SB Nation - Tim Dillard

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:38:02 -0000

Craig Counsell slides right into the projected 2010 roster.

Some things to read while she digs for her phone.

It's finally time to back off the comments about Randy Wolf not wanting to be here. Wolf said all the right things in his introductory press conference yesterday, and now actually appears happy to be a Brewer. Jen Lada was also at the press conference, and tweeted four quotes giving a nice feel for Wolf and the organization's excitement to have him.

The Brewers also announced Craig Counsell's new deal yesterday (FanShot). Counsell will earn $2.1 million next season along with some playing time incentives. The Bucky Channel says moves like this one are "crucial when trying to make a smaller market team a contender." Fire Doug Melvin is fine with the move, as long as Counsell doesn't take playing time away from Mat Gamel.

With Wolf and Counsell officially on board and LaTroy Hawkins (physical on Wednesday) and Claudio Vargas (physical on Friday) expected to be added by the end of the week, Adam McCalvy notes that the Brewer 40 man roster is about to be full, which might mark the end of any major Brewer moves in free agency. Two notes on that:

If you're still waiting for the Brewers to sign another starting pitcher, odds are you'll be waiting for a while. Adam McCalvy said Doug Melvin probably regrets comments he made months ago suggesting the Brewers were looking to sign two starters.
Secondly, the 40 man roster may be full, but it's a "soft" full. Room could almost certainly be made by outrighting new acquisition Luis Cruz or Tim Dillard, who would most likely go unclaimed at a time of year when no one has many 40 man spots to spare.

The roster crunch was one of the reasons cited for non-tendering Mike Rivera. Brewed Sports isn't too happy with the decision, and also notes that non-tendering the team's lone returning catcher pokes a hole in arguments used to support starting Jason Kendall last season.

Speaking of crowded situations, you can add David Riske to the list of pitchers to pencil into a bullpen spot to start the season. Doug Melvin said Riske expects to be ready for spring training (FanShot). That's bad news for Chris Smith, Chris Narveson, Zach Braddock and Chuck Lofgren, among others, who now may be fighting for one roster spot. If Mark DiFelice hadn't gone down, they'd all come to Maryvale on the outside looking in. A lot can happen between now and then, of course.

And speaking of Chris Smith, Brewerfan.net asked someone from the Brewer organization to verify some of their option info, and discovered that Smith doesn't have any options left. Obviously, Smith wouldn't be a major loss, but it's possible someone would claim him if he were available.

Meanwhile, we reached the final conclusion of the Mike Cameron era in Milwaukee yesterday, as he agreed to a two year deal with the Red Sox (FanShot). Cameron's strikeouts and one memorable dropped fly ball made him a polarizing talent as a Brewer, but most advanced metrics seem to agree on his significant value, and you'll rarely hear anything negative said about him as a teammate and clubhouse presence. If you missed it last night, Jordan has a goodbye post for him.

How lucky are the Brewers to have Ryan Braun? I think we occasionally forget how rare it is for a player to have an impact as immediate as his in the major leagues. Braun hit the second most home runs of any major leaguer in their first 162 games, and also collected the tenth most hits, making him the only player to appear on both lists.

Speaking of luck, Braden Looper's 14 wins last season made him the most unlikely winner in major league history.

Another day, another new poll for our BCB All Decade Team. You have until 4 pm today to select a catcher, and until 4 pm tomorrow to select our final starting outfielder. So far Damian Miller and Geoff Jenkins are leading those votes, respectively.

After looking at the candidates at catcher, I'm starting to wish I had gone this route instead: Camden Chat has an All-Awful lineup for the 2000-2009 Orioles.

And actually, speaking of awful: Rob Neyer has a ranking of the Top 100 players of the 2000's, and while former Brewers CC Sabathia (#25), Mike Cameron (#36), Ray Durham (#71), Jose Valentin (#88) and Corey Koskie (#92) are on it, Prince Fielder is nowhere to be found.

Around baseball:

Angels: Signed Hideki Matsui to a one year, $6.5 million deal.
Astros: Re-signed outfielder Jason Michaels to a one year deal.
Blue Jays: Signed catcher Ramon Castro to a one year, $1 million deal.
Mariners: Signed catcher Eliezer Alfonzo to a minor league deal.
Marlins: Signed pitcher Clay Hensley to a minor league deal.

Of course, the biggest transaction "announced" yesterday appears to be far from done, and may take several days to be made official: A three way deal would send Roy Halladay to the Phillies, Cliff Lee to the Mariners and prospects to the Blue Jays. You might recognize this trade as one several bloggers mocked Ken Rosenthal for suggesting over the weekend. I guess he knows something after all.

Happy birthday today to 2005-2006 Brewer Rick Helling, who turns 39.

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:51:04 -0000

by Keith Birmingham - AP

Another day, another picture of Randy Wolf.

View full size photo »

Some things to read while making your pitch to Gatorade.

It's been roughly 24 hours since we were told the Brewers were "very close" to a deal with Randy Wolf, but said deal has yet to materialize. Both Tom H. and Buster Olney are saying the Brewers are expecting a response today, now that Arn Tellem has had a day to shop the offer around, but reportedly hasn't found anyone willing to match it. Other notes on Wolf:

Tom H. says he "gets the feeling that the Brewers are suprised that Randy Wolf hasn't accepted their three-year offer yet."
Jayson Stark heard that the Brewers' offer to Wolf was bigger than the three year, $28 million deal the Braves recently gave Tim Hudson.
Jon Heyman tweeted that the Mets don't appear likely to land Wolf, and while MLB Trade Rumors lists them as showing interest in five other pitchers, Heyman says the price of mid-level pitching might drive them to spend a little more in pursuit of John Lackey.
The Junkball Blues has a look at the average return teams get on three year contracts to starting pitchers. There are some good ones (Greg Maddux, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett), but also some disasters (Adam Eaton, Jason Schmidt, Carl Pavano).
Jorge Says No! wonders about the wisdom of offering Wolf a third year, but says the Brewers' willingness to do it implies they don't think they can sign Prince Fielder to a long term deal.

By the way, over two months ago Jorge Says No! predicted Wolf would get three years, $31 million on the open market. Impressive.

