Tagged: Jeremy Jeffress

August 1, 2016

Official Trade Deadline Press Releases

Chronologically, in case you missed them, here are the official press releases sent out today by the Brewers regarding the two trades they made involving Will Smith, Jonathan Lucroy, and Jeremy Jeffress.

First, the trade that sent Smith to the San Francisco Giants.

BREWERS ACQUIRE PITCHING PROSPECT PHIL BICKFORD AND CATCHER ANDREW SUSAC FROM GIANTS

Left-Handed Pitcher Will Smith Headed to San Francisco

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for left-handed pitcher Will Smith. The announcement was made by General Manager David Stearns.

Bickford, 21, was selected by San Francisco in the first round (18th overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. He entered the 2016 season ranked by Baseball America as the third-best prospect in the Giants organization. He is currently ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the top prospect in their organization (65th overall in baseball), and appeared in this year’s All-Star Futures Game in San Diego.

Bickford this season went a combined 5-6 with a 2.71 ERA in 17 starts between Class-A Augusta (11 GS, 3-4, 2.70 ERA) and Class-A San Jose (6 GS, 2-2, 2.73 ERA). He has held opponents to a .208 batting average (70-for-336, 5 HR) with 105 strikeouts in 93.0 innings pitched. He made his professional debut last season, going 0-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 10 starts with the Rookie Arizona Giants. He produced 32 strikeouts in just 22.1 innings pitched as he held opponents to a .169 batting average (13-for-77, 0 HR).

Susac, 26, was batting .273 (57-for-209) with 8 HR and 36 RBI in 58 games at Triple-A Sacramento this season. He has Major League experience with the Giants, batting .240 (53-for-221) with 6 HR and 33 RBI in 87 games from 2014-15. Selected by San Francisco in the second round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, Susac was a member of the 2014 world champion Giants.

Smith, 27, was acquired by Milwaukee from Kansas City on December 5, 2013 in exchange for outfielder Norichika Aoki. He went 9-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 1 save in 181 relief appearances as a Brewer, including 1-3 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 outings this season.

And the trade with Texas…

BREWERS ACQUIRE TWO HIGHLY-TOUTED PROSPECTS FROM THE RANGERS

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and Right-Handed Pitcher Jeremy Jeffress Headed to Texas

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired outfielder Lewis Brinson, right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz and a player to be named from the Texas Rangers in exchange for catcherJonathan Lucroy and right-handed pitcher Jeremy Jeffress. The announcement was made by General Manager David Stearns.

“While it is extremely difficult to part with players the caliber of Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress, we are excited to add more young and talented players to the organization as we continue to build toward future winning seasons in Milwaukee,” said Stearns.

Stearns added, “We would like to thank Jonathan for his seven years of not only All-Star play on the field, but for the leadership and dedication that he and his wife, Sarah, displayed throughout the community. We also would like to thank Jeremy for his contributions to the Brewers, particularly his admirable work as a first-time closer this season.”

Brinson, 22, entered the 2016 season ranked by both Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com as the second-best prospect in the Rangers organization. He is currently ranked 30th and 21st, respectively, in all of baseball by those outlets.

Brinson was selected by Texas in the first round (29th overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. He batted .237 (72-for-304) with 11 HR, 40 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 77 games at Double-A Frisco this season.

Ortiz, 20, entered the 2016 season ranked by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the Rangers organization. He entered this season ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the fifth-best prospect in their organization and currently ranks third. He is currently ranked 74th and 63rd, respectively, in all of baseball by those outlets.

Ortiz was selected by Texas in the first round (30th overall) of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. He went 4-6 with 3.48 ERA in 16 games (14 starts) between Class-A High Desert (7g, 6gs, 3-2, 2.60era) and Double-A Frisco (9g, 8gs, 1-4, 4.08era).

Lucroy, 30, batted .284 with 79 HR and 387 RBI in 805 games during seven seasons with the Brewers (2010-16), including .299 (101-for-338) with 13 HR and 50 RBI in 95 games this season. The two-time All-Star (2014 and 2016) was selected by Milwaukee in the third round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

Jeffress, 28, returned to the Brewers in 2014 and has gone 8-3 with a 2.36 ERA and 27 saves (all this season) in 148 relief appearances during that stretch. He was originally selected by Milwaukee in the first round (16th overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

January 18, 2016

Brewers On Deck Attendees Announced

List is subject to change but here’s the original list as released by the Brewers.

