Breaking: Braun signs eight-year deal (seven-year extension)

One of the main Brewers concerns has been addressed today. Less than a week after RFB posted a rumor of an extension, Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has reportedly signed a seven-year, $45MM extension with the organization. The record-setting deal for a player with zero to three years experience is considered by the team to span eight years, but includes this season. No word on whether these new terms will augment his $455,000 salary for 2008. More HERE and HERE.

Braun, 24, is considered to have "zero-plus" seasons of big league experience, and would not have been eligible for salary arbitration until the 2011 season and free agency until the 2014 season. The contract reportedly signed by Braun will cover all of his arbitration years and forego free agency until after the 2015 season.

At an average annual salary of less than $6MM, this is a great deal in my opinion. In the wake of a rising trend of locking up promising youngsters (i.e. Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Evan Longoria and yesterday's inking of Scott Kazmir), a signing of either Braun or - to a lesser extent - Corey Hart at some point this season seemed to be a must for the club. Though the team is giving Braun an astronomical raise from what they could pay him prior to 2011, they too are warding off was likely to have been staggering arbitration and free agent numbers if Braun was to remain even near his current level of production. In short, I love this deal.

I'm sure (or sincerely hope) the other guys chime in with their thoughts of this record-setting contract for both the Brewers organization and for a player with fewer than three season of big league service.

Update: In addition to the terms posted above, Braun will get a $2.3MM signing bonus to be added to his salary this season. He can also earn possible escalators based on service time and "Super 2" status that could bring his salary up to $51MM.

Tom Haudricourt's article also indicates Brauns deal carries "a full no-trade clause for four years, a limited clause (12 teams), the next two years and a further limited clause (six teams) the final two years."

In the News (5/14)

Today's Game:Dodgers 6, Brewers 4
Record: 20-20, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 4

-Same outcome, different story. The blown saves continue, but this time Guillermo Mota was on the mound as the Dodgers came back to win in the ninth.

-A Manny Parra 'gem' goes for naught: Bullpen struggles turn Parra's best showing of the season (both on the mound and at the dish) into a no decision. It's still good to see him get past that pesky fifth again.

-David Riske left with a hyperextended right elbow: It appears to be a day to day type injury, but it's always scary when it's a pitcher's throwing elbow. With all the other troubles in the pen, let's it's nothing serious. More HERE.

-Mark Attanasio is not afraid to acquire a front-line starter this summer: Yet to lock up any youngsters, the Brewers' owner is not opposed to bringing in an arm to aid in short-term success. I prefer to stick it out as the back end of our rotation keeps putting together better starts. Toronto's A.J. Burnett is in the final year of his contract; and Oakland is bound to deal either Joe Blanton or Rich Harden once the team falls back to Earth. More HERE.

- Should the Brewers go after Greg Maddux? Brew Town Beat thinks so. They might have to compete with the Braves if they do.

-Gagne remembers former team fondly: Brewer fans regularly think back to when he pitched for the Dodgers too. Even so, I'm glad he could notch a save against L.A. in his first time facing them; let's make it two saves tomorrow.

- Yost still believes in Weeks. The day off was for Counsell, not Rickie, Yost says.

- Prince Fielder leads the NL with six sac flies.

- Here's a comprehensive list of former Brewers that are coaching in the minors or majors now.

- The Brewers have used 18 different starting line-ups in the first 40 games. That's the fewest in the majors.

- Brewers Fanatics takes a look at two former Brewers prospects that were traded, Will Inman and Dana Eveland. They've both found success in their post-Brewer days.

-Miller Park PA announcer Robb Edwards underwent successful heart bypass surgery Tuesday: Great news! Best wishes go out for a speedy and full recovery.

-Jeremy Jeffress reports to Brevard County Thursday: Following a 50-game suspension for substance abuse, Jefress reports to high-A Manatees to pick up where he left off on the mound in West Virginia. The kid's stuff is nasty and he's only 20. Let's hope he can stay away from the sticky buds en route to the bigs.

-Brewers are trying to preach patience with Turnbow: Meanwhile, I will preach patience to readers regarding articles about Derrick Turnbow.

-The Nashville Sounds may move: ...to a new stadium in nearby suburbs of Sumner County. Having been to Nashville's Greer Stadium, it is a bit out-dated, but full of character. The team had to put $850,000 into getting the clubhouse up to minor league standards prior to this season, so a move may be warranted - hopefully still within Nashville city limits though.

-The Sounds are 'Going Green' for Saturday's game: Now it's official - everyone and everything on Earth has now 'Gone Green.' Expect our Johnny Rivers to own a Green Brad Nelson jersey by Monday.

- Jim Edmonds is officially a Cub This is the best signing of 1999.

- Cincinnati shortstop Jeff Keppinger is out 4-6 weeks with a broken knee cap.

- It looks like Dunn and Griffey could be traded. 

- Sabernomics.com has a solid theory on the lack of home runs in April and it wasn't related to steroids.

- How many times has this headline been written: Mark Prior suffers setback in rehab from injury.

- Paul DePodesta (of Moneyball fame) has a blog.

- The Rays signed Scott Kazmir to an extension. Strange times in Rayland... They're in first place and retaining their top players...

