LouisEly

And on Fox I get Yankees-Rays. Yay me.

Two notes about Niagara Falls: 1) If you go there, the Canadian side is much better. Nice hotels and restaurants. There's a steakhouse with an amazing view in the main casino. And for breakfast go to the Flying Saucer Cafe. 2) While you don't need a passport to go to Canada, you need one to get back into the United States.

Like I mentioned in the original post, it's easy to make that assumption when the people you are compared to are Bonds, A-Rod, Sosa, McGwire, and Ramirez. But we also have to assume that every generation has a couple of players that are going to be among the all-time greats. Every generation is going to have a couple of players who are going to hit 30-40 home runs a year for 15 years. Thome and Griffey are likely those from this generation, and you could probably add Bonds to that list as he likely would have hit 500 career HR naturally and maybe even Frank Thomas too. Certainly some pitchers were juicing too, and the harder the ball is thrown the farther it will be hit - that's just physics. You have to make some assumption that more HRs are hit today than in the past because weight lifting and strength training weren't embraced until the last 20-30 years. Previously it was thought that weight training would be detrimental and increase the chance for injury in baseball; maybe it has some validity to the injury factor, but it definitely increases strength and thus HRs.

If you look at what really helped increase the talent level of our system it was a lot of the HS and international signings. Yes, there were some talented HS players picked (outside of the top 10) in Gallardo, Hardy, Lawrie, and Odorizzi. But there were some HS busts too in Brewer and Josh Murray, and while Walla and Lintz (since his promotion to Wisconsin) have shown signs of life this year an argument can be made that they are nowhere near prospect status yet (and have little to no trade value), and the same could pretty much be said about Garfield. If Covey was signed before being diagnosed he quite possibly could have been a bust. If Jeffress never moves out of the bullpen, or doesn't become a bona-fide closer, you could say he will be somewhat disappointing too, and Krynzel was disappointing. While Rogers, Jones, and even Neugebauer have/had great stuff, they just couldn't get over the injuries to be productive major leaguers. (If you want to go back to Neugebauer, you can add Alvin Morrow to the list of HS busts.) Here's a fun quiz for you, who has more innings pitched at the major league level - Kyle Peterson, or Jeffress/Rogers/Mike Jones/JM Gold combined? Here's another fun quiz - what is the difference between Kyle Peterson's career ERA and Jeffress' ERA out of the bullpen this year? (Jeffress was hardly the key to the Grienke trade; while he can throw hard his value is greatly diminished because of his off-the-field history.) Yes, Peterson had a lower ceiling, but here's another example - who would you rather have, Ben Sheets or any of Jeffress/Rogers/Jones/Gold? Probably the best pitcher the Brewers ever drafted was a college player. Point being, there's risk in taking high school players too, and there are talented college players. And I will grant you that the Brewers definitely should have drafted Bumgarner instead of LaPorta. (Anyone else notice that the difference in OPS this year between LaPorta and Heyward is .006?) But Dan Haren was a late 2nd round pick - would you pass on him just because he's a college player?

If there is a way to quietly approach 600 career home runs and be 8th all-time in career home runs, Jim Thome has found it. Playing for small market teams for most of his career including the last two probably has much to do with it, but I think the bigger issue is that the company he kept in the modern era has greatly diminished the significance of achieving the 500 and even 600 HR plateaus. When you look at those who played during Thome's time who are on the career HR list, it's easy to be skeptical of the achievement: 1) Bonds - 762 5) Ken Griffey, Jr. - 630 6) Alex Rodriguez - 626 7) Sammy Sosa - 609 10) Mark McGwire - 583 12) Rafael Palmiero - 569 14) Manny Ramirez - 555 With that list, outside of KGJ, how could one not be skeptical? Everyone outside of Griffey has been tainted in some way. But I think Thome's numbers are legit, and I think he is one of the five best hitters of the modern era. Quiz - no peeking - for someone with 600 career HRs, how many seasons has Thome hit more than 50? Considering he wasn't a full time starter until the middle of his age 23 season, he had as many HRs before the age of 31 as he did after the age of 31. If you look at the pattern of his HRs by year/age, it's funny how it closely resembles this guy. Power wasn't his only asset, as three times he led the league in walks and is 9th all-time in career walks. He had a propensity to strike out too, but lifetime OPS ranks 17th in history. His willingness to talk walks reflects the unselfish attitude he has approached the game with. I have to say that my analysis is not truly unbiased, as Thome was one of my favorite players on a good young Cleveland team that was my second team throughout the 90s when the Brewers had little to cheer about. But it would be a shame if the sins of his contemporaries and their tarnished images rub off on Thome and the perception of his career accomplishments and how that plays out when he is finally eligible for Cooperstown. I could be wrong - it's always possible that he could have had help. The consistency of his career numbers, peaking at age 31, with as many HRs from age 23-30 as from age 32-40, leads me to believe he was legit. He has never been on any "list", he has never been linked to any trainers or doctors, and never has had any suspect trips to any foreign countries (as far as I know). But one of the reasons he has been a favorite is because he has gone about his business quietly; it's never been about him or the money or the spotlight. He just shuts up and plays the game. If there is justice in baseball, it would be for Thome to hit 12 more home runs this year so he finishes with more career HRs than Sammy Sosa; in the unlikely event that happens, perhaps he will be picked up for one more year by someone in need of a LH DH. His .843 OPS this year (and 1.039 last year) suggest he still has value. But he doesn't seem like the type who would try to hand on too long to pad his career stats. He's never won a World Series, so maybe that will bring him back for one last hurrah. I tip my hat to you, Jim Thome, for not only what you have accomplished but how you have accomplished it. If others were like you, baseball would be the greatest game on earth.

