The Brewers need Hart to win in 2010. Miles and miles of Hart...

That is the title that I stuck with because it not only describes the point that I am trying to make, but it also references one of my favorite movies of all time - The Replacements. Coach Jimmy McGinty makes this statement before halftime, and when Shane Falco sees this on TV, he decides to come back in the 2nd half and lead his team to victory. Other titles that I was toying with were "Redemption is spelled H-A-R-T", "Oh c'mon Pookon, have a Hart", "How can you mend a broken Hart?" or a million other titles that involve some sort of play on the word heart. I'm writing this to put an ending on the Corey Hart saga that has run rampant on this blog as of late. And unless he ends up doing something that really gets to the core of me and grinds my gears, the next time I will be talking about him is in my proposed "25 Brewers in 25 Days" segment that I will be writing in the days leading up to Opening Day. But for now (at the request of a few individuals) I will leave Hart alone.

Now that the salary fiasco is over, I have had some time to reflect on the situation. I don't know why I was really upset to begin with. I was probably just drunk, and when I get drunk I like to rant about whatever is bothering me. That day it must have been Corey Hart and it just kind of steamrolled from there. Who cares if he is making more money? It's not like it's my money that he's taking. Well in a way it kind of is, because I go to games and buy merchandise, but I will do that regardless of who is on the team. It's not like I'm going to stop doing those things just because Hart squandered a couple extra thousand away from the team. I'll always be a Brewers fan; I just gotta realize that this kind of thing is going to happen and that I need to deal with it.

So I'm giving Corey Hart a clean slate. He came into Spring Training 20 pounds lighter and in better shape. He realizes that he angered some fans with his on and off the field antics, so hopefully he will do his best to make amends for those. I personally do not see how he can overvalue himself based on his play the last 2 seasons, but I guess it's better for him to be positive and to believe in himself instead of thinking the opposite. And we all know how fragile Milwaukee Brewers players are mentally (Derrick Turnbow, JJ Hardy and Manny Parra to name a few) so we don't need one more headcase feeling like he was given the shaft. But does Corey Hart really think he is the shit or was he just taking advantage of a flawed system?

The arbitration process is tricky. I've tried to explain it in the past, but I'm sure that I missed some points or gotten a few things wrong. I'm not as smart or as knowledgeable as I claim to be. But through arbitration, players can never make less than what they did the previous year, so even if you have the worst season in baseball history, you will make more money next year (unless your team sends you to the minors or cuts you of course.) The arbitration panel chooses one or the other and there is no compromise, so there is no right answer. The just have to choose the one that is the least wrong. And they also take into account what happened with other players with similar major league service time who were also up for arbitration.

Corey Hart ($3.25 million) 2009 stats : 115 games, .260 AVG, .335 OBP, 12 HRs, 48 RBIs ($4.8 million in 2010)

Jeff Francoeur, Outfielder, New York Mets ($3.4 million) 2009 stats : 157 games, .280 AVG, .309 OBP, 15 HRs, 76 RBIs ($5 million in 2010)

Josh Willingham, Outfielder, Washington Nationals ($2.95 million) 2009 stats : 133 games, .260 AVG, .367 OBP, 24 HR, 61 RBIs ($4.6 million in 2010)

Jeremy Hermida, Outfielder, Florida Marlins ($2.25 million) 2009 stats : 129 games, .259 AVG, .348, 13 HRs, 47 RBIs ($3.35 million in 2010)

As you can see from the (boring and cumbersome) statistics, Corey Hart had a very comparable year to the other 3 players, and thus receives a comparable salary. So then it looks like I just have a problem with it, and by modern day baseball standards you can make $4.8 million dollars by being a mediocre baseball player. If that is the going rate for mediocrity, then I say let's roll with it. At this point there is nothing that we can do about it, so I am no longer going to linger on this topic. But Hart's performance the past 2 seasons and the fact that he received a pay increase does raise the bar for 2010. I'll take whatever he can contribute, but to be quite honest with you, I expect no less than .285 AVG, .340 OBP, 20 HRs, 75 RBIS and 20 stolen bases. Anything less than that will be a disappointment because Corey has put up numbers like that in the past and he is fully capable of doing it again.

