In the midst of an exciting post season - will the Rays run the table? - the Milwaukee Brewers are searching for a new manager. No sooner was the ink dry on Doug Melvin's new contract extension did he hop the first flight to Phoenix and told Dale Sveum thanks but no thanks. Now six games is a ludicrously short time to evaluate a manager's performance, which means that Melvin (and owner Mark Attanasio) already has his mind made up even before the season was over.
Did Sveum get a fair shot? Of course not.  Melvin's reason was that they want to go with a "high profile" manager with prior big league managing experience. So let's take a look at the supposed short list of candidates who fall into this category:

1.    Davey Johnson - an intriguing choice. By far the most successful of those on the list, Johnson managed four teams (Mets, Reds, Orioles and Dodgers) over 13 + seasons while compiling an impressive .562 winning percentage. Six of those teams won over 90 games and four others won over 85. That's ten out of 13 full seasons with 85 or more wins. He called it quits in 2000 but recently resurfaced as this year's Olympic Team manager.  Soon to be 66, one would wonder about his longevity. Also, can he relate to today's players, especially a young team like the Brewers? He would certainly bring a winning tradition to the dugout.

2.    Willie Randolph - His highly visible mid-season firing won't help his cause even though he was the scapegoat for an underperforming Mets' team who for the second year in a row choked in the late season.  In his three full years with the Mets he won 83, 97 and 88 games respectively. He is popular and players like playing for him. Still, the question will linger whether he has enough to guide another team expected to make the playoffs.

3.    Mike Hargrove - Hargrove managed 15 ½ years with three teams, making him the most experienced candidate. His .503 winning percentage is hardly awe-inspiring especially when considering that he finished first five straight years with the Indians. He also walked out on his team in the middle of the season last year, what's to prevent him from doing so again?

4.    Buck Showalter - the man with the Earl Weaver stature and demeanor but albeit not his success. He's managed a .516 winning percentage over 11 years including a 100 win season in Arizona's second season. Yet he's had just an average managing career. Like Randolph, he gets points for managing in the manic scene that is New York. By contrast, managing in Milwaukee would seem like a being at neighborhood block party.

5.    Bob Brenly - Like Randolph, Brenly's resume shows 3 ½ years as a manager. The difference is that he owns two first place finishes and a World Series title. He also has an in-depth knowledge of the NL Central while spending the past 4 years as a Cubs TV analyst.

6.    Grady Little  - Little is a solid manager who got shafted first in Boston over one pitching change he made in the playoffs and in Los Angeles when Frank MacCourt also wanted a high profile manager and got Joe Torre. He is probably the most low profile candidate but arguably the most capable.

While I won't pick a winner, I will say that the next Brewers' manager will have even a tougher time getting the team back into the playoffs than it was getting there this year.  Despite the oratory from both Melvin and Attanassio that they will make a "serious" run at keeping CC Sabathia the single biggest reason the team made the post-season, don't look at this as nothing more than an appeasement to the fans.
CC wants to stay in the National League, sure, but he has stated, despite his recent comments about considering a Milwaukee offer, that he would prefer a West Coast team. If the Dodgers get in the bidding, look for him to be in the Blue next year. (Hide the Dodger Dogs!)

They also need to replace Ben Sheets. Even though he is as fragile as a thin sheet of ice (no pun intended), he had a great year and will leave as the Brewers all-time leader in strikeouts.
There are other crucial decisions that need to be made, but that's another blog.

As for the upcoming Series - I like the Phillies makeup and team and am glad they are there. Against anyone else I'm cheering for them, but who can go against the Rays? I have been talking them up for the better part of two years and won't stop now. At the risk of putting the whammy on them, the Series will go the distance but the Rays will finish off an improbable year as unsuspecting World Champs.

THE CUBS ARE GOING TO LOSE TODAY!
The hasty exit of the Cubs from the NLDS was shocking but not surprising. This is, after all, the Cubs. After winning 96 games during the regular season they were finally favored to at least get to the World Series.

So what happened? They didn't hit and they didn't field. They waited until the worst possible time to play their worst baseball of the year. They were booed off the field. So much for fan fervor.

