Tagged: Reds
MLB Network’s Top 100 Players Right Now Entering 2015
As I did last year, and the year before, and the year before that, I’ll be keeping a running list of the Top 100 Players Right Now as they are revealed on MLB Network, eventually compiling the entire list.
They will have revealed all 100 by the end of Friday, February 27th. I’ll update this same space as they reveal the remaining entries.
As always, I will understandably highlight the Brewers players on the list. The Brewers had six players on the list entering 2012. Rickie Weeks was 83, John Axford was 77, Yovani Gallardo was 72, Aramis Ramirez was 66, Zack Greinke was 64, and Ryan Braun was too low at number 9. Entering 2013, the Brewers only had three players featured on the list (at the time it was revealed). Yovani Gallardo repeated his position at 72, Aramis Ramirez jumped all the way up to 32, and Braun settled in at 6. Kyle Lohse made last year’s list as well. As for 2014, just three players once again. Jean Segura checked in at 60, Carlos Gomez debuted at 44, and Ryan Braun dipped to 24.
The criteria for the list remains the same:
- Emphasized stats from the last three (3) seasons, weighting 2014
- Projected 2015 performance
- Defensive position
- Accolades
- Intangibles
Here now are the Top 100-1* Players as listed by MLB Network:
100. Joe Mauer – 1B – Minnesota Twins
99. Albert Pujols – 1B – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
98. Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers
97. Prince Fielder – 1B – Texas Rangers
96. Yordano Ventura – RP – Kansas City Royals
95. Pablo Sandoval – 3B – Boston Red Sox
94. Ben Zobrist – 2B – Oakland Athletics
93. Adam Eaton – OF – Chicago White Sox
92. Gerrit Cole – SP – Pittsburgh Pirates
91. Devin Mesoraco – C – Cincinnati Reds
90. Russell Martin – C – Toronto Blue Jays
89. Jake Arrieta – SP – Chicago Cubs
88. Lance Lynn – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
87. Kenley Jansen – CL – Los Angeles Dodgers
86. Jose Reyes – SS – Toronto Blue Jays
85. Andrelton Simmons – SS – Atlanta Braves
84. Nolan Arenado – 3B – Colorado Rockies
83. Chris Carter – 1B – Houston Astros
82. Jeff Samardzija – SP – Chicago White Sox
81. Starling Marte – LF – Pittsburgh Pirates
80. Jose Fernandez – SP – Miami Marlins
79. Christian Yelich – LF – Miami Marlins
78. Julio Teheran – SP – Atlanta Braves
77. Alex Cobb – SP – Tampa Bay Rays
76. Jayson Werth – LF – Washington Nationals
75. J.D. Martinez – RF – Detroit Tigers
74. Todd Frazier – 3B – Cincinnati Reds
73. Neil Walker – 2B – Pittsburgh Pirates
72. Carlos Santana – 1B – Cleveland Indians
71. Salvador Perez – C – Kansas City Royals
70. Sonny Gray – SP – Oakland Athletics
69. Stephen Strasburg – SP – Washington Nationals
68. Doug Fister – SP – Washington Nationals
67. Freddie Freeman – 1B – Atlanta Braves
66. Nelson Cruz – DH – Seattle Mariners
65. Alex Gordon – LF – Kansas City Royals
64. Josh Harrison – 3B – Pittsburgh Pirates
63. Ryan Braun – RF – Milwaukee Brewers
62. Yasiel Puig – CF – Los Angeles Dodgers
61. Aroldis Chapman – CL – Cincinnati Reds
60. Matt Harvey – SP – New York Mets
59. Masahiro Tanaka – SP – New York Yankees
58. Adrian Gonzalez – 1B – Los Angeles Dodgers
57. Kyle Seager – 3B – Seattle Mariners
56. Yan Gomes – C – Cleveland Indians
55. Matt Kemp – RF – San Diego Padres
54. Jacoby Ellsbury – CF – New York Yankees
53. Anthony Rizzo – 1B – Chicago Cubs
52. Dustin Pedroia – 2B – Boston Red Sox
51. Evan Longoria – 3B – Tampa Bay Rays
50. Cole Hamels – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
49. Edwin Encarnacion – 1B – Toronto Blue Jays
48. Hunter Pence – RF – San Francisco Giants
47. Hisashi Iwakuma – SP – Seattle Mariners
46. Matt Holliday – LF – St. Louis Cardinals
45. Yu Darvish – SP – Texas Rangers
44. Jason Heyward – RF – St. Louis Cardinals
43. Jon Lester – SP – Chicago Cubs
42. Carlos Gonzalez – RF – Colorado Rockies
41. Jhonny Peralta – SS – St. Louis Cardinals
40. Greg Holland – CL – Kansas City Royals
39. Wade Davis – RP – Kansas City Royals
38. Carlos Gomez – CF – Milwaukee Brewers
37. Justin Upton – LF – San Diego Padres
36. David Ortiz – DH – Boston Red Sox
35. Jordan Zimmermann – SP – Washington Nationals
34. Craig Kimbrel – CL – Atlanta Braves
33. Victor Martinez – DH – Detroit Tigers
32. Joey Votto – 1B – Cincinnati Reds
31. Anthony Rendon – 3B – Washington Nationals
30. Jose Altuve – 2B – Houston Astros
29. Ian Desmond – SS – Washington Nationals
28. Zack Greinke – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
27. Hanley Ramirez – LF – Boston Red Sox
26. Madison Bumgarner – SP – San Francisco Giants
25. David Price – SP – Detroit Tigers
24. Bryce Harper – RF – Washington Nationals
23. Jonathan Lucroy – C – Milwaukee Brewers
22. Adam Jones – CF – Baltimore Orioles
21. Michael Brantley – LF – Cleveland Indians
20. Adrian Beltre – 3B – Texas Rangers
19. Yadier Molina – C – St. Louis Cardinals
18. Josh Donaldson – 3B – Toronto Blue Jays
17. Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies
16. Johnny Cueto – SP – Cincinnati Reds
15. Corey Kluber – SP – Cleveland Indians
14. Adam Wainwright – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
13. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B – Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Jose Bautista – RF – Toronto Blue Jays
11. Max Scherzer – SP – Washington Nationals
10. Robinson Cano – 2B – Seattle Mariners
9. Jose Abreu – 1B – Chicago White Sox
8. Buster Posey – C/1B – San Francisco Giants
7. Miguel Cabrera – 1B – Detroit Tigers
6. Andrew McCutchen – CF – Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Chris Sale – SP – Chicago White Sox
4. Giancarlo Stanton – RF – Miami Marlins
3. Felix Hernandez – SP – Seattle Mariners
2. Mike Trout – CF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
1. Clayton Kershaw – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
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Ryan Braun has been revealed as the 63rd best player in Major League Baseball “Right Now” entering 2015. As the criteria for the rankings weights 2014 the most and pretty much only relies on the last three years of stats at all, this is an understandable position for Braun right now. I have a feeling though that at this time next year Braun will have rebounded a bit.