The Corey Hart bashing was pretty fun. I will admit that. But every Spring brings about a new sense of hope and optimism. Look at the standings - right now all 30 Major League teams are tied for 1st place. And while certain teams on paper have better teams than others and no one expects the Washington Nationals or Baltimore Orioles to go to the World Series, every team has a shot right now. And for the Milwaukee Brewers to have a shot at bringing the championship home, Corey Hart needs to have a good year. Even though I've said some hateful things about him, realize that I may just be overly critical because I care that much. I live and die with every out 162 days of the year. It's a crazy emotional roller coaster that I ride in the summer, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

With Prince Fielder reaching free agency, the window is closing fast on winning just about anything in the postseason. So it's going to take a miracle season from a lot of players (the entire pitching staff, Hart, Rickie Weeks, Alcides Escobar, Carlos Gomez and the catcher's position to name a few) to get there. But that is another story for another day, one that will certainly be mentioned quite often during "25 Brewers in 25 Days."

So Corey, you're off the hook - for now. Screw this one up and we'll have to "sit down and have a Hart to Hart talk." Let's hope these expectations don't cast a shadow over him and we're left with "A total eclipse of the Hart." Regardless of the criticism he's received, "My Hart will go on." And Corey's wife will probably side with him because she's gonna "Listen to her Hart." I'm sure that his intentions are good and he's trying to provide for his family; some say he has a "Hart of Gold." But just give it to me "Straight from the Hart" Corey, because you're "Tearin' up my Hart" with your poor play. So "Don't phunk with my Hart" because so far you've been a "Hartbreaker." Do it again and I'll bury you in a "Hart-shaped box."

But even .38 Special said that "the Hart needs a second chance", so I'll give him another one. But now's it's time for him to live up to his potential and be the player that he was in 2007 and the one that was voted onto the 2008 All-Star team. We're counting on him big time in 2010, so I hope he doesn't break my "Achy Breaky Hart." Ok, so that one was especially bad. Sorry about that, but I couldn't resist throwing in a Billy Ray Cyrus reference.

- pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookon.com@gmail.com

Pookcast: Episode 9 - Fat Teen Wolf

Part 1 of this episode sees me stammering over the events of today's WSoBP VI Satellite tournament up in Green Bay. It was about 7:30 pm at night, and I was already wasted. I went outside by my car to record this, and it was cold and snowy outside. I didn't care, so I just rambled on about about a range of topics from beer pong to the Brewers. It was my return to the Pookcast for the first time in over 6 weeks. It seems like on that night I finally had something to talk about.

Part 1

I was about to sign off and end this episode, because for I ran out of stuff to talk about. But then the booze grabbed a hold of me and a rant came spewing out. There's a million things that I could talk about, but for some reason that night I went off about wanting to be cast in Teen Wolf 3 : Fat Teen Wolf. There's not much more that I could add that I didn't already say in the video, so watch it and be amazed or stunned by my ramblings.

Part 2

I will continue to plead with you to help me in getting Teen Wolf 3: Fat Teen Wolf made. If we all call the heads of the movie studios and write letters, there's no way that they can avoid this forever. In the age of unnecessary sequels and remakes, someone has to put up some cash to make a 3rd Teen Wolf movie starring me. I can't promise to deliver the greatest movie known to man, but I can certainly promise that it will be as good if not better than half of the shit that comes out in the theaters these days. I know that we can do it, we just all have to work together for the greater good.

- pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

For me, it's always Fat Tuesday

Cause that's what kind of happens when you are fat. And no, I am not the dude wearing purple in this picture. It was one of the first pictures (besides woman flashing their titties) that I found when I did a Google Image search for Fat Tuesday. I see no reason to celebrate excess and why we get so excited about it. America is too fat to have holidays that celebrate eating and partying. But Mardis Gras has been celebrated for hundreds of years, so it's ok then, right? Wrong. We already have Thanksgiving (which probably came first and is more American) so why do we need this French shit still? Cause we love to eat and we love to party. USA! USA! USA!

I've reached critical mass. Literally. I can still walk around without needing a rascal and I don't need to be hoisted out of bed by a crane. And when I go to the beach they don't yell out "thar she blows!" and start hurling harpoons at me. But I'm pretty damn close. The problem is that I eat too much and don't exercise. I've always been a big person (as opposed to the "little people" celebrities in Hollywood always thank when accepting awards) but lately I'm spiraling out of control. I feel like I have an eating disorder because I keep on eating all the time when I'm not hungry. I've tried going on Hunger Strikes before, but those usually don't go well because whenever they end, I binge on all sorts of horrible stuff. And erase any progress I've made. I really don't even like comparing it to an eating disorder because I feel like I could just stop at anytime. I'm not addicted to food right? But then why can't I stop eating crap even though I know that it is bad for me?

