Corbin Burnes has been Traded, and the Brewers Executives Suck

I think this trade is horses**t. 

First of all, it isn't a "blockbuster" trade unless you're sitting in Maryland.  In exchange for sending away a 3x All-Star and Cy Young winner, we receive infield prospect Joey Oritz, LH reliever DL Hall, and a throwaway compensation draft pick. 

Whoo-hooo.

Now, I do hope that in the years to come I look back on this and say "I was wrong, man those guys worked out for us!" Hall could potentially move into the rotation, Oritz is ranked the 63rd best prospect in the minors, and of course maybe we draft Babe Ruth with that pick. 

Could be. 

It would still be horses**t. 

Milwaukee and its myopic, ever-hopeful, ever-masochistic fans have already chimed in, repeating the script they've read every year:  "By golly, we will miss this player. But ya gotta think long-term. He was gonna leave as a free agent next year and this way we got some VALUE out of him. That's just the way a small market team has to operate dontcha know?"

Again, horses**t. 

That's the same malarkey you heard when the Brewers traded Josh Hader in the midst of a playoff run a couple years back, a move that sucked the life out of the team and left them .watching the playoffs from the couch. 

The ONLY value a player has for a team is the contribution they make towards winning. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a player's trade value as a flesh and blood stock certificate because they are an integral part of you getting a championship and the here and now, not next year, matters. 

It would be swell if Brewers executives understood that concept, because it's been "next year" for all 49 years of my life. 

Frank Howard

Frank Howard, the 6'7" outfielder known as "Hondo," died on October 30th at age 87.

While he never reached the level of fame as some of his contemporaries, Howard hit 382 home runs and knocked in 1,119 RBI over a 16 year career. He led the league in home runs twice, once hit 48 in a summer, and notched 40 or more dingers in three consecutive seasons. 

In the mid-80's he would serve as a coach in Milwaukee, but what I remember him for isn't that, or his playing record: I know him from his mentions as a test subject  in The Science of Hitting, the epic hitting manual written by Howard's one time manager, Ted Williams. 

RIP Hondo.

Pete Ladd

Pete Ladd had an unassuming major league career, notching 17 wins, 39 saves and 23 losses in 205 games, with a 4.14 ERA. Take away a very solid 1983 campaign and those number go from "ho hum" to "less than respectable."  

In 1982 however, with closer Rollie Fingers injured, Ladd was on the mound for arguably the greatest moment in Brewers history: it was his pitch that Angel Rod Carew grounded to short for the final out of the ALCS, giving Milwaukee its only penant in the last 65 years. 

I watched that happen live on TV, and it's one of my favorite moments with my Grandpa.

Ladd died Friday at age 67 after a short bout with cancer. 

RIP

Congratulations on doing what you do Best.

Congratulations to the Milwaukee Brewers for finishing with a 90-72 record, a National League Central title . . . 

and then getting swept by an 84 win team in the first round of the playoffs. 

#$@$%%

49 years. 

FORTY NINE YEARS this team has disappointed me and left me bitter and angry and incapable of EVER trusting that they'll win a Championship. They would have to be up by six in the ninth inning of game seven of the World Series before I could feel certain of victory. 

You think I'm kidding? 

In the example above, I originally wrote "up by 5 in the 9th inning." Why did I change it? 

Because, hand to heart, I immediately pictured a scenario where they allow a couple runs and some baserunners, fall apart as the momentum swings, and surrender a grand slam to lose the Series. Right here, at my desk, I could see it clear as day, and my heart dropped. 

No mas. No mas. 

Tim Wakefield

 

I am no Red Sox fan - may the baseball gods kindly grant them another 86 year championship drought - but I was a fan of Tim Wakefield. 

Originally an eighth round draft choice by Pittsburgh as a position player, he learned to throw a knuckleball when told he would never make the bigs with his bat. 

Despite a strong showing on the mound for the Pirates in their ill-fated 1992 playoff run, Wakefield began to struggle the next year. After being released by the Pirates, he was picked up by Boston, where he would retire 17 years later, the longest tenured player on the team and the oldest active player in the major leagues. 

During his career, he recorded 200 career victories, won two rings, threw more innings than any Red Sox pitcher in history, won the second-most games at Fenway in history, and notched the third-most career wins of anyone in a Red Sox uniform, trailing only Roger Clemens and the immortal Cy Young. 

And by all accounts, he did it while being a pretty darn good human being. 

Wakefield died today of cancer at the age of 57. 

RIP Tim, RIP. 

Brooks Robinson

Brooks Robinson, the 18th time All-Star and 16 time Gold Glove MVP, Hall of Famer,  and mainstay of a great decade of Baltimore baseball, has died. He was 86.

Robinson's era predates my arrival into  baseball fandom, but I'm very aware of his epic defense at the Hot Corner.  He's often ranked as one of, if not the, greatest third baseman in history.

I personally give that honor to Mike Schmidt, but I wouldn't fault you for naming Brooks.

RIP sir. 

Clinched!

The first 43 years of my life the Brewers made it to the postseason all of four times.

Tonight, they made it five times in the last six years 

It's a nice change. 

Now let's do some damage in the playoffs, shall we?

Milverine's Jersey

On August 22 Milwaukee legend, Bay View's own Milverine, aka John Frank Hamann, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Brewers game.

  This is the jersey they gave him.

If the Brewers haven't thought about producing replicas of this, they should.  Make one in my size and I'd proudly wear it!

