25 Brewers in 25 Days - Corey Hart.

Corey Hart is a Bitch. No Love in February for Corey Hart. Today is Judgment Day for Corey Hart. Hart Attack: Meet the $4.8 Million Dollar Man. The Brewers need Hart to win in 2010. Miles and miles of Hart... Eric Gagne called, he wants his goggles back. What more can I say about Corey Hart that I haven't already said? At this point, not too much. I'm not going to rehash the stats from the last few years and all of the shit I said about it. Feel free to click any of the links above if you need that information. In short, Corey Hart needs to rebound from last year like I need to stop hitting the bottle whenever I get depressed. The Brewers are counting on Corey Hart to regain his form because they need his power bat in the lineup. After losing JJ Hardy and Mike Cameron (two guys who each are capable of hitting over 20 homeruns) and replacing them with Alcides Escobar and Carlos Gomez (two guys who will be lucky to each hit 5 homeruns) the Brewers need to get that power from somewhere else. A healthy Rickie Weeks should help that, and Corey Hart should also be able to fulfill that role. With the top 5 spots in the lineup seemingly set, Corey could provide some much needed pop to the bottom of the order.

His offensive woes have been covered in grand detail by me in the past, but I don't know if I ever said much about his defense. Like Ryan Braun, Hart is an infielder turned outfielder. I don't know how many people know that because he's always been an outfielder at the big league level. But since he hasn't been manning that spot for his entire life, he's still a work in progress. We've watched him make spectacular plays and also some pretty boneheaded ones. But this season I feel like he will put it all together and along with Braun and Gomez, form a damn good defensive outfield. Within the last few years he was clocked as the fastest guy on the team, which certainly will help him get to more fly balls.

His speed also comes in handy on the base paths, and on several occasions he has been called the smartest baserunner on the team. Recently at the Brewers On-Deck event in January of this year, during a Q & A session with the coaches, I asked 3rd base coach Brad Fischer who is the best baserunner. His answer was Corey Hart and he brought up his ability to go from 1st to 3rd and that he rarely runs into outs on the bases. I remember also hearing that under Ned Yost, Corey always had the green light to steal a base. Because he chose the right times and studied the moves of pitchers and catchers, he ended up producing runs and put a lot of added pressure on the pitcher. As you know from watching Manny Parra, pitching can be a real mental game. Once you get inside the pitcher's head, you can really open up the game and score some runs. When Corey Hart gets on base, he's always a threat to steal, which can be a big distraction to the pitcher and catcher. It's little things like that that make Corey Hart a valuable member of this team.

But even though I've said nice things about him in the past and on this page today, I still don't have the Hart to call him my friend. You'd think that I would love Corey Hart because I tend to hang out with tall goofy looking guys. Some of my best friends fit that profile. Aaron Spiering. Brodey Callies. Joey Kanz. Matt Salmon. Abraham Lincoln. I give Joey Kanz the most crap about it because of the way he reacts to my constant playful verbal assaults on his goofiness. Like when I go away on vacation, I promise to bring him back a t-shirt as a souvenir. I then ask him, what size do you wear? Extra goofy? Aaron can handle when I give him shit because he can dish it back to me faster than I can come up with another clever line. Brodey is so self deprecating he'll probably make fun of himself before you get the chance to make fun of him. And Salmon just gets made fun of by everyone, so he has mental toughness and just lets it all slide off his shoulders.

All of my tall goofy friends have found a way of handling the comments from those around them, but so far all Corey does is complain about the fans who pay his salary and make up excuses. He needs to come up with some kind of defense mechanism to prevent him from lashing out inappropriately. Hey Corey - if you need some advice from my friends let me know. I know that you read my blog so you have a way to get in touch with me. Corey, we talk shit about you because we care. Has anyone ever noticed that the people who give you the most shit are the people who really love you the most? That's because most of the time they aren't serious about it and they know you well enough to understand that you can handle it. And Corey, I only say that crap because I do care and I want you to do well. I can always use another tall goofy looking friend.

My man Toby told me to lay off Corey Hart and to stop giving him a hard time. And I will… for now. Corey Hart gets a clean slate heading into the 2010 season because it sounds like he has put his problems (contract dispute, daddy issues and poor eyesight) behind him. He also reportedly showed up to Phoenix 20 pounds lighter and with more muscle. I’m all for people staying in shape, especially athletes when their jobs and performance depend on them being in peak physical condition. But if his Spring Training stats (.208 avg, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs) are any indication, we’re in for a rough year. But I’m a huge proponent against using Spring Training stats for any kind of prediction, lest we forget how JJ Hardy, Chris Duffy and Brad Nelson performed in Spring Training last year. They were the 3 hottest hitters down in the valley of the sun, but none of them are currently with the team, and in the regular season Brad Nelson went 0 for 27 before they cut him. So although Spring Training stats don’t mean jack shit, I’d still rather see Corey Hart play well because it can only benefit the team if he does.

Corey Hart has been a hot topic of debate this entire winter. My friend Mike at work and I were discussing his offseason antics nearly every day, and here are his predictions for Hart’s 2010 stat line:

.285 batting average, 26HRs, 83 RBIs and 23 stolen bases.

Although I’d love to see that happen, mine is nowhere near as generous for a guy coming off a couple of poor seasons. Maybe it’s just because I got burned by Hart in the past and now I’m scarred for life, but these are my stat predictions for Hart in 2010:

.267 avg, 16 HRs, 66 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and even more goofy looking now that he’s wearing goggles. I have a feeling that like Carlos Gomez, Corey Hart may also lose playing time to Jim Edmonds and Jody Gerut if he doesn’t improve from last year. But since he is at the core a very good baseball player, he will get every opportunity to succeed.

So for the time being, the name calling will cease. Corey Hart can sleep easy at night knowing that I am no longer poking fun at him. But if Corey slips up, then it’s on like Donkey Kong. Corey Hart better now give me a reason to start talking shit about him. And speaking of talking, I really can’t say much about the next featured player Catcher Greg Zaun. And that’s because (like Gomez) he is a newcomer to the Brewers who spent most of his career in the American League. All I know about him (before doing research) is that he is similar to (last year’s catcher) Jason Kendall, only older, less expensive and with a little more pop in his bat. Zaun has only caught more than 100 games in a season 4 times in his 15 year career (as opposed to Kendall catching like 140 + every year), so now more than ever the backup catcher spot will be very important. There’s no fewer than 4 guys competing for that spot in Spring Training. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

www.pookon.com

email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

25 Brewers in 25 Days : Carlos Gomez

Newly acquired centerfielder Carlos Gomez has a lot of potential. Where have we heard that before? I can't fool you, you know that I'm talking about 2nd baseman Rickie Weeks. Potential is about the only thing these two players have in common though, as Gomez is more of a defense first player whereas Weeks is all about the offense. And from the look of this picture, Gomez is also all about the ladies. When I did a Google Image search for Carlos Gomez and this came up, I knew that I just had to use it. I wish that I could say pictures like this on the outfield wall were the reason that Gomez struggles at the plate, but if he can clearly see this hottie from 400 feet away, he should be able to tell if the baseball coming at him is a changeup or a slider. And since he then would have go-go-Gadget vision, he should be able to see the ball so well that his batting average would rival that of the great Ty Cobb. But I don't think his vision is the problem for his offensive struggles (he doesn't search for excuses and blame his eyes like Bill Hall or Corey Hart). In fact, I don't really know why he has yet to put it together at the plate. And I attribute that to the fact that I just haven't seen enough of him to formulate my own opinion. Only 2 Spring Training games have been televised thus far, and for the last few years he played with the Minnesota Twins. I'm sure that at some point during the year when I am able to watch him play some more games, I'll come up with my own theories.

