A Few "Tidbits" For You To Chew On

The Brewers Manager/Director of Amateur scouting Jack Zduriencik had been named a finalist in Seattle's search for a General Manager. He is responsible for the drafting of studs such as Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Yovani Gallardo, Corey Hart, JJ Hardy and Ryan Braun. So of course he knows talent. Good for him if he gets the job, he certainly deserves it. I mean after the 2007 season he was the first non-GM to win the MLB Executive of the Year Award since 1998.

A few names being tossed around other then Dale Sveum to become new Manager of the Brewers are Bob Brenly, Ken Macha and Buck Showalter. Personally I like Macha and Showalter, Brenly not so much. He should just stick to calling shitty Cubs games for WGN. I would take Sveum over him, but I might take the other two over Sveum.

One of my very favorite baseball blogs MLB Trade Rumors has posted the Brewers Offseason Outlook. Good stuff, like me they think if the Crew look to trade for pitching it should be Fielder and NOT JJ Hardy. It's a good read.

Waited To Long

To get tickets to the Brewers Winter Warm Up hosted by Bob Uecker at the Riverside Theater on January 23rd. It is now a complete sellout. The only tickets left are VIP tickets that cost $500. and I can't afford those. I mean if I had the money it would be cool you get to eat and mingle with Brewers players and various personal for the team before the actually show. It's funny that this sells out today just two days after two of my friends and I were talking about how we wanted to go and were going to get tickets soon. Oh well, I guess they are gonna tape the show and air it on FSN-Wisconsin shortly after the live date of the show.

My Brewers Offseason To-Do List

1. Extend GM Doug Melvin's contract.

2. Settle the Manager's job. I'm luke warm to Dale Sveum coming back. If Melvin and Attanasio feel there are no worthy candidates that have a proven track record, have had playoff success and can get the most out of this young team. Then you hire Sveum and remove the "interim" from his title. The players like to play for him and his no-nonsense tell it like it is attitude is quite welcome in my opinion. But I would not sign him to longer then a 2 year deal.

3. Try to sign CC Sabathia. I know it is a long shot, but at least make him a good offer that he has to think about.

4. See if you can upgrade 2B, 3B, Closer or CF via free agency or trade. I feel pretty good at every other position.

5. Do NOT trade JJ Hardy. He has improved every season he has played in the big league's and is not even entering his prime yet. He is only going to get better. If the Brewers feel Alcides Escobar is the future at SS try to get JJ to move to 3B where he would be just as good and then sign him to a nice contract to make him happy.

6. DO trade Prince Fielder. But only if it is for a top notch type pitcher assuming we don't re-sign Sabathia. If we do somehow sign CC then you keep Fielder. What do we do at 1B if Fielder is dealt? I have no idea. One possibility is to find a stop gap player or give Brad Nelson a chance to start while you groom 3B prospect Mat Gamel to become a 1B since many feel he won't stick at 3B anyway because of his high amount of throwing errors there.

7. Bring back Gabe Kapler. He was by far one of the best bench players in the entire league as a pinch hitter and a guy who can start once in a while give you quality AB's and play good defense at all three OF spot. A great veteran to have on a club.

A Couple Of Quick Thoughts/Notes Before Game 3 Of The NLDS

We are less then 4 hours away from first pitch of game 3 of the 2008 NLDS live from Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI. First playoff game in Milwaukee in 26 years and the first ever in the history of Miller Park. Going to a friends to watch the game and have a tailgate party at his place which is conveniently on Wisconsin Ave. very close to the stadium. Should be good times win lose or draw. Now a couple of quick thoughts about tonight's ball game.

1.

It's Big Boy Time! "Step your game up!" (As Floyd Meriweather would say)

2.

Just Win Baby!

3.

It's all about The Bush! Gotta love The Bush.

And most importantly, enjoy the game. We have all waited way to damn long to see our team back in playoff baseball. We deserve this and although were all just happy to be here, it would be nice to at least win a game and then maybe go on and win this series. Go Brewers!

I Feel A Little Better

I don't feel as upset about the Brewers being down 0-2 heading back to Miller Park in their first playoff appearance in 26 years for two reasons. 1. We at least finally got to the playoffs and watching these couple of games as tough as they were beats not watching your favorite team play in October. 2. The Cubs are also down 0-2 and they are much worse off then us. They got killed both games against LA and they now have to travel to LA. The Brewers while their offense has been pathetic except Braun who has three hits (two of them doubles) we at least have been in both games against Philly. The Cubs have gotten bitch slapped by the Dodgers two straight games and can't hit to boot. We also now get to play at home which gives us a slightly better chance to crawl out of the hole and force a game 5. And if we do, we will have a CC Sabathia with revenge on his mind and a full 4 days of rest.