Inevitably, their annual trip to the tank came with the usual moronic reasons, the first of which was the insane "Billy Goat" curse. Now that this has become a 100 year drought  I propose a "do-over".  Hold a grand requiem at the Cathedral of Baseball - Wrigley Field.  Make an effigy of the goat and bury it under the pitcher's mound. Offer Steve Bartman a lifetime pass and make the '03 Cubs apologize. Elect Ron Santo to the Hall of Fame for goodness sakes! This recognition would have a bonus effect - maybe he'll retire from the broadcast booth and spare everyone his painful commentary.  Take Sammy Sosa's locker and lock it, laminate it using cork and glue, put 609 notches in it, fill it with empty syringes, tie a heavy anchor around it and let it sink to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Then, take a torch to Wrigley Field to eradicate all of the bad karma of the last century while current players chant "Let's Play Two" and recite "Baseball's Sad Lexicon":






These are the saddest of possible words:    
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
 Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
 Tinker and Evers and Chance.
 Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
 Making a Giant hit into a double --
 Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
 "Tinker to Evers to Chance."








A new park will be built, Lou Piniella will rightfully retire and the promise of a new millennium of Cubs World Championships will commence.
They've tried everything else...might as well start over.

The Brewers In Flux
"They're probably drinking champagne and having in a beer shower right now in our locker room while we sulk about what happened here. It's ironic, where we're at as a team and how we feel at the end of this series and see them celebrating a no-hitter on our field. The way things are going, it doesn't surprise me. It's almost fitting." - Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after getting swept by the Phillies and watching Zambrano's no-hitter.
I now amend my planned comments on the failure of Ned Yost to take the Brewers to the next step. The pathetic performance against the Phillies sealed his fate.  His stubbornness and arrogance ultimately led to his downfall. When he finally took action by shuffling the lineup against the Phillies it was too late to save his job.
He let Eric Gagne blow numerous games earlier this year when it was obvious he could no longer serve as a closer.  He very rarely changed the lineup even when it was obvious that Prince Fielder wasn't being protected enough by Corey Hart, an indication that Hart was not suited to hit in the fifth slot. Perhaps his most troubling example was his staunch refusal to take action against Rickie Weeks. He let him leadoff despite his undisciplined hitting even after the club got Ray Durham.
After having a great August and taking command of the wildcard position the team has started its annual late season swoon where everybody presses - playing not to lose. Meanwhile the Phillies were aggressive and playing loose and now is tied for the wildcard.
The only real surprise is the timing. The hosts on the afternoon talk show on XM Radio, Kevin Kennedy and Rob Dibble surmised that the atmosphere in the clubhouse was getting toxic and Ned Yost had lost the team. It still may not be too late and the players may rally around interim manager Dale Sveum. But having to play the Cubs six times out of the last 13 games will not help the cause.
"The Brewers, as constructed, are CC Sabathia and His Band of Merry Wanderers, directionless and nomadic and in grave need of a leader. Which Yost unequivocally had proven he wasn't." Jeff Passan, Yahoo Sports.
I stand vindicated having pointed out this very point as early as last season.


Replay?
Replay has been introduced, albeit only on fair/foul home run calls and being reviewed in a video room at MLB's New York office. Replay's a bad idea and the way it is set up is even worse. For more than a century, some games hinged on an umpire's call. But they are not perfect. What if a player is called safe on a stolen base but was really out, then the next batter is awarded a replay home run?
If it has to be implemented, have an extra umpire with monitors in the stadium to review the calls?

Dodgers Ascend, Red Sox Hold Steady.
There's an old saying that some trades are addition by subtraction. So the recent move sending Manny Ramirez out west turned out good for both teams. Since arriving in LA LA Land he's been a beast  (14/41/.385/1.209 OPS in 41 games) and has been the biggest reason the Dodgers are now in first place in the NL West.  (Although getting Casey Blake from the Indians was also a good move.) So the Dodgers are currently on top despite making the worst free agent signing ever (Andruw Jones).

It's obvious that he was no longer happy in the glowering shadow of Big Papi and went through the motions in order to leave town. In his absence the Red Sox haven't missed a beat and go into tonight's game against Tampa Bay one game back.



