There's no stress release quite like exercise. Yesterday, after listening to Ned leave Sheets in to get pounded in a six-run inning, I took my bike out for a ride. I was almost home when a car pulled up alongside me with a rottweiler in the back, head out the window. The rottweiler snaps at me. I swerve away and stop on my bike, allowing the car to get some distance. The car stops at a stop sign and the rottweiler JUMPS OUT. By the time I got home, I had forgotten all about the loss.

Win Expectancy Graph
BR Box Score
BDD Box Score

Dave Pinto at Baseball Musings wants to know the same thing I'm asking: Where was the bullpen yesterday?

Jim Powell has a new blog up. Topics covered include yesterday's game, Bobby Thomson, Ryan Braun's contract, Mark Attanasio and the upcoming trip to Boston.

Big League Stew also interviewed Bob Uecker, but the questions had more to do with Mr. Belvedere than baseball.

Bugs and Cranks has the Brewers 17th in their most recent power poll. Is snark required here? I've lost my decoder ring.

This has been done to death, I know, but Fangraphs still thinks the Padres won the Scott Linebrink trade.

On injuries:

Mariners utilityman Willie Bloomquist harvested too many razor clams and was fined $50.
Twins OF Carlos Gomez missed yesterday's game with the flu.
Nats 1B Nick Johnson will miss 4-6 weeks with a torn tendon sheath in his wrist.
White Sox 2B Juan Uribe left last night's game with a leg injury.

I don't recall if I've mentioned it here or not, but Paul DePodesta is blogging now. On the surface it seems like a great idea, but Gaslamp Ball notes that some of the comments he's getting are getting increasingly obnoxious. I'd rather have my front office personnel working on improving the team, personally.

Some people know what it takes to win: Brandon Webb is 9-0.

And some people don't: Reds IF/OF Jerry Hairston reportedly told Marlins 1B Wes Helms he thinks the Marlins will win the East, because they're gritty.

Speaking of former Brewers, Glendon Rusch declined an outright assignment to the minors and is now a free agent. Supposedly the Rockies are interested. Really?

Apparently Andruw Jones only hits changeups. Did someone tell Ben Sheets?

I think everyone stashes change sometimes. I keep mine in a giant plastic parking meter. But I've never managed to accumulate 150,000 pennies, and even if I did I probably wouldn't stash them in a teammate's locker.

I'm not sure if it'll help you make 150,000 pennies, but Baseball Digest Daily is looking for writers.

And, by the way, here's the most bizarre animation you'll ever see made from graffiti. Incredible.

The Mug is off tomorrow and Sunday so I can go back to driving all over the midwest. Drink up.

I think I got a little too much frustration yesterday. Saturday night, the cruise control on my car went out about 350 miles from home. Narveson had a no-hitter going through 3 innings in Omaha yesterday before I jinxed it and he gave up the game-winning run in the 4th. Mike Cameron is jogging out his ground balls in AAA in a way that would make Johnny Estrada jealous. Omaha walked the bases loaded in the seventh, but Brad Nelson saw fit to swing and miss at 3 straight pitches to end the inning anyway.

Then I got back in the car and heard the last 3 innings of yesterday's game. One strategic note still irks me:

Craig Counsell walked in the 9th, which was great. So now we've got Bill Hall up, fresh off a seventh inning home run. Am I the only one who screamed when they told him to bunt? I know he's a big risk to strike out, but the pitcher can't find the strike zone and we handed them an out anyway. Advancing the runner via the sacrifice actually brought the win expectancy down, and was made completely irrelevant when Weeks walked too. Did this drive anyone else nuts? I had 300 more miles in the car to think about it, and it's still bugging me.

Win Expectancy Graph
BR Box Score
BDD Recaps
BP Postseason Odds have us at 84 wins and 19.7% to win the Central.

So Dave Bush has been sent to AAA to make room on the roster for Mike Cameron. Brewers Bar thinks Parra should've gone down instead. In-Between Hops says the buzz about Parra's inability to pitch deep into games is overblown and based on pitch counts. Today I have a new Fan Opinion Poll. I'm curious to hear what people think about this one. Results from last week's poll are below.

Adam Charles at Bugs and Cranks is using his excitement about the Cubs series to forget that the Brewers just lost to Wes Helms.

With the 16th pick in the first round, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Christian Friedrich, a LHP from Eastern Kentucky, in Minor League Ball's mock draft.

Phil Rogers ranked the Brewers 16th in his most recent power rankings, behind 3 NL Central teams. The Southpaw ranks them 8th and does a better job of including some eye candy with the rankings.

Speaking of rankings, Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun Times rated Miller Park 25th. I'll admit I haven't been to all (or even most) major league parks, and I'm not Miller Park's biggest fan, but I find 25th hard to believe.

On injuries:

Moises Alou may have broken his ankle in rehab.
Jorge Posada has a torn muscle in his rotator cuff.
John Smoltz left yesterday's start with discomfort in his shoulder.