Carlos Gomez moves up six spots from 44 last year to check in at 38. I’d rather have Gomez than Justin Upton at 37.
And due to a Twitter tease, we know (or at least Brewers fans do) that Jonathan Lucroy will be number 23 when they get there.
I’ll update more once I see who is around the Brewers, but that’s the only three I expect to make the list.
Brewers 2015 Cactus League Schedule Released
Here’s the 2015 Spring Training schedule! Cactus League action, come for the scorpion stings, stay for the cactus spines in your foot!
Below is the official press release with all of the dates/times/opponents.
Here are the quick hit highlights:
- P&C (and my annual viewing of the movie Major League) is officially set for Friday, February 20th
- Position players must report by Wednesday, February 25th
- Open with an exhibition against the UW-Milwaukee Panthers baseball team
- Gone is the traditional Maryvale opener against the Oakland Athletics. (Related to the Nashville Sounds re-affiliation?)
- No Miller Park exhibitions in 2015
—
The Milwaukee Brewers today announced the team’s 2015 Spring Training schedule, which consists of 31 Cactus League games, including 16 at Maryvale Baseball Park.
The Brewers will open the spring schedule on Wednesday, March 4, against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team at Maryvale Baseball Park. This will mark the first time the Brewers will face a collegiate team in an exhibition game since 1983 when they played the Arizona State University men’s baseball team. It will also mark the first-ever contest between the Brewers and the Panthers.
The Brewers will host their National League Central rival Chicago Cubs on Saturday, March 14. The spring slate includes one scheduled split squad date on Sunday, March 15 vs. the Oakland Athletics at Maryvale Baseball Park and also against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Following an off day on Monday, March 16 – the first of two off days (also off on Monday, March 30) – the Brewers will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a game against the San Diego Padres in Peoria on Tuesday, March 17.
The Brewers will play three night games this spring. They include Friday, March 13 against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex (7:05 p.m. local start time); Tuesday, March 24 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Talking Stick (6:40 p.m.); and Friday, March 27 with a 7:05 p.m. game against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. All other spring games are day games, most of which will begin at 1:05 p.m. Arizona time (the games on Thursday, April 2 and Saturday, April 4 will begin at 12:05 p.m.).
Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Spring Training on Friday, February 20. All position players have a report date of Wednesday, February 25. The first full workout is scheduled for Thursday, February 26.
Tickets for the Milwaukee Brewers’ home Spring Training games will go on sale at 9 a.m. CT on Monday, December 8 at Brewers.com and by phone at 800-933-7890. Normal business hours are from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. CT. Sales at the Maryvale Baseball Park Box Office will begin on Monday, February 9, 2015. Tickets are available in four seating areas: Field Box ($23), Infield Reserved ($17), Outfield Reserved ($13) and Lawn Seating ($8). In addition, there will also be a limited number of advanced parking passes available for $5. Information on Spring Training Season Tickets can be obtained by calling the Milwaukee Brewers Ticket Office at 414-902-4000.
Please note that games and times are subject to change. (Home games are in bold.)