Last year Gomez hit .229 with 3 HRs, 28 RBIs and 51 runs scored. That's pretty terrible, but the nice thing about it is that there is tons of room for improvement. Maybe a change of scenery and the words and support from a new coaching staff will help him reach that potential. But for the time being I can compare him to two baseball players - 1 real and 1 fictional. The real one people in Milwaukee know well from watching him roam center field the last few years - Mike Cameron. With Mike Cameron you knew that you would be getting stellar defense and a low batting average out of him, but you would also be getting 25 HRs and 80 RBIs. In Cameron's case you could ignore the strikeouts and low avg because of the defense and power numbers. Gomez doesn't have power, so that's why a fictional baseball player comes to mind - Willie Mayes Hayes (from the movie Major League). Early word on Gomez is the he hits too many pop flies, and since he doesn't have power, they end up being caught. With his speed he should hit the ball on the ground and leg them out. I wish that Dale Sveum would make him do 20 push-ups for every ball that he pops up, but I don't think that the Player's Union would allow that.

Gomez is probably the fastest player on the team, which is amazing considering that the Brewers also have Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart Alcides Escobar and Ryan Braun. But the problem with Gomez is that he can’t get on base enough to take advantage of that speed. His career OBP is a measly .273, which is horrendous considering that he has little to no power. That means his only asset is his speed, and he’s not even putting himself in a position to use it. So like Rick Peterson (the Brewers new pitching coach) has his hands full with Manny Parra, Dale Sveum has the fortunate / unfortunate (depends on how you look at it) task of getting Gomez on base more often.

The nice thing about Carlos Gomez (just like Alcides Escobar) is that we are only really counting on him to provide defense for the team. I don’t know how many of you really follow baseball on a regular basis, but pitching and defense win games. Sure homeruns are great and here in Milwaukee we love to watch Bernie go down the slide, but there are more games won by a score of 4-2 than 10-2. Fans love the offense barrage, and the Brewers can certainly bring it, but the pitching and defense needed to be improved if we could talk about playoffs again. I’ll get to the pitching in the next few days, but I believe as a whole the defense has greatly improved. Fielder, Weeks, Braun, McGehee and Hart are more experienced at their positions than they were a year ago. Escobar and Gomez have more speed and range than the seasoned veterans (Hardy and Cameron) that they replaced. Catcher Greg Zaun is older and will probably be worse than Jason Kendall was last year and the pitching staff is probably the same as last year. We won’t be a top 5 defense, but we certainly should not be near the bottom of the barrel like we usually are.

I don’t have a jersey of Carlos Gomez because I want to wait to see whether or not they are committed to him long term. So instead of a picture of that I have provided a picture of Gomez Addams. Because every time that I hear the name Gomez, that is what comes to mind. It's too bad that Raul Julia died after making Street Fighter. He never got a chance to redeem himself. He must have felt bad for unleashing that unholy beast upon the world, and realized that he could either be the sacrificial lamb or live a long life knowing you helped create that monstrosity. I too would have died to atone the sins which that movie brought upon the world. But back to Carlos Gomez. We have a young centerfielder Lorenzo Cain moving up through the minor leagues, and if not for an injury that kept him out most of last year, I wonder if it would be Cain and not Gomez tracking down balls in center. Speculation runs rampant in baseball, so time will only tell if Gomez is the answer or if it is someone like Lorenzo Cain. But if Gomez puts up numbers like I'm predicting, the decision might be easy:

.240 avg, 4 HR, 38 RBIs, 65 runs scored, stellar defense and lose playing time to Jim Edmonds and Jody Gerut as the season goes on.

With Gomez I'm hoping that I'm wrong about his stats. But these numbers are pretty consistent with his brief major league career. I'm hoping that Dale Sveum can turn him around and make him more than just a defensive player. And speaking of being wrong, I have a feeling that Corey Hart is going to come out and stick to all the haters and people who doubted him. If you've been following my blog posts over the last few months, then you know how I feel about Corey Hart. But after everything I have said (and trust me, I've said more than my lion's share of shit about Hart) how could I possibly add anymore to the ongoing Corey Hart saga? But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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

25 Brewers in 25 Days : Ryan Braun

Left fielder Ryan Braun. I can say a million things about him. And very few of them (ok, so maybe only 1 of them) will be bad. It's going to look like I have a total man crush on this guy. But I suppose that I do. And I can admit that without feeling like any less of a man. I don't find Ryan Braun attractive (but I can understand why the ladies do) and I'm not gay (but not that there's anything wrong with being gay). It is perfectly acceptable to have a man crush on another dude because a man crush is, "A strong and extremely complicated positive emotion that a straight male feels towards another male. It is by no means homosexual, although it could possibly involve some degree of sexual attraction. This is not the type of sexual attraction that one would actually pursue; it is merely a complex sort of desire out of "fantasy" that is driven by jealousy and/or great admiration." And it's mostly because Ryan Braun is the only man that I would admit gave me the greatest day of my life.

The day was September 28, 2008. The Brewers were tied with the New York Mets for the NL Wild Card. In order for the Brewers to make the playoffs for the first time since 1982, they had to win and the Mets needed to lose. Sounds simple right? I remember almost every second of this game, but I won't go into too much detail here. I thought I was originally scheduled to work this game, but when I went to punch in, my name wasn't on the schedule. At most jobs you'd be pissed because you put your life on hold and you traveled to get to work. But this isn't most jobs. When I get off work early or come in when I'm not scheduled, I get to sit and watch baseball. The fact that I was watching this for free instead of catch bits while I was working allowed me to commit it all to memory. It probably also helped that I wasn't drinking because I didn't have any money. The Brewers were playing the hated Cubs who had already clinched the NL Central, but that didn't stop the asshole fans from migrating to "Wrigley North." With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning Ryan Braun hit a two run homer (pictured above) that put the Brewers on top. Miller Park went fucking nuts. To this day when I see that highlight, and trust me they play it often around these parts, it still sends chills down my spine as I relive that memory. People might point out that he wouldn't have had that chance to win the game had CC Sabathia not kept the scored tied 1-1, but Ryan is the hero because he was our guy. CC was just a rental, and everyone knew it. But Ryan Braun is the face of the franchise.