I feel the need to clarify my position on the Wolf rumor a bit, because I feel I was a little hard on the front office in this one act play last night. I still don't think Wolf wants to play in Milwaukee, which is why Arn Tellem has spent the last 24 hours searching for anyone on a coast willing to match the Brewers' offer. With that said, I'll give credit where credit is due to the front office for finding the guy they wanted and being aggressive in an attempt to get him here. If it turns out that the scenario I laid out is true and Tellem was just using the Brewers to raise the price for someone else, so be it. At least we're talking about the Brewers making an effort, and not hearing the reasons why they can't.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are close to a deal to bring Claudio Vargas back for another season, and are just waiting for formal acceptance from Vargas and his agent (FanShot). Conversation on the deal is probably complicated a bit by the fact that Vargas is currently in the Dominican Republic pitching in winter ball.

They're also expecting an answer sometime today from Craig Counsell, who may or may not be seeking a two year deal for next season. It sounds like Counsell and his agent spent the day yesterday checking out other options. Don't be surprised if a deal gets done relatively quickly.

Ken Macha told reporters yesterday that Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra are the only pitchers guaranteed a spot in the Brewer rotation next season, implying that Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan will have to compete to earn an opportunity (FanShot). Open competition should be good for all involved, especially if the Crew manages to bring in some high-upside pitchers to compete.

Tom H. has all of those notes (and a terrible headline) in his roundup piece today, along with this note: The 40 man roster is starting to fill up, so don't be surprised if the Brewers decide not to take a chance on a Rule 5 pick in tomorrow's draft. I think that's a poor decision. Among others, Tim Dillard and Luis Cruz could probably pass through waivers without much notice. Passing on a cheap lottery ticket to protect one of those guys doesn't seem to make sense.

In the minors:

Project Prospect has a look at the speed of several Brewers who recently performed in the Arizona Fall League. Jonathan Lucroy appears to be in about the middle of the pack, while Taylor Green rated out way on the low end. They mustn't have had enough data to publish a ranking for Lorenzo Cain.
Angel Salome will be the next Brewer prospect to head out for winter ball: He's reportedly leaving at the end of the week to play for Este in the Dominican League. You can keep up with him and all the Brewer winter leaguers in our Winter League Updates.

We're continuing the effort to put together a BCB All Decade Team, and if you haven't cast your first votes yet, there's still time. Voting at first base will remain open until 4 pm today, and voting at second base runs until 4 pm tomorrow. Check back later today to vote for a shortstop.

Around baseball:

Braves: Designated outfielder Ryan Church for assignment.
D-Backs: Acquired pitchers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy in a three way deal that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees and outfielder Austin Jackson and pitchers Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke to the Tigers.
Mets: Signed 1B/3B Mike Hessman to a minor league deal.
Nationals: Signed outfielder Jerry Owens to a minor league deal.
Phillies: Signed Ross Gload to a two year deal.
Pirates: Are expected to sign Bobby Crosby to a one year deal.
Tigers: Signed catcher Robinzon Diaz, who was recently released by the Pirates.
Twins: Designated Boof Bonser for assignment.
White Sox: Signed Mark Teahen to a three year, $14 million deal, avoiding arbitration.
Yankees: Will receive the #1 pick in tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft as the PTBNL in the Brian Bruney trade.

Meanwhile, ~~Gritty von Canthitalick~~ Jason Kendall continues to search for work, but there's more suitors than you might think: The Rangers are reportedly strongly considering Kendall, now that Jarrod Saltalamacchia injured his shoulder playing winter ball. The Royals have also expressed interest.

From surprising news to what might possibly be the week's least surprising news: John Lackey is having a hard time finding a team willing to offer him a six year deal.

Actually, this might be the most surprising news: Kudos to the BBWAA for their decision to allow Sean Forman of Baseball Reference to join their organization.

We could have used this days ago, but Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has a guide to deciphering sources in Winter Meeting rumors. Again today, the meetings provide us with some things you might never have known without the internet, and wouldn't have missed:

Michael Tucker, who hasn't played in the majors since 2006, is in Indianapolis and wants to play next season.
Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson heard about a trade offer the Diamondbacks made for him and was offended by it.
C. Trent Rosecrans gave the Meetings' Best Hat Award to Manny Acta.
Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian gives us a look at the hotel lobby, complete with Christmas tree.
Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com had to step away from the meetings for a moment to help his mom figure out the TV.

On this day in 1977, the Brewers traded pitchers Jim Slaton and Rich Folkers to the Tigers for Ben Oglivie. The 29 year old Panama native would spend the last nine years of his career as a Brewer, hitting .277/.345/.461, leading the AL with 41 home runs in 1980, and appearing in three All Star games.

Happy birthday today to:

Doc Medich, who made the final ten starts of his major league career for the 1982 Brewers, and turns 61.
Ed Romero, who spent parts of eight seasons as a Brewer in the late 70's and 80's and later served as a minor league infield coordinator and manager. He turns 52.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some snowblowing to do.

Drink up.

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:40:04 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

I'm hoping we'll have a picture of Rick Peterson without a Mets hat soon.

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Some things to read while earning your cat-holding privileges.

The Brewers made Rick Peterson's hiring official yesterday, and he immediately turned his sights to Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra.

Peterson also tweeted about his new gig, and was welcomed into the fold by Seth McClung (more on McClung later today). Miller Park Drunk also welcomed Peterson, and started him off with a cheat sheet on Brewer pitchers.

Now, perhaps the Brewers will get started on the task of acquiring some pitchers for Peterson to coach. Dave Cameron of USS Mariner has the Brewers trading J.J. Hardy to the M's for Brandon Morrow, and Matthew Pouliot of Circling the Bases has a hypothetical trade sending Prince Fielder to the Red Sox for Jacoby Ellsbury and Michael Bowden. Meanwhile, over in Speculationville, Roguejim wonders if J.J. Hardy might be a fit for the Pirates.

Could Jody Gerut end up as a bargaining chip in a trade? Amazin' Avenue lists him as a player who may be undervalued this winter due to a low BABIP in 2009. Gerut posted a .230/.279/.376 line last season, but hit a much more respectable .272/.341/.447 in August and September.