Players:

~~Orlando Arcia~~ (canceled 1/30 due to illness)
Jacob Barnes
Yhonathan Barrios
Michael Blazek
Ryan Braun
Keon Broxton
Chris Carter
Garin Cecchini
Trent Clark
Clint Coulter
~~Tyler Cravy~~ (canceled 1/30 due to illness)
Zach Davies
Ramon Flores
Matt Garza (added 1/20)
~~Scooter Gennett~~ (removed 1/26 due a conflict)
David Goforth
Junior Guerra
Josh Hader
Adrian Houser
Jeremy Jeffress
Taylor Jungmann
Corey Knebel
Jorge Lopez
~~Damien Magnifico~~ (canceled on 1/29 due to illness)
Martin Maldonado
Jimmy Nelson
Shane Peterson
Brett Phillips
Michael Reed
Domingo Santana
Will Smith
Tyler Thornburg
Jonathan Villar (added 1/20)
~~Tyler Wagner~~ (traded to ARI 1/30)
Colin Walsh

Coaches/Manager

Craig Counsell
Darnell Coles
Joe Crawford
Derek Johnson
Marcus Hanel
Jason Lane
Pat Murphy
Ed Sedar
Carlos Subero
Lee Tunnell
Matt Erickson (Timber Rattlers manager)

Alumni

Don August
Jerry Augustine
Jeff Cirillo (added 1/21)
Rollie Fingers
Jim Gantner
Larry Hisle
Davey Nelson
Ken Sanders (added 1/20)
Gorman Thomas
Greg Vaughn
Paul Wagner (added 1/20)
~~Robin Yount~~ (canceled 1/22 due to personal conflict)

*UPDATE*

Here is some additional information from the official release about Brewers On Deck:

Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for children 14 and under. Tickets on the day of the event are $20 for adults and $15 for children 14 and under. On the day event, cash is the only accepted form of payment for admittance. A portion of the proceeds from Brewers On Deck will benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Tickets may be purchased at the Miller Park ticket office by calling the Brewers ticket office at (414) 902-4000 or online at Brewers.com/ondeck through Friday, January 29.

Once again, food donations will be accepted through Hunger Task Force. Donations can be dropped off at two main entrances to the Wisconsin Center, located at 4th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, and 4th Street and Wells Street.

Brewers On Deck will feature a number of activities for the entire family. Autographs and photos from Brewers players, coaches and alumni; interactive games in the Kids Area; Q&A sessions and Klement’s Main Stage game shows with Brewers players, coaches and broadcasters; vendor booths with baseball memorabilia; Brewers Community Foundation’s Treasure Hunt, a 50/50 raffle, live auction and many other activities will all be a part of Brewers On Deck.

During the event, the Brewers will unveil a new book – Explore MKE: Your Neighborhood Our City. The Book is published by SHARP Literacy, Inc. and is sponsored by Brewers Community Foundation and Ryan Braun. It tells the story of two children who share their differing experiences of Milwaukee and are attempting to figure out how they fit in. It also features informational sections that weave together iconic Milwaukee institutions and neighborhood-based landmarks with important themes in common.

SHARP Literacy, Inc. is a non-profit organization that enhances future life success by energizing urban children and motivating them to identify themselves as confident, capable scholars and lifelong learners by inspiring engagement in reading, writing and research through hands on interaction and visual arts.

Details regarding autographs include the following: Recipients of “PREMIER” autographs (players to be announced at a later date) will be chosen through a random selection process. Each fan in attendance will receive one Premier Entry sheet which may be redeemed at the Random Selection area outside the Main Exhibit Hall of the Wisconsin Center. The Premier Entry sheet will be exchanged for a numbered coupon to be entered into the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. Coupon distribution will be available at 8 a.m. the day of the event and will continue up to an hour before each designated autograph session. There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding winning coupons must pay $25 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the autograph sessions. The winning ticket numbers will be posted at the designated autograph stage no less than 30 minutes prior to each player’s session.

Players and staff not included in the PREMIER autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of these players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10. A schedule of players, their session times, and distribution info will be posted later. The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team. For additional information, visit Brewers.com/ondeck.

Autograph proceeds benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs. The Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player.