The Mets lost to the Marlins and the Brewers advanced to the playoffs, and even though they lost to the Phillies in the 1st round that year, they are making a bid to return to the playoffs this year. And although in 2009 the team as a whole took a step back with an 80-82 record, Ryan Braun has shown no signs of slowing down. After batting .324 with 34 HRs and 97 RBIs in 2007 that saw him win NL Rookie of the Year, he followed that up with a .285 avg 37 HRs and 106 RBIs. As the league adjusted to him (much like they always do to 2nd year players) Braun made the necessary adjustments as well, and in 2009 he had a .320 avg 32 HRs and 114 RBIs. The two best stats that don't show up in the standard line are walks (57) and hits (203). Why do I feel like those stats are better than the impressive average and power numbers? Because in 2007 he only took 29 walks and in 2008 he took 42. Seeing his walk numbers increase shows patience at the plate, which will force the pitchers to give him good pitches to hit. And when Ryan Braun gets a pitch to hit - see ya! And speaking of hits, Ryan Braun became the first Brewer to top 200 hits since Paul Molitor in 1991. In addition to Molitor, Braun joins Cecil Cooper and Robin Yount in the Brewers 200 hit club. That's some pretty impressive company.

After signing a 7 year contract extension at the beginning of the 2008 season for as much as $51 million when all is said and done, Braun probably gave up some money by signing past his free agency years. But by doing that he guaranteed himself financial security and showed the fans that he wants to be around for some time. In these days of professional sports when players move from team to team like the hired guns of the Old West, fans in Milwaukee are pleased to have some stability on the field. That and the fact that they can buy a player jersey and know that they can still year that next year to a game. Not everyone has baller status like me and owns over 30 jerseys, so they need to be selective with the one they purchase. Ryan Braun will not be a free agent until after 2015, so buying a Ryan Braun jersey is a pretty sure bet. So like Robin Yount before him, Ryan Braun has cemented himself as the face of the current franchise. And now for the 1 negative. Ryan Braun has quite a mouth on him. Tim and Sparky on Sportsradio 1250 call him "The Mouthpiece." There are plenty of documented occurrences when he publicly criticized his teammates and General Manager for the pitching failure of last year. Truth be told, he did say what everyone else in Milwaukee was saying, but as a member of the team you can't throw the people you work with (and the people who pay your salary) under the bus. He made some other comments as well, but my favorite is when he complained about the shadow problem at Miller Park. Because of the way the sun passes over the park during game days, the shadow cast by the roof creeps onto the field around the 4th or 5th inning. At some point the pitchers mound is in the sun and the plate is in the shade, so Braun among other bitch about it. In the last few years the Brewers record during home day games was atrocious, which doesn't make sense because you would think they could use that as a homefield advantage. So every time Braun would strike out, I'd kind of heckle him by saying things like, "It wasn't you man, it was those God Damn shadows!" or using Groundhog Day lines like, "Ha ha ha ha! Watch out for your shadow pal!" So my friends and I have started calling Ryan Braun "Shadows." But honestly, that is the only knock that we got on him.

Watching Ryan Braun play left field, it's easy to forget that he came up (and spent his rookie season) as a 3rd baseman. After committing an unholy 26 errors in 2007 at 3rd, he only has 2 errors in left field in the past 2 seasons. I know left field isn't the most challenging of positions to field, but that's still pretty damn good. His speed along with Carlos Gomez in center and Corey Hart in right combines to form the fastest outfield we have ever had. Miller Park isn't very spacious, but I have no reservations watching them roam the grassy outdoors of Petco Park or Dodger Stadium. So Braun is neither a liability on offense or defense, which in my opinion makes him the best player on our team (even better than Prince Fielder) because he can be classified as a five-tool player.

A-five tool player is one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, possesses good baserunning skills, speed and has plus throwing and fielding ability. I've already touched on Braun's average, power, speed and defense so the next logical category is baserunning. Despite hitting and being on base in front of the cleanup hitter Prince Fielder, Braun led the team with 20 stolen bases. It's usually a no-no to run in front of your biggest RBI machine because you don't want to run into unnecessary and costly outs. But Braun is quick and he is a smart baserunner, which actually ended up accounting for more team runs because he was constantly on the move. Scoring from 1st on a double or going from 1st to 3rd on a single sometimes can change the dynamic of an inning. For the time being Prince Fielder is the single most important piece of the Brewers offense, but once he in gone Ryan Braun will be the focal point. And after a few years studying under Prince's tutelage, he will be more than capable of leading this team on and off the field. If Ryan Braun puts up another year in his young but storied career, he will make the NL All-Star team once again and cement his place in Brewers history:

.317 avg, 35 HRs, 111 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, 188 hits, 2 new clothing lines launched and 1 new restaurant opened.

I currently own 4 Ryan Braun jerseys - 1 alternate blue, 1 from each All-Star team he has made (in New York City and St. Louis) and my favorite, his jersey from when he played with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. But I don't have a jersey for tomorrow's featured player centerfielder Carlos Gomez. Gomez is one of the new acquisitions who came here from Minnesota in the JJ Hardy trade. Gomez kind of fits the mold of a Rickie Weeks in the fact that he has tons of potential but has yet to live up to it. But since he is 24 compared to Weeks' 27, he still has a couple more years of seasoning before we can determine his fate in the organization. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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

25 Brewers in 25 Days : Casey McGehee

Casey McGehee was big last year. Just how big was he? About 6'1" and 195 pounds (insert rimshot). Ok, that was my clever attempt at humor, but it is the morning and daylight savings time robbed me of an hour of sleep. That jerk. But in all seriousness, where the hell would we be with out Casey? When the Brewers claimed him off waivers from the Cubs prior to the 2009 season I thought nothing of it. The Brewers (and most Major League teams) claim guys off waivers all of the time who fail to make an impact with that club. But this guy was different. The reason I don't think anybody saw it coming was that Bill Hall was given the chance to be the everyday 3rd baseman and Mat Gamel was the apparent heir to the Hot Corner as soon as he was ready for the job. But then Gamel got injured during Spring Training and McGehee swooped in and took advantage of every situation. Veteran players usually get a pretty long leash when it comes to their position on the diamond and their playing time. Younger players have to go out and prove that they belong in that spot. And Casey McGehee played so well in Spring Training of 2009 that he made the Opening Day roster for the 1st time and will now be counted on to be the Brewers every day 3rd baseman.

But even though he had the numbers (2009 Spring Training - 27 games, .328 avg, 6HRs and 16 RBIs) to prove that he was a capable of performing in the Majors, he needed a little help from some of his teammates to land the starting gig. First off, Bill Hall was the returning 3rd baseman and was once again given the position without competition. I myself said that Bill Hall would return to win games once again because I so wanted to be right, but boy was I wrong. Bill Hall failed miserably both offensivly and defensivly, and lost playing time. But before that happened, Rickie Weeks was lost for the season. At that point, Casey (along with Craig Counsell) started playing 2nd on a regular basis, and by June he found himself in the lineup almost everyday at either 2nd or 3rd base. He was doing so well offensively that Macha had no choice but to pencil him in somewhere every game.