Wrigley North?
Miller Park will never be the same. Baseball again makes another bizarre decision by forcing the hurricane trapped Houston Astros to fly into Milwaukee to HOST a two game series against the Cubs. What happens? Beside the park being infested with a swarm of Cubs Blue, Carlos Zambrano no hits them yesterday and Ted Lilly one hits them today. St Louis and Atlanta were both available.  Miller Park is hardly a neutral place. So while the Cubs took a leisurely 90 mile trek to Milwaukee, the Astros had to re-group from their hurricane ravaged city, fly to Milwaukee  and get there yesterday just two hours before the game and faced a hostile crowd for their "home" game. If they insist on calling Miller Park Wrigley North (insulting to all Brewers fans) then why doesn't the Cubs, awash with cash, just buy it and rent it out to the Brewers? How arrogant. Who runs the MLB office?

 

One day last week during the Carolina Panthers training camp, All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith who is known for trash talking the defensive backs during practice went a little too far when cornerback Ken Lucas smacked back. The result: a broken nose for Lucas and a two week regular season suspension for Smith, arguably the most important player on the team.

Why do I start this commentary with this? To contrast the action that was taken over two fighting football players and two combating baseball players.

Of course, I'm referring to last night's altercation in the Brewers' dugout between Prince Fielder and pitcher Manny Parra. According to printed sources, Prince didn't like the fact that the disappointed Parra wanted to drown his misfortune in the showers immediately while Prince thought it more appropriate to stay in the dugout while the team batted. When Parra ignored this suggestion and instead picked up his cap and warmup jacket to head for the locker room anyway, Fielder took exception to this and used his 270 lb bulk to paste Parra against the wall. It took at least four teammates and pitching coach Mike Maddux to subdue Fielder.

It is usually the pitcher's option to stay in the dugout or head to the showers after being pulled. To their credit, the Brewers starters stay in the dugout sometimes for the duration of the game. But it is not a hard and fast rule. So if Parra wanted to blow off steam in the showers it was his prerogative, and that makes Fielder out of line.

Player confrontations are more common than fans realize. John Kruk, former player and current analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight said that player fights can actually spark a team but should be kept out of the public eye.

Ryan Braun seconded that opinion quoting in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"It could be a bad thing if half the guys side with one person and half the guys side with the other. But I think everybody looks at it as a minor incident. It's unfortunate that it happened in front of the cameras because I'm sure the media will make it into more than what it was. Things like that happen over the course of the season.
"It does look bad. I agree. I completely understand how it looks. But things like that happen over the course of the season. I really don't view it as a negative. I'm sure they'll hate each other for a couple of days, then get over it and be friends soon enough."
So no harm, no foul.

What's more troubling is the underlying infection that has spread among the team that may have led to this. Since their exciting four game sweep of the Cardinals the club has begun it's annual late season swoon.  They are playing with little emotion or urgency. They are tighter than a gnat's butt. When it comes to hitting with RISP, they are worse than $4 a gallon gasoline. Reports mlb.com, Yost said,  "I just don't want cookie-cutter players. I want guys that compete, guys that play with fire and passion." Well, you could've fooled me.

It all points back to the "great" leadership provided by Manager Yost.  In all of the years that Joe Torre managed the volatile Yankees, I cannot think of one dugout incident. If this happened on the White Sox, Ozzie Guillen would've have personally escorted both players to the clubhouse reamed them out and then tell the press that he will not tolerate such behavior. When Carlos Zambrno and Michael Barrett went after it in the dugout last year, Lou Piniella not only broke it up he later had Barrett traded. I'm not suggesting that drastic of a move but more could've been done.

So how did Yost, who by the way was nowhere to be seen during the smackdown respond? As quoted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "It's a little bit rude when your neighbors are fighting next door for you to go knock on the door and ask what happened. We handle it ourselves. It's between us and it's nobody's business. But it wasn't that big a deal." WRONG!  For all those fans who pile into Miller Park (23 straight sellouts) to watch and cheer for your team, it is a big deal and they do have a right to know. Had it been confined to the locker room instead of the dugout than it becomes a private matter. I don't pay to watch my neighbors so to imply that this is none of our business is insulting and condescending.

While Rome burns, Nero fiddles and the Brewers will never reach their potential no matter how many CC Sabathia's Doug Melvin trades for as long as Yost is in the dugout. When will the front office finally realize this?

