Another Update: I should timestamp these or something. Anyways, Sabathia to the Brewers is just an exchanging of medical records and paperwork away from being a done deal. It's as official as it can be without it being official, if that makes sense. But the Brewers will acquire Sabathia for LaPorta and two low-level minor leaguers.
Time to go run up and down the neighborhood streets again!!!
Update: At this point, I'd be shocked if Sabathia did not make his next start as a Brewer. Haudricourt has reported it will be Matt LaPorta and two other minor leaguers in exchange for the Indians pitcher. LaPorta has been scratched from Huntsville's lineup tonight, in assurance he does not face injury. Lorenzo Cain has been told to make the trip to Huntsville, so he appears unlikely to be included in the deal.
It also seems Melvin stood firm on his offer, which you have to applaud. Cleveland was trying to get another top-flight prospect in the deal, presumably Alcides Escobar. Melvin stood firm, and a deal is likely to be announced later today or on Monday.
Excuse me while I go scream up and down the neighborhood streets in joy.
--------------
I'd imagine if a Sabathia deal is going to go down, it's going to happen sometime today. CastroTurf, an Indians blog, says according to "According to Major League source, the Indians and Brewers have completed a trade" for Sabathia. As has been stated, the Brewers would likely send Matt LaPorta and two other prospects.
Jon Heyman of CNNSI.com reiterates the fact the Indians have been trying to get Escobar as part of the deal as well.
Personally, I've been kind of back-and-forth on the whole matter. Initially I said we should do whatever it takes to get C.C., but then said I wouldn't like the trade to include Matt LaPorta. My final take is this:
*Giving up LaPorta and two other prospects (likely Green and Cain): Good.
*Giving up LaPorta and two other prospects, one of which being Escobar: Terrible.
It seems a deal is imminent, don't let me down Dougie!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Brewers Trade for Sabathia
Brewers Complete Sweep of Pirates
So this J.J Hardy guy is pretty good, isn't he? Hardy has been known to be a streaky hitter in the past, but they way he's hitting now I think we should all just enjoy the ride. The shortstop followed up his snapped 16 game hitting streak by hitting 2 home runs as well as a double, as the Brewers beat Pittsburgh 11-6.
The Brewers got things going early with a 4 run first inning, and it looked like this game was in the bag early. Pittsburgh, to their credit, rallied for 6 unanswered runs and made things interesting. But the Brewers had the sweep in their sights, and kept piling the runs on the scoreboard.
All-Star starter Ryan Braun added a home run, but doubles were all the rage today. Hart and Hall each had two, Fielder added another, as did Kendall, Weeks, Braun and Hardy. Mike Cameron was the only starter not to collect a hit today.
While it looks like the Sabathia deal is in fact happening, the question now is which starter will lose their spot in the rotation? It won't happen, but right now Jeff Suppan is pitching worse than anyone on that staff right now. He went just three innings, as Yost decided the bullpen was rested enough to carry the team the rest of the way. He turned out to be right, as Stetter picked up the win, and Riske, Mota, and Shouse also pitched well.
By the way, the Brewers are getting Sabathia!!!
Box Score.
TBC's Player of the Game: J.J. Hardy
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Brewers Send Braun, Sheets, to All-Star Game
Milwaukee fans were encouraged to make a last minute push to get Ryan Braun into the starting lineup for the All-Star game, and the effort was successful. Ryan Braun will start alongside Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano in the outfield, leaving Ken Griffey Jr. as the odd man out. According to Anthony Witrado, Braun was actually the second highest vote-getter on the team.
Joining Braun will be Ben Sheets, who was selected by his peers. The starting pitcher for the National League won't be announced until later in the week, but Sheets has the chance to impress the team's manager, Clint Hurdle, when he faces the Rockies on Wednesday.
Corey Hart has the chance to become the 3rd Brewer to make this year's team, as he is one of the five finalists. He'll have to make it over Pat Burrell, Carlos Lee, David Wright, and Aaron Rowand. You can vote for Hart here.
