Predicting the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers

Every team in Major League Baseball has hope this time of year as Spring Training breaks and Opening Day is just around the corner. For Milwaukee's Brewers those hopes are tied to three main things. Those three things are simple. Firsts, it's the performance of Ryan Braun. Second, the overall health of the team, and finally the depth of their starting rotation. If things come out right in all three of those areas, the Brewers could be in the hunt for one of the two National League Wild Card spots and finish the season with 85 wins.

Let's first look at Ryan Braun. Back in January, I wrote that the Brewers needed Braun to be what the back of his baseball card says he is. Looking at the team that has come north from Maryvale Baseball Park, this couldn't be more true. If you read some of the projections in the fantasy baseball circles many are calling for Braun to be a shell of the player he was before last season when he missed 101 games between injury and suspension. I can't see that happening and his spring numbers show that. He hit a home run off the second pitch he saw this spring. he is motivated and primed to carry the team again. 

The key to him being able to do that is the second part of what will make the team successful: health. Last year from Braun, to Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez the Brewers had key parts missing lots of time and it showed with what the team did on the field. This season, Hart is gone and Weeks is in a platoon, so they are not as big of a part of this team. The others, however, are back in town and need to have solid years if the Brewers want to be impact players in the National League Central. Ramirez has looked like his old self in spring and has gotten over his knee injury from a year ago. Just like last year, though, it could come out of nowhere. For Gomez, he plays with such wreckless abandon, an injury is not out of the question every time he make a catch at the wall or a diving play in center field. 

Onto the starting pitching, where on paper, it would appear the Brewers have assembled one of their best staffs in recent memory outside of the 2011 team that won the NL Central. Yovani Gallardo will start Opening Day with Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza to follow, then Wily Peralta and Marco Estrada will round out the starting five. Lohse and Garza have shown flashes that they could be aces over the course of the last season while the youngsters in Peralta and Estrada will need to find consistency this season to cement their spots on the Brewers rotation. 

Some publications have had the Brewers finishing fourth in the division again and I could see that if things hold pat from last season when the the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates all made the postseason. Milwaukee does have the potential to push through and mix things up a bit. The first six weeks of the season could be telling with a hearty helping of intra-division games on the slate that could set things up for who will be in it in June and July. Last season, the Brewers stumbled in May going 6-22. To end the season eight games under .500, the team cannot afford to have that big of a set back if playoffs are going to be a possibility. 

PREDICTION

With the pieces the Brewers have this season and the chip on Braun's shoulder, this team can compete for a Wild Card spot and be 85-77 this season. Braun will have 35 homers and be in the MVP discussion. 

Top five Brewers storylines entering spring training

As the calendar turns to February today, it's serious time to start thinking about Spring Training. The Brewers don't report until February 15, but things are already building as to five key storylines to follow when the Brew Crew gets into Marvale Baseball Park outside Phoenix.

Topping the list of what to watch for is Ryan Braun. Simply, how will he respond to his lowest year as a pro and probably person? On top of the suspension that forced him to miss the final 65 games of the 2013 season, Braun battled injuries and missed almost 40 more games. As I wrote last month, it will be interesting to see how Braun responds to being back this season. Any offense the team missed last season can be addressed with a healthy Braun in the middle of the lineup. Things are going to get dicey on the road this season when opposing fans let Braun hear it.

Are the Brewers asking Braun to deliver MVP caliber numbers? Simply, no. They are just looking for production in line with the back of his baseball card. That would be in the area of about a .312 batting average with 36 home runs and 112 RBI.

Braun won't need to do too much if the first base position, No. 2 on my list of Brewers storylines to watch, delivers more than it did in 2013. First, the Mark Reynolds signing, then the return of Lyle Overbay, have shown that the organization realizes it's a need, but doesn't mean it will be a shining star this season. 

The team was banking on Corey Hart sticking around, and his absence will create a mix and match solution for the short term 

The third story to watch is the Rickie Weeks riddle. What will the Brewers do with him in spring training. These things have a way of working themselves out, but the Brewers have basically hinted they plan to trade Weeks and start with the season with Scooter Gennett at second base. An $11 million guy in a platoon seems a bit much for the Brewers to handle and they would probably like to pawn off some of that salary, but would need to open up the spot fo Gennett, if he delivers in Spring Training, too. 

