Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Cain back in play

It may only be the Arizona Brewers, the lower of the two rookie leagues, but highly rated Center Field Prospect Lorenzo Cain played his first game since a severe knee injury earlier this season. Cain managed two at bats and cracked a double.

Expect him to stay in rookie ball until he gets his legs under him before being reassigned to Huntsville, where he started the season. Stay tuned to Sheffield's House for more updates.

Monday, June 29, 2009

The Farm Report: June 29

Let's start off with the biggest news in the Brewers system, and that is the 100 game suspension of Jeremy Jeffress.

First, this was not a steroid suspension. Jeffress was suspended for using a "drug of abuse", likely marijuana since that is what his first suspension was for.

Second, this very unfortunate. Jeffress has been tantalizing in the minor leagues, showing big strikeout ability and a 100-MPH arm. But his development has been stunted by bad decisions which, after this suspension is up, will have cost him 150 games. That's more than a full season in the minors. His future is still up to him however, one more positive and he will be banned from baseball for life.

So let's take a look at his final stat line for the 2009 minor league season. In 14 games between Huntsville(AA) and Brevard County(High A), Jeremy pitched 60.1 innings, struck out 70 and walked 55. His overall ERA was 4.62, 7.57 for the Huntsville and 2.18 for the Manatees.

On to the players that will keep playing, including the Report's first look at rookie ball.

Nashville Sounds (AAA)

Alcides Escobar (SS)(Left): Escobar's average for the year sits at .302, bolstered by a .319 average in June. His 55 runs scored are good for third in the Pacific Coast League and his 27 steals are second in the league.

Angel Salome (C): To quote NBA Jam... He's on fire. In his last ten games, Salome has hit .400. His 10 doubles in June more than double the number he had through April and May. His season average is now up to a respectable .285.

Brendan Katin (RF): Katin leads Nashville in both home runs (16) and RBI's (64). The RBI's are good enough for second in the PCL. The walk numbers are still impressively low. Katin's only had the base-on-balls 11 in 265 at-bats.

Cole Gillespie (LF): June has been a good month for Gillespie. In his last ten games he's hit .333, for the month he's got four doubles, four triples and three home runs. His plate presence has been consistent all year, with a .335 OBP in spite of a .232 batting average.

Manny Parra (SP)(Right): As if you don't already know, but just in case. Parra has made three starts for the Sounds and they've run the gamut. One good, one average, one awful. What does that tell us? Nothing, which means we won't be seeing him in Milwaukee anytime soon.

Tim Dillard (SP): His 7-3 record is a bit misleading. Dillard went 4-0 in April with a 1.17 ERA. Since then it's been rough. His ERA in May was over five, and his ERA in June is over five. A season ERA of 4.11 would be fine in the big leagues, but he's not in the big leagues.

Chris Cody (SP): Finally had a bad start for the sounds. Cody's last time out he gave up four runs in five innings. He only walked one against three strikeouts though. Overall the body of work has been good for Triple-A. A 2.73 ERA and 11 Strikeouts against 5 walks.

Best of the Rest: John Axford (RP) might be one to watch, the organization has rewarded his performance this year. He started the season with Brevard County, spent some time with Huntsville and is now in the Sounds' bullpen. In his first appearance he pitched two scoreless innings and got the win.

Huntsville Stars (AA)

Taylor Green (3B): He really settled into Double-A in June. Green has hit .329 with four home runs and 16 RBI's. His OBP for the month was a very impressive .407, only two doubles though. If he can hit consistently for power he will see his stock rise quickly.

Jonathan Lucroy (C): June has been Lucroy's best month by far. He's hit .273 with three home runs and 21 driven in. Here's a nice number to see out of Lucroy, on the year with runners in scoring position he's hitting .329.

Josh Butler (SP): Bumped down to Double-A when Parra needed a rotation spot in Nashville, Butler continues to impress. In his three Huntsville starts he's struck out 14 and walked five with a 2.50 ERA.

Zach Braddock (P): Braddock has made two appearances since being bumped up to Huntsville. He's pitched 3.2 scoreless innings and struck out five. Oh, and he hit a grand slam in his first professional at-bat.

Best of the Rest: Donovan Hand (P) has been pitching well as a starter, with a 4-0 record and 2.86 ERA. Robert Wooten (RP) has made two scoreless appearances since his promotion.

Brevard County Manatees (High A)

Eric Farris (2B): The Good? His 34 stolen bases lead the Florida State League. The Bad? He's hitting just .228 in June, including just .190 in his last ten. The league is more friendly to pitchers than hitters but you'd still like to see a higher average (.254) from a guy with his lack of average.

Caleb Gindl (OF)(Left): Fair to call it a solid month of June. He has hit just .253 this month but with four home runs and on OBP of .349. It's just good to see him rebound after a May where he hit .190 with only one long ball.

Logan Schafer (OF): After a brief stint with Huntsville, Schafer is back the the Manatees. In his last ten games, he's hitting .256, but he's walked seven times while striking out only four.

Evan Anundsen (SP): In all four of his June starts Anundsen has gone at least seven innings. In that same span he's 2-1 and his ERA is only 1.84. Good stuff.

Omar Aguilar (RP): He made a splash in spring training, but struggled big time in Double-A, with a 7.71 ERA and a WHIP over two. So far, so good in Brevard, three appearances, no runs and a WHIP of .67.

Best of the Rest: Roque Mercedes(P) continues to dominate. He's struck out 38 in 33.2 innings and has a WHIP of .95.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low-A)

Brock Kjeldgaard (1B): Not a lot of contact in his last ten games, he hit just .200. He did walk ten times in that stretch but also struck out 13 times. For the month of June he's hitting only .192.

Brett Lawrie (2B)(Right): Law is back, and after a brief foray at the Midwest League All-Star game he is once again swing a hot back. In fact his last four hits have been doubles. With runners in scoring position this season, he's hitting .343. Defense still needs some work, he has 12 errors in 61 games. On a side note, if you want to get a look at Law play and don't want to drive all the way to Appleton (which I'll be doing in two weeks), you can see him in the MLB futures game. He's been selected to play for the "World" team.

Wily Peralta (P): Continues to strike guys out, Peralta has 77 K's in 60.1 innings. That number is good enough for third in the Midwest League and the two guys ahead of him have both pitched nearly 20 innings more.

