he is pretty good at that job. For developmental purposes, he seemed to do a good job. Once the Brewers began to be taken seriously and were expected to win, then he didn’t do such a good job. As long as Washington plans on firing him whenever they make it back into contention, its not a bad move.

:) + Suppan = :'(

by NoahJ on Jul 15, 2009 10:16 AM CDT reply actions  

was about to say something similar

although the main problem the nats have seemed to have over time is a competent front office.

by PagsBrewCrew on Jul 15, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions  

I just realized I said "good job" in three straight sentences.

Kinda sounds like I am in fourth grade. Oh well.

:) + Suppan = :'(

by NoahJ on Jul 15, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions  

good job

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on Jul 15, 2009 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions   1 recs

Well there's a big difference between the millenium Brewers and the modern Nats

Talent. We had a whole slew of very talented young players entering the majors each year. That had much more to do with the increasing record through the Yost years than Ned himself.

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on Jul 15, 2009 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions  

He did have a willingness to stick with young players through struggles, which is a must in that situation

Hardy didn’t exactly hit much in the first half of 05, and he stuck with Weeks through some rough outings too. A Dusty-Baker type manager and maybe neither of those two get the chance they deserve. He wouldn’t be the first choice I’d make but it wouldn’t be a disaster as long as they know when to dump him. That being said, everything I heard about Manny Acta makes me wonder if it was a good idea to fire him.

E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).

by Jordan M on Jul 15, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions  

No good thing said about the man can go unchallenged!

How much was it his willingness, and how much was it ‘Stache telling him who was getting playing time? A Dusty-type, with managerial experience and the near certainty he could get a different job in two years if he told the GM to get bent can play whomever he damn well pleases. A Yost-type, in his first and possibly only managerial role has to be a tad more attentive to the GM’s desires and suggestions.

But I will give Yost this. In one-eyed man is king situation, given the Nationals recent track record, he may become the best baseball mind in the organization.

by Getting Yosted on Jul 15, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions  

ST. Louis dropped the ball

This morning there’s a big deal being made in the Lou about the lack of a proper tribute to Stan the Man Musial last night. Gotta say I was hoping for a little video tribute and an opportunity for the current players to give the man props (Ted Williams in Boston). He won’t be around forever and I think he goes largely unnoticed nationally – this was a chance to change that.

www.5scorepachyderm.wordpress.com/

by travwood81 on Jul 15, 2009 10:18 AM CDT reply actions  

Real ballplayers don’t need attention drawn to them. He sat there with his shirt tucked in. What more can anyone ask?

by Getting Yosted on Jul 15, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions   1 recs

I'm with you on this.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but until Musial came onto the field I had no idea he was still alive. He’s a legend in baseball history and this would have been a great chance to take a minute or three to showcase his accomplishments.

"The reports are that he is getting better. The definition of better is nebulous."

by Kyle Lobner on Jul 15, 2009 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions  

I didn't know he was alive either

until they were talking about him Tuesday on MLB Network

"my goodness"

by BrewHaHeather on Jul 15, 2009 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions  

Also didnt know he was alive

Plus, I was super distracted by his Shiner’s car

by Nicole Haase on Jul 15, 2009 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions  

Great point

Yeah, in that sense, STL pimped the wrong Cardinal. There will be plenty of time to honor Pujols. Musial doesn’t have that long.

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on Jul 15, 2009 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions  

What do fans think here about signing Martinez to the deal he got with the Phils?

He looked bad last year, but I thought he looked good in the WBC. Or, does a guy like Mike Burns adequately do what Martinez could do for far less? I won’t be around likely to comment more to comments but I’d like to hear what people think?

battlekow: Bill is having an oppo-gasm

by Michael M on Jul 15, 2009 11:01 AM CDT reply actions  

The guy just seems like he's trying to swindle people at this point

I don’t trust him at all. I give it a 50/50 chance that he’s still in the starting rotation at the end of the year.

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on Jul 15, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions  

he is already on the DL

Why would they sign him?

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

by Kyguy922 on Jul 15, 2009 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions  

Well

He was going to have to make some starts in the minors either way to get back into the swing of things. By signing a major league deal and being put on the DL right away, his salary isn’t slashed for his time in the minors and it basically guarantees they have to bring him up/activate him or cut him loose in a month, they can’t keep him in AAA for the rest of the year.

"If lovin’ Braun is wrong, I want to be a repeat offender!"

RIP Nick Adenhart - Stop Drunk Driving

by kirbir on Jul 15, 2009 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions  

Okay signing

For the low amount he signed for and considering how bad the Phillies pitching has been, it’s a good risk to take. I wouldn’t expect more than #4 or #5 starter stuff from at this point but that would be a big upgrade for them. Worst case, they dump him and it only cost $1 million.

by kingcharlesxii on Jul 15, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions  

Unlike the last-place Pirates

It sure was nice to see members of the 1st-place Angels playing in the All-Star Game last night. Oh, wait….

by Brew Angel on Jul 15, 2009 11:41 AM CDT reply actions  

Papelbon tried to give it away

But apparently Crawford wasn’t made aware of the plan.

by Brew Angel on Jul 15, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions  

I believe Torii Hunter's catch in '02

was far superior to Crawford’s last night, just on aesthetics alone.

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on Jul 15, 2009 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions  

Yeah

Bonds, the greatest hitter of the time, v. Hunter, the greatest defensive CF (by rep) of the time beats Hawpe v. Crawford.

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."

by Hyatt on Jul 15, 2009 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions  

Maybe I'm crazy

But I didn’t think it was a great catch. Sure, he did well to get over there, but that seemed like a play an outfielder should make.

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

by TheJay on Jul 15, 2009 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions  

I felt the same way

battlekow: Bill is having an oppo-gasm

by Michael M on Jul 15, 2009 10:45 PM CDT up reply actions  

Halladay

A lot of the talk in rumorville was that the Phillies were the front runners for Roy Halladay. It’s very interesting/precarious that they would pick up Pedro. Perhaps it helps the Brewers chances of trading for Halladay. If he’ll have us.

"I still consider myself the best third baseman in the league" -Bill Hall

by GoCrew on Jul 15, 2009 2:49 PM CDT reply actions  

eh maybe

I think it’s pretty up in the air if he’ll even be traded.

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on Jul 15, 2009 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions  

Looks like

Swindle is the only other Nashville representative in the AAA All-Star game, in addition to Escobar and Katin.

by oconnobe on Jul 15, 2009 4:26 PM CDT reply actions  

The Prince and the Prez

Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!

by ahtrap on Jul 15, 2009 4:59 PM CDT reply actions   1 recs

Obama's a southpaw!

And he almost got the ball over the plate. I think someone needs to sign him. He might be a bit old, but he’s got a fresh arm.

by ecocd on Jul 15, 2009 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions  

I think

he may have more velocity than Swindle!

by oconnobe on Jul 15, 2009 8:17 PM CDT up reply actions  

he’s got Wakefield beat, and Wakefield’s an all star…why not take a chance on the prez? I mean, they’re digging up the corpse of Pedro Martinez for another run in Philly.

Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!

by ahtrap on Jul 15, 2009 9:30 PM CDT up reply actions  

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