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	<title>WiscoSportsTalk &#124; Wisconsin&#039;s Die-Hard Sports Fan Community &#187; Writers</title>
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	<itunes:summary>Wisconsin&#039;s Die-Hard Sports Fan Community</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>WiscoSportsTalk | Wisconsin&#039;s Die-Hard Sports Fan Community</itunes:author>
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		<title>Brewers can turn corner on this roadtrip</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/04/12/brewers-can-turn-corner-on-this-roadtrip/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/04/12/brewers-can-turn-corner-on-this-roadtrip/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:25:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Casey McGehee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Milwaukee Brewers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prince Fielder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan Braun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yovani Gallardo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zack Greinke]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[After a slow start, the Brewers have won 5 of 6 and on a road trip which includes Pitt and DC, wins could come in bunches for the Crew.]]></description>
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<p>About the time the Brewers started the season 0-4 many of the naysayers  or &#8220;nonbelievers&#8221; out there figured they could cash out on the season  after just five days.</p>
<p>Well, the Reds did win the NL Central last season and are a damn good  team, so those of us that know baseball and know you can&#8217;t get too up or  down hung around for a full week of baseball and now have a 5-5 team on  our hands with things looking to get better on this nine-game road trip  to the East coast.</p>
<p>The Brewers showed what they were made of coming back to Miller Park and  going 5-2 against the Braves and Cubs. Now it&#8217;s time for the Pirates  and Nationals before heading to Philly to trade body blows with the  Phillies.<br />
What the Brewers showed during the homestand was what most people that  know the team figured they&#8217;d show.</p>
<p>Yovanni Gallardo was great in getting  the first win of the season and so-so Sunday as Casey McGehee belted a  home run in the eighth to down the Cubs. Shaun Marcum showed improvement  and should keep getting better when the rain ends and he takes the hill  Wednesday in Pittsburgh. And let&#8217;s not forget Chris Narveson who could  show he belongs with the Zack Greinke&#8217;s, Gallardo&#8217;s and Marcum&#8217;s with  his not allowing a run in 13 innings thus far without allowing a run.  And that&#8217;s just the starting pitching.</p>
<p>Prince finally hit a homer, Ryan Braun is hitting the long ball and in  bunches and for the first time I can remember both seem to be absolutely  hot at the plate right now. With both of them grooving together, the  Brewers are almost untouchable. Yes, they need guys on in front of them  and with Rickie Weeks off to the start he is off to and either Nyjer  Morgan or Carlos Gomez doing just enough in the No. 2 slot, runners were  finally on when they went yard over the weekend against the Cubs and it  paid off.</p>
<p>During the homestand, the Brewers played the type of baseball most of us  expected them to play. Well, everyone but Randy Wolf, but let&#8217;s not get  too greedy here, people. And to think they will be getting Jonathan  Lucroy back tomorrow night and Manny Parra and LaTroy Hawkins should be  joining the team in the coming days in the bullpen. Then, attention can  turn to the &#8220;Big Two&#8221; on the DL in Corey Hart and Zack Greinke who are  both at least two weeks away from returning to the big league club.</p>
<p>Until then, getting to maybe a couple games above .500 would be where to  expect this team to be and put themselves in a spot to rattle off some  wins and make the move they have to in order to challenge the Reds for  the division. At least, that&#8217;s what I see them being capable of.</p>
<p>For those that had written them off after four games, fans like that  aren&#8217;t really fans at all. They look for a reason and an excuse to jump  ship and just seem way too negative. Will the Brewers lose four games in  a row again this season? Probably. But they&#8217;ll also win four games in a  row a couple times, too, so you&#8217;re not supposed to get too high or low.</p>
<p>This team now is pretty good and when the pieces all return, will be one  of the top teams in the NL both offensively and with pitching.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/04/brewers-can-turn-corner-on-this.html">This post appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read the rest of this post, which includes a look at Edge&#8217;s retirement from WWE and Jordana Brewster on the cover of Maxim, be sure to check out Wilber&#8217;s Way.</a></p>

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		<title>Don&#8217;t Drank And Drive: Johnny Jolly Arrested Again</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/28/dont-drank-and-drive-johnny-jolly-arrested-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/28/dont-drank-and-drive-johnny-jolly-arrested-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:24:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Zach</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Packers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zach Rapport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cullen Jenkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Bay Packers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Johnny Jolly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike McCarthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ted Thompson]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Frustrating news for Packer Fans today as embattled defensive linemen Johnny Jolly was arrested again on drug charges. ]]></description>