Cody Scarpetta (P): Despite an 0-3 record in June, Cody has a 1.83 ERA and has struck out 22 batters while walking just six. In his first start after the All-Star break he pitched five scoreless innings.

Best of the Rest: Trey Watten (SP) has had a fantastic month of June. In five starts he has an ERA of 1.63. Steven Braun (2B), Ryan's brother was hitting .265 while filling in for Brett Lawrie, however he fractured his ankle in a game last week and is likely done for the year.

Helena Brewers (Short Season)

Scott Krieger (OF)(Left): This year's 19th round pick has hit four home runs in his first five games in the Pioneer League. He's batting .333 and has 11 runs batted in.

Cutter Dykstra (2B): He's got his first home run for Helena, but that's all. Cutter is batting .091, but don't read too much into that, he's only had 11 at-bats.

Joshua Prince (SS): The third rounder has gotten off to a nice start. He has 10 stolen bases in six games and is hitting .320.

Cameron Garfield (C): And then there's Garfield. The second round draft pick has been white hot to start his professional career. He went 5 for 5 in his first game and is 10 for 21 to start.

AZL Brewers (Rookie)

Maxwell Walla (OF): The Other second round draft pick, Walla hasn't been as scorching as Garfield but he's held his own. He's hitting .308 and has already slugged his first professional home run.

For the Record: It's too early to really get a read on the short season pitchers. I will tell you, 2009 1st round pick Eric Arnett (P) has made his debut and it was terrible. R.J. Seidel (P), is rehabbing back from injury with Arizona and Jake Odorizzi (P), one of last years compensation round picks, is pitching for Helena.

Bill Hall Update

2 for 2 off the bench, now ABOVE the Mendoza line. Trade the a$$bag while his value is high....er...

Cubs fans hate Zambrano

YES!!! It's true, even those great fans to our South have some intelligence. After, Zambrano's meltdown again on Sunday, Chicago Tribune writer, Phil Rogers has a great article today. After reading the article, make sure you take the chance and vote to see the results. A heathy 57% of the voters want Zambrano out. Too bad, he has a no-trade clause, suckers!

Phil Rogers - Perfect time for Cubs to waive bye-bye to Carlos Zambrano

Where are you now - Ben Sheets

You may remember a young right handed pitcher from Baton Rouge, LA who stunned the World in 2000 by blanking Cuba 4-0 winning the Gold Medal. You also remember Sheets by being the Milwaukee Brewer's ace for eight consecutive years. With four All-Star teams under his belt, much of his time was also spent on the DL.

Doug Melvin, and the Brewers let Sheets test the free agency market instead of pursuing him. He originally signed with the Texas Rangers, Mike Maddux also traveled South as their pitching coach. However, the contract was negated when Sheets needed elbow surgery (and the Brew Crew might have to pick up the bill).

So with that being said, Doug Melvin....Can you please bring back Ben Sheets when he is healthy? I believe this rotation, along with a lot of fans needs another strong arm. Why can't this be a reality?

If he is healthy enough, and yes a big IF then Doug Melvin should take a big look at him in the next few weeks. At the beginning of the month, Sheet's agent Casey Close was on ESPN radio, and was "no comment" about Sheet's health.

The pitchers that we have discussed in the past (Jake Peavy, Erik Bedard) have all gone on the DL and seem to be very risky investments. With a signing of Sheets, to a one year deal will only make the pitching staff better, and doesn't effect us after this year. This can be Ben Sheets great ride into the sunset as a Brewer, he missed it last year when the Crew made the playoffs and he got to sit in the dugout. He's a compeitor, an olympic gold winner, and wants to pitch for a winner. I believe its time to go and check how Ben is doing in Texas, and if he is healthy the time is right to bring him back.

Manny Parra Update



We all know of the scariness of Brewers starting pitching as of late. It seems Gallardo is the only one holding his own in that department, and it's a coin toss any other night on what type of pitching we can expect. Our supposed #2 starter doesn't seem to be eager to rejoin the rotation any time soon either. He is 0-2 with an ERA over 4. His main issue has been his command, and he hasn't controlled that in Nashville. He sits at 11 walks in 17+ innings. This does not bode well for our team, and I've heard no real concrete rumors (concrete rumor is an oxymoron isn't it? Thats why I don't get paid to write) suggesting an upgrade in the starting department through a trade. If we have to stick it out with this group it's going to take another few months of the back end of my life, but that's about right when it comes to Brewers baseball.

Oh yea, and Bill Hall is below the Mendoza line. Shocking I know. A$$bag.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

USA! USA! USA!!!


Now i know that everyone already knows this, but team USA plays Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup today. After the upset of the century against Spain earlier this week 2-0, the eyes of the sports world (at least outside the US) will be on today's game.

THIS IS THE FIRST FIFA FINALS FOR THE US!!!

Landon Donovan and the boys kick off at 1:00pm. The game is on ESPN.

Cardinals land DeRosa



The Cardinals have fired the first shot in the race for the National League Central. Mark DeRosa, the former Cub, was picked up by the birds from Cleveland. DeRosa is a versatile veteran player and will add more depth to the St. Louis lineup.

How will the Crew react?

And more importantly, HOW does Mark DeRosa have the hottest wife in baseball?

Post your comments.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Cubs Chemistry in Collapse


Although the Crew has been dealing with a host of woes as of late, it is, well, refreshing to see our rival to the south with some of their own. According to usatoday.com, Lou Pinniela sent bust/crybaby/entertainer Milton Bradley home during the Sox/Cubs game on Friday. After a few strikeouts, words were exchanged between Lou and Milton, followed by a helmet throw, more words, and a gatorade jug beating by Milton. Lou is said to have told Milton to remove his uniform and go home. This lead to more fighting in the clubhouse.

Read and enjoy.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/2009-06-26-1052911824_x.htm

Our Apologies

SheffieldsHouse.com would like to apologize for far too many NBA stories, including a massive percentage of them being Bucks posts. We understand the season is long enough as it is to be covering this right now, even if the NBA draft did just occur. Against our better judgement we keep finding ourselves rooting for the home team, even if it is a minor league system. We will take this under advisement moving forward.

Can the Crew Turn it Around?



I've recently returned from my Brewers road trip/business trip from Cleveland and Detroit and had a blast out there. Unfortunately the baseball in Detroit wasn't pleasant and the carryover against Minnesota wasn't much better. The Brewers need to figure out their pitching woes sooner than later, and the Giants should be a good test for them. They have the fewest homeruns in the league at 44, the worst OBP at .310, and the worst slugging at .381. I could keep ripping off terrible offensive stats, but you get the point. We should walk over this team. If we don't, I'll be jumping on the panic button.