Date Time (CT) Opponent Location
Wednesday, March 4
2:05pm – UW-Milwaukee – Maryvale
Thursday, March 5
2:05pm – LA Angels of Anaheim – Tempe
Friday, March 6
2:05 pm – Los Angeles Dodgers – Maryvale
Saturday, March 7
2:05 pm – Texas Rangers – Maryvale
DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME BEGINS MARCH 8
Sunday, March 8
3:05 pm – Los Angeles Dodgers – Camelback Ranch
Monday, March 9
3:05 pm – Kansas City Royals – Maryvale
Tuesday, March 10
3:05 pm – Cincinnati Reds – Maryvale
Wednesday, March 11
3:05 pm – San Francisco Giants – Scottsdale
Thursday, March 12
3:05 pm – Colorado Rockies – Maryvale
Friday, March 13
9:05 pm – Seattle Mariners – Peoria
Saturday, March 14
3:05 pm – Chicago Cubs – Maryvale
Sunday, March 15
3:05 pm – Oakland Athletics – Maryvale – SPLIT-SQUAD
3:05 pm – Texas Rangers – Surprise – SPLIT-SQUAD
Monday, March 16
OFF DAY
Tuesday, March 17
3:05 p.m – San Diego Padres – Peoria
Wednesday, March 18
3:05 pm – Kansas City Royals – Surprise
Thursday, March 19
3:05 pm – San Francisco Giants – Maryvale
Friday, March 20
3:05 pm – Arizona Diamondbacks – Maryvale
Saturday, March 21
3:05 pm – Texas Rangers – Surprise
Sunday, March 22
3:05 pm – Chicago White Sox – Maryvale
Monday, March 23
3:05 pm – Colorado Rockies – Talking Stick
Tuesday, March 24
8:40 pm – Arizona Diamondbacks – Talking Stick
Wednesday, March 25
3:05 pm – Oakland Athletics – Maryvale
Thursday, March 26
3:05 pm – Seattle Mariners – Maryvale
Friday, March 27
9:05 pm – Cincinnati Reds – Goodyear
Saturday, March 28
3:05 pm – Cleveland Indians – Maryvale
Sunday, March 29
3:05 pm – Oakland Athletics – Mesa
Monday, March 30
OFF DAY
Tuesday, March 31
3:05 pm – Cincinnati Reds – Maryvale
Wednesday, April 1
3:05 pm – Chicago Cubs – Mesa
Thursday, April 2
2:05 pm – San Diego Padres – Peoria
Friday, April 3
3:05 pm – Cleveland Indians – Goodyear
Saturday, April 4
2:05 pm – Cleveland Indians – Maryvale
Roster News: Brewers Bolster Bullpen By Bringing In Broxton
Because sometimes you just can’t help yourself.
The official release reads like this:
SAN FRANCISCO – The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-handed reliever Jonathan Broxton from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for two players to be named. Broxton, who is eligible for the Brewers’ postseason roster, will join the team tomorrow in Chicago. The announcement was made by President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Doug Melvin.
Broxton, 30, is 4-2 with a 1.86 ERA and 7 saves in 51 appearances this season. Opponents are batting just .190 (32-for-168, 3hr). He has pitched for Los Angeles (2005-11), Kansas City (2012) and Cincinnati (2012-14) during his 10-year career, going 35-29 with a 3.05 ERA and 118 saves in 531 appearances, all in relief.
Even as far back as July, Doug Melvin wasn’t shy about his desire to obtain another bullpen pitcher, preferably one:
- with closing experience
- who throws right-handed
- has some giddy up on his fastball
So how did this come about? The Reds posted Broxton to revocable waivers and the Brewers put in the winning claim. They had until 1:00pm ET today to work out a trade. They did so and the deal was announced by the Brewers at 12:46pm CT. Typically with players to be named later, the two teams agree upon a list of players who are eligible to be chosen to complete the trade and the acquiring team is given some time to scout them and make their decisions. Sometimes the players are already agreed to but need to be called “to be named later” for various reasons. In this case, it appears to be one of both as Reds GM Walt Jocketty has told reporters that the teams have agreed to one player and have a list for choosing the other. Regardless, a pair of prospects will be headed to the Reds by the end of September. The price won’t be super cheap because Broxton is under contract already for 2015, and there’s value in cost certainty. More on that later.
In trading for Broxton, the Brewers are adding a missing element to their 2014 bullpen. They have lacked an experienced, power righty to match up late in games, probably slot in as the primary set up man, and provide additional confidence for manager Ron Roenicke on days where Francisco Rodriguez can’t or shouldn’t be used in save situations. You can see Broxton’s stats above, and they certainly look quite desirable for a team in the Brewers’ situation.
As several of you decided was worth pointing out on Twitter, this trade doesn’t help the lineup or bench. With comments from “tell him to bring a bat” to “this is no help…he can’t hit”, once again people have decided to miss the forest for the trees. Just because Broxton can’t help the Brewers at the plate doesn’t mean that it’s a deal that shouldn’t have been made. It’s still a big immediate help for the Brewers.
Anyway, welcome to “later”. Broxton’s arm will help in 2014 but he’s also under contract for 2015 and as I said right away on Twitter, he’ll be in the mix come February to close for the Brewers in 2015. He’s owed $9 million in 2015, which is a lot but not undoable, as well as a $9 million mutual option for 2016 with a $2 million buyout. So, the Brewers will be paying Broxton some quality coin over a minimum of the next 15 months or so, but it could certainly be worth it if all goes according to plan.
MLB Network’s Top 100 Players Right Now Entering 2014
As I did last year, and the year before, I’ll be keeping a running list of the Top 100 Players Right Now as they are revealed on MLB Network, eventually compiling the entire list.
They will have revealed all 100 by the end of Friday, February 21st. I’ll update this same space as they reveal the remaining entries.
As always, I will understandably highlight the Brewers players on the list. There were six Brewers on the list entering 2012. Rickie Weeks was 83, John Axford was 77, Yovani Gallardo was 72, Aramis Ramirez was 66, Zack Greinke was 64, and Ryan Braun was too low at number 9. Last year, the Brewers only had three players featured on the list (at the time it was revealed). Yovani Gallardo repeated his position at 72, Aramis Ramirez jumped all the way up to 32, and Braun settled in at 6. Kyle Lohse made last year’s list as well.
My early prediction? The Brewers could have six (6) this year (Braun, Ramirez, Kyle Lohse, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, Jonathan Lucroy) but I think Garza falls short for sure. (UPDATE: Looks like the Brewers will only have three again. Ramirez and Lohse both fall off the list and Lucroy gets no love either.)