Watching the Brewers go back to back to tie the game against the Cubs in the battle for first place - it doesn't get any better than this. This is the quintessential series of the year. With a sweep or even winning three out of four and a statement will be made that this club will be there when it matters.
If ever there was a series that should garner national exposure this is it. And the spotlight will shine on Miller Park on Wednesday night as ESPN's featured game when Manny Parra (9-3) faces Ryan Dempster (11-4). But the marquee  matchup will be tomorrow night when Ben Sheets (10-3) goes against Carlos Zambrano  (11-4).
These two teams are about as even matched as it can get - both have solid starting pitching although the slight edge goes to the Cubs as does the bullpen (they don't have Kerry Wood right now , but they don't have Eric Gagne or Guillermo Mota either). The Brewers will hit bombs while the Cubs will spray the ball all over the field.
So Cedeno was just called safe on a close steal of third (a right call upon review) and our astute TV analyst complains that the Cubs have been getting all of the close calls. Not true. In a game with an unusual number of close plays, reviews have shown that the umpires have been right on all of the calls.
Bases loaded, one out, top of 7th and Lee batting. Every game has a crucial turning point and this is it. Weeks just threw a double play ball away and the Cubs took the lead! Boy oh boy! Why is Weeks still playing every day? He has no plate discipline and still makes bad fielding plays. There are no more excuses. Play Durham - why trade for him if you are not going to play him.
This game has the intensity of a playoff game and represents baseball at its best. But the Brewers cannot throw games away and expect to win the Division.
The final nine weeks are going to offer some interesting races. The NL East is a three team race with the surprising Rays still in it.
The AL Central offers the White Sox, Twins and rejuvenated Tigers.
The NL East will have the Mets and Phillies battling again with the Marlins causing some discomfort.
The NL Central is now a two team race after the Brewers toasted the Cardinals last week. It will be hard for the Redbirds to recover even though they are still an impressive 10 games above .500.
That brings us to the two west divisions a contrast if there ever was one. The Angels can already begin printing playoff tickets while the winner of the embarrassing NL West should be banned from the post season for total incompetence. Still someone has to win it and don't be surprised to see the suddenly resurgent Rockies do so again.
Well, Branyan just homered to tie it in the 7th so it is still game on and Weeks' fanny is off the hook again. Speaking of, he just struck out and the fans are giving him the Bronx cheer. Now on to the 8th and a 4-4 tie,
No, it doesn't get any better than this!

Now near the 100 game mark of the season, we can more logically see how the rest of it will unfold. And all eyes should be focused on the NL Central, baseball's center of attraction in 2008. This will be a refreshing change from the annual hype of the AL East as if all that is good about baseball resides there.
Three teams in this division have a legitimate shot at the post season but only two can make it.  Yes, barring a prolonged slump by any of them, the NL Wild Card will come from the Central Division.

So, going into tonight's action, let's see how these three teams- the Chicago Cubs, the St Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers- stack up.

Cubs (58-40)
The Rich Harden acquisition will make an already formidable rotation even better. In any given series, they can run out All-Stars Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis and now Harden. If any falters, Manager Lou Piniella still has Jon Lieber and Sean Marshall in reserve.
The offense is as good as any in baseball boasting four All-Stars (Fukodome, Soriano, Soto and Ramirez) as well as the productive Derrek Lee, the surprising Ryan Theriot and the unsung and versatile Mark DeRosa.
The bullpen has been shaky especially at the end with Carlos Marmol seeming to have lost his early season magic and Kerry Wood's fragile health.
The club has maintained its first place position despite the extended absence of Alfonso Soriano. The Cubs have enough to get into the post season, not a rarity, but this being the Cubs, a World Series berth would still be a shocker.

Cardinals (57-43 ) 2 GB
This team is both the surprise of the season and an enigma. No one predicted that they would even be in the race this year much less a contender. But they have been amazingly resilient. They have used a patchwork rotation starting no less than 12 different pitchers this year and Cris Carpenter will make it thirteen when he finally returns to action soon. Carpenter and Adam Wainwright's return will stabilize the rotation and with the astonishing season being put together so far by castoff Kyle Lohse the starting pitching will remain redoubtable.
Even more impressive has been this team's ability to come from behind, underscored by this weekend when they overcame late inning deficits in all three games against the Padres.
Troy Glaus has woken up, Ryan Ludwick has been solid all year and made the All-Star team and of course there's Albert Pujols in the middle of the lineup. Despite being slowed by injury all year, Pujols is close to taking over the batting lead.
But like the Cubs and Brewers, the bullpen is shaky. The meltdown of Jason Isringhausen has forced Manager Tony LaRussa to re-shuffle the late inning rotation relying on Ryan Franklin to close. While Franklin has been dependable, there's still going to be a question about his durability.

