"Great question, CaptainBOK. Does BOK stand for Book of Knowledge? My favorite thing about Milwaukee are the Brewers"; your Milwaukee Brewers 2011 thread

Any other Brewer fans excited for this season? All the junk about this being their "all in" season is getting ridiculous as every player is under contract now besides Fielder, but they definitely sold the farm (can you even name 5 prospects now??) to acquire two huge pitching talents. The last time we had two great pitchers we made the playoffs; this year we have three, plus Randy Wolf (hopefully a solid, sub-4 ERA guy) and perhaps Chris Narveson (was decent 2nd half last year). Besides that we are finally rid of Ken Macha so that alone should be worth a win or two!!

My predictions:
1. Gallardo will have the best season of all the SPs (not a knock on the other guys, but Gallardo seems primed to have a breakout season)
2. Gomez will finally prove his worth as an "okay" speed guy
3. Honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen with this team
4. Playoffs!?

I've been a Brewer fan most of my life, kinda feeling that this is the best rotation they've had in a long time, though the lineup isn't quite at 2007-2008 levels its not far off, this should be a playoff team.

Since I'm ostensibly rooting against the Cubs, and I hate the Cardinals, and I have to root against the Reds because Dusty Baker sucks, I will supporting the Brewers in the NL Central this season.

i still have much love for Marcum - and i'm hoping to see good things with his move to the NL - all hail the brewers!

Points in favor: fired Ken Macha
Points against: hired him in the first place

ugggh, no kidding. i wasn't really a fan of Yost and maybe i'm a little old-fashioned but i'd really like to see the manager get kicked out a little more; Macha just seemed to not care about anything

Macha's tenure with the A's got pretty ugly at the end.

Greinke!!!

are you accusing macha of being the adam dunn of managers?

...or the uli kunkel?

It was the Generation Gap... so they hired someone six years younger.

Greinke rejected LeBron though! worth it!

lol baseketball

predictably sportswriters are all over him for this; I mean understandably they never liked him but I think it's stupid to get upset over what amounts to a fluke accident. I guess the silver lining is that it kind of allows us to "audition" our 5th starter

Welcome, Nyjer Morgan.

Hah -- for Cutter Dykstra!

so, Zack misses the first month? Could cost em the division.

Yeah that seriously sucks. It's already exposing a problem with this club, which is starting pitching depth. I read an article that basically says that no team in the modern era ever gets by with "just" 5 starters, that you usually need at least 7. Right now we have 4.

I am excited for Nyjer though. He's a legit starter so hopefully Gomez gets a little fire under him.

Their punch-throwing HR dances will now end in bloodshed.

YO

Start of the 2011 season = HR, HR, walk, single - Rickie Weeks on pace for 750 HR?? Discuss...

so far i am glad i picked Brews over Reds in the central!

i think i'm gonna SB anyone who posts "on pace for" before june

^

even in jest

we're on pace for alot of bans this year.

Edinson Volquez is on pace to continue sucking today.

Casey McGehee on pace to score zero non-self-driven-in runs batting in front of Kotsay and Betancourt

sigh...dislike the new manager already

Leadoff double...pitcher is up...Roenecke calls bunt!! Even with two strikes!! Even though bunting Nieves over to 3rd does almost nothing (there are no outs, plus he's fast and can easily score on a single), even though Gallardo is a decent hitter in his own right (with power to boot!) Come on man!

lol

who is this closer?

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/ce/fullj.1172bfb066e60e74bac4a82db38c0d69/1172bfb066e60e74bac4a82db38c0d69-getty-108307653jf106_milwaukee_br.jpg

pretty much

smh

wow, this is an emotion that I have seriously never felt before as a Brewer fan

enjoyed this game last night & the sf/la one too

fuck yes, baseball

Wow, was not expecting that; this could definitely come back to bite us come September.

Even though the Crew are a top 10 team this year (at least, on paper), their schedule is absolutely BRUTAL. They drew the AL East for interleague and wound up getting the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox, not to mention their annual two series vs. the Twins (who for whatever reason always kill us)

Gallardo threw a two-hit complete game shutout, scored the Brewers' only run.

