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brewers4eric

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Everything posted by brewers4eric

  1. brewers4eric
    I've really enjoyed reading this thread as I share many of the thoughts and feelings that have been expressed. My daughter is 16 and my son is 14 so I'm a long time veteran of hauling them around to various activities. My daughter quit softball during the first year they hit off the pitching machine. In her first plate appearance the machine faltered and she took a beaning. Softball is done but she plays high school golf and thrives in the music program. She might not be on the field but you might hear her sing the national anthem before a game. My son has been playing travel baseball and club basketball since he was nine. I stepped in to help out with coaching whenever I sensed that kids weren't having fun. One of the veteran coaches told me early on that you don't pick a team based on the talent of the kids, you pick a team based on the behavior of their parents. I could fill up the thread with stories but I'll refrain at this point. As a parent, I've loved watching my kids do their thing, whatever it may be at a given point in time. The only question I have now is "what am I going to do with myself when all of the games are over"?
  2. brewers4eric
    I'm currently vacationing in Gulf Shores, Alabama with my family. We went up to the Wharf this evening and my kids asked for a ride on the ferris wheel. The line was long and my wife and I waited on the sidelines. I was wearing my Yelich all star game shirt when a passerby asked if I was from Milwaukee. He was waiting for his grandkids to finish their ferris wheel ride and we visited for a long time about the Brewers. He was from Mississippi and was a close friend of Brandon Woodruff's Dad. He told me about driving to St. Louis to see Brandon's major league debut before he got hurt stretching before the game. He had been to Brandon's opening day start in Milwaukee and commented on how cold it was. I mentioned the home run against Kershaw in the playoffs and he told me that Brandon's Dad approached Kershaw at an all star game. When he introduced himself as Woodruff's Dad, Kershaw jokingly said that he didn't want anything to do with him. He mentioned that Woodruff threw 55mph as an eight year old, but he gave allot of credit to the Brewers for the development of his off speed stuff. It was really interesting to hear his perspective on the team. I wish we would have had more time to visit, but his grandkids finished their ferris wheel ride and they were ready to hit the road.
  3. brewers4eric
    I attended the T Rats game in Cedar Rapids on May 30. I was surprised to see Mitchell in the lineup. He was penciled in at leadoff and was the designated hitter. He struck out in his first at bat and grounded out in his second. They replaced him before his third plate appearance due to caution. I was surprised when my 13 year old son recognized his name. It looks like they've got a nice group of outfielders on the team with Mitchell, Howell and Ward. David Hamilton flashed the glove playing shortstop and Thomas Dillard looks like he came from the Vogelbach mold.
  4. brewers4eric
    I went to Cedar Rapids to see the Timber Rattlers this afternoon. They've never done well in games I've attended and today was no exception. I was surprised to see Garrett Mitchell in the lineup, but he DH'd and only lasted for two at bats. I like our shortstop, David Hamilton. He flashed a good glove and has a live bat. Thomas Dillard has the same body type as Dan Vogelbach. This was the second time that I've seen Jarvis pitch. He does well when he commands his offspeed stuff. He can generally throw the secondary stuff in any count, but he lost his control for one inning and gave up some walks and a 93 mph fastball ended up beyond the fence in left center. If you ever make the trip to Cedar Rapids the ice cream is great. My son recommends the chocolate chip cookie dough while I opted for the mint chip. They fill up your bowl for $3.50.
  5. brewers4eric
    I can remember listening to the Odell Jones game and wondering how he stayed in the game as long as he did. I've always liked knuckleballers. Back in 1996 Steve Sparks gave up a single hit and lost a decision to Kansas City 3-2. He had walked two batters before giving up a three run shot in the fifth. Graeme Lloyd threw the ninth inning.