After learning J.J. Hardy was second in fan votes for all shortstops, I though the chances of him becoming an All-Star were quite good. However, that is not the case, although he's probably just as deserving as Miguel Tejada and Christian Guzman.
Make sure you get out the vote for Hart, to give more represenation to the Brewers. Their NL Central counterparts, the Chicago Cubs, have seven selections.
Here's the list of the complete NL and AL All-Star teams.
Fielder's Late-Inning Heroics Give Brewers Victory
J.J. Hardy has been the hottest hitting member of the Milwaukee Brewers for nearly a month now, which included his 16 game hitting streak coming into Saturday's game. But with Hardy up in the 9th inning, the best way for the Brewers to win this game was for him to lay down a bunt.
The Crew entered the bottom of the 9th tied 1-1 with the Pirates, when Rickie Weeks turned an 0-2 count into a walk to put the winning run on the bases. Hardy was up next, dropped down the bunt, and advanced Rickie to 2nd. The bunt ended Hardy's 16-game hitting streak, and he was met with a standing ovation from the Miller Park faithful.
With Weeks now on second, Ryan Braun came up to the plate. He's been struggling of late, but the Pirates still respected him enough to walk him, and try to set up the double-play from Prince Fielder, who's also been having his issues. But when you're hot you're hot, and the Brewers continued to roll when Prince lined a single into left-center, scoring Rickie Weeks for the 2-1 victory.
It was another game however surrounded by C.C. Sabathia trade speculation, which must have lit a fire under starter Dave Bush. Possibly pitching for his spot in the rotation should Sabathia in fact become a Brewer, Bush went 8 innings, giving up just four hits. He also struck out 7, but the key here was his zero walks. The Brewers also got a nice 9th inning effort out of Eric Gagne, who earned his 2nd win of the season (but this one was legit, unlike how he slopped into a victory after blowing the save against the Cubs on Opening Day).
And how about Mike Cameron, hitting his 14th home run of the season!
Box Score.
TBC's Player of the Game: Prince Fielder
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Friday, July 4, 2008
Possible Team Names for the Sonics
The landscape of the NBA is changing, as the Seattle SuperSonics are about to pack up their bags and head on down to Oklahoma City. But, with the name, color, and logo of the team remaining the property of the city of Seattle, this franchise is in for a new team name. We thought we'd come up with a few suggestions. Keep in mind the city is already home to the RedHawks (Pacific Coast League), Yard Dawgz (af2), Lightning (Women's Football), and Blazers (Central Hockey League).
66ers - I'm not a big fan of naming your team after a number, or a year, but it's one possible route for Oklahoma City. The town was a major stop on Route 66 during the early part of the 20th century, and was mentioned in the song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" by Bobby Troup, later covered by Nat King Cole.
Drillers - Oil production has always been a staple of Oklahoma City, but the name is already associated with their friends in Tulsa.
Bricklayers - This would be named after Bricktown, a growing entertainment district in the city's downtown. However, "laying a brick" isn't a positive basketball term, so this one is unlikely.
Twisters - Tornadoes are quite frequent in this neck of the woods, and it isn't that bad of a team name. That is, until a tornado rips through the city and kills people. Then it is a bad team name.
Wranglers - This was the name of their now defunct Arena Football League team, and might not be a bad idea.
Heartbreakers - As a way to aknowledge the pain and agony the franchise has caused to fans in Seattle.
Stallions - The city's Remington Park is home to horse racing throughout the year, and the occasional horse show will come to town every now and then. It would also play on the "Old West" perception of the town.
Sabathia Rumors Overshadow Brewers Victory
After the heartbreak of Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks, the Brewers wasted no time figuring out how to regroup, rolling over the Pirates 9-1. The Brewers collected 14 hits, including 4 from J.J. Hardy and 3 from Bill Hall, with both of them hitting a two run shot. Always good to see the nice outing from Bill Hall. It was also nice to see someone give help to J.J. Hardy, who has been carrying the team as of late.
