TooLiveBrew

Jeff Hem just noted that the Sounds were not allowed to wear their pants longer than just below the knees last season, but they're allowed to wear them how they like this season. Additionally, the Royals require all their minor leaguers to wear their pants down to just their knees. I had no idea this was a thing. What the heck? Why would you require all your minor leaguers to do this? Some corporate-speak nonsense about building unity?

I had the same issue, use this link instead. Sean Halton goes deep as I type this! It's weird... this audio link is a good 30 seconds or so behind the live box score updates

Zombie Winter 2012-13?

Ale Asylum is 2/2 for me. Had Hopalicious a few months back, and picked up a 6-pack of Ambergeddon this weekend. Sticky McDoogle will be my next 6-pack... can't wait to try it.

Somewhere, Rick Ankiel just let out a sigh & thought, "What might have been..."

Greg Hopkins with the early nominee for Brewers MiLB tweet of the season:

To me, this says Yuni's days with the big club are numbered. At least... I hope they are.

Omaha Overpowers Sounds, 11-2, On Sunday Afternoon Hayes Belts Two Homers, Drives In Seven For Storm Chasers Nashville Sounds http://i.imgur.com/45lhkOh.jpg Tyler Thornburg (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds) PAPILLION, Neb. - Omaha catcher Brett Hayes was a one-man wrecking crew on Sunday afternoon at Werner Park, homering twice and driving in seven runs to lead the Storm Chasers to an 11-2 victory over the Nashville Sounds. Hayes missed the cycle by a triple during his 4-for-4 afternoon and produced the most RBIs against Nashville since Albuquerque's Jerry Sands drove in eight runs during his two grand slam performance on July 29, 2012. Omaha grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Hayes turned a two-out Tyler Thornburg fastball into a line-drive, two-run double to deep center. The Sounds evened the contest at 2-2 in the third against Omaha right-hander Brian Sanches. [Dayton] Buller led off with an infield single and raced around to score the first Nashville run when Hainley Statia doubled off the left-center wall. After Blake Davis advanced Statia to third with a groundout, Scooter Gennett drove in his third run of the series with an RBI groundout up the middle that deflected off the pitcher before being fielded by the third baseman. Hayes struck again with another huge two-out knock for the Storm Chasers in the home half of the third, belting a towering three-run homer to left off Thornburg to propel Omaha to a 5-2 advantage. The pair of baserunners on board for the backstop's first home run of the year each reached due to wildness by the Sounds right-hander: David Lough was hit by a pitch and Johnny Giavotella drew a five -pitch walk. Sanches (1-0) picked up the victory for Omaha by limiting the Sounds to two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. Thornburg (0-1) was saddled with a loss in his first decision of the year after allowing five runs in his five frames of action. Omaha broke the game open in the sixth against veteran Sounds reliever Jim Hoey, plating four runs to increase the advantage to 9-2. After the Storm Chasers loaded the bases with no out on a pair of singles and a walk against the right-hander, Willy Taveras quickly unloaded them with a three-run triple off the right field wall. Brandon Wood followed with an RBI single to left to drive in Taveras with the fourth Omaha run of the frame. Hayes capped off his day in the seventh when he slugged his second longball of the contest, a two-run shot to right that chased Hoey from the contest and made it an 11-2 game. The Omaha bullpen was spotless behind Sanches. Louis Coleman worked 2 1/3 frames before Blaine Boyer closed out the win with a scoreless ninth that included three strikeouts. Hunter Morris doubled as part of a 2-for-4 game for the Sounds, the first baseman's team-leading fourth multi-hit effort of the young season. Right-hander Johnnie Lowe made his season debut for the Sounds with 1 2/3 scoreless frames of relief. The Sounds will attempt to gain a series split when the teams wrap up the four-game series with an 11:05 a.m. contest on Monday morning. Right-hander Hiram Burgos (0-1, 1.80) will toe the rubber for Nashville and face Omaha southpaw Will Smith (1-1, 4.50). Nashville Box This was Gennett's first hitless game on the season. Nice to see him still work a walk & drive in a run. Gennett: 0-3, BB, RBI Morris: 2-4, 2B Stephen Parker: 2-4 Buller: 1-4 Statia: 1-3, 2B, RBI, OF assist (played LF today) [pre]Thornburg: 5 IP 4 H 5 R 5 ER 1 BB 3 K HBP 85 TP (58 strikes) 4:5 GO:FO Hoey: 1.1 IP 7 H 6 R 6 ER 1 BB 2 K HBP Lowe: 1.2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K[/pre] Nashville PbP Nashville Gameday

Cubs claim Kameron Loe http://i.imgur.com/9MnVIDZ.gif

Axford in 2012 -- April: 4.70 ERA May: 2.31 June: 9.00 July: 4.70 August: 5.79 September: 2.93 He was good for 2 out of 6 months, and awful for the rest.

