This Week In Baseball 8/27-9/2

[NYU 0]

And Wagner now has three blown saves for the month of August. I don't consider that "unbelievably awesome." The home stretch is not the time to suddenly be blowing these games.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

And Wagner now has three blown saves for the month of August. I don't consider that "unbelievably awesome." The home stretch is not the time to suddenly be blowing these games.

 

According to the BP Playoff Odds, the Mets still have between an 83 and 89% chance of making the playoffs. The sky is not falling.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Wagner's given up runs in four straight outings, so maybe there's something physically wrong. It could just be a bad stretch. He went two months (June 15-August 18) where he gave up runs in one lone outing.

 

As for how he does it, yes that's important. A ground ball is 10 feet to either side and we're not having this discussion.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Baseball Prospectus and all these online "stats" counters don't take inton effects hot streaks or slumps. So I ignore them.

 

Wagner, before Game 1 of the Phillies series, said he was "shut down" for a "tired arm" but for this series was "ready to pitch" when he had to. That's why he went 2 today, he said he was ready 3 days ago and they never got to use him.

 

On Comcast, Sarge basically called Wagner a pussy and was all "TIRED ARM? EVERYONE'S GOT A TIRED ARM! WAGNER NEEDS TO SUCK IT UP."

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Besides, the Mets can't blame Billy Wagner for their failings. He didn't pitch the first three games and he was only a factor in this one because the Mets' pitchers gave up eight runs before he came in.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Baseball Prospectus and all these online "stats" counters don't take inton effects hot streaks or slumps. So I ignore them.

 

Wagner, before Game 1 of the Phillies series, said he was "shut down" for a "tired arm" but for this series was "ready to pitch" when he had to. That's why he went 2 today, he said he was ready 3 days ago and they never got to use him.

 

On Comcast, Sarge basically called Wagner a pussy and was all "TIRED ARM? EVERYONE'S GOT A TIRED ARM! WAGNER NEEDS TO SUCK IT UP."

Because hot streaks and slumps are only as good as your next start. Ask the Yankees and Red Sox about hot streaks.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Baseball Prospectus and all these online "stats" counters don't take inton effects hot streaks or slumps. So I ignore them.

 

Actually, Baseball Prospectus has three types of postseason odds reports, including PECOTA and ELO adjusted odds. They absolutely do adjust for current hot streaks, slumps and the upcoming strength of schedule.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I want to wish Tim Hudson and John Smoltz the best of luck this weekend in Atlanta.

 

Phillies lead the NL in Come From Behind Wins now.

 

I thought it was neat that the "Met Killer" Pat Burrell (41 hrs!) and "Phillie Killer" Jeff Conine (every clutch hit ever) were in the game today at the same time against each other.

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

Its time for the Mets offense to do their best imitations of General Sherman!

 

BURN DOWN ATLANTA!

 

Well, at least our bats are showing up.

 

Can someone tell me why its 7:33 on 8/30 and the entire Met pen is still in tact? IF the Mets make it to the playoffs (and that has now gone from when to if) it does not look pretty with Sele, Sosa, Schoenweis, Mota and Erin Heilwoman (Feelings! Nothing more than FEELINGS...) as your bridge to Wagner.

 

A new reliever had better be in Atlanta by the time the postseason rosters are frozen, and I'm not talking Humber and Pelfrey either.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Soriano came back too soon.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Soriano came back too soon.

Showed up at 2pm for a 7pm game? That can happen at Wrigley.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Interesting, they just showed a fun clip on Comcast.

 

Minutes after losing a crucial game to the soon-to-be-Wildcard-Winner Houston Astros in late 2005 (Phils fans remember THAT game), then-Phillies closer BILLY WAGNER was asked in the locker room what he thought led to his troubles:

 

"It's because I SUCK (yells) and I don't have any pickoff moves."

 

 

[mike546 0]

Do the Indians really have no better options than Joe Borowski? How does he have 35+ saves?

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Fuckin' Joe Borowski.

[Hawk 34 0]

That was a pretty cool ending to the Reds-Pirates game with Phillips bare handing the ball from the outfield to throw out the runner preventing the tie.

[Brett Favre 0]

He's like a poor man's Todd Jones.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Some good news for Philly fans. Scott Mathieson should return next week from Tommy John surgery.

[mike546 0]

Rick White instead of JJ Putz?

 

haha.

 

This is like the 3rd time this week I've seen him in an important spot for the M's.

 

edit: Indians win!

[Bruiser Chong 0]

It's not a Cubs' win unless Ryan Dempster takes years off your life before nailing down the save. What a close call. Finally some breathing room between the Cubs and the rest of the division.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Congratulations to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees for clinching the International League North division.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

The Brewers basically handed that one to the Cubs. Kevin Mench swinging at the first pitch, with two outs, after the pitcher had just walked in a run was unbelievable. Kind of fitting for how the Brewers have been going, though.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

As comical as this question is, I mean it to be as serious as it can be. Teams like the Redskins, Devil Rays, Indians, etc. have gotten shit for their team name or mascot, for being "un-PC" or whatever. Have the Brewers ever gotten shit for advertising alcohol, especially in a kid-friendly sport like baseball? Has Bernie Brewer ever had groups picket?

