Should Brandon Phillips hit 4th?

Put it this way, if Dusty Baker makes the move…well, read it for yourself.

Is C.C. Sabathia the Interior Crocodile Alligator who drives a chevy movie theater that the Brewers need?

First off, mad propers to Buster Olney, because he clearly thinks highly of this blog.

Who else said the Brewers could trade for Sabathia even in a joking fashion? Not Brewerfan.net, not Conservative Blogger Al Bethke, not even the Wisconsin Sports Bar.

It was me. It was me all along.

But now for the Mainstream Media? There is something that needs to be vetted here for your Milwaukee Brewers. Three reasons why? Three reasons why not? Sure.

REASONS WHY

1. The Brewers will make the playoffs. Even if Sheets misses an extended amount of time. C.C. Sabathia would be an arm that would get the Brewers into the Wild Card. Why? C.C. Sabathia is awesome from August onward. And with only two teams to vault in the Wild Card? They play onward into October.

2. The National League has not seen C.C. Sabathia. An experienced arm with good stats for the stretch run? It’s a good thing. An experienced arm that the league hasn’t seen much of? He could be Sutcliffe in 1984. I mean, for those of you who don’t know? The Cubs got a 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA and a Cy Young Award in the process of trading for Joe Carter.

3. The Brewers might not have to mortgage the Farm system to get him. Sure, Prince Fielder isn’t a likely cost for the Cleveland Indians, but even so? The Brewers aren’t going to have to fire out a Gamel, Jeffress, and Salome package to get him. You could bring Matt LaPorta to Cleveland and still likely be okay.

But there are some issues. They’re real, and they may paralyze the Brewers from making the move.

1. They could sign him, but will they? With Gagne, Sheets, and probably Cameron coming off the books? The Brewers could decide to give Sabathia a major contract offer. But would it be excatly like or close to the Johan? No. And for a small market team, would you rather have six years of top hitting prospect or two months of great pitching?

2. Damn Yankees. Hank Steinbrenner is a desperate man. He saw his youth energy that he held on so desperately turn to Joba Chamberlain and shit this season. And if the Yankees take the position that he will only be a rental for two months? Would a package of Jesus Montero, Melky Cabrera, and Ian Kennedy be worth more than one Matt LaPorta? Sadly, yes.

And as a further note, a team like the Dodgers is currently chock full of prospect, and an Andy LaRoche and Andre Ethier could also be very interesting.

3. Can he handle Bratwurst for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner? Cleveland is not a major metropolitan market. But Milwaukee? It can be a depressing place to live. I love it, but I have to admit it. It is no Cleveburg. He may be in for a culutre shock?

Should Dougie Baseball Do It? Sure. I do think it would be like Don Sutton in 1982 and the Crew would get to the playoffs on his left arm. But don’t take MY word for it.

I know you may find me self-centered.

And in many ways I am. But you know what? I do understand that sharing means caring. I do understand that sometimes you must your light shine upon the rest of Blogfrica!

Sorry…

Suffice it to say that you need to know that the Milwaukee Brewers AA Affiliate is awesome. But oddly enough? I didn’t think it would work here. So, I said “Hey Bus Leagues Baseball? You mind if I bring this to you?” And they were all, okay, cool.

So, I got my chocolate in their peanut butter, and it’s delicious.

The Huntsville Eight. It’s here and it’s awesome.

Yay!

Look at the facts (Wisconsin sports ramblings)…

1. Daunte Culpepper is an idiot. The fact of the matter? He had a real offer of 1-year at 1-million from the Packers. He had Aaron Rodgers, who is out for two weeks if he gets his feelings hurt ahead of him. And he passes on the deal. He could get ten starts out of it. Who else is gonna sign him? (And don’t say Chicago. They would have if they wanted to.)
2. Jason Taylor for a conditional Day 1 (with Round 3) pick? I’d do it. It makes a lot of sense.
3. I may be wrong on Seth McClung. He did have one shitty start. He does have a propensity for allowing the taters. But he’s 3-2 with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. If he keeps this up, any Brewers fan would take it.
4. Russell Branyan. I know it’s small sample size. I know it’s bound to not last. But point of fact? Yay!

Thanks for reading.

Yay! 

If you don’t know, then now you know.

State Farm and Major League Baseball have partnered to launch the Call Your Shot consumer promotion taking place the State Farm Home Run Derby. Here’s how the promotion works: Fans can enter the promotion daily through June 24 at www.sfCallYourShot.com/2008. The grand prize winner of Call Your Shot will win:

• All-expense paid trip for four to the All-Star Game and State Farm Home Run Derby
  First class hotel accommodations in New York
  Tickets to a Broadway show
  $1,000 MasterCard gift card

The grand prize winner will also get the chance to pick a spot where two of the Home Run Derby players must compete to try to hit a ball to. If the first player hits the ball to the called spot, the promotion ends. If either player succeeds, the fan receives a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid vehicle and a 2009 season-ticket package for any team.

Additionally, 10 fans will win first place prizes consisting of a $300 MLB.com gift card and 25 second prize winners will receive $100 MLB.com gift cards.