The criteria for the list remains the same:
- Emphasized stats from the last three (3) seasons, weighting 2012
- Projected 2014 performance
- Defensive position
- Accolades
- Intangibles
Here now are the Top 100-1* Players as listed by MLB Network:
100. Derek Jeter – SS – New York Yankees
99. Brandon Phillips – 2B – Cincinnati Reds
98. Torii Hunter – RF – Detroit Tigers
97. Andrelton Simmons – SS – Atlanta Braves
96. Shane Victorino – RF – Boston Red Sox
95. Ian Kinsler – 2B – Detroit Tigers
94. Gerrit Cole – SP – Pittsburgh Pirates
93. Shelby Miller – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
92. Michael Wacha – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
91. Trevor Rosenthal – CL – St. Louis Cardinals
90. Patrick Corbin – SP – Arizona Diamondbacks
89. Clay Buccholz – SP – Boston Red Sox
88. Matt Cain – SP – San Francisco Giants
87. Josh Donaldson – 3B – Oakland Athletics
86. Joe Nathan – CL – Detroit Tigers
85. Matt Wieters – C – Baltimore Orioles
84. Billy Butler – DH – Kansas City Royals
83. Jon Lester – SP – Boston Red Sox
82. Koji Uehara – CL – Boston Red Sox
81. Chase Utley – 2B – Philadelphia Phillies
80. Albert Pujols – 1B – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
79. Pedro Alvarez – 3B – Pittsburgh Pirates
78. Salvador Perez – C – Kansas City Royals
77. Carlos Santana – C/3B – Cleveland Indians
76. Josh Hamilton – RF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
75. Eric Hosmer – 1B – Kansas City Royals
74. Hunter Pence – RF – San Francisco Giants
73. Michael Cuddyer – RF – Colorado Rockies
72. Justin Upton – LF – Atlanta Braves
71. Anibal Sanchez – SP – Detroit Tigers
70. Jason Kipnis – 2B – Cleveland Indians
69. Gio Gonzalez – SP – Washington Nationals
68. Madison Bumgarner – SP – San Francisco Giants
67. Greg Holland – CL – Kansas City Royals
66. James Shields – SP – Kansas City Royals
65. Matt Carpenter – 3B – St. Louis Cardinals
64. Brian McCann – C – New York Yankees
63. J.J. Hardy – SS – Baltimore Orioles
62. Ian Desmond – SS – Washington Nationals
61. Jose Reyes – SS – Toronto Blue Jays
60. JEAN SEGURA – SS – MILWAUKEE BREWERS
59. Matt Kemp – CF – Los Angeles Dodgers
58. Alex Gordon – LF – Kansas City Royals
57. Cole Hamels – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
56. Jordan Zimmermann – SP – Washington Nationals
55. Hisashi Iwakuma – SP – Seattle Mariners
54. Cliff Lee – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
53. Allen Craig – RF – St. Louis Cardinals
52. Adrian Gonzalez – 1B – Los Angeles Dodgers
51. Jacoby Ellsbury – CF – New York Yankees
50. Jose Bautista – RF – Toronto Blue Jays
49. Jayson Werth – RF – Washington Nationals
48. Ryan Zimmerman – 3B – Washington Nationals
47. Carlos Beltran – RF – New York Yankees
46. Prince Fielder – 1B – Texas Rangers
45. Freddie Freeman – 1B – Atlanta Braves
44. CARLOS GOMEZ – CF – MILWAUKEE BREWERS
43. Wil Myers – RF – Tampa Bay Rays
42. Shin-Soo Choo – LF – Texas Rangers
41. Matt Holliday – LF – St. Louis Cardinals
40. Victor Martinez – C/DH – Detroit Tigers
39. Edwin Encarnacion – 1B – Toronto Blue Jays
38. Zack Greinke – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
37. Stephen Strasburg – SP – Washington Nationals
36. Jay Bruce – RF – Cincinnati Reds
35. Aroldis Chapman – CL – Cincinnati Reds
34. Joe Mauer – 1B – Minnesota Twins
33. Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers
32. Adam Wainwright – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
31. Yu Darvish – SP – Texas Rangers
30. Chris Davis – 1B – Baltimore Orioles
29. Manny Machado – 3B – Baltimore Orioles
28. David Ortiz – DH – Boston Red Sox
27. Dustin Pedroia – 2B – Boston Red Sox
26. Craig Kimbrel – CL – Atlanta Braves
25. David Wright – 3B – New York Mets
24. RYAN BRAUN – RF – MILWAUKEE BREWERS
23. Yasiel Puig – RF – Los Angeles Dodgers
22. Bryce Harper – LF – Washington Nationals
21. Adam Jones – CF – Baltimore Orioles
20. Giancarlo Stanton – RF – Miami Marlins
19. Chris Sale – SP – Chicago White Sox
18. Jose Fernandez – SP – Miami Marlins
17. Buster Posey – C – San Francisco Giants
16. Hanley Ramirez – SS – Los Angeles Dodgers
15. Evan Longoria – 3B – Tampa Bay Rays
14. Yadier Molina – C – St. Louis Cardinals
13. Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies
12. Max Scherzer – SP – Detroit Tigers
11. Carlos Gonzalez – CF – Colorado Rockies
10. David Price – SP – Tampa Bay Rays
9. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B – Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Joey Votto – 1B – Cincinnati Reds
7. Felix Hernandez – SP – Seattle Mariners
6. Adrian Beltre – 3B – Texas Rangers
5. Robinson Cano – 2B – Seattle Mariners
4. Andrew McCutchen – CF – Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Miguel Cabrera – 1B – Detroit Tigers
2. Clayton Kershaw – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
1. Mike Trout – CF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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So that’s the list! Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think. Did your favorite player make the list? Was he too high? Too low?
Full 2014 Brewers Schedule (All Game Times Released)
Here is the entire Milwaukee Brewers regular season schedule, complete with all but one game time announced. That game is Saturday, August 20th in San Francisco against the Giants. I’ll update this space when I notice that game time having been set.
All times listed are CT.