- Jim Callis chat.

-Delaware's favorite former Brewer Kevin Mench is 3 for his first 11 as a Blue Jay: Milwaukee should have never let him go. Oh wait, yes they should have.

Crabbe DFA by Padres

I don't know how this got by all of us, but I just found out that the Padres designated IF/OF Callix Crabbe for assignment on Monday.

Crabbe was brought to San Diego from the Brewers farm system via the Rule V draft this offseason. In 34 big league at bats, he posted a .176 average with two batted in, while splitting time between shortstop and the outfield. With his demotion, Crabbe can either be brought back to Milwaukee for half of his $50,000 claiming fee or - the avenue the Padres are apparently exploring - remain under control of the Padres trading (giving) something to Milwaukee. Either way, the Brewers look to win here. Crabbe will either return to the Brewers organization or, in addition to the $50 K already given to them in the initial claiming fee, the Brewers will also gain something else in a trade to keep Crabbe in the Padres system, essentially gaining player or cash accommodations for a player they've already surrendered.

As the starting second baseman in Nashville last season, Crabbe had 9 HR, 38 RBI, 17 SB and hit .287 in 130 games. For a $25 K fee it might make for the Brewers sense to retain him. He'd provide decent insurance for a Rickie Weeks injury. Current Sounds 2B, journeyman Abraham Nunez, is scuffling through 33 games with Nashville registering a .210 average and only 8 RBI.

Whether they retain Crabbe or work out a trade, this sounds like a win-win for the Brewers.

In the News (5/13)

Today's Game: Brewers 5, Dodgers 3
Record: 20-19, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 3

The Brewers have now won four out of five immediately after dropping six straight. Crazy how momentum can change so fast (and also crazy how much better the Brewers play at home than on the road...).

- The Brewers gained a game on the Cubs, Cardinals and Astros today.

- Villanueva keeps the starters winning streak alive at three. Suppan, Bush and now Carlos have won three straight after no starter besides Sheets had won a game since early April. Villanueva tossed six innings and gave up three runs.

- Gagne got the save. It wasn't perfect (a hit and a walk), but he got the job done.

- Torres pitched two scoreless innings and continues to be a valuable piece of the bullpen.

- The Brewers collected 10 hits. Kendall was the only position player in the line-up without a hit. Michael Hunt says hitting is contagious.

- Braun stayed hot, going two for four and collecting two RBIs. His average is up to .294.

- Hall hit another home run and somehow continues to be a relatively productive .200 hitter.

- Gallardo had successful knee surgery. He told Brian Anderson he'll be back pitching with the team in September. I hope so. That would mean the Brewers were playing meaningful games still and they could definitely use Yo in the playoffs.

- The new Sports Illustrated (out Wednesday) will feature a story on the Brewers and their brutal road trip they just wrapped up. Thanks SI... Really needed to read more about that trip... HERE'S THE STORY. Strangest part of the story? The photo of Hart and Hardy playing ping pong with Uecker in the background clad only in short shorts:

- Chris Capuano is headed for Tommy John surgery after experiencing discomfort in his rehab bid. Cappy may not ever pitch for Milwaukee again as his comeback will take at least a year and the Brewers will all but certainly not offer him arbitration. More HERE.

- Turnbow's Nashville debut was less than stellar.

- Pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress is set to return from his 50-game suspension. He will pitch for Brevard County.

- Second base prospect Eric Farris joined West Virginia.

- Angel Salome is the Brewers' prospect of the week on Sports Bubbler.

- Brewers PA announcer Robb Edwards had a heart attack today. He was set to have a bypass procedure done. Hopefully he gets well soon.

- Corey Hart is clutch.

- Dave Begel tells fans to lay off Yost on OnMilwaukee.com.

- Wisconsin Sports says the Brewers should push back Ben Sheets' start a day so they can showcase him against the Red Sox in Boston.

- The Brew Town Beat provides links to archived shows of Ryan Braun on WKTI.

- Jim Powell links to Suppan and Yost interviews.

- Manny Ramirez could get his 500th HR against the Brewers this weekend. How long do you think he'll stand to admire his 500th?

- Former Brewer Claudio Vargas was called up by the Mets today.

- Who's more upset about the possibility (perhaps probability now?) of Jim Edmonds ending up on the northside? Cubs fans or Cardinals fans? Either way, it's pretty funny.

- Straight from the AARP Bulletin (can't make this up...), 100-year-old Cubs fans still hoping for that World Series win. Hat tip to Deadspin.

- Thank you Reds for hiring Dusty Baker. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to revel in how terribly he manages an NL Central competitor again... 

- LaRussa was surprised about the Molina incident last night. Yadier should expect a suspension from the commissioner's office soon. He went well over the line.

- Former Brewer Gabe Gross hit a walk-off single against the Yankees off Rivera to send the Rays to the top of the AL East. I always liked Gabe. I was happy to see him on Baseball Tonight. And he was even interviewed later.

In the News (5/12)

Today's Game: Brewers 8, Cardinals 3
Record: 19-19, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 4

Taking three out of four from the Cardinals is a great step in the right direction. Imagine if they would have pulled that game on Saturday out too...