Fire Mark Kotsay, replace with Nyjer Morgan.

Gallardo was amazing. Tough loss for Derek Lowe, who also pitched very well. The Braves' magic trick of having Nyjer at third with no outs in the 8th and getting out of it with no runs scoring was the high point of my night.

Gallardo is usually good for one of those every year. I really thought that he deserved to be named opening day starter (which he got anyway). IIRC only 3 balls got out of the infield which is how he did so well despite only striking out 2. That said I really think that Counsell getting the start at SS is what made the difference. Not to try to get into a discussion of "what if...?" but I really think Yuni would have let a few of those balls get past.

btw I always thought Morgan should start in RF until Hart gets back...he had a rough year last year but he's way more talented than Kotsay (whose appearance on any major league roster is still baffling). I really hope yesterday changes their mind about starting him again.

Nyjer seems to have taken to being a brewer. Looks like he's batting .500 so far and just roped a triple off Garza.

yeah I imagine he's going to take Gomez's job once Hart comes back. he's making spectacular catches, stealing bases, making all sorts of heads-up plays...he most definitely does not look like the guy who tanked the 2010 season. Plus his interviews are amazing, seems like a really likeable guy...one case where I think the media got him all wrong

splendid broken-bat ribby there after getting buzzed by Braun

freaky DP!

this fuckin' Axford

dunno what's wrong with him; he got squeezed pretty tight on the first AB but his command seems way off
should be an interesting game today...Halladay vs. Wolf is probably not gonna result in a W, but I really have no idea how Roenicke is gonna use the bullpen; pretty much everyone has been used up last night besides Braddock, right?

mlbtraderumors MLB Trade Rumors
Brewers announce they have extended Ryan Braun through 2020.

And a mutual option for 2021 because, hell, why not?

wtf

i'm really happy about this, first because it kind of shows the Brewers are willing to commit to making themselves competitive for a long time, and secondly because Braun really does deserve that money - he's likely to become the best Brewer since Yount, maybe even surpassing him. but holy cow that is a long contract; is anyone else roped to a player through 2020??

"Tickle 'em into the outfield."

Yeah his interviews are the best. I knew of Nyjer when he was on the Pirates and Nats, but when exactly did this side of his personality come out? So many people are calling him Milton Bradley 2.0, how can you think that after watching an interview like that??

this dude was traded from Pittsburgh for MATT MORRIS right?

btw have ppl woken up to the fact that Braun and not Fielder is the team's MVP candidate? or did Ryan Howard teach us nothing?

They're both black and get upset from time to time but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Morgan might be a little more outgoing and less troubled than Bradley.

At 19:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIzEUK2iPS0

xposts

Do like the idea of a 170-pound enforcer in NHL

I dunno - Fielder had a week-long stretch where he hit the go-ahead homer in like every game. His WPA was off the charts that week.

He's cooled off since the All-Star Game, while Braun is actually heating up. I think he's been on base in every game sans like 3 or 4 of them.

Nyjer Morgan 2011: .324/.353/.464, worth 2.4 WAR so far (in only 71 games), in addition to plus-defense in CF. I know Washington kinda had to trade him but you gotta credit Melvin for getting him for basically nothing.

fucking hate that guy, hope he falls off a cliff (metaphorically) soon

you're nuts. he's the most likeable guy on the team!!

he's a psychotic asshole

how so??

are you serious?

yeah i agree with Jordan, that guy is a dick.

he's hurt two separate catchers by running into them for no reason, he routinely flips off the crowd like he's steve austin or something, there was that one time that he dropped a ball in the OF and slammed his glove into the ground and started screaming while the ball was still in play. he's just a wholly unpleasant person & player.

http://www.jimrome.com/videos - check out the "Njyer Morgan Coorispondant" video

that's just his personality. all his teammates seem to think very highly of him.

yeah, he's repellent

"that's just his personality" ?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!