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<p>Frustrating news for Packer Fans today as embattled defensive linemen  Johnny Jolly was arrested again on drug charges. Jolly, a 6th round pick  by Green Bay in the &#8217;06 draft, was still serving a one year suspension  handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for similar charges dating  back to a 2008 arrest.</p>
<p>The Packers, known as a &#8220;high-character  organization,&#8221; had taken a risk in remaining in contact with Jolly  during his suspension. Green Bay GM Ted Thompson had hoped to keep the  star lineman out of trouble, and aid in a smooth transition back into  the Pack&#8217;s roster.</p>
<p>This likely spells the end of Jolly&#8217;s tenure  as a Packer. It will also likely put the Packers in a tough spot on the  defensive line, where they are also expected to lose stellar DE Cullen  Jenkins to free agency.</p>
<p>Johnny Jolly, 28, played in 48 games at DE  for Green Bay, amassing 113 total tackles and 77 solo tackles.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This story appears in partnership with <a href="http://www.dailydopesheet.blogspot.com" target="_blank">The Daily Dope Sheet!</a></p>

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		<title>Race to fill Brewers No. 5 spot clear as mud</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/15/race-to-fill-brewers-no-5-spot-clear-as-mud/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/15/race-to-fill-brewers-no-5-spot-clear-as-mud/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:44:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marco Rivera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ron Roenicke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wilber's Way]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wily Peralta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zack Greinke]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/?p=2085</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the word last week that Zack Greinke was going to miss his first three starts of the regular season with that cracked rib, speculation then turned to who will man the No. 5 starter role with everyone else sliding up in the rotation for the first two weeks of the season? Today, that question got answered... Sort of.]]></description>
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<p>Sorry for being away over the last week or so. I don&#8217;t get too worked up  over Spring Training over positive things or negative showings,  especially with guys that have been in the league for a bit. I suggest  you do the same.<br />
With the word last week that Zack Greinke was going to miss his first  three starts of the regular season with that cracked rib, speculation  then turned to who will man the No. 5 starter role with everyone else  sliding up in the rotation for the first two weeks of the season? Today,  that question got answered&#8230; Sort of.<br />
We know the first of those three starts will not go to Mark Rogers. The  reason? His injury set him behind most of the other pitchers who are  starters and he is only able to go one inning while everyone else in the  running is up to a full five innings at this point.<br />
So who&#8217;s left? Glad you asked. There are a couple familiar names and one  we&#8217;ll all have to learn. The man that now seems to be the front runner  to be picked by Ron Roenicke is <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?roster_year=2011&amp;player_id=503449&amp;c_id=mil#sectionType=career&amp;statType=2&amp;season=&amp;gameType=%27R%27">Wily Peralta</a>, <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110315&amp;content_id=16964286&amp;notebook_id=16970434&amp;vkey=notebook_mil&amp;c_id=mil&amp;partnerId=rss_mlb">as Brewers.com&#8217;s Adam McCalvy reports</a>.  Peralta&#8217;s Spring stats are nothing to get real excited about, but he&#8217;s a  right-hander and has pitched the most innings and could be the most  ready when the season starts in 15 days.<br />
The candidate known by the team and fans is <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?roster_year=2011&amp;player_id=462136&amp;c_id=mil#sectionType=career&amp;statType=2&amp;season=&amp;gameType=%27R%27">Marco Rivera</a>.  Of course, it&#8217;s hard to forget his &#8220;questionable&#8221; injury he suffered  last season before the Brewers tried sending him back down to Nashville.  His stats last year weren&#8217;t much to desire, but he was serviceable and  did deliver some solid innings. In relief, he wasn&#8217;t that great there.<br />
Fellow rookie <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?roster_year=2011&amp;player_id=448842&amp;c_id=mil#sectionType=career&amp;statType=2&amp;season=&amp;gameType=%27R%27">Eulogio De La Cruz</a> is the third arm in the mix and he is probably on the outside right now  because, as his stats show, he is not Major League material just yet.<br />
These guys will not be asked to go nine innings. The bullpen will be on  call after the third inning when the winner of this battle starts a  game, so no need to put too much into how good these guys will do going  deep into a game. Plus, guys like Manny Parra and Kameron Loe add  long-relief options in the pen that could bridge the gap to the back end  of the pen to close those games.<br />
That said, to me, it seems it&#8217;s between Peralta and Rivera at the moment  to earn the job. Of course one may get the first one and the other may  be the second and will be sent back down to Nashville following their  game. That will bring a fresh arm back to the bullpen. I&#8217;m not decided  on either guy and will have to take another week to let this thing sort  itself out.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/03/race-to-fill-brewers-fifth-starter-post.html">This post appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read the rest of this post and see more opinions from Aaron, be sure to check out Wilber&#8217;s Way, here!</a></p>