Wherever pitching help might come from, there doesn't appear to be much of it on the horizon in the minors. Baseball America has their final minor league pitching leaderboards up, and the only Brewer mentioned (Evan Frederickson) is among the leaders in a category you don't want to lead (walks allowed). Frederickson, a sandwich pick in the 2008 draft, walked 82 batters in 97.1 innings for Wisconsin this season, and has posted a 5.22 ERA in the minors.

Perhaps Josh Butler will be the exception, though: After playing all over the minors and in the majors this season, Butler is blogging from the AFL (FanShot) His first post covers his wild season, AFL teammates, food and weather.

We've covered the list of reasons why Felipe Lopez should be offered arbitration and the opportunity to return, but Miller Park Drunk has the counterpoint: the list of reasons why Lopez doesn't fit into the Brewers' plans and will almost certainly not be back.

Around baseball:

Braves: Pitchers Buddy Carlyle, Jorge Campillo and Vladimir Nunez have been removed from the 40-man roster and will become free agents. (h/t Rowland's Office)
Mets: Released reliever Ken Takahashi.
Pirates: Reliever Chris Bootcheck rejected an outright assignment and is now a free agent.

Because of the arbitrary nature of the cutoff line for Super 2 players, there's good news for the Diamondbacks and bad news for the Giants today. Slugger Mark Reynolds fell three days short of the service time required to be a Super 2, will not be arbitration eligible and will remain under team control for four more seasons. Tim Lincecum, on the other hand, was over the cutoff by about a week and will be arbitration eligible this offseason.

Three managerial vacancies remain, but at least one team has eliminated Ned Yost from contention: The Indians are believed to be conducting second interviews with four candidates, but Yost is not one of them. Manny Acta is the only finalist for the Indians' job that is also a candidate for the Astros' job.

Over the last few seasons, baseball has shifted heavily toward emphasizing young players and prospects, but here's a reminder on the importance of not looking too far ahead: Lookout Landing has a list of 44 players who appeared for the Mariners in 2008. Less than two full years later, only ten of them are still with the organization. Things can change pretty fast.

Livan Hernandez spent the end of the 2009 season with the Nationals, and despite the fact that he's long past the prime of his career, he'll likely be looking for work again this offseason, because he needs the paycheck. Hernandez reportedly has serious financial issues that could lead to the foreclosure of his home in Miami.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that the postseason has had some pretty exciting games and interesting storylines, the top story once again is terrible umpiring, and a call Big League Stew is calling "the worst call of all time." I keep hoping that maybe, someday, Major League Baseball will be shamed into action on this issue, and do something to either correct inept umpires or put effective umpires in their place. It's likely a pipe dream.

I've spent a fair amount of time lately discussing the Arizona Fall League, partly because there's not much baseball being played lately but also because I find it fascinating. If you're having a hard time getting into it, maybe you should check out Geoff Young's look back at the 2001 AFL, which featured a bunch of future productive major leaguers...and Bill Hall.

Speaking of prospects and development, Derrick Goold has a nice conversation starter about age as it relates to prospects, and when one becomes too old to be considered one (h/t BBTF). In last year's Community Prospect Rankings, we ranked a couple of older players (Brad Nelson and Tim Dillard), and I'm guessing Adam Heether might sneak into this year's list as well.

Finally, this link isn't really baseball related, but I'm dropping it in today because I think it's important, and if you or someone you know coaches youth or high school sports I hope you'll read it: Driveline Mechanics has a look at overtraining in high school sports and its consequences.

Happy birthday today to Gabe Gross, who posted a .797 OPS over 2+ seasons as a Brewer and turns 30 today, and to Franklin Stubbs, who was virtually worthless as a Brewer and turns 49.

Drink up.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:31:31 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

Trevor Hoffman still doesn't untuck, but it's nice to see him celebrating a Brewer victory anyway.

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Some things to read while getting your MST3K fix.

Today's biggest news is, without question, the health of Corey Hart. After complaining of abdominal pain during Saturday's game and again on Sunday, Hart left the clubhouse before yesterday's game and ended up having an appendectomy in San Diego last night. Hart will be placed on the DL and is expected to miss a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Michael Street of Baseball Digest Daily wonders if losing him might be the last straw for the Crew.

Hart will be replaced on the roster by Bill Hall, who returns to the team after just a few days in AAA. Hall was 4-for-8 in AAA entering play yesterday, but went 0-for-6 with a walk and three strikeouts in a doubleheader last night. Hall and Frank Catalanotto are expected to platoon in right field while Hart is out.

At least one Brewer starting pitcher on the DL is getting closer to returning: Dave Bush threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday, and could head out on a rehab assignment as soon as the end of this week. Jeff Suppan, meanwhile, is complaining of "fatigue" in his strained oblique muscle when he throws. He's not expected to miss much more than 15 days, at any rate.

With Bush and Suppan still out, the Brewers made one minor move at the trading deadline, picking up Claudio Vargas from the Dodgers in exchange for Vinny Rottino. There's plenty of reaction from all over the web on that move:

Gordon Edes of Yahoo listed the Brewers as a trade deadline loser.
Right Field Bleachers notcied Tim Kurkijian's disappointment with the Brewers as well.
John Sickels of Minor League Ball says Vargas has more value than Rottino.
Rottino and the Brewers parted with no hard feelings. Rottino will be assigned to the Dodgers' AA team.
Tim Dillard was returned to AAA to make room for Vargas on the roster.
Over at The Hardball Times, Jeff says that, if Doug Melvin was going to acquire a stopgap fifth starter, he at least should have acquired one he hasn't had before.

Here's the first few paragraphs of Anthony Witrado's story on Vargas from this weekend:

The last time Claudio Vargas was in a Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse, he was packing his belongings and trying to figure out what had just happened to him.

That was during spring training last year right after Vargas, who wasn't pitching poorly, was released by the club because, get this, they had an abundance of starting pitching.

How times have changed.

Actually, after two slow-moving appearances where Vargas allowed four baserunners and two earned runs in 1.1 innings of work, maybe times haven't changed that much at all. It could always be worse, though: The Brewers could sign Sidney Ponson, who was recently designated for assignment by the Royals and surfaced in Speculationville.