On Combined No-Hitters

I know there's been 20 combined no hitters in MLB history, one of which belongs to the Brew Crew, with the latest of them being thrown by the Tigers today. 

Huzzah. I'm happy for them.

But . . .

Why the heck does that even count? 

For one guy to go out there and thrown a complete game, getting 27 outs without surrendering a hit, that's impressive. 

It takes skill, control, luck, and perhaps most importantly of all, stamina. Folks don't pitch complete games in the modern game, they just don't. So come the 8th inning, when their  arm is aching and they're running on fumes, and the opposing batters can sense blood in the water, it's just plain grit and skill that enables them to power though. 

Where exactly does that last bit come into play in a combined no-hitter? 

Oh, you're tiring out in the 6th. Boo hoo. Let's yank you out for a fresh arm. Oy, your replacement isn't very good against lefties and the 8th is full of them? No matter, new guy on the mound. 

To me, celebrating a combined no-hitter is like bragging about getting a perfect score on a test, when you subbed in another guy to do the algebra bit, and then had the math wiz step in to solve the big calculus problem at the end. 

Some things just shouldn't be a group effort. Period. 

Vida Blue

RIP to the great Oakland pitcher, three time World Champion, Vida Blue.

Kestdaddy

So Keston Hiura wasn't claimed on waivers (idiots abound) and was outrighted to Nashville March 28th. Here's what he's done since then: 

.333/10/26 with an OPS of .394 and an OPS of 1.118 - oh, and he's been Player of the Week three out of the last four weeks. 

Now the argument goes that his performance wouldn't necessarily carry over to the bigs, and I agree, at least as far as Milwaukee goes. The Brewers have s*it him up so bad that I doubt success is attainable for him here. But in a different system, if he can shake off the Brewers handling of him . . . well, I think he'd thrive. 

I hope he gets the chance. 

Tim McCarver

Tim McCarver, the All-Star catcher whose career spanned four decades, and who later spent another four decades in the broadcast booth, has died of heart failure. He was 81. 

He was often criticized for being overly-analytical on TV, but I liked his work, and I can still hear his distinctive voice in my head. 

RIP sir. You did well. 

 

Congratulations to new HOF'er Fred McGriff!

On the heels of my Scott Rolen post you might think I'm equally down on Fred McGriff getting into Cooperstown via the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee. Not so. 

McGriff was a model of power and consistency that went largely unheralded in the shadow of the numbers put up in the Steroid Era. 

Congratulations sir!

Scott Rolen should NOT be in Cooperstown

Ok, nothing against Scott Rolen as a human being - I mean, I don't know if he's more Mother Theresa or Pol Pot, to be honest, but I'm assuming he's a'ight.

 But as a player? He shouldn't be a Hall of Famer. 

Now, MLB is doing a full on propaganda offensive to convince you he is. But no. I'm not buying it.  It is/was/was commonly perceived as the most exclusive HOF of any sport.  It should remain so. 

2077 hits, a .220 postseason average, 316 home runs (in a super HR favorable era). It doesn't scream Hall of Fame to me. 

And honestly, isn't that something that SHOULD be a criteria for the Hall?  You should hear a guy's name and nod, content that the voters got it right (or near enough for horseshoes).  I appreciated Rolen as a solid player, a very good player, but I never even thought he'd sniff Cooperstown. And I think that was the consensus during his career. He only cracked the top ten in MVP votes once, and only got any votes at all four times. 

If we're being honest, he's in because the players *actually* worthy of the Hall are shadow banned for steroids (Bonds, Clemens, Arod, etc) and so the BBWAA must conjure up a name and pretend they are doing their due diligence. 

Rolen isn't the most egregious admission to the Hall. It still doesn't make it right. 

Sal Bando

Sal Bando might have been an awful GM for the Brewers, but he was an awesome 3rd baseman, earning 3 rings with the A's and helping the Crew to its first postseason appearance in 1981.

RIP

Roberto Clemente - Gone 50 Years

50 years ago today, on New Years Eve 1972, Pittsburgh Pirates legend, rightfielder Roberto Clemente, was in Nicaragua, attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to earthquake victims.

The plane loaded with supplies crashed into the ocean at takeoff,  killing everyone on board.  His body was never found.

After his death MLB honored his greatness - as a man,  as a devout Catholic, as a pioneering Latin player,  as a superb outfielder - by waiving the waiting period for the Hall of Fame. He joined the heroes of Cooperstown in 1973.

Continue to RIP Roberto.  You made a difference in this world. 

O Captain, My Captain

Today Aaron Judge was named the 16th captain in Yankees history.  It's an honor that's well deserved. 

Congratulations!

Consistency Rewarded!

Congrats to the Crime Dog for earning the vote of The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee and punching a ticket to Cooperstown!

Gaylord Perry

Gaylord Perry, the Major League pitcher who won 300 games, threw 3000 strikeouts, won a Cy Young award at 40, and claimed to rely constantly on a spitball (probably more myth than reality) has died at age 84.

RIP

Chuck Carr

Former MLB outfielder Chuck Carr, who  led the league in stolen bases for the Marlins and entered Brewers lore with an epic quote, has died at age 55, reportedly of cancer. 

In 1997, when told to take a pitch, he swung and popped out.  Brewers manager Phil Garner was furious and a screaming match erupted. Carr's response  was so great it may echo in eternity with Brewers fans: 

"That ain't Chuckie's game. Chuckie hacks on 2-0."

He was cut soon after. 

RIP