Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Yovani Gallardo (10 of 25)

I love Yovani Gallardo. I'm pretty sure he is one of the reasons why I decided to become a born again Mexican. That and the fact that I could wear a sombrero on my head at all times and never be questioned for it. Do you question a Christian for wearing a cross around their neck? Do you scowl at a Jewish man because he didn't take off his Yarmulke when he entered a building? No you don't because that would be considered a hate crime. And for the same reasons I am allowed to wear a sombrero whenever I see fit. I can wear it to sporting events. I can wear it at family parties. And I can also wear it when I am selling bags of oranges on the street corner or when I am begging for change. See everybody loves sombreros, and if someone says that they don't love them then they are lying to you. Then that person is not your friend because friends don't lie to you except when it is on purpose. Well sometimes you might lie because you are embarrassed of what the truth will reveal about you, and sometimes you lie to screw over your buddy. But I will never lie about my love for sombreros and Yovani Gallardo.

I spent the majority of my life as an American until I one day woke up and discovered I was living a lie. See I love things from Mexico. I love burritos, mariachi bands, maracas, Aztec ruins, smuggled drugs and guns, migrant workers, salsa, silly putty, flame retardant material, a 5.4-liter DOHC (dual overhead cam) V8 engine from a 2005 Shelby Mustang GT500, ceramic plates, lithium batteries, brass knuckles, ponchos, jet skis, San Dimas paper thin walls, cotton candy makers, knee high socks, methamphetamine, Lynyrd Skynyrd '93, jump ropes, Speedy Gonzalez and of course - Jello. Where would we be without Jello? Even if you just ate 3 Meximelts and a Chalupa Supreme there's always room for Jello. But what does this have to do with Yovani Gallardo and baseball? I'm about to make a loose connection if you stop yanking my chain holmes.

The Golden Sombrero is a slang term in baseball to describe a batter who has accomplished the inglorious feat of striking out 4 times in one 9 inning game. In a regulation game a batter will usually get 4 plate appearances and if they strike out 4 times then they had a ridiculously awfull night. The strikeout is the least productive at bat because nothing positive can come from it. When you hit that ball into play you at least give the defender a chance to misplay the ball and you wind up on 1st on an error. Or you could ground or fly out and the runner advances up a base on the play, resulting in a productive out. Yes, for those of you that are knowledgeable on baseball, there is a scenario where you can strike out and still reach base. But enough of that. Again, what's the connection between this shit and Gallardo? He is the only pitcher on the staff capable of giving one of the opposing batters the Golden Sombrero. And not just because he is Mexican. In the last two seasons (the only 2 of his 4 where he pitched for a complete season) he had 200 or more strikeouts. In 30 some odd starts a year, that means he averages about 7 strikeouts per game. I don't know offhand if he has done it to a batter, because the Golden Sombrero stat has yet to be added to MLB's official statistical database. But when the Revolution begins it will be, even if in this connotation the sombrero is being used to describe something negative. But we, the members of Wearing a Sombrero Facebook Community page, welcome all uses of the sombrero because that means it is relevant in our daily lives and it is slowly taking over the world.

Gallardo has the tools, talent, presence of an ace and he also the ability to be cool under pressure when placed in a sticky situation. An elite pitcher may allow a couple of runners to reach base in an inning, but then they also know how to get out of it without the runners scoring. That is the difference between good and great. Pure skill does have a lot to do with it because you either have it or you don't, but to be a top pitcher you also need to have the other intangibles as well. Gallardo is still only 25 years old, and most baseball analysts will tell you that his best years are still in front of him. And this is a guy who in 2009 had a 3.73 ERA, 204 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .219 AVG. As you can obviously see this isn't the stat line of an ace as a lot of people are quick to point out. So I guess that Gallardo could better be described as a future ace, or an ace in the making. But for reasons including that fact that we are both Mexican (he having been born there and me having been born there again), he was drafted and developed by the Brewers, he has been the #1 pitcher the last few years and he doesn't have mental problems like Zack Greinke are reasons why I want Gallardo to remain in the #1 spot in the rotation.

One of the other aspects of Gallardo's game is what he can do with the bat. In 63 at bats last year, he had a .254 AVG, 16 hits, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs and an OBP of .329. Granted it is in fewer at bats, but that's better than some of the regular everyday position players. Basically that means on days when he pitches there is no black hole in the lineup (unless you count Carlos Gomez... zing!) and you can't assume that the pitcher is going to make an out. You all know that in the National League the pitchers bat, and for the entire 2010 season there were 12 homeruns hit by pitchers and Gallardo hit 4 of them. He personally accounted for 1/3 of homeruns hit by pitchers! That's something special to have on a team. I remember a game (I think it was against the Pittsburgh Pirates) where the Brewers won 1-0 and Gallardo pitched like 8 innings and hit the homerun that was the only scoring in the game. I know defense is a factor, but that day he pretty much did it all himself. And those are just a couple of reasons why I'm glad that Gallardo, and not Greinke, is starting on Opening Day.



Now that you've accepted the fact that I am a born again Mexican, I am now authorized to predict what Gallardo's 2011 season will look like. Had I not taken the test and passed, I would have had my sombrero taken away from me from the Mexican Sombrero Association. The MSA is a newly formed group that regulates who and who cannot wear a sombrero. And unless you join me in adopting Mexico as your new homeland, you will probably have the MSA knocking on your door. And they don't take no for an answer. If you are wearing a sombrero and they ask if you are Mexican, make sure you say Si and you mean it. Don't lie. The MSA doesn't care for impostures who lie and masquerade as a Mexican without actually being one. That is uncalled for. But this is what I am calling for Gallardo to do in 2011:

18 -8 record, 2.92 ERA, 211 strikeouts, 208 innings pitched, .242 batting AVG, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs and able to wear a sombrero whenever he wants because he is a pure Mexican, not born again like some of us. Oh what I wouldn't give to be Yovani Gallardo...