Brewers ( 55-43 ) 2 GB
Ironically, the Brewers come into tonight's game with the same record as last year albeit in third instead of first place. Like the Cubs, the starting pitching has taken the club to the point where it is having one of the best records in baseball since June 1. Of course the spectacular acquisition of CC Sabathia sent a message that the team is serious about playing in the post-season for the first time since 1982 and he has not disappointed going 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA as a Brewer.
The offense continues to be inconsistent and there is still a need to find a legitimate leadoff hitter with Rickie Weeks failing at that task. The weekend pickup of Ray Durham will help as the veteran switch hitter has a much better OBP than Weeks and will provide additional leadership in the clubhouse. Look for an eventual platoon here especially if the race remains tight and Weeks continues to falter.
Their bullpen too is always in a state of unrest. Eric Gagne imploded as the designated closer and has turned into a $10 million mistake. Derrick Turnbow was dispatched to the minors and will probably never see the big leagues again. David Riske has been inconsistent and Guillermo Mota has returned to his historic slop. Luckily, Solomon Torres, while no Coco Cordero, is proving to be a reliable option as the closer.
But the biggest challenge the Brewers will face is avoiding the late season swoon that has doomed them in recent seasons. The next two weeks will be pivotal for the club with four games against said Cardinals and a four game series with the Cubs at home. How they fare between now and the end of the month will reveal whether this will be the season they finally break through or miss a golden opportunity.

The Wild Card will come out of the Central so keep an eye on these three teams as they jockey until the end of the season to make the playoffs.

So the Cubs answered the Brewers trade for CC Sabathia by getting Rich Harden from Oakland. There's no doubt that Harden can be a difference maker ala CC and will make an already formidable rotation even better. He will fit in nicely with Zambrano, Lilly,  and Dempster and stabilize the Top 4 in the rotation. But there's still the question of the #5 starter - Hill, Marquis, Marshall, Lieber and the since departed Gallagher have all taken their shots in that slot.  None have stepped forward.

The other questionable factor is Harden's health history. Now in his sixth year, only once in his career has he had a full injury-free season - 2005 when he went 11-7.
So was this a gamble worth taking by GM Jim Hendry? Indisputably yes.
Remember without Harden the Cubs' were doing fine.  The move was to protect their lead pure and simple. If Harden stays healthy and pitches like has so far this year,  that should happen.

Today, the Cardinals and Cubs both lost while the Brewers beat up on the Rockies. (Was this in response to the pending Miller-Coors merger?) Now they are in sole possession of second place.

This has become the year of the National League Central. The upcoming series in Milwaukee at the end of the month should draw the same kind of media coverage as the Red Sox/Yankees.  So far the teams have played six times all at Wrigley field with the Brewers holding a 4-2 advantage.

So now it's Game On!

The Milwaukee Brewers took one big step closer to playing in October. In a move normally associated with the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels or Mets, the Crew just acquired the most coveted available pitcher to solidify their chances of playing in October.

Last year's American League Cy Young winner joins a rotation which includes a perennial
All-Star in Ben Sheets to form a daunting one-two combination at the top of the order. Add the maturing Manny Parra and the anticipated return of Giovani Gallardo in September and the next 2 1/2 months promise to be exciting.

The last time our city's baseball fans were this excited was in 1982 when the team received Ted Simmons, Pete Vukovich and Rollie Fingers from the team they would ironically play in their first and only World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Doug Melvin has a history of making deadline trades. First shuffling Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers two years ago when it became clear that his salary demands would break the bank, They weren't going to go far with him anyway. The key player in return was Francisco Cordero who resurrected his career and became an all-Star closer and a fan favorite. He bolted for free agency and thus awarded the club with supplemental draft picks.

