brewers4eric

I grew up on a Quisp cereal sugar high. I can't find that stuff anymore, but a buddy of mine visited his brother in Idaho and came back with a couple of boxes. He hid them in his cupboard so they would be protected from his kids. My cousin has a connection at Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids. Whenever a case of cereal is damaged during loading they condemn every box in the pallet. He said he could set me up with some free Captain Crunch if I had the need.

I watched a Royals tv broadcast this spring where De La Rosa pitched. It was the same old story, he couldn't command his fastball and he beat around the corners with his other stuff, issuing walks, putting the fielders to sleep and eventually giving up a big hit. He reminded me of a left handed Claudio Vargas. Graffanino came to Milwaukee in the JDLR trade. It was changeup specialist Chis DeMaria for recently converted to pitcher Justin Barnes. Max St. Pierre was traded for Ben Hendrickson. I believe that St. Pierre resurfaced as a catcher in the Tigers camp, after a brief turn as a pitcher during his last days in the Brewers system.

Whenever I am home and sick I pull out my tape of Forrest Gump. The graveside scene also reduces barrel chested Iowa farmboys to tears. The same goes for the end of Saving Private Ryan. There are a couple of scenes in the tv miniseries "Lonesome Dove" that also do a number on me. Deets takes a lance to the chest holding a child, and then appears as a ghost and leads Pea Eye back to the herd. My eyes are welling up as I think about it. I listened to the last game ceremonies for County Stadium in the seat of a tractor as I was moving round bales. That was the first time that a radio broadcast put me into tears.

I've got two things against Vargas. First, he was released by the Washington Nationals before he signed with the D-Backs and was traded to the Brewers. How good can you really be if you were released by the Nationals? Second, he once mocked Brewer fans that were doing the "O" chant during a Lyle Overbay hitting streak when he was with the D-backs. The image is still burned in my mind. I think we'll forget about this move in April when Yovanni Gallardo makes his debut and Seth McClung is designated for assignment. There are likely to be plenty of similar pitchers on the waiver wire in the next week. Plus, we need McClung to remind us of the glory days of red haired fireballers like Ron Robinson.

I don't really have a problem with keeping McClung at this point. As I see it, he will only be around until Gallardo is ready for the rotation, or until Cameron serves his suspension. The decision on whether or not to keep him will be quite a bit easier at those points, and unless he has pitched spectacularly over 25 games, I don't think he'll be around. The Brewers typically break camp with a name for the message boards on the roster. The list over the last few years might include Elmer Dessens, Jared Fernandez, Tommie Phelps, and Ben Ford. None of those guys accumulated more than 25 innings in a Brewer uniform during a single season, I don't think that McClung will either. Manny Parra and Carlos Villanueva, however; will be around for the long haul. During the opening series against the Cubs, McClung is just the guy you need when the shoulder flys open and someone gets plunked.

I'm actually comfortable with any of those three names as our backup catcher. Rivera has proven to be an adequate backup with occasional power. Munson shows similar abilities and gives you a lefthanded bat. Rottino adds versatility. All three of them are likely to see time in a Brewers uniform over the course of the 162 game season. Based on what I've read, they aren't really looking at someone to play 40% of the time, as in years past. The guy that breaks camp this year is probably more dependent on the perceived roles and abilities of the other guys on the bench. The 25th name on the roster is usually either a designated speed guy (Trent Durrington) or an all or nothing power threat (Bob Hamelin). I'll guess that Munson breaks camp with the team, but that Rottino becomes a long term option by the all star break.

Excellent post Molitor Fan. Great insight, well written, and a terrific read.

My wife and I did our honeymoon in Jamaica four years ago. If you go there, you will want to stay at a four or five star resort. It is an indicator of good security. The island is beautiful but it is the last place that you want to be when security at the resort breaks down and/or a hurricane hits. Most of the resorts are fenced off, and the beaches are patrolled to prevent drug trafficking. Some of the locals get around the security force by standing in the ocean. It is a good idea to go all inclusive in Jamaica and to book any side trips through a service like Apple Vacations. The good resorts will have three or four spots to eat. We had the option of three on-location restaurants, a sea side locale, and transportation to another local restaurant. If you don't go all inclusive, you may end up shelling out $30 for a burger and fries and a couple of Red Stripes. All inclusive where we were at meant that we didn't have to carry cash, we ate a buffet three times a day, and all of the drinks that we wanted were included. Apple vacations had a rep meet us at the airport and someone to plan side trips at the resort. It alleviates some of the hassles that you might have arranging transportation, plus it also insures that someone knows where you are at. You'll get a case of culture shock as soon as you fly in. There is basically no sort of visible rescue equipment at the airport. Taxi rides are comparable to a roller coaster ride in the US. Goats will be standing next to the road and your driver will be weaving in and out of traffic avoiding pedestrians. Everything operates on tips and the economy operates on tourism. Someone is always there to take your money. We stayed at the Wyndham Rose Hall in Montego Bay, which has a waterpark and a good stretch of beach. Negril is the solitary couples spot on the western edge of the island. We did a catamaran ride to Dunn's River Falls, but the highlight of the trip for us was a raft ride down the Great River and a tour of a banana plantation. We had lunch next to the river and caught a lesson on how to make an authentic daiquiri. It was great because we were the only couple on the tour. That, however, is also why Jamaica is scary. We were by ourselves in a taxi out in the middle of nowhere. Jamaica was a great trip, but be careful. Most of my preconceived knowledge of the island was based upon some 1980's Steven Segal movie where he had to kill a couple of twin drug dealing thugs named "Screwface". Have a good trip, but just remember to keep your safety in mind, even though Segal threw Screwface down an elevator shaft and killed most of his henchmen with a combination of martial arts moves and automatic weapons. If a barrel chested Iowa farm boy can survive a trip to Jamaica, you can too.