  6. brewers4eric
    I'm not the biggest fan of this signing, but I think it gives us the flexibility that we'll need in the outfield for 162 games. I like Tyrone Taylor, but some combination of Yelich, Cain/Bradley and Garcia/Bradley each night looks pretty good on paper. I thought that Garcia was totally miscast as a center fielder in 2020 and it impacted his offensive game. Platoons always look good on paper but you need both halves of a platoon to perform. I guess we'll know if defense was the way to go by the all star break. I was a big fan of the 1992 Brewers, but the offense was just sickening for me to watch in 2020. Fifty years of home runs, strikeouts and deploying multiple DH's all over the field hasn't exactly worked out all that well. I'm willing to watch and see what happens. Go Brewers.
  7. brewers4eric
    Brantley was one of my favorites as he typically had more walks that strikeouts. Plus he played some first base in addition to the outfield and I'm old enough to remember when his Dad played in the majors. There was a thread in the minors forum and I picked Brantley as my "pick to click" at least once. A friend of mine did a college internship in Denver and attended a few AAA games. He came back talking about how good Jim Olander played. I'll add Dave Stapleton to the list. I think he had a cup of coffee with the team in 1987. I remember him as a lefty with a screwball.
  8. brewers4eric
    I can't believe it has been twenty years already. I spent that night listening to the ceremony from the seat of a tractor and am not afraid to admit that it brought me to tears when I heard all of the names being announced. One of my coworkers was at the game. She had never attended a baseball game in person and was invited by a friend at the last minute. A week later she gave me the numbered program and a copy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that was given away at the game. I noticed a scribble of a signature on the program and asked where she had gotten it. Her reply was that she had walked onto the concourse and a group of people were huddled around someone. She had no idea who it was but she figured she would get an autograph if everyone else was. She showed me her pictures from the game and the unknown man in the concourse that was signing autographs was Bud Selig. I've got the program in a shadowbox in my home office. It hangs next to a "First Pitch" print from the first game at Miller Park. I've got lots of great memories from both venues. Go Brewers.
  9. brewers4eric
    I fault myself for having grown used to the September stretch drives where Counsell uses the full depth of the 40 man roster to create versatile lineups and deploy pitchers where their skills can best be utilized. It only takes a brief scan of our lineups each night to realize that the team just doesn't have the depth and talent that we deployed in 2018 and 2019. I've been a Brewer fan since 1978. If we can eek out a playoff birth with this roster I'll consider it a major accomplishment. Go Brewers.
  10. brewers4eric
    Two years ago I took my son to Cedar Rapids when the Timber Rattlers were in town and we happened to see a Graterol start. He made a mockery of the T-Rats lineup with his 100 mph heat. I'm not sure if he is destined to be a starter for the Red Sox, but he certainly flashed some raw talent that day. My son just turned 12, but he still talks about him.
  11. brewers4eric
    A friend of mine was in Cleveland last weekend. He's been a lifelong Broncos fan and he found a coloring book in a bookstore called, "Why is Daddy Sad on Sundays"? It featured the most gut wrenching losses in Cleveland sports history such as 'the Drive' and 'the Fumble' from the worst days of the Browns franchise. If they did a similar coloring book for the Brewers, what events would you suggest? This year's wild card loss would be obvious. I would include a page featuring the trade of Dante Bichette for Kevin Reimer. Since I'm old, I would also suggest, "Dad went to a Brewers game against the Cubs and ended up sitting next to some drunken frat boys from Illinois that were too young to remember Ron Santo's call from the Brant Brown game".
  12. brewers4eric
    I've been a Brewers fan since 1978 and I haven't lost any confidence in Stearns. After 2011, I had serious doubts that I would ever see the Brewers in a World Series again in my lifetime. I've admired the quick turnaround to the parent franchise during his tenure and his ability to pick up the pieces that we needed at the deadline in 2018. We had the deepest forty man roster in my memory and it showed during the stretch run that carried the team to within a game of the world series. His job was tougher in 2019. Based on the injuries and poor performance prior to the deadline, the guys that didn't make our playoff roster in 2018 were pitching the bulk of our innings. Stearns was faced with making deadline moves that allowed Counsell to patch together a four man pitching rotation and added some fringe talent to the bullpen. I'm amazed that we're still in contention for the second wild card spot as we're penciling utility guys into our infield each night as we wait for the regulars to get healthy. I think Counsell does his best work with a forty man roster.