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		<title>Roenicke makes starting rotation official for Opening Day</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/10/roenicke-makes-starting-rotation-official-for-opening-day/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/10/roenicke-makes-starting-rotation-official-for-opening-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:17:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Brewers manager Ron Roenicke made the least shocking of official news today, naming Yovani Gallardo as the Opening Day starter on March 31 against the Reds.]]></description>
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<p>Brewers manager Ron Roenicke made the least shocking of official news  today, naming Yovani Gallardo as the Opening Day starter on March 31  against the Reds. It was a move that made the most sense after Zack  Greinke went down with cracked ribs and will miss 2-4 more weeks of the  spring and also what would have been his first three starts of the  regular season.<br />
<a href="http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110310&amp;content_id=16890114&amp;vkey=news_mil&amp;c_id=mil">As Adam McCalvy quoted Roenicke on Brewers.com</a>,  the team didn&#8217;t lose ITS ace, it lost one of its aces and Gallardo is  worthy and willing to step in. Things could also work out where Gallardo  also starts Opening Day at Miller Park on April 4. But, at the moment  that is looking like that start will go to Chris Narveson, who was  tabbed to be the No. 5 starter before the injury.<br />
As <a href="http://www.examiner.com/milwaukee-brewers-in-milwaukee/what-will-starting-rotation-be-for-milwaukee-brewers">I wrote back in January on Examiner.com</a>,  splitting up the lefties would help keep the opposition off balance and  would also split up Greinke and Gallardo. The move to have Gallardo  start Opening Day at Miller Park would set that up down the road when  Greinke returns and also break up Randy Wolf and Narveson.<br />
As <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/117743058.html">Roenicke told Tom Haudricourt this morning</a>,  the Brewers are not too concerned about splitting Wolf and Narveson up  as many would think because &#8220;they are not the same prototype pitcher.&#8221;  That makes sense. Either way, the team will have to decide on who fills  in as the No. 5 starter then on April 5 or 6 against the Braves with a  rotation of Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Wolf, Narveson.<br />
There is a chance Gallardo will start April 4 at Miller Park on regular  rest, but judging by what Roenicke told reporters he thinks Narveson is  up for the home opener, it would seem unlikely he would budge from that  stance unless something changes and Narveson isn&#8217;t ready. The guy won 12  games last year and this would be a be shot of confidence for him to  pitch on a big stage.<br />
Right now that is looking like it is a battle between Mark Rogers, Willy  Peralta and Amaury Rivas. All have question marks, but would just be  spot starters.<br />
There are some already hoping Rogers pitches well and then forces the  Brewers hand to keep him in the rotation. The truth on that matter is,  as was noted this morning by fellow Brewers blogger <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/BrewerNation">Big Rygg at Brewers Nation</a>,  Rogers has Minor League options and would no doubt be sent down in  favor of releasing Manny Parra or Narveson regardless of how well he  pitches.<br />
<strong>SHADOW OF DOUBT </strong><br />
Of course, with all of this shuffling going on and things not setting up  exactly how Brewers fans and everyone around MLB pictured the start of  the season, comparisons are already being drawn to the 2010 Seattle  Mariners, who traded for Cliff Lee before last season began.<br />
Lee suffered an injury in March and missed time at the start of the regular season, too. That makes <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/zack-greinke-injury-not-milwaukee-brewers-biggest-issue-030911">Fox Sports&#8217; Ken Rosenthal put some of the pieces together</a> and say the Brewers could be set up for a failure. Rosenthal touches  all the bases in his story though and says there is a big difference in  the Brewers in that they kept their offense in tact while making big  pitching acquisitions. The Mariners certainly did not and could not hit  at all last year. Obviously the Brewers are not perfect, but I&#8217;m feeling  pretty good about the starting rotation once Greinke returns, and the  offense. If the bottom of the order can pull their weight and the  bullpen can hold up their end of the donkey, that would just leave the  defense as an are that needs to perform. All three are concerns from  Rosenthal and rightly so. It&#8217;s one of those things we&#8217;ll have to watch  develop over the course of the season.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/03/roenicke-makes-brewers-starting.html">This post appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read more from Aaron and the rest of this post including Blake Griffin as Mars Blackmon, Pee Wee Herman on Conan and today&#8217;s Nussie Hunter pick of the day, click here!</a></p>

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		<title>Greinke&#8217;s injury latest in bad run from Brewers</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/08/greinkes-injury-latest-in-bad-run-from-brewers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/03/08/greinkes-injury-latest-in-bad-run-from-brewers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:50:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Zack Grinke's fractured rib is the latest in long line of injury news that have darkened the spring at Maryvale Baseball Park.]]></description>