- It's nice to win convincingly for once...

- Back to .500.

- Dave Bush pitched six innings and only gave up one run. He got the win a day after Suppan got a win. No Brewers starter not named Sheets had a win since early April until yesterday and now two pitchers collected wins back-t0-back. Bush did not look great, but he got the job done. Hopefully he's over his early season troubles.

- Braun hit two home runs for the second straight day. Suddenly Braun's slow start seems in the distant past. His .288 average, 19 runs, 9 home runs, and 27 RBI look pretty good.

- Corey Hart had a nice game, going two for four with a big two-RBI hit.

- Gagne pitched two innings and gave up a run. He gave up two hits and two walks. Before the game, he said he was ready to close again. I'd say the Brewers should give him a few more outings to figure out what's going wrong before putting him back in for the ninth. More HERE and HERE.

- The Brewers crushed Adam Wainright today. Wainright had been very good all season, earning the "ace" title for the Cardinals. It was nice to see the Brewers figure him out tonight.

- Yadier Molina and LaRussa got tossed. Molina could be missing a few games. He went a little overboard taking off his pads at home and tossing them in the direction of the umpire as he screamed at him.

- Brewers officials met today and decided against major changes despite trouble in the back end of the rotation.

- Jeff Sackmann at Brew Crew Ball asks how good is Dave Bush? He concludes that Bush's numbers should start getting closer to his career averages. He certainly took a step in that direction tonight.

- Deadspin visited Miller Park this weekend. A roof-open game is long overdue... He was also interviewed by SportsBubbler.com and the Journal-Sentinel.

- John Donovan of SI.com says it's almost time for the Brewers to panic.

- LaPorta is good. He continues to put up great numbers with Huntsville.

- All Wisconsin Sports grades the Brewers.

- Hardball Times says, "team defense is incredibly underrated.". The Brewers defense has been significantly better than last season so far. Hopefully that will show in the standings at the end of the year.

- Between the Green Pillars is not very excited about the "closer by committee" approach.

- Brewers.com and the Journal-Sentinel have new mailbags.

- Brewers Fanatics feature Cole Gillespie.

- Serious Sports News Network has a not-so-serious take on NL Central closers.

- Beyond the Box Score analyzes the effect of pitchers that nibble.

- The Cubs are considering signing Jim Edmonds and sending Felix Pie down to AAA. Umm, OK. Hire Jim Eassin responds: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

- Brewers fans stack five cups on their passed out friend's head:

Hat tip to Will Brinson.

It's On!

In lieu this weekend's Brewers/Red Sox inter league series, I thought it appropriate to extend a wager to Center Field, the Red Sox's affiliate of the MLBHub blog network that we here at RFB are also part of. Though betting on the Brewers may not seem wise to many, I have a good feeling about this weekend. And I better, because the stakes are high.

•If the BoSox take two or more games of the three-game set, we will send Center Field five of our very own Papi Seeds shirts.


•If the Brewers take two or more, we're entitled a sixer of Sam Adams, some Boston Baked Beans and... of course, chowder.

Even though there's nothing like a lukewarm bowl of clam chowder on a hot spring day, this bet is strictly for pride. Boston may have two rings within the past five years and a playoff appearance during this decade, but the Brewers have moxie. Plus I don't know of any Brewers fans who do this.



Be sure to check our site and Out in Center Field as this series unfolds. It should be fun!

(Hat tip to All Your Base are Belong to Rios for the video)

InReview - Week 7

Week 6 Record: 2-4
Total Record: 18-19

Things I Like:
- The way we won the two games (one with the long ball, one without...hopefully we can start stringing those wins together)
- Jeff Suppan and Ben Sheets
- Brian Shouse getting the nod to save. Job well earned and job well done, sir.
- Braun's multi-homerun game
- Jeff Cirillo v. Craig Coshun in a war of the best dressed.
- Turnbow accepting his minors designation

Things I Don't:
- Slumps
- Blown Saves
- Losing to the Marlins 5 out of 6 times. If you told me that would happen at the beginning of the year, I would have said you're crazy
- Bill Hall and Rickie Week's Batting Average and strike out totals so far
- That feeling in my stomach when Gagne comes into the game. It wasn't always there, but it's there now
- Bill Hall not hitting a home run with the pink bat. 2 out of 3 ain't bad though.
- FSN interviewing members of the Florida Marlins team during their Brewers Live segment. Was the slump really THAT bad?

Numbers of the Week:
27: Rank out of 30 teams in team Batting Average

26: Rank out of 30 teams in team ERA

10: Number of more home runs JJ Hardy hit at this time last year

.400 - Corey Hart's average with runners in scoring position

.083 - Craig Counsell's average with runners in scoring position

.167 - Ben Sheets' average with runners in scoring position

In the News (5/11)

Today's Game: Brewers 5, Cardinals 3
Record: 18-19, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 4

RFB record (after Saturday's game): 5-1

How good did that win on Friday feel? Crazy how great a win like that feels after a six-game losing streak... Saturday was a step back, but the Brewers are winning this series against the Cardinals 2-1 and have a chance to make up two games on St. Louis with a win Monday. All the problems are not fixed, but if the Brewers can find ways to win under less-than-perfect circumstances, that will bode well for later in the season when the team's luck and natural skill should swing in their favor.