Towards the end of the year, Casey's name was mentioned as a Rookie of the Year candidate. The entire city was pulling for him, but he just didn't have enough at bats during the year to rack up the attention grabbing stats that the voters look at. It also didn't help that Casey plays in one of the smallest media markets in the league, which never allowed him to get the exposure that he needed to win the award. You can make the argument that Ryan Braun won the award under the same circumstances, and I certainly would agree with you on that one. But Braun did it with more flash and style, and also had the numbers to back it up. As a diehard it pains me to say this, but compared to the other candidates, Casey McGehee did not deserve to win NL Rookie of the Year, so it was justified that he finished 5th in the voting. But he did still put up great numbers for a guy who we picked up for nothing and was instrumental in the Brewers offense in 2009.

The biggest thing that Casey did last year and hopefully will continue to do this year is provide protection for Prince Fielder by being productive in the #5 spot in the lineup. Having that consistent threat to hit homeruns and knock in RBIs batting behind Fielder makes pitchers think twice about putting him on base intentionally. I always thought that Corey Hart had the necessary skills to effectively fulfill that role, but you all know how I feel about Corey Hart. Let's just hope that Casey McGehee doesn't fall off the edge of the Earth just like Hart. I would much rather see him be more like Ryan Braun and avoid that sophomore slump that everyone says is coming. But not everybody watches these players day in and day out like I do. Casey McGehee (or Buster McGehee as Tim Allen of Sportsradio 1250 calls him) came from being a relative unknown to being one of the fan favorites in Milwaukee. We were looking for an answer at 3rd base after Bill Hall played his way out of town, and so far Mat Gamel has failed to accomplish anything once he is given the chance to perform at the Major League level. McGehee us under team control, so there is a big possibility that he could be the everyday 3rd baseman for many years to come. Hopefully he can convince the Managers and Coaches that he is the answer, and we'll know soon enough once the season starts. How will we be able to tell? Mat Gamel will start the season in AAA, and if he starts playing more often at 1st base or in the outfield, that's a pretty good sign that they feel he is being blocked at 3rd base on the big league club. And that will most certainly be a good thing.

I'm hours behind my deadline (looks like I totally bit off more than I can chew, as I had a wicked crazy weekend that prevented me from being awake / sober enough to write this article) so I'm going to have to wrap this up. I don't yet own a Casey McGehee jersey, but I plan on buying one soon because I have the feeling he'll be around Milwaukee for many more years to come. But before I go, I have to leave my 2010 predictions for Casey McGehee:

.278 batting average, 18 HRs, 75 RBIs and solid defense at the hot corner. His batting average will probably fall off a bit due to the pitchers having better scouting reports on him, but his HR and RBI numbers will remain the same due to the people in front of him staying productive.

I already mentioned that I hope he takes the Ryan Braun route and avoids the sophomore slump. Speaking of Braun, he is next on 25 in 25. Ryan has already put up some crazy ridiculous numbers in his first 3 years in the big leagues, so it's hard to believe that he can get better. But Ryan Braun can and he will. And he's also a better baseball player than Prince Fielder. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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

25 Brewers in 25 Days : Alcides Escobar

I may not be the first one to anoint rookie shortstop Alcides Escobar with a clever nickname, but I have been calling him by this name for years and it's time to make it public. I call him "The Wonderkid." Yes I know that Robin Yount's nickname was "The Kid" and I shouldn't be treading on his territory, but watch Escobar for a few minutes and just try and not be amazed at all the wonderful things this kid can do. At 23 years of age, he is still incredibly young by baseball standards. But there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he is ready for the big leagues. He's so ready that the Brewers traded away incumbent shortstop and fan favorite JJ Hardy to the Minnesota Twins so that Escobar could play everyday. JJ was one of the core players that were promised to be the future so many years ago. And although that group gave us our first winning season since 1992 and first playoff appearance since 1982, JJ's time in Milwaukee had come to an end. I know that JJ will bounce back with a good year up in Minnesota, but Escobar is just too good to keep him in the minors for another year playing "meaningless" ball.

Brewers fans haven't been promised a player like this since Prince Fielder, and even the casual fan knew his name as the Brewers top prospect. The kid is a defensive wiz, and his range and speed are simply unbelievable. I can go on and on about how amazing he his, but you'll probably never believe me until you see him in person. I bought into the hype because I'm kind of a sucker, but when I saw Escobar make tons of slick plays down in Spring Traing in 2009, I personally offered to help JJ Hardy go house hunting and to pack his bags. When Hardy struggled through all of 2009, the Brewers had no choice but to promote Escobar to the big leagues. In 38 games he hit .304 with 1 HR and 11 RBIs. I know that stat wise that doesn't look too impressive, but Escobar wasn't brought up for his bat. He was brought up for his defense and to get on base and score runs. Anything that he adds offensivly will be a huge bonus. I would like to get some video on here to visually show you his defensive skills, but until you see him on ESPN's Top 10 plays on a nightly basis (and you will) you will just have to believe me for now. In a Spring Training game last year, a ball was hit up the middle to the right side of second base. I already conceded that it was a base hit for the opposing batter. But then out of nowhere Escobar somehow appeared out of nowhere, dove to stop the ball, and delivered a cannon shot to beat the runner by a half step. I swear to God I almost had to change my shorts with how exciting that play was. If I had to guess my reaction to seeing that play in person, I'm pretty sure that the words, "Holy Shit!" and "Did you just see that?" were in there.

But words just don't do it justice. You have to see Escobar to believe what this kid is capable of. The best thing about him is that we are only counting on him to do one thing - play defense. Anything else that he does will be a bonus. His glove has been Major League ready for a few years, but the question with Escobar is if his bat would join his glove. In essence, he is almost the exact opposite of Rickie Weeks. But shortstop and center field is where you need solid defense, and Escobar will do that at the shortstop position every single night. His offense still needs a lot of work, which is something that he will have to do at the Major League level and he will struggle at times. You don't have to look much further than the fact that he has a career on base percentage of .333, which is not very good for someone with his speed. This kid is lightning quick, and if he can get on base he will steal more than I did while working at UWM. Unfortunately for Escobar his offense has always been a big IF.