Sometimes I do feel helpless, especially when I stand in front of the fridge at 3am when I should be sleeping. I know it's a terrible idea to eat, but I do it anyway. My weight is of big concern to me. It always has been. You probably never really hear me talk about it though because I don't mention it. It's not like I can hide being fat because even when you wear track pants and size 3XL shirts, you can still see that a person is large. In order to deal with it I developed a sense of humor early in life. I learned that people only really like the fat guy is if he is funny. I have a long list of comedians to thank for that including John Candy, Chris Farley and more recently Jonah Hill (whom I often get compared to). It's easy to hide your self-loathing and depression behind a fake smile and a joke. If people think that you are joking then they don't feel sorry for you and try to reach out and help. Kermit said that it's not easy being green, and I say it's not easy being fat. But the difference between me and Kermit (besides the fact that he needs a hand up his ass to be able to talk) is that he can't change being green, but I can change being fat.

I'm always going to be a bigger person no matter what I do. This is in no disrespect to my family, but we're built bigger than the average person. We even have a playful nickname to go along with our heavyness. We call it the "Kurutz Curse". And we try to do whatever we can to avoid being another victim. But thanks to Nana Meals (which I hate to knock because we can no longer have them) and my inactive lifestyle, I have become the very thing that I have tried to avoid. And although sometimes I feel like there's no point to improve my life because I don't plan on living past 50, I still have time to change. I'm only 28, which seems awfully close to 30. But 30 is the new 25. That means I've still got plenty of time to turn this robust ship around.

But I don't have too much time left. I believe that my weight is the source of a lot of my issues having to do with confidence and self esteem. And I have to get over that if I plan on living life. Take for instance the fact that I've never had a girlfriend. Kinda sad for a 28 year old to admit that, right? I've had plenty of girls that I've hung out with and loved, but although we hung out exclusively for months or a year at times, we never really took it to the next level cause I was always scared. And not scared of ghosts or anything, but scared of being loved I guess. I never understood (and to this day I still don't understand) why people like me. It's kind of hard for me to grasp the concept of it when I don't really like myself. So then it's easy for me to rationalize that I can't enter a romantic relationship with that doubt in mind.

This kind of thing didn't used to bother me cause I stay busy enough with family and friends (plus hobbies like this blog and pookon.com) that I'm used to doing things. And those times when I'm alone (like right now) I'm working on stuff like this that keeps my mind off of it. But it's times like when I hang out with people my age that makes me realize that perhaps I am missing out on a part of life that most people get to experience - dating, falling in love and getting married. I think about this often because I am 28 years old, and most of my friends are either married or engaged. Being the weird single guy in the group of couples is extremely awkward, which is why I usually just hang out by myself and eat and drink. And I think about things like this without taking action.

Which leads us to today. Today (as I've mentioned) is Fat Tuesday, the day before the Christian Season of Lent begins. I was raised Catholic/Christian, and although I don't go to church nearly as often as my Mom wished that I did, my upbringing in the Faith has shaped who I am as a person, and I will always be thankful for that. In Lent, it is customary to give up something and make a sacrifice for the weeks leading up to Easter. When I was a kid I used to give up candy or soda, but I don't remember ever doing it for the duration of Lent. I wanted to give up drinking this year (because I probably do it too much) but I decided against it because it's something that I really like to do. My Mom would certainly say then that that is definitely the reason why I should give it up. I am in no way addicted to alcohol (but they do say the first sign is not admitting it or some shit like that but I know I could go without drinking as I have done in the past) but it is a part of who I am. But what I will do is to make a conscious effort to limit when and how much I drink. Like for instance - don't get wasted on a Wednesday night when I have to be in at work at 9am the next morning. But enough about alcohol, because that is a whole 'nother story.

Coming up with a New Year's Resolution (which always gets broken) and a Lenten Promise (which doesn't last for the entire season) are the 2 times a year when I at least make an effort to change. The only problem is that it usually doesn't get past the inception stage. No action is taken upon this, and frankly I'm getting tired of my shit. I hate being who I am (besides my sense of humor and a few other personality traits I've developed over the years) and I feel like I could change that If I could figure out a way to change that. My biggest problem is motivation, and often I feel like I am all alone with this problem. That's probably because I never tell anyone about this shit. I have countless journals full of feelings and the greatest blog entry I've never posted with a list of 50 things that are true about me to prove it. That shit cuts just a little too deep for me to share with you because it is the God honest truth. No bullshit. But that's beside the point. Man I need to stop whining like I need to finish this entry. I just lack to motivation to do anything about it.

