Friday's Frosty Mug
by Kyle Lobner on Aug 6, 2010 8:37 AM CDT
in Milwaukee Brewers News
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PrintSome things to read while getting extinguished.
Yesterday was a pretty quiet off day, but expect some news relatively early today: The team is expected to make a decision on Carlos Gomez and his concussion before opening their series with the Astros tonight, and a roster move could be in the works if he has to go on the DL.
Meanwhile, Jim Edmonds managed to play through his sore Achilles and pick up four hits in the Cubs series. As part of this week's Five Numbers, Jeff Sullivan notes that Edmonds leads all major leaguers (with at least 200 PA) with a 28.6% line drive rate, and the defensive metrics are also still rating him as above average in center field.
Edmonds is also one of just four active players with more starts in center field than Torii Hunter, according to Jayson Stark.
Elsewhere in role players, R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs has a look at Joe Inglett. For as much as the organization has struggled to find and develop pitching, Doug Melvin deserves a fair amount of credit for always finding a way to pluck viable bench players out of obscurity.
Ryan Braun is hitting .550/.625/.600 during his current five game hitting streak, and hopefully his season is starting to turn around. He talked with Anthony Witrado this week about dealing with his extended struggles, which are a new experience for him.
In the minors:
- We're ten days away from the deadline for teams to sign their 2010 draft picks, and first round pick Dylan Covey is one of 18 remaining unsigned first round picks. Nine of the thirteen players drafted above him also haven't signed. Jim Callis of Baseball America said he expects Covey to sign for around $2 million.
- The affiliates went 3-3 yesterday, with Huntsville beating Carolina 5-3 in 13 innings on a walkoff home run from Dayton Buller. The Stars have played four extra inning contests in their last five games. You can read about that and more in today's Minor League Notes.
- Andre Lamontagne started that game and pitched six hitless innings. Stars broadcaster Chad Anderson has more on his outing.
- The guys from StadiumJourney.com visited Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville this week and, despite the fact that there were less than 500 fans in attendance, gave the park 3.4 out of 5 stars.
Once again, the impact of a disappointing season is being felt at the gate: Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel notes that the Brewers' attendance is down 9.2% this season, the NL's second largest drop.
At least naming rights sales help a bit, though: The Club Level of Miller Park is now the "PNC Bank Club Level."
Around baseball:
Braves: Placed pitcher Kris Medlen on the DL with a partial tear of the UCL in his throwing elbow.
Giants: Designated reliever Denny Bautista for assignment.
Marlins: Signed third baseman Chad Tracy.
Nationals: Placed outfielder Nyjer Morgan on the DL with inflammation in his right hip.
Orioles: Placed pitcher David Hernandez on the DL with a sprained ankle.
Phillies: Designated infielder Cody Ransom for assignment.
Rockies: Placed pitcher Aaron Cook on the DL with turf toe.
Royals: Designated outfielder Jose Guillen for assignment.
With Nyjer Morgan on the DL, the stage has been set for the major league return of Kevin Mench. Mench hasn't appeared in a major league game since hitting .243/.321/.357 in 131 plate appearances for the Blue Jays in 2008.
Indians catcher Carlos Santana is already on the DL, but the news just got worse for one of the faces of the franchise's future: He's expected to undergo surgery on his left knee and is done for the season.
I know a lot of baseball fans dream of visiting all 30 MLB parks, but maybe they'd be better off skipping Tropicana Field. Coming off a recent story showing that 100% of vendors at the park were cited for "critical violations," Rays Index has a story about beer vendors reusing cups.
On this day in 1973, Warren Spahn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Happy birthday today to 2002-04 Brewer Luis Vizcaino, who turns 36.
I know today's Mug is a short one: If you've got time left, you can go watch people argue about chain restaurants.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Favre coverage.
Drink up.
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I thank God every game that Miller Park has the plastic bottles for beer.
"The Milwaukee Brewers' line score is starting to resemble an international phone number" - Pittsburgh Pirates Radio during 20-0 shutout - 4-22-10
I know it's Witrado, but what does this sentence even mean?
At times, he has struggled with self-doubt, blaming himself for the Brewers’ inconsistent offense and poor season and leaving the game at the stadium rather than taking it home and dwelling.
also
because it takes you mind off
I’m assuming Braun didn’t say “you.” Christ, figure out how to dictate.
by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 6, 2010 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I thought that just ‘bling bling’d my article. It notes the part of the article where I drop some knowledge on someone.
by SgtClueLs on Aug 6, 2010 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions 7 recs
By definition
Isn’t it pretty tough not to dwell at home?
by Cheeseandcorn on Aug 6, 2010 9:22 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
you're hitting it with the recronyms today!
http://www.mlbsoup.com
by tcyoung on Aug 6, 2010 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Gallagher stadium promotion
Recently read a review of his “work.” I guess redneck country is a good place to host such an event.