ok well barrelling into the catcher is a pretty standard MLB play and he's scored a few times already this year by knocking the ball out, until MLB outlaws it (which it probably should) you'll always see that

i've never seen him flip off the crowd, he didn't do it vs. the Giants (though it kinda looked like it on TV), in his defense the fans were heckling him the whole game and getting pretty nasty

the glove thing was pretty indefensible but Nyjer himself admits that

Narveson injured himself with a scissors and will miss at least one start
Obviously the Brewers have been lucky to get through the whole year so far with 6 starters (a pretty rare occurance) but wow, what a weird injury.

the story of tony plush

NYJER

TheRealTPlush
Walk tha Plank Buccoz

they asked RR why Morgan was seemingly involved in every dramatic win this season - it really is true, a lot of the most memorable games this season involve Nyjer Morgan in a big spot

this team is simply on fire right now. I can't recall them ever having such a good 3-week span.

wow, 4 double plays and a triple play today. you'll see that one on sportscenter

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/cb/cb6a71c7635bdb50d7de637e0fad2c88/the_juice_manny_acta_pained_to_lose_in_innings_to_white_sox.jpg

would prance with nyjer

I think FSN WI is specifically trained to have a camera on him at all times

not sure how much the dodgers are helping out the brewers by laying down for them, since theyre headed to st louis next which is a goddamn graveyard for them.. I anticipate them losing all 3 there too.

they might have a shot with kershaw on the mound today, but its hard to win games when you only score 1.

Estrada's been amazing as a SP but this is a matchup the Dodgers probably should win.

The Brewers offense is slumping right now too. They've only scored 11 runs in their last 5 games (but won all five obviously)

braun got tossed a minute ago, could see him say 'thats not a fuckin strike' a few times

what an idiot...you're in a pennant race!

i mean the ump was nice enough to let him bark at him for a while too, but yeah he basically just tossed himself

in braun's defense, it wasn't a strike and marcum isn't getting that call

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/b5/b5692f21e3c4bb0c9fc1bfecbea73c79/nyjer_morgan_finally_gets_his_sports_illustrated_cover.jpg

lol @ Braun's hair in that pic

it's about time they got some national attention. even their '08 playoff run got like no attention whatsoever. i mean really the story is like 100% the pitching here, over this absurd stretch they've rarely given up more than two runs a game. it's all a product of good starting pitching going deep = bullpen better rested, with guys being able to be used more situationally (such as Loe), meaning guys like Hawkins and Saito remain effective, and of course Axford has been incredible, to say nothing of Frankie

31 games over .500 at home -- dang!

two wallbanging mvp candidates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMdcDAwMeOY

so are these guys for real?

also i had no idea frogbs was ilx's resident brewers fan and that's amazing

They went to Houston:

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr0zjohSqN1qalfrgo1_500.jpg

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr0zjohSqN1qalfrgo2_500.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr0zjohSqN1qalfrgo3_400.jpg

was just coming to post that

deadspin has a much more hi res pic http://deadspin.com/5837693/milwaukee-brewers-texas-tech-are-both-very-very-texas

really enjoyed prince

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr4v8sODez1qbebroo1_400.png

can this dick plz get injured before the playoffs?

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/9/8/2412280/milwaukee-brewers-st-louis-cardinals-fight-nyjer-morgan

It's like he's being paid by Milton Bradley.

there can be only one.

I really don't like that guy.

strange timing, Big Vegan.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/9/15/2426865/prince-fielder-probably-my-last-year-in-milwaukee-brewers-news

(also, K-Rod is whining, and the sun will come up tomorrow)

can this dick plz get injured before the playoffs?

whoa whoa whoa, put down the pitchfork
Carp admitted that he started the whole thing, obviously the media spin is gonna be "that Nyjer is crazy!!!"

he did? what did he do to start it?! (aside from striking him out)

apparently yelled at him to fuck off or something like that
not really gonna take sides here, lets just say that both TPlush and Carp have had their share of altercations over the years

huh. Carp always struck me as being pretty chill.