- Nice come-from-behind win Friday (MORE), crummy loss Saturday (MORE), solid win Sunday (MORE). Let's win the game Monday and take a 3-1 series win.

- Gagne was removed from the closer's role, saying he no longer deserved the role. He definitely needs a break, but I still don't think his stuff looks that bad. He needs to throw more strikes for sure. More HERE and HERE. Yost sums it up well, I think:

"His stuff is great. That's not the problem. He's throwing the ball really, really well. He's just been beat down a little bit. He needs to take a step back and regain his confidence, make an adjustment or two and that'll work."

- The Brew Town Beat wonders if Gagne is tipping his pitches.

- Turnbow will pitch in Nashville after clearing waivers and accepting his demotion. Hopefully he can straighten himself out.

- Melvin will meet with Yost and the coaches Monday for a "monthly review" to discuss personnel including a focus on the back end of the rotation. More HERE. Could we see changes soon?

- Al at Al's Ramblings thinks McClung might get a shot in the rotation. He pointed out earlier that McClung's numbers look very good minus one bad outing. He does not speculate who would get booted from the rotation, but the choice would be between Bush, Villanueva and Parra obviously.

- A rumor about Braun signing an extension with the Brewers through 2013 did not pick up steam over the weekend and no additional sources back up the original post on THIS BOARD. Hopefully there is something to it, but it looks to be just a rumor at this point.

- Ben Sheets is the all-time Brewers' strike-out leader. At least something good happened Saturday... Here's the top ten in the organization's history.

- Pink bats have been good to the Brewers.

- Gallardo is going to have surgery on Tuesday. As has been speculated, he's likely done for the year.

- Yost is not fazed by the calls for him to be fired.

- Michael Hunt says the Brewers need to be less tense.

- In-Between Hops discusses whether we can let Prince off the hook for his vegetarian diet yet. The conclusion? No. Personally though, I don't think his diet has anything to do with his production so far...

- BrewersNation calls for some changes: Gagne out as closer, a Hall/Branyan platoon at third and Simmons replacing Yost as manager. The first has happened. What do you think of the other two suggestions?

- The Brew Town Beat has some suggestions too.

- On the flipside, Al's Ramblings says the Brewers aren't far off where they need to be.

- The Junkball Blues analyzes Brewers' hitters' plate approaches.

- Haudricourt previews the upcoming draft.

- Beyond the Box Score asks if Matt LaPorta is the next Ryan Braun.

- Tom Haudricourt writes a piece for Baseball America on Mitch Stetter (Password needed).

- Another Baseball Blog takes a look at the Brewers' offensive numbers (through Thursday) and concludes that the offense will improve, hopefully...

- Pitching prospect Amaury Rivas is turning heads in West Virginia.

- Brevard County outfielder Darren Ford is really, really fast.

- The Brewers are giving former Yankees' prospect John Axford a chance in their minor-league system.

- Former Brewer Doug Davis appears to be free of cancer. Great news.

- Former Brewer Kevin Mench is now a Blue Jay.

- Former Brewer minor-leaguer Joe Thatcher, who was involved in the Scott Linebrink trade with the Padres, has been sent down to AAA. Bitter Brewers fans who didn't like the Linebrink acquisition can stop pretending Thatcher is Billy Wagner now.

- In case you missed it, former Brewer Richie Sexson was involved in a melee on Thursday. He threw his helmet at the pitcher before trying to fight him.

Who to close?

"I don’t deserve that ninth inning right now. It’s pretty simple,"

Those were the words of Eric Gagne after today's loss. Obviously he was disappointed with the two runs he surrendered in the ninth, but it's never good to hear that from the $10 million arm brought in specifically to serve in that inning. With five blown saves and today's backwards tie-breaker, a change may be warranted and Gagne may have a point. With all that's happened in the late innings of this young season, who should close?

The team has numerous capable arms to hold the closer role and/or man the ninth inning in situations like today. It may be unpopular, but I have my own take on the Brewers closer pecking order.

1. Eric Gagne: Plain and simple, Gagne was brought in this off season and paid handsomely to be the team's closer. He may be immersed in one of the most wretched slumps in recorded pitching history, but I feel he should retain the role. Excluding a few control issues, he is making good pitches that are just being hit or - though I hate to drag umpires into this - not being called strikes. The one scary observation is a staggering loss in the velocity of his fastball.

One must also dissect exactly why some of these saves were blown. Most were due to his pitching, but I remember a certain Rickie Weeks throw, nay, bounce that failed to complete what would have been a game-ending double play. The best thing that can be done to resurrect the once dangerously dominant finnisher's season in Brew City is to keep him in.

2. Guillermo Mota: Excluding a few lapses in perfection, Mota's opperendi this season has been great. He can bring the heat, work out of pressure situations, work on short rest and go more than one inning. RotoWorld too alludes to Mota being a good choice to take the ninth should Gagne be extradited from the role.