Granted, I was probably ~14 at the time
But I saw Gallagher in Wausau once, years ago, and remember thinking his comedy stuff was pretty funny. It just gets overshadowed by his “smash stuff with a hammer” routine, which gets old once you’ve seen it.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
I'd love to experience
the smash shit with sledgehammer routine – as long as his mouth is ducttaped.
what I'm really interested in is how much of his racism/homophobia is him
And how much of it is his “character”. I mean, if yr talking about that article from the stranger about a show he did in redneck country. Cause a good performer plays to his or her audience, which is what I’d expect from someone who has been performing the same act since the 70s.
Then again if I remember right he was also on o’rielly in a suit and tie straight faced talking about how gays are taking over the world, so maybe he’s just batshit.
i'm fighting all the french people i can find. happy cinco de mayo!
by sowingwildoats on Aug 6, 2010 10:44 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
based on reviews, interviews and youtube clips
Gay bashing is part of his act. He might pick locales to play to that for the most part, but then again he played at the Majestic in Madison (in the general liberal State Street area) a few days after the AV Club interview.
Side note: one of my friends was friends with one of the owners of the Majestic, so I sat in the Owner’s suite once.
by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 6, 2010 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Weird.
I don’t remember any homophobia in the act when I saw him. That would’ve made me uncomfortable too.
Now that's great tasting chicken!
I always thought Gallagher was gay.
"I agree but dont agree"
by juggernaut400 on Aug 6, 2010 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions
there's been a lot of discussions on MetaFilter about this
it’s new. Wasn’t in the act 14 years ago, but apparently he’s gone completely off in his old age.
Edmonds
Does hit a lot of line drives. He’s got a very polished, flat swing through the zone with a lot of strength on it. He’s actually pretty fun to watch at the plate, with an old-school hitting discipline you don’t see much of anymore.
I'm more impressed
With his arm. That’s what blew me away in spring training, just how accurate and strong that old fart can still throw.
So we should hire him as hitting coach
when Dale Sveum takes over as manager
That's not a terrible idea
He’s a talker, and he’s not afraid of getting in peoples’ faces as he goes about his business. If he can prove that he can verbalize what he’s learned as a hitter, I’d hire him.
I wasn't aware that was a paid position
If so, where do I apply?
by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 6, 2010 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Radio Shack Nipples HR Desk
All of your nipples related needs and questions are covered at the Radio Shack Nipples HR Desk. Radio Shack, were twiddling isn’t just for knobs anymore.
He also can’t create a sensible batting order or pick the right starter for an important playoff game.
Get a ife broseph
Oh, he's a manager alright... not really debatable.
His managerial skills, however, are up for debate.
Pujols is the Barack Obama of baseball.
Inglett
is sorta a former Ranger? I never knew. But that explains everything. Was a Ranger. Most recently played in Canada. Now a Brewer. I sense zillions of dollars in his future.
Edmonds' defense
Baseball is one of those sports that is often hard to gauge simply by watching. Based on the naked eye, it is virtually impossible to know whether a guy is a .260 hitter or a .290 hitter (insert Bull Durham quote here).
Defense is much the same way. For many/most players, you really need to look up their defensive metric numbers to see how many balls they are getting to. Errors are noticeable of course, but the rest is often a crapshoot (which is why hitting is so important to some Gold Glove choices…people frankly don’t know who the best defensive players are).
However, after watching Edmonds so much this year, he really is a guy that jumps out at you defensively. His jumps are simply amazing and the he tracks balls is just so impressive. I call him the anti-Alex Sanchez, one of the guys that jumped out at you for the wrong reasons.
Too bad he's not fast enough
to get to a lot of those balls without jumping or diving.
http://www.twitter.com/mykenk
As long as he gets 'em...
Maybe he should play first base instead. That is, he should lie out there and we can step on him when we get a hit.
The Trop is a real dump
really it’s just an over-grown minor league stadium with a roof that looks as though it’s not screwed on properly.
when i saw all 30 stadiums in 2004, Tropicana ranked towards the bottom. however, much like those dogs who are so ugly they’re cute, it’s quirky “charm” elevated it above Oakland, Montreal, Florida, and the Minneapolis Shit-ro-dome.
(Brewers-related side note – I met Gregg Zaun after the game. he played for the Blue Jays that year)
Oakland should be at the bottom of the list just for the neighborhood it is in. I havent been there in 15 years but I imagine things havent changed too much.
"I agree but dont agree"
by juggernaut400 on Aug 6, 2010 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Better or worse than the neighborhood US Cellular Field is in?
Pujols is the Barack Obama of baseball.