From Compton to Milwaukee

Sounds like a good fit to you? Sounds good to me, the Bucks selected Brandon Jennings who played pro ball in Italy instead of going to college. Obviously, this guy likes the money.

Other than a few highlight videos, I haven't seen much of Jennings. However, is he the point guard of the future for the Bucks? This draft pick seems to make the departure of my favorite Buck, Ramon Sessions. Sad, but if you compare the two, Jennings has more "upside" (my favorite ESPN word).

Win Eventually

The draft is done and it looks like the Milwaukee Bucks are content with the players they drafted. With their 1st Round selection the Bucks drafted point guard Brandon Jennings, a former top-rated high school player who, rather than play a year in college, spent last season struggling to find playing time in Europe.

What does this pick mean? Jennings is widely considered the most boom or bust prospect in this year's draft. The upside is certainly there but the upside was also there for Sebastian Telfair and Shaun Livingston. For the 2009-10 Bucks this pick really doesn't mean a whole lot.

Let's elaborate on that point, Jennings is a project pick. He's 19 years old and wasn't able to garner significant playing time in his season in Europe. As far as next season goes he'll probably play sparingly off the bench behind Luke Ridnour and, if he's resigned, Ramon Sessions.

As far is his game goes, Jennings is lightning fast and is suited to an up-tempo style of play. To be successful in the NBA he'll have to develop a jumpshot though. Right now his strength as a scorer is not as a shooter and he isn't much of a three-point threat.

Jennings could be a significant player in the future for Milwaukee, maybe two or three seasons down the road. He could also be a wasted draft pick. When I looked at this springs draft class there was one player I didn't want to see drafted by the Bucks and that was Brandon Jennings.

As far as there second round choice, no complaints there. Jodie Meeks, a shooting guard out of Kentucky, provides a solid player to come off the bench and supply some relief to Michael Redd. This pick adds some much needed depth to the backcourt, specifically shooting guard.

So far the Bucks have done very little to make themselves a better team next season. Trading Richard Jefferson made them worse, drafting a project in the first round does not make them better. If Andrew Bogut stays healthy (he won't), if Michael Redd comes back %100 (maybe by mid-season), and if Joe Alexander becomes a passable player (not this year), and both Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions re-sign (not likely), the Bucks have a chance at a .500 record. That's a lot that needs to happen.

The reality is that the Bucks have drafted project picks in two straight first rounds. The way this offseason has played out, management looks like they are focusing on 2-3 years from now. This team as assembled will require significant improvement to avoid a 55 loss season and a return to the lottery. If there is a plus side, it's that Milwaukee should have a lot more ping-pong balls next year.

I know Bucks GM John Hammond came over from the Pistons, was he the guy whose idea it was to draft Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony?

We rappin' bout practice?

Bump this.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

How Soon is NOW?


Is it time to hit the panic button on Brewers pitching?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

They did what?

I've been looking for a reason to break up the Brewer talk and thanks to the Milwaukee Bucks I now have that. The Bucks have agreed to send Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas. It's good to know that they have already thrown in the towel for the 2009-10 season.

A good headline for this trade would be "Spurs get better, Bucks get old." Jefferson was one of only two players on the Bucks roster to play in all 82 games and was second on the team in scoring. The combined age of the three players the Bucks are getting is 107.

Don't get me wrong, this is probably a good move in the long run. None of the three players is under contract after next season and will free up over $13 million in cap space. This probably means enough money to re-sign pending restricted free agents Ramon Sessions or Charlie Villanueva.

But as far as next season goes? Good luck. Even if Michael Redd comes back healthy and Andrew Bogut finally plays to his potential (and stays healthy, which is unlikely) the Bucks will be hard pressed to replace Jefferson's production, offensively and defensively.

Bowen may be able to improve the team defensively but can Milwaukee afford his lack of offense. And at 37 what kind of minutes can he play? That's if he does play, Bowen has spent the last eight seasons contending for a title with San Antonio. Whose to say he doesn't retire rather than join a new team.

Kurt Thomas will provide some much needed front court depth, but much like Bowen, he's 36 years old and won't be able to play heavy minutes. Oberto may not even see the court more than 20 times next season. He's coming off surgery to fix an irregular hearbeat and is 34 years old.

Let's just call this what it is, cost cutting. At least we don't have to worry about a playoff appearance interrupting the start of next year's baseball season.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Brewer's Rumor Mill - The Curse

I left off saying I would be writing perhaps a Cliff Lee rumor mill. Aside from the fact that I don't think the Indians are going to move him, I have decided to suspend these rumor mill postings after the two I wrote about (Peavy, Bedard) have since ended up on the DL. Peavy probably for quite a while, Bedard will only be out for another couple weeks, but he had the same shoulder issues last year as well, and now likely has a giant red flag over his head amongst all possible suitors. If you need your fix of possibilities, Lange wrote pretty good piece not too long ago.

So, with this possible 'curse', it is tempting to post maybe an Adam Wainwright rumor mill (Chris Carpenter doesn't need a curse to get injured) or a Carlos Zambrano rumor mill, or maybe even cross sports with a Packer's Rumor Mill - Brett Favre edition. But, I'll leave well enough alone, plus I don't really wish injury upon anyone, ever (sans Favre if he officially pulls off the Benedict Arnold).

With all that being said, after these last few weeks it is pretty evident that Melvin needs to do something with the pitching staff. As much as I would love to have Mark DeRosa, with Gamel proving he can in fact hack it in the bigs (might still be sent down), and McGehee/Counsell playing so well, infield is not nearly as big of a concern as our pitching is. Every time FSWisconsin shows Doug in the seats playing on his phone, I pray he is currently working a deal that might help the Brewers out.

I know who I am wanting, but once again, I'll leave the name out of it just in case. I'll just say that he is a fellow Sconnie and can likely be gotten with a one for one deal if the Brewers give up one of their shortstops.

...I fear I've said too much

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Try Again

We got hosed. That's probably what Brewer Nation is thinking now
that we've had a chance to see the returns on a trade for Tony Gwynn Jr. And you know what? They're right. The trade for Jody Gerut(right) looked good when it happened, a left-handed outfielder who can play all three spots and bring decent pop and speed to the bench. All the Crew had to give up was a Center Field prospect who probably wasn't going to play in Milwaukee anyways.