Now a move that has brought a ripple effect across all of MLB-land. A move that causes screaming headlines, nauseating opinion and countless comments from the smug Cubs fans who whine like spoiled rich kids at Daddy Hendry for not buying the Maserrati to go with the Mercedes and Bentley.

In the Yankee mold, this trade included Brewers top minor league prospect Matt LaPorta,  and pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. LaPorta could be in the Indians outfield as soon as this week.

But unlike the Yankees of the past who drained their already thin team of prospects for a
short term fix, the Brewers did not have to eviscerate their system. The team reeks of prospects. No fewer than 7 members of the AA Hunstville team were named All-Stars.
With the nucleus of the Brewers' position players being young and talented there was no room in the foreseeable future for LaPorta anyway. Meanwhile the Yankees, while still able to buy  a pennant chaser, are now finally trying to mold first and second-tier youngsters with the veterans.

Sheets and Sabathia will most likely bolt after the season and replacing them with hurlers of similar talent will be a near impossible feat. The rotation will need to be rebuilt.
That's why now is the time and this is the year. With the pathetic NL West destined to send a sub-.500 team to the playoffs and the NL East seemingly a one team division, the Wild Card is fated to be from the NL Central.


But as "en fuego" as JJ Hardy has been, the Brewers offense will need to be more consistent the rest of the way. Scouts from around the league say that they are still too undisciplined at the plate and swing at too many bad pitches. Here's a clue: Download the Rays games on the I-Pods to see how it is done.

CC and Sheeter. Has a nice ring to it.  So does the 2008 National League playoffs.

So welcome CC and enjoy your short stay in the Cream City. Our playoff chances just took a quantum leap.

Alea iacta est. - "The die is cast."

MAPLE BEST LEFT FOR SAP
There's a swirling controversy over the use of maple bats. Even though they are stronger than the traditional ash wood models, they are breaking at an alarming rate. It is not uncommon to see four or five of these bats shatter during a single game.
Players like them because they are supposed to be more durable than ash. They are also being designed with ultra thin handles to better distribute the weight to the barrel of the bat for more speed through the hitting zone. More than half of all major league batters are using maple models from a number of certified bat manufacturers.

But some bat makers are using the softer silver maple wood instead of the harder rock or sugar maple, and therein could lie the problem. The shape and weight of the bat also induces breakage, usually right at the handle.

MLB, in their imponderable way, called for a working committee to study the issue.  Right.
If this takes as long to rule on as the drug probe we will see trainers on the field stitching up sliced body parts on a regular basis.

The union also wants to weigh in because nothing, however trivial, can be decided without union interference.

So here's what needs to be done:

1. Ban the bats. NOW! Already a fan, a coach and an umpire have been cut open from these wooden projectiles.
2. If and when they are re-introduced, change the bat specifications to require all manufacturers to use the sturdier maple wood and to require an improved length/weight ratio with a wider handle circumference.
3. Tell the union to do something more beneficial to the game rather than sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. I don't believe the type of bat a player uses has anything to do with working conditions. This is a safety issue.

There, I solved this in about five minutes. How much do you want to bet that this will linger at least until the end of the season or until a PLAYER gets sliced open? Then watch how fast action is taken. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen so do the sensible thing and ban them. Ash has worked for over a hundred years.

KUDOS TO JOSH HAMILTON
What a story. Given up for a washed up never was and fighting internal demons, who expected Josh Hamilton to not only come back but to exceed his already lofty potential?
As of this writing, he is on track to have 156 RBI. A breakout season and one of those few trades that benefited both teams...the Reds getting Edinson Volquez in return. The feel-good story of the year.






THEN THERE ARE THE TWINS
While everybody is talking up the Rays, what about the Twins? After losing Torii Hunter to free agency and Johan Santana to lunacy, the Twins with a strong farm system and a few shrewd trades are right in the hunt in the very winnable AL Central.
Consider Delmon Young for Matt Garza, then Carlos Gomez, one of the most exciting young players in the game coming over in the Santana trade. They are winning with a group of superb young starters - Scott Baker (4-2/3.57), Glen Perkins  (4-2/4.31), Kevin Slowey (5-6/3.47) and Nick Blackburn (6-4/4.05). Can they continue this performance under the pressure of a pennant race? Baker and Slowey have already been on the DL. If not, they are certainly well stocked for the immediate future. Young, Gomez and these four are all not eligible for free agency for a few years and having All- Stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau signed to long term deals means a good nucleus to build upon.