I am a member of a gym (Anytime Fitness) but I rarely go because I am embarrassed to be the fat guy at the gym. It sounds stupid because you would think that although it is hideous to watch me sweating all over the place and bouncin' around, I'm at least trying not to be fat, right? I should get some credit for the effort, right? It's then that I realize that this is all in my head and I have more issues than tissues. So if I have the time to sit around and bitch about my sorry excuse for a life, then I should have the time to do something about it. Instead of giving up something for Lent I instead will make a promise to myself to go to the gym to work out at least 3 times a week starting tonight. The hardest part is just getting there, because once I'm inside I actually enjoy working out and the satisfaction I get from it. But it's so incredibly hard to drag my fat ass off of the couch to go there. But once again, at least I am trying something.

So now this the part when I reflect over the past hour that I have spent thinking about this. And surprisingly I wasn't drunk when I wrote this debacle on here, which is a departure from the usual. I guess that it means that it is something that I really care about and want to make a conscious effort to work on, but I'm going to have to say that I need your help. Mom always said don't use the word hate because it is such a strong word but I hate asking for help. I like to think that I am independent enough to do this kind of thing on my own but obviously not, because I have gotten progressively worse the last few years. I originally came up with this title last year around Mardi Gras because it seemed like a funny way to bring up a serious topic. And it took me a whole year to actually write these thoughts down.

Looking back on it (although right now I refuse to read what I have written) this entry isn't very funny. In fact it is pretty damn serious. That sucks. I'm not known for being serious. And if you are the select few to read this don't worry about the 1st things that come to mind like suicidal thoughts and depression and stuff like that. But trust me, it's not that serious. I can't see me getting to that extreme. Which is why I struggled about writing this down, and why I am struggling with actually posting this then sending you the link. I don't think that it's that big of an issue but I'll let you be the judge of that I guess. I don't really know where to go from here. So I guess I'll just let you process this information and we'll go from there.

I guess the reason I am doing this is that I don't want to die and I just want to be happy like everyone else. But I know that everyone is not happy. I guess I just want to be able to look at myself in the mirror every day and not be repulsed by what I see, inside and out. And unless I do something about it I'm just going to pass through life unfilled, no matter how it looks like from the outside. But I bet some of you already saw this thing coming. You don't have to have a crystal ball to tell you all or most of the things that I just said. I'm going to go ahead and stop typing before I burden you with all of the other crap that I feel is bothering me. Nobody wants to open up that Pantera's Box. Cause all you'd get is the Cowboys from Hell. It's always good to end on a joke... Helps to alleviate some of the seriousness that went on here. But should I really be doing that?


- pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookon.com@gmail.com

Hart Attack : Meet the $4.8 Million Dolar Man

Somewhere Corey Hart is leaping for joy. Somehow Hart and his agent were able to convince the panel of judges that he was worth $4.8 million dollars for next season. I am demanding a transcript from that hearing because I need to know what were the deciding factors that bumped his pay raise from the $4.15 million the Brewers were offering versus the $4.8 million he was demanding. I've already laid out all of the numbers in a previous post and stated my claims, but there has to be some kind of information that I overlooked that shows why he derserved such a big raise in salary. My theory is that they looked at comparable players of his service time and stats and made the ruling based on that. I don't have any of that at my disposal, but I'm guessing that information will surely be presented by Tom Haudricourt or Adam McCalvy later on today. I don't have the time to write up an article right now about how angry I am about this, but be sure that I will rant like a pissed off teenager as soon as I get home from work this afternoon. The only thing I have to say right now (because I don't want to get too upset before work because work makes me mad enough) is that he better keep his God damn mouth shut this year and not complain about shit. He's making damn near $5 million dollars and he sure as hell better play like he is. I don't want to see him striking out on 3 straight pitches, playing shoddy defense and carrying a batting average of .260. I'm definitly ready to eat my words as soon as the real Corey Hart shows up to the 2010 season. I've said all along that I am a fan of his and want him to do well, but now he has run out of excuses. Prince Fielder was upset about his contract situation in the 2008 season, but he went out and played hard anyway. This resulted in a two year $18 million dollar contract, and with his finances secure, Fielder went out and had one of the greatest offensive seasons in Brewers history. Now there is no way I can compare Hart to Fielder because they are different players, but I'm hoping that Hart can also put the past behind him and play with the satisfaction that his family is taken care of and all he has to do is worry about baseball.

