Brewer Wrap-up (Week of June 3)

Going into the series with the hated Cubs, everyone was ready for another big Brewer run after getting 3 outta of 4 from the Marlins. Then the Cubs came in who were struggling then it was off to Texas to face the lowly Rangers. It was not anything, anyone expected it.



On Monday, the Brewers started hitting around Marquis but could not place more than 2 runs during the first couple of innings and held a slight lead into the 7th where Dave Bush met the wall again. He gives up a walk after getting the guy 0-2 then another base hit so Floyd steps up to the plate. Instead of going with Wise, he goes with Brian fuckin' Shouse who I cannot stand because he does not do his job at all. Once again Shouse is awful and gives up a hit to Floyd then Wise gets brought in and he gives up an absoulte gopher to Soriano. Why does Yost have so much faith in Dave Bush, he is historic for hitting the wall and he should have the shortest leash possilbe on him. Tuesday's game featured a ton of offense, the Brewers still had a strong hold on the lead for the entire game but the Cubs showed some grit battling back consistantly with the Brewers plus Vargas pitched well despite having to get out some of his famous jams. Wednesday features Zambrano return after the brawl and he completly dominated the Brewers. The Brewers had a couple oppertunity but they were behind for the entire game due to Felix Pie three run shot. Suppan seems to always pitch pretty well but he is just unable to get run support when he pitches. Once again the Brewers lose another series.

Alot of fans felt confident going into the series against the Rangers, they were sending three guys who had ERA's over 6 and the Brewers sent Cappy and Sheets for the first two games. Cappy who has fallen off the face of the earth after the 5-0 start, got rocked again and put the Brewers in a 7-1 hole. I liked how the Brewers came back to make it a 7-6 game yet Villie makes a rare mistake letting in two more to make it a 9-6 defeat. Then Saturday, Ben Sheets pitched another great game which right now he has been damn near unhittable and then Turnbow looked great in the 8th, furthermore we got two more runs by Graffy so it was a 3-0 advantage with Coco coming in, automatic right? Wrong, he gets two outs then before closing the deal gives up four runs to lose the Brewers third straight game. On Sunday, the Brewers got down quick 3-0 but the bats came out to play as they pounded 22 hits yet once again they could not hit in the clutch leaving 17 men on base which was horrible. Coco for the second straight night blows a save which I believe is all in his head with being back in Arlington. Geoff Jenkins made sure that they wouldnt get swept with a game winner in the 12th.

Going 2-6 this week was a shocker to most and the Brewers are continuing to disappoint their fans.

Later
Charlie

Kevin Durant Find a Weight Room, Quick

So the reports just came out about how all the potential NBA draftees did in their version of the combine. The one thing that was utterly shocking was Kevin Durant, the College Player of the Year not being able to bench 185 lbs. He couldn't get one single rep up, cmon Kevin most High Schoolers can do that. He finished 78 out of 80 which when guys are at the bottom of the combines they realize that they should come back school.

Will this hurt Durant stock? I do not think it will hurt him as much as some might think because if he falls to Memphis, they will scoop him right up and I am pretty convinced that Seattle will go with because they need a new superstar to try to save that franchise. What this did do is almost guarantee that Greg Oden will be the number one pick in the draft, his numbers for a big man were amazing.

The Birdman pointed out to me that Nick Young from USC had just some sick numbers and his stock is going up as I write. I still want to the Bucks to take Julian Wright but I wouldnt mind Young either.

Brewers review later on during the day

Later
Charlie

NBA Finals Prediction

I am not going to lie, I really have not given a shit about the NBA because none of the teams had my interest. I am not a big LeBron guy, so I had no reason to watch the East and Spurs who I used to like but since there recent "lets bitch about everything and get our way" its sort of pissed me off. I am still kicking myself that I did not turn on the Lebron's break out game after the Brewers. Cubby IMed me after it "did you watch the cavs game?" I say no and then he informs me of the night that LBJ had, that performance was just completely sick not many can do that.

I am taking the Spurs in 6. The reasons why.... I think that Duncan will be unstoppable down low because after Gooden and Big Z they are really thin on the front line. Duncan will exploit that and become MVP of the Finals. He also is playing very good basketball right now, taking care of any big man that the NBA has chosen to throw at him.

I think that LBJ is the type of player that can give the Spurs fits but I do not think he is going to have a consistent sidekick that will be able to step up for him, night in and night out. If "Booty" Gibson and Gooden come to play like they have done in spurts throughout the playoffs, the Cavs have a shot.