While we're likely to have five starters and 7 bullpen spots coming out of spring training, we are also likely to use 3 more starters and another 5 or 6 bullpen arms during the course of the season. Considering depth and experience, we're in better shape with our top 15-20 pitchers than we have been since about 1992. I can recall driving 3 and a half hours to watch the Brewers take on the Expos back in 2002. The pitching matchup was Rueben Quevado versus Bartolo Colon in his prime. The game was over in the first inning. I stayed around until the bitter end and I got to watch Vlad Guerrero hit a home run off of Mike DeJean that is still in orbit. At least the Cactus League nachos were excellent. The franchise has come a long way since the low point of 2002, especially in its depth. The 1992 team was one of my favorites. Once Cal Eldred made the jump from AAA, the starters, aside from Ricky Bones, went deep into most games. The bullpen roles were well established, and guys like Darren Holmes and James Austin seemed to find themselves in positions where they were set up for success. Hopefully something similar happens in 2008. If Capuano, Bush, and Suppan can give us six plus innings, the experience of the bullpen names should account for some wins. The key is whether Yost and Maddux figure out the roles for the bullpen arms, and put the right guy on the mound when the game is in the balance. We aren't trotting out Quevado and Takahito Nomura to the mound anymore.

I realize that there is no substance to the rumor, but if they send Gabe to the Padres, why not bring back Inman, Thatcher, and Garrison so the board can quit rehashing the Linebrink trade.

Italian dressing is an easy marinade for chicken breasts. Put them on indirect heat for 12 minutes on each side, and then a minute and a half on direct heat on each side to finish. Resist the urge to eat a rare, pink chicken. I started using a Greek seasoning mix on burgers, usually about a half teaspoon per pound with a dash or two of onion salt. Occasionally I'll mix in some minced bacon or a little bit of chili sauce. It just depends on the quality of the beef that you can find. Here in northeast Iowa, the best ground beef comes directly from your feedlot and you don't need to season it much. I use a bottled marinade for steaks, but some olive oil, minced garlic, crushed black pepper, and thyme will also work. Grilled corn is great. Buy it fresh and soak the ears in water in the husks. Grill the ears on direct heat about 2 minutes per quarter turn. Some of the kernels will get a little brown, but that is one of my summer favorites.

I'll put in a vote for Don Meredith. I liked the way he would whistle "take me out to the ballgame" when Howard Cosell would run through the baseball scores during the Monday Night Football broadcasts. I used to watch NFL games based on whether or not Joe Namath was in the booth. Broadway Joe was so bad, that the game became more enjoyable. Every comment that he made ended with the phrase, "...on the play" in his Alabama/New York twang. A quarterback would get crushed and Joe would say something like "blitz bad, bad bad blitz". ESPN should pull him out of retirement and team him up with Suzy Kolber. Iowa State basketball games were great when "the Roland Rocket", Gary Thompson, was broadcasting. Each game became a learning experience as he quickly analyzed and dissected coaching strategies, and passed along his knowledge to listeners.

I always felt that the best way to make a good trip out of a bad Metrodome experience is to make a side trip to a St. Paul Saints game. A Saints game was a unique experience, there were promotions during every inning and locations in the stands where you could get a haircut or a massage from a nun. My wife and I attended a game on Gilligan's Island night, where Ginger was portrayed by some guy in drag. You can make a cheap night in the Metrodome by getting a general admission pass in the outfiield that comes with a Papa John's pizza. If you get there early enough, you can get seats with a decent sight line. One of my best Dome experiences was during the 2002 season. One of my wife's friends got us corporate tickets and we sat six rows behind home plate. Matt Stairs hit a couple of bombs and Jose Cabrera pitched a gem.