Stay tuned to The Journal Sentinel Brewers Blog and Tom Haudricourt's Twitter page for updates throughout the day. And make sure you check back here for my response later this evening. I don't know if it will be as angry as the Corey Hart is a Bitch article (cause I probably won't be as drunk when I write this one) because I have to admit defeat. I still believe that I am right, but in this case my opinion doesn't matter. I'm going to have to go ahead and live with the fact that Corey Hart found a way to dupe the arbitration panel into believing that he was as good as he thinks he is. And more power to him I guess. If he's able to spin his terrible performance in the last year and a half into a positive, then he should be able to do an 180 on the field as well, right? He sure as shit better do it, or else this blog will be filled with Corey Hart stories for the entire summer as I constantly rain down the criticism on him for the remainder of the season. Time to go cool down and let this news sink in. More to come later. I guess I just have to live in a world where we celebrate failure and mediocrity with praise and pay increases. God help us all.

- pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

Today is Judgment day for Corey Hart

Sometime later today, Corey Hart himself will walk into the belly of the beast and attend his arbitration hearing. I can't believe that he wants to be there while the team rips him apart, but to each their own. At the very least, he will get a $900,000 raise and know every single tiny area that he needs to improve on to have a better year. And at the best he makes like $1.55 million more than last year and gets to do a little dance and shove it in Gord Ash's face that his value is as high as he thought it was. Either way he'll probably be grinning like an idiot. I just hope that I am right so that I can remove the bag from his head on my calendar so that for the remaining 17 days in February, he has to stare into my eyes and face the fact that I was right. I still have a very strong feeling that the arbitration panel will side with the Brewers, mostly because comparable players on the free agent market are making far less than $4.8 million on a 1 year deal. That shouldn't really factor into their decision, because they really are supposed to be comparing him against other players with similar experience and playing time, but you know that thought is gonna creep up in there. Whether or not he wins or loses his arbitration hearing, I will still cheer for him to do well, but I would rather do so with the satisfaction of knowing that I was right. Call it selfishness or a man's refusal to admit their mistakes, but everyone always thinks they are right and do not like to admit when they are not. I'm stubborn enough to stick to my guns, and shall Corey Hart prevail, I will probably still say that he isn't deserving and that he is overpaid. But I guess that we have to wait until tomorrow (Friday) to hear the arbitration panel's final decision.

Word may leak out today (Thursday) so stay tuned to the following sources for all of your Brewers updates : The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Brewers Blog - Tom Haudricourt does an excellent job of getting you all the Brewers news in a timely matter. Once he knows it, you'll know it. I also suggest that you check out his Twitter page, since he usually post a short blurb on there before he takes the time to type out an article. That is the quickest way to stay up to the minute on all things Brewers. While I'm on the subject of Twitter, make sure you also check out Adam McCalvy's Twitter page. He's the "official" beat writer of the Milwaukee Brewers, as he posts the majority of the articles on Brewers.com. Once he says it, it is no longer speculation, it is indeed fact. Those are a few ways to keep on top of this whole situation, and I'll be back on here some time tomorrow night to once again run my mouth and offer my opinion.

So even though this case has cast a shadow on an otherwise great offseason, at least we're talking Brewers baseball. And in the cold and snow filled Wisconsin winter, there's no better thing to talk about. Not even the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, the Sports Illustrated football flip phone or the History of the Stanley Cup : 100 Years of Glory could get me this excited for March (and more importantly April) to hurry up and get here already so I can have 8 baseball filled months of happiness. It's unfortunate that Doug Melvin has to go to his 1st arbitration hearing as GM of the Brewers and that Corey Hart and his agent couldn't settle, but that's the business of baseball. And let's just hope and pray that the outcome doesn't affect his play on the field, because like I've pointed out in the past, some of our success this year does hinge on #1 playing like he is the one who is #1 on the field and #1 in our Harts.