The Brewers managed to win just one of three games over the weekend in San Diego, and are digging themselves a pretty deep hole in the NL Central:

Cool Standings gives the Brewers a 7.6% shot at making the playoffs.
Adam McCalvy noted that the Cardinals are on pace for 88 wins, and the Brewers would have to go 37-21 (36-21 following yesterday's win) down the stretch to reach that mark.
Vegas is giving the Brewers 50-1 odds of winning the World Series.

With that said, Tyler Maas has ten reasons to keep watching the Brewers down the stretch.

As the Brewers pitching continues to struggle, the calls continue to come for Bill Castro's head, but Drew Olson of OnMilwaukee.com says firing Castro would be the wrong decision.

Prince Fielder made some very impressive defensive plays over the weekend, but still came in 15th of 16 NL first basemen in Baseball Digest Daily's defensive rankings. The good news for the Brewers: Craig Counsell finished first among second basemen.

In the minors:

Alcides Escobar has missed a few games recently to attend to a family matter. I've heard his wife is giving birth to a child, but don't have a source to confirm it. He's expected to rejoin the Sounds tomorrow.
Escobar ranked eleventh on Jonathan Mayo's list of baseball's top 50 prospects. (h/t Larry Stone)
Mat Gamel ranked 13th and Alcides Escobar 24th in Project Prospect's Top 25.

With Friday's trade deadline, it's been a busy weekend on the transaction wire:

Blue Jays: Placed reliever Scott Downs on the DL with an injury to his left big toe.
Braves: Acquired Adam LaRoche from the Red Sox for Casey Kotchman.
Giants: Placed outfielder Andres Torres on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Indians: Designated relievers Winston Abreu and Mike Gosling for assignment.
Mariners: Designated first baseman Chris Shelton for assignment.
Marlins: Acquired Nick Johnson from the Nationals for a minor league pitcher and placed Burke Badenhop on the DL with a sore neck.
Mets: Designated Robinson Cancel for assignment.
Orioles: Placed pitcher Brad Bergesen on the DL with a bruised shin.
Padres: Released Mark Prior.
Rangers: Placed Ian Kinsler on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Rays: Signed reliever Jeff Bennett and added him to their 25-man roster.
Red Sox: Acquired Victor Martinez from the Indians for Justin Masterson and two minor league pitchers.
Reds: Acquired Scott Rolen from the Blue Jays for three minor leaguers and traded Jerry Hairston to the Yankees for a minor league catcher.
Rockies: Acquired Joe Beimel from the Nationals for two minor leaguers and placed reliever Juan Rincon on the DL with elbow stiffness.
Tigers: Acquired Jarrod Washburn from the Mariners for Luke French and a minor league pitcher.
Twins: Acquired Orlando Cabrera from the A's for a minor league shortstop.
White Sox: Acquired Jake Peavy from the Padres for Clayton Richard and three minor league pitchers.

Some parents pick their children's names out of baby books or name them after relatives. Not everyone does it that way, though: Here's the story of how the parents of Astros rookie Bud Norris got his name off a beer can.

On this day in 1997, Jeromy Burnitz hit a pinch hit home run for the second straight day. The Brewers lost both games to the Mariners.

Happy birthday today to Justin Lehr, who pitched in 39 games for the Brewers in 2005 and 2006 and turns 32 today.

Drink up.

Padres 11, Brewers 7

KLSnow — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:03:53 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

Kyle Blanks is congratulated after dropping the Brewers back below .500.

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W: Edward Mujica (3-4)
L: Tim Dillard (0-1)

HR: Will Venable (3), Kyle Blanks (5)

MVP: Prince Fielder (+.204)
LVP: Tim Dillard (-.357)

I stayed up all night for this?

This game looked like it'd be a fun one for the first few innings. Braden Looper allowed a first inning run to the Padres, but the Brewers responded with seven runs in the top half of the second, their highest-scoring inning of the season. Looper, however, couldn't hold the lead, and gave up his 25th and 26th home runs of the season (setting a new career high), allowing the Padres to close the gap to 7-6. Tim Dillard followed Looper to the mound and poured gasoline on the fire, allowing three runs in the sixth while retiring just one batter.

The second inning was a nice offensive explosion for the Brewers, but it could have been much better. With the bases loaded and no one out, both J.J. Hardy and Jason Kendall struck out, and the entire inning would have been negated if not for Looper's two run single that sparked a rally. In an inning where the Brewers sent 13 batters to the plate, Hardy made two outs, both with the bases loaded.

Prince Fielder reached base his first four trips to the plate and went 3-for-4 with a double and a walk for the Brewers, scoring a run and driving in two more. Amazingly, in a game where the Brewers scored seven runs, Corey Hart was the only other Brewer with multiple hits.

Adam Dunn Hits A HR Out Of Miller Park. Mike Rizzo On Way Out As DC GM? Washington Nationals Beat The Milwaukee Brewers, 8-3 Final.

Ed Chigliak — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:31:16 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

4 months ago: Washington Nationals' Adam Dunn hits a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 28, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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HEADLINE: Where Were You When Adam Dunn Hit One Out Of Miller Park?

Nyjer Morgan hit the second pitch of the game to right for a solo HR, his 3rd of '09, and an early 1-0 Washington Nationals' lead. Milwaukee Brewers' right fielder Corey Hart doubled and scored to tie it at 1-1 in the home-half of the second, and for a moment it looked as if the unlikeliest pitcher's duel of all time was about break out between DC right-hander Collin Balester and Brewers' reliever/starter Carlos Villanueva. Then Adam Dunn stepped to the plate in the fourth...

...Villanueva started the Big Donkey with a fastball waaay inside, and then went outside with a 1-0 heater to Adam Dunn that was generously called a strike, but Villanueva's third fastball was just right and it...got...launched...Dunn hit one so far it actually left Miller Park, through the open windows and down the walkway beyond centerfield. It was measured at 445ft, but that has to be where it first bounced. Adam Dunn's 26th HR of '09 puts Washington up 2-1, and three singles and three fourth-inning runs later the Nationals are up 5-1 over the Brewers. Cristian Guzman puts any hope of a comeback out of reach with a 3-run blast in the top of the eight, and DC right-hander Collin Balester earns his first win since August 26, 2008.