Yovani Gallardo is Mexican, I am a born again Mexican and new Brewers pitcher Shaun Marcum is an American, though he did have the chance to be a born again Canadian. I personally do not know if he took the test in the last 5 years where he played in Canada as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. If I do have the chance to have a sit down with him I will ask him that question. Because if there is ever anything that is on the same level as being a born again Mexican it's being a born again Canadian. In fact, the next time that I make my way to our neighbor to the North I will see if I can take the test. Think about it. I will have been born American, born again Mexican and born again Canadian. I will become the representative of North America when the Trifecta is complete! And then peace will sweep the continent as we become one, and MexiCanAmerica will be such an opposing force that countries will lay down their arms and nuclear weapons and the entire world will live in harmony. You may laugh now, but unless you become born again Mexican and Canadian you will not be able to share in the glory. I'm talking to you Shaun Marcum. Repent now! Change your life! I will personally tutor you in the ways of a MexiCanAmerican in the 2 years you are here in Milwaukee, but that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Zack Greinke (9 of 25)

New Brewers starting pitcher Zack Greinke is the talk of the offseason. When he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress I was upset at first. Mostly because I really liked all 4 of those young players and I was looking forward to their contribution to the team. The more that I thought about it the more that I loved it though. If there was one thing that had been holding us back in the last few years it was pitching, so Greinke would not only be a significant upgrade, but he instantly became the best pitcher on our team. No other pitcher on this team has won a Cy Young award, given to 1 pitcher in each league who is voted to be the best. Greinke won that award in 2009. I'm a little worried though because all of his other years with the Kansas City Royals are average. Nothing stands out from them. Since he has pitched his entire career in the American League thus far, I really have no personal opinion on him when it comes to his baseball skills and talent besides the numbers. Although I am a fan of baseball in general, I put so much time and effort into watching and knowing everything Brewers that it often doesn't leave any leftover time for following other teams and players. So then I look like a complete dumb ass when I'm trying to sound educated on guys like Greinke, Marcum and Kotsay who came to our team from the American League. So while I certainly won't ask you to stop reading, just make sure you know that I have no freaking idea what I am doing anymore. 10 articles in of 25 and I've already lost it. Who would've thought?

In most people's minds he is the ace of the pitching staff. The #1 head honcho. The losing streak slump buster. The go to guy. The big cheese. The HOT, STINKING CHEDDAR! If I go by stats alone I would say that (Cy Young year aside) he is right on the same level as Yovani Gallardo. So I don't know why he was appointed the Opening Day starter. Gallardo should have gotten the ball that day based on past performance with the team. And although some people will argue that based on Gallardo's stats he too is no ace of a pitching staff, those who have watched him pitch every time out know that he has all of the intangibles that add to the talent that puts him in the same group as the top pitchers in the league. The acquisition of Greinke was a big deal and I understand that the Brewers satisfied their offseason need for pitching and built their marketing campaign for 2011 around this guy. I get it. But I also think that in focusing on Greinke you really are hating on Gallardo, which isn't right. But for the time being, all of that is a moot point thanks to "Air" Greinke breaking a rib playing basketball during Spring Training, and he will open the season on the DL.

"Zack the Glide" Greinke is a real enigma as a person. He suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder, no naturally I shouldn't make fun of him for being a little awkward, right? Have you forgotten who I am? I make fun of everyone because I am an asshole and no one is exempt. I'm all for him shying away from the media, not wanting to answer questions, not talking to his teammates, not goofing in the clubhouse or all of that other stuff that he doesn't want to do because it annoys him. That's fine. I only care about his on the field performance because in the end that is what matters the most. Especially because we paid such a high price with 4 young players to get "Dr. J" Greinke for the next 2 years. And he has already been labeled the savior of this woeful pitching staff. Yeah I excited too when the Brewers actually did some something to improve that didn't include the signing of some retread like Doug Davis, and "Magic"Greinke certainly has the potential to be the best pitcher on this team in the 2011 season. But then he has to go ahead and something stupid like playing basketball during Spring Training and falls and injures himself. I understand that accidents happen and he could have as easily fallen had he been back home in Kansas City on a patch of ice this winter. But those kind of things can't be avoided. Getting hurt playing basketball can be avoided if you don't play basketball. You are a baseball player and once the season starts you have to focus your training, exercise routines and conditioning around being ready to start the baseball season. Besides, who the hell plays basketball so hard (in a pick-up game no less) that they fall down and break their fucking ribs?

While it still really pisses me off that "Big Dog" Greinke injured himself and will not open the season on the 25 man roster and will not pitch on opening day, I have to at least admire what kind of competitor he is. Him going all out in a meaningless basketball game at least shows that he wants to win and will stop at nothing to do so. We need that kind of competitive fire out on the baseball diamond and we can't settle for players who are satisfied with a "quality start" Don't get me started talking about how stupid that stat is, because I don't see anything quality about going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs. Sounds good to you though, right? But that pitcher's ERA would be 4.50, and if that is quality then something is wrong with the expectations we have for being average. You shouldn't settle for that, and it looks like "Tractor" Greinke isn't going to.

Social anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situationscausing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life. I'll just say that I'm no doctor nor am I a smart person, so what I can be saying is completely wrong. Screw it though , you didn't come here for facts. You came here to look at pictures of Emily Kuchar (now Greinke), the smokin' hot wife of Zack "The Stilt" Greinke. How does a guy who has extreme shyness, is overly self-conscious, has intense phobias of talking to people and being surrounded by crowds land a hot piece of ass like that? It's not right!! It's not fair!! It's unjust!! But he's also an athlete. With lots of money and opportunities. When you have that kind of shit going for you women like this find you. You don't have to do a damn thing. So the guy has everything he wants and now has a chance to lead a pitching staff into the playoffs and capture the hearts and minds of the Milwaukee fans just like CC Sabathia did in 2008. The only question is will the people be willing to look past how weird and awkward he is and focus only on his game? Or will they be like Kevin and I and just constantly make fun of him for things that are both in and out of his control.



No one is exempt. That has been a long standing rule between Kevin and I because no one is perfect and every now and then they need to be knocked down a peg. And Zack "The Admiral" Greinke is no different. And although he certainly didn't start his Brewers career off on the right foot (or is it the right rib?) it looks like he should only miss 2-3 starts in the regular season. But if this injury plagues him for more time than that (like if it continues into mid or late may) then we're in serious trouble. The Brewers cannot afford to get off to a slow start in 2011, and the sooner that a healthy "Big Baby" Greinke joins the team, the sooner he can start to put up numbers like this:

14-6 record, 3.13 ERA, 179 strikeouts, 190 innings, and he's still going to cry and shy away when people confront him, but he's got one hell of a shoulder to cry on.

