hawing

TWO 12-win pitchers? For the Brewers? Whaaa? (First time since 2000, when the 12-game winners were Jeff D'Amico and Jimmy Wayne Haynes) Ben, you're golden for us. Congratulations.

Sorry. Just as the Brewers managed to win, ezboard went down momentarily (for me at least). No doubt the server couldn't handle the notion of any Brewers starter gaining a 12th win and a .500 record at once. Others are sure to have a more complete picture than I. Kolb came in for Liriano with runners on and one out, yielded a groundball to Ginter which he missed (E Ginter), then gave up an extra base hit to make the score 7-6. As Bob was using words like horrible and horrendous and Viz was warming up, I turned off the radio in disgust for a few minutes. When I turned it back on, Kolb had just got the save. Anyway, congratulations to Sharpie. Hoping for #12 for Big Ben on Saturday. Now, someone fill in my gaps.

Ueck also used the word "horrendous." And he is right.

right now there's no doubt in my mind that the bullpen will blow this game. I hope I'm wrong. I know your pain, and I'm sure I'm not alone. This was supposed to be my escape from the debate tonight, and the bullpen is doing its level best to become another living SNAFU. With Ginter's help. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/mad.gif Is it too bloody much to ask to get Sharpie a 12th win? Someone answer me this. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/mad.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/mad.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/mad.gif

I was actually glad to see Viz enter the game. That just felt wrong (despite the save/win). What's up with Kolb? Obie-style anxiety or some kind of injury?

I think that game was a test. If that uglyfest doesn't scare off Mr. Attanasio, nothing will.

4-2. And there was much rejoicing. So MassBrew, you're watching or listening to this at 10:45 EDT? That and your five-figure post total surely make you the man. Edit: Whoa, talk about the Ugly Bowl. Can anyone stand to stick with it until the end?

Ah, geez. I actually had a feeling, as Daron said "and de la Rosa wins that at-bat" and the fly ball was headed toward Krynzel, that Daron was speaking a bit too soon. Could we please see one more game (after tonight, obviously) without costly unearned runs? I mean in 2004.

I'm half watching, half listening, but I can't think of anything but the same-old, same-old to contribute to the Wes Helms saga. Heaven forbid Ben should get a chance at a twelfth win.

Obie won! Obie rocked! Who'd have thought that the Brewers' first complete game shutout of 2004 would come courtesy of lil Wes? Today was really fun at the ballpark (and I guess it's a good thing we went rather than rely on FOX 47). 22,000+ seemed small for fan appreciation day, but it was definitely a home-team crowd. I enjoyed this game about as much as I hated Monday night's late-inning collapse. Thanks, Wes, for a good memory to see me through the off-season. (In the 22 games we attended this year, the Brewers were 14-8. Despite the second-half plummet, this is the best in-person record I have experienced since sometime in County Stadium.)

Well, they passed the 2M attendance mark, with two games to spare. Nearly 35,000 paid to see Sharpie get no run support. And the fans' "reward" on Fan Appreciation Day is...lil Wes making yet another start. We should all get a prize tomorrow.

Just got home. What happened to Brady? (If anyone's still posting on this thread)

Your 2004 Milwaukee Brewers: It's always something.

Nuts. Yes, I know they battled to the end, but that's become old.

Looks like Sheets will again pitch well enough to win and get the L instead. The guy has a sub-.500 record with an ERA under 3. Jim P said it should be a crime. No kidding.

Well, I got to work to find the email down (again), which means most of the stuff I have to do I can't do...but that sweet picture of Krynzel makes everything better. Thanks, Batman!

Well, I'll take it. Kolb now has the Brewers' season saves record.

Ah, I didn't realize this win clinched the "real" division title (as opposed to backdoor given the Cubs' loss). I'd been watching the mini-Cardinal Nation thinking, OK, folks, so 97 wins just isn't enough? To their credit, they were not thuggish like their Cub counterparts. They were numerous, though, for the total crowd size. There were 19 people in our section last night: 8 obviously for the Brewers, 8 for Cards, 3 sat so silently all night that we couldn't tell. Sliding down our slide, though? That is a surprise, from a liability standpoint at least. Was it actually sanctioned? Either way, I'm glad we cut out promptly at the game's end, because I didn't need to see that.

OK, I'm frustrated because I *paid* to attend this game! I had the drive back to Madison to spend pondering it and here are my thoughts: - How is it that the only Brewers pitchers to actually throw more strikes than balls were the ones who gave up the most runs? (even though Viz's was unearned) - In a crowd of 14,213, why were there more fans from Cardinal Nation? - Why does every Brewers game now feature at least one critical implosion? If it's not hitting, it's starting pitching; if it's not starting pitching, it's the bullpen; if not the bullpen, then it's errors. If none of those, it must be hitting. We could have a pool to guess what's going to suck each game. - On the way out of the park, I predicted that the Brewers will be lucky to reach 63 wins. Since then I have decided that they might get one from Arizona in next week's Futility Series. Just because the D-backs can't catch Milwaukee doesn't mean they can't sweep! Finally, I made a bit of peace with the evening by realizing that a scene from a Simpsons episode is a microcosm of the 2004 Brewers season. It's the one where Homer tries to stop Bart from skateboarding over Springfield Gorge and instead gets himself airborne on the board. He begins to think, hey, I think I can get across, and immediately after thinking that, he starts to plunge, hitting every sharp rock on the gorge as he tumbles. Even the skateboard lands on him. He is rescued and put in an ambulance, but as the ambulance leaves it hits a tree, the back doors open, the gurney carrying Homer falls out and he goes down the gorge again. That is what this season feels like to me - except there was no temporary ambulance rescue.

We switched back and forth between the Brewers and other programs tonight. I suppose it's too much to hope that the ESPN2 team gave Sharpie any props? and it wasn't just the Rocket showcase? As if holding back the Brewers' offense takes a lot of skill these days...

Our offense blows. I mean, seriously, how do you get that many runners and only score 3 times? Your 2004 Milwaukee Brewers : It's the way we play.

I just got home and saw the box score. 10 hits and 1 run? Good god. Where is the vomiting emoticon? I guess this is closest. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/sick.gif

"That's 'cause he's scared out of his mind. The poor guy looked like he was almost trembling." No kidding. And in the dugout after his (near-customary) implosion inning he still looked freaked out. In these pre-implosion innings he looks all right - which makes the bad ones more painful to watch, and presumably worse to experience. You'd think the Brewers' baseball minds could figure out a way to make use of Wes' good innings while averting the implosions. At least Obie's not the answer to the "700 club" trivia question. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

I'm surprised more people didn't want the chance to witness history. Just got back, and my eyes have finally recovered from the camera flashes. Barryheads didn't seem to be in the majority (not that the home fans had a ton to cheer about), and even the buckethead brigade had some open spots. Maybe folks are assuming it'll be lil' Wes or Daytime Santos giving up the milestone. I was glad to see my man Sharpie keep things (primarily BB) mostly in check, and pleasantly surprised to see Vizcaino keep BB in the park. Obviously I'd have preferred the Brewers win in the 9th - but had they at least forced extra innings, the Bonds gawkers who left in the 8th inning would have missed another potentially valuable at-bat.

So, if Russell hits 75 x-tra base hits next year, but sets the all-time K record, can we live with that? I won't speak for anyone else, but as long as he doesn't sit out an inordinate number of games in a thinly veiled attempt to avoid what many would consider an embarrassing record...Yes. Yes, I could live with that.