But he did show some promise in the final few months of 2009, and in the Venezuelan Winter league, he led all players with a .393 batting average with a .440 on base percentage. Granted those are just winter league statistics, but that has to get you excited. Pair those numbers with a ridiculously good glove and you're looking at a kid who will win Rookie of the Year, be a perennial All-Star and be the first Brewers Gold Glove winner since Robin Yount in 1982. I mean it. JJ Hardy was very popular among the ladies, and even though Escobar is not nearly as pretty as JJ is, I know that he will win over fans of all ages, races and sexual orientations by pure skills alone. I remember at some point last year after JJ was sent down to the minors and Alcides was brought up, I could be heard yelling, "JJ WHO?" from the left field Loge Level. And although I always liked JJ and appreciated what he brought to this team, anyone who has seen Esocar play knows that he is better than JJ Hardy. Plain and simple. JJ was the past and Escobar is the future.

The first new Brewers jersey that I bought in 2010 was Alcides Escobar. I know for some people it might be a stretch to throw down for a jersey of a rookie that has yet to have success in the big leagues. But I'm confident that Escobar is here to stay and that he will live up to the hype that has seen him consistently be named the top prospect in Milwaukee's minor league system in the last few years. I've already predicted that Alcides Escobar will win the NL Rookie of the Year in 2010. I was one one of the people who was going apeshit last August and September when Escobar wasn't playing every day despite being the best option at shortstop. Brewers manager Ken Macha has shown a certain favoritism towards starting veteran players, but that turned out to be a clever ploy (I'm guessing this one was handed down by Doug Melvin) because Escobar came up something like 1 inning short of retaining rookie status going into 2010. This means that he will be eligible to win Rookie of the Year should he play well enough to deserve it. And I'm guessing that he does. I'd like to think that I am fairly accurate with my statistical predictions, but I am going to purposefully overshoot on Escobar in 2010 because I so want him to win Rookie of the Year with these numbers:

.310 batting average, 75 runs scored, 25 stolen bases and highlight reel defense. The second that he turns a slick "how did he do that?" play that he is well known for, the crowd and voting public will rally in his favor.

That's just about all that I can say about Alcides Escobar. Some things are better seen than read about. I hope if you are reading this you will get to see him either in person or on on TV so that you can get on board this train with me. Because it's gonna be some kind of wild ride with this Wonderkid, and hopefully some of the flash and pizazz that he displays will give us some more National love. 2010 has a ton of promise for several Brewers players, and the pendulum can swing violently one way or the other depending on the performance of guys like Escobar who are only counted on to do the bare minimum. Escbar has the force and momentum to push us over the edge if he plays anything like he did at the end of last year.

Well I'm up against the deadline right now, and I have to get some sleep so that I can function tomorrow. I'm only 3 players in and I'm already complaining. Man, entries #22-25 are gonna be rough, especially as I get closer to Opening Day. But one player who didn't have it so rough last year was 3rd baseman Casey McGehee. After spending years in the minor leagues being blocked at 3rd base in the big leagues by Aramis Ramirez, he was put on waivers by the Chicago Cubs and claimed by the Brewers prior to the 2009 season. After finally getting a chance to play on an everyday basis, Casey McGehee shined in 2009. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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

25 Brewers in 25 Days : Rickie Weeks

The leadoff man is incredibly important because he has the ability to set the pace for the entire game. 2nd baseman Rickie Weeks has been and will be the Brewers leadoff hitter if only by default (until Carlos Gomez or Alcides Escobar can prove they can get on base on a consistent basis). I would rather see him batting 5th or 6th because of his power and ability to drive in runs, but having him bat leadoff means so much more to the team than being a table setter. Because if he is batting leadoff that means that he is in the lineup, and having a healthy Weeks in the lineup dramatically changes the entire offense. Almost everyone will point a finger at the pitching staff for the team's failure in 2009, but for me the season started to spiral out of control on May 17, when Weeks suffered what would be a season ending wrist injury. The offense failed to click for a couple of weeks until Casey McGehee stepped in and stabilized it. By that time it was too late because the pitching staff fell apart and the offense couldn't overcome how terrible the pitching was. The one word that people always use when describing Rickie Weeks is potential. That's because he has plenty of it, but he has yet to get to the level that everyone believes he is capable of reaching. But time is running out for the oft-injured Weeks, and 2010 is once again a make or break year for him

Rickie Weeks was an amazing offense player in college at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His numbers in his senior year were off the charts. In 50 games he had a .500 batting average (seriously! I know math is tough but that's 1 hit every 2 at bats!) with 16 HRs, 67 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. He won the Golden Spikes award (given to the best amateur baseball player each year) that year as well as multiple other awards. The Brewers drafted him with the 2nd overall pick in the 2003 draft. Since arriving for good in the Major Leagues in 2005, he has had numerous injuries including torn tendons in both wrists, one that ended his season in 2006 and the already mentioned one that ended his 2009 season. The story on Weeks for his professional career was that he was a good offensive player, but his defense was for lack of a better word, abysmal. It sometimes looked like he had hands made of stone and that he was moving at the speed of light, and he sometimes would move too quickly and flub even the simplest of plays. But even though he has been a lightning rod for criticism, Rickie Weeks knows his flaws and he is one of the hardest working players I've ever seen.

I've been working at Miller Park since 2002, and we are required to be there when the gates open. I am an order taker on the Club Level. I can't take orders unless there are people in the seats, and anyone who is familiar with Brewers games know that tailgating is huge and that most people don't even settle into their seats until the National Anthem. And even then the stadium is only half full. In fact, for a sold out game all the seats aren't even occupied until at least the 3rd inning. The point is, without having customers to serve, I watch batting practice every single day. And I get to witness first hand the Coaches working with Rickie to slow down his approach defensively. When Willie Randolph was signed as the Bench Coach prior to the 2009 season I rejoiced, for I knew that he would be working one-on-one with Rickie and be able to turn him around. When I was down in Arizona for Spring Training that year, I went to Maryvale ballpark for pre-game workouts and saw the hands on approach that Willie used with Rickie. And I got incredibly excited for what Rickie could do in 2009.

The first Brewers jersey that I ever bought was Jeff Cirillo in the late 90's. The second was a personalized retro Iceman jersey. And the third was Rickie Weeks. My friends thought I was crazy. I have been Rickie Weeks' biggest supporter since he first got called up to the bigs in 2005. Which is why it has personally affected me to see him struggle so mightily and constantly be injured. Everyone from the National media to people calling into Sports Radio 1250's Brewers post-game show bashed him on a nightly basis, and I defended him to the bitter end. Rickie Weeks is a hustle kind of player that never gives up. He runs hard to first on every hit, be it a groundout or a single to center. His attitude and willingness to play hard every single minute on the field is inspiring. You can just see that he loves the game of baseball and will do whatever is necessary to better himself. When he finally started living up to that potential in 2009 (37 games, .272 avg, .340 obp, 9 HRs, 24 RBIs, 28 runs scored) I wore my Rickie Weeks jersey with pride with a big "I told you so" grin on my face. In the years past I was mocked for wearing it, but I did it anyway because I believed in him. I was loyal to a fault. People would say, "Iceman - Rickie Weeks? Really?" I am a Rickie Weeks fan. It was almost to the point where I was like a parent standing by my kid's side and cheering the loudest for him even when he screwed up. Then he would hit a homerun and I would yell out, "that's my boy!" Which is why it killed me so much when Weeks tore the tendon in his wrist when he got off to the best start of his career. I still believe that Weeks would have made the All-Star team, and I would have been so damn proud to wear that All-Star jersey.

