My Summer of Baseball

A Very Welcome Guest Blog

Yep, I'm still sick. Maybe even sicker than before. Thank goodness I got this note last night:

With the big news - and MSOBB being sick - I thought I'd try to do my part for the blog. Here goes. Another blog from Superfan #99.

"Ned's Very Loyal to the Players"

Yes, that's a quote from Doug Melvin. Yes, that means that Ned Yost is gone. And yes, that means that Dale Sveum is now the manager of the Brew Crew.

I have to admit that I was more than ambivalent about this move. But after watching the press conference, I'm pretty excited about what I perceive to be the "code language" that they've used.

Here's my guess as to what that means for the Brewers (a "top five," if you will).

1. Ricky Weeks and Billy Hall sit. Or have limited playing time. Ned was way too generous to them. It's time to stop being generous and start winning games. Ricky, you're no good. Billy, you bat under the Mendoza line against righties, and you're not that good against lefties. Deal with it.

2. Re: Weeks, Hall, et al. It's now Dale's "straight talk express." Sveum will be guy who finally says, "Ricky, when you make two errors, you sit." And not just to them - but to everyone else that needs to hear it. No more kid gloves for this team. It's time to grow up and win.

3. Suppan sits. And maybe Bush as well. That's right. The Phillies beat us with pitchers going on three days of rest. Ned was so fixated on his "brilliant" strategy that put CC and Ben up against certain teams (read: the Cubs) on certain dates, that he failed to maximize his starters. It's time to win every game. As many as we can before it's over. And unfortunately, that means people sit. (The failure to sit people -- pitchers and players alike -- is what ultimately led to Ned's walking papers.)

4. The bullpen. I have absolutely no idea what to do about that. Throw things. Yell. A lot. Plead. Give steroids back to Gagne. Or ask Gagne to donate way more than just $50K to the Boys and Girls club. Because they are way more deserving than he is for a single dollar he's collected from the Brewers. But seriously. The pen is broken. Not sure where to even start here.

5. Robin Yount. Also known as the "cherry on top." If I was a reporter at the press conference, I would have asked two things. First - to Doug Melvin: "Did you ask Dale if he could get Robin to be his bench coach before making him the offer?" And second - to Dale - "Does this mean that someone will finally tell Ricky Weeks that we're thinking of accepting a trade offer for half a bag of peanuts for his contract?"

But all Weeks bile aside, bringing Robin Yount (who knows most of these players from last year) back -- who knows how to win -- who knows how to provide a steady vibe in the clubhouse -- now, that's big. As in, worth making this move big. Robin in the clubhouse? I'm all for that.

Will this work? No idea. Do I like the move? More than I did before the press conference.

If it means that we stop playing with kid gloves and start making plays.....well, hindsight's always 20/20, isn't it?

Bottom line, Ned's very loyal for the players. Now it's time for the players to get it done. Only time will tell.

Turning It Around

Last guest post from Pete for a while.

Well MSOBB is back and headed to the game tonight and I'm happy for that. Last night was a hard game to sit through, especially if you were at the park and you were a Brewers' fan.

I was just checking out the numbers and the Brewers have been 1 - 4 while she was gone. This is also the first time they've lost 3 in a row at home this year. They need to shake these losses and get back out there and play like we know they can.

I'm turning the blog back over and hoping the Brewers turn it around tonight.

Great Game, Bad Outcome

One more guest post from Pete.

Having had a little time to think about yesterday's game and rewatching parts of the broadcast (and letting some of my emotion settle), I have to say it was a great game. Miller Park was electric.

It did not end the way we wanted it to, but the 6th and 7th inning was some of the most exciting I've seen.

T6 - Mike Cameron's throw to Kendall to get Lee out at the plate and the Fielder grab of Theriot's hit to first and quick toss to CC for the final out.

B6 - Hardy & Braun back to back homers -- if the roof would have been closed it would have been blown off with the crowd noise. And then Hart driving in Fielder even though he was called out trying to make a double into a triple.

T7 - For the record, the missed double play throw by Weeks was not exciting at all for me.