What is that Tony Gwynn Jr. doing these days anyways? Well, I'm glad you asked. Gwynn is hitting leadoff for the Padres and in 85 at-bats for the friars he's hitting .329 with on OBP almost .100 points higher (.424). Gwynn also has five doubles, three triples and scored 16 runs in 25 games.

But Jody Gerut hasn't been that bad, has he? Yes, in fact he has. After Saturday's start against Detroit, Gerut finds himself with a .107 average for the Brew Crew. In 28 at-bats, he has just three base-hits. By comparison, the guy whose spot he took, Chris Duffy, was 4-for-28, at least he had a double.

What is really frustrating about Gerut, is how his approach at the plate differs from every other player on the team is doing. He hasn't seen a pitch he doesn't like, he swings early and he swings often. In his 28 at-bats for the Brewers the free-swinging Gerut has averaged a paltry 2.55 pitches per plate appearance.

What does that mean? Let's put it into perspective, there are no position players with a worse number on the team. Yovanni Gallardo (3.38), Braden Looper (3.00), Dave Bush (3.72) and Jeff Suppan (3.92) see more pitches than Gerut.

The closest position player to him is Casey McGehee, whose number of 3.54 is still a full pitch higher and has been going up of late. In Chris Duffy's stint with the club he averaged 4.05 pitches per plate appearance.

It's about buying into what the team is doing, and Gerut is not buying into the Milwaukee Brewers approach at the plate. Not buying into what your team is doing is an easy way to stay on the bench.

What can the Brewers do about Gerut? Not too much. Chris Duffy is no longer on the roster of the Crew's Triple-A affiliate, so I'm not really sure what happened to him. Hernan Iribarren has played some outfield so that could be an option. Jason Bourgeois(left) has seen a lot of time in Centerfield for Nashville this season and is hitting .324 down there.

Bench players can be the most irreplaceable players (Craig Counsell, McGehee) and the most replaceable players (remember Brad Nelson?) on a big league roster. Right now Gerut looks more like the latter.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Look out Cleveland

In a few hours, AverageDude and I start the six hour journey to Cleveland with a few friends to check out tonight's action against the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland seems to have a similar skyline to Milwaukee, nothing spectacular but could remind us of home. So look out Cleveland, we're coming today and looking for a sweep. Hopefully, this city isn't still crumbling in defeat since LeBron walked off the court.

Did I mention we're also traveling to Detroit?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Stallworth gets 30 days...

Only 30 days for manslaughter while drunk? These seems to be a bit lenient compared to other sentences carried out to previous athletes (Mike Vick, Jamal Lewis). Stallworth was drunk, blowing a.13 at the time of the accident. Yes, the victim was illegally crossing the street, but that still does not make it okay for this to happen. Maybe, after drinking at some night club in Miami, Donte Stallworth could have called for a cab. Instead, all the victim's family received was a financial settlement, and losing a family member, but more importantly a father.

Unbelievable, that Stallworth will only serve a 30-day sentence for such a severe act. Just because he had money, he got a deal. That's not fair, and Stallworth should have to pay more of a punishment. Lets see how long Goodell suspends him, I bet its more than the financial settlement, and more than a 30-day jail sentence.

Choose your own Pitcher

Coming into the 2009 season the Milwaukee Brewers had three major question marks. Relief Pitching, Starting Pitching and the bench. To be fair, bullpen pitching is a question mark for every team, every year. 2 1/2 months into the season we now know the answer to those question.

The bench was overhauled, bringing in Frank Catalanatto and trading for Jody Gerut. The bullpen has been outstanding, arguably the strongest aspect of the team. And the starting pitching has been sub-par.

Yovanni Gallardo has been outstanding but that's it. Jeff Suppan and Braden Looper have looked like number five starters and Dave Bush just hasn't looked the same since getting nailed by that comebacker in Florida. With Manny Parra's demotion to Triple A it's become clear that a new arm is needed. But who?

Jonathan Sanchez - LHP - Giants - The Giants may be willing to part for a major league bat, but Sanchez hasn't been great this season. His batting average allowed is .240 but he's walked 43 and sports a WHIP of 1.66. This doesn't seem like a good fit since the Brewers would like an impact arm, not another No. 3 or 4 pitcher. Unless the Giants wanted to make a deal involving Bill Hall or maybe a Minor League hitter, this is not something I would expect
to see happen. Likelihood: 10%

Jason Marqu
is - RHP - Rockies - Marquis has been outstanding this year for Colorado, and it's unlikely that the Rockies would consider trading them unless they fall out of by the trade deadline. Marquis is 8-4 with an ERA of 3.77. He's never been a strong finisher, but this would not be a bad fit. The Rockies would want pitching back, which the Brewers don't have a lot of, except for the low minor league levels. Likelihood: 8%

Jeremy Guthre - RHP - Orioles - Although his name hasn't been mentioned in any trade rumors, the Orioles are bad and would be very irresponsible to not listen to offers on Guthrie. At 30, he isn't getting any younger and the O's aren't going to be contending anytime soon. Guthrie hasn't been very good this year, his ERA is 5.52, but pitching in the AL East is tough on any pitcher. A move to the National League could be just what he needs. Likelihood: 20%

Brad Penny - RHP - Red Sox - Boston has a glut of pitching, and they seem content to keep all of them. That said, they are probably listening to offers on Penny, since he will be out of the rotation when John Smoltz starts pitching for the Sox. Penny hasn't been very good this year, averaging less than 6 innings per start. His ERA is also over five. He could be a lot like Guthrie in that moving to the National League would be good for him. With his injury history and inconsistency he doesn't seem like a good fit for the Crew, stranger things have happened though. Likelihood: 1%

Doug Davis - LHP - D'Backs - The D'Backs are one of those teams that think they have a better chance then they do. So trading Davis or Jon Garland may not happen. Doug Davis is an interesting option, he has a career ERA of 4.30 (3.65 this year) and still has a lot of fans in Milwaukee. That said he will walk a lot of batters, and the D'Backs would probably have a high price for him. Likelihood: 15%.