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<p>I was actually planning on writing something today on how injuries have  been the only news coming out of Brewers Spring Training in Maryvale  when I was in my car and heard Zack Greinke would miss 2-4 more weeks  with a fractured rib.<br />
That news, <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/117613788.html">first broke by the Journal-Sentinel&#8217;s Tom Haudricourt</a>,  adds a bit of insult to injury, literally. I know it&#8217;s still early and  the odds all five starters would make it through the entire season  without a minor DL stint from any of them would not happen, but to start  the season with all this drama, puts the team behind the eight ball so  to speak.<br />
Maybe it&#8217;s the fact Greinke was hurt playing in a pickup basketball game  and it has me a bit miffed about the whole ordeal. There&#8217;s nothing  wrong with a guy playing other sports and basketball is a good one to  work on endurance. But how he described his games and someone telling  him he was going to get hurt, is not a good sign.<br />
As <a href="http://www.thebrewersbar.com/2011-articles/march/zack-greinke-to-miss-opening-day.html">Jaymes Langrehr wrote over on his The Brewers Bar blog</a>,  this isn&#8217;t something to get too worked up over. I see what he&#8217;s saying.  He&#8217;s not missing the season or an extended period of time. That could  be true if this doesn&#8217;t linger around. The team and the training staff  knew of the injury and let him play with it. His control in his two  spring starts were far from Greinke&#8217;s norm. We at least have that in  hindsight. But he cannot rush back and has to heed the advice from the  doctors at all turns to tread lightly. For the first time in his career  he is playing on a team with extremely high expectations. He has made it  clear he is a firey competitor and wants to be a part of things. But  those expectations are nothing without him. At least, they&#8217;re not as  high without him. He is the Ace of Spades so to speak and will lead the  staff when he gets healthy.<br />
As I said, I was planning on writing an injury post today before this  news came out and the biggest news after Greinke is Corey Hart. <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/117499463.html">He can&#8217;t even turn when fielding balls in the outfield</a>,  so it&#8217;s time to keep him shut down for a while. I&#8217;m not worried about  him so much as Greinke. Yes, he needs at bats, but he doesn&#8217;t need  extended time to build himself up to get his timing down at the plate.  He can get 10 at-bats in a day on the Minor League side of the Spring  Training complex in Maryvale and be fine. He is still on track to start  Opening Day in Cincy.<br />
With Mark Rogers, one of the likely candidates to make fill-in  appearances in Greinke&#8217;s absence at the start of the season also shut  down with an injury, the pieces are already falling out of place for the  Brewers. At this point they are nothing too serious and can be overcome  before the season starts, it&#8217;s just hard to build back up and get ready  once the season starts. Games are every day and this team will be in a  race throughout the season, unable to afford throwing a few games by the  wayside while multiple stars are healing. That&#8217;s how seasons get lost.<br />
Am I worried yet? No. I am concerned. News other than that of injuries  is welcome. There is some I&#8217;m seeing, but the biggest has been the  injuries. Hopefully things will start to work themselves out over the  next three and a half weeks.</p>
<p><a title="Wilber's Way" href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/03/greinke-injury-adds-salt-on-brewers.html">This post appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read the rest of this post and get more of Aaron&#8217;s opinions, check out Wilber&#8217;s Way!</a></p>

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		<title>Betancourt doesn&#8217;t have to be great, just good for Brewers</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/28/betancourt-doesnt-have-to-be-great-just-good-for-brewers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/28/betancourt-doesnt-have-to-be-great-just-good-for-brewers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 03:52:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/?p=2055</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yuniesky Betancourt is regarded by some as "the worst baseball player in the galaxy." So how good does he have to be for Brewers fans to be satisfied with him?]]></description>
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<p>There was a lot of talk last week and I had a couple thing going on so I  didn&#8217;t have a chance to get to it, but Yuniesky Betancourt stands to be  at the center of a lot of controversy this season as the new Brewers  starting shortstop. There was plenty written by the two man Brewers beat  writers about him last week. Most of that downplayed his weaknesses  with the <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110225&amp;content_id=16733380&amp;vkey=news_mil&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;c_id=mil">team brass doing a bit of spinning the numbers and trying to sell the acquisition</a> to the fans. Tom <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/116705489.html">Haudricourt&#8217;s piece in the Journal-Sentinel had a different take</a>: He&#8217;s no better than Alcides Escobar.<br />