B7 - But come on - Branyan's homer - crazy exciting - if you saw the broadcast, Fielder was dancing in the dugout.

Cubs came back on some rough pitching by Torres and because it was that kind of game, you thought that when Kendall got on and Gabe was up we could really tie it up - heck even the Cubs' fan next to me thought it might happen - it was that kind of game.

I know it'll be another great game tonight - I'm just hoping the Cubs will get the bad outcome.

PS - I'm also hoping we'll see Ray Durham at second.

One Part Ugh, Two Parts Awe

Here's a new post from guest blogger Superfan 99...

I have to admit that I'm a bit in awe of MSOBB. As I find myself caught up in the throes of the Brewers' chase for the pennant, I barely have the time to watch the games. Much less, to blog about them.

That is particularly true after today's abysmal effort. Not sure why Yost didn't pull Suppan in the midst of his meltdown.

Then again, I'm also not sure why the Brewers audio team thought it was a good idea to play Hava Nagila (Hebrew folk song translated as "Let Us Rejoice") ten times today. Especially during times that were hardly rejoice-worthy. (Side note on audio: so much audio at Miller Park, so many bad songs. The only highlight of Suppan's performance today was his song selection - The Who's "Teenage Wasteland" is a brilliant warm-up and at-bat selection. Too bad that the word "wasteland" was so apropos for his performance today.)

But we're one game back. It's the end of July. The Cubs come to town tomorrow for a big four-game series. I guess we do have much to rejoice about, after all.

Time For A Little First Place Housekeeping

Another guest post from Pete.

That's right it's game time.

I can tell you what inning we're in.

See the High Life is about sitting in the stands watching the Brewers move into first place.

That's what I'm talking about.

Windell Middlebrooks threw out the first pitch yesterday. You've seen him before.

Learning What It's Like

Today, we're treated to a guest post from Pete.

With MSOBB gone for a couple of days I'm going to get a taste of daily blogging. I'm already behind with this late post and will be headed to the ballpark soon for tonight's game in which the Brewers should do better against the Astros.

Couple of short notes.

MLB is in talks with the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory in Madison to help baseball find a way to solve the problem of exploding, splintering and shattered bats. David Kretschmann, a research engineer at Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, said it's too simplistic to ban maple bats -- players are using bats of such shape and length that it’s like swinging a toothpick with a brick at the end of it. Read more

How about that throw from Corey Hart last night to get the out at the plate -- what we all wished would have happened in the All-Star game -- the crowd loved it. He's also back to his old at-bat song - International Harvester.

My nephew and his parents came with to the game last night. We had a great time even though the Brewers lost. He's about 4 months and he did real well. He actually stayed awake for most of the game looking around and taking it all in -- you don't want to go to your first game and not watch any of it you know.

The Trickle Down Theory of Baseball

Here's a new post from guest blogger Superfan 99...

One of the things that I'm surprised hasn't received a lot more attention (from what little media I've been able to consume lately, anyway) is Ryan Braun's comments following the BoSox sweep of the Brewers.

Here are a few verbatims:

"It's just a feeling. Every time we were winning, I just didn't feel we expected to win. It was like we were just content to be there and compete. I don't think we necessarily expected to win."

"Obviously, they're a great team. It's a good gauge of where we're at when we can go out and compete with those guys. For us, as a team, our goal can't be to compete. Our goal has to be to win."

"Obviously, to come in here and win the series would have been extremely difficult but it's a real disappointment to come in here and get swept."

"A team like (Boston), they come out every day and expect to win. You can just sense it. I feel like we're there at times but we need to come with that approach every . No matter who we're playing against, no matter who's throwing against us, and expect to win. Part of that comes with success, comes with beating good teams and good pitchers. We're too talented to approach the game any other way."

"We've got to figure it out and figure it out in a hurry. We're better than that. We're certainly talented enough to win games. But a lot of it, our approach mentally, sometimes has to improve."

Most pundits have connected the dots between these comments and Ned's leadership (or lack thereof). And while that's a logical correlation, I think there's a bigger question here.