Pitching seems to always be a need no matter the team and the signing of Matt Garza makes it less of one for the Brewers. The bullpen, however, does have plenty of unanswered questions. Most of those revolve around roles for those who will spend their time in front of Friday's Front Row Sports Grill at Miller Park. Jim Henderson is slated to start the season as closer, but the signing of Garza has bumped Tyler Thornburg to the bullpen as a possible set up man, along with the newly acquired Will Smith from the Royals in the Nori Aoki trade. Brandon Kintzler's name has been mentioned as a setup man, as he came through in that role at the end of last season. Rob Wooten saw time and shined last year, as well, so he should be back. Beyond those names, things are open for discussion. Do the Brewers take a look at Francisco Rodriguez once again (He is available)? Does a non-roster invitee like Zach Duke make the team?

How that plays out will likely decide the No. 5 storyline of the spring. What does the future hold for manager Ron Roenicke in Milwaukee? As I wrote this week, whispers are circling that if things don't end well this season for the Crew, Running Ron, the Brewers could part ways with him. Now I don't see that happening, barring a complete collapse, but that won't stop people from talking. Roenicke has shown at times he thinks way outside the box with his stealing of bases and bunt calls from guys who should not give up an at-bat, but those are marginal things. As a whole, he has not lost the clubhouse at all in his time here. The last two seasons, the team could have cashed out on the season and they came back to finish strong. That's a sign of something that should mean he sticks around for at least another year.

A couple others worth mentioning that just missed the list...

How do Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez follow up their breakout 2013 seasons?

Can Aramis Ramirez avoid a major injury this season and be a factor at the plate?

Will Jim Henderson, who had not closed Major League games before, be able to back up his 2013?

Can Kris Davis make it as an every day left fielder?

How will Ryan Braun fare in right field?

Who will hit leadoff?

Saturday will be a telling day in Roenicke era for Brewers

It might be hard to fathom, at first, but Saturday night's tilt with the Reds for Ron Roenicke and the Brewers will be very telling how how much the skipper, just one game into his tenure and his managerial career, has rubbed off on his team.
You would normally see the team take on some of its manager's qualities through the course of the season, but with the way Thursday's game unfolded, Saturday should have some signs all over it to show us how much the players are buying into Roenicke's formula as manager.
The game was going according to plan until the bottom of the ninth inning derailed everything and swung against the Brewers in Roenicke's debut. I know baseball players are programmed to forget what happened the day, but in the first game, with a new manager, with (maybe unfairly) high expectations surrounding the team, players have to know the skipper has their back.
As I wrote yesterday, Thursday was just one game of 162. From the players perspective, yes they had the spring to get used to their new manager, but at the same time still weren't in games that mattered. The off day today had to be spent at least having the conversation with Axford telling him he's still the guy. And telling Casey McGehee that he made the play he though was right.
For McGehee, Roenicke already showed him he had his back by coming out to argue the call. Something that makes him stick out even more after just one game as the manager. He was out arguing two calls Thursday. Something that maybe the previous manager of the team does not do. He showed he stood behind his players until the end.
Some will say he wasn't so stern after the game. Well, to that I say the game was over and in the game of baseball, it was already lost. Yes, it was a heartbreaker, but it was nothing to jump off a bridge over. As the guy leading the team, his demeanor, even at the Major League level, could be picked up by the players. If he's not too down by it all, they won't be down that much on the game and can move forward with the season.
The one thing about Roenicke that has stood out the most has been his transparency and honesty when asked about certain situations. He doesn't waste the media's time and was hardly putting on a sherade after the game Thursday after the loss. He truly was ready to move on. He will go back to Axford in the ninth inning. He did not dance around the fact that the baseline rule he went out to argue was too close to make a call. The umpire made a call and stuck with it. There was nothing more Roenicke could do.
The sun will come up Saturday morning, and the Brewers will play Saturday night. After being proven right with a couple moves that saw Carlos Gomez hitting second in the batting order and Wil Nieves catching on Opening Day, Roenicke can only hope to have that same magic for Game 2 of the season. This time, let's hope it lasts for nine full innings, not just 8 and a half.