The final thing is experience, this reminds me alot of Shaq's first NBA Finals, they had a team who was very talented (much better than this one) who were playing an extremely seasoned team who basically dismantled them in 4, I do not see that happening because I think Lebron gets 2 in Cleveland but when it matters the most in game 5 even though LBJ did his work then in the Eastern Conf. Finals, those gritty vets will not let it happen. They have too much experience to lose this finals.

Later
Charles

Billy Donovan- Where will he end up?

Billy Donovan just recently inked a deal to become the Orlando Magic's new head coach. It was a big contract as well at 5 years 27.5 million dollars. It had looked like he was trying to buck the trend of all of the college coaches just being horrible in the NBA. It was a great opportunity for him with already having a superstar in Dwight Howard and a couple of young great players, this team could easily be a playoff team next year.

On the other side of the spectrum, it looked like Florida would not miss a beat because they would hire Anthony Grant who lead VCU to a damn-near Sweet 16 and you could easily tell he made this guys believe that they could do this. Grant was the top candidate because he was an assistant under Donovan, a couple years back which meant that they would be able to keep the recruits that they got. He would bring the same energy that Donovan brought to every game he coached in the college game.

It seemed that every thing was peachy in the Sunshine State, but as the Sunshine Scooter would say "Not so fast my friend". Billy D was in the tears after he made the decision and was completely regretting that he took the job as the Magic head coach. So now he wants out and I think its absolute bullshit. Billy is being a complete jerk about this and should honor that he took the job because you never know it could end up being alright then when its all done he can come back to the college game.

He is leaving everybody hanging, he leaves Orlando with the need to find somebody quick so they have a coach in place before the draft and the FA season although it seems that Stan Van Gundy or P.J. Carlisimo would get the job therefore they have a coach ready but those guys are not compared to Billy Donovan. He leaves Florida and their recruits hanging, they have no idea if they should make any moves to hire anybody. Also being a kid going into college, I would like to know where I am going to school next year espically if I am playing athletics. Finally VCU is left hanging to find themselves a new coach who can match the energy of Grant.

The NBA has seemed to tell Donovan if he leaves the Magic, he will be banned from the NBA for 5 years. These coaches need to think over what the hell they are doing when deciding on whether to switch jobs. All of these coaches lately such as Rich Rodriguez, and Dana Altman tell programs that they are coming to the school to coach then change their mind so its ridiculous because it is likely they get a second tier coach. They just need to take their time when thinking about switching jobs.

More to come about the Brew Crew and Finals predicitions.

Later
Charlie.

Didn't Mark Cuban Have Enough Embrassment This Year?

Mark Cuban said earlier on this week that he would like to have a pro football league that would compete with the NFL.

Paging Vince McMahon and the USFL, been there, done that. The USFL had a chance for awhile but then the NFL got their shit together while on the other hand the USFL was tanking harder than Lindsay Lohan's career.

What will make Mark's league different?

Not much, although he will be able to pick up any NFL cut player who is a rookie or anybody who is not able to get a contract with the NFL. His big problem on why this will not work and will fail horribly is he wants to do the games on Friday night. A couple big problems, 1. Most places in America on Friday nights are worried about the purest form of football; High School. Basically this means half or more is not going to give a shit about Cuban's football because they want to watch their schools play. 2. Friday night at the bars will be focused on baseball, that will be in the prime time in the season. The final chase then leading into the playoffs.

Mark don't be a dumbass.

Peace
Chaz.

Kobe is a Genius

Kobe Bryant asked for a trade from the LA Lakers earlier this week saying that the franchise was not going anywhere and demanded to be traded. Then later on in the day, he said that he wanted to be a Laker all his life. So which one was it???

Why do I call Kobe a genius? Because he is in the ultimate win/win situation now. If he gets traded, he is going to be make the team better instantly and if he stays in LA, he is going to get a star to come join him. Bill Simmons of ESPN.com had an article that related to the trade situation. He suggested Philadelphia giving the Lakers Samuel Dalmbert and Andre Igoudala which would keep the Lakers as a pretty decent team in the West and then would make the 76ers a great team in the East, only problem is the Phillie fans hate Kobe which I think Bryant would have trouble reacting to all the boos especially if they are not winning games. Also great deals in there were going to Chicago or Phoenix which if he went to the Suns, they would be hands down the NBA champions. They would just have a ridiculous roster that would be damn near unstoppable.