Nationals win, 8-3 final.

• "Game 100, by WPA" -- Doghouse.

• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

• Check Out The SB Nation's Brewers Blog: Brew Crew Ball GameThread.

BACKPAGE:

• Mixed Signals About Mike Rizzo...DC GM Rumors Continue, My 2 Cents.

• 4th Straight For The Second Time

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...

Nationals now 32-68.

BACKPAGE:

• Mixed Signals About Mike Rizzo...DC GM Rumors Continue...

I wrote the other day about, Baseball Prospectus' writer Will Carroll's, tweet regarding the Washington Nationals' GM job, where Mr. Carroll wrote:

"Hearing that Nats offered GM job to someone and got turned down. Rizzo should have that job already, but if true, sets up weird winter."

The only mention of Washington's continued search for a full-time GM that I could find at the time was in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's 7/23/09 interview with Nationals' "principal owner" Mark Lerner entitled, "Q&A with Nationals owner Mark Lerner", where Mr. Lerner was quoted stating:

"We have a responsibility to conduct a proper search for both positions, (Manager and GM) and that may entail going beyond our own gates. We will not be rushed or pressured into a decision that so significantly affects our future. In the end, whoever is appointed manager and general manager, they will be the best."

Now, according to SI.com's Tom Verducci's the search is narrowing, as Mr. Verducci writes, in the "Quick Notes" section of an article entitled, "Halladay will be traded, and Philly's a perfect fit now", that an anonymous source tells him:

"Arizona director of scouting and player personnel Jerry DiPoto has emerged as a frontrunner for the Washington Nationals general manager job..."

Wow, that's pretty specific? Mr. DiPoto's name, of course, comes up in any discussion of an open GM position, along with Tony LaCava's and Kim Ng's, so this isn't too much of a surprise, but the timing, considering the franchise should be focused on two important approaching deadlines is certainly odd...Will Mike Rizzo be able to make any deals before Friday? Will the Nationals actually name a new GM mid-season? If not, why are these rumors surfacing now?

And why can't DC just keep Mike Rizzo?

• 4th Straight For The Second Time

The Washington Nationals' win last night over Milwaukee gave DC's favorite baseball team their fourth straight victory, and their sixth win in the last eight games. The four wins ties the Nationals' longest win-streak of '09, of course, which you all know was set from June 17th-20th when Washington beat New York twice in Toronto twice in four consecutive games. The Nationals have now won 6 of their last 8, and they're arguably playing the best baseball they have this season, with the exception, perhaps, of their 6-1 run in early May, when they took two at home from Houston and three of the next four in LA and Arizona. A win tomorrow, and DC's got the longest win streak of '09. Mock vs Parra, 8:05 pm EST.

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At Milwaukee Brewers. Game 100 Of 162.

Nyjer Morgan takes a fastball from Brewers’ righty Carlos Villanueva deep to right, down the line, and it...stays fair, HR!! Leadoff HR by Nyjer Morgan and it’s 1-0 Nationals. Cristian Guzman grounds out to second. Ryan Zimmerman grounds to third, Milwaukee third baseman Casey McGehee throws to first, but too late. Infield single. Adam Dunn grounds to first, Prince Fielder fields and throws to second, J.J. Hardy and back to first double play...Felipe Lopez K’s on three pitches, taking an 0-2 curve from DC right-hander Collin Balester that surprises everyone. Mike Cameron gets a 2-2 bender inside and he watches it break in for strike three. Ryan Braun grounds out to short, and it’s one scoreless in the books.

Josh Willingham grounds out to short, J.J. Hardy makes the play. Willie Harris works a one-out walk in front of Alberto "The General" Gonzalez. Gonzalez K’s swinging through a fastball. Wil Nieves K’s on a 1-2 curve fron Villanueva...Nyjer Morgan sprints over then waits for Prince Fielder’s line drive out. Collin Balester gets a grounder from Casey McGehee to third, Zimmerman stabs it and throws to Dunn at first. Balester hangs one to Corey Hart, who doubles to left with two down. J.J. Hardy gets a hanging curve from Balester, and he doubles to center, Hart scores to tie it. 1-1. Jason Kendall grounds to Zimmerman, Zim throws a little wild to second, but Alberto Gonzalez makes it work.

Collin Balester pops out to start the third. Nyjer Morgan almosts beats out a routine grounder to second, almost. Cristian Guzman singles through second with two down. Ryan Zimmerman chops one straight down, Villanueva fields and throws to first to end the Nationals’ third...Balester get the opposing pitcher to ground out. Felipe Lopez singles to center to start the Brewers’ third. Mike Cameron grounds to third, Ryan Zimmerman to Alberto Gonzalez to Dunn, double play.

Adam Dunn takes a low fastball deeeeeeep to center and OUT OF THE PARK!!! Seriously, it left the confines of Miller Park. SHAKE N BAKE!! SHAKE N BAKE!!! Adam Dunn’s solo shot makes it 2-1 DC. Josh Willingham and Willie Harris hit back to back singles. Alberto Gonzalez pops out behind second. Wil Nieves pops up to short right, Corey Hart sprints in and slides, but can’t make the catch. Willingham scores from third, 3-1 Nationals. Collin Balester gets a sac bunt down to move both runners into scoring position. Nyjer Morgan clears second with a line drive to right for a two-out, two-RBI double, 5-1 Nationals. Morgan steals second, but he’s stranded when Guzman grounds out...Ryan Braun backs Willie Harris up to the track, where he makes the grab. Prince Fielder lines to the right center, and into Nyjer Morgan’s glove. Casey McGehee flies out to Willingham in right.

Tim Dillard takes over on the mound for Milwaukee and gets a groundout from Ryan Zimmerman for the first out of the frame. Adam Dunn walks and takes second when Josh Willingham lines a single over short. Willie Harris takes four straight. Bases loaded one out for Alberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez grounds to third, McGehee to second, Felipe Lopez to first, double play...Balester gets a fly ball to right from Corey Hart. J.J. Hardy grounds to Cristian Guzman’s backhand, and the throw to first gets by Adam Dunn. E:95"? Nope, a hit. Jason Kendall flies out to Nyjer Morgan in center. Balester drops a cruel two-strike curve on the opposing relief pitcher, and Dillard K’s.