It's late on a Friday night and the Nussie Hunter can only think about what the weekend holds. There are two great events going on, besides the Brewers games, in the Final Four and Wrestlemania. The WWE is known for having some of the hottest women in the world working for them. The Bella Twins are no exceptions. Just look at them. There's not only one, but two of them. Yes, I follow them on Twitter and they're funny, too. You can see more of them (and the rest of the amazing WWE Divas) on WWE.com, here.

Stepping back from the ledge after Day 1 of Brewers season

There were a lot of things to digest from the first Brewers game of the season Thursday. It's safe to say though, the one that sticks around the most was the sick-to-your-stomach feeling left after closer John Axford allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth to let what looked like a sure win, slip away.
Initially, yes, I was upset and disappointed. Yes, Axford has had a rough spring and this outing only adds to the chaos that has been his month of March. I am a little concerned, but following how he handles himself, I'm confident he can work out of it and get back on track.
What I don't understand are the people who automatically jumped off the proverbial bridge calling Axford washed up and putting him in the same sentence as Derek Turnbow. It's one game people. Yes, he got some pitches up and gave up a big home run (how odd does a shot to right field look to a right-handed hitter?), but this is 1/162 of the season. It's hardly the end of the world.
Now, it sounds like I'm being a tad hypocritical, but think about it for a second. Yes, I was encouraged by what Yovani Gallardo was able to do on the mound in his six solid innings. The top five spots in the order all got hits for the Brewers (while only Wil Nieves got a hit for the rest of the order). Rickie Weeks had a home run (as the first Brewer to lead off the season with a homer) and a double. Ryan Braun was on base four times and was absolutely crushing the baseball. All of that is great. But I'm also not thinking they are all amazing.
Axford will tell you he has room to improve. Heck, so will Kameron Loe, who gave up a homer himself, and so would Casey McGehee, who was part of a wild play that kept the game alive for the Reds in the ninth. But, those guys have earned a few chances and I'm confident their overall body of work for this season will be very solid and this will have just been a bump in the road.
Don't get me wrong, getting this win would have been great for the Brewers psyche. After going 3-11 against the Reds last season, the Brewers desperately need to turn things around against the team that won the NL Central last season and has plans of doing it again this season. Going into their stadium on Opening Day and playing as convincingly as they did for 8 and a half innings would have had to send a bit of a message to the Reds.
Baseball isn't like football where you can live and die with every game. This one will have to be nearly forgotten and put in the rearview mirror for the Brewers. The best part of it all is, there's a game Saturday and Sunday, giving them a chance to put it behind them and move on. That's what makes this game great.
Please, put your jump to conclusion mats away people!!!


With Opening Day upon, that has to mean Wrestlemania is very close, too. In fact, it's Sunday. It's one of those things you have to take in every year and appreaciate the entertainment that is WWE. It's so good. This year, Shawn Michaels is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. I have to think he is going to have a hand in keeping the Undertaker undefeated at Wrestlemania. Here's more of the brainchild of Vince McMahon in photos from the good folks at Sports Illustrated.

Time to jump right into the Nussie Hunter portion of today's post. I was checking out Coed Magainze today and came across a Nussie I probably should have known sooner. Her name is Rali Ivanova. She's a Twitter star, judging by the amazing TwitPics she posts. So much so, the good folks at Coed posted a TwitPic gallery of hers. Damn! Here's a sample and you can check out the rest, here. Oh, and don't forget to check her out on Twitter. I just followed her!

Fan dos and don'ts with Opening Day around the corner

Opening Day in Major League Baseball is now mere hours away and fans all across the country are amped up for the day. The whole experience of Opening Day is an event in itself and brings out fans to the ballpark who may not normally attend the game, or do so on this day in a different fashion than what they are used to.
On the heels of the Wilber's Way Brewers and MLB season preview yesterday, that has led me to put together some dos and don'ts for Opening Day. It's a day that seems like Amateur Hour with random fools passed out in their seats or in the parking lot before the game starts.