October 13, 2015

Milwaukee BBWAA Chapter Announces Brewers Team Awards

Each season, every city’s chapter of the Baseball Writer’s Association of America votes on team awards for the respective clubs based there. Milwaukee is no exception. As such, the seven members of the Milwaukee BBWAA chapter voted on the standard awards as they always do. The winners of the same were announced this morning.

Here is a breakdown of the voting (where provided in the official press release) for each of the five awards.

Most Valuable Player – Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun (Seven (7) 1st place votes – 35 points – Unanimous)
Adam Lind (Six (6) 2nd place, One (1) 3rd place – 19 points)

Most Valuable Pitcher – Franciso Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez (35 points – Unanimous)
Jeremy Jeffress – (14 points)
Jimmy Nelson (11 points)

Top Newcomer – Adam Lind

Adam Lind (31 points)
Taylor Jungmann (22 points)

Unsung Hero – Jeremy Jeffress

Jeremy Jeffress (24 points)
Will Smith (15 points)

“Good Guy” Award – Jonathan Lucroy

Jonathan Lucroy (35 points – Unanimous)
Kyle Lohse (14 points)
Scooter Gennett (12 points)

May 13, 2015

Brewers Bullpen Prepares Through Communication

Monday night I sent out this tweet.

Favorite thing tonight? K-Rod, Broxton, Smith, and Jeffress huddling after the game, presumably discussing their outings tonight.

— The Brewer Nation (@BrewerNation) May 12, 2015

It wasn’t the first time I saw Francisco Rodriguez more or less holding court. The other three high-leverage pitchers were huddled by the veteran closer’s locker (to be fair, the lockers of Will Smith and Jonathan Broxton aren’t exactly far away from that of Rodriguez, and Jeremy Jeffress need only come down a handful himself) and were locked in a pointed discussion. That is to say that this looked to be more than your light-hearted postgame celebratory chat.

Tuesday, I decided to confirm my presumption and get a bit more insight from some of the men involved and find out what kind of leader the bullpen has in K-Rod and what kind of advice can be gleaned from the veterans who have combined to pitch in parts of 26 MLB seasons.

I first asked lefty Will Smith, the possessor of the Slider of Death, why it’s valuable to have those guys around him. For the record, Smith’s locker is between Broxton’s and K-Rod’s.

“In my case, I ask (Rodriguez & Broxton) because obviously they’ve had a lot of success. They know what they’re doing. So, my thought process: Why not use them as a learning tool?”, said Smith. “We’ll sit and we’ll break down ABs and what you threw to (a certain hitter).”

But what about the fact that they’re right-handed and he’s a southpaw? Does that matter in breaking down hitters? Smith offered that it doesn’t.

“Just because these guys are right-handed doesn’t mean anything. They still help out a tremendous amount with me and (Jeffress) the most, for sure.”

For his part, Jeffress echoed much of Smith’s sentiment when I asked him what exactly they talk about in those mini-meetings.

“We just break down each one of our outings. What we can learn from it. What we can do better. Just how we attack each and every hitter each day.”, Jeffress said. “Then it’s all about coming together as one because we’re all in this together. And at the end of the day we gotta go home and face what we’ve just been through.”

Jeffress then went bigger picture on me by saying that, “We (Smith and Jeffress) pick their brains so much because we know that this game doesn’t last forever for everyone. The next guy is right there so we just wanna take what they learned and what they taught us and just put it in play for the next couple years.”

I brought it back with a question about huddling early in a series because while you may not face the same guy you did last night, you might face who your teammate did. Jeffress responded about Broxton as his fellow power righty. “(Broxton) will tell me that ‘I didn’t pitch him this way, (or) the best way to go about him is that way.’ Just execute your pitches.”

Broxton told me that their huddles are a multi-directional conversation. It’s not just Smith and Jeffress asking for advice. “We just like to sit down and talk and try to pick each others brains. I may try to pick Will’s or K-Rod’s, or K-Rod wants to know what was our thought process out there. We just try to go over it,” Broxton said. “You’re out there trying to read batters and swings and trying to see what each other’s doing and their thought process too.”

As for his having a fellow veteran like Rodriguez in the clubhouse to bounce his own questions off of, Broxton said “That’s what makes (K-Rod) so great. You can sit down and talk to him about anything. Basically just asking him what is he seeing and get his thought process and (then) put yours together and you can come up with a game plan.”

