ReverendBrewmeister

So when does one of our pitchers just bean a guy out of frustration? When does Packers minicamp start?

Some blame has to be on the offense, as much as the 7th, 8th, and 9th inning pitchers blew it. Of course, a 6-0 lead should never be blown. But what about the lack of hitting in the 4th inning? Just one hit, or moving guys over and then hitting into a fielder's choice would have padded the lead. It seems like there's a lack of "killer instinct," when the Brewers have a team down on the road, and then the bullpen blows it. Plenty of blame to throw around. The real question is, What can management do about it for future games?

So where do we get a new closer at the deadline? Unfreakinbelievable........pure suckitude!

Perhaps Suppan was the wrong choice. But if I recall correctly, the big three free agent pitcher signings were: a) Jason Schmidt; b) Gil Meche; c) Jeff Suppan. Out of the three, I 'd think that Suppan was the reasonable option. Thankfully, we did not sign Schmidt, as we see his season-ending injury. Meche has been a better-than-average pitcher for Kansas City, but is making $7.4 million this year. Attanasio might have opened the purse, but I doubt Meche's contract would have been feasible. Although, in hindsight, if it would have been possible, then it's too bad Meche isn't wearing Brewer blue. Suppan seemed like a rotation stabilizer, which is what we wanted. In no way am I defending his performance, but if you had asked me this winter whether to sign Suppan, I would have said yes. His inability to give "quality starts" is definitely troubling, and it certainly warrants a drop in the rotation. Perhaps, again in hindsight, the best move would have been to roll the dice with Villaneuva as a #4 starter behind Bush and ahead of Vargas, and the subsequent promotion of Gallardo. Maybe a reliever could also have been signed. But I doubt any of us would have expected Suppan's lack of performance at this point; and the lack of Villaneuva as a dependable arm from the pen would make this season even more unnerving.

Hope that ball got landing clearance from Reagan National....... Looks like it's a full air traffic pattern. Fielder, too.

This just in...... Bill Hall can play CF.

With Gallardo in the pen, is Yost going to burn through Carlos V here? Or is this his last inning? Pitch count will be in 30s after this inning.

DAMIAN!!!!!

Scoring runs in consecutive innings is fun! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Now go show the Scrubs your "aceyness," Ben!

Why is Turnbow in with a 5 run lead? Yost had Turnbow warmed up before the Hart homer, when it was a two-run game. Might as well use him, since he's ready-to-go, since the going theory is that when a reliever is warmed, it's just as much strain to have him pitch as not to (or something like that).

Final from St. Louis: Philadelphia shuts out St. Louis, 6-0.

I agree about Suppan. You can't get much better run support, and to turn the game back into a struggle is more than disappointing. With the Royals' depleted bullpen, this needed to be a stomp-on-the-throat type of win, not a back-and-forth game. Perhaps we see a change in pitching rotation, at least after the All Star Break?

Great win! Good to see the youngsters produce all game long. Bonus: Royals drop the Cardinals, 5-3 in STL.

Why can't we keep runners from stealing 2nd?

I would like to see the MLB Draft become more similar to the NHL Entry Draft. Listed below are several points about the NHL Entry Draft that should be incorporated into MLB. They should make things more equitable among teams, regardless of revenue. (Source of info comes from NHL Entry Draft Primer ) Eligible Players Players who turn 18 by September 15 and are not older than 20 by December 31 are eligible for selection. In addition, non-North American players over the age of 20 are eligible. A North American player who is not drafted by the age of 20 is an unrestricted free agent. All non-North Americans must be drafted before being signed, regardless of age. Re-entering the Draft A player not signed by his NHL team within two years of being drafted can re-enter the draft, as long as he is 20 years old or younger at the time of the subsequent draft. Players over 20 become unrestricted free agents. NCAA players are an exception: NHL teams retain the rights to a college player until 30 days after the player has left college. A team that does not sign a first-round draft pick is awarded a compensatory pick in a future draft upon losing the rights to that player. A player who has been drafted a second time cannot re-enter. Recent Changes # European Players - Prior to 2005, NHL teams retained the rights to a European player until that player turned 31. Drafted Europeans must now be signed within two years, the same as North Americans, or the team loses the rights to the player. # NCAA Players - As of 2004, 18-year-old players from NCAA Division I schools can be drafted and retain their college eligibility as long as they don't play for a pro team or hire an agent. In previous years, an 18-year-old who opted into the draft lost his NCAA eligibility. # Compensatory Picks - As of 2005, a team that loses a veteran player as an unrestricted free agent is no longer awarded a compensatory pick in a future draft.

Glenn Yaeger had an op-ed piece in the June 3, 2007, Nashville Tennessean regarding the failed stadium plan. Baseball Team Saw Potential in Site Nothing really new in the article. Just mentions the Sounds' former desire to build on the Thermal Transfer Plant site, some other development that could go there, and the continuing search for another downtown Nashville stadium. Most important quote: "What is the future of the Sounds and baseball in Middle Tennessee? The Sounds remain committed to finding a ballpark solution in Nashville, a place we have proudly called home for the past 30 years. The future requires the Sounds and the city to identify a new ballpark solution on an alternate downtown site � a solution that will meet the needs of the city and baseball fans in Nashville."

You think the Cubs/Sox rivalry arguments could be kept SOUTH of the border............. or at least keep the FSN WISCONSIN cameras off of the pair of them.

If my math is right, according to baseball-reference.com gamelogs, since the beginning of May, Shouse has inherited 17 runners, with 6 scoring. In the three situations in which he allowed inherited runners to score, Shouse entered with at least one out. (That's not counting tonight.)

And so much for our vaunted lefty specialist................ Two games in a row for Shouse.

Always an inning or batter too late, Ned. You would think a manager could learn from previous experience.

About 5 feet below the train in Houston. Cards announcers claimed that "in any other ballpark Albert would have hit 4 home runs today." Perhaps Pujols is heating up.............

Cubs lose 8-5. 20 hits for the Braves in total. Zambrano's line: 5.0 IP 13 H 7 R 6 ER 2 BB 0 K. So much for the ace of the Cubs staff today.

Zambrano even fighting Barrett © in the dugout between innings. Love waving the red-sheet in front of the bull. Go crazy, Carlos!

Wrister through the 5-hole, and Hudson lights the lamp! Finally a couple "breaks" going our way the last two games. Glad to see the previous two batters moving the runner over paid off.

Just plain unacceptable offense for a 1st-place team. (Not that any of us could do better.) This is becoming more than pitiful; it's nearly laughable: no team can be this bad at getting runners home when they are on base. Emphasis: This lack of execution is not Yost's fault. But I do wonder if a revised lineup should be in order. Over this slide/plummet, we constantly seem to have the "wrong" batters up at critical times. Hardy and Fielder need to be in the heart of the order, with a batter in-between (e.g. Jenkins).