It was a bit different, but he&#8217;s right. Clearly the two players are at  opposite ends of their careers, so us fans looked at what Escobar did  last year a bit differently than Betancourt&#8217;s season, despite eerily  similar numbers. Here they are, in case you were curious, courtesy of  MLB.com. (<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=435358">Betancourt stats</a> | <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=444876">Escobar stats</a>)<br />
That leads to a key question: How good does Betancourt have to be to satisfy Brewers fans?<br />
To truly answer that question, it is clear he doesn&#8217;t have to lead the  team in home runs. The top five Brewers hitters can jockey for that  honor with the likes of Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart, Ryan Braun, Prince  Fielder and Casey McGehee all capable of hitting the long ball. So, that  responsibility is off the board.<br />
He doesn&#8217;t have to lead the team in RBIs. Again, last year four of those  five guys had over 100 RBIs and that one that didn&#8217;t many are expecting  a career year as he nears toward free agency of the biggest payday of  his life.<br />
The answer is a tad complex, but straight forward. He just has to be a  smart player. The team will win in spite of him if he has another season  with a .299 on-base percentage and cannot live with his bevy of errors  in the field. He will hit in the bottom-third of the batting order, but  has been speculated already that he could he sixth. Still, odds are he  will hit seventh or eighth and will need to take pitches in front of the  pitcher and at least pretend like he has a clue. Expecting a drastic  change from his erratic ways either in front of or behind another  free-swinger in Carlos Gomez, may be too much to ask, but like Gomez, he  must take the walks that are out there and not get himself out.<br />
&#8220;Esky&#8221; as some fans in Kansas City called him, does have some pop and  did lead the Royals in RBIs last season. They weren&#8217;t staggering numbers  by any means, but it&#8217;s a start and he is capable of getting the big hit  with runners on base. With manager Ron Roenicke thinking of hitting him  sixth, he&#8217;s looking for a way to give some pop behind McGehee and offer  him some sort of protection. If he&#8217;s hitting .238 that won&#8217;t be much  help at all, but he&#8217;ll surely see pitches that will give him a chance to  drive in runs. Roenicke may be onto something there. It wouldn&#8217;t be  uncalled for to try to give him a shot in the No. 6 slot.<br />
Of course, it could go sour and the worst case scenario is that  Betancourt has to slide down the order to No. 7 or No. 8. Or, as  Roenicke hinted on the first day of camp, No. 9 was he&#8217;s entertained the  idea of hitting the pitcher eighth. He is a career .272 hitter and if  he can have that average, the team will be overjoyed with him. It&#8217;s the  3.4 percent walk rate everyone wants him to improve on. The guy could  get it up to 10 percent, still not good, but better, and those same  people would be overjoyed. It seems that simple.<br />
What about in the field for Betancourt? He had exactly the number of  errors as Escobar last season. As the Brewers brass has said, better  pitching will put fewer balls in play and make guys look like better  fielders. That&#8217;s not a false statement and could help not only  Betancourt, but everyone in the field for the Brewers are are marginal  defenders. But for Betancourt in particular improving just slightly and  not throwing the ball away, or throwing it at all for that matter, on  close plays is what he needs to strive for.<br />
Basically, no one is asking Betancourt to be great. Essentially, fans  just don&#8217;t want him to be &#8220;bad.&#8221; Here&#8217;s hoping he can at least pull that  off.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/02/how-good-must-betancourt-be-to-satisfy.html">This post appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read more of Aaron&#8217;s opinions and the rest of this post (Including Mila Kunis from the Oscars) go to Wilber&#8217;s Way!</a></p>

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		<title>Axford leaving entrance song selection up to Brewers fans</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/25/2049/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/25/2049/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:50:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/?p=2049</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[John Axford has narrowed it down to 15 songs and left the rest up to the fans to help him pick the one he will use as early as April 4 at Miller Park.]]></description>
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<p>The opening of the Major League Baseball season is about five weeks  away and Brewers closer John Axford has yet to choose his entrance music  for the ninth inning at Miller Park.</p>
<p>Well, to be clear, he has  narrowed it down to 15 songs and left the rest up to the fans to help  him pick the one he will use as early as April 4 at Miller Park.</p>
<p>He made the announcement on his <a href="http://www.twitter.com/johnaxford">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/johnaxford">Facebook</a> pages and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/JohnAxford?v=app_20678178440">posted a poll</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/JohnAxford/posts/196145303737432">equipped with links to all 15 songs on his Facebook page</a>. Be sure to check out all 15 of the choices and vote for yourself. This is a full democracy!</p>
<p>I  went through all 15 songs and tried to imagine them raining over Miller  Park for the ninth inning with the game on the line and came down to my  Top 5. I weighed song title and open of the song as to how it would be  received by the fans when the mustached man makes his entrance from the  bullpen. I&#8217;ll start you down from No. 5 to the one I voted for.</p>