Zack "The Dream" Greinke may have usurped Yovani Gallardo as the ace of the staff in everyone else's eyes, but he's not fooling me. Greinke may have the talent and be the talk of the town right now, but I'm just not ready to deal with all of the extra bullshit and baggage he comes with until he proves it on the field that none of that shit hampers his baseball game. Gallardo on the other hand has never done anything to distract himself from contributing on the field. Sure, there was that freak injury in 2008 where he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season. But he rehabbed and started Game 1 against the Phillies in the NLDS that fall, and in the Spring of 2009 he put aside his National pride to compete with the Mexican Team in the World Baseball Classic to focus on being ready for the 2009 season with the Brewers. The man ditched his country for his team! T-E-A-M. That is what is important. So even if "Muggsy" Greinke may have the better numbers this year and be the #1 starter, he's really only a 2 year rental. Gallardo is our guy. We drafted and developed him, and signed him to a longterm contract that will keep him in a Brewers uniform long after "King Zack" Greinke is committed to a mental hospital. Gallardo is my ace and in a weird way I'm glad that he and not Greinke is getting the start Opening Day on March 31st when the Brewers play the Reds in Cincinnati. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Jonathon Lucroy (8 of 25)

There is a slight delay getting this entry for Brewers catcher Jonathon Lucroy posted today. That's because I feel like I'm Bill Fucking Murray (and I know that isn't his middle name) in Groundhog Day because I've already written this article. But somehow, right as I was putting the final touches on it, I highlighted it and deleted all of the text in here. Since Blogger autosaves this shit every few seconds, it saved the draft of nothing versus the 2 hours of work that I already put into this. What I had already written about Lucroy was well thought out, inspirational, had plenty of anecdotes and factual data to support my claims and it was devoid of most humor. That is because the catching position is no joke. I'd rewrite that article but I can't anymore because I'm drunk now. And I'm I'm pissed off. So what you are going to get is me trying to retell that story through blurry angry eyes, so strap on your pads, grab your mask and glove, and get behind the plate because I'm going to throw you some fastballs and the occasional curveball in the dirt.

The main reason that I like Jonathon Lucroy is because I like them young. Not like illegal or anything. I'm no pedophile and you don't have to alert Chris Hansen of Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" and have them arrest me at some strangers house and seize my hard drive. You might have to alert Dutch, Dillon and Blain if Rickie Weeks starts wandering around the Central American jungles, but that's a completely different version of "To Catch a Predator." I wasn't exactly a ladies man in junior high or highschool, which may be one of the reasons I like people of a certain age. For some reason that even a psychiatrist probably can't even explain I tend to hang out with people a whole lot younger than me and I suppose I'm attracted to that demographic as well. But before you go locking up your daughters so I can't ruin their lives like I ruined mine, just know that I'm all talk and no action, which is why I will die alone in 10 years instead of living until I'm in my 90's surrounded by children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and my loving wife. But this isn't about how sad and pathetic my so called "Living the Dream" life is, this is about Jonathon Lucroy, who I may or may not be attracted to.

The catching position is the most important one on the field because he is similar to the quarterback in football - he calls the plays, sets up the players on the field and he controls the pace of the game. The catcher never gets any credit for what they do. If a pitcher does well he gets the recognition, but if he does poorly he often gets blamed as well. Some of that responsibility should fall on the catcher's shoulders as well. And Lucroy has the responsibility of turning around a pitching staff that has been ranked at the bottom of the league for the past 2 seasons. But he is going to get some help. A lot of help. New additions like Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Takashi Saito plus returning pitchers like Gallardo, Narveson and Axford that have another year of experience should make his job a little easier. But it still is a monumental task to be a catcher. It's a lot more than catching the ball and throwing it back to the pitcher. Hell Rube Baker in Major League II couldn't even do that shit. So what kind of shit does Lucroy need to do besides squatting behind the plate? Let me try to tell you without boring you to death.

Think of all the things that a catcher needs to know. First off they need to know everything about their own pitchers. How hard they throw, what their command is like, how many innings can they pitch before they start to tire, where they like to throw the ball, how quick is their delivery to the mound when there is a runner on base, how they like to pitch a certain player, how they are in day games versus night games and home games versus away games, how much experience do they have in pressure situations and countless others that I could list if I didn't have to get up and mix another drink. So once that he has scouted all of his own players, he then needs to learn about the opposing batters so that he knows what pitches to call in every situation that could occur. Does a player constantly swing at a high fastball like Prince Fielder? Or do they flail at a slider low and away like Corey Hart does? Lucroy needs to know these things about players. And before I put all of this pressure on the catcher, the pitchers should know these things as well so that either players aren't all alone on their respective islands (the pitching mound and home plate). That is a whole lot of knowledge to acquire and tons of studying, reading reports and watching video. I went to college for 7 years and put all that learning shit behind me when I got my diploma in the mail (I didn't show up to my Graduation Ceremony, or else I would have said when my diploma was handed to me on stage) so I can't imagine what they go through. But if your job depended on knowing stuff like that, then I guess I could study too. Especially if $400,000 - $15 million annual salary was on the line based on my performance. Then I would study my ass off.

And that's paragraph was only about calling the game and it was abbreviated at that. A catcher also has to worry about his offense and defense. When it comes to catching, there are few of them who are offensive studs, so bare minimum a catcher needs to have good defense and be able to block a ball in the dirt. A strong accurate arm and the ability to throw a runner out trying to steal a base is a plus as well. And then anything they bring to the plate offensively is bonus. That is why a catcher usually hits in the #7 or #8 spot in the lineup in front of the pitcher. Sure there are exceptions but for every Joe Mauer, Buster Posey and Brian McCann you have a George Kottaras, Jorge Posada and Kurt Suzuki. But when I was looking over 2010 catcher stats, I noticed that there weren't too many catchers who were absolutely terrible last year (minimum of 100 games caught) so it looks like the offensive game of the catcher is improving. I know that Lucroy would be the first to tell you that he needs to step up his game because he himself has said that his 2010 stat line is not indicative of his talent: .253 AVG, .300 OBP, 4 HRs and 26 RBIs. But the kid is still young and he still has time to improve at the plate. And speaking of being young, I went back to Center Street Park where I played Cub Scout softball to relive some old memories and talk about Lucroy:



Jonathon Lucroy broke the pinky finger on his right hand during blocking drills in the first week of Spring Training and will most likely start the season on the DL. But even though he may not technically be one of the 25 players on the 25 man Opening Day roster, he will be an important part of this team once he is activated. Look for him to catch 4 out of the 5 starters and be the main catcher on this team. And also get ready to love him because he's quite a looker. The next jersey that I'm getting is a Jonathon Lucroy one despite the fact that I still don't own a McGehee or Greinke. Will I look as good as he does? Probably not, but then again I'm used to being really really really ridiculously bad looking. I was an ugly child. I mean when I was born the doctor slapped my Mother! My parent's used to tie a steak around my neck so that the dog would play with me. As a child I was the poster boy for Birth Control!

Hopefully you will have learned a little about the catching position that you may not have known and will never forget. And too bad for you that you also learned a little about my position in life that you didn't know and would like to forget. I could give you a stat line of my life that would show on paper that I am one of the most pathetic people on the planet, but this article isn't about me, it's about Lucroy. Besides no one wants to see that shit anyway. You don't need to see on paper how worthless my life is, you get a good idea of that every day. I certainly do when I look in the mirror. Why just the other day I went to my doctor and I said hey Doc, every morning I wake up, look in the mirror and I wanna throw up. What's wrong with me? And he said I don't know, but your eyesight is perfect. I was a little upset so I went to my psychiatrist and I asked him what was the matter with me. And he says I think you're crazy. So I said Doc if you don't mind I'd like a second opinion. And he says alright, so you're ugly too. That's the story of my life. No Respect. I tell ya I don't get no respect at all.



