No Glory Blog: Let's Go 2014 Texas Rangers!

The Unlikable Cinderellas

So, went to the game last night. Because I have a chance to watch the Brewers in person and on TV I get to hear the Pirates broadcast team discuss their opinions of Tony Plush and the Crew in general. Walkie was unwilling to see anything more than first-round exit for the Crew. Blass went on and on about how bad T-Plush is for baseball, blah, blah. (And as a side note, as a long time defender of Pirate broadcasts, I'd never noticed how bored and uninterested they sound until I'd gotten used to Brewer broadcasts. Ueck talks about things other than the game but they are entertaining... not two boring people scratching for something, anything, to talk about.)

Nobody likes to get beaten. Nobody likes to see people enjoying it when you get beaten. Though, everybody enjoys it when they win or their team wins so there's a funny thing here about what the line is about appearances. More often than not when someone has a problem, it's because they are white and the person in question is black. That's just a fact.

There is so much for the national mainstream media to like about the Brewers. A small-market team taking their one shot. A team of all-out hustlers. You should have seen Braun crashing into the wall full-speed with a 7-run lead to try to catch a home run or Fielder diving all over the field. A team of guys having fun and engaging the fans. Morgan threw every ball he could into the stands. He and Braun had a great time tossing it back and forth at the end of an inning.

Where is all the consternation coming from. They can't all be Cardinals fans. The Cardinals -- a "classy" team with the "world's best fans" who know the proper respect for baseball. They properly keep their DUIs and other skeletons in the closet.

This Sports Illustrated cover story is getting them national attention and national ire. Would I hate Plush if he weren't on the Brewers? I don't think so. I never did before. Jason, who went to the game with me last night and is a Pirates fan says he likes to see people enjoying themselves and being entertaining. Who doesn't?

Anyway, it was great being at the game. It wasn't the best game. I've never seen a 7-run inning before. It was cool to see Prince's 100th rbi. It was odd to see Hairston come in as a defensive sub and push Plush to left. It was great seeing Josh Harrison's first home run. It was great hanging out with my former co-workers Jason and Wayne. And, speaking of Strange Brew, got to get Wayne to see that movie!

Doubleheader in Pittsburgh Day!

Plus, Narveson is back. And F-Lop was DFA'd to make room. I called it. Just sayin'.

I'll Give Roenicke Credit for One Thing...

Dude sticks by his players. Just brought in K-Rod with a 2-run lead one day after melting down against his old mates. I hope it's loyalty and not stupidity.

I Love Baseball Oddities

5-1, the red-hot Crew over the Mets through 4. Chris Capuano has 7 strikeouts and 3 walks against his former mates and has only given up two hits: a 2-run homer to Braun and a 3-run homer to Big Prince. Every baserunner has scored. Love funny stuff like that.

Battle of the B-Teamers

So, while it's awesome to think about how well the team has done without Rickie in the lineup, obviously everyone wants to see him get back soon. Also, I love utility guys! It's fun seeing a bunch of guys contributing in different ways. It's a lot more fun NEVER SEEING THEM IN ANOTHER GAME EVER. Obviously someone has to get voted off of Brew Crew Island. Who's it going to be?

Craig Counsell 2B/SS/3B
Current OPS: .433 (ouch)
True Average: .175
Pecota TAv Projection for 2011: .233 (ie improvement expected)
Intangible Positive: Super-Popular Guy who just had bobblehead day. Two-time World Series hero.
Intangible Negative: Already had bobblehead day

Jerry Hairston Jr. 2B/OF
Current OPS: .367 (for the love of)
True Average: .265 with Washington, .137 with Milwaukee
Pecota TAv Projection for 2011: .241 (should improve)
Intangible Positive: he was traded for, can play CF ok, pulling down $2M, should improve
Intangible Negative: Fans don't care

Felipe Lopez. 2B
Current OPS: .446 (why are all these guys on the team?)
True Average: .207 with Tampa Bay, .202 with Milwaukee
Pecota TAv Projection for 2011: .251 (should improve.. then again, Pecota sucks)
Intangible Positive: He was traded for
Intangible Negative: Can only play 2B. His nickname is F-Lop.

