BuckyBrewer61

Happy to see this, we are already playing with a bit of house money. Not that I don't think they deserve their record, because they do, but no one - here or elsewhere - was expecting this kind of start. Take advantage of it, no need to rush him back. Rest him up, and hopefully avoid bigger issues down the line. Oh, and keep throwing 3-hit shutouts and we should be just fine.

Votto's reaction was priceless

That was a pretty tame bat flip by Gomez standards, or anyone's really. There are plenty other times (including i believe on a shallow sac fly against these Pirates at MP last week) where he has had more egregious Pujols-esque theatrics

I'm already an unabashed Matt Lepay lover as a Badger fan, but man what a great call that was on that Braun HR.

I like Will Smith, especially for multiple years...but man I can't help but think how much better this lineup would look right now with Aoki? Aoki Gomez Braun Ramirez Lucroy Segura Reynolds Gennett Davis has been a black hole thus far. Really want to believe he'll turn it around, but man sometimes he just looks like all he does is guess and flail

Joe Block is brutal. Puts me to sleep no matter how exciting the game actually is.

Such an awful inning. Weeks boots a tailor-made DP, Ramirez pulls a Dorn on a grounder, Garza walks 2, Gomez throws to 3rd for no reason allowing a man to 2nd - thus eliminating the DP and allowing RRR to make the stupid decision to bring the infield in in a tie game in the 4th (don't know why so many managers love to do this early in games these days...), and another double play ball scores 2 instead of ending the inning. Barf.

This. Absolutely zero reason to use a bench player, let alone your best one, if you're gonna try to lay down 3 bunt attempts. Complete waste.

Yep, Estrada's quality start really ruined the Brewers chances in this game. With our red hot bats tonight we should have easily won.

The old jersey does not attract fans, winning does. And if fans like the retro jersey (which I certainly do), they can buy it now. In many varieties. And the hat. And t-shirts. And tons of other merchandise. Going to the retro jersey exclusively wouldn't change that one bit. But, with the new jersey, which I like as well, they can buy all that in the new variety too. I, like many Brewers fans, have a retro ball and glove cap as well as a new barley M cap. I am sure I wouldn't have two different Brewers caps if they only had one cap to sell (I of course don't count all those horrendous non-traditional caps). This statement exactly proves my point. It's pretty simple really, more merchandise = more money. Like it or not, that's what it all boils down to.

About half as much as they can make selling two different sets of merchandise with two different logos and color schemes? It's not like there is less ball and glove merchandise just because they don't wear that uni all the time, that logo and color scheme is everywhere, as is the new one. This is why there are two uniforms, and why there will be for a long time.

It's only been a couple weeks, but as someone who has been vocally outspoken against instant replay in baseball, including on this board, I have to say...MLB is absolutely getting it right so far. I was concerned MLB would fall into the same pitfalls as the NFL and NCAA. That is, frame-by-frame scrutinizing of the tiniest details completely halting the momentum of a game for little or no gain, and at times still not even getting a call right or overturning an unclear replay. I have yet to see MLB do this. If a replay is indisputable (a term all other sports have clearly forgotten about), it is reversed quickly. If not, too bad. Even if a call was probably wrong, if it's not obvious, tough luck. Kudos to MLB for a great start, and here's hoping it stay this way. And that other sports are paying attention.

Weaver yes, Mack no LaRussa?

Earl Weaver and Connie Mack for most ejections?

It's one thing to be a scumbag, another entirely to be a domestic abuser. I'm sure there are players out there that exhibit behavior of which I am blissfully unaware, but I am all too well aware of this KRod's pattern of behavior and it makes me sick. I don't consider myself self-righteous, I'll be rooting for the liar/cheater and drunk driver this year, but domestic abuse is another thing entirely and to applaud anything he does just doesn't sit well with me. I am very disappointed the Brewers signed him again, and shudder at the idea of him pitching in big games and high leverage situations, because I don't think I will be able to root for the Brewers at that time.

I was thinking as I wrote it, how many times has some random guy posted a random unsubstantiated rumor that got everyone riled up and it actually turned out to be true? Never figured I'd do it. Glad it was true, pretty reasonable deal and no draft picks to give up!