If the everyday lineup stays healthy, I'm not all that concerned about the bench. It becomes a major issue to me if someone like Counsell gets more than a spot start. One of my benchmarks for success for the 2008 Brewers is whether Counsell makes more than 150 plate appearances. Besides the fact that I can't stand his swing, more than an occasional time at the plate means that JJ, Rickie, or Braun are injured. His offensive stats are superior only to Gus Polidor. The bench is more of a reflection of the entire 40 man roster. There will be so many roster moves over the course of 162 games that the names will all start to sound the same. It will be up to Yost to identify the roles for the bench players, and who will best fit the team's perceived needs. For example, do you want someone like Mel Stocker at the end of the bench when you need to steal a base, or someone like Bob Hamelin for those situations where the game isn't over until the fat man swings.

Excellent article. I like what I've read about LaPorta, but what really impressed me from the article was the attention that Sandy Guerrero was giving him, and the coaching techniques that he was employing.

The promotion of Dessens is a bad sign for our pitching depth in the minors. I was nervous when I read that R.A. Dickey was with the team in St. Louis.

Am I the only reader that went home and watched "There's Something About Mary" after scrolling through this thread.

Several years ago, I can recall that Gagne made a comment to a reporter that went something like, "We're the Dodgers, not the Las Vegas 51s or the Milwaukee Brewers, if we need a player, we go out and get them". There might have been a thread on the board with a specific quote. I was ready to get tickets in the right field bleachers so that I could verbally assault Gagne while he warmed up in the visitors bullpen. Unfortunately, Gagne suffered the first of a series of injuries and my plans were foiled. While I doubt if we're on his list of teams where he will accept a trade, I would find it quite ironic if he ended up on our roster during a stretch run.

Michael Brantley was my pick to click in 2006. I'm glad to see that he is clicking in 2007.

I like our options to replace Sheets better than last year, plus I would like to see what we have with Parra and Balfour. I'll hit the panic button when David Manning returns to the 40 man roster.

I got my Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education at Iowa State University in the spring of 1991. I made some money officiating volleyball games that allowed me to purchase as many cases of Red, White, & Blue longnecks that I needed. They were reasonably priced at $5.99 at the time. Rasing hogs, milking cows, and baling hay for the neighbors put me through school. I also sold my baseball cards when I was strapped for cash. I'll predict that I'm the only Waldorf College alumni (Forest City, Ia) at Brewerfan. I had a scholarship and picked up my AA when it was still a junior college. I grew up about a half hour from Decorah. I've played some golf at Oneota and Silvercrest and enjoy the burgers at T-Bocks. I'm guessing that pitchleague is a fan of Mabe's Pizza and has made the trip to Gunder for a Gunderburger. We had our wedding rehearsal dinner at the Shanti.

Wise has looked pretty solid lately. He must be channeling Doug Jones during his good year.

Soup seems to be channeling Bill Wegman. I always remember Wegman for giving up a lead as soon as it was given to him.

Resale value of rings is like anything else. They are only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for them. My wife and I looked around at a few chain stores in the Twin Cities but chose to buy from a jeweler in a small town near where I grew up. Their service has been great, my only complaint was when they tried to hook us up with their buddies, the photographer and the invitation printer. They actually gave us a price break on the ring when I wrote up a testimonial for them that appeared in the local papers: "If you grew up in northeast Iowa like I did, you might remember the ad for the local Jewelers that was played along with the previews of upcoming attractions in the theatre. It featured a young man picking out an engagement ring. He was obviously very nervous and was wary of the camera. My friends and I used to make jokes at his expense while we waited for the featuer to start. Fifteen years later, I found myself in the store choosing a ring (and also wondering where the cameras were hidden). We had looked around in the chain stores but there was really no comparison with the vast selection and level of service that we received. There was no reason to be nervous, I just hope I don't show up on a movie preview sometime." My wife picked out three different options and I went in a few days later and picked the engagement ring. If you think this spoils tradition, surprise her with the matching wedding band at a later date. If you want to simplify things and completely destroy tradition, just withdraw the amount of cash that you are willing to spend from your savings account, hand it to your significant other, and drop her off at the jewelrey store.

I think that Wigginton would fit on this roster, especially if Graffanino was part of the exchange. Whether or not this works for you probably depends on the type of player you want on the end of the bench in the late innings. Most managers either opt for the late inning replacement that can fly around the bases, or the guy that can win a game with one swing of the bat. If you break the philosophies down, you might compare Trent Durrington versus Bob Hamelin for the number 25 roster spot during the bad years, or Marshall Edwards versus Dick Davis during some of the good ones. I tend to lean toward Hamelin as the last player off the bench, "the game isn't over until the fat man swings".