No one's calling it an injury, but there does seem to be some concern and difference of opinion regarding Brett Myers' struggles to regain velocity.

No one, though, will doubt Joel Pineiro's flexibility.

Here are the results from last week's Fan Opinion Poll, with a record 168 votes:

• 48% of voters thought the Brewers should have 12 pitchers on their roster. 44% voted for 13.
• 25% of voters thought Derrick Turnbow should be the pitcher to go. 18% voted for Mitch Stetter and Seth McClung, 16% voted for Dave Bush and 15% voted for Manny Parra.
• 96% of voters thought Yovani Gallardo was brought back at just the right time.
• 69% of voters thought 3 consecutive days should be the limit for Eric Gagne.
• 36% of voters thought Ben Sheets will miss five to ten starts this season. 35% thought he will miss three to five.
• Ned Yost's approval rating is at 47%, with 22% disapproval and 29% unsure. He was at 78%/8%/12% last week.
• Doug Melvin's approval rating is at 83%, with 4% disapproval and 11% unsure. He was at 97%/0%/2% last week.
• 94% of voters approved of the Cameron/Hall/Braun move.
• 47% of voters approved of the decision to sign Eric Gagne, down from 61% last week.
• 30% of voters thought the Brewers shouldn't offer Ben Sheets a contract until after the season. 29% think they should do it now, and 25% think they shouldn't do it at all.

Full results here.

To cast your vote in this week's poll, Click here. Last week's poll set a turnout record for the third straight week. Thanks to everyone who helped promote it, and if you can help us out this week, please do so.

That's all for today. Drink up.

The blog has been up and running for approximately 20 minutes since I posted the Q & A with Phillies blogger Tom Goyne, and here we are with a new team in town.  The Brewers start a three-game set tonight with the Marlins, owners of the best record in the NL East.

Craig runs the SBNation blog FishStripes , and was kind enough to take some time to answer my questions.  Here's what he had to say.

Three weeks into the season, we're in a bizarro world where the Marlins are in first place.  How has this happened?  Is there any chance Florida can hang in the race?

First off, it is not bizarro -- it's the way it should be.  Now to answer your question honestly, the Marlins have basically slugged their way into first with the help of a stellar bullpen.  The Fish are second in the NL in home runs (33), second in slugging percentage (.474), tied for third in triples (6), tied for fourth in doubles (48) and tied for sixth in batting average (.266).

Along with a bullpen that has picked up where it left off last year and is second in the NL in bullpen ERA (2.92).

Yes, there is a chance they can hang in the race.  There is reason to believe the offensive can continue slugging at this rate since the young Marlins set the team records for HR, RBI, TB, XBH, SLG in 2006 and preceded to break the team records in those categories in 2007.  The real question of whether they can hang in the race comes down to: can the starting pitching improve?  As the Marlins stand right now they only have two starters who can put up quality starts.  The other three may go five innings if everything is perfect.  If the Marlins can continue to put runs on the board long enough for some of the starters on the DL to return or if the present bottom three starters can actually learn to pitch at the major league level, then it is possible.  Likely?  Who knows, but I wouldn't bet the rent on it.

Andrew Miller, the prize of the offseason deal with the Tigers, has a 7.94 ERA in five starts.  Is he hopelessly overmatched, or do you think he'll turn in a respectable season this year?

Andrew Miller has electric stuff but he has problems with the mastery of his pitches.  His has no consistent control over any pitch he throws and his velocity is all over the place.  One fast ball may be clocked at 97 mph and the very next one could come in at 93 mph.  So far his starts have consisted of finding the one pitch he can get over the plate with any regularity and just throw that one over and over again.

Miller really should have started the season in the minors but with the attrition to starting staff -- it's on-the-job  training in the majors.  I guess whether he can salvage a decent season or not depends on how fast of a learner he is.

The Brewers and Marlins both have ex-Atlantans as skippers, but it doesn't seem like Fredi Gonzalez gets much national press.  What can you tell us about his managing style?  Do you like him so far?

I like Fredi and I think he will turn into a fine manager.  Last season he sat back and observed what was going on with the players and this year he instituted some changes in club policy.  Starting with the Marlins clubhouse--it's more professional this season and no longer resembles a middle school play ground.  Fredi has a great instinct on how use to the bullpen (which, sadly, pitches a lot of innings) to get the most out of them with the less wear to their bodies.

One policy he tried to adopt in spring training was to get the hitters to quit swinging for the fences and make more contact, cutting down on strikeouts and increasing the number of base runners in the process.  That one hasn't taken hold.

As a Brewers fan, I liked Wes Helms, at least until he took the field.  How do you feel about getting him back for a second tour of duty?

I was very surprised when the Marlins "traded" for Wes Helms this year.  I wasn't really sure what he would add to the team and I'm still a little unclear why the Fish need him.   But this part I do know, Helms does provide a veteran presence on the team and that is something the Marlins can always use.  And if all he does is that and gets a pinch-hit and spells the corner infielders once in awhile then I guess he has done his job.  I still unsure of the reason the team needs his services.