<p>5. Rush &#8220;Working Man&#8221; The title says it all and I like the guitar riff at the start. Rush is always a good choice.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/8Ygn6h">Rush \&#8221;Working Man\&#8221;</a></p>
<p>4. Audioslave &#8220;Cochise&#8221; This one starts out so strong and would be an  absolute banger at the Cathedral. Pretty badass for a closer because of  how it builds up to the open. This was actually what he came into last season. So, now the question is, do we want a change?</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/9OlRaN">Audioslave \&#8221;Cochise\&#8221;</a></p>
<p>3. Omen &#8220;The Axeman&#8221; Umm, doesn&#8217;t the title say enough? He IS the Axeman. I wouldn&#8217;t be upset if this won.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/hJGzbh">Omen \&#8221;The Axeman\&#8221;</a></p>
<p>2. Metallica &#8220;For Whom the Bell Tolls&#8221; Pretty sure this is  an obvious choice given what Trevor meant to the development to John  last year when he took over the roll. The only thing I could see against  this would be that he wouldn&#8217;t want to ride Trevor&#8217;s coat tails and  would want to move on to something fresh.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/RYEYS">Metallica \&#8221;For Whom the Bell Tolls\&#8221;</a></p>
<p>**My Pick**</p>
<p>1. Linkin Park &#8220;No More Sorrow&#8221; I love the buildup  this song has and can totally see John trotting in from the pen and the  place absolutely going nuts. And of course, he has no sorrow for those  left in his path in earning save after save as the team rolls.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/UOQYq">Linkin Park \&#8221;No More Sorrow\&#8221;</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/02/axford-opens-selection-of-entrance.html">This post appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To see the rest of this post and see more of Aaron&#8217;s opinions, check out Wilber&#8217;s Way!</a></p>
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		<title>Greinke&#8217;s comments nothing for Brewers fans to get excited about</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/25/greinkes-comments-nothing-for-brewers-fans-to-get-excited-about/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/25/greinkes-comments-nothing-for-brewers-fans-to-get-excited-about/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:38:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[There has been a lot of talk circulating on Twitter and the blogosphere expressing concern with Zack Greinke's comments to the beat reporters Tuesday.]]></description>
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<p>There has been a lot of talk circulating on Twitter and the blogosphere  expressing concern with Zack Greinke&#8217;s comments to the beat reporters  Tuesday.<br />
Here&#8217;s a link to <a href="http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110222&amp;content_id=16703444&amp;vkey=news_mil&amp;c_id=mil">Adam McCalvy&#8217;s story on Brewers.com</a> that was up late Tuesday. Over on the J-S side of it all, Tom Haudricourt gave way to <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/116707264.html">Michael Hunt to do more of a column on the sitdown</a> with the 2009 Cy Young winner.<br />
Both also came back yesterday with reactionary stories on the interview. MLB.com got McCalvy&#8217;s story saying manager <a href="http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110223&amp;content_id=16712798&amp;notebook_id=16716040&amp;vkey=notebook_mil&amp;c_id=mil">Ron Roenicke is a fan of Greinke </a>and Hunt had another column today, as well, saying you make special exceptions for the exceptional talent and that <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/116781888.html">Doug Melvin knew what he was getting into</a> by trading for Greinke.<br />
He said some pretty powerful things in those pieces and was brutally  honest, which I love and respect. It&#8217;s something you don&#8217;t hear from  Major League players anymore because they expect to have their words  ripped apart (kind of like what we&#8217;re doing now).<br />
He said he finds fans annoying and that media is a bit annoying. Should I  have a problem with that? I&#8217;d guess most fans are annoying. That&#8217;s why  if I see a guy or player out about the town I question whether I should  say anything to him. Yes, it would be cool to say hi, but he hears that  all the time and doesn&#8217;t want to be bothered. Plus, some fans are  downright annoying when trying to get autographs.<br />
And media, outside of maybe the beat guys you see everyday at the  ballpark from mid February through September and hopefully into October,  could be annoying. The beat guys can build a friendship with the  players and have some repore established. I&#8217;d guess he&#8217;s talking about  the national guys who come to town and try to get something quick out of  guys and then bolt. Those guys, unless they&#8217;ve been around for a while,  aren&#8217;t well known and don&#8217;t have those relationships established. I  don&#8217;t have any problems with these.<br />
The other comments he made, to me show off his work ethic and gives you a  clue what baseball means to him. He would rather the game be played  without money involved like it is today. He&#8217;s prefer to make what a  &#8220;normal&#8221; person makes to play the game. He said he hates the  distractions and just comes to work everyday, whether it&#8217;s his day to  pitch or a day in between where he has to do prep.<br />
I can respect that. Yes, I&#8217;m giving him a slight pass because of his  social anxiety disorder, but once the season starts he&#8217;s got blinders on  and is focusing on working. In a way, I wish more players had that  focus. I&#8217;d probably be surprised how many guys come to the stadium drunk  or high on a given day.<br />