But I can respect this stat line from Jonathon Lucroy in 2011, even if for Christmas when I got him a BB gun he got me a sweater with a bullseye on the back:

.268 AVG, .320 OBP, 11 HRs, 62 RBIs, 127 games played and respect from the Brewers fans even though they kept the picture of the kid who came with the wallet.

One of the players that will be spending a lot of time with Jonathon Lucroy is newly acquired pitcher Zack Greinke. Like Lucroy he most likely will begin the season on the Disabled List due to a rib fracture and bruising suffered in the beginning of Spring Training playing basketball. Wait, I thought that he was a baseball player? Exactly. So what was he doing playing high impact street ball when he was supposed to be stretching his arm out for the Opening Day start? Only Greinke knows, and he probably won't tell you about it. That's because Greinke doesn't like you and doesn't like talking to people. But that is only scratching the surface of what a complex individual this guy is. I've got plenty to say about him and I'm sure that Cousin Kevin and I can make fun of him for a lot of things he says and does. But is it right to make fun of someone with mental problems? Hell yeah it is, because no one is exempt. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Corey Hart (7 of 25)

Corey Hart burst upon the music scene in 1984 at the age of 22 and took the world by storm with his hit single "Sunglasses at Night." The odd thing was that the song was more popular in the US and climbed higher in the charts there than it did in his native land of Canada. Normally Canadians take care of their own and have a great sense of National pride whenever one of their sons makes it to the big time. Canada has to be proud of something after all, because without Corey Hart, Celine Dion, Rick Moranis and John Candy, Canada is only known as America's hat. Canada is often the subject of folly from Americans who joke about their use of the word eh and their inability to say about (pronounced aboot if you are Canadian.) I for one spent one of the greatest weekends of my life in Windsor, Ontario in my first visit to our neighbors to the North, and I have nothing against Canada. Corey Hart on the other hand owes his post "Sunglasses at Night" career to his homeland because after that iconic hit 80's song he never found that level of success again except in Canada. If you asked me to name another one of his songs I couldn't do it, despite living 1/3 of my life in that decade and being a huge fan of the 1980's. Hell, my two favorite movies are Back to the Future (featuring Canadian Michael J. Fox) and Ghostbusters (featuring Canadian Dan Aykroyd). Let's just say that if I spent more time in the 20tens and now the 20teens worrying about real life things like advancing in my career, getting in shape, falling in love and having babies versus all the time I spend being nostalgic about the 80's, I'd really be living the dream right now. But I sure love me some 80's music. Say what you want, but that's the stuff that really gets me going. And Corey Hart has a part of that I think.

Wait... this isn't about 80's pop star Corey Hart? This is supposed to be about the baseball player Corey Hart who wears his sunglasses in the day time? Ah man. I don't want to talk about Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Corey Hart anymore. At the bottom of the article (and on the right) I have labels than you can click on. Go ahead and click Corey Hart and you will see how much of my life I have wasted writing articles about Corey Hart. For those of you who need The Count from Sesame Street to help you out, let me bring him in for a second to figure this out. 1 article, 2 articles, 3 articles, 4 articles, 5 articles, 6 articles, 7 articles, 8 articles. 8 Corey Hart articles! Ah ha ha ha ha ha! I love counting. So Scott, are we going to meet next Saturday for lunch at Noodles and Company? Sure Count, I'll be there at 1. 1! 1 is a good number! It is the easiest number to count to! So I will see you there at 1, I'm counting on it. Ah ha ha ha ha!

That Count sure is quite a character. But he also points out that I too am quite a character. Who writes 8 articles about a person that they supposedly hate? Maybe I'm just jealous that he has a lot of money and I don't. Maybe I'm pissed off because he proved me wrong last year by having a career season. And maybe I'm just secretly in love with him and I channel my feelings into anger and aggression just like you did in grade school when you were mean to the girl that you had a huge crush on. It's probably all of the above, so he were go with another Corey Hart article.

Prior to the 2010 season Hart won his arbitration case following a piss poor season and was given a $4.8 million dollar salary in 2010. And he earned every cent of that $4.8 million. And a lot of fans jumped right back on his bandwagon as he settled into the #2 spot in the lineup and made the NL All-Star team despite not being in the lineup on Opening Day. The reason why that is a big deal is because the All-Star ballots are based on Opening Day lineups and the listed Brewers outfielders for the fans to vote for were Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez and Jim Edmonds. So Hart made the All-Star team not by the fans vote, but by the voting of his fellow players in Major League Baseball who recognized the fantastic year he was having prior to the All-Star Game. When Hart made the All-Star Team in 2008 as the 25th man as voted upon by the fans, he slipped considerably in the 2nd half of that season, which led to my disdain for Hart as he was completely unreliable as the Brewers made their most important playoff push in 26 years. So I was worried that 2010 would mirror 2008 and once again Corey Hart would let me down and be subject to name calling once again. But in 2010 Corey Hart was no bitch, and he finished the year just as strong as he started it.

I've really exhausted all that I can say about Corey Hart, which is too bad considering that he's going to be around here for a while. In August of this past season, he signed a contract extension that will pay him $8.83 million per year over the next 3 years. Is he worth $8 million a year? That's debatable, but that's the going rate for a corner outfielder who puts up those kind of numbers. Hell, the Washington Nationals gave free agent rightfielder Jayson Werth a 7 year $126 million contract ($18 million a year), and one could argue that Hart puts up very similar numbers. Werth has been more consistent over the past 3 years, but if they end up having the same years (as each other and as they each did in 2010) then Corey Hart's contract will look like a real bargain. I would love nothing more than to see the Corey Hart of 2010 versus the Corey Hart of 2009 playing right field for the Brewers in 2011, but how will that all play out? And what do other people think about Hart? To answer those questions I turned to my good friend and co-worker Mike Wilhelm. He sits in the cube next to me, and when we aren't getting yelled at for talking too much, we are discussing sports. And no player in Wisconsin sports had us debating more than Corey Hart did last year.



Yeah I kind of screwed that one up. Apparently I'm so polarized by Corey Hart even after I've exhausted everything to say that I just keep on talking. I didn't really give Mike a chance to offer much of an opinion, but if you want to have an opinion get your own damn blog my friend! This is my shit! I own this motherfucker! And I guess I'm also not ready to let my love/hate for Corey Hart go, and it really could go any way in 2011. If he has a fantastic season I'll write about how much I hate that I love him, and if he has a terrible season I will write about how much I love to hate him. But for the overall success of this team I do wish that he plays well. Unless I want a player to be cut (like Jeff Suppan) I never wish for one of my players to play poorly. I want nothing more than to see the team win, and it will be easier if Corey Hart puts up numbers like this:

.278 AVG, 26 HRs, 91 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and the subject of many over the cubicle walls debate between Mike and I.

