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Erik Cordier is from Sturgeon Bay and lives in DePere, WI. Has anyone payed attention to Rogers' antics during games this year? The two games I have seen him pitch in, coaches have had to come out to the mound early just to settle his emotions down. Also, he has displayed a nasty mouth to two HP umpires ... when he was batting. Has he always been a hothead or is this something new with him?

"man, could things at the plate get any worse for Josh Brady?" Yes. Look at Minnesota's 1st round pick in 2004 (20th overall), Beloit's Trevor Plouffe. In 12 games he is 3-44, an average of .068. I wonder if he isn't going to be a poster child for a player who was brought up to low A level too early? I don't know but I think that because the expectations as a 1st rounder and 19 y/o millionaire to succeed are great, it appears at least early on he not ready to produce in that level. How would Plouffe deal with a demotion to rookie ball? The pressure on him to perform right now is great. The problem for Minnesota is this: do they send him down to gain his lost confidence, or do they continue to allow him to stay in A ball and risk ever regaining his confidence again? Good luck to Trevor.

The Milwaukee crowd was embarrassing last night. One would think that when you pay $75 for a ticket, sit two rows behind the dugout, you can somehow insulate yourself from observing drunks, fights with out-of-towners and f-bombs. Not in Milwaukee. St Louis fans and many other teams fans are classy and knowledgeable. Not the home town fans last night in Milwaukee. Only 22,000 people show up to watch a first place team with their ace Ben Sheets on the hill and the National League's best team in the Cards in town. You must be in Milwaukee. When it takes you over an hour to leave the stadium parking lot with a relatively small crowd. Your in Milwaukee. After the game, walking across the overpass to the parking lot, 20 somethings drunk on their feet, kicking plastic cups and bottles, yelling proudly about how 'drunk' they are and dropping more f-bombs. In the parking lot, drunks hanging out their car windows, reckless driving around the parking lot, people urinating in the parking lot, people dumping hot coals on the ground. Absolutely no sign of MPD or MCSD anywhere. You were in Milwaukee last night. Sorry Brewer fans. I'm trying not to paint with a broad brush. I know this does not apply to most fans, but far more than I want to ever see again. It was embarrassing for Milwaukee last night given how many Cards fans were present. It was close to a downright rotten experience. I was very glad I didn't take my wife and young son to that mess last night. That's it. I had to vent this somewhere.

IIay: I don't disagree with your points numbers 1 and 2. However, I disagree with your conclusions. This year's draft is like no other previous to it. It's about saving money and reducing slot $, not spending it because teams have extra $ based on last year or years before. This does not apply to just the Brewers, but a league-wide philosophy as 'mandated' by the Commissioner's office.

If the umps are giving an extra 6-8 inches off the outside corner, why not take advantage of that? He's smart enough to keep pounding that location as long as the ump continues to call those pitches strikes. He was very effective the other night using the wider than usual K-zone. But as you say, at this time he lacks the power of a solid ML pitcher. Seems like a proto-type Oakland pick. Like colbyjack, I too like what the Dodgers and A's did with the draft. I would most definately label this year as the "Signability Draft" (see KC, SD as examples). It would appear by the picks already signed, that they are signing for slot or just less than slot as dictated by 'Commendant Selig'. To this point, no club has 'overpaid' the slot. Many clubs struck pre-draft deals with their early round picks, thus taking the bonuses this year down under last year's 14% reduction from 2002. I'll make further comments on this year's draft in a few days from now.

I like the way the Titans are rolling right now. They get SC next. Then CSF will take on Texas in what I think shakes out to be a great Championship series. Man, I just can't believe the "1990's Atlanta Braves strike zone" the umps are giving the pitchers. Seems like pitchers are getting an extra 6 to 8 inches of plate on the outside corner. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

Congrats to the Brewers who signed Stephen Chapman. You are getting a fine young man and a wonderful family to add to the Brewer family!

The HS v college debate is not complicated. The reason HS pitchers have more upside over college pitches is simple: If a HS pitcher is very good he goes right into professional baseball. If a HS pitcher is not good enough to make into in professional baseball, he goes to college. (This does not take into consideration sign-ability...but mostly on talent alone. Important characteristics like emotional and physical maturity obviously develop more slowly with certain HS kids making the college option necessary.) HS pitchers have more upside than college pitchers because when both groups were of the same age, the HS kid was simply a better. And as a HS kid gets into professional baseball, he gets the benefit of at least three years of professional training and tutoring designed by the team that picks him, not by a (relatively) 'inferior' college system. colby: We are very happy to drafted by the Royals! Before the draft we believed the Royals were the perfect fit for Erik and low and behold... From KC Royals SD Eric Ladnier...(unknown which newspaper quoted him), copied from a KC Royals website... Erik Cordier Another second-round pick was right-hander Erik Cordier from Southern Door High School in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. "We've seen up to 96 (mph), tremendous life on the fastball. Very, very fresh arm, obviously, because of where he comes from he hasn't pitched a lot of innings," Ladnier said. "For a high school kid, he has a tremendous upside to be an upper level starter but the development process obviously is going to take longer. We got the three pitchers (Campbell, Howell, Buckner) who could get through the system (quickly) and we felt like here's a guy we just can't afford to pass on. He will take longer to develop, but Cordier has the highest ceiling." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HBP on a 1-2 count and giving up a single on a 0-2 count to Beltre...that shouldn't happen. He was getting ahead on everyone but cannot put batters away. Getting outs is great, but ML hitters make productive outs and move runners. A closer has to have the ability to get strike outs. Kolb for some reason doesn't get it done that way. He has 5 K's on the season. Why would anyone think the Brewers should draft anything but pitchers in the early rounds this year? "Man OH Man". -------------------------------------------------------

Never caught that...too busy watching SportsCenter. Thanks...

I've meant to ask you this for a while: What does "boo-urns" mean?

HD RHP Forrest Martin had another solid start: 7 inn 4 r 3 er 7 h 0 bb 6 ks He got no decision in the Mavs 5-4 win.

Anders34 What I meant is that what you see now is what you'll get later. He's turns 21 this year and is now listed at 6'0 190; he's RHed and throws (quoting you) 91 MPH. Given just those facts, it seems to me that he does not project well to grow bigger, increase velocity, or improve a whole lot because he's been 'coached up' in a great system. In my estimation he does not "project" to get appreciably better. So for those reasons, I don't see the words "big league closer" in his future. I wonder what team is really willing to spend a 1st round pick on a relief pitcher who IMO does not have the power arm to start or close?. Certainly, he has off the chart make up.

Do you think that any club would take this college relief pitcher with almost no projectibility in the first round, considering the depth of pitching in this year's draft? I don't even see the A's reaching for him.

Electing to INT BB Hidalgo after falling behind 3-1 in the count was the correct move. 1st base was open and Hildalgo is hitting .549. Berkman, hitting .111, was hitting from the right side, not his better side. He hit a terrible pitch by Davis, an 85 MPH slider right in Berkaman's wheelhouse. The reason why Davis looks good for 2 innngs then looks very hittable after that is simply that the lineup sees him for the second time. Davis' stuff is at best, middle relief quality and I think that's where he belongs - in the bullpen. At least it would give the MGR a left handed option out of the bullpen.