—
March/April
Monday, March 31: Atlanta Braves, 1:10pm
Tuesday, April 1: Atlanta Braves, 7:10pm
Wednesday, April 2: Atlanta Braves, 12:10pm
Friday April 4: at Boston Red Sox, 1:10pm
Saturday, April 5: at Boston Red Sox, 6:10pm
Sunday, April 6: at Boston Red Sox, 12:35pm
Monday, April 7: at Philadelphia Phillies, 2:05pm
Wednesday, April 9: at Philadelphia Phillies, 6:05pm
Thursday, April 10: at Philadelphia Phillies, 6:05pm
Friday, April 11: Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:10pm
Sat, April 12: Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:10pm
Sunday, April 13: Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:10pm
Monday, April 14: St. Louis Cardinals, 7:10pm
Tuesday, April 15: St. Louis Cardinals, 7:10pm
Wednesday, April 16: St. Louis Cardinals, 12:10pm
Thursday, April 17: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:05pm
Friday, April 18: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:05pm
Saturday, April 19: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:05pm
Sunday, April 20: at PIttsburgh Pirates, 12:35pm
Monday, April 21: San Diego Padres, 7:10pm
Tuesday,, April 22: San Diego Padres, 7:10pm
Wednesday, April 23: San Diego Padres, 7:10pm
Friday, April 25: Chicago Cubs: 7:10pm
Saturday, April 26: Chicago Cubs: 6:10pm
Sunday, April 27: Chicago Cubs: 1:10pm
Monday, April 28: at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:15pm
Tuesday, April 29: at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:15pm
Wednesday, April 30: at St. Louis Cardinals, 12:45pm
May
Thursday, May 1: at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Friday, May 2: at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Saturday, May 3: at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Sunday, May 4: at Cincinnati Reds, 3:10pm
Monday, May 5: Arizona Diamondbacks, 7:10pm
Tuesday, May 6: Arizona Diamondbacks, 7:10pm
Wednesday, May 7: Arizona Diamondbacks, 12:10pm
Friday, May 9: New York Yankees, 7:10pm
Saturday, May 10: New York Yankees, 6:10pm
Sunday, May 11: New York Yankees, 1:10pm
Tuesday, May 13: Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:10pm
Wednesday, May 14: Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:10pm
Thursday, May 15: Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:10pm
Friday, May 16: at Chicago Cubs, 1:20pm
Saturday, May 17: at Chicago Cubs, 1:20pm
Sunday, May 18: at Chicago Cubs, 1:20pm
Monday, May 19: at Atlanta Braves, 6:10pm
Tue, May 20 at Atlanta Braves, 6:10pm
Wed, May 21: at Atlanta Braves, 6:10pm
Thursday, May 22: at Atlanta Braves, 6:10pm
Friday, May 23: at Miami Marlins, 6:10pm
Saturday, May 24: at Miami Marlins, 3:10pm
Sunday, May 25: at Miami Marlins, 12:10pm
Monday, May 26: Baltimore Orioles, 1:10pm
Tuesday, May 27: Baltimore Orioles, 7:10pm
Wednesday, May 28: Baltimore Orioles, 7:10pm
Friday, May 30: Chicago Cubs, 7:10pm
Saturday, May 31: Chicago Cubs, 3:10pm
June
Sunday, June 1: Chicago Cubs, 1:10pm
Monday, June 2: Minnesota Twins, 7:10pm
Tuesday, June 3: Minnesota Twins, 7:10pm
Wednesday, June 4: at Minnesota Twins, 7:10pm
Thursday, June 5: at Minnesota Twins, 7:10pm
Friday, June 6: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:05pm
Saturday, June 7: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 3:05pm
Sunday, June 8: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:35pm
Tuesday, June 10: at New York Mets, 6:10pm
Wednesday, June 11: at New York Mets, 6:10pm
Thursday, June 12: at New York Mets, 6:10pm
Friday, June 13: Cincinnati Reds, 7:10pm
Sunday, June 14: Cincinnati Reds, 6:15pm
Sunday, June 15: Cincinnati Reds, 1:10pm
Monday, June 16: at Arizona Diamondbacks, 8:40pm
Tuesday, June 17: at Arizona Diamondbacks, 8:40pm
Wednesday, June 18: at Arizona Diamondbacks, 8:40pm
Thursday, June 19: at Arizona Diamondbacks, 2:40pm
Friday, June 20: at Colorado Rockies, 7:40pm
Saturday, June 21: at Colorado Rockies, 3:10pm
Sunday, June 22: at Colorado Rockies, 3:10pm
Monday, June 23: Washington Nationals, 7:10pm
Tuesday, June 24: Washington Nationals, 7:10pm
Wednesday, June 25: Washington Nationals, 1:10pm
Thursday, June 26: Colorado Rockies, 7:10pm
Friday, June 27: Colorado Rockies, 7:10pm
Saturday, June 28: Colorado Rockies, 3:10pm
Sunday, June 29: Colorado Rockies, 1:10pm
July
Tuesday, July 1: at Toronto Blue Jays, 12:07pm
Wednesday, July 2: at Toronto Blue Jays, 11:37am
Friday, July 4: at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Saturday, July 5: at Cincinnati Reds, 3:10pm
Sunday, July 6: at Cincinnati Reds, 12:10pm
Monday, July 7: Philadelphia Phillies, 7:10pm
Tuesday, July 8: Philadelphia Phillies, 7:10pm
Wednesday, July 9: Philadelphia Phillies, 7:10pm
Thursday, July 10: Philadelphia Phillies, 1:10pm
Friday, July 11: St. Louis Cardinals, 7:10pm
Saturday, July 12: St. Louis Cardinals, 3:10pm
Sunday, July 13: St. Louis Cardinals, 1:10pm
Friday, July 18: at Washington Nationals, 6:05pm
Saturday, July 19: at Washington Nationals, 6:05pm
Sunday, July 20: at Washington Nationals, 12:35pm
Monday, July 21: Cincinnati Reds, 7:10pm
Tuesday, July 22: Cincinnati Reds, 7:10pm
Wednesday, July 23: Cincinnati Reds, 1:10pm
Thursday, July 24: New York Mets, 7:10pm
Friday, July 25: New York Mets, 7:10pm
Saturday, July 26: New York Mets, 7:10pm
Sunday, July 27: New York Mets, 1:10pm
Monday, July 28: at Tampa Bay Rays, 6:10pm
Tuesday, July 29: at Tampa Bay Rays, 6:10pm