I really hope that Carlos Gomez will produce this year so that he can bat in the #2 spot that Hart occupied most of last year so that Hart can drop down to #6. The top 5 spots in the Brewers lineup ranks in the top 5 in all of baseball but the bottom 4 can sometimes make or break the offensive game on that day. So if Hart can drop down into the lower half and provide some much needed power, speed and RBIs it will help everyone else down there. One player that would definitely benefit from batting with Hart on base would be Brewers catcher Jonathon Lucroy (who will probably bat in the #7 or #8 spot). He was "thrown into the wolves" last year when Zaun went down with a season ending injury. Having to learn the pitching staff and to call games at the major league level while also trying to work on his offense might have been a little daunting for Lucroy, and I for one think he did a hell of a job. He broke his pinky finger on his right hand in the first week of Spring Training and he may start the season on the Disabled List. Although he then wouldn't technically be on the 25 man roster on Opening Day, he's going to be a huge part of the team in 2011 so I'm going to do an article about him anyway. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Carlos Gomez (6 of 25)

Yeah I know that I already used this picture last year when I introduced center fielder Carlos Gomez to Brewers fans in the 2010 edition of "25 in 25." But I had to use it again for a few reasons - that chick is smokin' hot, she wears work gloves and this picture ties more into this year's subject matter than it did last year's. That's because I say that Carlos Gomez is a boob. And not the kind of boob that babies and grown men alike yearn for. Get you head out of the gutter people! Show some class damn it! I do on a daily basis. The least you can do is meet me halfway. I mean boob as in stupid, idiot, dunce, fool, goof, goon, imbecile, dimwit and dumbbell. That's because Carlos Gomez has more raw talent than a mime has invisible rope to hang himself with. He certainly has the potential of a 5 tool player: one who hits for average, power, possesses base running skills and speed, and has plus throwing ability and defense. The only problem is that his career batting average is .246, he has hit only 17 homeruns in the majors, averages 19 stolen bases a year, has inaccurate cannon for an arm and has 4 errors a year. Well 2 out of 5 (base running and defense) ain't bad I suppose. But if he were to just work on his plate discipline and tweak a couple of minor things, there is no reason to believe that with a little work and effort he couldn't acquire the other 3 tools to form a complete set.

And speaking of 3 tools in a set, check out this 3 tittied bitch from Total Recall. Even though I censored this shit a little bit (this is a family site after all) you certainly can relate to the mutant Benny in the movie who wishes that he had three hands. I mean, what good are two hands when you have three things to grab hold of? You don't want one of the objects to go to waste. I'd say that you could call a friend over to offer you a hand, but even then he'd still have a free hand. So either way you're kind of screwed. But one can dream, right? And I'm dreaming by saying that Carlos Gomez can be a fantastic ball player. There's a reason why the New York Mets gave up on him (and traded him to Minnesota in the Johan Santana deal) and that the Minnesota Twins also gave up on him (and traded him to the Brewers in the JJ Hardy deal) and there was a reason that the Brewers gave up on him last season - he can't get on base enough to take advantage of his skills. There is no question that he is an excellent defender (although his throwing accuracy is suspect) and I predict that he will one day win a Gold Glove providing that he plays in 150+ games. And therein lies the problem.

Carlos Gomez is a black hole on offense, which led to him playing in only 97 games with the Brewers last year. Jim Edmonds, Lorenzo Cain and a cast of garbage characters filled in for the other 65 games. And that was because Carlos Gomez had an on base percentage of .298, which is uncalled for, atrocious and unacceptable for a person of his speed. He is so fucking fast that I call him Go-go-go-Gomez and make comparisons to Speedy Gonzalez, which is more a reference to his quickness and not necessarily the fact that they are both of Latin American decent. If he made an effort to hit the ball on the ground instead of the air his in base percentage would rise, which would also lead to more stolen bases, more runs and a higher batting average. Instead he chooses to keep on hitting the ball in the air, and despite popular belief, you can't outrun a pop fly. Hitting coach Dale Sveum is making Gomez his personal project for the 2011 season in attempt to turn his career around. There is still time for this raw talent because at the start of the season, he's still only 26 years old. Up until this point however, Gomez has proven that he is just a giant boob because he neglects to take advantage of his God given talents. Which is why I stood in front of Milwaukee's man made boobs to discuss the future of the Brewers' center fielder.

Although I was a little drunk at the time that I filmed this video, I was still sober enough to make my first bold prediction of the 2011 season: Carlos Gomez will have a breakout year. The biggest reason is that the Brewers simply don't have a replacement at center field after trading Lorenzo Cain to Kansas City in the Zack Greinke deal. All of the other players who could potentially fill the backup outfield spots on the 25 man roster (Mark Kotsay, Brandon Boggs, Chris Dickerson and Jeremy Reed) are projected to be corner outfielders, so that means that Gomez will be given every opportunity to succeed as the every day center fielder. So really the only player that can beat Gomez is Gomez himself. And I believe that manager Ron Roenicke will slot him in the #2 spot in the batting order providing that he gets on base, which will give him plenty of opportunities to steal bases and score a ton of runs. I might be smoking some wicked crack, but if I'm right, Gomez will put up these stats in 2011:

.272 AVG, .313 OBP, 7 HRs, 41 RBIs, 27 stolen bases, 139 games played, golden glove type defense

I may be way off base with Carlos Gomez because I want to see him live up to his potential, and one player that I was way off base with last year was right fielder Corey Hart. It's no secret that I don't really care for him because he burned me in the past. But Corey Hart more than made up for it in 2010 and then some, and signed a 3 year $26.5 million dollar contract that will keep him around through the 2013 season. So even though I may never like him ever again, I do have to learn to deal with his goofy ass. But there may be some room in my heart for uhh... Hart if he continues to put up numbers like he did in 2010 that led to him being the starting right fielder in the 2010 All-Star Game. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Ryan Braun (5 of 25)

I can't help but make fun of Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. He makes it way too damn easy. Sure, he's probably the best player on the team (which is debatable) which should make him exempt from ridicule, but if there is one thing that I have learned in my travels is that no one is exempt. I have personally seen verbal attacks on babies, older people with terminal diseases (why don't you make a wish for better seats) and grown men who could easily defend themselves. It doesn't matter who you are, your age, race, gender, religious beliefs, or any other label your can put on a person - I will make fun of you. I don't know why I do it. Maybe it's because I got made fun of a lot when I was a kid all through high school. Maybe I'm just a big jerk and I have a black heart unable to share love with other people. And maybe I do it to mask my own insecurities. But with Braun I think that I do it simply because he sets himself up too much for me to knock him down. It would be criminal not to take advantage of the situations presented to me by Ryan Braun.