On the hill, Sheets didn't have his best stuff today, giving up 8 hits in 5 2/3 innings. However, he made the key pitches when he needed to, and only gave up 1 run. Coming in relief for Sheeter was Carlos Villanueva, who pitched a good 3 1/3 innings, giving up just one hit, and recording the long save.
The real story today however was the increasing speculation that C.C. Sabathia will soon become a Milwaukee Brewer. The names kept changing throughout the day, but the latest offer, according to Haudricourt, appears to be Matt LaPorta, Taylor Green, and Lorenzo Cain. Sabathia's next start is scheduled for Tuesday, and hopefully that comes in a Brewers uniform. I'd like to see them make a move soon though, before Cleveland's price becomes too high.
Box Score.
TBC's Player of the Game: Nice game from Hardy, but we feel Bill Hall was more of the difference maker.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Rumors Now Include Weeks and Hardy
As, the Brewers remain the "front-runner" to nab C.C. Sabathia, fans are speculating just who the Indians would want in such a deal. As we discussed earlier, the Indians are probably going to be looking to acquire either Matt LaPorta or Mat Gamel, players no fans are too willing to give up.
The latest reports have Indians scouts looking at players from that Huntsville squad, but also Single-A prospect Taylor Green. It's also been confirmed Melvin had scouts looking at Sabathia the other night against the White Sox. For the record, he went 8 innings, gave up 4 earned on 7 hits, and struck out 5. With that said, it's very possible Cleveland could propose a trade early next week.
It's also possible the Indians could want either Weeks or Hardy in the deal, bringing them a proven major league player. Weeks hasn't lived up to his potential, and I'd be 1000 times more accepting if he got traded, and we kept Hardy.
MLB Trade Rumors is also speculating the Brewers could be thinking of a Hardy for A.J. Burnett deal. I'd do that one in fantasy, but not in real life.
In review, possible trade pieces:
Matt LaPorta - Whatever you do, don't trade him.
Mat Gamel - He has offense, but where can he play? It would hurt, but I could live with it. If they wanted Gamel for Sabathia straight up (as I've heard one rumor suggest), I would do that in a heartbeat.
Taylor Green - If that's all you want, take him.
J.J. Hardy - See LaPorta.
Rickie Weeks - I could live with it.
It's always a tricky game, trying to figure out deals when prospects are involved. Sometimes they work in your favor, sometimes they don't. Case in point: In 2002 the Expos traded Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, and Cliff Lee for Bartolo Colon. (Fun Fact, the Expos also traded Jason Bay that year for garbage.)
Either way, I feel we will make a trade, and it's going to be risky. Here's hoping we make the right one.
Here's a Nice John Hammond Article For You
What's the best way to stop feeling guilty after I haven't written a post in the last couple of days (thanks again to Bear, for the help). Why, I post articles that other people have taken the time to write! Call it the easy way out if you will, but this interview/article of Bucks GM John Hammond by the guys at Brewhoop is a fairly good read.
On a related note, I haven't been this excited for the Bucks in a long, long, time. I just hope we can say the same about Richard Jefferson!
"The Worst Inning of Baseball I've Ever Seen"
"The Worst Inning of Baseball I've Ever Seen."
Those were the words uttered by my friend Wavs (and yes, I am trying to be like Bill Simmons by talking to you about my friends as if you know them) after the 9th inning in the Brewers 6-5 loss against the Diamondbacks on Thursday. Coming into the inning with a 5-0 lead, the Brewers gave up six runs, and the game, without collecting a single out.
This was one of those games where you think you've put it away early, and already count on the victory in the win column. But, as we saw today, if you think one way for a second, the reverse is sure to happen. That's just baseball.
Guillermo Mota has been struggling, that's no secret. He loaded the bases up in the 9th, and was relieved by Brian Shouse. I read somewhere today that Shouse is the Brewers' most reliable reliever in a crucial situation, but that was not the case today, as he gave up a double that brought all of Mota's runners home.