Wednesday, July 30: at Tampa Bay Rays, 11:10am
August
Friday, August 1: at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:15pm
Saturday, August 2: at St. Louis Cardinals, 6:15pm
Sunday, August 3: at St. Louis Cardinals, 1:15pm
Tuesday, August 5: San Francisco Giants, 7:10pm
Wednesday, August 6: San Francisco Giants, 7:10pm
Thursday, August 7: San Francisco Giants, 1:10pm
Friday, August 8: Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:10pm
Saturday, Aug .9: Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:10pm
Sunday, August 10: Los Angeles Dodgers, 1:10pm
Monday, August 11: at Chicago Cubs, 7:05pm
Tuesday, August 12: at Chicago Cubs, 7:05pm
Wednesday, August 13: at Chicago Cubs, 7:05pm
Thursday, August 14: at Chicago Cubs, 1:20pm
Friday, August 15: at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10pm
Saturday, August 16: at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:10pm
Sunday, August 17: at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:10pm
Tuesday, August 19: Toronto Blue Jays, 7:10pm
Wednesday, August 20: Toronto Blue Jays, 1:10pm
Friday, August 22: Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:10pm
Saturday, August 23: Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:10pm
Sunday, August 24: Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:10pm
Monday, August 25: at San Diego Padres, 9:10pm
Tuesday, August 26: at San Diego Padres, 9:10pm
Wednesday, August 27: at San Diego Padres, 9:10pm
Friday, August 29: at San Francisco Giants, 9:15pm
Saturday, August 30: at San Francisco Giants, TBA
Sunday, August 31: at San Francisco Giants, 3:05pm
September
Monday, September 1: at Chicago Cubs, 1:20pm
Tuesday, September 2: at Chicago Cubs, 7:05pm
Wednesday, September 3: at Chicago Cubs, 7:05pm
Thursday, September 4: St. Louis Cardinals, 7:10pm
Friday, September 5: St. Louis Cardinals, 7:10pm
Saturday, September 6: St. Louis Cardinals, 7:10pm
Sunday, September 7: St. Louis Cardinals, 1:10pm
Monday, September 8: Miami Marlins, 7:10pm
Tuesday, September 9: Miami Marlins, 7:10pm
Wednesday, September 10: Miami Marlins, 7:10pm
Thursday, September 11: Miami Marlins, 7:10pm
Friday, September 12: Cincinnati Reds, 7:10pm
Saturday, September 13: Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Sunday, September 14: Cincinnati Reds, 1:10pm
Tuesday, September 15: at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:15pm
Wednesday, September 16: at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:15pm
Thursday, September 17: at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:15pm
Friday, September 18: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:05pm
Saturday, September 19: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:05pm
Sunday, September 20: at Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:35pm
Tuesday, September 22: at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Wednesday, September 23:: at Cincinnati Reds, 6:10pm
Thursday, September 24: at Cincinnati Reds, 11:35am
Friday, September 25: Chicago Cubs, 7:10pm
Saturday, September 26: Chicago Cubs, 6:10pm
Sunday, September 27: Chicago Cubs, 1:10pm
Something To Look Forward To: Unexpected Victories
So much for making this a running series of posts, but life got in the way a lot during August and I just couldn’t find the time for this aspect of things. That being said, I first had this notion for the series back when Jonathan Lucroy walked off against Aroldis Chapman and the Reds back on August 16th at Miller Park.
Away we go.
As I mentioned here back on August 1st, the end of a season like this brings out many naysayers and exposes a multitude of casual fans who can’t wait until the Packers (or whichever NFL team is their favorite) begin to training camp and pre-season. But there are certainly things to continue to watch baseball for in August and September of a “lost” season (at least “lost” as far as the playoffs are concerned). On August 1st I spoke of September callups of which the Brewers tapped top prospect Jimmy Nelson. Nelson is getting his feet wet and experiencing what goes into being a Major League player from the travel schedule to the daily routine and more.
Today though I wanted to talk about what happened on August 16th and what happened again last night:
Unexpected Victories.
On August 16th the Brewers were down to their last turn at the plate when the unexpected happened. Jonathan Lucroy stepped to the plate with a man on, trailing by a run, against a pitcher to which point in his career he was 0-for-5 with five strikeouts against. Lucroy worked a seven-pitch at-bat, fouling off five consecutive fastballs averging 98 MPH. Then, on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Chapman hung a slider. And, as the saying goes, you hang ’em, we bang ’em. Lucroy sent Chapman and the Reds walking off the field in defeat.
Miller Park erupted and the Brewers celebrated an unexpected victory, because if Lucroy doesn’t come through in that situation, there’s hardly a guarantee that Aramis Ramirez (career 0-for-3, 3 K, 1 BB) or Sean Halton (career 0-for-1, 1 K) would have. In fact, Lucroy has faced Chapman once since that day and again struck out.
These games exist and they are an absolute delight to attend and to be paying attention to. After all, cheering our collective heads off is what being a fan is all about.