Jon Garland - RHP - D'Backs - Garland has been a workhorse throughout his career, pitching over 190 innings in each of his last seven season. This year is his first in the National League and it's been uninspiring, his ERA is 5.45 and he's walked 33 while striking out 30. You could make excuses for his play, hitters ballparks, new league, but they're exactly that... excuses. Garland could have been had for a reasonable amount in the offseason and since the Brewers didn't sign him then I see no reason why they would trade for him now. Likelihood: 1%

Jarrod Washburn - LHP - Mariners - A Wisconsin native, Washburn is in the last year of his contract with Seattle. The Brewers had some interest in him when he signed his current deal, but it was a little to rich for their tastes. Now, it's a different story. This is a very good fit for Milwaukee. Washburn is having a very good year, with a 1.22 WHIP and an ERA of 3.30. Being 34 the asking price shouldn't be too high. Much like Davis, Washburn would provide a veteran lefty in a rotation that features no left-handed pitching. Likelihood: 60%

Erik Bedard - LHP - Mariners - One thing you know about trading with the Mariners is that there will be no fleecing of either team. Bedard has been impressive so far this year, with an ERA of 2.47. He has 65 strikeouts against just 22 walks and has managed to win five games on a very bad team. Any deal for Bedard would almost certainly have to include a shortstop, either J.J. Hardy or Alcides Escobar. Trading Hardy and a prospect for Bedard makes sense for both teams. The Mariners are looking for a Shortstop and Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik would not undervalue Hardy. Likelihood: 50%

We know the Brewers GM Doug Melvin is not averse to trading fan favorites, in fact he had a reputation for it early in his tenure (Richie Sexson, Scott Podsednik, Lyle Overbay, Carlos Lee), so dealing J.J. Hardy would not be out of the question, but will it happen during this season? Alcides Escobar has been tearing up Triple A, hitting .306 in May and .353 in June. Bedard would be nice, but Washburn is probably more likely.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Brett Favre are you serious?




The color purple holds a special place in my heart. You see, I went to school at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where my Warhawk blood runs that very color. It is no longer a color just for girls, and it stands for levels of awesomeness rarely achieved in the state of Wisconsin. We party with the best of them, regardless of how smelly and crappy our bars are, and how few and far between the women are. We win national titles in several sports, not caring that its division III. Whitewater is home to the legendary Toppers Pizza, and I'm not biased just because im a franchisee. That's but a few examples of the power of purple in Wisconsin and in my life.

However, this is where it all gets fuzzy and confusing, and my brain has a hard time functioning. The reason for this, I think, is because we in Wisconsin have had one tried and true guaranteed awesome card we could play over everyone else in the country. We could just turn to this when our chips were low, the odds are stacked against us, and any other cliche you can come up with that displays just how much crap we take for living in this state and putting up with the weather, lack of in-shape women, and whatever else rattles your cage about the cheese state. This card I refer to (in case you forgot what I was talking about. that was a massive run-on sentence, and like I said before im all fuzzy and confused) was a demi-god known as Brett Favre. Having this legend collide with my color purple that belongs to the Minnesota Vikings makes me want to throw up out of orifices that don't exist in the human anatomy.

Its all but official now. It's simply just a matter if his arm works, that's it. Forget that fact he retired twice already, and in the last one said that he knew it was his time because he couldn't do the things he once could. Throw aside his history in the Metrodome, or how the Vikings became a more hated rival in our generation than the Chicago Bears. I could go on and on but you know it all by now.

This guy could have gone down as the COOLEST HUMAN BEING EVER. I'm not overstating this. Everyone loved the guy. I don't know how many different places I've been where people don't like the Packers but love Brett Favre. Instead he is now a joke. He's given it all up just to spite the Green Bay Packers over a sticky situation he created. How long did you want the world to wait for you Mr. Favre? You were singing the same tune for years, and were given ample time each of those years to make up your mind. That time YOU jumped the gun, and now you are blaming everyone else, which eventually has led to this debacle in purple.

Most fans don't know what to do. Betrayal is the main word the comes to mind, and it's not being over-dramatic. I know what I want to do. I want to get in front of the train wreck that you are creating and get smashed by it so I don't have to watch this crap about you anymore. A$$bag.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Brewers Recap

What a disaster this homestand was, with the Brewers finishing with a 1-5 record. As of right now, the Brewers are still tied for 1st with the Cardinals. However, that could change this evening with a win over the Cleveland Indians by the Cards tonight.

Some stats to look at over from the last week.

Casey McGehee 6/12 .500 2 R 3 RBI
Jason Kendall 6/15 .400 2 R
Ryan Braun 9/24 .375 3 HR 5 R 8 RBI
Prince Fielder 5/23 .217 1 RBI 2 R

And I won't mention our favorite third baseman, Billy Hall (.208) . Or, should we even joke about JJ Hardy's .207 batting average?

For the Crew to stay ahead of the charging Central Division, more runs need to be produced with runners in scoring position. All of these games were close, with the opposition posting 6 more runs during the homestand.

Tues. vs. Rockies L 2-3
Wed. vs. Rockies L 2-4
Thur. vs. Rockies L 4-5
Fri. vs. White Sox W 7-2
Sat. vs. White Sox L 1-7
Sun. vs. White Sox L 4-5

Today, Trevor Hoffman allowed his first run of the season, and it cost him the game. He walked Jim Thome, as it was apparent Hoffman didn't anything to do with him. And eventually, A.J. Pierzynski hit the game-winning RBI as the Brewers were not able to capitalize off a base hit in the ninth.

Corey Hart seems to be heating up a bit. A walk, and 2 HR today.

Will Manny Parra ever return? Will he clear his head, and be able to command his pitches in Nashville? Lets hope so, because if the Brewers don't make a deal by the end of June, Doug and Crew will have to figure out a 5th starter going into the All-Star break.

Bill Hall Update

This is the reason why we should keep putting Bill Hall in the lineup:

2005 AVG: .291
2006 AVG: .270
2007 AVG: .254
2008 AVG: .225
2009 AVG: .210

So you see that his batting average continues to...wait a second. Hmm. A$$bag.

Friday, June 12, 2009

BIll Hall Update

Bill Hall grounds into a double play in his first at-bat. A$$bag.

The Farm Report: June 12

Once some of the new draft picks are brought into the fold we'll start looking at rookie ball a bit, although rookie ball stats are very misleading. In the meantime, there has been some movement throughout the minor leagues. A couple of pitchers moved up, as did a hitter.

And don't forget about Lorenzo Cain, he should be returning from his injury sooner than later, and when he does you'll hear about it here. On to the report.

