splitterpfj

I do think Branyan would go over Kapler, we'd have Durham and Counsell as backup infielders....and Branyan could be stashed at Nashville, to be right back here if someone got hurt.

I was thinking the same thing, Colby, that probably drops Lucroy out of consideration. I think Cleveland did great in this trade.

I would not laugh this off, Giles still has value. I would bet against it actually happening, if the Padres want a solid player return, and no financial obligation. Edit: Prepare yourselves, if the Brewers really are pursuing Giles, there are only two logical candidates to drop from the roster. One would be a reliever, which I don't think they'll do - the other is....Russell Branyan.

The Pirates aren't giving much ground yet in their trade demands, Marte seems likely to cost at least one excellent prospect. I don't think Doug will pay the price.

I suppose it depends on what they're offered, but I really don't think Prince will be traded after this season. He's still years from free agency, and there's no obvious replacement ready for him - what's the rush?

There 'tis.

This is a great opportunity, when the Brewers got Sabathia, I thought they instantly became the favorite for the wild card, but I honestly never thought they'd catch the Cubs - I thought the Cubs would stay 2-3 games up on them throughout. Don't freak out if they lose tonight, the fact that the Brewers are in this position is awesome....no matter what happens....keep that thought.

Unbelievable. It sure is fun when your team is this hot! The Cardinals had better regroup quickly, they head to New York now for three games - a bad weekend would leave them in tough shape.

"Why I think the Brewers have a scheduling advantage over the Cubs" Brewers v Cubs: Remaining Schedules Head to Head - 10 games, 7 in Mil - Advantage Brewers - 70% of these are in Milwaukee - check the Cubs' road record vs the Brewers' home record. The run differential will show the Cubs with an advantage - but I don't buy it. We're 101 games in, and one team has one more victory than the other team. The Cubs may be more likely to blow a team out on any given day, but that has not made them more likely to take two out of three. VS Common Opponents St Louis - Brewers 3 games, Cubs 9 - Advantage Brewers New York - Brewers 3 games, Cubs 4 - Advantage Brewers (in addition, Brewers home - Cubs road) Phil. - 4 games each, Brewers road, Cubs home - Advantage Cubs Cincinnati - Brewers 9 games, Cubs 6 - Advantage Cubs Atlanta - 3 each, both road - No Advantage OK, this reaches the point where it become advantageous to play the remaining teams more often, because they are the weaker teams. I left the Reds where they are because I think they're going to be a very tough team to predict the rest of the way, and because the Brewers play 6 of their remaining 9 on the road, including one series with neither Sabathia nor Sheets. Pittsburgh - Brewers 9 games, Cubs 6 - Advantage Brewers Houston - Brewers 6 games, Cubs 9 - Advantage Cubs Washington - Brewers 4 games, Cubs 3 - Advantage Brewers REMAINING SCHEDULES: Florida - Brewers, 0 games, Cubs 7 games - Advantage Brewers Dodgers - Brewers 3, Cubs 0 - No Advantage - tough call, it's in LA, with no Sheets or Sabathia...but the Brewers are clearly the better team San Diego - Brewers 7 games, Cubs 0 games - Advantage Brewers The Cubs should have a much bigger lead in the division at this point - but they don't, and that has created an opportunity for Milwaukee. With just one game separating the two teams in the standings, the Cubs have three significant factors working against them. 1. The 7/3 home-road split for the Brewers in the head to head games. 2. Six additional games vs St Louis - the Cardinals are still a team with a .553 winning percentage. 3. Marlins - Padres. The Cubs have 7 with Florida, while the Brewers have 7 with the Padres. The difference here is simply enormous - for both teams, this represents one in nine of the remaining games, and the difference in winning percentage is .525 to .373 - 152 points! It shouldn't be so, the Cubs should be up by seven games in the division right now, but the fact is - the door is wide open for Milwaukee to win the NL Central. When I break all of this down, I think the Cubs may wind up having to root for the Reds, Dodgers and Padres to derail Milwaukee, while they deal with St Louis and Florida, in preparation for the season finish....in Milwaukee. Which side would you bet on?

maybe trying to show off his stuff to someone with some Cy hardware. More likely, IMO, trying to impress the guy who would name the starting pitcher for the All-Star Game.

Yep, this is what I had come up with last week. Sabathia and Sheets will be all over the Cubs and Cardinals, and beyond that, there are only three series' when neither of them will pitch. 3 vs Hou - neither 4 vs Chi - both 3 at Atl - both 3 at Cin - neither 4 vs Wash - both 3 at SD - both 3 at LA - neither 3 vs Hou - both 3 vs Pitt - Sabathia 2 at St L - Sheets 3 at Pitt - Sabathia 3 vs NY - Sheets 4 vs SD - both 3 vs Cin - Sabathia 4 at Phil - Sheets 3 at Chi - both 3 at Cin - Sabathia 3 vs Pitt - Sheets 3 vs Chi - both One, "home neither", two, "road neithers", and the Mets and Phillies will both miss CC, but both get Sheets. Sabathia and Sheets will start six of the ten games vs the Cubs, Parra will start two, the 4 and 5 spots get one each. Sheets will start two of the four games vs the Cardinals, Parra will start one, 4 and 5 get one each. The Mets will get Sheets, Parra, and the 4 spot. The Phillies will get everyone but CC. If it's down to the last two games, that's Sabathia, then Sheets to close it out.

These tight wins have been a blast, baseball drama at its finest....but I'd be ok with a nice 10-run outburst tomorrow.

If you haven't experienced this, it's just the weirdest feeling. Before you get completely freaked, there's this split second where you have to accept that fact that someone IS coming right at you. It's so out of place, you're just not looking for that, so when you see it, it's like....1. What?...2. Really? 3. In the interest of maintaining the integrity of this online community, I will not fill in number 3. The whole thing happens so fast, I'm sure it's barely perceptible, but that's the sensation, you have to almost convince yourself that it's happening, and then you react with the fastest reflexes of your life!

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/larussa3.jpg

Monday Night - Avoided disaster Tuesday Night - Got what you needed on the road Wednesday Night - Got what you wanted Thursday Night - Just plain greedy....go for it!

OK, to appease karma, show me your painful Brewers memories.... http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/Hammondsbobble.jpg

Send McClung out there.....he's huge, and he won't pitch against the Cubs anyway.

1. I was 15 in 1982, there are some differences in the two seasons. The '82 team had been in the strike-related playoffs in 81, and was loaded with proven talent - they were expected to win. They started slowly, then took off after a change in managers in early June - from that point on, they were the best team in baseball that season. In 82, the Brewers caught the first-place Red Sox right around July 4, and never gave up the lead. 2. Optimistic? Yes. Fully aware that anything can happen over the next 9-10 weeks? Yes, again. I do think the Brewers are the favorite for the NL wild card, and obviously, they've gotten right back into the division race. I thought they were the wild card team before the season, as soon as Sabathia joined the rotation, I believed it again. 3. Yes, I'm completely unaware of football at this point, it's not even on the radar. 4. The only thing the Favre thing has done to me is cause extreme boredom, and a bit of a disdain for Favre. Go away already, you've been "almost retiring" since 1952.

I hate the mods. Just last week Katuluu took two milks in the lunch line.

WOW. That's hilarious.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/87Twins.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/rolen-larussa.jpg Mr Rolen and Mr LaRussa

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa319/toddecopp/Denkinger.jpg

The Reds are checking out Mr Street. I have no idea if that will go anywhere, but I sure didn't see that one coming.

This is where I could see Taylor Green fitting, if we haven't already traded him.