Sal Fasano and his Mustache thanks you for reading…

I believe in America. I believe in love. I believe in Harvey Dent.

Salomon Torres  Julian Tavarez has been designated for assignment.

They went with Mark Difelice instead as David Riske gets off the disabled list.

UPDATE: Maybe David Riske should have been in rehab a little longer…

Blowing an 8-0 lead with a Joe Inglett grand slam AND a Rod Barajas infield single…sheesh.

UPDATE II: Salomon Torres gets the save. 8-7.

BUT HOW IN THE BLUE FUCK DO YOU SIT A DUDE WITH A NO-NO GOING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I MEAN, COME THE FUCK ON!!!

Jim Riggleman is the Devil…

He has found his way out of his binding spell. He and his career .448 winning percentage notwithstanding. It took the blood of six All-Stars from his former teams to get this retread back into the managerial circles. Don’t believe me?

Jim Edmonds, Michael Barrett, Jake Peavy, Mark Prior, Chris Young, and Alfonso Soriano. Twice.

Carlos Zambrano was just icing on the cake. If the M’s get out on a run? It shall be a run of evil. Evil.

Or not? I will trade the M’s 10 dollars for Erik Bedard.

A homerists Dilemma.

You’re the Milwaukee Brewers. You’re a decent baseball team, and you made some moves that worked (Hey Salomon Torres!), and you signed Eric Gagne. You’re three games out of the wild card and here’s the thing.

KENTUCKY NINJA SKILLS!

The Brewers have Corey Hart in right field. He is, as the photo describes, awesome. He’s a 6′6″ dude with speed. I mean, come on. Even Cubs homer and stealth blogger Elvi Patterson likes him.

But here’s the thing. Mike Cameron doesn’t suck. Completely. He’s in no way shape or form a #2 hitter, but he’s doing about what was expected. (Plus power, plus speed, plus plus defense, and a Jose Hernandezian level of the strikeouts). And if the Brewers pick up his option, there salary is still managable (10 million dollars).

But ya know what? The Brewers would be stupid to pick up the option. Downright derp joke, Horry Kow stupid. Why?

This is Matt LaPorta. He is ready now. Sure, he’d be a low average bomber? But in the roughest of Major League Equivalency? He’d be .237/.351/.517 in right field. But you know what? Cameron is equal to .222/.294/.475.

And consider the fact that they may not want LaPorta to play the Miguel Cabrera role in the Brewers putative playoff run, and you know what? Mike Cameron shouldn’t be in Brewtown next year.

He may not be as fun in the clubhouse? But he’s ready to play.

Marcus Thames is the Machine.

Sure, he’s not like young Sasha Vujacic. Because he is adorable three point shooting floppy haired machine. But Marcus Thames has a streak that 100 Grand would be jealous of.

Grandy, wishing he was fly like that…

But Marcus Thames is only doing one thing. Cracking taters. And you want to know the crazy thing? The NL West is where he’s rolling out his biggest magic.

Sure, it started with an 8th inning bomb on June 7th off of Masa Kobayashi. But that’s nothing. Hell, a Javier Vazquez blast is useless. Why?

Because every hit that your Marcus Thames has hit since Masa Kobayashi? Dinger. From the useless Chan Ho Park to the vaguely pornographic Tim Lincecum, Thames needs a wacky youtube video made for him.

Or have Gary Sheffield get him a goddamn Sunkist.

UPDATE: Thames is up to 9 for 9.

Blockbuster trades that will never happen…

I got to thinking during the long car ride home from the great state of Mehigan.

Why wouldn’t the Brewers play for the playoffs this year? I know? They have Ned Yost. He does not make any sense. But that’s neither here nor there.

I can make a proposal for C.C. Sabathia. I can make it so the Brewers don’t lose any of the Huntsville Eight. All it would take? A little bit of visionary thinking.

Oh, and Prince Fielder.

(Yes. I know. This is crazy. But dig the premise.)

One, the Indians would get a superstar that they could control for three years. Donny Garko is a mediocrity as a full-time first baseman. Move him to the weaker half of a DH platoon with Pronky Kong? And you’ve got an offensive stew going.

Also? This is the dude you’re going to get four to six prospects for. Cleveland? You know you want it.

But why would the Crew put the Prince up for bids? They have dudes ready. You could look at Double A and have Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta ready to roll up on you with a Miguel Cabrera impression. There’s Brad Nelson who finally…FINALLY is generating enough offense to be worthy of big league entry. And then there’s Chris Errecart. He’s Ryan Garko level right now, but he’s also one of the Huntsville 8. Or they could say fuck it and go with Joe Dillon.

But Sabathia guarantees the Wild Card. Flat out. I know what you’re saying. “Dude! He sucks right now!”

But here’s the deal…he is dominant from August on. True story? He’s 42-18 with a 3.25 ERA. With Sheets and Suppan? They pass the Cardinals and Marlins. They get the Wild Card.

And they don’t mortgage the future to do it.

Or I’m drunk, either way I’m feeling good.