But Rickie Weeks never made it further than May 17 in 2009. I previously talked about the importance of a leadoff hitter, so I feel that I should mention that Weeks isn't a prototypical one, so he has had to learn to be one at the Major League level. In fact, the majority of the learning that he has done has been at that level and under the watchful and ever criticizing eye of the public. It is my belief that Rickie Weeks will pick up where he left off last year and finally have that breakout year. Because if he doesn't, then unfortunately it may be time to find someone who can. Brett Lawrie (ranked in the top 100 of baseball's top prospects) was the Brewers #1 pick in 2008 and he is rising fast through the system. It's not too hard to believe that Lawrie could be starting in 2011, and by 2012 he should certainly be on the team. But Weeks won't have to worry about that if he puts up numbers like the ones I am predicting in 2010:

.280 batting avg, .345 on base percentage, 18 HRs, 61 RBIs, 101 runs scored, 29 stolen bases. He will also make the NL All-Star team. And because everyone is suspect of his defense, I am predicting that he has fewer than 13 errors.

Rickie Weeks is one of the two key pieces in the 2010 Brewers puzzle (with the other being Corey Hart) because he is the catalyst that ignites their explosive offense. Once again, pitching will dictate most everything, but I believe that if Weeks does well, the team overall will do well. And I sure hope that I am finally right because I'm tired of so many years of being wrong. I am going to keep on hyping Weeks and supporting him because after doing it for 5 years, what's one more? One can't be wrong for 6 years, can they?

Next I will be looking at the player who will be anchoring the middle infield defense along with Rickie Weeks - "The Wonderkid", shortstop Alcides Escobar. This highly touted defensive wizard has been talked about for years, and Milwaukee finally gets to see him for a full year after his anticipated debut last fall. But he's so good that the Brewers parted ways with fan favorite and core member of the Brewers youth movement JJ Hardy. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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

25 Brewers in 25 Days : Prince Fielder

25 in 25 begins with pound for pound, the most important player on the roster - 1st baseman Prince Fielder. In 2009 Prince had the best season by a player in the Milwaukee Brewers 40-year history. He had a .299 average (which could have topped .300 had Tony LaRussa allowed his pitchers to pitch to him instead of intentionally walking him in his final at bat of the season), .412 on base percentage, 46 HRs, 141 RBIs and 110 walks. Monstrous numbers. He shattered Cecil Cooper's club record of 126 RBIs and topped Jeromy Burnitz's record of 99 walks in a season. He somehow finished an appalling 4th place in the NL MVP race. I'll admit Hanley Ramirez (2nd) and Ryan Howard (3rd) had damn fine years, and Albert Pujols (1st) was the best player in all of baseball, but it blows my mind that Prince didn't get more votes. The only excuses I can think of is that he plays in one of the smallest markets and his team didn't make the playoffs. None of those reasons are supposed to factor into MVP voting, but take away Prince from this lineup and it is drastically different. The only player that means that much to their team is Albert Pujols, which is why I have no problem with him winning for the 2nd consecutive year. He put up the numbers to deserve it. But enough about that slugger, I'm here to talk about the Prince.

When Prince first came up in 2005 you could tell that this kid was special. His arrival ended Lyle Overbay's time in Milwaukee, and as a member of Bill and Darron's Buckethead Brigade I was one of the many who would miss the "Ooooooooooooo" chants. But watching the power of the Prince changed those "Ooooooooooo's" into "wooooooooooooooah's!" This guy could just flat out hit. When he connected with a ball, there was never a doubt that it was a homerun. He has had so many majestic Miller Highlife Moon Shots that I'm sure there are indentations in the scoreboard. I know I once saw him take out a couple of lights on the display in deep center, and they remained broken until the end of that season. I can go on for hours about the Prince Fielder highlights that I have seen in person, but there are too many to cover here. But I would like to point out a few.

I have seen not just one but both of Prince Fielder's in the park homeruns in person. One was at Miller Park and the other was in the Metrodome. Not too bad for a guy who is "officially" listed at 270 pounds. Watching Prince chug around the bases like a runaway locomotive is a sight that I will never forget. The first one (at the Metrodome) had me jumping up and down screaming, "no fucking way that just happened!" But it did happen. It would be one of a million highlights in his young career. I was at Miller Park on September 25, 2007 when Prince hit homerun #50 and became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 50 homeruns in a season. And at a Brewers vs. Indians game in Goodyear, Arizona, last year when I was down there for Spring Training, I got his autograph on a ball that I couldn't keep. I got tons of autographs that weekend, but the one that mattered most was getting Craig Counsell for my brother James, who was about to move to South Carolina. He's our favorite player (half serious, half inside joke) and at that game he signed my ball. Then Prince Fielder walked up, and I only had that Counsell-signed ball on me. So I had Prince sign it, because how are you not going to get Prince Fielder's autograph? But as promised, I gave it to my brother, and it became the best autograph I ever got. Those are just a few personal memories of Prince, and I'm sure you have plenty of your own.

If you haven't noticed, I'm a little sentimental on the big fella. After the Brewers won the NL Wild Card in 2008 I was hanging out at this bar Karma and Prince, CC Sabathia, Mike Cameron and Bill Hall were there partying it up. I stood next to him and realized that I am his white body double. I probably weigh a couple more pounds, but we were the same reasonable height and build. It was then that this man became my long lost brother from another mother. The reason I'm so hung up on him is because it's almost inevitable that this will be Prince's last season in Milwaukee. He is a free agent after the 2011 season and will be entering his final year of arbitration. He is making somewhere around $10 million this season, and there is no reason to doubt that he will make over $15 million next year if he has a similar year at the plate. Unless we can sign him to a long term deal (which is a hotly debated topic here in Milwaukee, one that I will most certainly address in the near future but not today, as it is a rather lengthy debate) we have to trade him in the offseason to maximize the return of players that we need (young pitching). So enjoy every day that we have Prince Fielder, because there will come a day when the only time you'll be seeing him is in a different uniform.

But let's not dwell on that. But we kind of have to because Prince Fielder is the Milwaukee Brewers offense. BOOM! Take him out of the lineup and the entire dynamic changes. One of the reasons why Ryan Braun is so good is because he has Prince Fielder behind him in the lineup. The leadoff and #2 hitter will see their stats inflated (most notable the runs scored) because Prince is going to hit well over 100 RBIs. He's too good not to. Which makes the #5 hitter so valuable, because as you saw last year, Prince is starting to rack up a good amount of intentional walks. So the guys batting behind him are huge. Prince was also the only player in all of baseball to play all 162 games last year, so he's in there every single day making a difference. He has also worked on his defense, and trains rigorously to maintain his body weight so as not to hamper his abilities. And from what I hear, he is also the leader on and off the field. On the field he leads by example and in the clubhouse he gets everyone ramped up for games while at the same time keeping them loose with humor and jokes. He is a player that is invaluable to the team that he plays for, which is why he is coveted so much.