Game plans are all well and good, but when it comes down to it, each guy still has to go out there and execute. Jeffress said that the veterans show faith in the less-experienced to perform every time it’s their name that’s called.

“They give me a lot of trust,” said Jeffress. “They give everyone in the bullpen a lot of confidence, a lot of trust to believe in their self to go and do the job.”

Again, this “think tank” approach is not new to a clubhouse featuring Francisco Rodriguez, nor is it closed to just the four men who got together yesterday. I’ve seen him talking to Brandon Kintzler after games last year, in particular there was a game where Kintzler struggled pretty badly and it looked to me as though Rodriguez called him over to discuss the outing. K-Rod was talking to him about pitch execution and how pitching Kintzler’s game to the best of his ability would be good enough to get the job done.

Suffice it to say, it has piqued my curiosity a few times over the past couple of seasons. After a particularly rough outing for Broxton it felt right that he would be leveraging the experience of Rodriguez, if for no other reason that K-Rod had a much smoother outing the same night.

So finally, I went to the man himself to understand where this activity came from. I had more presumptions. K-Rod confirmed them.

“That’s something that I just learned coming up. I got the opportunity to have one of the best in the game teach me (in) Troy Percival,” Rodriguez said about his mentor with the Angels. “He told me when I was coming up, when he was teaching me everything, to make sure when I get to this stage and I’m a vet to make sure to teach the young guys how to prepare themselves and how to attack and how to compete out there every night. That’s something I do every single day with the young guys. It’s something I like.”

Rodriguez went on to say that he makes sure he talks to anyone in the bullpen after a game in which they pitched. If it’s a good outing, they talk about it. And if it’s a not so good outing? That’s right — they talk about those too.

Pitchers succeed in baseball more often than they fail. After all, even the best hitters are put out more than 65% of the time. But this approach that I suspect happens in far more places than Milwaukee is no doubt a key to those successes and to overcoming any failures.

Preparedness is half the battle in baseball. For a clubhouse with Francisco Rodriguez in it, that preparation is an ongoing, recurring, everyday thing.

(This article originally appeared on Today’s Knuckleball and was republished here with permission.)

March 16, 2015

Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’15 – #21 Jeremy Jeffress

Three weeks less a day until this countdown is over. That’s because A) I no longer and never again will preview anyone with one day remaining and B) we’re just three weeks away from Opening Day on April 6 at Miller Park!!!ExclamationPoint!!

The wearer of number 21 gets our focus today, and he is…

Jeremy Jeffress.

It was the 6th day of June in 2006 when the Milwaukee Brewers made Jeremy Ross Jeffress the 16th overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft. He signed a day later and embarked on a journey that would eventually bring him full circle for you see Jeffress has not always been a Brewer.

A high school kid out of South Boston, Virginia, Jeffress was considered a quality pick in the middle of the first round. He would make his MLB debut for Milwaukee just under three weeks before his 23rd birthday as a 2010 September call up. There was seemingly more motivation at the time than merely trying to determine whether he was ready to consistently get out Major League hitters. Jeffress was on the verge of being banned for baseball for life.

As the promising fireballer was working his way through the minor leagues, he had been suspended twice for positive tests “involving a drug of abuse”. Two suspensions (for 50 and 100 games respectively) meant that Jeffress was busted three times. The most recent one began at the tail end of June 2009. He had reportedly undergone rehab following his first suspension in 2007, if I recall correctly, and likely just relapsed after a while.

Jeffress ended up missing the rest of the 2009 season as well as over a month of the 2010 season. He needed to be added to the 40-man roster anyway after 2010 or risk Rule 5 Draft exposure, so the Brewers got him on earlier than necessary and pitched him that September. He walked six in just 10.0 innings of work, but also struck out eight and kept his ERA at 2.70. All small sample size stuff, but the velocity was certainly there for him as well.

To his credit, Jeffress finally gave up his habit and had been getting his life right on and off the field. He credits the birth of his daughter as one of the turning points in his life. He also had an underlying medical issue that he has since gotten under control, that being seizures. With proper medication, he’s physically and mentally in the best place he’s ever been and the results are showing in the box scores.

Jeffress was notably a piece in the off-season trade with the Kansas City Royals that brought Zack Greinke to Milwaukee. Jeffress would pitch in 27 games for the Royals over two seasons without much success. A major source of his problems came from command. He was walking a ton of batters. Suffice it to say that as his walk rate has plummeted over the last few years, his results have gotten better and better.