DO
1. Do attend a tailgate and do partake in grilling sausages and drinking adult beverages (only if you are of age, of course).
2. Do get in before first pitch if time permits. It's your first time back at the stadium in at least six months. Miller Park has a new scoreboard and is worth the time to take it in and get used to it. Take in your surroundings and get settled. Plus, both teams are fully introduced on Opening Day. It's a great time to give an extra hand and make noise for your team.
3. Do say hi to your Beerman. If you have season tickets, you likely see the same people around you all season and they will most likely be back this season. Say hi, make a purchase and don't forget to tip.
4. Do buy a media guide. It's a nerd bible, and the Opening Day edition is something that chronicles who was on the team to start the season.
5. Do stay for all nine innings. You haven't seen the team play in close to six months so why not hang around with your friends and take in all of the action. Who knows, you could witness something special.

DON'T
1.Don't drink yourself stupid before game time. Baseball is what brought you out, don't forget to enjoy that, too!
2. Don't "lose your cookies" inside the stadium. It is a sacred place and you ruin the party for not just you, but those around you. This goes with No. 1.
3. Not use your ticket. Every year I hear of fans who spend the entire game in the parking lot, drinking. You paid for that ticket into the great place that is Miller Park, don't waste your money!
4. Don't leave your seat to return to the tailgate if the game is closer than four runs before the eighth inning. I know Opening Day is a party, but don't make it seem like the tailgate is the real place to be and the Cathedral is not.
5. Start or take part in the wave. It seems like the drunkest guy is the one always starting the wave. This isn't a Badger football game, it is no place for the wave. This rule applies for ALL games after Opening Day, too.

The Brewers are in Cinncy and should play Thursday if the weather man is right. I'm hoping to get home and have a recap of Game 1 of 162.

Not sure if you saw this yet, but it's the latest YouTube sensation. Pretty sure these twins are having a conversation only they can understand. Gotta love it. So good.


Now for the Nussie Hunter portion of the program. Had to pour over a few things to find this one, as to not keep harping like Ron on the same few Nussies. Coed Magainze was good enough to bring us Katelynn Ansari. I'm pretty sure she's not related to Aziz, but she might be a tad more memorable. Take a look for yourself below and check out more of her, here.

Roenicke makes Brewers starting rotation official

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke made the least shocking of official news today, naming Yovani Gallardo as the Opening Day starter on March 31 against the Reds. It was a move that made the most sense after Zack Greinke went down with cracked ribs and will miss 2-4 more weeks of the spring and also what would have been his first three starts of the regular season.
As Adam McCalvy quoted Roenicke on Brewers.com, the team didn't lose ITS ace, it lost one of its aces and Gallardo is worthy and willing to step in. Things could also work out where Gallardo also starts Opening Day at Miller Park on April 4. But, at the moment that is looking like that start will go to Chris Narveson, who was tabbed to be the No. 5 starter before the injury.
As I wrote back in January on Examiner.com, splitting up the lefties would help keep the opposition off balance and would also split up Greinke and Gallardo. The move to have Gallardo start Opening Day at Miller Park would set that up down the road when Greinke returns and also break up Randy Wolf and Narveson.
As Roenicke told Tom Haudricourt this morning, the Brewers are not too concerned about splitting Wolf and Narveson up as many would think because "they are not the same prototype pitcher." That makes sense. Either way, the team will have to decide on who fills in as the No. 5 starter then on April 5 or 6 against the Braves with a rotation of Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Wolf, Narveson.
There is a chance Gallardo will start April 4 at Miller Park on regular rest, but judging by what Roenicke told reporters he thinks Narveson is up for the home opener, it would seem unlikely he would budge from that stance unless something changes and Narveson isn't ready. The guy won 12 games last year and this would be a be shot of confidence for him to pitch on a big stage.
Right now that is looking like it is a battle between Mark Rogers, Willy Peralta and Amaury Rivas. All have question marks, but would just be spot starters.
There are some already hoping Rogers pitches well and then forces the Brewers hand to keep him in the rotation. The truth on that matter is, as was noted this morning by fellow Brewers blogger Big Rygg at Brewers Nation, Rogers has Minor League options and would no doubt be sent down in favor of releasing Manny Parra or Narveson regardless of how well he pitches.
SHADOW OF DOUBT
Of course, with all of this shuffling going on and things not setting up exactly how Brewers fans and everyone around MLB pictured the start of the season, comparisons are already being drawn to the 2010 Seattle Mariners, who traded for Cliff Lee before last season began.
Lee suffered an injury in March and missed time at the start of the regular season, too. That makes Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal put some of the pieces together and say the Brewers could be set up for a failure. Rosenthal touches all the bases in his story though and says there is a big difference in the Brewers in that they kept their offense in tact while making big pitching acquisitions. The Mariners certainly did not and could not hit at all last year. Obviously the Brewers are not perfect, but I'm feeling pretty good about the starting rotation once Greinke returns, and the offense. If the bottom of the order can pull their weight and the bullpen can hold up their end of the donkey, that would just leave the defense as an are that needs to perform. All three are concerns from Rosenthal and rightly so. It's one of those things we'll have to watch develop over the course of the season.