Josh Wilson. SS/2B
Current OPS: .739 (finally someone with 46 chromosomes)
True Average: .193 with Arizona, .285 with Milwaukee
Pecota TAv Projection for 2011: .221 (shut up, Pecota)
Intangible Positive: Shoahtstop. That's the best position they is. Started the big triple-play from 2B with a glove flip
Intangible Negative: Waiver-trash.

My decision is... F-Lop is the one to go. No positional flexibility. Hasn't distinguished himself and that's Rickie's base!

The Little Things That Help You Win Ballgames

I never heard (or saw for that matter) a triple-play live as it happened before. That changed this morning as I listened to last night's game. I know technically it isn't "live" but since it's all new to me, I don't see why it's a problem. I was just thinking about Josh Wilson. First, how I groaned to hear his name in the lineup. Second, how I was appreciating him faking out Matt Kemp to keep him at second base on Juan Rivera's hit... faking getting a throw from the catcher while the ball went into the gap.

Then, he started another double-play and then Kemp took off for home only to be nailed by Big Prince at the plate. Big Prince has had some tough games defensively lately so it's cool to see him being alert and accurate.

It doesn't really feel like a triple-play though since it was mostly because Kemp tried to stretch a base, but I guess it still is, right? One play, three outs?

According to Uecker, George Bamberger on the triple-play: "That can really take you out of an inning in a hurry."

Ripping on Hall of Famers While Trying to Sweep the Buccos

Ueck: How's Robin-Aid going?
Robin Yount: Oh, it's going great. Things are going great at the State Fair.
Ueck: Going great for your wardrobe. It's not all going to charity, I can see.

Ueck: What else have you been doing?
Yount: Oh, I have been traveling a lot. I did four cities in five days last week: down to Cincinnati, up to Chicago, Cleveland, and then back to Milwaukee. The Brewers were on the road so I couldn't come to a game.
Ueck: So with all this traveling, what does your parole officer do?

Yount: So we did a lot at the State Fair with Robin-Aid to raise money for kids.
Ueck: I remember you driving a corvette around the track at the State Fair. Doing four or five laps, after hours, illegally.
Yount: I'm not convinced it was illegally. The gates were open.
Ueck: After you drove through them, sure.

It's both German Day and also Craig Counsell Bobblehead Day (in Lederhosen). Yount is talking about how he remembers when Counsell was a kid because his dad worked for the team. Ueck said, "People don't realize how long I've known Craig Counsell -- since he was a fetus. No one asks about that." Yount asked how he was as a fetus. "Small."

Talking about hitting Yount said that the split-finger fastball probably ran him out of baseball. He couldn't see it or hit it. But "fortunately most of those guys hurt their arms so they don't throw it any more."

Was Yount an off-speed or fastball hitter? "I liked it slow. The slower the better. Left-handed and slow. That's how I liked it."

Uecker said, "A lot of people don't believe me, and not to compare us as hitters, but I could tell the difference between a fastball and a breaking ball in total darkness. You see a fastball would raise a welt about four inches on me but a breaking ball just caused a bruise."


Thinking about the Buccos, it just seemed destined to happen that for once they were going to be buyers at the trade deadline, bringing in some fairly mediocre veterans in D-Lee and Ryan Luddite, that you knew they were going to start losing. Then they dropped 100 games in a row and now they'll just have to struggle to get above .500 for the season. It's kind of a bummer, but well who knows? They could get hot again. Charlie Morton is really putting it all together this year. I remember seeing good stuff from him on the Braves so I'm not surprised.

Anyway, why the heck did Hurdle take him out of the game? The Crew could do nothing with him. There was a dink base hit and a sacrifice bunt in the 8th. How does this imply that Morton lost his stuff? Anyway, tie game because of a lucky wild pitch.

Some Random Thoughts as Tonight's Key Brewers-Cardinals Game is Played

I haven't given up following the Crew. I've just been too busy to blog. But tonight, as I'm working a freelance job, I've got a front-row seat at the computer for the game.

