Lucky 13

With yesterday's fantastic pitching performance from Ben Sheets he was able to do something this season he had never done in his 8 year career. Win more then 12 games. Sheets had won 12 games twice in his career 2004 and 2007. Sheets now 13-7 on the season pitched a beautiful complete game shutout over the Padres last night with 7 K's and only 1 BB. Sheets with the shutout lowered his ERA to 2.82 on the season. The most remarkable thing about the game was Sheets had no room for error as the Brewers only scored one run for him. Hopefully 13 does not become the new career high in wins for Sheets, he has probably 4 starts left so he should add to it.

It's About F'ing Time

There is a very, very strong rumor/truth? going around that I can't find a link to but it is supposed to be true. It is that next season every Brewers game that is broadcast by FSN-Wisconsin will be broadcast in magnificent High Definition, thank God! This season 65 of around 140 games broadcast by FSN-Wisconsin were in HD. My hope is not only are ALL the games broadcast in HD but that every game the Brewers play that are not exclusive to say Fox, TBS or ESPN be aired by FSN-Wisconsin. They have come close this season, but there have been at least a few games that were not aired.

Your Dead To Me

I have been one of the biggest and most vocal supporters of Eric Gagne through his struggles this season. And the reason I had supported him was because A. I'm a fan, I have been a big fan of Gagne's for years B. Although he struggled he did have some very good outings. But after the Mets game earlier this week and then last nights outing in which he screwed up CC Sabathia's shot at a 10-0 record as a Brewer by giving up a HR ball to Brian Giles in the 8th inning to tie the game, I'm done with Eric Gagne. He is dead to me. If he didn't pitch another inning this season I would be more then okay with it.

The fact is, it is September. There are 21 games left and we are only 4 back of the Cubs and we have a 4 game lead on the Phillies for the Wild Card. We are very close to snapping a 26 year playoff draught. And with every game so important we can not continue to trout out a relief pitcher in the 8th inning of close games who has an ERA of 6.69, WHIP of 1.70 and an OBA of .289. Those awful stats have led to far to many blow ups in close games. I know we spent 10 mill on Gagne this season but it's time to cut our losses and only pitch him if the game is out of hand in either direction. Or we might suffer more losses that could cost us the postseason.

It's September And I'm Nervous

I wish I updated this thing as much as I did earlier in the season. I think there are multiple factors as to why I don't. I would say the number one reason is I am lazy. After a hard day at the office I'm just not up to blogging. When I was in school and working part-time I was much more apt to do that. I think the second reason is I'm getting nervous.

We ended August by rolling over the Pirates in a 3 game sweep in Pittsburgh and CC Sabathia came oh so close to a no-hitter if it wasn't for a d-bag of an official scorer who called a slow roller back to Sabathia that he dropped a "hit" by Andy LaRoche. But then the calender flipped and we moved into September. One month to go. We hold the wild card and we are still not to far behind the Cubs for the division. And how do the Brewers start their march toward clinching a playoff birth for the first time in 26 years? By getting swept at home by the Mets in a three game series. The first two game were very close, but today the Brewers got spanked 9-2. So yes, we start September 0-3 and I'm nervous as hell.

I still feel we will get into the playoffs one way or another. But as a Brewers fan my whole life I have seen this team disappoint me before and that is why this state of nervous feelings linger in my mind all day, everyday. I have flashback's to last years collapse, I think back to 1992 when we just missed out on October baseball because of the Blue Jays, who could forget 1987 we started 13-0 and fell flat on our faces. Then I think even worse thoughts, Sal Bando calling Paul Molitor "just a DH", the entire Wendy Selig-Prieb era (actually it was an error), the 2002 season when we lost 106 games. I could go on, but I will stop. Basically I'm saying as Brewers fans we are prone to disappointment and its hard to shake. But this team has the talent to do it. They have shown this whole season how good they are and I think they have come to far to wet the bed and piss this thing away.

We got our asses handed to us by the Mets. But now we have the lowly Padres and Reds coming to town. It's time to feast on these bottom feeders before we hit the road for that tough 10 game road trip to Philly, Chicago and Cincinnati.

The Cardinals Players, Fans and Writers. A Bunch Of D-Bags

So after a 2 game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals where the Brewers split 1-1 and ended there season series against the Cards 10-5 (tell me how my ass taste?!) I now have as much hate in my baseball heart for the Cardinals as I did for the Cubs and Yankees. Their players, fans and media has complained about everything from how the Crew untucks their jerseys after wins (a tribute to Mike Cameron's Dad, something Cam has done for years), how Braun admired his game winning HR during their last series and how Carlos Villanueva got emotional after recording a huge third out late in the game in a tight spot. This article from St. Louis Dispatch sports writer Bernie Miklasz explains it all. Enjoy, it shows how big a douche bags the Cardinals and everyone involved with them is.

They have the nerve to call our team out when Albert Pujols is one of the most cocky players in the game today and admires every HR he hits. Yadier Molina constantly runs his mouth and complains to umpires during games and acts like he needs a bib. Oh and how can we forget their manager Tony LaRussa. Remember he was picked up for drunk driving not along ago when he fell asleep at the wheel at a stop light and thought there was two Z's in the alphabet. When did the Cardinals become the baseball etiquette police? I don't know either. I think they are just mad that the Brewers whooped their asses all season long, the Cardinals are not the big bad bully in the NL Central anymore. You stay classy St. Louis.

In Case You Were Wondering, The Future Looks Bright In Milwaukee. Much Like The Present.

Check out the numbers are top prospects are putting up right now.

Matt Gamel - 3B, Huntsville Stars (AA)

.333/.400/.546 19 HR 94 RBI

Alcides Escobar - SS, Huntsville Stars (AA)

.335/.370/.440 8 HR 72 RBI

Angel Salome - C, Huntsville Stars (AA)

.364/.416/.560 11 HR 80 RBI

Good And Bad

Good: CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets have tossed back-to-back complete game shutouts of the Washington Nationals and the Brewers have won 5 straight games.

Bad: Ryan Braun left yesterday's game after his first AB with an injury. Not really sure what it is but it's some kind of strain on both sides of his ribcage. He is day to day, shouldn't be serious but I'm still very worried. I mean we are talking about our franchise player and NL MVP candidate. He is out of the lineup today and I would assume tomorrow for the series finale against the Nats. Let's just hope and pray he is back Tuesday night against the Padres.

Lets Not And Say We Did....

As it concerns to talking about the Cubs series. The Brewers just flat out did not do anything well. Hit, pitch, play defense, run bases they just didn't do anything well and that is why we got swept. End of story, lets move on.

Now that we have moved on from that small (but awful) skid mark on this season more positive things have occurred! Yay! The Brewers just finished up a 6 game road trip with a 4-2 record, that is awesome. How this team has suddenly turned the corner and is able to actually win games on the road is mind boggling, unexplainable and awesome all at once. Sure they were wins over Atlanta and Cincinnati but he wins on the road are wins on the road I don't care who you play.

I'm trying to figure out why the hell Ned Yost continues to play Craig Counsell at 3B over Russell Branyan when righties are on the mound. Don't get me wrong, I like Counsell he is a nice bench who should get spot starts now and again at SS for Hardy, pinch hit and be a defensive replacement late in games at 3B for Hall or Branyan. But for Yost to be starting him as much as he has at 3B and batting 6th while Branyan and his big stick rot on the bench just doesn't make a lot of sense. Yost needs to get his head out of his ass and quit the man love for Counsell and go back to the strict righty/lefty platoon of Branyan and Hall at 3B. It's simple Hall mashes lefties and Branyan mashes righties. Look at the splits, they prove it.