Who was the biggest leader of this team last year? Without a doubt, Prince Fielder.

Next question: Who feels like he was slighted in contract negotiations during the offseason? You've got it. Prince Fielder.

It's common sense of running a business, isn't it? Keep your leaders - your most talented team members - happy. And yet, the Brewers have done the exact opposite.

Now to be clear, Prince has his own role to play in this. He's represented by Scott Boras, the most vicious negotiator who promises one thing, and one thing only, to his clients: to extract the maximum amount of dollars, regardless of the methods or risks involved (in this case, Prince currently being without a long-term contract - a serious vulnerability in the event of a major injury). In hiring Boras, and following this approach, Prince has created a bit of a self- fulfilling prophecy: of course his contract hasn't been renewed - because he's with the one agent with the lowest odds of that happening.

In addition, you don't need to read a whole lot of media on Prince to understand how his emotions have a direct impact on his attitude. And his game play. And his leadership in the clubhouse.

It's the trickle down theory of baseball - that business off the field impacts game play on the field.

When the Brewers headed into Fenway and their leader remained in his shell, doing his job in a workmanlike manner, absent his previous leadership style, it's no wonder they were a little lacking in the confidence department.

And it's likewise no surprise that Braun (who signed a deal - for a lesser amount than optimal in the "Boras approach" but still enough for his grandchildren to live quite comfortably) is now in a position of trying to emerge as a stronger leadership voice, filling the vacuum of Mr. Fielder. He knows where he stands, he feels well compensated, and he can personally commit to and invest in this baseball team.

I think many baseball fans (myself included) like to think of this sport as an escape from the pressures of our lives - many of which often involve baseball. We like to put up blinders and think of it as "just a game." But the reality is that it's a business, and how it's run at the top can't help but have a very meaningful impact on how it's played on the field.

So here's hoping that the Brewers find a way to make Prince happy. Or Braunie can fill Prince's vacuum - fast. Otherwise, I fear it's gonna be a long, long season.

A Model of Coolness

Today I heard from one of my favorite people with this fun news...

I'm not sure if something like this belongs on your blog, but during a meeting at the MSOE Walter Schroeder Library, I had a look at the Lego model described here.

A young man had spent several years designing, building and redesigning a model of Miller Park out of Legos! 

There are over 30,000 "bricks" in the model and it is complete with moveable roof sections, Bernie's dugout, Uecker seating and people in the stands. 

The model will be on display at the library through August 26th, and then moves on to Miller
Park itself for a Harley Davidson celebration. Cool.

Couldn't agree more. Here's a link to a short video interview with the creator, Tim Kaebisch. You can see the model from all angles, inside and out, as well as watch the roof open and close.

Seriously cool.

Music from Mom

My mom wrote this morning with word of an article about the 7th inning stretch song. As it turns out, this week is the 100th anniversary of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

The article has great back story on the writing of the song, and what happened to the writers. Did you know one of them also wrote a song for the Cubs the next year, when they won the World’s Series? Happily, it seems to have cursed them forever.

The article says the centennial of the song will be celebrated with a commemorative stamp. I love that. Inspires me to write more letters this summer.

So, happy day off. And until we get taken out to the ball game again tomorrow, I’ll sign off today the way my mom did:

I hope you find this interesting. Love, Mom

Baseball Musings & CrewMinations

Happy to share today the first "Baseball Musings & CrewMinations" column from a new guest blogger. It's from a friend who calls himself Superfan 99. Please, by all means, comment back. I'm sure he wants dialogue as much as I do. And, watch for more from Superfan 99 in the weeks and months to come...

Warming Up. So where to start. Well, the Crew is 16-13, and behind both the hated Cubs and the surprising Cards. But not a bad start overall. Kendall has been the biggest surprise of the season to date. Cameron's recent addition has been helpful - a very steady glove in center field and a bat with some pop. Good to see Braunie's bat likewise starting to wake up. You certainly can't complain about the starting pitching to date. But the bullpen? Don't get me started.

