pebadger

Among my favorite Powell lines was his "Hope she's feeling better soon." which would follow some poor diva-wannabe butchering the national anthem.

Another Greinke apologetic: http://disciplesofuecker....ked-have-no-luck-at-all/ Look, I love stats and matehmatical analysis. I have a degree in Operations Reserach though I no longer work in that field.I also think I have a greater appreciation for the impact of "luck" in sports than most. I have seen first hand how folks fall in love with their own sophisticated models. The key to using them wisely though is to keep thieir limitations first and foremost in your mind. The fact that the model can't provide a reason(s) for a certain case does not mean that there isn't a reason(s) (other than random variation) for that case. Simply attributing all variance not explained by the model to "luck" in the traditional sense borders on arrogance. We simply aren't smart enough, and as advanced as our mathematics are, our tools are still too limited, to capture every nuance of every case. I think Greinke has been unfortunate to a degree. But I think there are also some things that he is doing, and that his opponents are doing, that are casuing him to be roughed up at times. The problem folks have with all of this is the fact that, when he has been good in games, he's been really good. It's just the cognitive dissonance of it all that is causing folks trouble. I will also note that it's somewhat odd to me that most of this arugment about "luck" has been framed in a strange way. It almost seems like not being able to make sense of this is driving folks to analyze themselves into confusion. The consistency of ZG's bad luck is the nut of this. The repeatability indicates that either he is indeed in just one of those streaks of inexplicable misfortune or that there is some common factor(s) which are present in his performance (and ther performance of his opponents and defense) that we simply aren't accounting for. The fact that we don't/can't account for them doesn't mean that they don't exist.

If the Brewers don't the division, the only acceptable/palatable alternative is Pittsburgh. If nothing else it would give me a reason to watch the playoffs.

Somebody called this one upthread. Kudos. I was thinking the same thing on the almost-HBP, jason. Oh, and take that, Pirates! Cards also lose.

McGehee crushes one!

Prince just keeps his mouth shut.

Let Cordero do the work for you Crew. Make him come to you. It's there to be taken. PLUSH!

If Milwaukee and St Louis both fail to make 9th inning comebacks, the Pittsburgh Pirates will lead the NL Central in the loss column at the end of play tonight.

I dislike Cordero with the Reds about as much as I've disliked any closer for any team. I think he may even have surpassed John Franco, which is setting the bar pretty high.

I think we're on the same page, jason. You have to remember that Casey was in there mostly for his glove. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

I don't disagree. But Casey looks as lost as he has for most of the season and extemely unsure in his approach. Either you're taking the 2-0 all the way or you're looking to drive something. If he can't decide to drive a fastball right down the middle on 2-0, instead checking his swing on a pretty grooved fastball, that's pretty good evidence you are unsure in your approach.

Dear Bullpen, We're not expecting a hitting miracle in the 8th, but please make the 9th somewhat watchable for us. Your friends, brewerfan.net

I may be out in right field with this, but I don't think Casey is seeing the ball very well right now and he's compouding it by overthinking and/or guessing badly.

Is checking your swing on a ball right down the middle a bad sign? Can somebody help me with that?

I'm not above cheering for a wild pitch/passed ball/balk/dropped popup here.

Hey, I think I saw that same thing in Minnesota. HR, game-changing error.

Casey McGehee: Defensive Replacement. Evidence that the world will indeed end in 2012.

Dear Bullpen, Please don't mess this up. Your friends, brewerfan.net

At probably no cost (and with a fair shot at actual improvement) to the offense.

chuck likes to pile on and call guys names. Hart - hillbilly. Fatty. Etc.

Do you set it up for matchups on the road series coming right out of the break? Do you continue the rotation as it sits right now? Do you reset it based on who you think is your 1 thru 5? Do you worry about how ZG will feel about his spot if you put him at 4? Discuss.

I stand by my hypothesis that ZG is good (or bad) enough with his misses that guys sort of "know", with a greater degree of certainty, where he is going to miss and thus it's easier to hit his mistakes than the mistakes of other guys who are more "effectively wild". His own consistency in the general area of the zone hurts him. Thus his BABIP seems "unlucky" when in fact his own style of pitching is concducive to having a high BABIP.

So you guys don't think it potentially hurts a player's development to waste time fighting over money? I think that's what's wrong with a lot of players today and part of why they do wash out. Nobody's saying you have to just take the first thing offered, but if you can get a reasonable deal and get to playing ball, it has to help you in the long run. You don't get behind the 8-ball with the organization right off the bat (you might even earn yourself some goodwill) and you get to playing ball. Now, of course it's in the player's best short-term financial interest to get get as much as he can immediately, but that's not the whole picture. You have to separate the development side from teh fianancial side. If all you're worried about is the money, it's a differnt question. If you're a player in my organization and all you're worried about is the money, I probably look to move you at some point given a similarly talented option who isn't.

Yakety Sax? Or Bad News Bears?

If it was a fracture but with little or no accompanying muscle/connective tissue damage, being back is not an unheard of surprise. And unless he takes a direct blow, he probably isn't in danger of hurting himself again. Braun's situation should actually be a bit more worrisome, sad as it is to say.