Everybody knows how good at baseball he is. Rookie of the Year in 2007. 3 time All Star. 3 time Silver Slugger award winner (given to the best offensive player at each position). 128 HRs, 420 RBIs, 711 hits and a .307 batting average in his 4 year career. And despite some defensive problems that earned him a position change from 3rd base to left field, he has actually become a fairly good defender in the outfield thanks to his athleticism and powerful arm. So there is really nothing to hate about him, until you consider his off the field activities. Braun is perhaps the most vocal off all the players and constantly mouths off to the media about the lack of a pitching staff, the god damn shadows that prevent him from seeing the ball during day games and any other little thing that bothers him. So I'm going to mouth off about the things that bother me about Ryan Braun.

I don't have to say anything that the pictures in this blog entry don't already say. Ryan Braun looks like a complete douche bag. I don't know whether it is his loud tight t-shirt with multi-colored skulls (which he helped design that come from his clothing line at Remetee that you can buy at the Buckle, the Jersey Shore and the website http://www.remetee.com/) or his $64 dollar gelled up haircut. Or it could be his playboy lifestyle and penthouse apartment. Perhaps it's that he spends more time picking out the appetizers at his restaurant and designing the decor than he spends working on his batting average in day games. Ryan Braun gives us more that enough material for Kevin and I to sit in the left field bleachers and heckle him like those two old bastards in the Muppets. We're pretty loud and obnoxious too so I know that on low attended games Braun can hear every word that we are saying. He probably hates us but I don't give a shit. In essence I pay his salary, and as his boss I have the right to tell him exactly what I think about him. And as you can see from the video below that Kevin and I did, we have more than a few choice words to impart on Mr. Braun for the 2011 season.



But before you go thinking that I hate Ryan Braun it's the complete opposite. Even though I was the man who once shouted out, "Hey Braunie! Next time why don't ya use Google Maps and find a better route!" after he got turned around and totally misplayed a flyball running back towards the wall that ended up falling for a double. But don't misconstrue that as hatred. You know how you mess with your friends and constantly insult them and their mothers? You do it because you love them and you know that they can take it and reply with clever comebacks. And for the most part they know that you aren't serious about it. Now there are always lines that can be crossed, but for the most part I don't think that I cross them on purpose. Now I may make a joke about down syndrome or hanging myself in the presence of someone who was close to that situation (either friend or family) and offend that person, but I don't do it on purpose. Though I probably shouldn't be joking about shit like that anyway because it's no laughing matter. But often I'm quick witted that I just say the first thing that comes in my head instead of thinking about the consequences of my actions. My mouth gets me in a whole lot of trouble, and I guarantee you that many an usher or police officer will tell me to sit down, shut up! and families will move to different sections to get away from us.

But to be quite honest with you I would probably hate everything about him if I wasn't a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. It's like that friend you have that's a complete asshole but you put up with him because he's your asshole. Some things you just learn to deal with. And if Braun is going to put up these kind of numbers I will have no problem dealing with him in 2011:

.313 AVG, 33 HRs, 108 RBIs, 102 runs scored, heavily involved in creating the new Italian dishes and appetizers at Graffito and getting a restraining order against the two lunatics in the left field bleachers who keep harassing him.

So while all of the other Brewers fans may be totally in love with Ryan Braun, there's one player that no one really loves. Centerfielder Carlos Gomez came exactly as advertised - speedy defensive player, a plus arm with no accuracy and poor plate discipline leading to the inability to get on base - so I don't see what everyone is bitching about. And even though 2 teams (the Mets and the Twins) have already given up on him, I'm going to make my first bold prediction for the 2011 season - Carlos Gomez is going to have a breakout year. But what exactly is a breakout year for a player who sports a career .247 AVG with a .293 OBP to go with 17 career HRs and 123 RBIs? I'd tell you right now, but that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Casey McGehee (4 of 25)

3rd baseman Casey McGehee was the 2010 Brewers team MVP as voted by his teammates, the local media and the fans. I'm not sure who actually got the final say to make it official, but everyone here in Milwaukee could agree that he was the best offensive player last year. He did lead the team in RBIs with 104 but Braun (103) and Hart were right there behind him in that category. And although he was 5th in homeruns with 23 and trailed Braun in batting average (.285 versus .304) it was his consistency, hard working attitude, blue collar mentality and lineup position that elevated him to be crowned king of the offensive mountain. The national media focuses more on Braun because he is more flashy, which is easy to do when you're the team mouthpiece wearing sliver glitter dragon t-shirts. And although Braun makes more highlight real plays and hits game winning walkoff homeruns, he had too much of an up and down season to be reliable. In 2010 Casey McGehee was as steady as they came, and he certainly had to be because of the position that he was put in.

It's not easy batting 5th in the lineup when Prince Fielder is in front of you in the cleanup spot. Although Prince had a down year offensively, he still is one of the most feared hitters in all of the National League. Because he has the skill and power to dramatically change an inning by socking balls out of the park, it is very rare that he will get any good pitches to hit. And once Fielder stopped swinging at garbage pitches his walk total and on base percentage increased dramatically. In fact Fielder led the NL with 114 walks, 17 of which were intentional. So that means that they pitched around Fielder to get to McGehee, and more often than not he made them pay for doing so. In my years of watching the Prince Fielder Brewers, I've watched 3 managers struggle to find a good bat for the #5 spot in the lineup, and after watching 2 seasons of Casey McGehee I think it's pretty safe to say that we finally found one.

But things haven't always been so good for McGehee. He spent 5 years in the Cubs minor league system blocked at the major league level by Aramis Ramirez, and was no longer a young prospect at age 26 when the Cubs placed him on waivers. But Doug Melvin saw something he liked and picked him up. And the rest is history. You never heard McGehee complain about playing time in 2009 while he waited for a spot in the batting order and on the field. And at Brewers on Deck prior to the 2010 season when I told him that he should have been NL Rookie of the Year he humbly dismissed that idea, and said that there were other players that were more deserving of the award (he finished 6th). When I told him he was our Rookie of the Year he seemed embarrassed, almost not feeling worthy of the spotlight. Now this was just a small encounter that I had with Casey, but there is just something about the way he goes about his business on and off the field that I highly respect and appreciate. All the intangibles he brings plus his on the field contributions are what solidifies his status as team MVP. So it wouldn't surprise me if McGehee was in the conversation for team MVP again with stats like these:


.279 AVG, 21 HRs, 105 RBIs and perhaps a little more National attention, although Prince Fielder in a contract year and Ryan Braun's clothing line will distract them from seriously appreciating what he does.