3. David Riske or Salomon Torres: To me they are both equally fitting and equally unfit for basically the same reason. They both have saves under their belt and have both held down setup roles. Torres can pitch almost every day so it'd be a shame to displace a workhorse arm to what wold amount to significantly fewer innings. And Riske just hasn't been too great to date, though he seems to be coming around. Closer by committee flat out does not work, and probably would not work here either.

4. Mitch Stetter: He's a favorite of certain radio personalities on our terrible sports talk station to garner the closer's role, but he's one of only two lefties in the pen. With Brian Shouse as more of a pure situational lefty whose outing often last 1/3 or 2/3 of an inning, Stetter seems better fit for his current form of use. File Seth McClung and his current awesomeness in the "don't mess with a good thing" file too.

5. Derrick Turnbow: It's a fifth option for good reason. Need I spell out why this would be risky and have potential for more bad than good? No.

6. Dave Bush to close and either bring up Jeff Weaver or move Seth McClung to a starter role: This crazy, but Bush did close in college and - if he can pull it together for just one inning at a time, he could be great... then again if Gagne could just pull it together for an inning there would be no need for this post in the first place. This proposition has next to no likelihood of taking place; let's save Weaver for when another starter goes down.

7. Make a trade: But for who and with what? The only teams I know with a plethora of qualified closers is my ironically-named fantasy team "Cubs Jr." (make an offer, Jared) and... well, the Brewers.

Hate it as you may, I just hope Gagne's statement was merely out of frustration and that he remains on the mound to end games the way we all know he's capable of.

Who knows how this will all shape up, but you can be sure the next time Eric Gagne is called to the mound I will stand and cheer because he is a Brewer and he is trying his damnedest to do his job, and so long as he is a Brewer, I have to hope he will.

Congratulations Ben Sheets

Congratulations to Ben Sheets!

Big Ben is the new all-time Brewer Strike Out King! Benny passed Teddy Higuera today against the Cards when he sat down some guy named Albert Pujols. With his trusty fastball and back breaking curveball, Sheets has tossed 1086 strikeouts. Tonight and tomorrow's news is going to be about how long Gagne's leash is and the struggling offense and how Ned Yost is under scrutiny, but before we get back to that negativeness, let's cheer for a guy who has come up through our minor league system to become a leader and, now, a record holder. He did it and he did it with class. Congrats Benny.

In the News: The Just About to Leave for the Game Edition

Here's just a short recap of some of the more important recent Brewers happenings. As indicated in the title, I'm leaving for the game soon. The others may already be there.

- Rickie Weeks is a hero!: The heavily scrutinized and previously slumping Weeks delivered in the clutch, slapping a single with two outs in the ninth to top the division leading Cards. Hopefully this can spell a second life for Rickie. My favorite quote form the article: "The way I feel right now," Weeks said, "I could have taken Mike Tyson in three rounds."

How about just take Pineiro deep today.

- Yovani Gallardo will elect to have surgery on the torn ligament in his right knee: The procedure will more than likely end the young righty's season. He hopes to be ready to pitch if called upon for a post season push in late September or October. Here's to hoping all goes well under the knife.

- Derrick Turnbow, minor leaguer: The former All-Star closer opted to report to Nashville rather than forgo the remaining money on his $3.2 salary. If anything, T-Bow is still in the fold if needed. Had the Brewers dealt him, they would've undoubtedly (at least in this universe) had to cover some of his pay.

- Ben Sheets enters today's start looking to become the club's all-time leader in K's: He'll need just two more strikeouts to top Teddy Higuera's mark of 1,081.

Rumor: Braun may sign through 2013

Though this may just be a cruel rumor, talk of Ryan Braun signing a contract with the Brewers through 2013 is circulating. A little over a week following a visit to Milwaukee by Braun's agent, someone pointing to an inside source is indicating the reigning Rookie of the Year is to agree to terms supposedly in the neighborhood of $8 or $9 million a year.

Should Braun sign through the 2013 season the contract would cover all of his salary arbitration years and what would be his first year of free agency. If there's any truth to this rumor, it would look to be a bargain with the rising trend of clubs signing young players to staggering long term deals (i.e. Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki) and the record setting arbitration figure Ryan Howard garnered this off season. An agreement with Braun may also suggest the Brewers will not attempt to sign Prince Fielder long term.

No guarantees on the validity of this claim, but keep an eye out for it. Like I said, the timing of his agent's recent visit to talk numbers doesn't make reports like these seem too far-fetched.

In the News (5/8)

Today's Game: Marlins 7, Brewers 2
Record: 16-18, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 3

What can you say? The bats aren't producing. The starters aren't pitching well (especially in the fifth inning). The bounces all go the wrong way... It's a full-blown slump. They've lost six straight now in two sweeps and will limp back to Miller for a series against the Cards.

- Swept by the Marlins...

- Villanueva only pitched five innings and gave up seven runs. He pitched better than that and had some unfortunate bounces go his way, but the starters HAVE to do better than this... His ERA is almost 6.5 now.

- Carlos also had two hits and an RBI. That's almost as unlikely as Mike Rivera getting a stolen base, which he did before Villanueva hit him in.

- Weeks batting average somehow continues to fall. He went 0-4 and is down to .188. I don't care how many runs he's scoring. He is not hitting or getting on base like a leadoff hitter right now.

