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I think they are another wonderful story for 2011, like the Diamondbacks. I still don't see either team making it to September and still in the hunt but I also didn't see the Cardinals being much of a factor this year. So, there you go. The Pirates, if they stick to their plans and don't make stupid trading deadline deals that gives up their future, will be a strong candidate for being a contender next season. I heard on MLB radio today that the Pirates should go after somebody like Carlos Pena and probably a starting pitcher, as well, at the trade deadline. I agree that they should make a move of some sort, depending on where they sit at the end of the month, of course, but they better not be trading key pieces to their future or they might have a rebellion (or might I say a mutiny) from their fans.

I'm glad I watched it and I don't have anything against Jeter as such, but how is it commendable for him to have taken the most money every time it was offered? By that logic, anybody taking the largest contract offered is doing something commendable. I think it's nice for Yankees fans that Jeter has only been a Yankee so far but it's not like he ever turned down more money in order to stay a Yankee or that he took a paycut or smaller deal in order to help the team. He's insisted on top dollar every time he's been up for a contract. I don't blame him at all for that but I also don't find it any more commendable than anybody who makes decisions based on money. It was just his good luck that he was drafted by the richest team in American sports so he never had to decide whether he wanted top dollar or to play for the team he came up with. to piggyback on this (thanks, joehova, for pretty much saying what I was going to say) . . . why would Jeter even consider leaving the Yankees anyways. Forget about the money for a minute. He is on the most successful franchise of all-time, coming up to the club just as they were getting good again. They've never really been bad in his 16 seasons. So why on earth would he leave? He has the best chances to win a world title year after year which, for some, is more important than money. I think if the Pirates had offered him $250 million for 10 years back in 2003 or so he would have rejected it because he had more chances to win in New York than he ever would in Pittsburgh at that time. All the money talk at contract time was all just posturing. He was never going to leave and he knows it. The Yankees probably knew it, too.

Well, I'd guess that at this point Braun will be an "elected to start but not playing due to injury" kind of introduction at Chase Field next week. Darn it.

I would argue that Betancourt's problems are not his hitting (.284 avg is fine and .409 slugging, while low, at least means he's not an all-singles hitter) but rather his eye at the plate. When you consistently swing at the first pitch or are swinging for the fences like he does, he's not going to draw walks and thus the on-base pct. is going to crummy darn low. Consequently, the OPS sucks as a result. A .690 OPS does indeed suck. If the guy would ever walk he could be seen as a (slight) positive in the lineup. I wonder where he acquired the mentality to swing early and often. Was it from growing up and playing in Cuba? Is the Cuban baseball culture like this, especially with younger players? I'm actually honestly asking here. The swinging for the fences and routinely popping up to the infield is what gets me going. It's like he sees the big boppers doing it and connecting for long HRs and he strides to the plate trying to "one of the guys" or something. edit: Crud, I forgot to put something on topic. . . . uh . . . I really think Melvin, Ash, and Roenicke will be getting together over the break and talking things over and making some changes. Be it lineup decisions, bullpen issues, or callups from the minors, I'd venture a guess that something is on the horizon that we'll all be discussing next week.

when I was a kid, all start times for the Brewers and most MLB games was 1:30 and 7:30 local time. I'm not opposed to the changes, per say, but I've become so accustomed to the 1:00/7:00 starts (11:00am and 5:00pm for me) that it'd be weird at first.

I don't go to games often, due to living in AZ, but a few years ago we went to a night game against the Astros (Johnny Estrada hit a grand slam and Damian Miller hit a walk-off Jack, as called by Jim Powell, the next afternoon, in case you're trying to date this. Anyway . . . ) and we sat in the terrace box seats that are on our season ticket plan. With the roof closed and no air circulation, it was completely terrible to sit through--worse than sitting in the cold at Lambeau or a rain delay at County Stadium. I had to leave my seat several times because, with exercise-induced asthma, I just couldn't breathe. I had to get out of there. It's probably the closest I've ever felt to "dying." Like others have said, some fans or something. Or, um, how about install some actual air conditioning throughout the ballpark? It's not like you'll use it as much as the folks in Houston or Phoenix do but it'd be nice on those brutally warm and humid (that's the main thing, really, is the humidity) days and nights. Heck, maybe they could put install some windows on the 1st base and or 3rd base side walls of windows above the upper deck that open up and create some air flow. Or would that create a huge draft that would blow balls out to the bleachers even more? I'm no physicist so I don't know.