That brings us specifically to the game almost exactly one month later on September 15th. The Brewers trailed 5-1 going into the 8th inning, having been stymied all day by the pitcher who they are historically terrible against. Look up some of the career numbers of Brewers hitters against Bronson Arroyo and you’ll be floored if you didn’t already realize how poor they are.
Anyway, the Brewers are looking set up for consecutive losses to the Reds, a team which Milwaukee just took a series from on the road. But then the magic of baseball took over and the Brewers pulled out an unexpected victory. Norichika Aoki entered the game as a pinch hitter and walked. Khris Davis pinch-hit for Scooter Gennett and was hit by a pitch. Jean Segura tripled to the right-centerfield gap, scoring both Aoki and Davis. Lucroy followed that up with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right field, and the game was tied.
In the 9th, Jim Henderson struck out two of the first three batters he faced, walking Shin-Soo Choo in between. He stole second and Ron Roenicke elected to put Joey Votto on base, putting the force in play. Noted Brewers killer Jay Bruce stepped in and hammered a ball that was headed over the wall for a heart-crushing three-run home run. But then Carlos Gomez did what he had done four other times this season and lept at the wall to catch the ball and keep the runs off of the scoreboard.
That gave the offense a chance and a chance is all Sean Halton has ever wanted. Halton swung at a 1-0 change up and the Brewers were walk-off winners again!
That’s the beauty of baseball, fellow fans. I know the term “any given Sunday” exists for good reason in the National Football League, but there are 162 “Sundays” in a Major League Baseball season. Any one of them has a chance to end up in an unexpected victory, snatched from the jaws of defeat.
This season of Sundays has but 13 games left after tonight. That’s 14 more chances to witness something unexpected.
I’ll be watching.
Milwaukee Brewers Announce 2013 Spring Training Schedule
The Milwaukee Brewers today announced the Club’s 2013 Spring Training schedule which opens on Saturday, February 23 at Maryvale Baseball Park against Oakland. The Brewers will play a total of 35 Spring Training and exhibition games in 2013, including 17 at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix and two games at Miller Park.
The Brewers will play games at Maryvale against NL Central rivals Cincinnati on Saturday, March 16 and against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, March 22. Other home highlights include a St. Patrick’s Day game (Sunday, March 17) against Los Angeles in Glendale and a matchup versus Team Canada’s World Baseball Classic entry on Tuesday, March 5.
The team has two split squad games scheduled during the spring. The slate includes Monday, February 25 vs. San Diego (SS) and at Cincinnati, and Sunday, March 24 vs. Colorado and at San Diego.
The final home game at Maryvale Baseball Park for the Brewers is set for Wednesday, March 27 against Kansas City. The Brewers will return home to Miller Park to play two games against the White Sox to round out the exhibition season, scheduled for Friday, March 29 at 7:10 p.m. and Saturday, March 30 at 1:10 p.m.
All Brewers games played in the Cactus League are scheduled for 1:05 pm starts (Arizona Time), except for Wednesday, March 13 at the Diamondbacks (7:10 p.m. local/9:10 p.m. CT start).
Pitchers and catchers with zero to three years of Major League service time are scheduled to report to Spring Training on Tuesday, February 12. All position players and pitchers and catchers with three-plus years of Major League service have a report date of Friday, February 15, 2013.
Tickets for the Milwaukee Brewers home Spring Training games will go on sale at 10 am CT on Monday, December 3 via the internet at Brewers.com and by phone at 1-800-933-7890. Normal business hours are from 9am – 5pm CST. Sales at the Maryvale Baseball Park Box Office will begin on Monday, February 4, 2013. Tickets are available in four seating areas: Field Box ($22), Infield Reserved ($16), Outfield Reserved ($13) and Lawn Seating ($8). Information on Spring Training Season Tickets can be obtained by calling the Milwaukee Brewers Ticket Office at 414-902-4000.
Please note that games and times are subject to change.
Milwaukee Brewers 2013 Spring Training Schedule
Date Time (local) (CT) Opponent Place____
Sat, Feb 23
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Oakland Athletics Maryvale
Sun, Feb 24
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Cleveland Indians (SS) Maryvale
Mon, Feb 25
1:05 pm 2:05 pm San Diego Padres Maryvale
1:05 pm 2:05 pm at Cincinnati Reds Goodyear
Tue, February 26
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Seattle Mariners Maryvale
Wed, Feb 27
1:05 pm 2:05 pm at Kansas City Royals Surprise
Thu, Feb 28
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Chicago White Sox Maryvale
Fri, Mar 1
1:05 pm 2:05 pm at Colorado Rockies Talking Stick
Sat, Mar 2
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Maryvale
Sun, Mar 3
1:05 pm 2:05 pm at Chicago Cubs (SS) Mesa
Mon, Mar 4 OFF DAY
Tue, Mar 5
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Team Canada Maryvale
Wed, Mar 6
1:05 pm 2:05 pm at Seattle Mariners Peoria
Thu, Mar 7
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Arizona Diamondbacks Maryvale
Fri, Mar 8
1:05 pm 2:05 pm Texas Rangers Maryvale
Sat, Mar 9
1:05 pm 2:05 pm at Cincinnati Reds Goodyear
DAYLIGHT-SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 10
Sun, Mar 10
1:05 pm 3:05 pm San Francisco Giants Maryvale
Mon, Mar 11
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Los Angeles Dodgers Maryvale
Tue, Mar 12
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Texas Rangers Surprise
Wed, Mar 13
7:10 pm 9:10 pm at Arizona Diamondbacks Talking Stick
Thu, Mar 14 OFF DAY
Fri, Mar 15
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Cleveland Indians Maryvale
Sat, Mar 16
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Cincinnati Reds (SS) Maryvale
Sun, Mar 17
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Los Angeles Dodgers (SS) Glendale
Mon, Mar 18
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Cleveland Indians Goodyear
Tuesday, March 19
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Maryvale
Wed, Mar 20
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at San Francisco Giants (SS) Scottsdale
Thu, Mar 21
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Chicago White Sox Glendale
Fri, Mar 22
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Chicago Cubs Maryvale
Sat, Mar 23
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Tempe
Sun, Mar 24
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Colorado Rockies Maryvale
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at San Diego Padres Peoria
Mon, Mar 25
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Oakland Athletics Phoenix
Tue, Mar 26 OFF DAY
Wed, Mar 27
1:05 pm 3:05 pm Kansas City Royals (SS) Maryvale
Thu, Mar 28
1:05 pm 3:05 pm at Colorado Rockies Talking Stick
Fri, Mar 29
7:10 pm Chicago White Sox Miller Park
Sat, Mar 30
1:10 pm Chicago White Sox Miller Park
• Home games in bold
• Note: Daylight-Savings Time begins on March 10
• All Games/Times subject to change
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Want a more colorful look at the Brewers’ 2013 Cactus League slate? Click the image.
