AJAY

I personally did not notice as many obnoxious drunk people as in years past. My biggest observation was how expensive the concessions have become this year. Maybe I am cheap, but the prices seemed kind of crazy to me.

This is easy . . . CHAD MOELLER !!

So as of now, Corey Hart is dealing with the following: (1) Being in the doghouse with fans because of his arbitration case and declining performance, (2) A GM and a manager who seem to be very frustrated with him, (3) Jim Edmonds breathing down his neck and possibly forcing him to the bench, (4) Trade rumors (5) a very demanding and punitive father, (6) a probable loss of self-confidence and self-esteem, and (7) unresolved vision issues. That can't be fun for anyone. Even though I am still furious he took the team to arbitration, I kind of feel bad for what he is going through personally. I really hope he has the mental makeup to deal with all this. If he could just find a way to hit the ball well again, all this goes away. In a strange way, I hope he gets an extra nice ovation from the fans just to show some support. It sounds like he could really use a lift. (Okay, I can't believe I just said that considering I am still furious about his arbitration hearing) I guess I am confused now.

It can't be easy to lose your wife and then lose your job too. I can appreciate the difficult transition he is going through, and I am sure he is very frustrated at how much his life has changed so quickly. However, I don't agree with his assessment of the situation. The Brewers have a much deeper pitching staff this year, and Schoeneweis was clearly not going to win a roster spot. He knew what the competition was heading into spring training, and perhaps he should have signed a minor league deal with another team that wasn't as deep in competition. I still hope he finds something and I wish him well. Give the Brewers credit for releasing early so that he still has time to audition for another team. By the way, he needs to pitch better too.

I don't have a problem with a guy missing his family and wanting to be sure about what he is getting into. I can understand that. Obviously I would have preferred to hear that he is super-excited about coming back and is fully committed . . . but I guess he is human. People do change their minds. I do hope he makes the team, and I hope he wants to play and is happy here. Milwaukee is an awesome place, and I hope his family decides to join him here during the season. It can be a win-win for everyone.

As a clinical psychologist, I feel that the term "bipolar" is often misused and misunderstood by a lot of people. Bipolar disorder doesn't necessarily mean that someone is moody and gets angry a lot. Although moodiness may occur, bipolar disorder is more associated with someone going through bouts of severe depression as well as bouts of "manic episodes". The manic episodes would consist of going through long periods without sleep, having high energy, and engaging in increased risky behaviors (i.e. spending sprees, risky business ventures, grandiose thinking, careless sexual behavior, etc.). I have never read anything to suggest that Milton Bradley has experienced periods of clinical depression or true manic episodes (in the clinical sense). I would be more likely to say that Bradley has what is called an Axis II Personality Disorder. In the absence of more information about his life off the field, this is my best guess.

I have been mostly silent on this issue, but tonight I will chime in with my two-cents worth . . . I think I would be okay with people having disagreements with sportswriters as long as the discussions were respectful, legitimate, focused on the substance of the topic, and not overly nit-picky in nature. But I just don't understand some of the personal insults and vitriol that some of the posters and bloggers have for guys like Witrado and / or others in similar roles. I feel like I missed something. I feel bad that everytime a sportswriter makes a typo or gets a name mixed up, there is a long angry thread about it. It almost feels like with some sportswriters, people are just picking apart each and every word while deliberately looking for something to complain about. At times, I feel like this mindset reflects more badly on us than it does on the actual sportswriter who is being complained about. I also don't agree when someone questions a writer's passion for his job, integrity, or timing on a story. I worry about people making strong assumptions without really knowing what the job entails and what the writers are really like. I believe that writers who work for media outlets are held to a higher standard and are more accountable to a professional ethics code and deadlines (compared to those who post blogs or write on fan forums). Therefore, the sportswriters may not be able to do all the things that we wish they could do all the time. Finally, I also find the comparisons between Adam McCalvy and other media to be unfair because McCalvy is an insider and works for the team, so naturally he will have more access than someone who works for an outside newspaper. I do recognize that some writers are better than others. But I just wish the criticism and discussion was less personal, less nit-picky, and more focused on the subject that is being discussed.

