LouisEly

Tell me how Al has any choice in where he plays. He can hold out and demand a trade. He's a junior, so if he hasn't hired an agent he can go back to school. NBA rookie contracts are only three or four years, so after his contract is up he can leave without the Bucks getting any compensation. Bottom line is I don't want the Bucks to pick a player who doesn't want to be here. I still say that there is virtually no difference in quality between who is available at #6 and who is available #12-#15, so I say trade down to grab one of the power forwards expected to go mid-first (or Acie Law) and pick up an extra first next year.

Horford has Bucks ties (his father played for the Bucks) so he would be a logical fit. Horford's dad sat on the bench and Del Harris, Larry's father, never played him and eventually ran him out of town. (Or, Del never recognized that Tito's strength was rebounding and blocking shots, but expected Tito to be a big offensive threat which is not him.) So why would Al want to play for the team run by the son of the man who sat his dad on the bench, didn't use him properly, and ran him out of town?

Brewcrew, I was just going to say the exact same thing. They've never had the worst record in the league, but have won the NBA draft lottery twice now. So this is more just balancing of luck in the long run. I agree with what someone else said - if Bogut was in this years draft it's not likely he would be a top 5 pick. So if you're going to rise or fall in a draft, I'd rather rise in a draft that is lean on talent and fall in a draft that is deep. I say if there is a year to "get screwed" in the lottery, it would be this year because of how deep it is. But in reality, there are two superstars in this draft and everybody else has question marks. I would just as soon trade down into a mid-first pick and get Hibbert, Hawes, Acie Law, Splitter, or Jason Smith and pick up a first next year. If they stay put and get Conley or Brewer, I'd try to move up in the 2nd to get Hardin, Marc Gasol, Herbert Hill, Jermario Davidson, or one of the other big men projected to go early in the 2nd. Otherwise, I like Carl Landry or Curtis Sumpter with their 2nd or as a free agent - I think both are better than Noel and can develop into solid NBA small forwards. The NBA is like an ex-girlfriend to me now. Only the ex turned into a crack whore. I don't need to pay to watch crack whores. Crazy - that could be the post of the month

Hawing, what site did you see the highlights w/Scully's comments?

Just got back from the game... some observations: - I was sitting right next to the left field foul pole and JJ's foul ball went right over my head and landed five rows behind me. Check that - it never landed. This dude tried to catch it, it SMACKED off of his chest, went about five feet up in the air, and he caught it when it came down. Never hit the ground, no glove... just a big welt on his chest and a bare-handed grab. Dude got a standing ovation. LA, because of how short the fence is and how it curves around by the foul poles, is perhaps the toughest stadium to judge a fair/foul ball by the poles. - The first HR by Prince was the hardest hit ball I have ever seen. I've never seen a ball leave a bat so hard and fast in my life. It almost left the stadium - it landed about six or seven rows from the top and almost landed on the overhangs for the bleachers where the retired numbers hang from. His two homers were what, a combined 900 feet? I can't wait to see him in the Home Run derby in the All-Star game. - You would not believe how many people who pay $20 or more for a seat would rather watch and/or hit a beach ball around than watch the game. - You would not believe how long it takes to get through the I-10/110/101 interchange through downtown LA. If you are in the area and going to a game, save yourself about a half hour by taking Olympic to Figueroa (or just Figueroa if coming from the south) to Sunset and follow the signs. I moved about two blocks in 20 minutes until I said forget this and figured that Figueroa would get me there. That's why LA fans don't show up until the 3rd inning... you go five miles an hour on the freeway getting there. - TGJ showed some gap power - he smoked that one on a line. Other than Prince's two bombs, it could have been the third hardest hit ball all night. Couldn't believe that he didn't get a triple off of that though. - As maligned as Bill Hall has been this year for getting off to a slow start, he has a higher OPS than all but two of the Dodgers starters (Kent and Martin). I have no idea how the Dodgers have won as many games as they have with that offense. Actually... I do know. Beimel, Broxton, Saito is as good as it gets for the 7th/8th/9th. If given the choice of those three or Wise-Shouse/T-bow/Cordero... I think I'd go Dodgers.

