World Series Game 3 Open Thread

October 31, 2009

Philadelphia can be a scary place under normal circumstances: How scary will it be during a World Series game on Halloween?


Tangentially related Brewers news

October 31, 2009

You know, even that's a stretch.  However, there are two bits of MLB news that could affect how the 2010 Brewers shape up.  Besides, on a slow day like today, what more do you want?

Breaking out of San Francisco:

  • Item 1: Would-be free-agent Freddy Sanchez re-signs with the Giants (2 years/$12 million).  There are only a handful of productive second-basemen on the FA market, so it's a big deal when a 3-time all-star signs early.  Of the FA 2Bs left out there, none of them is appreciably better than the Brewers' Felipe Lopez, and all of them are older. Remember, the Brewers have yet to decide whether or not to offer arbitration to Lopez
The G-men also cut ties with 29-year-old lefthander Noah Lowry, who hasn't appeared in a game since 2007. You might recall that, according to his agent, Lowry's circulatory problem was misdiagnosed by the Giants as a forearm issue, "subjecting Lowry to an unnecessary arm operation and turning a potential short-term recovery into a lengthy medical ordeal."  Lowry has a career ERA of 4.03, and in his 5 years of service, only once had he had an ERA over 4.  If a team is interested in the likes of Mark Mulder, I imaging they'd be interested in Lowry as well.


Brewers retain Bosio as advance scout

October 30, 2009

 Chris Bosio will be back with the Brewers in 2010 in a newly created advance-scouting position meant to enhance the video-based system already in place.

Lucroy paces Javelinas’ attack

October 30, 2009

 Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy homered and drove in three runs as the Peoria Javelinas held on to defeat Phoenix, 5-4, on Friday.

Chris Bosio to return in 2010 as advance scout

October 30, 2009

Chris Bosio to return in 2010 as advance scout

Via the JS:

The Brewers announced the appointment of Bosio today. An advance scout goes into cities ahead of the club and compiles scouting reports of that opponent.


Yosty! A Retrospective

October 30, 2009

As KL mentioned in Thursday's Mug, October 29, 2009 marked the seven-year anniversary of the hiring of former Brewers skipper Nedgar "Ned" Yost III.  If Yost was known for anything during his extended run as Milwaukee's manager (besides, of course, his gross mismanagement of the bullpen and the fact that he started managing with two hands around his neck when the goin' got tough), it was his penchant for saying things that defied reason, logic, data, and, in general, good sense.  Over at the Buffet, we called these headscratchers "Yostys!"

In remembrance of Ned's hiring, here's a sampling of my favorite Yostys!  I've left out/forgotten a lot, so please chime in with your favorites in the comments.

This first one came as J.J. Hardy was in the midst of a particularly cold stretch last August.  Ned was asked if J.J. could be considered a streaky player:

"I don’t sense any inconsistency," Yost said. "When he was 0 for 28, I didn’t know he was 0 for 28. I don’t follow the day-to-day."

And, really, why would he be expected to follow the "day-to-day"?  It wasn't like he was sitting in the dugout watching every pitch of every single game, or anything.

Following the Prince - Manny tickle fest in Cincinnati:

"It’s a little bit rude when your neighbors are fighting next door for you to go knock on the door and ask what happened." 

People these days.  I know that when my neighbor threw his wife through the bay window, I went back to my Cheerios and crossword puzzle.  I wouldn't want to get a reputation as a Nosy Nellie.

Here's Ned on Rickie Weeks' struggles in the '08 season:

"I wouldn't say he has underachieved," said Yost. "He has never been a .300 hitter (in the majors), so who says he is underachieving?  He's working his way up. He's getting better in all phases of his game. For me, he has never underachieved because he never achieved up here. How can you say he has underachieved?"

You walk a fine line when you defend your players against any and all criticism: take it too far -- say, by arguing that one of your players isn't underachieving because he's always sucked -- and you end up criticizing the player yourself.

Following the Brewers fourth-straight loss to open September 2008, Ned attempted to calm the natives:

"Every game's important so you feel like you have to win every single game, but you don't worry about it, you don't dwell on it," manager Ned Yost said. "I mean, we have a four-game lead in the wild card and we come back and try to win a game tomorrow, and that's the extent of our focus."

I'll let Three Dog Night handle my response to that quote.

Here's a quote that came after Tony LaRussa duped Yost into a beanball war with a week left in the '07 season:

"These kids need to know at a time like this their manager is behind them," said Yost, who has been ejected from three of the last four games and six total this season.

They might not realize he's sticking up for them, since he's watching most of the games from the clubhouse, but, still -- good to know.  (Also: I think the players would rather know their manager isn't going to put petty machismo over a pennant race, but what do I know?)

And, last but not least: Ned said a lot of wrongheaded things during his reign.  The following (said after the Brewers dropped a doubleheader to the Phillies in September '08) was not one of them:

"Everybody's frustrated," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "The off day will help us."

He was right, as it turned out: he was fired the next day.

What else ya got?


The Brewers, Twitter and You

October 30, 2009

Whether it's just a fad or a new mainstay in social media, Twitter is probably one of the more polarizing services on the Internet. For some, it's an everyday must-check. For others, it's a joke, and its consistent users something to ridicule.

For the uninitiated, Twitter is a social networking service that allows you to send 140 character-or-less "tweets," and subscribe to and follow the tweets of others. At its basic level, it's a tool for feeding people a lot of information they didn't need to know or don't care about (like the results of one's recent trip to the bathroom), but some people use it for more than that, thankfully.