- The Brewers had opportunities to score, but they left 11 men on base.

- The line-up "shake-up" today was just to give some guys a rest, Yost says. That shake-up included a start for Dillon against his former team. More HERE.

- The Brew Town Beat wants to try Villanueva as a closer.

- Are the Brewers stretching McClung out for a shot at the rotation? It couldn't hurt at this point...

- At what point should the Brewers consider trading Sheets?

- Turnbow was not traded and appears to be headed to Nashville, though a team could still decide to claim him and his large contract or he could decide to become a free agent and lose that big contract. The Brewers will know by Monday. More HERE.

- Do any Brewers deserve an all-star selection?

- Stetter has pitched well for Milwaukee.

- Callix Crabbe may be in danger of losing his job in San Diego, according to a RotoWorld blurb at Al's Ramblings. The Brewers would have a shot at acquiring him again if the Padres cut him. Would they take him back?

- Mel Stocker is a pretty nice story of a guy who didn't give up the dream and got a few at bats in the big leagues last year. Now with Nashville, we could see him in Milwaukee again in September.

- The Yost Infection says it's time to treat the infection. They call for Ned to be fired.

- Michael Hunt says that time is approaching quickly.

- If you have a Baseball America subscription, you can read a nice story on Brewers' shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar.

- Fielder shaved his head.

- Pitching prospect Mark Rogers is still rehabbing in extended spring training from should surgery.

- Bill Schroeder will be on the Fox network broadcast of Saturday's game.

- The Reds have some great young pitchers, but Dusty will kill their arms.

- Bird Land takes a look at mapping teams' fan bases.

Bush's second term

Just a quick thought on Bush's return:

Dave Bush's rotational reprise following his AAA demotion was less than stellar last night. Never mind the usual scrounging for positives in his performance because there weren't many if any in his outing. He did top the Parra/Villanueva line in lasting six innings AND he only surrendered five hits, but they were costly. Two homers and two doubles later, Bush's six-inning, five-hit outing that would make most fantasy owners quiver is marred with a six spot on the scoreboard.

For the past two seasons Bush had the team lead in K's. However, he only managed three last night, and has just 20 in nearly 30 innings of work. Regaining the slight command he has in form of strikeouts and staving of the long balls are paramount to him being even some of the pitcher we need him the be.

It's getting more and more difficult to stand in Bush's corner. yet I remain. I think he should stay in the rotation and - in time - will show what he's capable of. But time is running out and he's needed now. The Brewers don't need him to be Gallardo, but the Brewers do need him to pull together one good start and build off it to show he belongs in the rotation.

In the News (5/7)

Today's Game: Marlins 6, Brewers 2
Record: 16-17, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 2.5

And the Brewers are under .500, but hey, at least they scored... And the Cardinals and Cubs lost too...

- A Marlin rookie making his sixth career start made the Brewers look foolish.

- Bill Hall tries to pull everything and it shows. He went 0-4 tonight and struck out three times. He's now batting .210 on the season. He was ninth in MLB in strikeouts before tonight, but is probably in the top five now.

- Bush was not good in his return to the rotation. He gave up six runs in six innings.

- The Brewers win when Fielder hits. I'd point out how foolish that is, but the numbers are actually pretty striking.

- Another story on the Brewers' ridiculously bad hitting stats.

- Jim Powell checks in with some audio. And a Corey Hart interview HERE.

- BrewersNation takes a shot at predicting the 2011 Brewers' roster.

- The Brew Town Beat points out that no starter besides Ben Sheets has won a game since April 5. I know it hasn't always been the starters fault, but that is just pathetic...

- Anthony Witrado of the Journal-Sentinel answers fans' questions.

- Yost is trying to keep the bullpen fresh.

- Ken Rosenthal says there is reason for hope for the Brewers' hitters and other slow starters.

- The Bucky Channel takes a look at Telly Hughes, the part-time Brewers Live personality.

- Cole Gillespie was the Sports Bubbler Brewers' prospect of the week.

- So, this Nate McLouth guy on the Pirates is on pace for something like a 150 RBI, 150 run, 50 home run season. Should we start paying attention? In all seriousness, McLouth appears to be a legit player (though not THAT good). He's likely won a starting job for some time now.

In the News (5/6)

Today's Game: Marlins 3, Brewers 0
Record: 16-16, fourth
Games Behind Cubs: 2.5

The carnage continues... The Brewers have lost four in a row.

- You know things are going bad when a lefty nearly goes the distance and only allows two hits and no runs against the Brewers' right-hand-dominant line-up.

- The team is actually doing pretty bad against lefties lately.

- Yost was booted for arguing balls and strikes after a Mike Cameron strike out. It looked a lot like a planned ejection to try to spark his team, which, if true, apparently failed...

- Suppan was not sharp, allowing three runs in five innings and leaving the sixth with the bases loaded and no outs. Riske pitched out of that situation without allowing a run.

- Riske, Stetter, Torres and Shouse combined for three shutout innings, only giving up one hit and no walks, but the Brewers offense provided no support in the comeback bid.

- This is a great post from Jeff Sackmann at Brew Crew Ball. The main theme: Things will get better for the Crew.