So who would we turn to? It had to be Salomon Torres, who is tied with Francisco Rodriguez in saves since Torres entered into the closers role. Didn't it? Not today, as he gave up the final three runs and the Brewers lost a heartbreaker. An uncharacteristically bad outing from the stalwarts of the bullpen cost us the victory today. But hey, Gagne pitched a scoreless inning in the 8th (and will likely relieve Mota of his set-up duties, one would think).
Bright spots for the Brewers were the 4 for 5 with an HR day out of J.J. Hardy, and the six scoreless from Manny Parra.
A tough loss, but not much you can do about it. The Brewers will try to redeem themselves Friday in Milwaukee, hosting a 4th of July matinee against the Pirates at 1:05.
Box Score.
TBC's Player of the Game: Parra pitched great, but we're going to ride the J.J. Hardy hot streak while it's here. This honor is mainly given to Hardy because I picked him up in fantasy when I saw him at the plate. Two pitches later he hit a home run. Welcome to the team, J.J.!
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Huntsville: Brewers AA Affliate Lands 10 All-Stars
The Huntsville Stars seem aptly named this year. The AA dynamo that is chalk-full of prospects will send 10 of its players to the Southern League All-Star team. The Southern League is one of two leagues in AA and is known more for its pitching than hitting.
C Angel Salome, 1B Chris Errecart, SS Alcides Escobar, 3B Mat Gamel, RF Matt LaPorta, CF Michael Brantley, SP David Welch, SP Steve Hammond, RP Joe Bateman and RP Patrick Ryan were selected by Southern League managers, media, GM's and radio broadcasters.
Of these ten, Gamel and LaPorta will not be in attendance due to participating in the All-Star weekend Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. You will be able to watch them Sunday, July 13th on ESPN2. Hammond and Bateman will also be missing the event due to being promoted to AAA.
Much has been said of of this historic Huntsville team. The Brewers currently have two of the best players in all of AA with LaPorta and Gamel, Salome appears to be the "can't miss" catcher the Brewers have searched for, and a shortstop in Escobar that some scouts say could be the best defensive SS in the majors if he was up right now. Don't forget about Brantely either, currently in centerfield, he looks like a true leadoff hitter, currently hitting .324/.405/.412 with 25 sb's.
ESPN and Baseball Tonight have talked alot about this team lately due to it's close linking with possible C.C. Sabathia trade rumors. Peter Gammons recently stated that he thinks this is the best prospect team in the majors right now, and some scouts say its the best prospect team they have ever seen.
To get a grasp on what these guys are doing in a league perceived as a "pitchers league" look at some of Huntsville players current numbers in comparison to Corey Hart when he was named MVP of the Southern League in 2003.
PLYR____RUNS__HR__RBI__SB__H__AVG___OBP___SLG___OPS
Corey Hart*___70__13 __94__25__149__.302__.340__.467__.806
Mat Gamel#___69___15___75____5___130__.382__.445___.641___1.086
Matt LaPorta#__53___19___64____2____85__.290__.403___.577___.980
Angel Salome#__38___7___54____2____77__.336__.393___.507___.900
Alcides Escobar#_61___7___52____22__119__.331__.360___.448___.809
Michael Brantley#_62___4___34____25___99__.324__.405___.412___.817
*Full Season, #Half Season
Just look at that, you have 5 guys that could catch Hart's MVP numbers and 2 that should absolutely destroy his full season numbers. I haven't even included Chris Errecart and Cole Gillespie who also could reach Hart's numbers. It really is mind boggling and at the same time incredibly exciting. Not only do all these prospects look to bolster an already young and exciting Brewers squad over the next few seasons, but they give the Crew an insane amount of flexibility to acquire big time players if needed.
There is quite a bit to be pumped up about in Brewer land this year and these Huntsville "All" Stars are just one more reason why you have to love the direction this organization is headed.