Nieves grounds out to start the sixth. Collin Balester hits a 10-hopper back up the middle for a one-out single. Nyjer Morgan sends a high-hopper to second, Felipe Lopez fields, steps on the bag and fires to Fielder, double play...Ryan Zimmerman has his glove low, and he snatches a grounder from Felipe Lopez and throws to first, in time. Mike Cameron pops up foul of first, Dunn makes the catch. Ryan Braun get hold of a 2-2 curve, and it’s 5-2 Nationals after Braun launches one to left center. Prince Fielder grounds out to Alberto Gonzalez on the outfield grass in right, The General throws to Dunn to end the sixth.

Dillard’s back for the seventh. Cristian Guzman draws a leadoff walk. Ryan Zimmerman’s groundout was productive at least. Adam Dunn gets the intentionals to bring up Josh Willingham, who lines out to center. Willie Harris grounds to first, Dillard takes Fielder’s toss and steps on first...Casey McGehee flies out to Willie Harris in left. Jason Bergmann gets a ground ball toward third from Corey Hart, Bergmann makes the play. J.J. Hardy rips a double over third that Zim can’t get to. Jason Bergmann gets Jason Kendall to K chasing a 93 mph heater.

Dillard again in the eighth and he gets a fly ball to left from Alberto Gonzalez for the first out of the frame. Wil Nieves walks with one down. Ronnie Belliard gets a pinch hit chance and single over short. Two on for Nyjer Morgan. Dillard gets a sinking fastball under Morgan’s bat for a swinging strike three. Cristian Guzman lifts a fastball to center and GONE!! Off the top of the wall for a three-run blast!! 8-2 Nationals...Logan Kensing walks the first batter he sees, Craig Counsell, but gets a fly ball out to center from Felipe Lopez. Mike Cameron grounds to third, Zimmerman to Belliard to Dunn, double play.

Trevor Hoffman walks Adam Dunn to start the ninth. Josh Willingham takes the second straight free pass. Willie Harris flies unproductively to right. Alberto Gonzalez flies out to center. Hoffman’s taken out, Mark DiFelice takes over against Wil Nieves. Nieves flies out to Corey Hart...Ron Villone comes on to close it out. Ryan Braun starts the frame with a triple off the wedge in the wall and by Austin Kearns. Prince Fielder slices one toward third, Braun scores as Zim throws Fielder out. Casey McGehee grounds out to short. Ron Villone gets Corey Hart swinging, and it’s over. Nationals win, 8-3 final.

Nationals now 32-68.

Nationals 8, Brewers 3

KLSnow — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:53:19 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Corey Hart misses a ball hit by Wil Nieves during the fourth inning.

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W: Collin Balester (1-1)
L: Carlos Villanueva (2-8)

HR: Ryan Braun (21), Nyjer Morgan (3), Adam Dunn (26), Cristian Guzman (5)

MVP: J.J. Hardy (+.143)
LVP: Carlos Villanueva (-.299)

Win Expectancy Graph
SBNation Coverage

Carlos Villanueva's first start wasn't a total loss, as he allowed a leadoff home run to Nyjer Morgan, then settled down before beginning to tire and allowing four runs in the fourth with an assist from Corey Hart, who dropped a sliding catch attempt that could have led to a double play.

He was followed to the mound by Tim Dillard, who had a similar outing, walking the tightrope and surviving situations with runners on in the fifth, sixth and seventh before surrendering a three run home run to Cristian Guzman in the eighth. All told, the two had the following lines:

Villanueva: 4 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Dillard: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K

But, both were outpitched by Collin Balester, who picked up his first win of 2009, allowing just two runs on five hits and no walks in six innings. The Brewers only managed seven hits in the game but three of them came off the bat of J.J. Hardy, who had two singles and an RBI double, and two came from Ryan Braun, who tripled and homered.

How it might have gone: The interviews for today's starting assignment

KLSnow — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:50:24 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

This season can't get much worse, right? Well, maybe it can. I just wrote a one act play starring Ken Macha.

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I don't have clubhouse access at Miller Park (and after writing this, I'll probably never get it), so for now we'll have to settle for this imaginary job interview with Ken Macha (KM), Carlos Villanueva (CV) and Tim Dillard (TD).

KM: Gentlemen, thanks for coming today. As you know, we need a starting pitcher for tomorrow night's contest and I've decided to wait until the last minute to announce one. A starting pitcher's job is an important one, mainly because he's responsible for getting outs. Tim, can you get outs?

TD: Well, I haven't been given a chance to do it at the major league level in 2009, but I've been recording a lot of outs in Nashville. I've already recorded 118 innings in AAA and posted a 3.66 ERA. In my last start I retired 24 batters on 65 pitches.

KM: Those are insignificant outs. Carlos?

CV: I'm having trouble with outs lately. I've given up 18 hits and five walks (.463 OBP) to the last 49 batters I've faced, and a lot of those non-outs are being hit for extra bases, as my 1.310 OPS against might suggest. I've allowed an earned run or more in four of my last five appearances, but after recording just two outs in three previous games, I've recorded 12 in my last two.

KM: Our bullpen is exhausted because our starters can't seem to remain effective past the fourth inning. Carlos, how many innings can you give me?

CV: I haven't pitched more than three innings in a game since July 4 of last season, and haven't thrown more than 56 pitches in an appearance since throwing 83 last May, in a game where I allowed five earned runs in four innings. On top of that, I pitched an inning in relief on Friday, so I'd be going on three days rest. I can maybe go three innings.

TD: I pitched eight innings on Wednesday, and have gone six innings or more in eight of my last ten starts in Nashville. I've gone eight innings in three of my last six starts. I can go at least 5-6 innings and save the bullpen a bit.

KM: (mumbles something about preferring track records of major league mediocrity over unproven minor leaguers.) Tim, can you do an impression?

TD does his Ed Sedar impression.