Good point, this guy broke it before any blogger or writer, congrats I was thinking as I wrote it, how many times has some random guy posted a random unsubstantiated rumor that got everyone riled up and it actually turned out to be true? Never figured I'd do it.

Not really. How dare you doubt me! I knew this was 100% true from the start. Now I need to go make better friends with this friend of my friend...

I wouldn't mind Spahn (#21) and Matthews' (#41) numbers retired. Both were huge parts of Milwaukee baseball history, even though they never played for the Brewers...though I'd have to go back and look to see what players have worn their respective numbers since then, as that could be possibly problematic. I completely agree with this and also would not mind (in fact would be all for) retiring Spahn and Mathews' numbers too. The two of them played a combined 1 season in Atlanta, while playing a combined 25 years in Milwaukee, in that same parking lot we all inhabit every summer. So why shouldn't we celebrate them here?

I have it on basically no real authority - a friend of a friend who claims to have a "source" which he will not identify - that the Brewers are close to signing Matt Garza and supposedly will sign him tomorrow. Yes, that rumor is about as reliable as it sounds, in part because I haven't heard any grumblings of this prior to today. Thought I'd at least throw it out there to see what people thought about the prospect of offering Garza. Obviously would depend heavily on the contract he would be given.

^^^^^ +1 It's not a matter of whether small market teams can compete or do compete. It's a matter of an even playing field for all competitors, and there is no question that the large market teams have a significant advantage when it comes to putting together competitive teams. Insurmountable? Of course not. But without question significant.

Guess it depends on your criteria for retiring numbers. To me, it should be someone who is at least a borderline hall of fame player (i.e. at least someone in the conversation for the ballot) WHILE playing for the team for a significant period of time. And/or someone who meant a great deal to the team/city (like Jon McGlocklin and the Bucks). Having not been around/too young for the Fingers years it's hard to say how I feel about that, but he feels like someone I'd be on the fence about. I'd vote no on Hoffman, he was obviously a hall of fame player but not as a Brewer. IMO his case for having his number in the rafters is as strong as Dan Kolb and John Axford's. I'd also vote no on Fielder. I have no issue with him leaving for big bucks, perfectly understandable, but when he left at the very first chance I felt he surrendered the right to a retired number (in fact I mentioned this to friends at the time - he traded a lifelong legacy in MKE for the money. Which is fine, totally his prerogative) Braun's obviously a bit of a wild card, but I have a feeling the steroid thing will kind of pass and he'll end up in the rafters, but only time will tell. I'd put my money on yes though unless his production seriously drops, he gets traded, or he keeps getting suspended. Lucroy would have to be really good for many more years to meet my criteria. Segura obviously too early to tell. I will say that I wouldn't vote for it...but if someone decided to retire Sabathia's number I kind of wouldn't have a problem with it, that half a season was as magical as any, and the city of Milwaukee did and still does love that guy. I really hope he pitches in MKE this year.

Fair enough, I probably could have worded my statement better and been less emphatic, but my point is simply that there is not good evidence that HGH or other PED's improve healing, and while some out there may prescribe it they are doing so on the speculation as to its benefit, not with good scientific evidence behind it. Yeah, there have been a ton of medical advancements that give athletes an advantage today vs the past (like cadaver grafts, Tommy John surgery, etc.). But those are accepted, well-studied medical therapies that are universally accepted. PEDs for recovery from injury are simply not. If they were, I'd be 100% behind athletes using them. But they're not. There is a reason you never hear these athletes saying "Well my doc thought this would really help, but when I spoke to MLB about it they refused to let me take it." If that did happen, you know we'd have heard about it from the athlete himself or the MLBPA. Or "Gosh, I just didn't tell MLB about it because my doctor prescribed it to me and I didn't think it was a big deal." There's a reason athletes get PEDs from guys like Tony Bosch and Victor Conte. In the end my whole point is just that I get frustrated when the public accepts recovery from injury as some kind of excuse, because IMO that's not any excuse at all. And as long as some do accept that excuse, athletes like Braun will claim they were using PEDs like testosterone, which has never been linked to injury recovery, as just an aid for a nagging injury. Again, I just think it's a bunch of malarkey and wish that veil wasn't available for some of these guys to hide behind.

Richard Sherman Touché