2011: 6.5 BB/9, 4.70 ERA in 14 games
2012: 8.8 BB/9, 6.75 ERA in 13 games
2013: 4.4 BB/9, 0.87 ERA in 10 games
2014 Milwaukee only: 2.2 BB/9, 1.88 ERA in 29 games with a career-best 3.57 K/BB ratio

Jeffress has also shown the ability to miss bats which definitely helps him escape jams whether they be self-created or inherited. Coupled with less base runners (a career-best 1.186 WHIP for Milwaukee in 2014), his skills are begin to amalgamate into a high-leverage reliever with possible 9th inning duties in the future. Still just 27, Jeffress could pitch for another decade if he continues to refine those skills which have gotten him this far.

As for 2015, Jeffress is currently slotted in a setup role mostly tasked with getting three outs in and around the 7th inning. At times he might be used as a right-handed sub for Jonathan Broxton in the 8th inning if Broxton needs a day off. Other times he might be called upon to get a key out prior to the 7th should the game be on the line early. But paired with the left-handed Will Smith, the two hard throwers will be a tough combination to crack for opposing lineups.

Workign in tandem with Smith could be a great thing for Jeffress because if there’s one other thing on which Jeffress can work to improve, it’s getting out left-handed hitters. His splits were pretty rough in 2014.

vs. RHH – .221/.274/.235 – 68 AB, 15 H, 1 2B, 5 BB, 20 K, .313 BAbip
vs. LHH – .392/.458/.510 – 51 AB, 20 H, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 BB, 9 K, .452 BAbip

So while some of that is bad luck, there’s enough of a trend that it’s something worth keeping track of, especially if Jeffress is passed over for a particular inning simply because of the handedness of the hitters due up.

All that said, I expect a very strong contribution from Jeffress in 2015 as the Brewers hope to have a lock down bullpen securing the wins that the rest of the team has put them in place to grab.

—

You can follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JMontana41

—

Catch up on the countdown!

January 16, 2015

Brewers On Deck 2015 – Attendees List, Pricing, Additional Details

BREWERS ON DECK TO INCLUDE OVER 50 PLAYERS, COACHES, BROADCASTERS & ALUMNI
Event to Feature Community Book Drive; Food Donations Accepted through Hunger Task Force

OFFICIAL RELEASE

Nearly 50 Milwaukee Brewers players plus a host of alumni, coaches, front office executives and broadcasters are scheduled to participate in Brewers On Deck, which is set to take place on Sunday, January 25 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Wisconsin Center.

Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for children 14 and under. Tickets on the day of the event are $20 for adults and $15 for children 14 and under. A portion of the proceeds from Brewers On Deck will benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Tickets may be purchased at the Miller Park ticket office, by calling the Brewers ticket office at 414-902-4000, or online at brewers.com/ondeck.

This year the event will feature a community book drive that will help support Next Door’s Books for Kids program. The goal of the Books for Kids campaign is to help all children in Milwaukee’s central city, regardless of their family income or education levels, have books they can call their own. Local author Marla McKenna will help host the event. Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used children’s books to donate. In appreciation for their contribution, fans who donate a book will receive a free copy of McKenna’s newest publication, “Mom’s Big Catch,” a story based upon events that took place at Miller Park.

Once again food donations will be accepted through Hunger Task. Donations can be dropped off at two main entrances to the Wisconsin Center, located at 4th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, and 4th Street and Wells Street.

Players, coaches and alumni scheduled to attend include (all subject to change):

PLAYERS

Michael Blazek
Ryan Braun
Juan Centeno
Matt Clark
Clint Coulter
Khris Davis
Mike Fiers
~~Yovani Gallardo~~
Scooter Gennett
David Goforth
Carlos Gomez
Hector Gomez
Brooks Hall
Jim Henderson
Jeremy Jeffress
Taylor Jungmann
Brandon Kintzler
Corey Knebel (just added)
Adam Lind
Jonathan Lucroy
Kyle Lohse
~~Hunter Morris~~
Jimmy Nelson
Gerardo Parra
Wily Peralta
Shane Peterson
Jason Rogers
Luis Sardiñas (just added)
Logan Schafer
Will Smith
Michael Strong
Tyler Thornburg
Rob Wooten

