battlekow

Seems like you could use Greasemonkey to disable the script from running, right? But I don't know JavaScript, so I can't write it. EDIT: In lieu of learning JavaScript, I just added "http://static.yuku.com/common/bypass/js/dRev.js", which I got from the Yuku page source, to my Adblock Plus filters, which prevents the Driving Revenue script from loading. Seems to work.

I missed this yesterday. It's free, so check it out.

No, but Michael Bowden was.

Actually, I think this augurs very well for Heether's chances. Gerut, Counsell, and Edmonds are all left-handed, as are Inglett, Gamel, and Iribarren. If one of those latter three was chosen for the last roster spot in your scenario, the only right-handed pinch hitter the Brewers would have is the backup catcher, unless that's Kottaras, in which case they'd have no righty bench bats. Since I'm sure the Brewers would like to be able to pinch hit against a lefty without burning their backup backstop, that leaves Cruz and Heether as the only options. Counsell's general infield wizardry makes Cruz's gloveliness redundant, so I think Heether would make the team as the 2010 version of Casey McGehee if it plays out as you predict.

Some choice quotes from Goldstein to stimulate discussion:

Kevin Goldstein's list (five-star prospects are top-50 in baseball, four-star top-100): Five-Star Prospects 1. Alcides Escobar, SS Four-Star Prospects 2. Brett Lawrie, 2B Three-Star Prospects 3. Mat Gamel, 3B 4. Wily Peralta, RHP 5. Cody Scarpetta, RHP 6. Jon Lucroy, C 7. Eric Arnett, RHP 8. Kyle Heckathorn, RHP 9. Kentrail Davis, OF 10. Angel Salome, C Two-Star Prospects 11. Logan Schafer, OF Four More: 12. Mark Rogers, RHP 13. Caleb Gindl, OF 14. Jake Odorizzi, RHP 15. Zach Braddock, LHP The Sleeper: A fourth-round pick in 2006, right-hander Evan Anundsen throws strikes with an effective three-pitch mix. He could develop into a dependable back-end rotation starter. Top 10 Talents 25 And Under (Born 4/1/84 or later) 1. Prince Fielder, 1B 2. Yovani Gallardo, RHP 3. Alcides Escobar, SS 4. Carlos Gomez, CF 5. Brett Lawrie, 2B 6. Mat Gamel, 3B 7. Wily Peralta, RHP 8. Cody Scarpetta, RHP 9. Jon Lucroy, C 10. Eric Arnett, RHP It's easy to forget just how young Fielder is, as we could be talking about a 30-year-old who already has 350-400 career home runs five years from now. Gallardo is an ace in the making, and he’s arguably the one person on the Brewer roster they could least afford to lose, as he's the only member of the rotation that scares other teams. What does one do with Gomez, a career .246/.292/.346 hitter who nonetheless still has dazzling tools? PECOTA doesn't seem to know either, as it’s projecting a small step forward in 2010, but his list of comparable players is loaded with superstars. I'm willing to let my bet ride on the tools for now. Summary: While the Brewers have had one of the more productive farm systems of late, that well of talent has run a bit dry, while their architect packed up for a general manager job in Seattle. There's young talent that has the ability to step forward in 2010, but now some of it needs to do so.

Haha. Yes, I do mean that. It's horizontal when reading an individual thread, vertical when reading a forum, and invisible in both cases.

Anyone else seeing that? For instance, above "Brewerfan.net Issues & Events", there is usually a link to "Brewerfan.net Fan Forum". At the moment, that link still exists, but is the same color as the background text when browsing a forum. When reading a specific thread, all three levels of the hierarchy are whited out, though oddly they are properly colored when you open the reply editor. It appears this way in both Firefox and Safari for me.

Even with last year's disastrous performance included, he's still held lefties to a .210/.290/.313 line the past three years, so he could potentially be useful. He absolutely cannot be allowed to face righties, though.

McCalvy with the news. Schoeneweis was the pitcher whose wife died of a drug overdose last year.

Will Inman. I suppose every Internet-age prospect-follower has a Will Inman, a pitcher who taught them the lesson that stats aren't everything. Inman's not really a perfect choice, since he was still pretty highly regarded, but I was convinced that he was criminally underrated. Plus, I talked to him a couple times and got the sense that he was a pretty regular dude. I was/am rooting for him big time, but it seems like his ship has probably sailed at this point. Hard to believe he only turned 23 this Saturday. I hope he can at least make it to the big leagues for a cup of coffee.

For an international signing, yes. It means he's been eligible to sign for several years but hasn't until now, so his scouting reports probably aren't going to excite anyone.

Brewers alumni/unsigned draftees with grades in John Sickles' 2010 prospect book: Jake Arrieta - B+ Michael Brantley - B Evan Bronson - C Darren Ford - C+ Cole Gillespie - C+ Connor Hoehn - C+ (sleeper) Will Inman - C Roque Mercedes - C Scott Shuman - C Kanekoa Texeira - C+ Jemile Weeks - B-

Brewers alumni/unsigned draftees with grades in John Sickles' 2010 prospect book: Jake Arrieta - B+ Michael Brantley - B Evan Bronson - C Darren Ford - C+ Cole Gillespie - C+ Connor Hoehn - C+ (sleeper) Will Inman - C Roque Mercedes - C Scott Shuman - C Kanekoa Texeira - C+ Jemile Weeks - B-

Dana Eveland traded to the Blue Jays.

Dana Eveland traded to the Blue Jays.

Just to clarify, it looks like that was a typo; from the stats page, Reyes had 15 strikeouts and 2 walks in 8.1 innings. The scouting reports are going to be much more useful than those numbers, in this case.