Brewers Guarantee At Least .500 Road Trip
It's been a few good weeks here for the Brewers. Tonight was no exception. Tonight the Brewers really won a game they probably shouldn't have. The Crew went on to win tonight 4-3, as David Riske picked up the good old blown save win and Torres came in to shut the door and earn his 15th save.
The bats came up clutch tonight as the crew got down early 2-0 and J.J Hardy and Mike Cameron chipped away at the lead adding RBI's in the 6th and 7th innings. Then Rickie Weeks added a huge go ahead pinch hit home run in the 8th inning, off an 0-2 count none-the-less. After Justin Upton returned the favor in the bottom of the 8th, Cameron once again broke the 3-3 tie by driving in Russell Branyan.
Seth McClung battled early woes to pitch 5 1/3 innings giving up 2 runs and striking out 6. Riske, after leaving a hanging breaking ball for a homer, settled down and pitched decently. Torres flirted with disaster with men on 1st and 2nd with one out but was once again helped out by an inning ending double play.
My general impression of the game was that I was virtually on the edge of my seat all game. Truly a great game, clutch hits, back and forth scoring, and in the end a Brewers victory. It really looks like Cameron is coming out of his slump some, and J.J. Hardy went 2-4 to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. In other notes, Ryan Braun got a day off, so hopefully he breaks out in the games leading up to the AS break. Brewers still remain 4.5 back of the Cubs and 2 games back of the Cardinals for the wild card.
The Crew will send Manny Parra to the bump to face Brandon Webb in the 4th and final game of the series. Game time is 2:40 p.m. FSN.
Box Score
TBC's Player of the Game: Mike Cameron - 2-4 2RBI. As much as the Rickie Weeks HR was clutch, Cameron came up with two great RBI singles, one to tie, and one to gain the lead.
AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Favre Doing What Everyone Expected...Allegedly
According to ESPN and Chris Mortensen Brett Favre has an itch and a desire to come back. Here is the article. Contrary to what Mortensen's source says, Favre's agent James Cook Favre is still retired and hasn't mentioned anything to him.
However, Mortensen's source claims that Favre is in contact with Coach Mike McCarthy about itching to return to training camp. Apparently the pressure from his family to play is also figuring into his "itch" to play.
I'm sure we'll have more on this to come, my thought is that I hope this is just speculation. I'm ready to move on and see what Aaron Rodgers has to offer. As much as I love Favre, I'm a Packers fan first and a Favre fan second.
UPDATE:(sort of) WSSP loosely claims that a report out of Madison has claimed Ted Thompson has denied Brett's request and Favre has asked for his release. But the Green Bay Press-Gazette has said no decision has been made. Not sure how credible any of this is, but I thought I would keep you guys up with the latest.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
I'm Posting a Half-Naked Chick for the First Time Because of Tony Mandarich
When I started this blog, I told myself I wasn't going to resort to posting pictures of chicks in bikinis. I don't mind other sites that do it, that's just not how I was going to roll, so to speak. However, tonight became the exception to the rule after I read about Tony Mandarich's new profession.
First, for those of you that don't know, Tony Mandarich was the first round pick for the Packers in 1989. The offensive lineman was drafted with the two pick, sandwhiched inbetween Troy Aikman and Barry Sanders. After holding out his rookie year, he had a couple of lackluster seasons with the Pack, never living up to expectations. He retired for five years, came back into the league with the Colts, and allegations of steriod use followed him along the way. For the record, he's denied any such use.
I've always worried about Tony Mandarich, and if he ever found his way in this crazy, crazy, world. Well, I'm here to report to you that he has. Mandarich has become quite the successful photographer/videographer, and much of his time is spent shooting hot chicks. Not a bad gig. In fact, here's his web site. More from "on 205th Magazine":
He calls Mandarich Models the "the Edgy, Dynamic, Glamour Division of Mandarich
Photography". Uh huh... They do Female Glamour Photography, Intimate Glamour
Photography (my fave), Boudoir Portrait Sessions (yowza!), Fitness Model
Photography, and Glamour Model Photography (didn't we already cover
that?).