COACHES

Darnell Coles (Hitting Coach)
Joe Crawford (Video/Scouting)
Matt Erickson (Timber Rattlers Mgr.)
Mike Guerrero (1st Base Coach)
Marcus Hanel (Bullpen Catcher)
Rick Kranitz (Pitching Coach)
Jerry Narron (Bench Coach)
Ron Roenicke (Manager)
Ed Sedar (3rd Base Coach)
John Shelby (Outfield Coach)
Lee Tunnell (Bullpen Coach)

ALUMNI

Jerry Augustine
Cecil Cooper
Craig Counsell
Rob Deer
Jim Gantner
Larry Hisle

Brewers On Deck will feature a number of activities for the entire family. Autographs and photos from Brewers players, coaches and alumni; interactive games in the Kids Area; Q&A sessions and game shows with Brewers players, coaches and broadcasters; vendor booths with baseball memorabilia; Brewers Community Foundation’s Treasure Hunt, a 50/50 raffle, live auction and many other activities will all be a part of Brewers On Deck.

Details regarding autographs include the following: Recipients of “PREMIER” autographs (players to be announced next week) will be chosen through a random selection process. Each fan in attendance will receive one Premier Entry sheet which may be redeemed at the Random Selection area outside the Main Exhibit Hall of the Wisconsin Center District. The Premier Entry sheet will be exchanged for a numbered coupon to be entered into the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. Coupon distribution will be available at 8 a.m. the day of the event and will continue up to an hour before each designated autograph session. There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding winning coupons must pay $10 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the autograph sessions. The winning ticket numbers will be posted at the designated autograph stage no less than 30 minutes prior to each player’s session.

Players and staff not included in the PREMIER autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of these players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10. A schedule of players, their session times, and distribution info will be posted next week. The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia. For additional information, visit Brewers.com/ondeck.

Autograph proceeds benefit Brewers Community Foundation. Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs. The Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player.

A detailed schedule of all Brewers On Deck events will be released next week.

UPDATE! Here is the schedule…

Recipients of “PREMIER” autographs Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy and Bob Uecker will be chosen through a random selection process. Each fan in attendance will receive one Premier Entry card which may be redeemed at the Random Selection area outside the Main Exhibit Hall of the Wisconsin Center. The Premier Entry card will be exchanged for a numbered coupon and entered into the random selection process for any one of the select Brewers players. Coupon distribution will be available at 8 a.m. the day of the event and will continue up to an hour before each designated autograph session.

There is no cost for coupons to enter the random selection process; however, those holding winning coupons must pay $10 at the respective autograph stage to collect their player signature. There will be 250 winners for each of the autograph sessions. The winning ticket numbers will be posted at the designated autograph stage no less than 30 minutes prior to each player’s session. A schedule is listed below:

PREMIER AUTOGRAPH SCHEDULE

Player Signing Time Stage

Bob Uecker 12:30 – 1:15 5

Ryan Braun 1:00 – 1:45 6

Jonathan Lucroy 2:30 – 3:15 3

Carlos Gomez 3:00 – 3:45 1

Players and staff not included in the above autograph list will not use the random selection process. Each of those players will sign 250 autographs at prices ranging from free to $10.

The autograph opportunities are for signatures on photo cards provided by the team; the Brewers cannot guarantee that any player will sign other memorabilia, and personalization of items is solely up to the discretion of each player (BOLD ITALICS – Premier Autograph).

Autograph Schedule – MAIN STAGES

Stage 1

10:30 – 11:15 Scooter Gennett ($10)

12:00 – 12:45 Logan Schafer ($10)

1:30 – 2:15 Mike Fiers ($10)

3:00 – 3:45 Carlos Gomez ($10)

Stage 2

12:30 – 1:15 Jim Henderson ($10)

2:00 – 2:45 Gerardo Parra ($10)

3:30 – 4:15 Will Smith ($10)

Stage 3

11:30 – 12:15 Adam Lind ($10)

2:30 – 3:15 Jonathan Lucroy ($10)

3:45 – 4:30 Wily Peralta ($10)

Stage 4

10:30 – 11:15 Brandon Kintzler ($10)

12:00 – 12:45 Rob Wooten ($10)

1:30 – 2:15 Khris Davis ($10)

Stage 5

11:00 – 11:45 Jimmy Nelson ($10)

12:30 – 1:15 Bob Uecker ($10)/Mark Attanasio ($0)

3:30 – 4:15 Jeremy Jeffress ($10)

Stage 6

11:30 – 12:15 Tyler Thornburg ($10)

1:00 – 1:45 Ryan Braun ($10)

3:45 – 4:30 Kyle Lohse ($10)

Players who are not listed above will sign free autographs on the Bonus Stage all day long.