Nashville Sounds (AAA)

Alcides Escobar (SS)(Right): May was good for Escobar, June has been even better. In his last ten games he is hitting .400 with eight extra base-hits. The second base experiment did not work, Escobar committed five errors in the roughly two weeks worth of games there. The only reason he isn't in the bigs is because you don't throw a rookie into a playoff race.

Joe Koshansky (1B): Over his last ten games, Koshansky is hitting .265. Only one home run in that stretch but it'd be nice to see that average go up, he's hitting .227 on the year.

Angel Salome (C): Still struggling, at this point Salome looks like he's destined for another year at triple-A. He's hitting .233 this month which is bad, but only slightly worse than his season average (.242). He's driven in 19 on the year.

Brendan Katin (RF)(Left): I debated putting Katin into the last edition, but elected against it. This time his production has been too good to ignore. Over his last ten games he's driven in 16 and had a pair of two home run games. He now leads Nashville in homers (13) and RBI's (51).

Cole Gillespie (LF): He's still hanging around .200 with his batting average. Gillespie does have 18 extra base hits and his OBP is .323, so there's that. If there will be any Corey Hart trade talk, it won't be until Gillespie gets his bat going.

Josh Butler (SP): Between injuries and callups, a couple of spots have opened up in the triple-A rotation. Butler got the call for one of those spots, jumping from Brevard County. He's made three starts for the Sounds and been pretty impressive. His ERA sits at 3.60, but he's struck out 15 against just one walk.

Tim Dillard (SP): Not impressive. Dillard hasn't given up less than four runs in a start since May 15. His last time out he gave up seven runs and walked three while striking out none.

Chris Cody (SP): Cody took the other spot in Nashville, he's made just one start for the Sounds thus far but it was a good one. The lefty gave up one run in 6.1 innings, walking one while striking out one.

Best of the Rest: Hernan Iribarren(2B) has pushed his average up to .328. Adam Heether (3B) is hitting .328. And to complete the impressive play by the utility players, Michael Garciaparra(SS), Nomar's brother, is hitting .317.

Huntsville Stars (AA)

Taylor Green (3B): He's been solid so far for the Stars. Green is hitting .288 and driven in 17 runs. He's hit two home runs for the Stars but what is most impressive is his plate presence. He has as many walks as strikeouts (10) which puts his OBP at .366.

Logan Schafer (OF): Schafer has really put himself on the map as an Outfield prospect this season. Bumped up to Double-A after his strong start to the season at High-A, he's hitting just .217 for Huntsville but he's walked (4) more than he's struck out (3).

Jonathan Lucroy (C): In his last ten games, Lucroy is hitting .286. He's had three multi-hit games in that stretch and drove in nine. He continues to impress with his eye at the plate, Lucroy's OBP is .357, over .100 points higher than his season average (.254).

Mike Jones (SP): It's been hit or miss at the Double-A level for Jones so far. In his two June starts he's given up 11 runs in 9.1 innings, I expect he is in Double-A to stay though.

Best of the Rest: Donovan Hand (P)(Left) has been outstanding, he's 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 44 innings. Mike McClendon (P) has been solid too, with a 2.64 ERA and 30 strikouts against just five walks.

Brevard County Manatees (High A)

Eric Farris (2B): The streaky hitting continues for Farris, after batting .330 in May, he's hitting just .186 in June. His 27 stolen bases are good enough for second in the Florida State League though.

Caleb Gindl (OF)(Right): He's hitting just .242 over his last ten games but he did his fifth home run of the year. What's impressive is a .361 OBP against a .274 average. 51 strikeouts in 53 games is not good.

Evan Anundsen (SP)(Left): To put Anundsen into perspective, most Brewers prospect lists at the start of the year didn't even include him. After a no-hitter and fantastic start, he has to be considered one of the system's top pitchers. Anundsen's 1.95 ERA is second in the FSL, and his 60 strikeouts are third. Most impressive is the 1.03 WHIP and the fact that he has yet to give up a long ball.

Jeremy Jeffress (SP): A-ball was apparently just what the doctor ordered. In his last two starts he's pitched 14 innings, given up four hits, no runs, struckout 15 and walked just three. A couple more good starts and he'll head back to double-A.

Zach Braddock (P): The key to Braddock has been health so far. This year he has stayed on the field and the results have been impressive. Braddock has struckout 30 batters in just 18.2 innings and his ERA is .96.

Best of the Rest: Robert Wooten(RP) continues to pitch well, his ERA is 1.00. John Axford(P) has struck out 43 in 27.2 innings. Roque Mercedes(P) has an ERA of 1.05 and Mark Rogers(SP) has pitched 18.2 innings and has his ERA at .96.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A)

Brock Kjeldgaard (1B): Only seven hits in his last 10 games is not good. Six of those seven hits went for extra bases though, including one home run, one triple and four doubles. Brock is hitting .241 in June.

Brett Lawrie (2B): No numbers for Law this edition. He's getting some time off to get that broken nose taken care of. Lawrie is hitting .264 on the season and has eight homeruns.

Wily Peralta (P): 55 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. As a starter Peralta has an ERA of 3.26, out of the bullpen however, his ERA is 5.06.

Daniel Meadows (P)(Right): He pitches and he wins, theres not much more to say. Meadows has pitched in 16 games and has 10 wins. His WHIP is 1.12, good enough for second on the team and he has yet to give up a home run.

Cody Scarpetta (P): He's been up and down this year, much like many of his teammates at Wisconsin. June has been good to him though, in his two appearances he's pitched eight innings, struckout nine and has an ERA of 1.13.

Best of the Rest: Corey Kemp (C) is hitting .370 in his last ten games, his OBP in the year is an impressive .390. Chris Dennis (OF) is hitting .315 after taking Cutter Dysktra spot with the Timber Rattlers.

For the Record:

Steve Braun (2B): Ryan's brother is filling in for Brett Lawrie for the time being. He's played in two games so far and is 1-for-7 with a walk, he'll likely head to rookie ball once Lawrie is back.

Eric Arnett (SP): I already like this kid, he let us know a deal is in place via twitter. It's not official as Arnett has yet to sign the contract, but both sides have agreed to terms. He'll head to rookie ball this year after throwing a ton of pitches for the Hoosiers.

Matt LaPorta (1B/OF): Back in Triple-A, and still hitting. LaPorta is batting .366 for the Indians affiliate.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Breaking down the Draft

With their first pick the Brewers drafted RHP Eric Arnett out of Indiana, then they drafted 52 more players. Since it's impossible to evaluate a baseball draft until 3-4 years later, lets break it down by the numbers.