IN THIS CORNER...
It must have been entertaining for the beat writers of the Astros and Red Sox recently. They go into the clubhouse for a story and boxing matches break out. Shawn Chacon decks GM Ed Wade and immediately gets released. Meanwhile, Manny Ramirez, the erstwhile good citizen who already was seen pushing and shoving Kevin Youkalis in the dugout pummels the team's traveling secretary because he was not able to get all 16 free passes that he requested for a recent game in Houston. Gee, I thought Manny was from the Bronx.
What's interesting is that Chacon was gone before Wade hit the door while Manny gets treated like some priceless artifact too precious to handle. The Red Sox have already declared the incident as being over. What about the poor slug who was the victim of Manny's wrath? Even though he apparently did nothing wrong, he isn't paid $20 million a year (he won't earn that much in his lifetime). That's what happens when one player is 2-3/5.04 while the other bats cleanup and has hit 506 career homers.  What hypocrisy!



HE'S BACK!
That $10 million mistake, Eric Gagne, is about to be activated after a trip to the DL for a sore shoulder. One of my pre-season predictions was that he would be out by July so he beat that by two months. Now Manager Ned Yost has a decision to make.  Does he return him the closer role where he puked up five saves before going down or does he make him the most expensive setup man in history? Solomon Torres has not blown a save since taking over and deserves to stay as closer. When asked what he will do Yost had no comment, which on the surface seems diplomatic but underneath is cowardly.
Either way, the two happiest people to hear this news are TV announcers Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder who now can come up with even more ridiculous excuses why Gagne has been so horrific.

One of the most annoying things when listening to some baseball announcers is their hometown boosterism and no one is better at it then Milwaukee Brewers lead TV announcer Brian Anderson. His unabashed homerism is aggravating at best and insulting at the worst.
To hear him call a game you'd think that the team did nothing wrong. He overhypes routine plays, speaks of the players as if they were all All-Stars and makes excuses for bad play.

Two recent examples come to mind. Earlier this season, Bill Hall bobbled what appeared to be a routine grounder at third playing the ball off his chest and throwing late to first. He was charged with an error. Anderson lamented about what a tough hop it was and how
Hall did the best he could. A few innings later, the exact same play occurred. The opposing third baseman fielded one off his chest and threw late for an error. Anderson's call?  It was an easy play that should have been made.

Yesterday, he was hyperventilating over the fact that both Corey Hart and Mike Cameron scored from third on bunt plays and was extolling over their speed.  When they took the field the next inning he made a remarkably dumb statement that the Brewers had one of the fastest outfields in the league when Ryan Braun is included.  No sooner had he said this then Vernon Wells hit one in the gap that eluded both Braun and Cameron. The ball was not hit that hard and could've been cutoff. I hope Anderson enjoys the tasty crow.

His constant praise of Eric Gagne was shameful. First it was getting acclimated to his new team. Then is was trying to perfect the changeup he now has to rely on because his fastball is no longer effective. Then it was being asked to pitch five days in a row. One excuse after another, but no mention about how lousy Gagne has become and what a mistake it was to sign him for  $10 million.

This kind of narrative may sit well with the casual viewer, the bobblehead fans who show up only when there's a giveaway. But for serious fans, this type of constant hyperbole is offensive.  Sometimes I wonder if I am watching the same game he is.

This is like Alice in Wonderland. Every player is part of a fantastic realm of anthromorphists - a supernatural phenomena associated with ancient storytelling.
If I want to see fiction, I'll watch lousy TV shows. When I tune into a ballgame I expect a fair and yes partial account of the game that includes criticism when warranted.  

Anderson must have a clause in his contract that bonuses based on attendance. Surely there is no other reason to explain his unashamed illusional accounts of the game.

Seeing as I can only tolerate an inning or two of this gibberish at most, who knows how better or worse it is? I can only surmise that even when the team is getting blown out it was circumstantial and not the fault of lousy play.

So mute your sound and either watch the game silently or tune in to Bob Uecker and Jim Powell on the radio. They call em like they see em.