Hey, Armour Square's not that bad.
Ryan Braun: He loves it.
by SRB on Aug 6, 2010 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions
I played a summer league game in that neighborhood once in high school
Hot Saturday afternoon, we heard gunshots three separate times.
Those were the days.
Much worse
They have a bridge from the train station directly to the park, so you don’t have to walk through the streets.
"If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be." - Yogi Berra
Nats Park
has the walkway from the Metro station to the park fenced off in order to keep paying customers from being exposed to the neighborhood.
"I've been banging a lot of bratwurst lately".
Uecker during the 8th inning of his first game back
Tropicana was originally built for the White Sox, wasn't it?
I think they were going to move there until the Illinois legislature moved the clocks back to 11:59pm so they could pass stadium funding “before” the deadline.
Maybe he should play first base instead. That is, he should lie out there and we can step on him when we get a hit.
Jim Edmonds
Does anyone else think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame after he retires? He has a career WAR/700 PA of 6.03, which is pretty impressive.
Ryan Braun: He loves it.
Nope
Does WAR even get considered for HoF voting?
Anyway, B-R has him comparable to Fred Lynn and Ellis Burks, who also had good careers, but don’t appear to be really HoF worthy.
BTW – Any particularly reason you used WAR/700 PAs?
Pujols is the Barack Obama of baseball.
No, most voters probably don't consider it
Just asking in theory.
B-Reference comparisons only consider offense, I think. Edmonds’ elite defense has given him a much better career (Fred Lynn’s WAR/700 PA was 4.17, Ellis Burks’ was 4.10)
Some people use WAR/700 PA because it turns career WAR into a rate stat for how good the player was on average. e.g. Pete Rose is the all-time hits leader because he played forever and had a ton of PA, but obviously someone like Ty Cobb was a much better hitter, as reflected in Cobb’s career batting average.
Not that historical WAR is a very exact thing, but Jim Edmonds is somewhere around 70th all time in terms of WAR/700 PA (higher if you take out active players who are still in their prime)
Ryan Braun: He loves it.
by SRB on Aug 6, 2010 5:29 PM CDT up reply actions
At $23 for a 10 oz Prime Rib, in Wisconsin
People expect a helluva lot more than “not bad.” They are making the same mistake that all new restaurants make. They try to please everyone with a large menu and overcomplicated dishes. [seriously, a Filet Mignon covered in melted bleu cheese and topped with a scallop… that’s just trying to hard.] It takes about 6-9 months for a new kitchen to really hit their stride. The more difficult the menu the longer that will take.
There is a reason that the vast majority of restaurants fail in 2 years. Everybody wants to go to the new place, so their is a ton of cash flowing in early. However the service is usually not where it needs to be (especially if the chef is inexperienced – I’m not sure who the chef at the Braun’s place is) so a lot of those people won’t be coming back. There is usually a sharp decline in revenue after the first 6 months or so that most owners are not prepared for.
hi Gordon
he of the reduced menu;)
but yeah, I think you’re right. Mexican places can get away with a big menu because it’s essentially the same ingredients prepped slightly different ways and the average customer won’t know the difference if you make them a hybrid.
But other European/American places should stick with a core of 10-20 items. That being said, I hate the places that serve only 6 entrees (and no choice of apps), 4 of them have fish, and the other two look like they suck.
As to keeping Braun’s restaraunt going: all he has to do is stop in “randomly” and sign autographs to drive up interest in his restaurant again. Of course, he’s not going to be there in the middle of a game or when the team is on a road trip further away than Chicago.
Don't get me wrong
There is no issue with an extensive menu. It’s simply that a new kitchen usually can’t handle a large menu. Early on, a restaurant should start simple. Once the cooks have a handle on the basics of the menu, then you can expand it.
Every restaurant needs a handful of signature dishes that the customers can count on. That is how you expand your clientèle. If your place is known for your Prime Rib, for example, every time someone mentions having Prime Rib somewhere else, your customers will tell them about the good Prime Rib at your place.
You can’t do that if the cooks struggle with a complicated menu.
Mench
that is great that he and his dome are back in MLB. I will have to catch another Nats game in person this year.
"I've been banging a lot of bratwurst lately".
Uecker during the 8th inning of his first game back
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NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
25 | 20 | .555 | 0 | Lost 1 |
|
St. Louis
|
25 | 21 | .543 | 0.5 | Lost 2 |
|
Houston
|
22 | 23 | .488 | 3 | Won 4 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
21 | 24 | .466 | 4 | Won 1 |
|
Milwaukee
|
19 | 26 | .422 | 6 | Won 2 |
|
Chicago
|
15 | 30 | .333 | 10 | Lost 10 |
(updated 5.26.2012 at 6:00 PM CDT)
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