Decision Day is Drawing Nigh for the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers
At the close of play today, Thursday, July 5th, the Milwaukee Brewers sit with a record of 38-44, 8.0 games behind the National League Central Divison-leading Pittsburgh Pirates.
It’s a far cry from where the Brewers were a year ago at this time, and at times it feels like this year’s incarnation will never accomplish anything.
While this may prove to be true in the end, at least as far as a playoff participation is concerned, there is still plenty of time left this year to simply enjoy the game of baseball if nothing else.
Then again, there is still a small window of opportunity in front of the Brewers. Between now and Monday, July 23rd is a stretch of 12 regular-season games (along with the MLB All-Star break) which will decide how busy general manager Doug Melvin’s phone will be and whether he’ll be making calls or receiving them.
This stretch is singularly key to the Brewers decision-makers because all 12 games are intradivisional along with the final nine of those games coming against the three teams in front of them in the Division.
The three games prior to the break are in Houston, against an Astros team that traded off one of its only offensive pieces. Those are extremely winnable games, especially given that Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke will be pitching in the series.
The nine games immediately following the break begin with six at Miller Park (a place where the Brewers seriously need to play more consistent baseball) against the Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and then three on the road in Cincinnati against the Reds.
The Brewers trail the Cardinals by 5.5 games, the Reds by 6.5 games and, as I mentioned earlier, the Pirates by 8.0 games. So, while the Brewers would be hard-pressed to overtake any of the teams during this stretch, even should they somehow go 12-0, one can see the importance here.
Should the Brewers continue to falter and lose, the front office will be left with little choice but to sell off valuable pieces to the highest bidders. As we discussed on the podcast recorded Thursday morning (which hopefully will be posted soon), those pieces should include Shaun Marcum, George Kottaras, Nyjer Morgan, Francisco Rodriguez, Cesar Izturis, and even Zack Greinke (assuming the team is as far away on a contract offer as it appears that they are). Furthermore, should a team approach the Brewers with an acceptable offer for any expendable member of the Brewers roster, that deal should be made.
Nobody in the locker room wants the team to sell. They enjoy this group and want to maintain it, if at all possible. That just simply can’t happen if they have no chance of winning though.
Now, some may say that after the injuries to Chris Narveson, Mat Gamel and Alex Gonzalez that the team never had a chance, but that’s beside the point.
The point being: if the team can gain some significant ground on the teams ahead of them in the Division, and they do so by showing some consistent play in all facets of the game, the front office would likely try to add to the roster and make a push.
Nobody is saying that this scenario doesn’t seem like a tremendous long shot, but as of today at least its a shot that’s available to take.
Bottom line: Pay attention, Brewer Nation. A decision will be made by Monday, July 23rd as to whether this team buys or sells before the July 31st non-waiver trading deadline. Trust me, either way there will be plenty of time to make one or more deals, regardless of the direction of the roster.
Also, either way, it’ll be an exciting time to pay attention to the team. Just make sure you haven’t checked out by then.
Oh, What A Night!
By: Big Rygg
Now here is the other side of the coin when I was speaking about Yovani Gallardo’s start against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park. A 15-3 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds is just what the doctor ordered for Manny Parra and the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Parra picked up his first victory on the year and the Brewers won their first game in which Parra started. That’s a nice fat gorilla that just climbed off of Parra’s back, not to mention that Parra tossed a quality start on top of all of the offense’s fireworks.
Personally, I thought the key play in this one was Corey Hart’s two-RBI base hit in the first inning. It came with two outs and had he not come through with the bases loaded, perhaps the Reds get some confidence out of the missed opportunity by the Brewers. Instead, Hart puts up a crooked number and allows J.J. Hardy to bat in the inning as well, and Hardy responds by tatooing a three-run oppo home run.
Excellent game tonight in every facet, including a handful of fantastic defensive plays, probably the best of which came from Chris Duffy once he took over for Mike Cameron in center field.
But all in alll, a good night for every Brewer. Here are some of the notables from tonight’s contest:
- The Brewers scored their season high in runs (15).
- The Brewers had their largest margin of victory this season (12).
- Carlos Corporan tallied his first major league hit in his first major league at-bat
- Ryan Braun hit the second grand slam of his career
- Braun also set a personal career-high in RBI
- The Brewers, by winning tonight, now have three separate four-game winning streaks (they don’t yet have one of at least five games)
Great job guys!
Oh, don’t forget…the weekly podcast has been available since Monday! Click here to head to the site to download it.
Let’s get another tomorrow and carry some healthy momentum into our series with the Cubs at Miller Park!
The Brewer Nation 