Here is the other situation, he gets a great star from another team and yes it will happen in my opinion. He will not be traded instead he gets a great player to join him. Who will that be you ask? They have already mentioned that Jermaine O'Neal and Danny Granger for Lamar Odom and somebody else from the Lake Show. That would be a great trade for the Lakers even though O'Neal is injury prone, it still gives them a very good O'Neal back in LA. But this is the trade I think you will see happen.. Kevin Garnett in a LA Laker uniform. I know that he is getting old although he is still good enough to get Kobe to being a top-tier team in the West. I worked out the trade already for Kupchak, he sends Odom, Vladmir Radmonivic, and Jordan Farmar for KG. It is a good deal because you get a guy in Odom who will give you production, Radmonivic has a good jumper, and Farmar is up and coming who might be a great point guard in a couple years.

We will have to wait and see.

Later
Charlie

Big Brewer Wrap Up (Dodgers, Padres, Braves, & Marlins)

Well lets just say I have been pretty damn busy lately so I have not had time to post on all of the things going on and hopefully if I do not get tired I have 5 new posts today because I know that my fans miss me. haha. Lets start with the Brewers.

We start out in LA where I had expected the Crew to at least get a game from them after having a little momentum going into the series after coming back from the game against the Twinkies. They had a great first game with an awesome game from Rickie Weeks then the next game would have been a win if it wasn't for the one Ben Sheets mistake but it was a quality performance from Mr. Sheets. The last night, we almost saw a scuffle which would have ended with Prince kicking everybody ass on the Dodgers and practically anybody in the MLB. The final night belongs to Brad Penny who dominated the Crew and another series was lost.

I had woke up at 5:30 Friday morning to the beautiful news from the Doug Russell Show, the Messiah- Ryan Braun was up from the minors!!!! I could not wait to see what he would do for the Brewers and I hope he would bring a ton of energy for them. He had a solid start going 3 for 4 but another Dave Bush meltdown cost the Brewers that game. Once again Bush could not get out of a jam which was caused an implosion although it was great to see the Crew fight back. Then on Saturday, there it was The Messiah had a his first big league homer, pure joy right there. Unfortunately, their lead did not last long as Vargas gave up a homer to Jose Cruz Jr. who I did not know was still living which lead to the Brewers losing. Also that night what a surprise when Rickie Weeks has a chance to be clutch, he pops out. Then on Sunday, Jake Peavy dominates the Crew, the end. A sweep by the Padres good thing we don't have to return.

Home Sweet Home, the Brewers return to face off against the Atlanta Braves who had just got swept as well so both teams were looking to find themselves. Monday belonged to Chuck James who mowed down the Brewers with a plethora of strikeouts and the Messiah didn't look so hot with two chances to bring in the runs they needed and he couldn't make it happen. Sheets vs. Smoltz on Tuesday figured to be great but what we all didn't expect was the 15 hits both teams pounded out, Prince had a big homer that led the comeback after Benny gave up 3 runs early then Coco slammed the door after getting a couple runners on. Then on Wednesday, all I hope for was a great Dave Bush start, I got my wish but I guess I should of wish for a great middle relief. They were awful after the Crew gave them a 2-1 lead, Turnbow comes in and walks the park leading to base clearing double by Brian McCann. Brewers lose another series.

The Marlins came into town whose pitching match ups looked in favor for the Brewers. The Crew shooked off the ex-Brewer factor with Wes Obermuller and then Cory Hart who arguably had the best week with Prince Fielder drove in the winning run in the 8th and Coco got yet another save. Friday, once again the Messiah homers and the Brewers get all the timely hitting they have been missing the last part of May, Mench and Graffy with huge days. Saturday, Cappy has a homer and a great performance spoiled by Crapellen who just gave up complete gophers to Uggla and Cabrera. Then Sheets out dueled Willis on Sunday which was great to see because I think Ben Sheets is regaining form and mark my words will have a huge June and July.

Bring on the Cubs!!!!

Later
Chuck

Brewers Wrap-up vs. the Twinkies

Basically I did not get to this earlier because of long days with school and work so here we go....

I expected with a good win on Thursday that the Brewers would be able to string together a couple of wins to beat the Twins in interleague play. Despite the Twins had an 10 game interleague winning streak, I felt with the pitching matchups we could take two out of three.

I think we all know that is Chris Capuano did not walk the park in the 3rd inning with 2 outs, there wouldnt have been an 8-1 blowout loss for the Crew. Then he just threw one over and Torii Hunter just crushed the ball for a granny. Also we got dominated by a guy whose name is Boof. Cmon the guy is a joke if thats his name.