Casey McGehee will continue to work hard and produce on the field, so it doesn't matter to me what he does off the field. One player who's off the field interests concern me is Ryan Braun. Between his clothing line, bat company, multiple restaurants, friendship with Aaron Rodgers and him being a normal 27 year old with millions of dollars, I'm worried that it might distract him from what he is really supposed to do - play baseball. But I really shouldn't be concerned considering that in his 4 year career he's averaged .308 at the plate, 32 homeruns, 105 RBIs and 177 hits. But even though he's probably our best all around player, no one is exempt from being made fun of. And that is why Kevin and I sit in the left field bleachers and heckle Ryan Braun. And in tomorrow's video, we give him a taste of what to expect from us in the 2011 season. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Yuniesky Betancourt (3of 25)

I don't have too much to say about new Brewers shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. Usually when I say that, I end up typing a god damn autobiography of the player and lead you through his ascension from childhood into the major leagues. Shit never goes the way I plan here at Pookon's Ill Blog, which is surprising considering that I am the sole contributor, editor in chief and owner as well as the main financial bankroll of this site. So you would think that I would have final say on what goes on here. Unfortunately my friend Ron Diaz and some unnamed fellow from San Juan have the last word when it comes to the content here. Screw em. I'm tired of those Puerto Rican bastards running my life. Cuban born shortstop Betancourt came to the Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade because we were in need of a shortstop after sending them Alcides Escobar. If Escobar were not included in the trade, and if we had another prospect in the minors to play shortstop (remember that we traded JJ Hardy in Winter 2009 giving Escobar the job) Betancourt would not be on our team. So on Opening Day 2011, he will be our shortstop by default. That doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve the job, but let's fact it, there are no better options. So until another shortstop prospect moves up in the minor league system or we resign JJ Hardy when he becomes a free agent after this season, Betancourt is the Milwaukee Brewers shortstop for the foreseeable future.

The other shortstops in the Brewers minor league system are Luis Cruz (who has a shot to make the major league team as a utility infielder), Zealous Wheeler (who has one of the coolest names in the history of baseball) who has yet to play a game above AA and the rest of the players who played shortstop last year are guys that I've never even heard of. While that certainly works out well for Betancourt who has no one in line to take his job, it really doesn't bode well for the organization as a whole and for the future. But as can be seen by the Brewers trading away the future in Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jefress, Jake Ordorizzi and Brett Lawrie, the future isn't as important as the present. So for the present Yuniesky Betancourt is our shortstop. Which is why I identified resigning Craig Counsell as the #2 priority in the offseason behind improving the pitching staff.



All that I'm asking for Betancourt in 2011 is to not be terrible. For what it looks like he's an offense first shortstop and last year with the Kansas City Royals he set career highs in homeruns (16) and RBIs (78). I know that he may be a liability in the field, but as long as he produces more than he hurts the team, then I guess that I will be fine with it. But do we really have any other options? The answer is yes. And that would be veteran utility man, the 41year old Craig Counsell. Now I will talk more about Counsell later in the month, but I do believe that he will see a good amount of playing time at shortstop because his glove has always been better than his bat, whereas Betancourt seems like the exact opposite. But who knows? Betancourt may come out and surprise us by having a career year both at the plate and on the field. That's the beauty of getting players like this because I don't know shit about them. It's going to take a whole year's worth of intense observation before I can form a conclusion on Betancourt's 2011 season. But for the time being I am going to predict this:

.263 AVG, .292 OBP (which is unacceptable), 14 HRs, 78 RBIs, 136 games played, 17 errors

If Betancourt is all about the offense, then what is Casey McGehee all about - mega offense? He is not known for his glove (but then again show me a player on the Brewers who is) but he certainly is no slouch with the bat. If Ty Webb were to tell McGehee not to sell himself short because he is a tremendous slouch, I would tell Ty Webb that he's giving Casey no respect. It's awfully difficult to follow up a very good rookie season with a very impressive 2nd year. A lot of players fall victim to the sophomore slump, but in year #2 with the Brewers McGehee ended up leading the team in RBIs with 104. But will he complete the trifecta of fine seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers? I think he will, but that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Rickie Weeks (2 of 25)

When the Brewers signed the Predator Monster 's little brother 2nd baseman Rickie Weeks (the Predator Monster himself Manny Ramirez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays) to a 4-5 year contract extension, I jumped for joy. And then when I realized that at any moment he could activate his cloaking device, turn invisible and seek and destroy me in the stands if I happened to make an unfavorable comment, I got a little worried. But then my mind was put to ease because I have never said anything negative about Rickie Weeks. The only thing that could be construed as negative was when I worried that he could never stay healthy, as evident by the fact that prior to the 2010 season, the most games he played in a year was 129 in 2008. In 2009 he was crushing the ball, which led him to a stat line of .272 AVG, 9 HRs and 24 RBIs before his season ended in mid May. While the majority of Brewers fans finally got a glimpse of the real Rickie Weeks, I believed that he could do it all along. I've been a big supporter of him since he debuted in 2003 and I was at the game when he hit his 1st major league career homerun off of Johan Santana in 2005. In 2010 when he stayed healthy on the field for an entire year and had what many people consider a "breakout" year, I made some room for all of the new Weeks fans on the bandwagon that I had been driving for the last 5 years.

In 2010 how could you not love Rickie Weeks? He was one of the most productive leadoff hitters in all baseball and posted a stat line of .269 AVG, .366 OBP, 29 HRs, 83 RBIs and 112 runs scored. Sure he still did commit too many errors (3rd most in the National League with 15 behind Dan Uggla's 18 and Skip Schumaker's 16) and had some poor throws turning double plays that don't technically count as errors, but when you have the offensive power that Weeks does you take the good with the bad. But Weeks is improving defensively and if you watch as much Brewers baseball as I do (which is impossible, but try to imagine that you could) you can see that he is putting forth the effort to get better. That is the one part of his game that I bet you he would say that he would most like to improve upon. When I met him at Brewers on Deck 2011 I was all giggly to be standing next to him. He's only like 5'10" on a good day, but he's fucking ripped. It's hard to see it in jeans and the loose jersey, but I could tell by his handshake that he could probably kill me if he wanted to. That and the dreadlocks, plus his killer instinct on the field are what makes him one of the elite killing machines in all of the universe. Had he gone toe to toe with Arnold in that movie I'm pretty sure that Dutch wouldn't have survived to become Douglas Quaid, Detective John Kimble, Howard Langston or the Governator of California. No one messes with Rickie Weeks and gets away with it.



Now that you got an idea of how big my man-crush is on Rickie, it's no surprise to you that I am predicting this kind of season for Rickie Weeks:

.275 AVG, .358 OBP, 27 HRs, 93 RBIs, 111 runs scored, millions of new fans (we're gonna need a bigger bandwagon) and no fan deaths despite the fact that he is a highly trained assassin.

