owbc

It was enough to convince me to go if the US advances to Miami next week. They have a tough road ahead now.

The Marlins are offering a buy one, get one free ticket promotion. For opening day.

Some impressive numbers regarding the popularity of WBC so far. Attendance was 44,256 for the USA/Mexico game. MLB also reported that 1/3 of the TV sets in Japan watched the Japanese team's first round games.

Miller Park was designed for triples, both in center field and especially with the deep corners. The right field foul pole was originally 355 ft, which was the deepest in MLB before it was moved in to 345 ft in 2006. Wrigley is now the deepest at 353 ft. Yount was brought in specifically to help with the field dimensions. I don't think they expected the ball to carry so well at Miller Park or they would have moved the power alleys back a few feet. The two-tired right field bleachers were designed after Tiger Stadium, I can't remember if Yount had a say in that or not. The specific example that I know of where MLB intervened is when Cinergy Field/Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati lost its outfield seating in 2001 to make way for the new stadium. The CF dimension was originally going to be 393 ft with about an 8 ft wall, but MLB made the Reds add an extra 10 ft to the wall height in center. They would never have allowed 380 ft or even 390 ft at Miller Park. It's hard to isolate the park factor in the steroid debate since the ball trajectory system is new and there were other factors besides outfield walls such as the loss of foul territory. Park factor only considers runs scored, so the product on the field affects the calculation. Miller Park has ranged anywhere from #7 to #27 depending on the year (averaging about neutral), although it usually ranks high for both triples and home runs.

Mark McGwire hit 245 home runs in only FOUR years, 1997-2000. Sammy Sosa hit 243 home runs from 1998-2001. Bonds probably would have beaten that if he wasn't walked so much. With those insane numbers, it's definitely multiple factors coming together around that time and it's hard to say what the relative weight of each is. When you look at the league totals, they spiked sharpest in 1993 and again in 1996. The spike in 1993 is from expansion. The other expansion was in 1998, but there were only 102 more HR in 1998 compared with 1996. No new stadiums opened in 1996. Obviously weather and other random factors can affect the year to year totals. Even just the fact that some of these guys were trying to hit a home run with every single swing...nobody is really doing that anymore except maybe Adam Dunn. I think there are also several factors for the early decline. I agree with Patrick that use likely declined ahead of testing. Also, I suspect that more pitchers began using PEDs in the early 2000s after Clemens started having so much success. Finally, the biggest reason is the growth of advance scouting and technology. I believe Curt Schilling was one of the first to keep extremely detailed logs of hitters that he faced. Now, everyone has access to the scouting. If some of the recent positive tests/rumors are to be believed, PED use is still ongoing, but the playing field between pitchers and hitters has evened out. I like the current balance since there is still a decent amount of scoring, but stolen bases and bunting have made managing strategy more interesting (and maybe one day they will be used properly...).

This is great marketing but I'm skeptical that it's worth it. Sort of like playing the lottery. Realistically, the farthest you are going to get is the loge infield or club outfield. Those are good seats, but you have to sit in the terrace for a minimum of three games and realistically 4-5 games to get there. Since you can't do the upgrading more than a few weeks in advance, the seat locations may be less than ideal. Say you were going to purchase tickets to this set of Tuesday night games through other methods. Two of the first three games you will be stuck in the terrace on a half price promotional night when you could be sitting in the loge level for < $20. For some of the other games, they will probably have those promotions for cheap loge outfield tickets if the Brewers win X number of games like they have the past few years. Tickets are always easy to come by on Tuesdays on Stubhub for well below face value. On the other hand, you aren't really "stuck" in Bernie's terrace, it's the terrace on a weeknight so nobody cares if you move closer to the infield. There is a pretty decent shot to get a few games in the loge infield or club for $13/ticket. I'm sure that some people will take advantage of it. We will see if Bernie's terrace is crowded on that first Tuesday game...

IIRC, the Anderson hire was unconventional because he had very little experience, only minor league baseball and the golf channel. For some unknown reason, many MLB teams just recycle the same garbage announcers from other teams. I would expect the Brewers to make a good choice again if they have to find someone. I'm in the minority, but I still think he does MLB in 2014 and the Brewers recognize what they have and will pay the price to keep him.

I think he'll stick around. He has a busy schedule doing TBS and BTN, but there isn't much else going on in the summer besides baseball and he seems to enjoy it. In the long run he might leave a hosting job or something that requires a larger commitment. Matt Vasgersian continued to broadcast for the Padres until he took the MLB network job in 2009. That being said, the Brewers should definitely consider finding a better backup.

Agreed, but catching cheaters equates to enforcing the rules. So if the test is inconclusive, then maybe the substance in question shouldn't be illegal? Also, I think JohnBriggs12 was joking, but in bowling there are several methods for using illegal bowling balls. All serious competitions require participants to have their bowling balls weighed and examined.