Baseball as Metaphor. I agree with what MSOBB said about Turnbow. Baseball players are still people, and no matter how frustrating they can be to watch, it's easy to forget that they are real people with real lives. We all fail at times - in our work, with our friends, in our hobbies and pursuits - but I can't fathom doing it in front of 50K+ fans, day in and day out, with the whole world watching. With the media hell-bent on creating a recession (a topic for another time), it makes me ponder the idea of faith. Faith - in business, in baseball - is critical. When the chips are down and we need to gut it out, it is paramount that we literally "keep the faith" in ourselves. When we don't, bad things happen; it's that simple. As the missus recently said, "Positive thinking is not BS," and I'd have to agree. You could almost see defeat in Turnbow's eyes when he walked out on the mound.... It reminds me of last season, when Capuano set a franchise record for losing. I had to admire his faith and strength in gutting it out, keeping the faith, and hoping for the best.

Baseball Wisdom. After Ben Sheets pitched his complete game shutout earlier this year, his post-game interview provided some classic "Baseball Wisdom." The Brewers' new TV correspondent (Trini, I think her name is) asked him a bunch of questions. Why is your curveball working now? What did you do to your mechanics? To what do you attribute your success so far this year? Ben's response was classic Ben Sheets: "I don't know. I don't really think about it. If I think, it gets in my way." Which - as someone who spends too much time in his head (even when not watching baseball games), struck me as some real Baseball Zen - akin to Kendall's "see the ball, hit the ball" mentality of late. Life is only as complicated as we make it. Wisdom like this is another reason I love baseball.

Missing Damian. Speaking of Kendall, I have to confess that I'm not missing Damian Miller as much as I'd thought I would. Kendall's hot start and style of play certainly don't hurt. But I think more to the point, it's the spirit of this whole Brewers team. They're gutsy. Tough. They run out ground balls. They do the basics (for the most part) well. They're scrappers. Now to be fair, as the Brewers payroll continues to grow over the coming years, it's harder to make the case for them as "scrappy underdogs." But for now, as a young group with a relatively moderate payroll, it's fun to cheer on a team who works hard and loves the game.

Wondering About Damian. I can't help but wonder what it's like to retire from baseball. Jim Powell made a comment during one of last weekend's games about Damian, and said that he was spending a lot of time fishing and hunting. As a Wisconsinite, it's just got to be downright weird for Damian to go on living his life as his team does the same -- just a short drive from his home. It's got to be particularly difficult when the decision wasn't yours -- but it was made for you.

Sheets Speed. There is nothing that I don't do fast. I talk fast. Eat fast. Type fast. Work fast. Drive fast. (Well, that one, not so much since back-to-back speeding tickets.) And that's why I love watching Ben Sheets pitch. No faffing around. No posturing. A model of efficiency. Ben, if you're out there, let's put down some beers and chicken wings together. First round's on me.

Eating Meat. Attention, Media: Prince is fine. Let's move on and get back to important topics like what Obama's pastor said and what type of whiskey Hillary was drinking. Jeesh.

Cubs Bile. One of my clients is a big Cubs fan who likes to gamble. So far this year, I've taken a handful of cash and a bottle of Grey Goose from him (thanks, Brewers). Yesterday, he noted that "I'm starting to hate the Brewers as much as those green and gold guys." Which means we must be doing something right. He also wanted to create a year-long bet (head-to-head Cubs vs. Brewers record). I suggested the loser had to do the Polar Bear Plunge next winter. Certainly links my fate a little more directly to the Brewers' performance than a few bucks or some vodka....

Closing Down. It's a big week for the Crew. And it sure would be nice to start putting some runs on the board - I believe we've had more games determined within two runs or less (as well as the most extra inning games) in the majors. Don't quote me on that - but if it's not true, it certainly feels like it is. This team is due for a couple of big margin wins where we can all sit back and enjoy the ride, versus chewing our nails until the bell rings. I predict we take one of the next two from the Astros and two of three from the Marlins. And then we've got a real showdown next weekend - back home - versus the Cardinals. Hopefully, Miller Park won't be the sea of red it was the last time I was there for a Cardinals game.

Go Crew!