CV: I've been doing a 2003 Luis Vizcaino impression all year. Didn't you notice?

KM: Ok, this has gone on long enough. Carlos, you've been less effective lately, your arm is less stretched out and your impression was clearly inferior, so I'm going to have to give you the job.

TD and CV: What!?

KM wanders off to tell the media...

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:17:37 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Jody Gerut is tagged out at home by catcher Josh Bard during the sixth inning Monday. We can't see the plate in the picture, but judging by where Gerut is reaching and the location of the tag, it looks like it's possible he should have been safe. A safe call, of course, would have turned a 14-6 blowout into a 14-7 nailbiter.

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I don't have an opening joke today. I'm not really in the mood for one.

It was another Tough Day for Suppan yesterday, on a day where he walked the tightrope for four innings, walked in a run and gave up a grand slam in the fifth, then was left in to allow four more runs in the sixth. Ken Macha sounded a lot like Ned Yost while defending his decision to leave Suppan in after the game, citing a tired bullpen but also mentioning that Suppan was "one pitch away" from getting out of the fifth. Opportunities to provide that "one pitch" came several times, but Suppan walked in a run and grooved a fastball instead.

The "tired bullpen" argument only works for so long here. Six members of the seven man Brewer bullpen have been overworked of late, including R.J. Swindle, who was called upon for two innings last night, just one day removed from pitching two innings for Nashville on Saturday. One arm, though, is hardly seeing any work at all: Trevor Hoffman has appeared in just five games (six if you count the All Star Game) in July, and will enter play today with a full week of rest.

It will be another long day for the bullpen today, as Carlos Villanueva makes his first start of the season (Also noted in FanShot). Villanueva is expected to pitch 3-4 innings and be followed to the mound by Tim Dillard, who isn't getting the start he expected today but is just happy to be here.

There's disrespect all around this decision. First, Macha decides to pitch Villanueva over Dillard because Dillard "is kind of limited in his pitches." Here's the problems with that logic, which I'll bullet point so I don't go on all day about them:

The bullpen is exhausted and desperately needs someone to eat innings. Dillard pitched eight innings his last time out in AAA. Villanueva is expected to go 3-4 today.
Villanueva has allowed 13 earned runs in his last 8.2 innings. View From Bernie's Chalet argues that Villanueva does not give the Brewers the best chance to win.
Dillard takes shots left and right for not getting strikeouts or having weak secondary stuff, but he gets outs. He's averaging roughly 6.1 innings per start and posting a 3.66 ERA in AAA, where he leads the PCL with ten wins. He is exactly what the Brewers need in a starter right now.

The disrespect for Dillard doesn't end there. His seven inning, one hit shutout for Nashville last week earned him PCL Pitcher of the Week honors, but the award was presented to Tom Dillard. (h/t Rattler Radio)

Baseball Digest Daily says the Brewers can win the Central if they can go 38-25 the rest of the way. The Nationals need to go 61-3 and are scrambling to schedule 64 more games against the Brewers. The Bucky Channel is ready to admit this team is no longer a playoff contender. Over at Cute Sports, tristarscoop says she's embarrassed to be a Brewer fan right now. Quevedo at the Buffet is splitting time between lamenting the Jeff Suppan signing and looking ahead to next year. John Buchel says the beer doesn't even taste good in the Brewer clubhouse.

Some production from the catcher spot would really help the Brewers turn things around. Jason Kendall (ranked 22nd in catcher career WAR) has the second lowest OPS+ among players qualified for the batting title. If the Brewers are in fact sliding out of contention, and most signs point to it, it might be time for the Brewers to sit Kendall down and see what they have in Mike Rivera and Angel Salome.

Here's your daily lumping of trade market notes:

Mike Wilner of Toronto's The Fan 590 says Roy Halladay would approve a trade to Milwaukee, for whatever it's worth.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times discussed trade rumors with Jarrod Washburn, who doesn't sound too eager to leave Seattle.
Now that the possibility of trading J.J. Hardy for two months of Washburn has passed, Doug Melvin has moved on and is now offering Hardy in exchange for a 1969 Camaro.

The Brewers could free up one roster spot for a new player by cutting their losses on Bill Hall. Brewer Paradise Lost wonders if it's time to dump Hall once and for all and eat his contract. Keeping Hall on the roster just because he's getting money either way is just compounding a bad decision.

The Crew dropped seven spots to 18th in Inside the Majors' Power Rankings. That was the largest drop of any team.

Maybe, though, the Brewers can still get hot. Anyone can get hot, as it turns out: just ask the 2003 Brewers, the third worst team ever to win ten straight games.

Around baseball:

Giants: Acquired Ryan Garko from the Indians for a minor league pitcher.
Reds: Placed Micah Owings (shoulder stiffness) and Chris Dickerson (bruised shoulder) on the DL.
Twins: Kevin Slowey will have surgery to remove bone chips from his wrist and miss the rest of the season.

If you need some help making it through the day today, here's a section I'll call "It could be worse."

The Brewers could be the Royals, who have lost eleven of twelve games but aren't planning on making any changes.
They could be the Reds, who are 45-53, fifth place, 3.5 games back of the fourth place Brewers and seven back of the Cubs, but still see themselves as contenders in the Central.
Or, they could be the Mets, who held a press conference yesterday to jump from one fiasco (the insanity of Asst. VP Tony Bernazard) to another, as Omar Minaya called out a reporter. The reporter's response is here. Jon Heyman is already making a list of new potential GMs.

A little Brewer history to close out today's Mug: On this day in 1997, Steve Woodard beat Roger Clemens 1-0 to earn his first major league victory. Exactly three years later, he was traded to the Indians in the trade that made Richie Sexson a Brewer.

Drink up.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:08:35 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Jody Gerut drops a ball hit by Martin Prado during the eighth inning Sunday. He had two hits and was the Brewers' MVP at the plate, but this play is what sticks out in my mind.

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Some things to read while your voice comes in handy.

The trade winds could be blowing today, as the Brewers have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday, which happens to be the scheduled start day for Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn. Here's today's trade roundup in bullet points:

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times thinks a deal may be afoot involving Washburn, reliever Brandon Morrow and Alcides Escobar and J.J. Hardy. (Also noted in FanShot.)
U.S.S. Mariner says not to be surprised if Carlos Villanueva is involved in the deal.
Jonah Keri listed a Washburn/Brewers deal as one of nine trade deadline deals that need to happen.