- ESPN's Page 2 details why something has gone wrong every year since 1982 for the Brewers. It'd be a pretty funny read if I didn't have to relive names like Tom Brunansky, Ricky Bones and Mike Berkbeck.

- In-Between Hops speculates on when Yost will start feeling more heat.

- Fans are certainly putting more heat on Yost in recent weeks.

- McCalvy article on Brewers sticking with Gagne. More HERE.

- LaPorta earns his second player of the week award at Huntsville. At this pace, LaPorta may not spend too long in AA, unless it's to work on his defense.

- Class A outfielder Darren Ford stole five bases today despite going 0-4 at the plate.

- BrewerFan.net recaps April for the Brewers' minor-league system.

- DugOutCentral.com suggests the Brewers should trade for Oakland closer Huston Street. I'm not one to panic so I'd say to hold off on this for now, especially since if the Brewers don't start winning games, they won't be in the race at the end of the season, but if Milwaukee is in the race near the trade deadline, Gagne is still struggling and the team could get Street for Mat Gamel, Cole Gillespie and Gabe Kapler, they shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Street has been somewhat injury prone, but he is a stud closer and the Brewers would have two more seasons of him. Hat tip to BrewersNation for the link.

- Al at Al's Ramblings speculates that the Brewers could be interested in acquiring Josh Fogg from the Reds. Sources say the Rockies are interested in getting Fogg back.

- Bill James says the '82 Brewers' infield was the best in baseball since 1934. The Reds' infield of 1975 tied the '82 Brewers' infield of Cooper, Molitor, Gantner and Yount.

- Griffey sounds like he's got one foot out the door in Cincinnati already and he's hoping it's toward Seattle.

- Former Brewers prospect Nelson Cruz is killing AAA pitching again. Will he be able to make an impact on a major-league team and shake the AAAA player label?

- Jonathon Mayo of MLB.com previews the draft.

- Former Brewer Matt Wise is expected to come back from the DL for the Mets soon.

- Claudio Vargas, another former Brewer pitcher, was shelled in his first AAA outing for the Mets' AAA affiliate. He gave up six runs in four innings.

In the News (5/5)

  

RFB Joe discovered what Houston rookie J.R. Towles was doing before he took over as the Astros' starting catcher.

He was Happy Gilmore's caddy.

- Everyone on the Brewers swears they'll start hitting, eventually... More HERE.

- The Mets are reportedly discussing adding Turnbow to their bullpen.

- Melvin says the Brewers have no plans to remove Gagne from the closing role.

- Melvin said this offseason that he believed Gagne struggled in Boston last season because he was not being used as a closer. This Dugout Central analysis seems to conclude that there is no such thing as a "closer mentality" that allows closers to pitch better in save situations than in non-save situations. Hat tip to BrewersNation.

- SI.com's John Donovan says Gagne might be the worst free-agent signing of the offseason.

- Suppan will look to bounce back Tuesday from his terrible start last week.

- Sheets will most likely pass Teddy Higuera and become the Brewers' all-time strikeout leader on Saturday. The RFB Crew will be there Saturday applauding his accomplishment.

- The Brewers are averaging the largest road attendance for any team in baseball. Strange...

- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick picks the Cubs to win the NL Central and answers fans questions.

- OnMilwaukee.com interviewed Gabe Kapler.

- The Brewers are unlikely to trade for a starter, at least this early.

- If you want to relive the awful weekend, read this Sporting News piece.

- A poster at Chuckie Hacks asks at what point is Yost (and the rest of the coaching staff) to blame for the hitters not hitting and the pitchers not pitching.

- BrewersNation and Brew Crew Ball look to the future.

- Brewers Fanatics take a look at catching prospect Angel Salome's start to the season after returning from his suspension.

- Speaking of Salome, he checks in at #5 on the new BrewerFan.net Power 50, which was updated a few days ago. 

- Tom Haudricourt hosts a mailbag.

- Jim Abbott "truly enjoyed" his season in Milwaukee.

- MLB has sold some strange advertising over the years (remember the Spider Man bases?), and you can add this to the list.

- The Callix Crabbe story continues. The former Brewers prospect, taken in the Rule 5 Draft by San Diego, is playing with the Padres in Atlanta, where he lived and played as a teen.

- Here's a little more info on Miller Park's new "Tundra Territory" section.

- Could the Cubs be the third team in the NL Central (and third in MLB) to bat the pitcher eighth? Unlikely, but Piniella could see some merit in it for his club.

- Could Griffey be headed to Detroit? That's the latest rumbling involving Junior.

- Mark Cuban is still pursuing the purchase of the Cubs.

- What's worse than being a member of the Notre Dame football team? Being a member of the Cubs' organization after leaving Notre Dame... Needless to say, I can't stand Jeff Samardzija.

- And lastly, here's Jimmy Kimmel's take on the Tejada situation:

InReview Week 5

Week 3 Record: 2-4
Total Record: 16-15

Things I Like:
- Mike Cameron hitting three home runs and being under every fly ball to center
- Guillermo Mota's 4 innings of scoreless baseball
- Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder hitting over .300 this week
- Winning another Cubs Series
- Ben Sheets' RBI Double
- The first four innings...