53 - Players Drafted
25 - Pitchers
11 - Players born after 1990
5 - Catchers
5 - High School Catchers
28 - Position Players
2 - Players from Rice and Miami Dade South CC
17 - College or Community College Position Players
9 - Pitchers that were 6'4" or taller
1 - Pitcher shorter than 6'0"
12 - Outfielders
2 - Players from Wisconsin (Cullen Sexton, RHP, Plover, WI and Brad Schreiber, RHP, Kimberly, WI)
9- Players from California
19 - Right-Handed Pitchers
2- Players from Big Ten schools (Eric Arnett - Indiana, Cullen Sexton - Minnesota)
11 - Infielders
19 - College or Community College Pitchers
7 - Left-Handed hitters
6'8" - The tallest player drafted (Kyle Hansen, RHP)
5'9" - The shortest players drafted (Kentrail Davis, OF; Ryan Gennett, SS; Darren Farmer, C)

Must Have

Let's be honest Brewer Nation, the Month of June has been ugly so far. Now, there is a lot of time left for this to turn into a good month, or even an average month, but so far, oh so bad. So what is the fix? The Cure All? Well there isn't one. But the team does need to be improved, and there is one clear way to do that. Mark DeRosa.

You can talk all you want about guys hitting the ball hard, or "good outs" but the hits still aren't falling in. DeRosa can play any position on the diamond so when Corey Hart (.218 since May 1), Bill Hall (.120 since May 1) and J.J. Hardy (.143 in June, No homers since May 8) find themselves in prolonged slumps and you want a veteran bat in the lineup, there he is.

Even if the Brewers give extended playing time to Casey McGehee (.389 in June), DeRosa is the guy. Mat Gamel has looked good at times but he's also struggled with 20 strikeouts in 53 at-bats, clearly he is the future, but the Brewers are in a playoff chase right now.

DeRosa is also a player that could play every day and produce every day. His best power months are August and September and he is a .277 hitter after the break. Corey Hart has seemed to disappear since last August and Bill Hall looks like he doesn't belong in the major leagues.

Another benefit would be returning Craig Counsell to a bench role. Counsell will be 39 before the season is over and it's important for the team to have him fresh when the Brewers reach the stretch run. His production has taken a hit this month too, he's batting just .261.

The ideal lineup would put DeRosa as the starting second baseman and McGehee would start at third, with Counsell back to starting 2-3 games a week and hitting off the bench. Bill Hall deserves a bench role until he remembers how to play baseball.

Will this happen? I won't say no, but I can't say yes. Any move would most likely be made after next week's interleague play. Gamel will stay with the team through the Detroit series as DH, but after that he should be sent down for polishing.

Mark DeRosa as a Brewer? I see it happening, and I see it happening soon.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Bill Hall Update

Bill Hall did you get a hit tonight? Oh no? But you got a walk? Oh. A$$bag.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A Pitcher it is

With the 26th Selection in the 2009 amatuer draft the Milwaukee Brewers elected to draft a pitcher, and for the first time since 1999 a college pitcher.

Eric Arnett(Right) was the Co-pitcher of the year in the Big Ten this season as well as first team All-Big Ten. He was also a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

The big righty (6-5, 225) went 12-2 with an ERA of 2.50, he also pitched six complete games with a .212 average against.

Since Arnett is a college pitcher the hope would be that he could skip rookie ball and jump right into Low-A or High-A. Realistically he will head to Rookie Ball for a few weeks though.

Milwaukee's next pick came at number 39, a compensation pick. The Brewers selected Outfielder Kentrail Davis from the University of Tennessee. Davis had a terrific freshman year in 2008, hitting .330 with 23 extra-base hits, 13 of which were long balls. He was also the only freshman semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes award.

His sophomore year was not as good, he hit just .309 with 9 home runs but did have 25 extra base hits. He is a Scott Boras client so signing might be an issue, but Outfield is not a position of depth in the Brewers system.

Their second compensation pick was another big right-handed pitcher, Kyle Heckathorn, 6-6, 225, from Kennesaw State. Heckathorn has a power arm, he throws mid to upper 90's and has a tough breaking ball.

This season Heckathorn struck out 98 batters in 86.1 Innings. His ERA for his junior season was 3.44 and he won four games against just one loss. Another college pitcher, but small college so expect to see him at rookie ball.

Milwaukee also had a pair of second round picks, one of which was from the Yankees for signing free agent pitcher C.C. Sabathia. The Crew selected a high school hitter with that pick, left-handed hitting Maxwell Walla. Walla projects as a corner outfielder and more hitter than anything else.

Here is a complete list of Milwaukee's picks from the first day of the draft:

(1)26. Eric Arnett - RHP - Indiana
(1A)39. Kentrail Davis - OF - Tennessee
(1A)47. Kyle Heckathorn - RHP - Kennessaw State
(2)73. Maxwell Walla - RF - (HS) Albuquerque Academy
(2)74. Cameron Garfield - C - (HS) Murietta Valley
(3)105. Joshua Prince - SS - Tulane

High Praise

I'm generally not one to post links, but Sports Illustrated was very complementary of the Brewers drafting. Prior to today's draft si.com went through and looked at every draft pick from the last ten years to see which team had the best drafts.

Ranked number one? Your Milwaukee Brewers.

Another NL Central team had the dubious honor of being the worst drafting team of the last decade, the Houston Astros. That's not much of a surprise when you look at their roster. The Cubs ranked 25th.

Baseball America released a Mock draft today,
via Sports Illustrated. They have the Brewers taking RHP Eric Arnett from the University of Indiana.

In a Mock Draft on the Baseball America website, Jim Callis has the Brewers selecting Matt Davidson, a high school third baseman.

JSonline also has a good story about what the Crew may be doing in tonight's draft.

Brewers.com seems to think that Milwaukee will be going after pitching in the first round.

Check out Shef's House later tonight for a recap of who the Brewers do draft.

Series Preview: Brewers v. Rockies


Brewer fans have been lovin the Rockies recently. After a 4 game sweep of the Cardinals, its hard to fnd much to gripe about when it comes to Colorado. But the gloves come off tonite at Miller Park, and although Miller and Coors are one big family these days, The Crew prepares to show Colorado what it means to be from a Brew City.
Will the Taste Protecter Lid trump the Cold Activated Bottle? The 3-pack set begins tonite.
Milwaukee comes in after a dissapointing loss to the Braves and are looking to rebound. The Rockies, however, are on a roll as of late, winning there last 5 games including the sweep in St. Louis.