Moving on to some viral goodness today. Not sure if you've seen Blake Griffin in a video as Mars Blackmon. Yes, this Mars. (Yes, I love these and just wanted a reason to post it.)

This video for Griffin is him toting USC tight end Jordan Cameron who is in the NFL Draft. It's actually pretty funny and was put together by the people at SI.com. It must not make anyone worried like a non hoops player playing ball like it does for us Brewers fans as Cameron dunks ball after ball. I guess he's not playing against anyone, so it's OK.



Ash Wednesday was yesterday. It is the start of Lent and a very big religious time of year. That in itself isn't very funny. But when my man Pee Wee Herman comes by the Conan Show, hilarity ensues. His entrance is great on its own. Haha.


Now to the Nussie Hunter portion of today's broadcast. I was looking for another newcomer and came across Australian Siobhan Perekh on Gunaxin. She was a 2005 FHM model search and even became a playable character in a video game. Let it be known, though, she wasn't wearing this in the game. Check out more photos here.

Reuniting with my summer fam at Opening Week at Miller Park

There they are. Two tickets that to some are tickets to a big party that surrounds a baseball game. But to me, those were two tickets back to my summer home to meet up with my summer family. I know it's been just over a week since the games so I won't rehash the results, but I just wanted to give all of the people that made the last week, which saw me hit four games in six days, so much fun. Oh and the games were pretty good too!


I have to start with Opening Day. My hangout spot for the last two-plus seasons has been Slim McGinn's and that's where it started again this year. This time with AJ and Jackie and Matt. As I do almost every year, a new member of the group gets added and it was no different. That's what makes it so enjoyable. I joke that I spend the day with 45,000+ of my closest friends, but it seems like most seem to become part of my festivities anyway. So while I am a huge baseball nerd, it's as much about the people as it is the games.


That was Monday. Tuesday I got a call that the man who I get my tickets through was making his first regular season appearance at Cathedral and had two seats open for me. That's RJ. He's famous on these pages and damnit I can't not mention him here. Big hat tip to him. That was a blast, plus Lori is now part of the fam. She has done well in "The 223" and posed a question Sunday night that will surely become a topic for a future blog.


Wednesday was a chance to skip out of work for the second time in a week to get in a game and I wouldn't have picked another person to spend it with. As I write this Vaughan is in Montana as he is moving to Washington, but before he left he took in some games with Wednesday being his last. It started a little rocky, but Trevor helped send him off in style and he got his win to hold him over until he and his girl Amy return in August. It was good to see big brother happy.

I had to take a couple days off and didn't return to Cathedral until Sunday. As you can tell, I was a little excited to get my first bobble of the year to join my collection. Bernie Brewer fits right in at the office.