With it only two weeks away, I might as well get this one started since every other road trip seems to have it's own thread. We're going to all 4 games, although we only bought tickets to the first three thus far. Anybody that's going up for grabbing a pre-game beer or talking in the bleachers during BP or something?

You know, I've never seen a guy swing and miss, but there must have been one instance of a whiff some time in the past years, no? I googled it but couldn't find anything.Bret Boone swung and missed in the home run derby held at New Comiskey Park a few years ago (what was that, 2004?)

I have considered the "big game" mentality might be a bit too much for him. He's a guy who's had anxiety problems in the past and they don't just go away. So I'm sure there is some sort of element of that involved. Thank you for bringing this point up. Greinke has definitely been a disappointment to me, based on what we all expected out of him. Sure, those K's and BB's are nice, as well as an all-star caliber K:BB ratio, but he's also been getting hit around. Sometimes early and often. This is a guy that I figured would be good for 7-8 innings per start. Has he even gone into the 8th inning yet? I don't recall it. And I don't think he's gone into the 7th all that often either. Color me unimpressed with him overall. I feel like a child who got a great Christmas present and then 6 months later that same present is a forgotten gift that hasn't been nearly as great as I thought it was, especially after all my friends are laughing at me for dragging it around everywhere and sticking up for it.

I don't like Gamel at 3B. He even said in an off-camera interview that he does not like 3B and it makes him nervous and apprehensive both on the field and, as a by-product, at the plate. For one game, fine. For the rest of the year? Man, I hope not. But IF he stays up with the big club, they need to play him somewhere, I guess.

yes, but that's probably why Prince won. Fans knew that Pujols was hurt so they voted for the next best guy. If Pujols was still healthy, Prince doesn't win. That's a stone cold lock.

This from the same organization that stuffed the ballot boxes and got all Cincinnati Reds elected to the starting lineup in 1957. link for those that don't know about this.

Holden Cushner and Jeff Passan were on MLB Radio this morning arguing that Wily Mo Pena should (Passan) and shouldn't (Cushner) be in the derby. It was hilarious. He's always been a 500-ft. homer kind of guy, like Branyan. I could see that.

I didn't see it, but Axford could be in the vote-in thing this week.

what happens if an AL guy wins this year? Does that mean Ortiz and this AL guy both get to be captains in 2012? I read it the same way, the prior 2 HR Derby champs are the captains. It worked out this time but won't in the future.

yeah, to be honest, I think this would be a horrible idea from a PR standpoint. We already have the Cardinals fans up in arms about how unclassy this club is. We really don't want the rest of the National League (and most MLB fans, probably) thinking we're a team of stuck up unclassifieds. I could imagine some backlash in the media as well. Chris Berman, for one, will be going absolutely bonkers that it's an all-Brewers home run derby, especially if they stink up the joint. And I can't imagine the fans at the ballpark would be too happy to see that either.

@ MIN: 2-1 AZ: 2-1 CIN: 2-2 @ COL: 2-2 @ AZ: 3-1 @ SF: 1-2 CHC: 3-0 HOU: 2-1 17-10 However, I've been wrong pretty much every month this season, so they will more than likely go 10-17 instead.

I'd rather lose a game like this because I can do other things while the game is on rather than plastering my butt to my laz-e-boy and living and dying with every pitch. It still sucks to be losing 11-2 or whatever it is, but at least I can get other things done.

boy, I'm lucky if I get as complicated as an Absolut Citron and Seven-up.

my dad informed me tonight that Brandy is pretty much only purchased by people of Wisconsin and California. I never knew that.

I can't do 3D. My right eye is just in too poor of shape to be able to handle 3D movies, pictures, or artwork. When I put on the 3D glasses at a Best Buy, for instance, I can "kind of" make out the 3D-ness but it comes and goes and is just not breathtaking to me as it is to normal folk. I'll live.

Ryan Braun attempts to re-envision the movie poster of Steve Carrel in "The 40-Year Old Virgin" by making the same face while lying down on the ground.

finally saw Avatar last night for the first time. It seemed like the classic shoot 'em up bad guys with the typical underachievers taking revenge flick that I've seen hundreds of times. Visually stunning? You betcha! The story, though, was uninspiring. Glad this movie did not win Best Picture and other "Best" Oscars from a couple years ago. Still, I now have seen it. And now I know that I likely never have to see it again.

building a new PC and had to send the motherboard back as it was DOA. Now I have to wait another week or longer.

ah, that could be true. Pardon my non-medical knowledge!