Sounds Snap Three-Game Skid With 8-5 Win In Omaha Parker, Garner Each Homer For Second Straight Night For Nashville Nashville Sounds http://i.imgur.com/KMj3s9M.jpg Sean Halton (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds) PAPILLION, Neb. - Stephen Parker's sixth-inning home run put the Sounds in front for good as Nashville defeated the division-rival Omaha Storm Chasers by an 8-5 margin on a chilly Saturday evening at Werner Park. With the win, Nashville (4-5) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Sounds rapped out 12 hits on the night, including two-hit efforts by five different players. Nashville broke a scoreless tie in the third on Sean Halton's bases-loaded, two-run double into the right field corner off Omaha left-hander Everett Teaford. The two-bagger plated Scooter Gennett and Caleb Gindl and chased the Storm Chasers' spot starter from the contest. Cole Garner (2-for-5) greeted new Omaha hurler Atahualpa Severino with a first-pitch, three-run homer to left, a line-drive shot that barely cleared the wall and upped the Nashville lead to 5-0. The three-run blast was the outfielder's third roundtripper of the season, tying Hunter Morris for the team lead. Omaha got on the board in the home half of the third when Christian Colon recorded the club's first hit of the night, a towering two-run homer to left off Sounds starter Zach Kroenke that made it a 5-2 contest. The homer, which also scored David Lough, was the shortstop's second tater of the year. The Sounds' lead evaporated in the fifth as the Storm Chasers sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs after loading the bases with no outs against Kroenke. After Omaha filled the bags against the Nashville southpaw on a pair of walks followed by a fielder's choice bunt that was curiously ruled a hit, Jesus Sanchez took over on the hill and was greeted by a Colon single to right on a 3-2 pitch that reduced the lead to 5-3. After the Nashville right-hander walked Johnny Giovatella to force home Paulo Orlando, Xavier Nady lifted a game-tying sacrifice fly to right that brought home Lough to even the game at 5-5. Garner's throw beat Lough to plate on the play but catcher Anderson De La Rosa was unable to handle it. Kroenke allowed only two hits in his four-plus innings of work but walked five batters en route to allowing five runs and took a no-decision in his second start of the year for Nashville. He threw 35 balls and 31 strikes in the outing. Parker (2-for-4) wasted little time putting the Sounds back in front, leading off the sixth inning with an opposite-field solo homer to left that greeted veteran Omaha reliever Dan Wheeler. Parker's second big fly in as many nights against the Storm Chasers put Nashville on top, 6-5. The Sounds tacked on a pair of insurance runs in unearned fashion against Wheeler in the eighth. Gennett extended his season-opening hitting streak to seven games with a one-out RBI single to right. Joey Paciorek, who reached on a fielding error by Giovatella at second base, scored on the play to increase the Nashville lead to 7-5. After Omaha brought Michael Mariot to the hill, the Sounds' lead grew to three when Ozzie Chavez (2-for-4) trotted home from third on Gindl's fielder's choice grounder. Sanchez (1-0) picked up the victory for the Sounds despite allowing his three inherited runners to score in his one inning of work. Wheeler (1-2) drew the loss for Omaha. The Nashville bullpen continue its outstanding work. Behind Sanchez, Michael Olmsted (2.0 IP) and Travis Webb (1.0 IP) turned in scoreless relief efforts before Rob Wooten worked around a pair of ninth-inning baserunners to close out the victory and notch his third save of the year. The teams continue the series with a 2:05 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (0-0, 3.60) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Omaha right-hander Brian Sanches (0-0, 3.60). Nashville Box Every Sounds batter reached base at least once in this one Gennett: 1-5, RBI Gindl: 0-4, RBI, BB Morris: 2-5 Halton: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB Garner: 2-5, HR, 3 RBI Parker: 2-5, HR, RBI Anderson De La Rosa: 1-5, 0/2 CS Paciorek: 0-4 Chavez: 2-4 [pre]Kroenke: 4 IP 3 H 5 R 5 ER 5 BB 0 K 66 TP (31 strikes) 9:1 GO:FO Sanchez: 1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 1 K Olmsted: 2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K Webb: 1 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K Wooten: 1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K HBP[/pre] Nashville PbP The top half of the 3rd was nearly decisive in & of itself: Nashville Top of the 3rd -Ozzie Chavez singles on a line drive to center fielder Paulo Orlando. -Scooter Gennett grounds into a force out, third baseman Irving Falu to shortstop Christian Colon to second baseman Johnny Giavotella. Ozzie Chavez out at 2nd. Scooter Gennett to 1st. -Caleb Gindl walks. Scooter Gennett to 2nd. -Hunter Morris reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Xavier Nady. Scooter Gennett to 3rd. Caleb Gindl to 2nd. -Sean Halton doubles (2) on a fly ball to right fielder Willy Taveras. Scooter Gennett scores. Caleb Gindl scores. Hunter Morris to 3rd. -Pitching Change: Atahualpa Severino replaces Everett Teaford. -Cole Garner homers (3) on a fly ball to left field. Hunter Morris scores. Sean Halton scores. -Stephen Parker strikes out swinging. -Anderson De La Rosa grounds out, shortstop Christian Colon to first baseman Xavier Nady. Oklahoma City's game-tying rally in the 5th: Omaha Bottom of the 5th -Willy Taveras walks. -Paulo Orlando walks. Willy Taveras to 2nd. -David Lough singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Zach Kroenke. Willy Taveras to 3rd. Paulo Orlando to 2nd. -Pitching Change: Jesus Sanchez replaces Zach Kroenke. -Christian Colon singles on a line drive to right fielder Cole Garner. Willy Taveras scores. Paulo Orlando to 3rd. David Lough to 2nd. -Johnny Giavotella walks. Paulo Orlando scores. David Lough to 3rd. Christian Colon to 2nd. -Xavier Nady out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Cole Garner. David Lough scores. Christian Colon to 3rd. Johnny Giavotella to 2nd. -Max Ramirez strikes out swinging. -Adam Moore flies out to center fielder Caleb Gindl. Wooten flirted ever so slightly with danger in the 9th, but was able to shut the Storm Chasers down to secure the W: Omaha Bottom of the 9th -Pitching Change: Robert Wooten replaces Travis Webb. -Willy Taveras hit by pitch. -Paulo Orlando strikes out swinging. -David Lough singles on a line drive to left fielder Joey Paciorek. Willy Taveras to 2nd. -Christian Colon pops out to first baseman Hunter Morris on the infield fly rule. -Johnny Giavotella strikes out swinging. Nashville Gameday