  13. brewers4eric
    I keep thinking back to a game I attended a few years ago where the Marlins lineup started with Realmuto, Stanton, Yelich and Ozuna and we had Wily Peralta on the mound and I knew I had wasted a three hour drive to Milwaukee. I consider losing two out of three to the Marlins in June as one of the low points of this season. Based on my experience in a pool league in northeast Iowa, you win championships by sweeping the bad teams, rather than splitting a series with the good teams. Go Brewers, don't let me down.
  14. brewers4eric
    In 2018 we picked up the pieces that we needed at the deadline to fill out the deepest 25 and 40 man rosters that I can remember since I started my Brewer fandom in 1978. We had a huge advantage when the rosters expanded in September and it fueled the eventual pennant run. In 2019 we picked up the pieces that we needed to patch together a four man starting rotation and added some depth to our bullpen. The latest series with the Cubs might have proved that our offense can't make up for the problems that we've encountered with our pitching staff. While I like what we've seen so far from Pomeranz, Grisham and Devin Williams, we don't have the bullpen pieces that we had in 2018 that allowed us to play a five or six inning game. Go Brewers, prove me wrong.
  15. brewers4eric
    I took a day off and went to Cedar Rapids hoping to watch Turang play, but he was out of the lineup. I was reminded of a similar effort a few years ago where I was hoping to see Isan Diaz and he also had the day off. Monte Harrison had a ninth inning blast in that game. Jarvis was sitting around 89 mph on the stadium gun. He throws his offspeed stuff in any count and gave up hits when he left his fastball over the plate. Salaman was sitting at 90 mph. The ball comes out of his hand quickly and he worked through his first inning easily but gave up the home run that was the difference in the game. Gilles brings mostly 93 mph heat. The Wisconsin lineup lacks an impact bat. The catching options look solid based on what I saw today. I went to CR last year and watched Payton Henry, I can remember that he had thrown out three base runners in an otherwise forgettable blowout loss. I'm still waiting for Wisconsin to play well when I'm in attendance. Today was a great day to be a Dad as I got to spend allot of time with my 13 year old daughter and she took a real interest in the game. Go Brewers
  16. brewers4eric
    I firmly believe that we had the deepest 37 man roster in baseball in September of 2018 and it was a big reason for the number of wins that we put together right down to game number 163. Based on picking up Grandal and resigning Moustakas, our 25 man roster should be solid out of the gates in 2019. The lineup is deep. It will be important to secure enough arms with options to stretch our pitching depth beyond the 25 man limit again this year, but I also trust that Stearns will find the players we need prior to the trade deadline again. It should be a great year to be a Brewers fan.
  17. brewers4eric
    I can't wait for the first Brewers home run after the name change. Instead of going down the slide, Bernie trips and falls off the chalet and winds up on a stretcher in the concourse. The PA announcer says, "Don't worry folks, Bernie's covered by American Family Insurance".
  18. brewers4eric
    As a Brewers fan since 1978, I theorize that between 1984 and 2007 I was conditioned into believing that payroll restraints have always kept the team from competing. After 40 years of Brewer fandom, however; I finally realized that I don't care how much the team owners make. I just want the team to win the World Series while I'm alive. Go Brewers.
  19. brewers4eric
    The hitting ability of the 1979 team was exemplified by the fact that they were only shutout once during the season, and it was on the last game of the schedule with most of the bench inserted into the lineup. They put up 95 wins but were out of the race in August. I can remember following the 1978 team and shuddering anytime Andy Replogle was on the bump. I was always amazed when he won as he was a typical minor league journeyman that rarely struck anyone out. I was hooked on the Brewers after my first trip to County Stadium forty years ago. I can still remember the sights and sounds from the parking lot. Molitor was the rookie at the top of the lineup. Yount was the light hitting shortstop at the bottom. Mike Caldwell was on the mound for the Brewers and Johnny Wockenfuss was catching for the Tigers.