The other part that raised eyebrows was him saying in Kansas City last  year there were times he started to &#8220;dog it&#8221; at the end of the season.  Some people were shocked by this. Come on now. Tell me if the team was  losing game after game you wouldn&#8217;t start to think the same thing. Of  course he was working hard, but not to the extent or level he had for  himself in the second half of the season. There&#8217;s been times at past  jobs where I&#8217;ve busted my tail and seen others there do much less and  still get their check. It makes you question why you work so hard and I  totally understand it.<br />
The best way for the Brewers to make sure he doesn&#8217;t cash it in before  they&#8217;re eliminated from contention is by winning and with the team they  have assembled, I don&#8217;t think that should be a problem this year.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/02/track-record-shows-zack-greinke-is-not.html">This post appears in partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read the rest of this post, and read more of Aaron&#8217;s thoughts, check out Wilber&#8217;s Way!</a></p>

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		<title>Trade Deadline Passes with Bucks Staying Firm</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/24/trade-deadline-passes-with-bucks-staying-firm/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/24/trade-deadline-passes-with-bucks-staying-firm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:01:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Denman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bucks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Dennis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew Bogut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brandon Jennings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carmelo Anthony]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deron Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff Green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Hammond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kendrick Perkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Milwaukee Bucks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA trade deadline]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA trade rumors]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Milwaukee Bucks stayed firm at the NBA trade deadline when it seemed they were in dire need of a change.  What does this have to say about the roster constructed by last season's Executive of the Year, John Hammond?  ]]></description>
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<p>The three o&#8217;clock pm (CST) NBA trade deadline passed an hour ago with the Bucks never even being mentioned in one trade rumor.</p>
<p>For most Bucks fans this should come as no surprise being that GM John Hammond said a deal was unlikely and their lack of usable trade assets.</p>
<p>The Bucks are certainly in no position to package a 1st round pick with any player currently on the roster in an attempt at a buy-now move with the recent surge of star power into the Eastern Conference.  Trading Jennings or Bogut would also be a risky move since both of their trade value&#8217;s around the league are at a very low point and Hammond has seemed to put all his eggs in their basket.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City was a trade partner I alluded to in an article last week that was rumored to have interest in interior help and they received it this afternoon in the form of Kendrick Perkins ( they also received PG Nate Robinson).  However,  The Thunder were clear about their unwillingness to trade C/PF Serge Ibaka and instead just parted with 24 year old PF Jeff Green and veteran back-up C Nenad Kristic.</p>
<p>I am glad the Bucks stayed away from any low ball offers such as this one but one has to wonder what is John Hammond&#8217;s plan?</p>
<p>Many were at least looking for Hammond to correct some of the financial mistakes he made during the off-season by clearing one or more of the Gooden/Maggette/Salmons contracts.</p>
<p>Hammond seems to still be stuck on the notion that this team can compete at a high level if they avoid injury.  That train of thought was questionable at best before the deadline deals that brought Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams to the Eastern Conference.  Following these trades and upward building likely to come for all of the East&#8217;s top-teams; The Bucks&#8217; ceiling and potential as a contender are becoming lower and smaller by the day.</p>
<p>Bucks fans are left telling themselves that any favorable opportunity&#8217;s for the Bucks to clear salary or add young talent of any kind couldn&#8217;t have presented themselves.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the likely scenario is exactly what we all feared heading into the trade deadline.  That the Bucks are stuck with no real trade assets to acquire young pieces or clear salary.  That is the only explainable scenario because the NBA trade deadline is the perfect time for losing teams to unload large contracts off on contending teams that are looking for someone to push them towards a play-off run.</p>
<p>Obviously no team felt that the players on the Bucks&#8217; current roster are worth the contracts they would have to absorb for their services.</p>
<p>John Hammond has used the off-season to make large contracts disappear in the past (see Richard Jefferson and Bobby Simmons), so today&#8217;s deadline won&#8217;t be their last opportunity to do so.</p>
<p>The problem is not only are the Bucks not good enough to compete for a relevant play-off position (or any play-off position for that matter) but they don&#8217;t appear to be bad enough to sneak into a top 5 pick and a difference maker in this summer&#8217;s draft.</p>
<p>Middling is not a position any team, in any sport wants to be in.</p>