The fact that Suppan is still being discussed as a candidate for the rotation really bothers me. This isn't the Ned Yost era anymore where the manager sticks with failing players despite everyone else in the world knowing that the guy stinks. We missed winning the division by just 2 games in 2007 thanks to this kind of mindset, and I am certainly not interested in going through that again. Every game matters. We don't have time to experiment with Suppan anymore. Let him go and let's move on.

An article in JS Online talks about an anonymous MLB player telling ESPN Magazine that Bill Hall partied too much after signing his big contract with Milwaukee. These kind of reports really make me upset and wish we could get our money back. The good news is that Ryan Braun was mentioned as having a great work ethic. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/87601047.html

My 20 pack just arrived today. I washed my hands, asked for god's blessings, and then proceeded to open the envelope with care. I held the tickets in my hands and almost cried with tears of joy. They looked beautiful. I smiled http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

If it were up to me, the job would be Narveson's to lose. He was fantastic last September, and he really made a strong impression when he struck out 10 Cubs in five innings during one of his starts last year. My main concern would be his durability. He has had a lot of injuries in the past. But I am absolutely pulling for him to at least start the season in the rotation.

I know a lot of fans are mostly interested in wins and losses. However for me personally, I am also very obsessed with the marketing and branding of the Brewers franchise. Bottom Line : I absolutely LOVE having a guy on our team who provides instant name recognition, makes regular all-star appearances, wins homerun derbys, makes it to the cover of video games, makes magazine covers, makes for regular discussion on national sports shows, has the chance to be in the hall of fame, makes our team more attractive to national television, does commercials, and has potential to break records. Prince Fielder is the type of player that makes the Brewers feel like a real "Major League" franchise. I have waited my ENTIRE LIFETIME for this, and thanks to guys like Braun and Fielder, I finally get to know what it feels like to be on the other side for change. I am NOT prepared to give it up. It would absolutely crush me. Winning is wonderful, but I don't want to be the Florida Marlins. I want to win AND I want the Brewers to be high profile and relevant. If the Brewers ever want to be part of the cultural fabric of the sport of baseball and it's history, they badly need to hold on to guys like Prince Fielder. Sign the Prince and give him what he deserves. Make it happen.

I would like to see a Royal Veggie Burger on the menu http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

It looks like Braun will be opening a restaurant in Milwaukee too. This is exciting. http://brewersbeat.mlblog...en_milwaukee_restau.html

Braun also did this commercial a few years ago.

I am not sure if someone already posted this, but it is nice to see Ryan Braun be part of a new commercial.

I think that guy in the beard is Scott Schoenweis. I do not think it is Gamel.

I am very thankful to the Brewers and FS Wisconsin for their plans to broadcast all cable games in HD. In this day and age, I think it was definitely the right thing to do.

I am dying to see Jim Edmonds in a Brewers uniform. If anyone finds a picture, please post it. Thanks

Just for fun, I made a photo showing "Milwaukee" on the road jersey. This is what I really wish the team would adopt as their new road jersey. In my opinion, it brings back the old nostalgic feelings while also managing to keep a contemporary touch. http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/AJAY_02/ModernUniformConcept2.jpg

I had this old photo that I created several years ago when we were having the same discussion. I would still love to see the Brewers adopt this concept. http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/AJAY_02/ModernUniformConcept.jpg

I am really glad they made the change. It looks very nice. I hope they eventually change the grey road jerseys to "Milwaukee" also.