Small sample size, but I haven't seen anything from Segura at the MLB level that makes me think he won't stick at shortstop. He's a very good defensive SS right now, and will continue to be into his late 20s. After that I might start worrying about whether he'll still stick at SS.

It's almost like pitchers' performances come down to the pitchers & not the coach...

Sounds' Four Bombs Not Enough; Lose 6-5 Nashville Sounds http://i.imgur.com/ySSs99D.jpg Stephen Parker (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds) ** Man, took me a while to figure out who this was! PAPILLION, Neb. - The Nashville Sounds crushed four baseballs over Werner Park's outfield walls Friday night, but never recovered from a five-run first inning turned in by the Omaha Storm Chasers, who defeated the Sounds 6-5. Laying the lumber for the Sounds was first baseman Hunter Morris, who homered twice in the game, third baseman Stephen Parker, and right fielder Cole Garner. Morris, the 2012 Southern League MVP, connected on his first shot with two outs in the first inning and again in the sixth to mark the first time since Sounds left fielder Sean Halton hit two in one game on August 22 last season. Parker hit his in the sixth; and Garner sent his to left field in the ninth to pull the Sounds to within one. As for other offensive chances, the Sounds were held to six hits by Omaha pitchers, who combined to fan 14 Nashville batters, helping to preserve their first-inning production. The Storm Chasers jumped on Sounds starting pitcher Johnny Hellweg (1-1), who struggled to find control in the 36-pitch first inning, issuing three walks and chucking two wild pitches to give up five runs. Omaha second baseman Johnny Giavotella knocked a double into shallow right field under a sliding Garner, to get the Storm Chasers their first two runs of the frame. They plated two more on two fielder's choice groundouts later in the inning and another on Hellweg's second wild pitch. The Sounds picked up a run in the third inning, as Scooter Gennett logged a base hit up the gap at second to score Blake Davis from second, who walked before stealing a bag. Gennett finished 1-for-4, and has now hit safely in each of the six games he has played for a team-high batting average of .435. Hellweg offered his fourth and final walk in the third inning, this one to Adam Moore, who scored on Irving Falu's double to the warning track. The 24-year-old took the loss after four innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits with four strikeouts. From the 'pen, Donovan Hand fired a flawless fifth inning in which he struck out the side on 13 pitches, before Frankie De La Cruz took over in the sixth. De La Cruz walked two and retired two to set the table for Chris Jakubauskas, who after sending a wild pitch that put both runners in scoring position got the final out of the sixth on a deep fly ball to right field. Jakubauskas stayed in for the final two scoreless innings, collecting three strikeouts along the way. Notching the win for the Chasers was starter Nate Adcock (1-0), who accounted for seven strikeouts. Donnie Joseph earned the save, his first, despite drama in the ninth on Garner's jack. The Sounds look to level the series Saturday night against Omaha at Werner Park. Starting on the hill for the Sounds will be LHP Zach Kroenke (0-1, 9.00) against an Omaha pitcher TBD. The game will be broadcast on the Sounds' flagship station 102.5 FM "The Game" as well as NashvilleSounds.com; Jeff Hem on the call. Nashville Box Gennett: 1-4, RBI, E (missed catch) Morris: 2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI Parker: 1-4, HR, RBI Garner: 1-4, HR, RBI Hainley Statia: 0-3, BB Blake Davis: 0-3, BB, SB [pre]Hellweg: 4 IP 5 H 6 R 5 ER 4 BB 4 K 2 WP 78 TP (43 strikes) 6:1 GO:FO Hand: 1 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 K De La Cruz: 