- pookon -

www.pookon.com
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

No Love in February for Corey Hart

Days after I wrote the Corey Hart is a Bitch entry, I attended the Brewers On-Deck event at the Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee on January 31st. And do you know who I saw when I first entered the convention floor? None other than Corey Hart; my arch nemesis. There was an area set up where players posed for pictures with the fans, and Corey was standing there looking all tall and goofy. I waited in the line for a few minutes, then stepped up and got this picture taken with him. Little did he know that days before I had called him a bitch and blasted his antics all over the internet, and the article has been seen by hundreds. He also didn’t know that as I stood next to him, I made this angry face. My cousin Kevin was next in line for a picture, by he declined to pose next to him. When the worker asked him to step up (trying to keep the line moving as fast as possible) he said, “Nah, I’d rather not” then walked away. Corey didn’t hear this, but I did. And I loved it. While I was in line, I tried to work up the courage to small talk with Corey, something along the lines of, “Hey Corey (shakes his hand) it’s so nice to meet you. Thanks for coming out today, and best of luck this season.” Corey then would say some kind of half-assed awkward thank you, then I would pat him on the back, lean in close and whisper, “Oh yeah, and you’re a bitch.” Then I would walk away with my head held high. I didn’t do what I had promised to do, mostly because I am a Brewers fan above all other things. As much as Corey Hart is upsetting me at this moment, he still is a player on my team and I need him to do well in order for the Brewers to have a shot this year.

I think there’s been a little confusion over my purpose of that article. I know it is titled Corey Hart is a Bitch and I said in all caps FUCK COREY HART, but in reality there’s probably no one in this city who wants Corey Hart to rebound and have a career year more than I do. Our pitching is going to be average at best, so in order to return to the playoffs we need the offense to knock the cover off of the ball like gangbusters and consistently put up 5+ runs a night. Our top 5 lineup rivals any team in baseball in my opinion, with Rickie Weeks leading off, Corey Hart batting 2nd, Ryan Braun hitting 3rd, Prince Fielder cleaning up and Casey McGehee batting 5th. 6-9 are a little suspect, with youngsters like Carlos Gomez and Alcides Escobar, old guys like Greg Zaun and the pitcher’s spot filling out the bottom of the order. Corey Hart is crucial to this lineup, and ideally I’d bat him 2nd if I was Ken Macha in order to give him the biggest shot at success. Corey Hart is not a .260 hitter, there is no way he should ever hit less than 20 home runs and have fewer than 75 RBIs. He’s too good to suck. He just needs to swing at the right pitches, use his speed as a weapon and keep his own style of hitting. I know he was criticized by the coaches for not taking a lot of walks (36 in 2007 and 27 in 2008) so in 2009 he tried to be more patient at the plate (from the suggestion of the coaches) and it forked (43 walks in a shortened season). While his walk totals went up, everything else decreased because he was watching too many pitches and swinging at the bad ones. His strike out totals increased because the opposing pitchers made adjustments knowing that he was trying to be more patient at the plate. If only Corey would have also made the adjustments mid-season, maybe I wouldn’t be calling him a bitch this year. Corey has publicly voiced his opinions over his displeasure with the coaching staff altering his approach, and although I don’t usually agree with players doing that, in the end the players are the ones standing up at the plate with the bat in their hands. And they are the ones that have to control their ability to get on base and be productive. So if something doesn’t work and doesn’t feel right for Corey, he needs to go ahead and do what does feel right. And I’m all for that. Look at Ryan Braun. He doesn't take a lot of walks (57 in 2009), but last year he had an on base percentage of .386 thanks to 203 hits on the year with a .320 batting average. Compare that to Prince Fielder, who had more walks (a franchise high 110 in 2009) with a .299 average and 177 hits, resulting in a monstrous .412 on base percentage. As you can see, there are other ways than patience at the plate to be productive and help out your team. Corey Hart had 109 hits with a .339 on base percentage. Pales in comparison to the big bioys on the team, don't it? That's why the 2007 version of Corey Hart showing up in 2009 would be an amazing boost for the Brewers, and behind Rickie Weeks (who I believe is the key and the catalyst to the Brewers offense) is the second most important piece of the offense puzzle.

