Monthly Archives: April 2007

I put a little time into this, and as a result, you get a sneak preview of what my fantasy team will look like if injuries continue to strike me down. All of these players were available free agents in my Yahoo League, so I wouldn’t have a problem getting any of them. Without further ado, I give you the All-Cool Name Team.

C: Yorvit Torrealba

1B: Robby Hammock

2B: Anderson Hernandez (SUCH a badass name)

3B: Marco Scutaro

SS: Yuniesky Betancourt

OF: Andre Ethier

OF: Nook Logan

OF: Termel Sledge

UT: Casey Kotchman

Bench: Alfredo “Amazin’”Amezaga

Bench: Alejandro De Aza

Bench: Reggie Willits

Bench: Ben Zobrist

SP: Rick Vanden Hurk

SP: Matt Chico

P: Kirk Saarloos

P: Dustin Nippert

RP: Wilfredo Ledezma

RP: Ambiorix Burgos

• Ben Sheets has eight strikeouts in 20 innings.  20 innings certainly isn’t anything to get worked up about, but it’s still worth noting.  Sheets’ velocity hasn’t been abnormally low, and his curveball still looks nasty, so he doesn’t appear to have lost anything from his “stuff.”  So far this season, he’s just been missing his spots.
• My fantasy team is already dangerously close to panic mode.  Yesterday alone, Rich Harden left with “shoulder tightness,” Sheets got lit up and BJ Ryan was put on the DL.  Ryan is off to see “the Tommy John doctor.” Meanwhile Aramis Ramirez is still out with a wrist injury.  I’m about two injuries away from dropping everyone and assembling the “All-Cool Name Team.”
• I’m really getting sick of FSN Wisconsin’s contractual obligation with the Milwaukee Sucks basketball team (enough that it compelled me to make that awful pun).  After today, only six out of 12 games will have been televised in Wisconsin markets outside of Milwaukee.  You’d think FSN would have some sort of loophole to opt out of their contract if more than one state college team is better than the Bucks.
• Ryan Braun’s current line in AAA: .343/.425/.886.  Holy crapballs.
• I don’t mean to diminish what Jackie Robinson meant to baseball and the Civil Rights movement, but thank God this 60th anniversary has come and gone.  You can only take so much media coverage of one issue before you become bitter towards it.
• Look for Bill Hall to break out tonight against his favorite opponent: A soft-tossing left-hander on the Cincinnati Reds.  Hall’s career OPS against Eric Milton: 1.264.
• If you haven’t, please do yourself a favor and visit firejoemorgan.com.  Joe’s chat wraps have started, and they are hilariously terrible.  See the link in the blogroll.

The Crew starts their first road trip of the season tonight against the Marlins.  Any time we play Florida I think of the 4th of July game a couple years ago when they were managed by crazy Jack McKeon.  Sheets was cruising, and in about the sixth inning he quickly got an 0-2 count on the pitcher. After the 0-2 count, McKeon inexplicably pinch hit for the pitcher with Lenny “The Weapon” Harris.

Harris struck out on the next pitch and looked stunned as he walked back to the dugout. The camera caught McKeon in the dugout slamming his fist in anger. It probably still remains the weirdest in-game managerial move I’ve ever seen watching a game.

Tonight: Suppan vs. Sanchez

Tuesday: Vargas vs. Nolasco

Wednesday: Bush vs. Mitre

Sanchez is tough (had a no-hitter last season) but certainly no tougher than Zambrano, Schmidt or Lowe.  We get our first look at Vargas in the rotation on Tuesday.  Here’s hoping for a series win, but unless they get swept I won’t be too disappointed.

By the way… The Brewers are on the road quite a bit in April, so if they finish the month at .500 I’d be plenty happy.

It’s “getaway day” for your Milwaukee Brewers, which naturally means that we need to sit as many talented players as possible all at once.

Here’s your lineup for today.

Rickie Weeks 2B
Craig Counsell, 3B
J.J. Hardy SS
Prince Fielder 1B
Geoff Jenkins LF
Gabe Gross RF
Damian Miller C
Tony Gwynn CF
Chris Capuano P

Multiple Choice: What was going through Ned’s head when he made out this lineup card?

A. Chris Capuano didn’t allow a run against the Cubs last year, so all we’ll need is one run.  We’ll hopefully get that in nine innings.

B. We need as much grizzled grittiness as possible to end a losing streak.  The combined playoff experience of Counsell and Miller should get that done.

C. Tony Gwynn Jr’s father was a Hall-of-Famer.  We could use some Hall-of-Fame blood to give us a shot in the arm.

D. Guys have played in three straight games.  Since nobody should get more than 400 ABs, they need to sit out.

E. Yost was thinking all of these things equally.

Gross hasn’t started… so it’s nice to see him in there. But Gwynn? He’s the 25th guy on the team for a reason, and that’s not to start. Put Gross in center and Hart or Mench in right.

I’m liking Hardy’s start to the season, but a three-hole hitter? Ok…

And for the love of Branyan, Counsell starting at third again?? This lineup is literally half backups.