0.2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 0 K Jakubauskas: 2.1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 K 1 WP[/pre] Nashville PbP Morris got the roadtrip off on the right foot: Nashville Top of the 1st -Scooter Gennett strikes out swinging. -Caleb Gindl grounds out, second baseman Johnny Giavotella to first baseman Xavier Nady. -Hunter Morris homers (2) on a fly ball to right field. -Sean Halton grounds out, third baseman Irving Falu to first baseman Xavier Nady. The nightmare bottom half of the 1st: Omaha Bottom of the 1st -David Lough walks. -Christian Colon singles on a line drive to left fielder Sean Halton. David Lough to 3rd. Christian Colon to 2nd on the throw. -Johnny Giavotella doubles (3) on a fly ball to right fielder Cole Garner. David Lough scores. Christian Colon scores. -With Xavier Nady batting, wild pitch by Johnny Hellweg, Johnny Giavotella to 3rd. -Xavier Nady strikes out swinging. -Max Ramirez walks. -Adam Moore reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by shortstop Blake Davis. Johnny Giavotella scores. Max Ramirez advances to 2nd, on a missed catch error by second baseman Scooter Gennett, assist to shortstop Blake Davis. -With Irving Falu batting, passed ball by Dayton Buller, Max Ramirez to 3rd. Adam Moore to 2nd. -Irving Falu walks. Wild pitch by pitcher Johnny Hellweg. Max Ramirez scores. Adam Moore to 3rd. -Willy Taveras grounds into a force out, shortstop Blake Davis to second baseman Scooter Gennett. Adam Moore scores. Irving Falu out at 2nd. Willy Taveras to 1st. -With Paulo Orlando batting, Willy Taveras steals (1) 2nd base. -Paulo Orlando grounds out, catcher Dayton Buller to first baseman Hunter Morris. Morris & Parker got the Sounds right back in the game in the 6th: Nashville Top of the 6th -Pitching Change: Francisley Bueno replaces Nate Adcock. -Caleb Gindl grounds out, second baseman Johnny Giavotella to first baseman Xavier Nady. -Hunter Morris homers (3) on a fly ball to right field. -Sean Halton grounds out, shortstop Christian Colon to first baseman Xavier Nady. -Stephen Parker homers (1) on a fly ball to right field. -Cole Garner strikes out swinging. Nashville Gameday

Why the hell would we pay him that much if he makes the team? It's the time-honored team building strategy of http://i.imgur.com/GTjIfJl.gif Anyone can give up a huge inning. K-Rod can do it wearing prescription Oakleys, talking to himself, and then fist-pumping when he gets the third out via the K. That's entertainment, baby. Well worth every penny.

You know, sometimes you just have to thank someone for steering a discussion to where it needed to go when no one else recognized it. Well done.

I would pay them to take him

That must've been brutal....ly entertaining to watch unfold

Doug Melvin has no plan. I want to vomit, and then punch things. Or maybe in the opposite order. Or maybe simultaneously.

Scooter's back in the Sounds lineup tonight: Gennett 2B Gindl CF Morris 1B Halton LF Parker 3B Garner RF Statia DH Davis SS Buller C

Cards lineup: Jay CF Carpenter 2B Holliday LF Craig 1B Beltran RF Molina C Freese 3B Kozma SS Miller P

This is a really interesting pitching matchup.

Watching the pitch itself, it seemed to have a ton of run on it to the inside, similar to a backup tailing fastball righties try throwing to left handed batters on the same corner of the plate. I think Greinke tried throwing that pitch to the outer 1/2 and didn't get on top of it. But yes, only Greinke knows whether it was intentional for sure. I think this is the far more likely scenario, fwiw. I think you're exactly right that he didn't get on top of the pitch & it just ran on him.

The catcher set up low & away. So Greinke either missed his spot by a ton or hit Quentin on purpose. I'm not saying I know which one is true, and either one is possible.

The glamorous life of a minor leaguer, perfectly captured in one Will West tweet