Thanks to a friend of mine, three of my buddies and I were able to get great seats to witness this intense rivalry. Before the game started, the Twins fans were getting riled up starting chants basically acting like tools which isnt suprising. Then JJ got another homer which proceeds Dozer and myself to go absolutely nuts to all the Twins fans. As Lee Corso says, "Not so fast, my friend" Hunter once again gets a 2 run shot off Dave Bush. Bush who has been receiving a lot of heat lately pitched very well in the losing effort. Scott Baker for the Twins looked like Cy Young out there, he barely hit 80 pitches by the 9th inning. Also the Twins manufacturing their final run by single, then bunt, then sac fly, then base hit. The reason I bring this up is why dont the Brewers do this? They never try to lay down a bunt to move a runner over, something that I think this team could benefit from.

To start off Sunday, it looked like Friday with Claudio Vargas walking everything in sight which causes the Crew to get themselves in a 4-0 hole. Then it was 5-2 when Geoff Jenkins came up against a lefty with a huge homer to tie the game. Jenks then steps up again with a huge RBI to take the lead. Then T-Bow looked very composed on the mound in his 8th. Finally came Coco facing Al MVP Justin Moreneau who struck out as did the other two batters.

The Crew was 1 of 3 this weekend but as Doz said on Saturday

"We Still Got The Axe"

Later
Charles

Brewer Wrap-up vs. the Phils

After the Mets took two out of thee from the Crew over the weekend, they had a big four game series with the Phillies.

On Monday, it seemed like a great start to the week with a 6-2 lead plus an awesome performance by Dave Bush that night. Then the dreaded 8th inning came, Yost brings in Shouse to face two switch-hitters but like he has for most of the season, he has not been able to get those guys out. Then enter Turnbow and the flood gates broke open, with the Phils getting six runs in the inning. Two things that upset me about that inning: 1. Fielder should not ever go home with that ball, he should ate the ball took the first which would have resulted in the second out. 2. Why not bring in Coco for a four-five out save? He is more than enough capable to do more than just one inning.

On Tuesday, more of the same happened as the Brewers were getting shut down early then suddenly late the bats woke up with Fielder and Estrada homered in the 8th and 9th. Turnbow got the Crew out of a jam after Shouse (ugh) got them there in the 8th. Then two outs in the 9th, everything running smoothly then one bad slider, BAM! Carlos Ruiz with a walk-off and the Crew drops one more.

Wednesday, basically Cole Hamels shit all over the Brewers, and is the 3rd Brewer killer of the season. Good news about that night was JJ Hardy hit another homer. So now the 4th lost in a row and the bandwagon was getting lighter.

Thursday, Ben Sheets and Gabe Gross were the big men this day, Sheets had his curveball working the entire game and pretty much dominated the Phillies after a Pat Burrell homer early. Gross gave the Crew the offense they needed with two big homers. As Fuzzy said to me today, "When you have Gross, Gywnn, and Mench as your back-ups that shows true depth". Couldn't agree more, also I was more than happy to see Weeks move from the leadoff spot to the bench for Thursday after his horrendous six strikeouts in eleven at-bats for the first three games.

So 2-5 is rather disappointing but remember fans its only MAY! Alot can happen and I think this will give the Crew some momentum heading into the big weekend series with the Twins.

The NBA Has Lost It

As you all have already seen, the ultimate cheapshot by Robert Horry to the two-time MVP Steve Nash. Nash's head was down not even looking got layed out. Then Horry gives Raja Bell an elbow in an altercation. Also after Nash was hit, Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw came off the bench, yet never went on to the court.

Result: Robert Horry- 2 games which I think they should of just suspended him for the entire series because what he did was completely thuggish and brash. There was no need necessary for that at the end of a game. Really what does he provide? Maybe a clutch three pointer here or there although who knows if the rest of the games will be close at all. He is averaging a measly 5 points a game, no big deal for the Spurs therefore they will find somebody to replace him.

Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw- 1 game, seriously what the fuck is going on the NBA. You give two guys one game for leaving the bench which was rule for 10 years ago when everybody on the Knicks and Heat were going after each other throats. Plus another thing, they never left the court took two steps then were held back by their coaches. So now you are taking away the Suns leader scorer and rebounder and his back-up! It is ultimate human reaction to jump off a bench and defend your star player. I think David Stern has completely lost it after suspending Kobe Bryant for a couple of slaps then not suspending Bowen, now suspending Stoudamire and Diaw for this shit.

As some would say, the inmates are running the asylum.

Later
Chuck.