Been looking forward to this matchup all week. If Sheets can just get through the first inning (like how Dave Bush couldn’t yesterday) he should be fine. Here’s to another gem from Ben, and 120 pitches in six innings with six walks and one conniption from the self-proclaimed Big Z. Should be fun.

I’ve got nothing to do, so I’ll update throughout the game. In the mean time, please enjoy this celebratory/good luck montage.

-Sheets clean through first. Only a two-out double from Derrek Lee

-Brian Anderson just called Derrek Lee “Carlos.” Oops.

-Zambrano dealing as well, unfortunately. Mows down Weeks and Hardy. And now Prince… Wow.

-This could game could be over in two hours. Sheets and Zambrano both work very quickly.

-Sheets’ curve is breaking really well early, although his fastball seems a little low on velocity at 91-92. That usually picks up as the game goes on.

-De Rosa with an RBI triple after the ump failed to call strike three a strike. Also, Bill Hall has looked completely lost in center the last couple games.

-And now Zambrano with an RBI. Good God.

-Unlike Opening Day, Zambrano seems to be the one on top of his game. Six up six down, four punchouts and hitting 95-96 consistently.

-Sheets 1-2-3. Time to show some sign of life offensively.

-Hey, we get one out of the infield on Counsell’s flyout to center. Baby steps.

-Sheets now cruising as well. This has the making of one of those 3-1 losses where Sheets’ “lack of that winning ability” costs the Brewers a win. That, and their crummy run support.

-Maybe not? After a great at-bat, Weeks hits an absolute moonshot. 2-1.

-Crap, Lee makes a great play and turns a Prince Fielder double into a double play. Oh well, they got one back. On the bright side, Bad Zambrano made his first appearance, walking two. If it wasn’t for Lee the Brewers would have the lead. Also, Zambrano is a fricken tool. He strikes out Jekins in the fourth inning and screams and fist-pumps like he just closed out a playoff game.

-Momentum shift? Sheets had set down nine in a row before a Soriano double. Keep after Zambrano this inning and get him a win.

-I had to post this comment from BucketheadBrigader at brewerfan: “Alright Benny, way to leave that runner stranded. Now do a little dance, point to the sky, and yell and scream a bit before you go back to the dugout.”

-I forgot that the Brewers had their 7-8-9 hitters coming up. Have I mentioned I hate that Craig Counsell plays at third base as much as he does? It’s embarrassing. Play Graffanino more than just against lefties, or just call up Braun.

-Aaaand the wheels falling off. Lee with a weak infield single, then Sheets hangs a curve to Ramirez for a bomb. Two more hits and one more run, and it’s 5-1. Crap.

-Hardy singles, Fielder doubles to get one back. They couldn’t get any more though… Running out of time. 5-2.

-A couple well-placed ground balls off Dessens and the lead is back to four. I hate the Cubs.

-Jenkins launched one into the upper deck to lead off the inning, but then Hart, Counsell and Gwynn go down in order. Counsell and Gwynn–shockingly, i know–weakly grounded out.

-Aquino with a 1-2-3 eighth, which was nice to see after his last outing. Down to crunch time here… Can’t come away empty.

-Bill just said, “Soriano was a pretty good second baseman.” This despite his historically low fielding percentage.

-Brewers pwned by Bobby Howry in the eighth… No chance. Not looking good.

-Daryle Ward amazes me. This guy hits once a game. If he gets a hit, they pinch run for him. If he doesn’t, he’s done. His whole career has been this way. Has he ever started? Edit: Upon looking, he’s had over 400 ABs only twice in his career. And also, he’s only 31? I would have guessed 38.

-Wow, web gem! Hardy is awesome… He just made a diving play and Weeks barehanded it and turned two. That will make Baseball Tonight. Down three going to the ninth… We’ll need some magic against Dempster.

-No such luck. Ball game. They looked completely baffled by Dempster’s off-speed stuff. It’s early, but the offense is looking eerily similar to the abysmal offenses of the past few years. Capuano had his way with the Cubbies last year, and another great start would be nice. Please don’t get swept.

I wasn’t going to post before the game ended, but I had to. Brian Anderson, after Hardy threw out a hitter, said, “He turns outs into outs.”

How did this happen? I thought Sutton was gone. Of course we already had the “Here it is, hit it!” and “Hard to take that with two strikes,” from Bill Schroeder tonight. I can’t believe they’re already rubbing off on Anderson, who I otherwise think I kind of like.
Oh well. Time to watch Coco close it out (hopefully).

Well, you can’t really get much better than that.  What a start to the season!  Sheets has a complete game two-hitter on Opening Day?  That guy’s a joke.

Defense looked great, offense was timely–and hitters were patient, base running was good, and obviously the pitching wasn’t bad either.  You’ll rarely see a more complete game from a team.

Not much else to say about that one, except that I might give up a toe for a complete season from Sheets.  Back at it tomorrow with Cappy.