Good for you Tony!
The Bucky Channel is Cursed (Brewers Player of the Game Updates)
A week or two ago I told you that I was in the middle of the moving process, and that I'd be slacking on Brewer recaps. As you've probably noticed, I wasn't lying. But dealing with a move is only one of the problems facing the Bucky Channel lately.
As you know, my counterpart Bear recently experienced flooding in his Fond du Lac home. I meanwhile, just saw my car's engine die on me at 61,000 miles, and have just moved into an apartment that isn't what I thought it was (it's temporary, but let's just say they have better showers in prison. Seriously, I'll post pictures of this thing soon to show you what I mean).
So with that, no Brewers recaps the last two games, and we feel pretty bad about it. We'll get back on track tomorrow though. In the meantime, here are the Players of the Game for the last two nights:
Monday - D'backs 6, Brewers 3 - J.J. Hardy
Tuesday - Brewers 8, D'backs 6 - J.J. Hardy
So as we are struggling to stay afloat (pun sort of intended), Hardy is currently raking. Might help his trade value, since I've heard he could be a player in the Sabathia deal. I've also heard Weeks, and I'm looking for something to back that up. Interesting, none the less.
Now if we could only benefit from some of Hardy's luck.
Monday, June 30, 2008
If I Ever Meet Tim Krumrie, I'll Buy Him a Beer
While my stretch of being homeless continues (long story), I've found myself blessed to be spending a night in a home with the NFL Network. As I watch Terrell Buckley return a punt for his first NFL touchdown, I don't think I could be happier. Yes, tonight just happens to be the night NFLN is replaying the 1992 matchup between the Packers and the Bengals. You may know it more commonly as the game in which Brett Favre relieved an injured Don Majkowski and earned his first comeback victory in the process.
As much as I don't like to root for injuries (unless fantasy implications are involved), I think we all are in debt to Tim Krumrie, who was a defensive lineman for the Bengals from 1983-1994. Krumrie was the guy who injured the Majik man, paving the way for the comeback, and essentially launching the career of the legendary Number Four. Fun fact for you as well. Krumrie went to school at Wisconsin, and is from Mondovi.
What's also interesting about this game is watching a broadcast where the announcers aren't gushing over Brett Favre the entire time. For the first quarter or two, they are talking about how much of a miracle a Brett Favre touchdown would be, and how the "young kid" just needs to hang in there. Of course, that changed as soon as he made your typical Brett Favre play, where he was hit by a defender, stayed on his feet, and then completed the pass for the first down. All the love, all the admiration, and all the career success started on September 20th, 1992.
I think the least we can do is buy Mr. Krumrie a beer.
Here Comes the Packers Defense
We've been hearing some whispers the last couple of weeks about how much more aggressive the Packers defense figures to be this season. I'm all for blitzing as much as possible, especially with how much speed we have throughout that unit, and how confident I feel in our secondary. But just how physical with the defense be this year (with or without Jason Taylor?) Let ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert count the ways.
Gagne Returns... But to Where?
Let's give a big Milwaukee welcome back to Eric Gagne, who has been taken off the DL and placed back on the Brewers 25 man roster. Gagne says he's ready to "rock and roll", but Yost won't say anything about his role with the team other than that he's a "reliever". All that we do know is that it's going to take a long time before he ever sniffs the closer role again, especially with the way Salomon Torres has been pitching.
Sent down was Mark DeFelice, who will likely get another chance with the club sometime this season.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Spain wins Euro 2008!
In a decent final match, Spain was able to knock of Germany 1-0 in the Euro 2008 title, for their first European Championship since 1964. They were able to do it by exploiting Germany's..... wait, what? Did you hear Richard Jefferson got traded to the Bucks?