So why did I say Corey Hart is a Bitch? I don’t know, probably because I was hammered drunk the night I wrote that article. I was puking for 3 hours the next morning, and even threw up at the bus stop outside of Bayshore Mall. Yikes. And although the truth often does come out when you are wasted, I really do like Corey Hart. When I get drunk I like to fight people, but I don’t fight with my fists, I fight with my words. And that night I went on a giant rant that is my sometimes outlandish variation on Corey Hart’s situation. I’m not going to apologize for writing the article, because it is the way that I feel about the situation. But I don’t want people coming out and blasting me for not being a Brewers fan just because I am upset with a player’s performance. If you know me, I’m the biggest fan, and I have the hardware (2 Brewers tattoos and over 30 jerseys) to prove it. Add that to the fact that I watch/listen to every game and I have worked over 50 games a year at Miller Park for the last 9 years, so I know what I’m talking about. I don’t think I should have to boast about my devotion to the team in order to prove my point, but it does help if I throw it out there. Let’s just say that if you plan to discuss/debate Brewers with me, you better do your homework and be prepared to talk for hours at a time.

But I have a feeling that February will not be Corey Hart’s month. After getting lambasted on opinionated fan’s blogs (like this one), publicly criticized on sports talk radio and bashed by the fans, he has to go up against the arbitration panel later this month. And I have the feeling that given his performance over the past 2 seasons, the arbitration panel will side with the team and not with Corey Hart. I hope that he sends his agent and doesn’t show up in person, because that would be one of the hardest things to sit through. Basically the team presents a presentation on why you suck and why you don’t deserve a hefty raise, then they present evidence to support their claims. It’s not quite as serious as appearing in court on a murder charge, but it is awfully similar. The team is trying to make you look bad in every way, shape and form in order to prove their point, and you to sit there and hear what they really think about you. That’s got to be really damaging to your self-esteem. I know that I would not be able to handle that kind of raw criticism. Then after they blast you for however long it takes, you have to present information on why they are wrong and talk yourself up to prove you deserve more money than they are offering. I’m sure that everyone has been in a situation when they have had to defend themselves against critics, and it’s not that easy to do, nor is it enjoyable. Do too much and it sounds like you are bragging and you have a giant ego. Do too little and it sounds like you are unsure of yourself and lack confidence in your abilities. I do like Corey Hart’s attitude going into this though, because he has publicly stated that whatever the team says it’s their opinion, and that he won’t let it bother him because it really is just a business. And the team has to sometimes separate business and personal feelings. For a smaller market team like the Brewers, a million dollars is a lot of money. They have to do the best with the limited resources they have in order to be competitive. And he knows that no matter whose side the arbitration panel chooses, he will still receive more money than he did last year. That is a positive outlook on the situation because no matter what, he will come out ahead. And Corey has also stated in the past that he is out to prove the doubters wrong. And I’m all for that. Whatever it is that gives him the competitive drive to be better and try harder, I say go for it. I have no problem capitulating to Corey when he gives me a big fat “I told you so” middle finger at the end of the year when his stats prove that he was indeed worth $4.8 million dollars. Because the better that he does, the better the team does. And in the end, it’s not the performance of an individual player that matters (just look at Fielder’s MVP worthy year that went for naught as we missed the playoffs), it is how the team as a whole finishes.

Even though I will still cheer for him to have a better season than last year, I still have a feeling that February just isn’t going to be Corey’s month. I have a Brewers calendar at my desk at work, and ironically February features Corey Hart. And while I am venting about Corey Hart and going off on wild rants, I have to look him in the eyes for the 8 hours a day I sit at my desk. So that is why I put a paper bag over his head. It does 2 things for me – makes it so I don’t have to look at him and so that he can hide his shame behind that bag. It’s kind of humorous if you ask me, and I wonder if any of my co-workers will feel the same way. Most of the people at work (with the exception of a select few like Mike Wilhelm) just kind of agree with me because I am seen as the Brewers expert in the office. That or they just agree with me because they don’t care and don’t feel like hearing me go off all day whenever something (cough… Jeff Suppan…cough) bugs me. That’s why I listen to Steve “Sparky” Fifer on AM1250 WSSP. If there is anyone who is more critical and passionate about the Brewers (and so badly wants them to succeed and win a World Series) more than I do, it’s him. So don’t misconstrue these rants as hatred, it’s frustration more than anything else. I was 1 year old in 1982, floating as high as the clouds in 2008 and don’t want to be dead the next time the Brewers reach the postseason. I take this shit a little too seriously, and get so emotionally involved with the Brewers that sometimes something like Corey Hart’s situation pushes me over the edge and cause me to erupt. And whether or not you agree with me, at least you should be able to laugh at the picture of Corey Hart with a bag over his head. That shit is classic. As classic as the whoopee cushion or Uncle Mike’s knee slappers.

- pookon -

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email: pookondotcom@gmail.com