I'm going to break into the bullet points here for a quick aside. Doug Melvin is normally very tight-lipped about moves he might be making, arguing that press coverage and speculation make it more difficult to get a deal done. Why, then, would the Brewers wait so long to name a starter for tomorrow? Assuming no deal is done, Tim Dillard will almost certainly get the start (although Tom H. says it could be Villanueva), so why not name a starter? If the Brewers somehow manage to make a deal today, Dillard could be scratched in favor of Washburn and no one would be harmed. Something doesn't smell right here.

Ok, here's the other rumor-related stuff:

CBS Sports reported over the weekend that the Brewers are done pursuing Roy Halladay, but Doug Melvin denied it.
Brewer Paradise Lost says the return required to acquire Halladay would turn the 2011 Brewers into the 2001 Brewers.
Two-Fisted Slopper wants the Brewers to hold steady, as do 45% of the 976 voters in our poll from Friday.
Brewed Sports doesn't want the Brewers to trade for any players who will be free agents after the season.

Another ugly loss for the Crew yesterday left them 1-12 in their last 13 day games, 4-12 on Sundays and 11-22 in day games overall. The Brewers are now 7-14 in their last 21 games, and haven't won either a series or back-to-back games since beating the Mets on June 29 and 30. View From Bernie's Chalet doesn't see the 2009 Brewers as a contending team anymore. Yet somehow, the Brewers managed to sell out all three games this weekend.

The entire conversation about tomorrow night's starter almost took a strange turn yesterday, as Tim Dillard was warming up in the bullpen following the first inning of yesterday's game, when Braden Looper was struggling with his command early. Dillard sat back down, though, and Looper bounced back with four solid innings before getting rocked in the sixth.

Dillard was added to the roster when Seth McClung was placed on the DL following Friday's game. He has reportedly undergone an MRI on his strained elbow, but no results have been reported. McClung underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003.

Whether Dillard, Villanueva or someone else makes the start Tuesday, they're likely to get an extended audition: After experiencing a setback in his rehab, Dave Bush will not return until mid-August at the earliest. As the Brewers continue to slide downward in the standings, getting 3-4 starts to take a long at long-term rotation options might not be the worst thing.

Manny Parra struggled over the weekend while pitching to Jason Kendall, after pitching well to Mike Rivera for two straight starts. Over in the FanPosts, Saberilliterate wonders if Kendall really does call a good game, and if he's partially responsible for Parra's struggles.

He's probably not a long-term rotation option, but the Brewers signed Jesus Colome to a minor league deal over the weekend and he debuted last night, striking out three in two scoreless innings for Nashville. With the Brewer bullpen overworked and largely ineffective at present, Colome could probably work his way to the big leagues pretty quickly if he performs well in AAA.

Elsewhere in the minors:

The Brewers signed supplemental pick Kyle Heckathorn over the weekend, agreeing to a $776,000 bonus and inviting him to major league spring training next spring (Also noted in FanShot). The Brewers had to overpay for Heckathorn a bit to convince him not to go back to college, but he sounds excited to get his career started, once he's done buying a new pickup truck.
Alex Periard got a late start to his season after being shut down in spring training, but I had forgotten that he's still pretty far ahead in his development: Project Prospect reports that Periard is the 40th youngest player in AA. Jeremy Jeffress was 27th before being demoted and suspended.
R.J. Seidel, who was expected to miss the entire season after slipping on a patch of ice while jogging over the winter, made his season debut over the weekend and Rattler Radio has a link to a nice story about him.

On Power Rankings and whatnot:

The Hardball Times' Dartboard has the Brewers at #19.
The Brewers actually moved up a spot from 18th to 17th in WhatifSports' Power Rankings.
As of Saturday, Beyond the Box Score had the Brewers' playoff chances at 14%.

Around baseball:

Astros: Designated reliever Chad Paronto for assignment.
Cubs: Placed Ted Lilly on the DL with shoulder inflammation. He'll also undergo arthroscopic knee surgery while he's out.
Indians: Acquired pitcher Jess Todd, the Cardinals' 2008 minor league pitcher of the year, as the PTBNL in the Mark DeRosa trade.
Mariners: Placed Erik Bedard on the DL with shoulder inflammation and designated outfielder Wladimir Balentien and reliever Roy Corcoran for assignment.
Mets: Placed Gary Sheffield on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Phillies: Placed reliever Clay Condrey on the DL with a strained muscle in his side.
Red Sox: Designated Mark Kotsay for assignment.
Reds: Placed reliever Jared Burton on the DL with shortness of breath.
Rockies: Designated reliever Ryan Speier for assignment.
Tigers: Designated outfielder Josh Anderson for assignment.

The Cardinals have made a lot of moves this season, but are they building their team in the Brewers' image? Dave Cameron of FanGraphs noticed a severe lack of left handed bats in the Cardinals lineup, and wonders if they'll suffer the same downfall the 2008 Brewers did in the playoffs.

It's a little late to be adding promotions, but tomorrow could be "Surgical Mask" day in Arlington, as Vicente Padilla, who is suffering from swine flu, is still expected to make his scheduled start.

What do you do with a slick fielding shortstop who can't hit .100 in the big leagues? The Royals are going to try to teach Tony Pena Jr. to pitch. I guess they're not out much if the experiment fails.

Here's a cool promotion idea: For $75, the Astros are allowing fans to stand on the field and take pictures while the team takes batting practice. The promotion is available for any home night game. At that price, I think there would be more than a few Brewer fans interested.

On this day in Brewer history: Tommy Harper went 3-for-9 with a double and a home run but it was not enough as the Red Sox defeated the Seattle Pilots 5-3 in 20 innings. Ten years later, Cecil Cooper hit three home runs, including a walkoff shot to lead the Crew to a 6-5 victory over the Yankees.

Oh, and I wasn't able to find any Brewer birthdays, today, but happy belated birthday to Mat Gamel, who turned 24 yesterday.

Drink up.