Whoever has been scouting Nova Southeastern has done quite the job of finding some productive pitching prospects drafted in the later rounds. Edit: who would have thought that of all four players drafted from Nova Southeastern in 2009 that someone else would make the majors before Fiers.

Had to laugh at this one: "Perhaps someone was tossing a towel into the bin and it got too "up and in" at Pujols. "

Oh no... please not the dreaded hamate bone

Green & Gamel back-to-back in the 2nd. Both now are hitting exactly .324. Wondering how they plan on getting in a DH this late, even though they only are 7 innings.

Walker missed his second consecutive game for the T-Rats... David Herbek, I guy I pined for in the draft, off to a decent start with Great Falls. Would have liked the Brewers to have spent a 10-14th round pick on him. Kjeldgaard starting to make the adjustment at AA. Hopefully his last 10 games are indicative of a longer trend.

Personally I'd flip Bucci and Gagnon for Manzanillo and Fiers, but that's just me - I tend to give more weight to production at AA and AAA. Interesting that you could say the same thing about Nic Bucci as was said about Brooks Hall, since Bucci has only 89 Ks in 123 IP and a GO/AO of 1.01. Both recently turned 21, and while Bucci is at a higher level he is pitching in a pitcher-friendly park and league and has 1.5 more years of professional coaching and experience than Hall. I think the bottom line is that there isn't a lot of difference between #8 and #28 (or #32) and that's why people perceive it as "weak". But once they get the top 3 picks in the fold they will have some talent especially at pitching with Peralta, Thornburg, a recent resurgence (or surgence, as there wasn't really one to begin with) of Nelson, signs of life from Arnett (worms tremble when he starts), and Manzanillo and Fiers dominating at the upper levels. Bats are weak, but the top position players in Schafer and Green fill short-term needs for the big league club and you can always trade pitching for bats. Oh, and way to jinx Merklinger...

This was the best one: "But when you watch and you ignore our guy get drilled when the other guy gets a little stinger, it’s irritating.” So Saito's 91 mph tailing fastball is getting "drilled" and the 97 mph fastball Motte hit Braun with is a "little stinger". Go have another Budweiser.

Mustache ride!!!

Come on Ax... give POO-holes the mustache ride...

And POO-holes with the GIDP... oh, this game is just fun to watch!

Even better - passed ball on Yadi! BAAAHHHHH!!!! And now add a throwing error!! Karma's a you-know-what, Yadi...

Squeeze? Hard to get Nyjer on a DP.

Even better - passed ball on Yadi! BAAAHHHHH!!!!

"And Braun -- we were trying to pitch him in too, and it was just a little stinger." Uh, yeah, a 97-mph fastball is "just a little stinger". "We threw two balls in there real good just to send a message. If he ducks them, it's all over and we don't hit him." If he ducks them? Hey LaRussa, if you put the Budweiser down long enough to look you might see that 1) it's pretty hard to get out of the way of a 97-mph fastball, B) if Braun should "duck" then doesn't that mean the pitch was up and in, exactly where the Brewers shouldn't pitch to Pujols, and 3) if the ball is heading towards your shoulder/back and you duck, you get hit in the melon.

Would love nothing more than for Yuni to deposit one on the upper deck in left and stand at home plate watching it for about a week.

Watching it on MLB Network in NY. Hearing Rock say "the Cardinals fashion themselves as the keepers of all thing baseball etiquette" on national TV was priceless.

Over his last 10 starts - including six innings so far tonight - Jimmy Nelson has a 2.79 ERA and in 61.1 IP has given up 50 hits and struck out 62.

Actually I think Kintzler is the guy holding the deal up. One of the guys was supposed to "have some ML experience with some success" - that fits the bill for Kintzler. I doubt it is McClendon because he is healthy and pitching in Nashville so if he was the guy he'd have been picked by now, plus Kintzler has a higher ceiling than McClendon. it seems there is always a failed 1st or second rounder in trades like this...so why not Arnett? Arnett was my darkhorse candidate on page 1. Just realized though that "some ML experience with some success" and "failed 1st or 2nd rounder" also both describe Mark Rogers. The Mets could be scouting his rehab and waiting until 8/31 to see how he progresses.

Pretty much the whole month of April. And he was on light duty his first month or so back.

DiFelice is on the DL at Nashville, correct? I haven't seen him pitch in a while. Obviously the health of DiFelice, Braddock, and Kintzler will determine if/when they get called up. My money is on Kintzler as being the guy the Mets wanted who they are taking their time with as he fits the profile of "has been in the majors & has had some success"; there is a possibility that could be McClendon but I think it is Kintzler because he has a higher ceiling and McClendon is healthy and pitching in Nashville so if he was the guy they would have taken him by now. If McClendon is not the PTBNL he will likely be up. I think they will keep Rogers rehabbing somewhere, so that may leave McClendon, Herrera, Rivas, Peralta, and Scarpetta as the only arms on the 40-man available to be called up. They will need some arms as insurance for extra innings games, so I'd say it's likely that Peralta and maybe even Scarpetta or Rivas get called up by default. They have one 40-man spot available, likely reserved for Green. Farris will likely get called up for PR duties, especially with Gomez hurt. They'll need a 3rd catcher, and like X said I'm not convinced it isn't Rivera instead of Maldonado. So I'm guessing Gamel, Green, Farris, one of Rivera/Maldonado for position players. For pitchers it's a crapshoot depending on health.