Ted Thompson seems to always come up with some pick out of the middle of nowhere, whereas the Bucks seem to grab a guy that all of us are actually rooting for. Sometimes the unknown guy is for the better (see: Traylor, Robert and Nowitzki, Dirk). Also Exhibit A for trading down, and drafting offense/overall game over "defense"/rebounding. Sometimes the unknown guy is a bad thing (see: Kornet, Frank and Robinson, Cliff).

What about the 7' dude from China? They list him as PF, so that wouldn't irritate Bogut. (FWIW, IMO Bogut isn't a bust yet - his previous coaches didn't know how to use him correctly. He had the third highest assists/game average on the team, which always intrigued me how often he put up 6 or more assists in a game. He's a great passer and a good rebounder, and if they run the offense through him more and get him more touches he could easily average 15pts, 10 reb, and 5-6 assists.) I think he and Horford are the best bets at #3, but who knows how Horford will feel about playing in Milwaukee. In reality, if they don't get a top 2 pick, I wouldn't object to them trading down. If they can get two #1s by trading down, they could get Corey Brewer to shore up the SF/SG defense, or a power forward/C like Hibbert, Tiago Splitter from Brazil, or Jason Smith (Colorado St.). Also, lots of C/PF available late 1st/early 2nd - Glen Davis (LSU), Marc Gasol (Pau's brother?), Nick Fazekas (Nevada), Herbert Hill (Providence), Aaron Gray (Pitt), Kyle Visser (Wake Forest), DeVon Hardin (Cal), Jermario Davidson (Alabama), and a host of players from Eastern Europe. (Edit - @#%$, didn't notice the Bucks traded their 2nd to San Antonio... not the year to do that.) Two guys who intrigue me that may go undrafted or can be had with their 2nd from Houston at #56 - Curtis Sumpter (Villanova), and Carl Landry (Purdue). Both I think are better than Noel, and can develop into a solid NBA small forward. Assuming they end up at #3, if they trade down say 10 slots and pick up a late first (say, via trade w/Philadelphia, Charlotte, Phoenix, or Detriot), they could end up with: PG: Williams, Boykins, Greer? SG: Redd, Bell SF: Patterson, Simmons(?), Ilyasova, Landry/Sumpter PF: Villanueva, Splitter, Skinner C: Bogut, Gadzuric, Marc Gasol

trwi7, you can be my VP! Thanks guys. There must be some "haters" out there, as of this morning my average rating was 3 stars. Make sure you click on the 5th star, the one furthest to the right. It's like an election in Chicago - vote early and often!

Hey all, I decided to take a shot at my 15 minutes of fame and enter myself in Esquire magazine's 2007 Best Dressed Real Man competition. Voting does not determine the winner, however the more good votes you receive the more noticed by the judges you get. (Go ahead and enter the contest if you like!) I've checked out the competition... and I'm not scared. Some are downright comical. But all five-star votes for me are greatly appreciated and would help. Here is the link to my profile: Esquire 2007 Best Dressed Real Man - vote Again, any and all support from the Brewerfan.net nation is greatly appreciated. And if you're looking for a good laugh, check out the other entrants. Some of them are a riot!

Nathan Southard hits a ground-rule double (9) on a fly ball to center field. This is the first time I have ever seen anyone in any sport at any professional level with the same last name as me.

Lots of spaghetti to toss up against the wall if they need a reliever. Bray and Zumwalt looking good... but the one I think might just get the next shot at the MIL bullpen is Luther Hackman. He's been there before, has experience, and looked pretty good last year in Huntsville and so far almost untouchable this year in Nashville. Wouldn't surprise me to see Hackman up and Spurling down in the next month, if not the next two weeks.

David Welch throws five no-hit innings That's my boy!! THAT'S MY BOY!!!! 0.90 ERA - yeah, (pee) on Will Inman!!

Upper Deck packs are 1991 I think. But it's all or nothing - no cherry-picking what you want, I need to clear some space out of my closet. I've already had a couple of replies - check your inboxes.