Brewers Blanked in the Border Battle
Well, the Twins was this year's "Border Battle", one of the lesser creative names for an interleague rivalry. For some stupid reason, I've always liked when rivalries were named after an interstate, like when the Cubs and Brewers series is refereed to as the "I-94 Series". It's simple, but whatever. Anyways, the Twins beat the Brewers 5-0.
Sheeter just didn't have his best stuff Sunday, and the Twins were able to just tack on runs one or two at a time. Kevin Slowey of the Twins, meanwhile, threw a complete game, striking out eight batters and giving up just three hits. Perhaps had the bats been going, things would have been able to work out in Sheets favor, but the Brewers just weren't destined to win this one.
So the Twins take 4 of 6 out of the "Border Battle" series, but now that I think about it, there's no reason you couldn't call the series between Milwaukee and Minnesota the "I-94 Series" either. Either way, the Cubs better lose tonight.
TBC's Player of the Game: Look at the box score, man. There are no good options. So let's give it to the one inning of scoreless work from Brian Shouse. Think of it as a reward for the work he's done so far this season.
(AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)Sabathia to the Brewers? It's More Likely Than You Think.
One year ago at this time, the Brewers looked like good odds to either win the NL Wild Card or their first ever NL Central Division title. But as we got deeper into the summer, the Brewers started faltering a bit, and those pesky Cubs from Chicago were right on their tail. If the Brewers were going to live up to their dreams of the postseason, they would need to make a move. They'd become buyers at the Trade Deadline, something we haven't seen in Milwaukee for... well, a really long time. And after countless hours on the phones working other GM's, Doug Melvin finally got his catch, the man to help put us over the edge.
Scott Linebrink.
As you well know, that trade didn't really have the effect Melvin may have been looking for. Linebrink's career as a Brewer was short and inconsistent, and he's now pitching on the South Side of Chicago, long out of the memory of Brewers fans. Milwaukee gave up some good prospects to get Linebrink too, in Will Inman, Joe Thatcher, and Steve Garrison. Those three pitchers have a fairly decent chance of all being on the Padres big league roster withing a couple of years. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the Brewers lost that deal.
Looking back though, I can't say I disagree with the move. I supported it at the time, and I'll support it today. The Brewers needed bullpen help, and Scott Linebrink was a good option. It was one of those high risk, high reward scenarios. Give up three decent prospects for a guy who may or may not be able to turn his season around in a new environment. It's a great deal if it would have worked out and earned the Brewers a trip to at least the playoffs.
You'll never find me arguing against a high risk, high reward scenario. Then again, I've always been a gambling man. I can't tell you how much money I've spent gambling money away in my life (Powerball, Crossword scratch-offs, Chip-In Casino in Escanaba, Michigan). Was it stupid? In hindsight, yes, but hindsight's 20/20. I blew the money then hoping for a huge payday, similiar to how Melvin blew the development of those prospects hoping for a huge payoff. Melvin took a gamble last year, and I hope he doesn't drift from that school of thought this year.
So what do the Brewers need? Well, barring injury, I'd say the offense is in decent shape. There have been a lot of trade rumors regarding the Brewers in recent weeks, and I can't recall any of them including a hitter. As Gord Ash said himself, the Brewers are looking for pitching. Specifically, starting pitching.
The Brewers' staff is currently pitching better than they have all season, but as the old adage goes, you can never have too much pitching. Remember in the beginning of the season, when the Brewers had their pitching surplus? After they cut Claudio Vargas loose, and lost Chris Capauno and Yovani Gallardo to injury, it became Milwaukee's biggest need. While the guys that have filled in have been pitching well, you never know when that next injury will occur or when one of them will go all Cappy '07 on us.