I kept telling you it was about friends coming to the games  and a new friend is Angela (her first shout out on The Way!). She's admitted to me she's not that big into sports, but she was there for three games last week. She had only been to one all of last year, so she somehow worked through them. I think she enjoyed herself. And heck, she went 3-0 in her visits to Cathedral and even got a Bernie Brewer bobble of her own to show off. And if you don't see your picture here, don't worry. I didn't forget about you. And yes, you matter. I just ran out of room. That just means we need to hit another game together!


So all-in-all, after the first week, I'd say it's great to have the Brewers back. If only they could straighten Doug Davis out and work through this Jeff Suppan nonsense this week, they could be off to an even better start. I'm not worried about Prince pulling through and getting into the swing of things, nor am I ready to call Trevor done after blowing two saves over the weekend.
All of you fans on the ledge, remember we are just seven games into a 162-game season. Some of the trends are worth noting, but not panicking just yet. So settle down!

I know this blog was all about the friends, but I can't not have a Nussie Hunter feature. So, why not feature May's Maxim cover girl. Arianny Celeste has been featured here before, but this Maxim shoot is ridiculous. Yeah, she looks great. I'll have some big MMA on these pages in the next couple of weeks as my boy Urijah Faber gets in the cage to try to take back his WEC Featherweight title April 24. Enough of me babbling, take a look for yourself. There's more photos here.

The day is finally here... OPENING DAY!

 The day has finally arrived! Yes, Opening Day is here! It has to be one of, if not the one day I look forward to the most of any of the 365 each year. I've gone in person to the last three and it's more than just baseball why I love this day.
It is the official start of spring to me and most of us here in Wisconsin. That's the first reason. I know the first day of spring was March 21, but without baseball and the boys of summer playing at 1 Miller Park Way, it's not official.
The second reason is baseball. I'm a sports nerd - you are reading my sports blog, after all - so when my hometown team arrives and starts the season, I'm going to get jacked.
Third, the people. Have you seen Fever Pitch where Ben Wrightman has a whole other family every summer? That's what is is like for me. I have an extension of friends that I've met going to games and see them throughout the summer. We talk baseball, life, and anything worth talking about over drinks and a brat. Yes baseball delivers conversation. That's why it is so great. It has built-in time to build up for a moment when a player could deliver the big home run or strikeout.


Now that I've told you why I love Opening Day itself, let's talk about the game I'm going to see tomorrow afternoon (And here's my proof!). Yovanni Gallardo has been handed the ball and will make is first MLB Opening Day start. Ken Macha kept it under wrap for a bit, but it was made official last week. He has shown he is the ace of the staff and deserved the nod.
There is another question mark not yet defined and that is the starting right fielder. Corey Hart's struggles in spring have been chronicled. So much so that in Friday night's exhibition game at Miller Park those in attendance who think they know what the team should do rained the boo birds down on the Beermakers' 6-foot-6 right fielder. What did he do to show the pundits? He went 4 for 6 and raised his batting average 49 points. I'd say that's hearing the whispers and showing them what's up.
There are some other big questions surrounding the team. Namely the pitching pieces added this winter making the team better and getting them back into the playoffs. Here's the story in today's Journal-Sentinel that breaks them all down.

While we're answering questions about the season, I need to go on record and make my season predictions for the team I invest most of my summer emotions into.
I've been doing some thinking about this, about how many wins I'm expecting out of this team. I love the addition of Rick Peterson to the coaching staff. He's going to help the pitchers exponentially.
I like Randy Wolf and Doug Davis to the pitching staff and the depth Manny Parra and Chris Narveson.
Moving J.J. Hardy allowed for Alcides Escobar to take over at shortstop and should add speed to the lineup and keep the same defense J.J. had.
Even the catchers on this year's team are an upgrade offensively. Gregg Zaun and George Katteras have played great this spring. I don't put all my eggs in the spring stats basket, but it shows potential and I like it.
With that said, the Cardinals are the team to beat again this year. And with everything I've read, I'm on board with that notion. I'm in disagreement about the rest of the Central. I'm thinking the Brewers have a shot to get the No. 2 spot in the standings.
Does that put them in the Wild Card hunt? I'm not sure. I really like what the Braves have. I'm thinking the West is down in the NL this year meaning the Central and the East should provide the Wild Card.
I'm not counting the Brewers out of the race, but I'm thinking it's going to be hard for them to get more than 85 wins this season with the youth in the batting order in Carlos Gomez and Escobar. Also, I'm expecting some hiccups from Casey McGehee this year. Not a lot, but some should be coming. He hit under .200 all spring. So maybe it's coming.
My prediction is 82-80 and falling just short of the playoffs. If Jim Edmonds is called upon to play right field and can turn on some of his Angels or Cardinals magic, that could get pushed.