8:28 pm. Shaun Marcum walks Corey Patterson on 4 pitches. This is going to end badly. Way to punish LaRussa for batting Corey "Historically Bad" Patterson second, ahead of Pooholes.

8:38 pm. Got out of it. I have a sick feeling Gerald Laird is going to do something hurtful. I hate Gerald Laird.

8:44 pm. Is it that big a deal to get a new phone from U.S. Cellular in "months, not years?" It's 10 months, which is pretty much a year. I don't buy phones but this doesn't seem like such a great thing to hang your hat on as a business.

8:46 pm. Uecker begins the Usinger's Sausage pitch.

8:46 pm. Uecker ends the Usinger's Sausage pitch. Then does some Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens/Roger Clemens jokes which fall flat. This is going to end badly.

9:02 pm. Thinking about grousing about the Marcum sacrifice to make the second out. I'm not sure if Corey Hart's two-run homer helps or hurts my point. 2-0 Crew.

9:03 pm. Joel Ryan just won 250 "fly bucks" from Frontier Airlines because Tony Plush doesn't know you're not supposed to make the last out at third. If the Crew makes the playoffs, Plush will either be rich for the rest of his life or be persona non grata for the rest of his career.

9:07 pm. Speaking of Frontier Airlines. They have two commercials. One of them, the Rabbit is urging the Lynx to throw the ball to him. In the other, the Rabbit tells the Lynx that none of them can throw because they don't have opposable thumbs. Inconsistent and unfunny.

9:17 pm. Strike three called on Pooholes with Patterson on second and two outs. I was just going to make a joke about how you can't get a strike on him if he doesn't swing. Nice, Marcum.

9:47 pm. Tony Plush just beat out a sacrifice to give Braun bases juiced with no outs.

9:48 pm. But Braun got jammed and sawed off and popped up on the first pitch. Kudos to Edwin Jackson. Kudos. Kudos. Then Big Prince smoked one but right to Shmoomaker also on the first pitch. Come on Casey!

9:50 pm. First pitch to Casey is the second almost wild pitch of the inning. Both were snatched up by Laird quickly while Marcum danced off the base. This time, Marcum is out off third and is limping now. Son of a!

9:56 pm. Now it's two on, no one out for the Cardinals. Hit and an(error)other hit. Like I didn't see this coming after the top of the fifth.

10:05 pm. Almost out of it and then Corey Freaking Patterson singles. Now it's Pooholes. I may make it an early night.

10:07 pm. Pooholes pop-up. 2-1 Crew.

10:21 pm. Lucroy plates Lopez with first base open and Marcum on deck. Thanks, Genius LaRussa. 3-1 Crew.

10:28 pm. Braun's 2-base error puts a man on third with no outs. 3-2 Crew.

10:35 pm. Gerald Laird ties the game and knocks Marcum out of the game. I totally called it. Wait, Marcum convinced Roenicke to stay in the game and apparently Edwin Jackson is staying in too?? 3-3 Crew.

10:48 pm. Seventh Inning Stretch. Braun's having a bad game. It happens. Still tied.

10:56 pm. Mr. Saito gets Pooholes. Still tied heading to the 8th.

11:00 pm. Big Prince isn't having a good game either. The only difference with Braun's game is that Prince's error was scored a hit. Ueck is calling out Baseball's Best Fans (tm) for all the vacancies. All the seats are sold but people sometimes don't go, unless there is a giveaway. Ha ha ha.

11:44 pm. Yuni-B makes an error right in front of Pooholes in the bottom of the 9th. But Latroy gets him. Free baseball!

11:52 pm. The Big Prince comes through finally and gets Morgan to third with one out. Come on, Casey!

11:55 pm. CASEY! Big opposite field double. 4-3 Crew.

11:58 pm. Yuni-B sac fly takes it up to 5-3 Crew.

12:07 am. Ax making it interesting. Tie run at the plate. Ryan Theriot. What was it Big Z said about Theriot? That he can't hit a fastball?

12:10 am. Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!