I can't speak for others, but part of my own anger towards Corey Hart is based on several factors (many of which have existed long before any of us even heard of Corey Hart) (1) Overall frustration with high player costs --- You spend years and years rebuilding and then you finally make the playoffs after what feels like a lifetime. Immediately after a very brief stint in the playoffs, CC Sabathia turns down the biggest contract offer in franchise history because apparently 100 million dollars it is still not enough. Sheets heads to free agency, and you are back to being under .500 so fast again. Then on top of that, the Yankees buy the World Series, cheapen the game, cheapen the meaning of a championship, and once again remind you that the game and the system are brutal for fans in smaller or mid-markets. The rebuilding lasted forever, but the playoff stint and the tearing apart of the pitching staff happened so quickly. That alone leaves a very bitter taste, and it is all because the salaries are just way too expensive. You can't even enjoy success because it will all be stolen away from you due to your rising costs. You do nothing but stress all the time and worry about losing players. We are already feeling the angst of losing Fielder and the feeling really stinks. I don't care that athletes make more money than teachers, firefighters, etc. My issue is that the costs are so high that fans can not even enjoy the sport anymore when most franchises can't afford what it takes to win championships and perenially contend. It's has just gotten so stupid and out of hand when 75 percent of the league can't really compete in reality. The overwhelming majority of the fans are just not having fun with this. (2) Hating to waste money --- When you live in a small market, every dollar matters. Every time salaries go up, it has a more crippling effect for people like us, and it also makes the game harder and less fun because you are facing a harder uphill climb. I hate to see money being wasted on a player who has underperformed and has already gotten a raise offered to him anyway. When you feel like you just threw away 700,000 dollars to Corey Hart, it makes you mad because we are not a franchise that is in a position to write off that kind of money. That loss of money feels a lot heavier in a market like ours. (3) My strong hatred towards the players union --- I spend my hard-earned dollars so that I can enjoy baseball with my friends and family. So what does the union do to thank me? They repeatedly go on strike to make sure that my favorite players leave to bigger markets. They make sure that my team has to perpetually be at a competitive disadvantage. They make sure that teams like the Yankees can continue to buy championships and cheapen the game. They make sure that we have to pay Corey Hart what our dumbest competitor pays similar players even though money is extremely tight. Every single thing they have ever done in their history has done nothing but cause nothing but misery and hardship for fans in markets like ours. I am tired of hearing players make statements about how they need to "take care of their family". I am sorry, but I don't spend my hard-earned money because I am motivated to take care of the players families. I don't even know their families. The reason I spend my money on baseball is because I want some enjoyment and entertainment for myself and my loved ones. I want to have a good time, and I want to enjoy the experience. It is high time that players show some respect and understanding of this. Not one player has even once shown any ounce of sympathy for what fans go through. Not one small market player has stepped up and been critical of the competitive disadvantage. They just continue to act like sheep, speak the company line, and thumb their noses at us every time there is a labor negotiation. The union absolutely disgusts me. Apparently the new union leader thinks these arbitration hearings are so important, that he is personally making an effort to attend each one in person. He could be working on finding ways to improve and grow the game, but instead his priorities are purely to grab every dollar without any regard to the harmful impact it has on fans like us. It makes me absolutely sick. (4) The feeling that the current labor agreement is terrible and is being forced on us --- Yes, technically the owners did agree to the current system. But we all know that the current system isn't based on what is right or wrong. Instead, it is decided by who has the leverage when it comes to a threat of a strike. So if the system determines that Corey Hart should get paid more, I can't respect that because I don't respect the system and I don't respect how it was forced on owners and fans. We fans never had any representation at the labor meetings, and we never agreed to this garbage. So even though Corey Hart might have played by the rules, I can't accept it because the rules are a joke and the players created this mess. So why am I angry with Corey Hart? It's because this arbitration case strikes at the very heart of what is so darn frustrating and upsetting about being a small-market fan. Rising costs and declining returns are a terrible combination and do nothing but harm small-market teams. Players always want to defend themselves and point to "the system" being what it is, but yet they never want to change the system even though it directly cheats the customers who pay their salaries in the first place. I can't accept that.

Did anyone read Adam McCalvy's blog? Corey Hart was quoted as saying "You feel kind of bad because it's hard for the fans to understand this process". I really wish Corey Hart would not even dare to go down this road. I realize that not every fan is an expert in how arbitration works. But some of us have been following baseball economics and labor issues much longer than Corey Hart has been alive. I hope he doesn't think the backlash and anger is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding. I just can not tolerate that line of thinking on his part. I want Corey Hart to understand that all the other arbitration eligible players on this team settled very quickly and did not try to rob the organization of every penny the way he did. Those other players also could have used "the system" the way he did, but they instead handled themselves more amicably with management. Not only that, but those other arbitration eligible players actually performed their jobs way better and probably had more of a right to fight for a bigger raise than Hart did. Still they chose to settle fairly rather than go for an all out war. To me, this is all about greed and character and not "the system" being what it is.

For those who want to blame the system and not the player, please be reminded that the players go on strike over and over to make sure that these kind of things continue to happen.