While I'm on Opening Day talk, let's talk about a new opening that has just come up. It's with Kim Kardashian. Just found out she's newly single and is strutting her stuff. Take a look a the gallery here with some amazing photos of her in a bikini. Here's a great sample! Now it's time to rest for baseball!

The myster of the No. 5 starter gets clearer

Finally, things start to get a little clearer. With today's news the Brewers put Jeff Suppan on the DL for the next 15 days, the mystery that is the Brewers fifth starter is getting a little clearer.
Dave Bush got named the fourth starter Monday, leaving lefties Chris Narveson and Manny Parra.
That question might have gotten a little clearer yet Tuesday with both of them pitching. Narveson pitched today and extended his shutout streak to 12 innings and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the process. I'd have to say he's showing he belongs in the rotation.
Parra pitched two shutout innings today, following up Narvey against the Angels. Here's Tom Haudricourt's story from the J-S.
With all that, I'm not sure which way the Brewers are leaning. They don't have to make a real decision until April 15 when that fifth starter has to pitch. I'm not sure that is a good idea. I'd almost say go with the hot hand and let Chris take the ball and let everyone know he's it. In the meantime get Manny ready to come in from the Pen. He needs to be coddled mentally and needs that support. Why drag him along and let him get all mind kcufed like he did at times last year? That would be my move. Plus they'll need him ready when and not if one of the original five goes down with injury and misses a start. Hopefully they won't be out long, but not everyone will make every start. That's just the percentages.
Give Narvy the ball!


While we're on the subject of the pitching, the rotation, aside from the No. 5 starter was named Monday. And Yovanni Gallardo will be pitching Opening Day. He'll be followed up by Randy Wolf, then Doug Davis and Bush in the No. 4 spot.  I'll be honest, I'm really liking those four. Add Narvy to that mix and I'm pretty confident in all five going out and getting the job done. We'll have to see when the season starts who gets hot and throws well, but they've given me a bit of confidence most of the spring. Wolf looked vary sharp in his last outing (I saw it on FS Wisconsin).

Speaking of the Opening Day starer, the Brewers unveiled a handful of commercials today and I must say they are pretty dope. MLB.com doesn't allow for embedding. Let me know which spot you think is the funniest and best. I really liked the Prince one and the pitchers playing darts one. You'll see. Here's the link.

On a subject of pitchers. I really like Randy Wolf. He's got a bit of a following. And I'm considering becoming part of it in Section 223. Could you imagine this? Oh yeah. It could get fun!


And now to your favorite portion of the broadcast. Yep, the Nussie Hunter. Keeping with the baseball theme, it's Alyssa Milano. Nussie Hunter said he really liked this picture. Well, it's a hot chick in a Cubs hat. Wait, that's Alyssa. Damn. If that's the only thing wrong with her, I might be able to over look that. Haha.
Either way, here's Alyssa.

Pssst, new posts are coming!

I know I've been away for awhile here on the way. Consider it a vacation, while I go write for that "other" Web site.
But the end is near with a crazy time of year for me. And man, it couldn't come soon enough. My favorite time of the year is coming. You guessed it, baseball season.
That means, that view you see right up there! Yes, RJ, there is a Santa Claus and he LOOOOVES baseball! T-minus 12 days to Opening Day! Can you believe it's almost here? Me neither!

That's why I'm so excited!
Well, it may be 2006 Ms. Australia getting ready for the new "season," if you will, of Wilber's Way. She's pumped, and so am I. I'll have a new post Monday. I promise this time! Have to count down to Opening Day. Got a lot of things planned!