Who do you think Larry Beinfest is going to trade for a small army of prospects this offseason?

Oh, you just had to ask that -- you couldn't let us enjoy being in first for a little while.  The word around the campfire is that some trade or trades will happen before the deadline or in the offseason.

Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Josh Willingham, Mike Jacobs, Jeremy Hermida and Scott Olsen will become arbitration eligible for the first time at the end of the season and the word is that there is no way the Marlins are going to arbitration with all of them.  Who goes and who remains will depend on the expected arbitration price and their value as a trading piece.  Ramirez will obviously be the most expensive and would bring in the most top prospects in a trade but the Marlins may try to keep him.  I have my doubts.  If the Marlins keep Hanley that doesn't leave much money to pay for the others.

In short, I don't know who it will be, but chances are it will be someone(s).  A new stadium for the Marlins is still three years away and the front office said that they weren't going to increase the payroll until it was in place.  And when the Marlins front office says they aren't going to spend money, I believe them.

Thanks Craig!

Well, that trip to New York turned out better than I expected. This morning, the Brewers wake up half a game behind the St. Louis Cardinals, in second place all by themselves and enjoying a day off before opening a series with said Cardinals tomorrow. It's time for a Frosty Mug.

Yesterday's Win Expectancy Graph
Baseball Digest Daily recaps
ESPN Video Highlights

Gabe Kapler is all over the web this morning:
Bugs and Cranks chronicles his transition from roster-filler to contributor.
Dave Cameron's first post at Fangraphs was also about Kapler.
Luft on Deck forgot he was still around.

Jim Powell blogged from New York about Sunday's game, Sheets, Gallardo and the lineup switch.

In-Between Hops notes that the Brewers are having moderate success even with all of their top expected run producers hitting under .300, and most hitting under .250.

Brief Alphabetical Morning (BAM) Injury Reports:

Erik Bedard was scratched with hip problems again yesterday.
Adrian Beltre was held out of yesterday's M's game with a sore hamstring.
Tom Glavine left yesterday's game in the first inning with a strained hamstring.
Yankees C Jose Molina injured his hamstring last night and had to leave the game. Jorge Posada came in as the emergency backup but still can't throw.

Dayn Perry, whose last column warned us not to get too excited about the Cardinals, wants to make sure we're not too excited about the Orioles, either.

This post at Rowland's Office should make the 29 teams that didn't sign Andruw Jones feel pretty good about themselves.

The Biz of Baseball caught me off guard this morning: They have a list of quotes from Buck Martinez yesterday that provide actual insight into the game of baseball. Color commentators can be more than just a stream of cliches? What a novel concept.

So it turns out that, when the Phillies traded Wes Helms to the Marlins for cash considerations, the "cash" turned out to be a dollar. Then the Phillies paid part of his contract. That seems illogical, but I read it on the internet so it must be true. If it is true, the money wasted would be about the same as the money wasted to tear up the concrete at the new Yankee Stadium to remove a Red Sox jersey.

On a serious note, thoughts and well wishes go out to Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball, whose son was recently diagnosed with autism. He's asked bloggers from around the web in this post to help promote autism awareness. Read it if you've got a moment and are so inclined.

Now, it's Monday, so I've got polls. First, the BCB ballot for NL Awards in BaseballHappenings.com's webpoll is due at the end of the day today, so go here to vote on the ballot.

The second weekly fan opinion poll has been posted as well, go here to vote. Last week 87 voters participated, I'd like to get it over 100 this week. If you can help promote the poll in any way, please do so.

Here are the results from last week's poll:

• 52% of voters said they are concerned with Bill Hall's strikeout rate.
• 65% of voters were not concerned by David Riske's 4 2/3 IP in the team's first 6 games.
• 55% of voters thought Gabe Kapler should remain on the roster in place of Gabe Gross when Mike Cameron returns, although it's possible a problem with the wording in the question skewed the results. 16% thought Kapler should replace Joe Dillon, and 12% thought he should replace Tony Gwynn.
• 77% of voters thought Yovani Gallardo should replace Dave bush in the rotation when he returns from the DL.
• 93% of voters thought the Brewers made the right move keeping Mike Rivera over Eric Munson and Vinny Rottino.
• Ned Yost's approval rating is at 77%, with 17% unsure and 5% disapproval.
• Doug Melvin's approval rating is at 91%, with 5% unsure and 2% disapproval.
• 95% of voters approve of the decision to sign Cameron and move Hall and Braun.
• 49% of voters approve of the decision to sign Eric Gagne, with 25% unsure and 25% disapproving.
• 37% of voters think the Brewers should wait until after the season to make a contract offer to Ben Sheets. 29% think they should offer him an extension now, 21% think they should not and 10% are unsure.

The full results are here. This week's poll features five new questions but continues to track the approval rating of Yost and Melvin, the fan opinion on the Cameron and Gagne signings and the fan opinion on Sheets' contract situation.

That's all for today. Drink up.