Here's how it shakes out.

Brewers (33-24) vs. Rockies (25-32)


Tuesday 7:05pm: Looper (5-3) 4.65 ERA 35 SO v. Jason Hammel (2-3) 4.50 ERA 31 SO


It is important to note that only 3 Brewers have ever faced the righthander (Cameron, Catalanotto, Gerut).


Hammel has been great on the road, with a 2-1 record and a 1.86 ERA.


Wednsday 7:05pm: Gallardo (6-2) 2.84 ERA 71 SO v. De La Rosa (1-6) 5.28 ERA 64 SO


Former Brewers pithcer De La Rosa has abyssmal numbers at Miller Park. He is 2-5 with a 8.47 ERA.


Look for Gallardo to continue his dominant pitching at home.


Thursday 1:05pm: TBA (Glavine?)lol. v. Cook (4-3) 4.50 ERA 32 SO


Aaron Cook is 4-2 with a 3.55 ERA lifetime against the Crew.


Key Factors:


Prince Fielder will need to continue his great hitting against righties. He has 3 lined up agaisnt the Rockies. Look for a great series from Prince.


Starters: The Brewers will need at least two quality starts. The bullpen is a bit tired.


Prediction: Milwaukee should take 2 of 3 from Colorado at home. Despite the Rockies winningness as of late, the Brewers have too much power for their weak pitching rotation.

Monday, June 8, 2009

The Milwaukee Brewers select...

Tomorrow? Who knows. Predicting the MLB draft is as easy winning the lottery, but with the draft around the corner I thought we'd take a look back at the Brewers history in Round One. Let me also say, Baseball Reference is an amazing website.

2008 - Brett Lawrie - INF - The slugging second baseman is currently playing for Class A Wisconsin
2007 - Matt LaPorta - OF/1B - The crew flipped the slugger to Cleveland in the C.C. Sabathia deal.
2006 - Jeremy Jeffress - RHP - The Flamethrowing lefty has struggled with his command, he's currently in A-Ball.
2005 - Ryan Braun - LF - (Right) This one has worked out pretty well, Braun was Rookie of the year in '07 and finished third in MVP voting in '08.
2004 - Mark Rogers - RHP - Derailed by shoulder injuries, Rogers is pitching in A-ball and is still trying to stay healthy.
2003 - Rickie Weeks - 2B - Weeks has been in the majors since 2005 and was enjoying a breakout season in '09 before a wrist injury sidelined him.
2002 - Prince Fielder - 1B - No mistake here either, in 2007 he bacame the youngest player to hit 50 Home Runs.
2001 - Mike Jones - RHP - Shoulder and elbow injuries disrupted his once promising career, Currently at Double-A.
2000 - Dave Krynzel - OF - Plagued by questionable off the field decisions, Krynzel was eventually traded to Arizona for (ouch) Johnny Estrada and Claudio Vargas.
1999 - Ben Sheets - RHP - (Right) A four-time all-star, Sheets has 86 wins in eight seasons. Might we see him back with the Crew at Midseason?
1998 - J.M. Gold - RHP - High school pitcher, never made it past High-A and was released in 2004.
1997 - Kyle Peterson - RHP - At least he made it to the bigs, had a 4.71 ERA in 91 IP, hasn't been seen in the majors since 2001.
1996 - Chad Green - OF - Never made the bigs, it's going to be ugly for a while here.
1995 - Geoff Jenkins - OF - (Right) Has 221 career home runs, more importantly he gave the fans something to cheer for.
1994 - Antone Williamson - 3B - Had 54 big league at-bats in 1997. That's about it.
1993 - Jeff D'Amico - SP - Looked good in 2000, (12-7, 2.66 ERA) but struggled with injuries after that.
1992 - Kenny Felder - OF - College player, never made the bigs.
1991 - Kenny Henderson - RHP - Wanted a $1 million signing bonus, Brewers offered $500,000. He never signed, and never made the show.
1990 - No draft pick this year, lost it as compensation for signing DH Dave Parker.
1989 - Cal Eldred - RHP - Finally a decent pick, Eldred won 86 games in a 14-year big league career.
1988 - Alex Fernandez - RHP - Good pick, even better if he had signed. Would go on to win 107 games with the White and Marlins.
1987 - Bill Spiers - SS - Played six season for the Brewers, in 13 MLB seasons he was a .271 hitter. Not like Craig Biggio was drafted 7 picks later.
1986 - Gary Sheffield - SS - See website header.
1985 - B.J. Surhoff - SS - (Right) Yes, he was drafted as a shortstop. First overall pick in the '85 draft, Surhoff hit .282 with 188 home runs over 19 MLB seasons.
1984 - Isaiah Clark - SS - Never made it past AA, retired in 1990.
1983 - Dan Plesac - LHP - Saved 133 games in 7 season with the Brewers, pitched 18 seasons in the bigs.
1982 - Dale Sveum - SS - Had his promising career disrupted by a broken leg in 1988. Never was the same after that.
1981 - First round pick was lost as compensation for signing Roy Howell.
1980 - Dion James - OF - Traded to Atlanta after three seasons in Milwaukee. Hit .288 over 11 big league seasons.
1979 - First round pick went to Detroit as compensation for Jim Slaton.
1978 - Nick Hernandez - C - Never made the big leagues
1977 - Paul Molitor - SS - (Right) Hall of Famer and 7-time all-star. Unforgettable player in Milwaukee.
1976 - Bill Bordley - LHP - Did not sign, pitched 8 games for San Francisco in 1980.
1975 - Richard O'Keefe - LHP - Never pitched in the big leauges.
1974 - Butch Edge - RHP - Drafted by Toronto in the 1976 expansion draft, pitched 51.2 innings in '79 for the Jays.
1973 - Robin Yount - SS - No description necessary.
1972 - Dan Thomas - 1B - Played 54 games for Milwaukee, hitting .274.
1971 - Tommy Bianco - SS - Hit .176 in Major League at-bats.
1970 - Darrell Porter - C - A four-time All-Star, Porter hit 188 home runs in 17 seasons.
1969 - Gorman Thomas - SS - I don't think it's a stretch to call Big Spike a Brewers legend. He was also the first draft pick in Milwaukee Brewers history.