Things I Don't:
- Innings 5 and 6
- Nashville last in the PCL North Standings
- Yovanni...poor guy
- Team as a whole hitting. 246
- Poor average with runners in scoring position
- Lance Berkman Destroying the Brewers
- Lance Berkman's uncanny resemblence to the freecreditreport.com guy


Numbers:

26: Major League Rank for the Brewers Batting Average

23: Major League Rank for the Brewers Pitchers ERA

T-11: Major League Rank for Winning %

7:0: Ben Sheets Walks his first start back vs. his second start

In the News (5/4)

Today's Game: Astros 8, Brewers 6

Record: 16-15, third
Games Behind Cubs: 2

What a crummy weekend to be a Brewers fan... They get swept in Houston, are only a game over .500, lose Gallardo for the year and were forced to DFA Turnbow. It's hard to feel good about the way things are going, but it is a long season, a lot can happen between now and September. The Brewers will have to rally after their off day Monday and start stringing some wins together.

- The Astros swept the Crew, capped off by a blown save by Gagne in a 12-inning loss. The Astros benefited from a number of close calls and a very tight strike zone for Gagne, but no one was making excuses after the game.

- Gallardo is likely out for the year. This is an enormous loss for the Brewers and their playoff/division title hopes. More HERE.

- Jim Powell calls the loss of Gallardo "devastating."

- Another Baseball Blog has a graphic photo of the nasty injury and says that it will only cost the Brewers two or three wins based on ZiPs Projections, but that the Brewers chances of making the playoffs fell from about 50 percent to about 25 percent.

- With the Gallardo injury, Bush is back. More HERE.

- Turnbow was designated for assignment and his days as a Brewer may be done. More HERE. 

- Turnbow's former teammates feel bad about his situation. I think fans do too. He seems like a good guy. Hopefully he straightens it out, whether it's for the Crew or another team.

- Speaking of Turnbow, apparently four teams are interested in trading for him. It would be interesting to see what the Brewers can get in return for Turnbow. As the article points out, the Brewers would probably have to pay some of the salary or take on a similar contract.

- The Brewers are down to 12 pitchers again after Joe Dillon replaced Turnbow on the roster. They had 14 only a handful of days ago.

- Parra still can't get through the fifth. More HERE.

- Villanueva has not been much more effective. More HERE.

- Hardy is slumping.

- The Cubs playing home games in Milwaukee? Maybe, according to this column:

"It appears inevitable that Wrigley Field will have to be closed for extensive renovations at some point in the next decade. The Cubs likely would share U.S. Cellular Field with the White Sox on the South Side for at last a year, although playing in Milwaukee apparently also is an option."

Personally, I'd like to keep Cubs fans out of Miller Park as much as possible, but I'd like to know what kind of a financial commitment the Cubs would have to make to the Brewers to make this happen.

- Hardball Times analyzes Ben Sheets.

- Could the Sounds' Mark DiFelice be an option if the Brewers need another starter? He's 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA and has struck out 25 batters in 17 innings without allowing a walk. Pretty impressive start...

- Matt LaPorta checks in from Nashville on his Baseball Digest Daily blog.

- Mat Gamel was the #1 Baseball America Hot Prospect for last week.

- Jim Powell says it was a tough weekend for the Brewers and their fans.

- The Brewers reportedly turned down the Rangers in talks about obtaining catcher Gerald Laird. Not sure why the Brewers would want Laird right now... The Rangers are also reportedly not interested in Turnbow.

- In more trade rumors, the Brewers will reportedly seek starting pitching.

- Damian Miller has turned down offers from the Yankees and Padres in recent weeks, but said he might return to Milwaukee if the Brewers called. "Milwaukee was the best three years I had in my career," Miller said. "That group of guys is great, as talented as they are and as ego-less as they are. That whole group of players is really special. Not only do they want to win, they want to do it the right way."

- The Junkball Blues has a suggestion for the rotation.

- The Crew Cast, Episode Five is now available.

- Former Brewer Jose Capellan was DFA'd. He's the same guy that decided not to report after getting demoted from Milwaukee to Nashville because he didn't feel he deserved to be sent down.

- As bad as this weekend was, at least no Brewers prospects attacked their teammates with a bat. The Pirates weren't as lucky.

- Cardinals Diaspora give us the Top 10 Reason the Cubs Suck. Hat tip to Chuckie Hacks.

Turnbow DFA

To complete the rags to riches back to rags story Brewer fans have witnessed the past few season: The Brewers designated ex closer Derrick Turnbow for assignment this morning.

Joe Dillon is to join the team in Houston tonight in Turnbow's place.

The Brewers have 10 days to either trade Turnbow, release him or (should he accept) demote him to Triple-A Nashville. If T-Bow declines, he would become a free agent. As the article indicates, a trade looks unlikely for this former All-Star due to both recent struggles his $3.2 million salary.

I'm not going on too much of a limb in predicting he'll be a free agent in the near future.

The reliever's tenure as a Brewer was a rocky one, chock full of tremendous ups and ugly downs. I'm sure he'll catch on somewhere, but doubtfully never as a closer again. Happy trails, Derrick.