  20. brewers4eric
    I've been a Brewer fan since 1978. My opinion on whether this is the best Brewer team comes down to whether you consider just the 25 man or the entire 40 man roster. I do think this is the deepest 40 man team in the history of the franchise. I think we've had a huge advantage over our opponents since September 1 when the rosters expanded. The perceived lack of quality depth within the rotation has been alleviated by the number of options available in the bullpen each night. Additionally, our infield and outfield depth is stacked on the bench. I loved the 1992 version of the team. The rotation was solid after Cal Eldred was promoted and Garner was good at finding the right spots for the arms in the bullpen. Darren Holmes was one of my favorites and they should have never left him unprotected in the expansion draft. I won't comment on the Bichette for Kevin Reimer trade, which is one of the worst in the history of the Brewers.
  21. brewers4eric
    Based on the depth of our forty man roster, I think we'll have an advantage over most teams in September. Over the next month, we'll probably deploy between seventeen to nineteen pitchers. If you see David Stearns, give him a pat on the back for me.
  22. brewers4eric
    I was driving to the game on Wednesday and I was passed by a white sedan on I-94 near the state fair grounds. The sedan had personalized license plates with the Brewers logo and "ORF" as the lettering. Based on that encounter, I expected Nate Orf to be on the 25 man roster for the series finale against the Royals.
  23. brewers4eric
    I took my 11 year old son to Cedar Rapids to watch the T Rats game. The game didn't start too bad as Darren Seferina led off with a single up the middle. It was all downhill from there, as Brusdar Graterol took a break from striking out T rats batters in order to pick him off. Graterol was hitting triple digits on the stadium gun. I lost track of the number of strikeouts that he racked up. Payton Henry threw out two Kernels base runners in the first. He does the little things as a catcher that the casual fan doesn't always appreciate. The game was over when the Kernels put up a ten spot in the fourth. Carlos Herrera was hitting 93 on the gun, but he didn't have any off speed stuff to keep the hitters off balance and they lit him up. Jose Cuas got knocked around. Two of the Cedar Rapids home runs were opposite field shots over the left field fence. Tristen Lutz had a ringing double but he looked out of place as a center fielder. The biggest scare came on a foul ball between third and home. Gabe Garcia and Payton Henry didn't communicate and Henry took the worst of their collision but shook it off. Henry backed off another pop up later in the game that fell between the two of them. We had thrown around the idea of driving to Des Moines to catch the Sky Sox game. The T-Rats looked totally outmatched this afternoon.
  24. brewers4eric
    I can recall Phil Garner putting Tony Fossas in left field when he managed the Brewers. I think it was mostly because our bullpen was pretty bad at the time.
  25. brewers4eric
    Record: 87-75 Playoffs: Yes Highest Playoff Level Achieved: We lose a one game wild card match with the Cardinals that makes me question my sanity and forty years of Brewer fandom. I'm still ticked off about 2011. If we would have beaten them a couple of additional times during the season, the Cardinals might not have even made the playoffs. Tony LaRussa wouldn't have written a book that I need to buy and burn, etc... All Star Representative: Yelich Pitcher of the Year: Knebel Surprising Player: Suter, I'm still surprised that he made the team and cracked the rotation out of camp. Another 200 innings of 3.00 ERA soft tossing mastery and I'll buy his jersey and adopt his environmental science agenda. Disappointing Player: Villar, I thought he was a utility guy with tools when we got him from Houston and I'm increasingly convinced that 2016 was an aberration. The 25 and 40 man rosters are deeper than what is typical for Brewer teams during my tenure. I'm concerned about the true level of talent within the rotation, but I'll cheer for whoever we run out to the bump. Go Brewers.
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