We all must just hope and pray the offense picks it up a bit and Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan can win us the next two at Miller Park. One of the few bright spots for the Crew has been the bullpen. They have not allowed any runs in the two games.

The Comeback Kid

Yovani Gallardo is as big a part of the Brewers future as Ryan Braun or any other young player. And on May 1st when Gallardo tore his ACL it looked like he would be done for the rest of 2008 and would have to wait to 2009 the year that with the impending loss of CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets to free agency would be the year Gallardo becomes the Brewers ace. Well Gallardo isn't your normal pitcher. He is a very special young talent with a tremendous work ethic and the heart of a champion. He has worked his ass off during rehab of the knee and after pitching numerous simulated games and taking batting practice today he will start tomorrow night against the Pirates. Wow! Now he will be on some kind of strict pitch count as well as having to take it easy at the plate and on the bases but with our rotation in shambles and still fighting to win this Wild Card and get to October baseball the addition of Yovani could be huge. If his teamates don't get some inspiration watching a guy pitch tomorrow night that less then 5 months ago tore his ACL I don't know what will. I'm not even too worried about his coming back to play even as important as he is to our future. With the way he works and if the Dr.'s, Trainers and GM Doug Melvin cleared him then he has to fine and the risk for injury has to be non existent. Go Brewers! and go Yovani Gallardo!

Yost, Is Officially Toast

Today a little after 2pm, the Milwaukee Brewers announced the firing of Manager Ned Yost. After a 3-11 start to September and just getting swept in 4 games by the Phillies who are now tied with the Brewers for the Wild Card, GM Doug Melvin and mainly Owner Mark Attanasio have seen enough. Yost has been fired and 3B coach Dale Sveum has been named interim Manager for the final 12 games of the season. Also Ted Simmons was reassigned to an "advisory" role from being the bench coach and Sveum names his own bench coach.....Brewers Hall of Famer and Sveum's best friend Robin Yount. With Sveum becoming Manager minor league instructor Garth Iorg who was up with the big club since September 1st will become the 3B coach.

I have to say I was shocked when I heard the news. I was sitting in my cubicle at work listening to 620 WTMJ as I do just about everyday. I was sending an email to a customer when I heard: "Breaking news, the Brewers have just fired Manager Ned Yost." I couldn't believe what I heard, I thought is it a joke? With 12 games left and in a tie for the Wild Card they are firing Yost? I mean I expected him to be fired if we missed the playoffs after another collapse. But with 12 games left?

Well I LOVE the move. It seems Yost had lost the players since September started and with us basically in a 12 game playoff to get to October baseball for the first time in 26 years a move of desperation was made and I am fine with it. All signs point to the players have a huge amount of respect for Dale Sveum and with him and Robin Yount calling the shots for the final 12 games to get us into the playoffs, well I like our chances. Let's do this! It starts tomorrow in Chicago against the Cubs with CC Sabathia on the mound.

Oh Where Has The Prince Fielder Of 2007 Gone?

Last season Prince Fielder almost won the MVP award and looked like he was going to be a very rich man going into arbitration before next season. Fielder crushed 50 HR and was the youngest ever to do that in a season. His complete numbers looked like this:

.288/.395/.618, 50 HR and 119 RBI

Those are fantastic numbers, now I sure didn't expect Prince to put up those kinds of numbers every year. It is very hard to hit 50 HR in a season. But for him to drop to these numbers:

.262/.361/.471, 28 HR and 84 RBI

A .471 SLG%? That is just not going to cut it. Not when you slugged .618 a season ago! And he has now been stuck on 28 HR for well over 20 games. Where is the power stroke?

But perhaps the thing that has disappointed me more then anything about Fielder's game this season has been his defense. I thought he improved quite a bit from 2006 to 2007 and expected more of the same in 2008. But he has been horrendous, maybe the worst defensive 1B in all of the NL. He has 15 errors this season and probably could have more if not for generous official scorers. I can't even count how many times this season I have wanted to throw a brick through my HD TV after Prince made a bonehead play in the field.

Before this season started, Prince grumbled about not getting a big contract and only getting his contract renewed for the minimum. Well he wanted the type of money Ryan Howard got in arbitration which was 10 million. Well with Prince headed to arby before next season with the numbers he has put up this season I doubt he gets 10 mill. Maybe between 5-7 if he is lucky.

This is kind of a joke, but with the way CC Sabathia handles the bat and fields his position as a pitcher. Could CC play 1B on the days he isn't pitching? Just a thought, kidding of course. Or am I?