<p>John Hammond will appear on <a href="http://www.sportsradio1250.com/" target="_blank">Sports Radio 1250&#8242;s</a> Pro Hoops Show this evening at 6 pm and hopefully will explain his thought process going into the trade deadline and his plan for the future.</p>
<p>Other News:</p>
<p>- Michael Redd Joined his teammates as a partial participant in practice on Monday and the timaetable for his return is unknown at this point</p>
<p>- Rookie PF Larry Sanders was assigned to the Milwaukee Bucks&#8217; D League affiliate Fort Wayne Mad Ants this week to receive more court time.</p>

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		<title>Was this the best offseason in Brewers history?</title>
		<link>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/18/was-this-the-best-offseason-in-brewers-history/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wiscosportstalk.com/2011/02/18/was-this-the-best-offseason-in-brewers-history/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:06:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>acwilber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Aaron Wilberding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brewers]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I'm not sure any person in the fanbase felt the team would appear to be this good on paper with the season six weeks from starting. That begs me to ask the question is this the greatest offseason in Brewers history?]]></description>
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<p>Today was the second day of workouts at Brewers Spring Training at  Maryvale Baseball Park, leaving me little time to reflect on the  offseason that was for Principal Owner Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin and  the Brewers going into the 2011 season. I&#8217;m not sure any person in the  fanbase felt the team would appear to be this good on paper with the  season six weeks from starting. That begs me to ask the question is this  the greatest offseason in Brewers history?<br />
After <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mil/history/timeline.jsp">doing a little bit of research</a> and pondering my media guides accumulated over the last few years, only  the offseason leading up to the 1981 season seems to compare. That  winter General Manager Harry Dalton went to the Winter Meetings looking  to improve the team and did he ever. When it was all said and done, he  had acquired Ted Simons, Pete Vukovich and Rollie Fingers. All three  were vital parts of the Brewers winning the second half of the 1981 AL  East and making the playoffs and winning the AL Pennant in 1982. All  three are all also part of Brewers lore as some of the greatest of all  time and Rollie has his number retired by the team. I&#8217;d say that&#8217;s  pretty good.<br />
This offseason Melvin went out and got the 2009 AL Cy Young winner in  Zack Greinke and another ace in Shaun Marcum to add to his rotation.  Those moves alone were great for a team that badly needed pitching and  addressed the failed moves made by Melvin the last two years with  signings of Braden Looper and Doug Davis that were thought to address  needs, but were more reaches and temporary stop gap moves just to fill  out the rotation.<br />
Throw in the way Melvin made both trades to bring Opening Day starters  in from last season, keeping Prince Fielder in town, and it&#8217;s the best  move he didn&#8217;t make. That alone keeps the offense on the same path from  the last few seasons with pitchers having to get through a pretty solid  1-2-3-4-5.<br />
That No. 1 in the order is also part of his great offseason. Signing  Rickie Weeks for this season was not in question. It was whether or not  Weeks was going to be around and the Brewers were in danger of losing  the entire right side of their infield going into next season. Weeks  showed what he could do when healthy and as I said in Wednesday&#8217;s blog,  was great for now and the future as when Prince leaves town he is likely  to slide down in the order to help keep some pop and RBI opportunities  alive.<br />
All of those moves are big, but the biggest move to me could end up  being the hiring of Ron Roenicke as manager of this team. He was the  darkhorse pick and the guy that came out of nowhere, but Wisconsin  sports fans will remember a certain coach of their now Super Bowl  Champion Green Bay Packers was also the darkhorse in that hiring  process, too. The job was supposed to go to Brad Childress. Sure he got  to an NFC Title game before the Packers, but McCarthy is now the one  with the Super Bowl Ring and the trophy to his credit, now.<br />
Roenicke seems to have an idea of what he wants to do with this team and  with the pieces in front of him doesn&#8217;t seem to worried that this team  can&#8217;t do everything he wants to this year. Usually it takes a couple  years. Anyone who knows what they are talking about says a manager and  coach is only as good as the players on the field and if Roenicke keeps  everyone grounded and pulls the right strings with this team, the  Brewers could be great right away for Roenicke.<br />
Add in some minor moves like Melvin keeping Craig Counsell in town for  another year and the signing of Mark Kotsay as a bench utility player  and everything seems to be coming together for this team.<br />
Is it the best offseason EVER for the Brewers? The season will tell us  for sure, but to start, it certainly could be the best since 1981.  Either way it has certainly brought baseball excitement to Milwaukee and  should make for a fun season at Miller Park.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wilbersway.com/2011/02/was-this-best-offseason-in-brewers.html">This blog appears in a partnership with Wilber&#8217;s Way. To read the rest of this post and see more from Aaron, be sure to check it out!</a></p>

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