 

I would find it funny, just wondering if crazy things like that happened in Milwaukee. I can see "Redskins" being an actual derogatory name, I suppose, not Brewers.

 

Bernie Brewer, along with the Phanatic, has gotta be my favorite baseball mascot. The worst being the Arizona Diamondbacks mascot - uh, a bobcat.

 

Nothing will touch Atlanta Braves' 1980's mascot "Chief Noc-a-Homa", though, and his giant teepee in the park.

 

Awesome thing I found on Wikipedia:

 

In 1970, the Brewers were still a new team and were having difficulty drawing spectators to their games at Milwaukee County Stadium. In late June, a 69-year-old fan named Milt Mason decided to sit on top of the scoreboard until the team could draw a home crowd of 40,000. He was there for about 40 days. When 44,387 people finally heeded his call and attended a game on August 3, Mason was welcomed back down and he became the original Bernie Brewer.

 

Bonnie Brewer:

 

Bonnie is part of the Brewers' "Retro Fridays" promotion at Miller Park, incorporating the traditional base sweeping as well as dancing the Polka with Bernie on Bernie's Dugout during the fans' singing of The Beer Barrel Polka in the seventh inning stretch.

 

Miller Park sounds like the coolest baseball stadium ever and I am now planning to drive there early next season.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

As comical as this question is, I mean it to be as serious as it can be. Teams like the Redskins, Devil Rays, Indians, etc. have gotten shit for their team name or mascot, for being "un-PC" or whatever. Have the Brewers ever gotten shit for advertising alcohol, especially in a kid-friendly sport like baseball? Has Bernie Brewer ever had groups picket?

Not to my knowledge. Also, bear in mind Coors Field and Busch Stadium, which nobody seems to mind. I know they did sort of downplay Bernie Brewer when they moved to Miller Park, but I don't recall any serious objections to their name. (There have been teams called the Milwaukee Brewers going all the way back to the turn of the century, by the way.) I guess Bud Selig and the long-bungled Miller Park project were the bigger fish to fry. (On a Friday, naturally, in Wisconsin, hey.)

 

The win tonight really makes last night's loss sting. A sweep would have ended Milwaukee's season, pretty much. Now they're still hanging around. I'm glad Murton hit that home run, but he sure worked hard to nullify the goodwill by failing to field a ground ball to right (when you're a right fielder that can neither field NOR hit, whaddya doin' here?) and swinging at a pitchout.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Coors Field and Busch Stadium I didn't mention because a character like "Bernie Brewer" is obviously a cartoon-looking icon that attracts attention from kids. So I thought that was rather interesting.

 

I'm take my mascot talk to a new thread, though, unless we have one.

[Guest rullmar]

Is the D-Backs mascot supposed to be a snake. I'm sure that would go well.

 

The bobcat made more sense when their stadium was Bank One Ballpark (nicknamed the Bob).

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

I'm take my mascot talk to a new thread, though, unless we have one.

It failed.

 

Beer and baseball just go together. I just don't think anybody has bothered to object. Certainly not in Milwaukee. If they were the Chewers, I think there'd be some controversy, and that's a perfect segue into mentioning that Vinnie Chulk has to completely and immediately eschew tobacco products forever or else his fingers will need to be amputated, due to a rare circulatory disease that develops from tobacco use. This guy's on a train hurtling headlong into The Land Of Cautionary Tales.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Busch Stadium was named before a Busch brand of beer existed. Originally new Cardinals owner August Busch Jr. wanted to rename Sportsmans Park "Budweiser Stadium," but MLB officials nixed the idea. Of course given that we now have Miller Park and Coors Field, monetary rewards have trumped other concerns.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/Yaxd

 

Billy Wagner throwing over 40 pitches in a game. As you can see, he had only done it twice in the last five years.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Yeah, I've never heard of anyone seriously complaining about the Brewers' link to beer or the brewing industry. I do think they try to downplay the connection to an extent. At the old County Stadium, Bernie Brewer would slide into a giant beer mug. Now he just goes down a generic spiral slide. Also, the original Brewers logo was a beer barrel man, of all things.

 

The beer mug. You can see what must have been a nearly completed Miller Park in the background: http://www2.jsonline.com/sports/brew/image...g/chalet814.jpg

 

The beer barrel man: http://www.onmilwaukee.com/images/articles...wers_barrel.gif

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

(There have been teams called the Milwaukee Brewers going all the way back to the turn of the century, by the way.)

Wow, all the way back to 2000? Amazing.