Please note that cash is the only acceptable form of payment for autographs.

The 620 WTMJ Stage will broadcast live from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will include interviews with Brewers players and coaches.

New this year, fans are invited to stop by the Social Media Stage for fun and games. Fans can also post their photos from the event to Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #BrewersOnDeck for a chance to win prizes such as a trip down Bernie Brewer’s slide, game tickets and more. For contest rules, visit brewers.com/onDeck.

Children are invited to visit the Farm Teams Infield for free batting and hitting clinics scheduled throughout the day. Brewers alumni and players will be on hand for the instructional sessions. Kids can run around the field or try a quick game of ping pong with Brewers players.

Klement’s Main Stage Schedule

10:15 a.m. – Welcome – Brewers television broadcaster Craig Coshun will welcome fans to Brewers On Deck. The winners of the seven T-Shirt Friday designs will be introduced to fans.

11:15 a.m. – Meet the Coaches – Third base coach Ed Sedar will host a Q&A session with Brewers manager Ron Roenicke and his coaching staff.

12:30 p.m. – The Brewlywed Game – Brewers players, coaches, prospects and alumni will participate in a game show to see which pair really knows each other the best. Joe Block will host the show.

2:00 p.m. – Meet the Management and Newest Players – Brewers Chairman and Principal Owner Mark Attanasio, President of Baseball Operations – General Manager Doug Melvin, Vice President – Assistant General Manager Gord Ash will join the newest Brewers acquisitions – Corey Knebel, Adam Lind and Luis Sardinas – in a question and answer session with Brewers fans. The session will be hosted by Brian Anderson.

3:15 p.m. – Call to the Pen – Brewers players, coaches, prospects and alumni will participate in a game show, similar to Pictionary. Joe Block will host the show.

December 29, 2014

Don’t Call It a Comeback

My annual countdown to Opening Day will return for another season!

There has been some decent 40-man roster turnover since Spring Training. I mark the passage of time from (roughly) the turn of the calendar until Brewers Opening Day by previewing players who wear a certain uniform number on the corresponding day.

We’re 98 days away from Opening Day, so we won’t get underway on this thing quite yet, but once the countdown coincides with a jersey, you’ll see the first column go up.

I call the series “Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers” and it works a little something like this:

Opening Day is April 6, 2015.
March 29th is eight days before April 6th.
Ryan Braun wears number 8 on his jersey.
I’ll write an article reviewing Ryan Braun’s 2014 and looking ahead to his 2015 and post it on March 29, 2015.

Make sense? Here’s another example:

Jonathan Broxton wears number 51.
51 days before April 6th is February 14th.
I’ll post my Broxton column on February 14th.

I do a column on every player who is on the Brewers 40-man roster along with most Spring Training non-roster invitees. I’ll update this space with a full schedule once the uniform numbers for the newest 40-man additions are announced. I’ll update it again as non-roster invitees are revealed.

Thanks for reading and sticking with me this winter. BBtJN is a very popular series and I thank you for that. Stay tuned!

July 21, 2014

Roster Shuffle 2: Electric Boogaloo

In the sequel to the pre-All-Star break roster shuffle, the Milwaukee Brewers today announced that they have made a move in an attempt to bolster the big league bullpen.

The move required both a 25-man roster spot as well as a 40-man roster spot. To facilitate those moves, RHP Rob Wooten was optioned to Triple-A Nashville (25-man) and rehabbing right-hander Jim Henderson was placed on the 60-day disabled list (40-man).

All this was done so that the Brewers could select the contract of RHP Jeremy Jeffress.

Jeffress was made headlines more than once in Milwaukee. He was a part of the package of prospects sent to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Zack Greinke. Earlier this season, he chose to re-sign with the Brewers organization after being designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays and electing free agency after clearing waivers. He also was almost out of baseball completely during his first turn in Milwaukee’s system as he was suspended more than once for marijuana use. By multiple accounts, he’s clear of that recreational drug use though, but is now back on a 40-man roster anyway.