Yuniesky Betancourt will be working alongside Weeks all season because he is the new starting shortstop and one third of the 4-6-3 and 6-4-3 double play combination on the field. The two most important defensive positions in the infield (in my opinion anyway) are 2nd base and shortstop because they need to work together to determine who will field the ball and who will cover 2nd base when a ball is hit up the middle. It has already been noted that Weeks is no defensive whiz, and Betancourt comes with a pretty poor rap sheet as well, averaging 19.66 errors over the last 6 seasons. Hopefully like Weeks his offense will make up for his poor defensive skills, But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 in 25 - Prince Fielder (1 of 25)

The 2011 edition of Milwaukee Brewers "25 in 25" starts out with the biggest player on the roster - 1st baseman Prince Fielder. And I don't say that just because he is the largest player on the team, I say that because he is the most important player on the offensive side of the ball. But enough about the weight jokes already. I mean just look at him! That picture was taken in the offseason when he visited China as a MLB ambassador to try and spread the love of baseball there or some shit. He's looking rather trim though. He must have been hanging out up in the gym with Fergie just working on his fitness. I'm sure that he just got tired of people giving him a hard time about his body and the fact that he would eventually break down because of his weight. The big reason he's out to prove them wrong is because this is his last year with the Brewers before he hits free agency for the first time. He's looking for that big contract (which some speculate is 7-8 years at $20-25 million a year) and if he is a liability defensively, that limits his suitors to AL teams where he eventually shift to the DH role.

Since there is no way the Brewers can afford to pay one player that amount when the team's payroll is in the $80-90 million range, many people (including me) expected the Brewers to trade him in the offseason less he walk away and we get nothing but 2 compensation draft picks in return. That's because the Brewers needed pitching, and Prince was (pun intended) their biggest trading piece. It's ok that I still use weight jokes because I'm a big guy myself. And much like people of ethic backgrounds can call each other names that are otherwise deemed racial slurs, I can call him fat or big boned. But if he keeps in shape I can't make fun of him anymore, so I guess I have to hit up the gym and stay on pace with him. But I have no motivation to do so. It's not like I have $180 million dollars hanging in the balance. But this isn't about me, it's about Prince Fielder.

So now it's time for everyone to come to the conclusion that Prince will be playing for a different team next season. Unless his price tag drops considerably, we just cannot afford a player of his superstar caliber. But instead of getting upset about it, whining that baseball doesn't have a salary cap and that small market teams can never compete (which is all a bunch of bullshit in my opinion, but that rant is too long for today) let's instead focus on the positive - we have one more year of Prince Fielder to lead what should be one of the top 5 offenses in all of baseball. So I decided to talk about Fielder for "25 in 25" in front of the only venue in this town big enough to hold a talent like his - Miller Park, home to your Milwaukee Brewers.

So that in a nutshell is what I think about Prince Fielder. But like I said in the video, I believe that he will have a good year but not a great year. The pressure of his upcoming free agency and contract will weigh heavily (pun once again intended) on him and he will struggle because of it. But I'm still going to say that Prince will have a better 2011 than 2010 because of the maturity and improvement of the hitters in the lineup surrounding him. So I'm saying that Fielder's 2011 season could look something like this:

.276 batting AVG, .404 OBP, 37 HRs, 105 RBIs, 103 runs scored and once again be able to have fun and do goofy home run celebrations like the "bowling pin explosion" in 2009 now that Ron Roenicke is going to let the players be themselves.

One of the factors in Prince getting over the century mark in RBIs is his good buddy Rickie Weeks having another healthy season. If Rickie can get on base (and he does when he's physically in the lineup) he scores runs because of the characters hitting behind him. Prince Fielder will be a free agent after the 2011 season, but Weeks signed a contract extension that will keep him around for another 4-5 years. Now that Bill Hall is off winning games and hitting Grannies somewhere else, Rickie Weeks is my favorite player on the Brewers. So no one in Milwaukee was happier than I was when I heard he would be sticking around for a while. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

-pookon-

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

Milwaukee Brewers 2011 - 25 Brewers in 25 Days - Season Intro

Hey Brewers fans! You know what time of year it is. The snow is receding, the days are getting longer and baseball is being played down in Florida and Arizona. Spring Training has begun, which means that people like me are counting down the days until the regular season begins. By the time that this article goes live there will be 26 days until March 31, which is Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Reds in Cincinnati. And back by popular demand is my daily blog entries "25 Brewers in 25 Days" that you all loved so much. That's right folks, once again in the 25 days leading up to Opening Day I will be profiling 1 player each day who will be on the opening day roster. There is a bit of turnaround from the Opening Day roster in 2010, but the majority of the players in 2011 are holdovers from last year with the exception of prized pitchers Zack Greinke and Sean Marcum that were acquired in trades. We'll get to that in the coming days but I just wanted to introduce the series as well as bring you my overall predictions plus a brand new feature to 2011's version of "25 in 25."

Since the majority of the players are coming back from last year, I decided to spice this year's "25 in 25" segment up with a daily video blog talking about that day's player. I could toss out random statistics and junk at you, but I'd much rather be random and wing it. You might get some wicked improve and you might get some swearing, but I promise that you will get some of the most passionate Brewers talk that you've ever heard. I love this team. I dream about them. I wake up in the morning and talk Brewers. I have a closet full of their apparel. I have tattoos. I watch every game and listen to every pre and post game show. Hell I even have worked at Miller Park for the last 10 years. Some might call it an obsession, but I call it being a fan. And when you're a fan of something you just want to share your love of that thing with everyone else. And for the next 25 days I will be talking Brewers. Hopefully (hint hint) I will be able to get a couple of you to join me and talk about our 2011 Brewers. Anticipation has never been higher, and I know that you too have Brewers fever. So don't you hide it under a bushel - NO! You gotta let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine all the time.



Predictions for the 2011 season:

• The Brewers will finish with a 91-71 record and win the NL Central Division
• The Reds will finish 2nd, the Cardinals 3rd, Cubs 4th, Astros 5th and Pirates 6th
• The Brewers will set an all-time attendance record
• The Brewers will not lose more than 5 games in a row
  
• Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks and Yovani Gallardo will make the NL All-Star Team (I originally picked Zack Greinke on 3/4/11 then changed it on 3/31/11 because Greinke will miss the first month of the season. Oh yeah, and Gallardo is a better pitcher. Yeah I said it, and I believe it.)
  
• By the end of the season, Sombreros will have taken over the left field bleachers and our numbers will be so big, the Brewers will be forced to recognize us with an official fan club like the Bucket Head Brigade

Check back daily to Pookon's Ill Blog for the next episode of 25 Brewers in 25 Days. Tomorrow I will be profiling the big man himself (who actually isn't that big anymore): Prince Fielder. Despite everyone and his Mom thinking he was going to be traded if we were going to get quality pitching in return, he's still here to lead the 2011 offense. But that my friends, is a topic that will be covered tomorrow. Roll out the Barrel! We'll have a Barrel of Fun!

- pookon -

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