For Brew Crew Ball (@BrewCrewBall), Twitter is a great way to spread the word about new content, interact with Brewer fans and occasionally make fun of the Bucks. I use the BCB Twitter to follow several official Brewer sources, journalists following the team and other Brewer bloggers and fans. It's frequently entertaining, and occasionally a source of breaking news I would not have immediately found elsewhere.

So, if you're thinking of starting a Twitter account, follow the jump for 46 Twitterers (and my recipe blog) to follow to get yourself started. And if you already use Twitter, here's a list of people to be sure you're following:

Official Brewers

Brewer Minor League affiliates and minor leaguers:

Journalists covering the Brewers

National journalists and bloggers worth noting

Other Brewer twitterers/bloggers (with blog name, if it's not obvious)

Members of the BCB Family:

If I missed someone, let me know.

Thanks, and feel free to RT!


Friday’s Frosty Mug

October 30, 2009
Yes, this is a picture of Trevor Hoffman with his dog from the Brewers' 2010 Pet Calendar, via Adam McCalvy. This might be the slowest news day ever.

Yes, this is a picture of Trevor Hoffman with his dog from the Brewers' 2010 Pet Calendar, via Adam McCalvy. This might be the slowest news day ever.

View full size photo uploaded October 30, 2009

Some things to read while having it both ways.

If we're not hearing much from the Brewer front office this week, it's because they're in Arizona working on a plan for the offseason.

Here's proof that it's been a quiet week: The Brewers' Wives announced the release of their 2010 Pet Calendar, and it's one of today's top stories.

Keith Law chatted with fans again yesterday, and View From Bernie's Chalet has a roundup of all the Brewer-related notes. Today's topics include a terrible Ryan Braun trade proposal and Rickie Weeks.

The full article is Insider-only, but Jason Gray of ESPN has a look at Jonathan Lucroy, and the sudden shift that has led to him being considered the organization's top catching prospect.

Elsewhere in the minors:
  • I don't remember if I've seen/mentioned this previously, but Baseball America's Minor League Transaction Report noted that the Brewers re-signed former first round pick Mike Jones as a minor league free agent. Jones reached AAA for the first time in 2009.
  • The Timber Rattlers are asking for your help to pick a first baseman for their 15th anniversary team. Follow the link for bios on the candidates, then jump over to the front page to vote.
Around baseball:

Blue Jays: Claimed pitcher Sean Henn off waivers from the Orioles and designated Michael Barrett for assignment.
Mariners: Outrighted first baseman Bryan LaHair, and pitchers Randy Messenger, Cesar Jimenez and Marwin Vega to AAA. Vega is the only one who won't become a minor league free agent.
Orioles: Declined their option for 2010 on Melvin Mora.
Pirates: Claimed left handed pitcher Justin Thomas off waivers from the Mariners.

Do you have software development and/or engineering skills and the desire to find a job where you can spend the day talking sports? SB Nation is hiring for a couple of positions.

Oh, and speaking of open positions, you have until the end of the day today to express interest in the Weekend Editor position here at BCB. I'm planning on making a decision tonight or tomorrow.

Happy birthday today to Manny Parra, who turns 27. Hopefully Rick Peterson turns out to be an early birthday present for him.

Elsewhere, happy birthday to:
  • Laynce Nix, who turns 29.
  • Former Brewer farmhand Marco Scutaro, who turns 34.
  • Dave Valle, who played in 16 games for the 1994 Brewers and turns 49.
  • And a posthumous happy birthday to longtime Milwaukee Brave Joe Adcock, who would have turned 82.
Drink up.


RFB’s Morning Ramble -10/30

October 30, 2009

Why is Fox cramming Wanda Sykes down our throat again? Didn’t they learn from Wanda at Large? The worst part about this postseason for me hasn’t been the bad calls (even though there have been more this year), it’s not the fact that big money teams made the World Series, it’s that I have to deal with the terribly un-funny Wanda Sykes in between each half inning.

Speaking of which…who are you cheering for? I really don’t like most of the Phillies players, especially Jayson Werth, The Flying Hawaiian, Jimmy Rollins, and Brett Myers to name some. But I don’t like the Yankees organization, even though I have no problem with most of their players. I feel if the Phils win, the players will become douchier (more douchey?) and if the Yankees win, the “throw all the money you possibly can at players” model will come back and sink small market teams.

The Bucks start their season today and are listed to finish either last or second to last. The Bucks are dumping a ton of payroll so this makes me hope that they are going to make a huge play for Dwayne Wade next year. That maybe the only way that Milwaukee pays attention to their Bucks in the near future.

Finally, Brewers-related: The two first names in the pitching hot stove are Mark Mulder and Jarrod Washburn. It’s obvious the Brewers are looking at leftys, but do these names excite anyone?

Fall/Winter League Update for 10/30/2009

October 30, 2009

In Arizona: Lorenzo Cain went 2-for-4 and drove in two of the Javelinas' 3 runs in their 3-2 victory over Mesa. Cain also stole a base and was picked off. Taylor Green started at third base and went 0-for-2. Zach Braddock pitched two perfect innings to pick up his first save and lower his AFL ERA to 1.17.

In Venezuela:

  • Adam Heether went 1-for-2, walked twice, scored a run and drove in another in Caracas' 8-5 win over La Guaira.
  • Hernan Iribarren went 0-for-4 with an RBI in Lara's 7-6, 12 inning loss to Caribes. Ryan Houston blew the save for Lara for the second straight day, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in .2 innings. Houston has now allowed four runs on six baserunners in his first 1.1 innings, but has struck out every batter he's retired.

In the Dominican Republic:

  • Erick Almonte went 2-for-3 and drove in a run in Cibao's 12-3 loss to Oriente.
  • Juan Sandoval pitched a scoreless inning in the game, allowing one hit.