thunderbat30

I could not agree more.

Could Gamel be a part of this too?

Do September call-ups receive major league salary when they are up?

Wendelstedt has always been a jerk and full of himself. I'd be quite angry if I was a Twins fans. Are playoff umpires supposed to be the best?

Congrats Trevor! Super moment to watch. His teammates truly respect him.

I think Petersen and Zaun could have played in an 80's rock band together...

I saw it -- I sure hope he is fine. Stating the obvious but the Bucks are a completely different team without Bogut.

Assuming a bullpen/starting staff of 12. Bullpen = Hoffman, Coffey, Hawkins, Vargas & Stetter. Starters = Gallardo, Wolf, Davis & Bush. Parra, Soup & Narveson will make the team in some fashion and Villy will be in AAA. I don't think the Brewers' brass are idiots. They know Soup's put them between a rock and a hard place with brutal numbers, shaky performance and a 12 mil + price tag. Parra is inconsistent, has head issues but has the talent to be the best of the three. Narveson has pitched well and is intriguing but is he a fart in the wind? With so little room for error I would bet the thoughts are just like the forum -- everyone has an opinion and all over the place. The question is who has the right one? Safe bet, keep them all and figure it out later.

Not that I am complaining, okay only a little, the convenience fees are starting to drive me crazy. I ordered this AM and I know they've always had the ticket charge but now one for parking passes and I could only select the $4 mail option. Is there a way around all these fees or is that kind of the way it is? Is it the same if I go the ticket offices or call?

Probably not comparing the same thing but does Prince have an atheltic looking body? All I care about is production.

I really don't have a comment either way because both players have pro's con's--but it is sure interesting to read everyone's thoughts on Casey and Mat. Brewer passion is great.

Wonder if he would have been safe if he would have tagged up properly.

You're right, I didn't give a reason. My feeling on Swindle is that he'll make hitters look awful on swings during at bats but more often than not good MLB hitters will hammer Swindle because his fastball is so limited. Hitters can sit on off speed stuff exclusively. I don't have any evidence to prove otherwise but a MLB pitcher needs a certain amount of velocity to be effective and it varies from each pitcher depending on their style. There are pitchers than can make this work but there are just so few. I know there are examples, heck Trevor Hoffman has done it with the Brewers this year but Trevor has shown cracks lately because he doesn't have that fastball. His leg kick is so deceiving and command is pinpoint when he's on. Swindle's delivery and location are his best chance to have a shot at all and I don't see how he can help the Brewers in the long run. It really all comes down to perceptions on players. As much coaching as I've done opinions on players vary so much from staff members. Our entire staff constantly views guys differently than the rest beacuse he's 'our' type of player. Right and Wrong by both sides.

I said this in an April post and it met some banter because I said it without numbers/professional expertise but Swindle is simply not a major league pitcher. That being said, I'd take his job anyday of the year.

Man I am all for patience but Manny might need to catch a flight to Nashville. He just nibbles so much, looks like he doesn't have a ton of confidence and appears to lose focus at times.

That's exactly what I thought...I bet it stirs the pot even more. I love it!

I'd use Hoffman. Can't win tomorrow's game before you win today and Hoff's only thrown about 20 pitches the last two nights.

It's unfortunate for Nelson if FC ends up taking his spot. But let's be honest, he's done nothing and looks lost at the plate. I was at the game last night and his swings looked brutal. He's pressing as I am sure he's not an idiot and knows if he doesn't produce it's over but that's just reality. I hope he does get a hit so he doesn't end his career always remembering the year he went 0 for XX.

This article points to ED. Interesting twist and I can hear the jokes coming if this is the case. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ys-ramirezsuspension050709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

It's a little early to be talking about sending Hardy down and discussion on future trade scenarios. Remember a few weeks ago how bad the entire team was? I would give him at least another day off since Haren is pitching today and his slider won't be good for JJ. Craig's been swinging a good bat so ride him another game. My guess though, Macha will put JJ in the lineup today.

I don't care much for Julio but I even care less for Swindle. He might have a baffling curve at times but the guy is not a major league pitcher IMO.

Wallus---just suggestions as I am not a certified planner or financial advisor. 1. You should make sure you maximize your ROTH every year, especially now when you are young and single. Tomorrow is the deadline for the 2008 year, however you can set up a 2009 plan anytime if it is too late for you to do that. Compound interest is huge in the long run even if you have to stop contributing the max later if you have a family; so start ASAP. 2. Since you're an educator you no doubt can participate in a 403B. Set this up with your checks to take automatic deductions. Pick an amount that is comfortable and you can always increase it. I am sure your district will have a list of vendors you can choose from. Eventually you will not notice it being taken from your check. I would suggest starting at least $100 a check if you get paid 2x a month but you obviously need to be able to afford it and work up from there. 3. Are you paying once a month for mortgage or more? You can decrease your total payment in the long run if you pay more times a year/month. As for paying more, it hard to say without knowing more details and specifics of your situation. I have no idea what your financial situation is now but if you are like most that are 24 you are wasting money you could easily invest. New 'toys', bar scene, electronics, dining out, etc., can really pile up fast and you really have to weigh the pros and cons if you need something. These years of investing can help you much more than say 10 years down the road when you try to recover and become more disciplined. Don't worry about the markets now as you have decades to recover any losses. Ask your co-workers for advice on who they use for vendors and advisors. If you feel comfortable you can do much of this yourself on-line. Load fees, maintenance fees and expense ratios are completely different from vendor to vendor and each has it's pros and cons. Just a few suggestions from how I approach things. I don't claim to be an expert but I am trying to get ahead as soon as I can just as you are.

I've been chuckling and nodding through this entire thread. There are so many stories I could add but my biggest pet peeve in my classes is students believe they should not lose few/if any points for late work. It is amazing how I can even give work time (high school students) and they still won't have it finished the next day. Teaching is the easy part. PR with students, parents, the public and co-workers is the stress. Many complain about how easy teachers have it but always tell them you can always go the school to teach. It's definitely a great challenge everyday.

To me, that means it's a done deal. I know it is 'possible' the Brewers are just preparing but I'd sure miss Jim on the broadcasts.

Hoffman was the only one I could think of. I just didn't want to say there's no way he would be a good closer. To me most closers that are successful have so called 'power' arms. I wouldn't classify CV as a power arm at all so other than his mentality I would think his success would be average at best. Just my two cents. Not to say he would fail but I would much rather see someone else in that role.