Sorry if this is too philosophical or doesn't make any sense but here's my opinion on PEDs: I completely understand that there are cultural and financial motivations for players to take PEDs. However, the rules in MLB clearly state that if you are caught using banned substances three times, you are banned from the game. If a player tests positive for an illegal substance, that means he was cheating. In every single sport including cycling, there are some players using banned substances and some who only use approved substances. The players using banned substances are using them to gain an advantage which is inherently unfair by the rules. If the rules are not enforced, then the best cheaters will be rewarded, which damages the integrity of the game and disrespects those that follow the rules. Every baseball player past and present who has cheated or attempted to cheat has damaged the integrity of the game. That includes everyone in the past who took Cocaine or Speed or doctored the ball or corked their bat. It definitely includes Pete Rose and the Black Sox. There will always be rules and there will always be rule breakers, that's human nature, especially with the high stakes these days. Sports where the rules are better defined and respected will always be at a higher level than those where that isn't the case. It's fundamental to any sport or any societal institution for that matter. It requires agreement and acceptance from both the participants and the enforcers. With regard to PEDs, it is critical that both sides (players and MLB) are in full agreement on the list of banned substances and the testing process. That is why the situation associated with Braun's positive test and MLB's response was so concerning. Sometimes it is then indirectly stated that the "integrity of the game" is an abstract concept that shouldn't be used as an argument against PED users, or that PED use does not appreciably damage the integrity of the game. In other words, the players and MLB should just agree to reduce the list of banned substances. Baseball is entertainment, the fans want to see the best players, other sports do it, etc. If everyone is allowed to take a substance and it is widely available, that does even the playing field. There's a very strong argument for allowing substances that primarily aid in injury recovery or help survive the 162-game schedule. Regarding this debate, it is important that the sports, media, and fans come to a general agreement on exactly what is a PED and what isn't. It should be addressed as a major panel/study involving all major sports, preferably as equally as possible. Because PEDs are not clearly defined and evolve with time, we have no choice but to evaluate baseball players in the context of their peers from the same era. In the "steriod era", steroids were legal in MLB and the media/fans went right along with it. That's why the home run record is 73 and not 61 and there is no asterisk and no way to retroactively change what Bonds accomplished. It's also why the BBWAA is walking a slippery slope with hall of fame voting and why the Braun situation is so complicated. Under the rulebook, Braun is clear, but the "cloud of suspicion" lingers. So while I think that Braun was taking PEDs, he was legally cleared and his accomplishments should not be diminished. That's also why I am generally in favor of likely PED users like Bonds and Clemens being in the hall of fame, even though I disapprove of their likely PED use.

Can't really assume anything based on one tweet. But the fanbase is already nervous about the Miami/Bosch thing, so this definitely doesn't help.

Sounds like UW had gotten overconfident, so it was a good time for a wake up call. Better to lose a tough one now than in two weeks.

Yes, I was thinking Henderson for the closer's role if Axford struggles. In my opinion, closing isn't necessarily that difficult unless the closer is struggling, in which case it becomes very hard to get out of a slump. If Axford has 3-4 bad outings in April, better to go to Henderson and see if he can do any better. Henderson looked pretty good last year.

Agreed that Axford's success is crucial to the 2013 Milwaukee Brewers. I think he will have a short leash in the closer's role if he struggles early. RR has to pull the plug fast enough to avoid a Turnbow or Gagne repeat.

There's still a chance for this thing to shift a little south, the counties on the edge of the winter storm warning might get less than anticipated. Overall it still looks like a cold pattern for the first half of March. The average high is 38 in Milwaukee right now, it rises to 48 by the end of the month.

Bad news, the potent clipper system that was originally supposed to miss Wisconsin is now expected to make a direct hit on WI. Early forecast is 4-8" across most of the state, although there will probably be a band of 8-10". Too early to say exactly where the heaviest totals will be, but the snow will be most intense Tuesday morning.

The idea that higher payroll will solve issues with "uninspiring baseball and players" is absolutely absurd. Do we have a source for that quote? In reality, the end result of adding $15 million to the payroll would almost certainly be the exact opposite. The extra money would be spent on Suppan clones like Lohse who will quickly end up as top whipping boys. All indications are that the vast majority of Brewers fans are in favor of waiting to spend the money. There will be no complaints when the Brewers have the financial leverage to be buyers in July.

It's not official yet, but that's a good guess. Meanwhile, snow is possible in the Midwest on Monday, but right now it looks like the system will miss Wisconsin to the SW.

I'll never understand why there has to be a whipping boy. For some reason Yuni B will always be despised here, even though all accounts were that he worked hard and never complained about being universally hated. Even his two big hits in the playoffs didn't make a difference. It seems like the speedy guys like Carlos Gomez are generally immune for whatever reason. That being said, the shortstop usually gets blamed because he is the weakest link offensively, so I'll go with Alex Gonzalez this year, especially if he ends up playing 1B or getting too many starts ahead of Segura.

Sorry to report that temperatures should remain chilly for the first 10 days of March. Maybe a few warm days mixed in. Overall, it again has been a warm winter in Wisconsin, although not nearly as warm as last year. Going forward, the multi-year central/western US drought is going to become a big story this summer.

Casey, Mass Hass, and hawing among others deserve tremendous credit for keeping the message board active and for the wonderfully orchestrated escape from Yuku. The continued success of this board would not be possible without them. As we have all seen, many of the other forums out there are terrible, primarily because of poor usability and a lack of moderation. Going forward, my personal opinion is to support decisions that preserve the board while improving visibility so that we can attract dedicated, knowledgeable Brewers fans to contribute.

Yes, being in Miami right now I don't really miss the cold or especially the driving. I still enjoy giving forecasts to my family (and BF.net) for WI. I saw the whiteout in Kenosha/Racine yesterday from the DOT highway cams so I emailed my dad to leave work early before the snow hit Milwaukee. That being said, it looks like owbc is going to be moving somewhere colder and wetter later this year...

The forecast failed miserably, especially in Sheboygan!!! Some areas that were expecting only a couple inches got almost a foot with near blizzard conditions. This was a big storm over the plains but it was supposed to weaken much more before it reached Wisconsin.

Highway cams in Kenosha look nasty, most of the snow is probably going to fall quickly this afternoon.

There's definitely potential, but too many uncertainties regarding the rotation and bullpen. Record: 78-84 Division: 3rd All Stars: Braun, Weeks Surprises: Hart will match his 2012 numbers, Gonzalez will be an important contributor Disappointments: Axford, Fiers World Series: Nationals over Angels