Thousands of cards from ~1980 to ~1991, some sets (full and updates), plenty of rookies (including Bonds 1986 Topps Update), and an unopened box of Upper Deck packs. Bulk of collection is 1987-1990 so they are not worth that much, but they are yours for free. All I ask is that you reimburse me for shipping. Email me for more details. No, you cannot have my Jeff Peterek, George "Panama" Canale, Steve Stanicek, or LaVel Freeman rookies.

I saw him pitch last year at AT&T/Pac Bell/Whatever it is now stadium in San Francisco. His control was a little shaky, but he allowed only four hits in five innings, none of them hit hard, and he made Bonds look silly a couple of times. I think the one K he had was on Bonds; he had Bonds set up for a high fastball and threw the change, and Bonds just about screwed himself into the dirt. He then threw the high heat right by him. He has promise. Don't write him off yet.

Not a great showing by anyone here... Well, I'd say that Oxspring and Capellan had pretty good showings. Funny - Drew Anderson has had exactly one hit in every game so far.

Shouldn't Katuluu's comments have been in blue? We're talking about Steve Moss, a guy who has purposely been left off of the 40-man and exposed to the Rule 5 draft. My point is that Fermaint is in his 5th year, and IIRC will be a minor league free agent after his sixth season, but isn't even in AA yet. It has nothing to do with his age - I understand he is still only 21 - but if he becomes a free agent after his sixth season then has two years to advance from A to the big leagues. Or am I wrong about guys becoming free agents after their sixth year in the minors?

...because it was nice to see him make an appearance from his hiatus in the opening day minor league thread, but is anyone else a bit concerned that Chuckie Fermaint is still in A-ball (Brevard County) in his fifth season in the minors? Perhaps even more concerning is that he couldn't beat out the likes of Ron Davenport (who?) and Mel Stocker (who??) for a spot on the Huntsville roster. Unless I'm missing something, not being able to beat out a couple of minor league free agents for the starting LF job in Huntsville may say a lot about what the Brewers think about his development (or lack thereof).

Most of the others are not surprising, but Brandon Parillo? Still only 21. That is surprising. As is Grant Richardson. I guess that means that Errecart is the 1B of the future.

Great job Toby - thanks for the hard work. Only one player is conspicuous by his absence, and that is Ben Hendrickson. I think it is a foregone conclusion that barring any injuries or trades he won't make the team and some other team (KC, PIT, Tampa) will claim him and take a flyer. It also would not surprise me if he is kept as the #5/long man out of camp initially and CV is sent down because CV has options. The one thing that stands out to me in looking at this is that the pitching is good at the upper levels (AAA & AA), but at the A level, outside of Inman, Welch, Garrison, and Parillo, there isn't much there. Given that, and the excess of OFs at the A level, I would love to see Doug spend each of the top 5 picks in the draft on pitching. They need to throw as much spaghetti on that wall as they can and see what sticks.

If in fact Turnbow does get traded, I got dibs on "ImNotMotivatedToMoveHim" as my user name.

No, it wouldn't be, because Graffy was arbitration-eligible, which the Brewers had every right to offer which they did, and Graffy had a choice whether or not to agree to arbitration, which he did. If Graffy felt like he could get a better deal in the open market, he simply could have declined arbitration. But to say that he got hosed out of a couple of million dollars, one would say all he had to do was decline arbitration.

As I mentioned in another thread, Jenkins and Hardy to Toronto for Wells plus a nugget is certainly a possibility. The reason to trade Hardy is because they have Hall and Perez and lots of teams are in need of a SS.

... the San Francisco Giants The Giants are in desperate need of OF help. The loss of Bonds leaves them with the following players in addition to Randy Winn: Fred Lewis (Weeks' old teammate, a decent prospect), Todd Linden, Jason Ellison, and Dan Ortmeier. Makes Jenkins/Hart/Clark/Mench/Gross look like Murderers Row. You know how SF loves their veterans. One of Jenkins/Clark/Mench to SF for one of their young pitchers. Jenkins could be the lefty bat that replaces Bonds (well, nobody "replaces" Bonds) in the lineup.

Back to the original point - Hardy and Jenkins to Toronto for Wells + a nugget would not be a bad deal. We would get more in return because it frees up salary for Toronto after this season.