Let me finally get to the point of this column, if I may. The biggest name this trade deadline season is the Indians C.C. Sabathia, and he seems to be the focus of the Brewers trade discussions as well. The speculation around him coming to Milwaukee isn't as intense as it may have been a week ago, but I would say this deal has about a 30% chance of happening. A recent Ken Rosenthal column suggests the chances might be even better than that. Realistically though, if the Brewers were to get Sabathia, it would likely just be a rental. It's going to take a lot of money to get the 2007 AL Cy Young award winner to settle down in Milwaukee, much more money than I think we'd be able to, or are willing to, give. With that said, I still say it's a trade the Brewers need to try to pull off.
First, let's look at the negatives to such a deal:
1) Goodbye LaPorta or Gamel (or...gulp...both)?
You'd think either Matt LaPorta or Mat Gamel would have to be included in a deal to acquire Sabathia, even though I've heard the Brewers are going to do whatever it takes not to let either of those guys go. If I'm the Indians though, I don't make that trade without one of them. The Brewers do have a deep system though, and the Indians could definitely make this trade worth their while in the long run. However, I don't see them taking a deal where Alcides Escobar is the headliner.
2) High Risk...
Imagine C.C. Sabathia in a Brewers uniform. Imagine him getting hurt in his first appearance in said uniform. It's a real possibility, which would make any such deal one of the worst trades in baseball history that didn't involve Richie Sexson.
3) The Brewers wouldn't be able to sign Sabathia long term.
If the Brewers trade for Sabathia, it wouldn't be because they want to see him pitch at Miller Park for the next 5 years. It will be because they want to make the playoffs and win the World Series. What better time to make a push at it than now? Again though, it's a high risk for a high reward.
Naturally now, the positives.
1) Think about it, it's C.C. Sabathia!!!
This guy is one of the best pitchers in the game. In his last four starts, he's gone 3-0 and posted a 1.13 ERA. Why we wouldn't be going after this guy? I really think this year's Brewers team is better equipped for a postseason run than last season's, but so are this year's Cubs team. If the Brewers are going to keep up with them, they are going to need to bring in all the quality players they can. And how good would a Sheets/Sabathia/Suppan/Parra/BushClung rotation be?
2) We'd gain back the prospects we'd lose (in terms of draft picks anyway).
When the Brewers lost Scott Linebrink this offseason, they were rewarded with the 35th and 54th picks of this year's draft. Those picks are much higher than the picks we used to get guys like Inman. Sabathia leaving, and not to mention if Sheets leaves, would net a good of picks as well. They may not replace a LaPorta or a Gamel, but it would be a good start.
3) .... High Reward.
The Scott Linebrink was looked at a way for the Brewers to make the 2007 postseason. A C.C. Sabathia trade could be the ticket for a 2008 World Series run. If the Brewers have to make a few sacrifices in order to get their first World Series title, I'd say that's a pretty acceptable trade-off.
Let me re-iterate though, the Indians are not going to just give Sabathia away. The Brewers are going to have to pay a heavy price to get him, and it's going to have to come from the farm system. There is also speculation Milwaukee could settle for a guy Like Greg Maddux or Randy Wolf, but I think that would just be playing it safe. I say we go after the big prize. I say we get Sabathia.
But then again, I've always been a gambling man.
Parra Leads Brewers to Another Victory
I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes, but the Brewers somehow scored 5 runs without the benefit of the long ball. Aided by RBI's from Braun, Hart, Kendall, and even two from Bill Hall, the Brewers were able to take game two from the Twins 5-1. The Brewers are also sort of following a trend lately in their victories. They score the runs early, and then leave it up to the pitching staff to take care of the rest.
Manny Parra answered the call, with another brilliant game. I was down on Manny earlier in the year, I've always thought he's been the benefactor of too much hype. I keep hearing people (specifically, Bill Schroeder of FSN Wisconsin) tell me how great Parra is going to be, and how he has future ace potential. I heard the same thing for years about Ben Hendrickson, so you can understand my hesitation. Yet, Parra has been hitting his stride as of late, and went seven innings, giving up just two hits.
The rubber match is going on as we type, so we're going to get back to that now.
Box Score.
TBC's Player of the Game: Manny Parra
(AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)