The Brewers had a top 5 offense in the National League last year, which they certainly needed to overcome the worst pitching staff in the National League. Prince Fielder was a huge part of that offense, and even though the pitching staff has improved with the additions of Doug Davis and Randy Wolf, the Brewers will once again need to lean on their offense to win games. I'm not saying that Prince Fielder will have to carry to offense because he certainly has enough weapons around him, but if need be he will be able to do so. The Prince is mighty enough to put the team on his back and carry them for a little while, but I'd rather see everyone else step up so that Prince can calmly sit back and do his job, which is to drive in runs.

Prince Fielder is not the most important piece of the puzzle for success in 2010, but he's right up there. I'm going to go ahead and give my prediction for his 2010 season:

.305 batting average, .405 OBP, 42 HRs, 136 RBIs, 105 walks. He will once again make the NL All-Star team and will finish in the top 3 of the NL MVP voting.

I could probably go on some more about Prince, but chances are you've already stopped reading by now. I'll try to keep these to a minimum but sometimes I have too much to say and just can't stop typing. Even if it means I'm still working on this at 1:30 in the morning when I have to wake up at 7:30 AM. But that just goes to show how dedicated I am to the Brewers and my promise to do 25 in 25. In summation Prince Fielder is amazing. In every way, shape and form. I probably could have said that instead of all the garbage I put on this page. I'll keep that in mind for next time.

And speaking of next, tomorrow's entry will be 2nd baseman Rickie Weeks, who once again is entering a make it or break it year. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Brewers! Brewers! Keep Turnin' Up the Heat!

- pookon -

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

25 Brewers in 25 Days : 2010 Season Countdown

One night I had a drunken epiphany - to do a profile of every player on the 25 man Milwaukee Brewers roster in the 25 days leading up to Opening Day. Sounds pretty easy, right? Well maybe for the person who has a lot of time on their hands. I already work a full time job, and by this point working on Pookon.com, Pookon's Ill Blog and the Back Alley Burners is like having a second job. I bet I spend at least 15-20 hours a week on the Pookon Empire, but not all of it shows because the majority of it is behind the scenes fixing, templating, and archiving things. So that's why it surprises me that I'm actually going through with this idea. I've only once had an idea this big that I followed through with, and that was the magical Summer of 2008 when I did a wrap-up of every series that the Brewers played that year. We all know how the season ended (with the first playoff appearance in 26 years) but during the year I was stuck working 2nd shift at a call center. I only got to work weekend games, and for the night games I was only able to follow the games online with MLB Gameday online. In the rest of the downtime at work (because I was only busy when someone called the help line) I would write about the Brewers on this blog. You can check out those posts in the "From the Archives" panel on the right.

Back then I actually had time to do things like this because I was bored at work. Now that I actually work at work between the hours of 9-5 and miscellaneous things like watching every Bucks game occupies the time I would normally spend updating. I'm also trying to have more of a social life because I can't spend my entire life sitting in front of a computer screen. And I have also started working out after work, which results in me being quite tired by the time I actually get home. I know that it's not a good excuse, but to me it helps explain the magnitude of this undertaking that I am beginning tonight. To be quite honest, with the exception of schoolwork, I have never had such strict deadlines in place in which to complete a project. To stay true to my promise, I need to have a new post every day until April 5th. It's going to be wicked.

To those of you who do not know, each Major League team has an active roster of 25 players, 9 of which start on a given day. The other 16 players are the remaining starters, the bullpen and the bench players. For the Brewers, 21 of the 25 spots on the 2010 Opening Day Roster are already "set". I use quotations because there is always a possibility (and knock on wood that it doesn't happen) of someone getting injured like Chris Capuano a few years ago or traded during Spring Training. Those last few spots up for grabs for this team are all back-up spots. I won't name all of the players here (because what would the purpose of doing 25 in 25 if I introduce them right now and talk about them) but I will point out a few positions to keep your eye on during Spring Training. There are no less than 4 players battling for the back-up catcher position, which should be the most exciting thing to watch. More so than in previous years because new catcher Greg Zaun is only expected to catch around 100 of the 162 games (compared to to Jason Kendall's 150ish) so the back-up will have to play more often and contribute. There is an open spot for a back-up infielder and a back-up outfielder, which could provide some great competition in camp. The final open spot is for a pitcher which will round out the bullpen. At the start of camp, there was like 57 players, although a good amount of them are minor league players who are there mainly for the experience of practicing and playing with and against major league talent. I'll save spots 22-25 for the last few days before the Brewers open the season, because there's a pretty good chance that they won't even be decided until then.

I'll try to keep these brief and devoid of tiresome statistics, but you know how passionate I am about the Brewers and how I can often go on for hours (see my posts about Corey Hart). But I hope that this will provide you with this fan's perspective on the 2010 Brewers so that you either have a better understanding about the team or you can use it to assist in your opinions. And if you totally disagree with me, feel free to comment below. I'm always open to debate, and talking Brewers is my absolute favorite thing to do. So comment below or bring it up the next time that you see me.

As well as doing 25 Brewers in 25 Days, I will also be drinking 25 beers in 25 days. As a little added bonus to me, I have labeled 25 cans of PBR with the names of whom I think will be on the Brewers 2010 Opening Day roster. While working on the article for that player, I will be drinking the PBR with their name on it. It's just a little incentive to keep me working on this thing, much like that Advent countdown to Christmas calendar that has chocolate behind the doors. But since I am a chocoholic but for beer, PBR will fuel my fire as we get ready for 2010. The dwindling pyramid will be a physical reminder that the season is just days away and that I am an alcoholic.

In closing, I hope that both you and I make it out alive. This is going to be quite a process, so bear with me as the 2010 season looms over the horizon. It's going to be exciting. After finishing 2009 with a 80-82 record despite having the worst team ERA in the NL, changes have been made to the pitching staff to improve it, while the offense returns mostly intact from last year. So now I will make some predictions for the 2010 season:

• The Brewers will finish in 2nd place (behind the St. Louis Cardinals) in the NL Central with a 88-74 record and win the NL Wild Card, returning to the playoffs once again.
• The Cubs will finish 3rd, Reds 4th, Astros 5th and Pirates 6th.
• The Brewers will once again draw over 3 million fans.
• Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Yovanni Gallardo and Rickie Weeks will make the NL All-Star Team.
• Alcides Escobar wins NL Rookie of the Year
  

I'm going to make predictions for the individual players on the days when I highlight them, so I will leave you with that information for now. And I have to go and say nice things about the Bucks now, because they are trying so hard to distract me from baseball season. Damn you Bucks! Why did you have to pick 2010 to once again be relevant? Now I'm going to have to start writing about you too!