I asked Jorge Arangure if he knew anything about Reyes, and he said he didn't but that he was told it wasn't a "huge money deal".

...according to the Dominican Prospect League site:

Hall column: Friends in high places David Hall/Kinston Free Press Chuck Lofgren has never been nervous in front of a crowd. Since the age of 15, he’s played baseball before as many as 30,000 people in locales ranging from Japan to Venezuela to Mexico to all corners of the United States. He’s been cheered, feted, heckled, booed and hissed while remaining so locked in on the game that he hardly noticed it one way or the other. But this was different. When Lofgren, a former Kinston Indians left-hander who now pitches for the Milwaukee Brewers, found himself standing onstage with a microphone between Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood, he was more than just a fish out of water. Think Flavor Flav at a Kennedy family picnic. But Lofgren, who tied a franchise record with 17 wins during Kinston’s 2006 Carolina League championship season, somehow managed to hold his own. With Brooks, Yearwood and a full band backing him up like All-Star infielders, he sang “Much Too Young (To Be This Damn Old)” like an old pro on a Nashville, Tenn., stage last month. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Lofgren said Thursday from Los Angeles, where he’s working out before he tries to make the Brewers’ big league roster this spring. “It was unbelievable. It was tremendous.” How did it happen, you ask? The impromptu cameo was the result of a combination of Lofgren’s sense of adventure, his unwavering self-confidence and a generous heart. And it’s a testament to the old saying that no good deed goes unrewarded. It started innocuously enough. A couple of years ago, when Lofgren was in major league camp with the Cleveland Indians, he was approached by a Brooks representative to join a charity called Teammates For Kids. The foundation, which directs 100 percent of its proceeds toward non-profits that benefit children with an emphasis on health, education and inner-city services, was co-founded by Brooks in 1999. Athletes donate money for specific goals they attain (like wins by a pitcher, touchdowns by a football player or goals by a soccer player), and Brooks’ charity triples the donation. Lofgren, a 24-year-old Northern Californian who’s long been what he called a “huge, huge fan” of Brooks and George Strait, joined the group and began donating for each mound victory and strikeout. “It kind of gives you incentive to do better for these kids,” he said. Last month, some of the foundation’s benefactors were invited to Brooks’ Nashville home for a weekend that included a Friday meet-and-greet and a Saturday concert on Brooks’ property. That Friday, Lofgren and his girlfriend, Jen Maul, had some alone time with Brooks as they toured a giant barn that houses his many awards. They had a chance to discuss their favorite Brooks songs. (Lofgren’s is “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” Brooks’ is “The Dance.”) The end of the conversation, with the concert looming a day later, went something like this: Lofgren (half-jokingly): “Hey, don’t be afraid to call me up on stage. I can sing a little bit.” Brooks (laughing): “Yeah, yeah. I hear that all the time. I always have someone come up and say they can sing, but when they get on stage, they freeze up. They don’t know what to do. You get the lights on you and the crowd, and it’s a different experience.” Lofgren (still pitching): “Well, playing ball, I’m used to the big crowds and the noise and stuff. I get pretty excited about it.” Brooks (still laughing): “We’ll see.” About midway through the next night’s concert, which was attended by current and ex-major leaguers like Cliff Lee, Ryan Franklin, Casey Blake, Larry Walker, Joe Nathan and ESPN’s Barry Melrose and Steve Levy, Brooks, improbably, took Lofgren up on his offer. Before about 500 people, he called the stunned pitcher onstage. Lofgren grabbed a microphone and headed for the back of the band, beside Yearwood, where he thought he’d sing backup. Brooks pointed him toward center stage, made a joke about stepping up to the plate and started strumming the introduction of “Much Too Young” as Lofgren — more nervous than he had ever been on a mound — rubbed his hands together and fidgeted with his shirt sleeves. A steel guitar played, then a fiddle. And then Lofgren looked back at Yearwood and got a thumbs-up. He leaned forward, grabbed the mic and sang, right on cue, “This ol’ highway’s getting longer. ...” The place went nuts. Lofgren, whose performance can be seen in a shot by Maul (just search for his name), settled into the spotlight, only struggling to remember the words a couple of times before Brooks leaned in to help. By the first chorus, Lofgren was smiling and pointing to friends in the crowd like a veteran of the Grand Ole Opry. He walked off the stage to a loud standing ovation, like he’d just struck out the side with the bases loaded. Longtime major leaguers, many of whom have well-documented dreams of being rock stars, congratulated him. One said he might have a career after baseball. If nothing else, Lofgren, who had only dabbled in karaoke performances of old Journey and Bon Jovi songs, has a highly unique story to tell his grandkids someday and a deep appreciation for what Brooks and Yearwood do for a living. “When I’m pitching on the road and I’m hearing the away fans scream and yell at me and stuff, I use it as motivation for myself,” Lofgren said. “It doesn’t get to me. But doing that in front of Garth, I tell you, that was nerve-wracking. “When you’re singing, it’s a whole different feeling.” And to think: It never would’ve happened if he hadn’t agreed to donate to Brooks’ charity a few years ago. Another good deed, in the coolest of ways, is rewarded.

John Sickels on Estrada from his 2010 book: I was just talking about how Sickels seems to be good at identifying sleepers, and obviously I like the message, but jeez, John--I paid money for this.

Andy Seiler had a 2010 draft chat today.

In 2008, Estrada was called up in September, so as McCalvy says, he has two options remaining.

To make room for waiver claim Marco Estrada, Tim Dillard was designated for assignment. Discussion on the Major League forum.

Smith accepted the outright assignment to Nashville, so he'll stay in the organization.