Much more importantly than his off-the-field history is his on-the-field production so far in 2014. In other words, there’s a much better reason that he was added to the 40-man roster this time around.

While pitching for Nashville this season, the former first-round draft pick of the Brewers (16th overall in 2006) has posted the following line:

30 G, 1.51 ERA, 41.2 IP, 0 HR, 45 K, 18 BB, 1.224 WHIP

That’s good for a 9.7 K/9 and a 2.50 K/BB, but it’s also worth noting that he’s been even better recently. Jeffress hasn’t given up a run since June 23rd, a span of nine appearances. He’s only given up two runs in his last 15 games and just three total in his last 24 trips to the mound.

Jeffress has always brought the gas on his fastball, but it will be his ability to command his breaking ball that will translate to big league success. He’s shown the other sought-after ability to miss bats at multiple levels as well, something which would serve him and his new team very well moving forward for the balance of 2014.

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As for the others involved, Wooten hasn’t been bad and will likely be back up in September if not sooner. In fact, by effectiveness, Brandon Kintzler may have been a better candidate to go down, but Wooten’s option year is already burned and that likely played a part in the decision.

For Jim Henderson, this must be seen as a referendum on where he’s at physically. Recent reports show him lagging behind the needed 97 MPH on his fastball. I haven’t seen any recent accounts of his slider command nor how his “work-in-progress” change up have fared since he got back on the mound, but without the heat I’m not sure the other pitches matter a lot. The timing doesn’t make much difference on his being moved to the 60-day DL though (he’s already spent more than 60 days on the DL having been placed on it on May 2nd), so maybe everything is progressing fine, but you normally wouldn’t make the move with a guy set to return any time soon.

Time will tell, I suppose.

April 19, 2014

Player News: Never Stop Getting Better

The Milwaukee Brewers entered play on Saturday, April 19th with the best record in Major League Baseball. There are some inconsistencies at times, but for the most part the team is playing well.

There have been a couple of roster moves, one based on injury and one based on paternity, but stability has also been a calling card so far during this young season.

It’d be easy to rest on those laurels, but the Brewers are continually looking for ways to get better — either on the 25-man roster or in the minors.

JEFFRESS RETURNS

The Brewers recently signed back free agent RHP Jeremy Jeffress, who was their 1st round draft pick in 2006. Jeffress had some issues with drug suspensions (for marijuana) and if he’s caught one more time he receives a lifetime ban from MLB. That’s certainly a risk, however one that the Brewers have deemed worth taking as the 26-year-old still has a big fastball and late-inning relief potential. Jeffress would likely have been with the Brewers for his entire career if not for his being a part of the package sent to the Kansas City Royals in return for Zack Greinke prior to the 2011 season.

Jeffress was signed to a minor-league contract.

TOMMY JOEL

The Brewers also were confirmed to have attended the workout for free agent relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He could be ready to sign soon and if he regains the form he had in the years prior to injuring his UCL, he could be a major addition at the right time.

Hanrahan, 32, recorded 76 saves between 2011-2012 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He could absolutely upgrade one of the bullpen spots were he to be added to the Brewers.

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As always, breaking news hits Twitter first so follow me at @BrewerNation for the quickest announcements and then return to this space for expanded analysis and commentary.

June 9, 2012

Milwaukee Brewers Uniform Number History: #41

Wondering who wore a certain uniform number all-time for the Milwaukee Brewers?

The Brewer Nation has got you covered. If you found this list on its own, head back here for the full repository after checking out this one.

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#41

Ray Peters (’70)
Jim Slaton (’71-’77, ’79-’83)
Jack Lazorko (’84)
Ray Searage (’84-’86)
Mike Birkbeck (’86)
Mark Knudson (’86-’91)
Edwin Nunez (’91)
Jose Mercedes (’94-’98)
Kyle Peterson (’99)
Matt Williams (’00)
Everett Stull (’00)
Jeffrey Hammonds (’01-’03)
Dan Kolb (’03-’04, ’06)
Tommy Phelps (’05)
Greg Aquino (’07)
Braden Looper (’09)
Jeremy Jeffress (’10)
Marco Estrada (’11-’14)
Taylor Jungmann (’15)
Junior Guerra (’16-Current)