- pookon -

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

Eric Gagne called, he wants his goggles back...

I know that I promised that I'd lay off of Corey Hart for a little bit, but this was so ridiculous that I couldn't hold back my tongue (or fingers if I want to be literal). There has been nothing but excuses for Corey hart's performance in the past few years. He played well in the minors and in his first few years with the Brewers, but when things started going bad all the sudden some shit comes up to explain the reason behind his performance. The Journal Sentinel posted an article that attributed Hart's weak mentality to Daddy Issues. Apparently Corey Hart's Dad John started pushing his son ever since he was 3 years old to be the best at sports. So much to the point that Corey was afraid to let his Dad down and he played for his Dad, not for himself. He was always afraid of letting his Dad down and it even got to the point where Corey made his Mom drive a separate car to his games so that if he had a bad game, he could go home with Mom instead of Dad. His Dad forged his birth certificate when he was 3 years old so that he could join the 5-year old + baseball team. And his Dad criticized him every step of the way. His Dad never made it big in baseball so he wanted his son to do it.

"He was trying to toughen me up," said Corey. "I think he felt I'd go out and try to prove him wrong. As a young kid, it would wear you out. If I got in trouble, he would spank me hard. He would embarrass me in front of other people. Even in high school, if I did something wrong, he would pull me behind the dugout and yell at me. He was trying to push me to be better but you don't realize that at the time." I will say that this is fucked up. My parents pushed music on me hardcore because they were so into it. I was singing in choir since I've been able to talk, and I was always playing some kind of instrument. I never liked to play the trumpet, but my parents made me do it. And I never practiced and got better at it because I had no desire to do it. But have you ever heard me use this as an excuse? No. Because I'm not a whiny little bitch. I quit music for a couple of years, but I eventually found my way back into it. My parents didn't go to the extremes that John Hart did, so I'll give him a little bit on that. But grow the fuck up already. You're living your life, not your Dad's.

Our parents do have influence over who we are and who we become, but eventually you have to shake that off and be your own person. My parents are deeply religious and raised me in in the Catholic church. Do I believe in God? Yeah. Do I live my life according to the bible? Nope. Do I live in fear of going to Hell if I don't follow the commandments. Nope. Do I go to church every Sunday? Nope. Once I got to a certain age (like 18 when I moved out of the house) I made up my own mind and did what was right for me. For Corey Hart to blame his Dad for his mental instability is ludicrous. When the fans boo at me, it's like 40,000 John Harts in the stands judging me. Watching me, criticizing. Waiting to reprimand me and spank me for failing to advance the runner to 3rd on a groundout. I lost a ball in the sun, committed an error and we lost the game because of me. Thankfully Mom has the getaway car running so we can scoot out of here before Dad finds me. And spanks me. You're 28 fucking years old. Get over that shit already. Grow up and be a man.

And then this shit comes out the other day that Corey Hart needs to wear glasses because he is nearsighted. He admitted that last year he wasn't seeing the ball well and that things were a bit fuzzy. And that he probably fudged his vision test during his physical last year because he didn't want to admit he wasn't seeing clearly. Bob Uecker made a comment on this during the broadcast of the game today, and of course he had a humorous take on the subject. His line was something like this, "The ball was looking a little fuzzy to me too. Although you know I was looking at a tennis ball." Uecker can make any subject funny, and although I laughed at his joke, this really is no joking matter. Baseball depends so much on you being able to see a ball and decide in tenths of a second whether or not you should swing, then make the proper adjustments to make contact with it. Sure, you need athletic skills and timing in order to play, but some of the best hitters (like Ted Williams and Barry Bonds) relied on their insane vision to only swing at pitches that they knew they could hit, resulting in unprecedented batting averages. So you would think that a baseball player would want to see the ball correctly, right?!?!

So Corey Hart is now going to wear goggles, Eric Gagne-style. He says that it would be unacceptable to wear contacts. You got something against contacts punk? Then you got something against me. He probably already has a problem against me for calling him a bitch, so I guess this is just one more thing. But how come as soon as people start really getting on his back for being a shitty baseball player does it come out that he needs glasses? Because he has to make excuses. And before people get all uppity and tell me to lay off Hart, I would like to say that it's not just him. Everyone makes excuses. There's always someone to blame other than yourself. But when your job depends on something as crucial as you being able to see something, don't you think you should be able to see it well? Don't ya? The second that his eyes started to go, he should have done it then. But no. Now he can blame his Dad and his eyes for swinging at a pitch in the dirt low and outside.

God I hate that this fires me up so much that I have to come on here and go off about it. I tried so hard not to, but I had to work it out of my system before I had a total meltdown. So once again, I'm willing to give Corey Hart a pass on his Daddy issues and poor vision, just as long as he stops making excuses and starts playing up to his potential. If the goggles correct his vision and suddenly everything clicks, maybe I'll believe that it was his eyes that were giving him problems. But if it isn't, then I will most certainly rain down a chorus of boos on him from the right field bleachers. I will find out what his Dad looks like and get a mask that resembles him and then wear clothes just like him. I will dress up like John Hart and heckle the shit out of Corey Hart. I will berate him for the entire game and make him run off crying to his Mommy. Corey Hart has gone too far, and if I hear one more pathetic excuse as to why he has no plate discipline, I will burn my Corey Hart jersey. Just go out there and play and stop being such a bitch.

I feel the need to once again say that I want nothing more than to see Corey Hart perform well, because he is such an integral part to this offense. But I'm tired of all the bullshit that comes with him. Maybe I'm just jaded because I saw my first Brewers postseason game in 2008 and I am getting nervous that it'll be 26 years before I see another one. They have the pieces to make a return to October just as long as the offense picks up where it left off last year and the pitching staff is average. And players like Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Manny Parra live up to their potential. So in case you think that I pick on Hart too much, rest assured that I will stop now. I know I've said that before, but Corey just keeps fueling my fire with all of this garbage. So I'm making a New Year's resolution to only say positive things about Corey Hart from now on. And we'll just go ahead and saw how long that charade will last. But first Hart needs to actually do something positive. But my Mom always said that if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. If I listen to my Mom, then it might be a while before I say anything.

But maybe I am just as bad as John Hart by the way that I've just been unloading on Corey for his failures. Perhaps I can lighten up a bit. I should be more supportive of him instead of calling him names. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms, and since I'm not going out fishing today, there's no way that I can manage to open that one up right now. You can't open a can of worms then not use them. They'll go bad and you have no choice but to bury them in the ground. Screw that. I want to use my worms to catch big ass trouts. And hold them in front of my sister and chase her around because she is terrified of worms. Because that is what worms are for. Catching fish and scarring sisters. But why am I talking about worms and not Corey Hart? I don't know. I'm going to go get another beer while I ponder that question. But I certainly will not blame my Dad or my blurry vision for making me fail as a writer.

- pookon -

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