Jason Kendall: Forgotten Hero

On September 23, 2008 the Brewers hosted the Pirates in a game that marked the beginning of the most exhilarating week of regular season baseball Milwaukee has ever seen. It was a week of walk-off home runs, great pitching, and dominance of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The playoff push is best remembered for Ryan Braun hitting an 8th inning go-ahead home run and CC Sabathia pitching a complete game in the season finale, but the iconic clincher mayn't have been without the unlikely heroics of our favorite light-hitting catcher.

The Brewers led 4-3 going in to the top of the 8th inning. Guillermo Mota started the inning by walking Doug "The Alphabet" Mientkiewicz and subsequently served a homer to Steve Pearce. Trailing 5-4 the Brewers were looking into the abyss of another October free of baseball. After Mota retired the side with no further damage, JJ Hardy led off the bottom half of the frame with a single to center. Corey Hart sacrificed Hardy to second, followed by Bill Hall popping out to first. This brought Jason Kendall, he of the .641 OPS, to the plate.

Jason Kendall inspired me with an irrational sense of confidence. He did not hit for power and he did not hit for average, but he almost always put the ball in play. You had a comforting feeling that there was at least a chance something good would happen. After 26 years of futility, the Brewers were due, right? Facing a 1-2 count Kendall proved that if you flip a coin enough eventually it will land on its side by punching a line drive to right field, just barely out of Steve Pearce's reach. With the game tied at 5-5 the stage was set for a dramatic finish.

After Salomon Torres worked around trouble to pitch a scoreless inning, TJ Beam took the mound for the bottom of the 9th instead of Pirates closer Matt Capps. Beam was a slightly above average pitcher in 2008 (his last in the majors), posting a 4.14 ERA (101 ERA+) in 45.2 innings. However, he was not nearly as effective Capps, who had a 3.02 ERA that season. The difference between marginal major league talent and a reliably effective reliever* became apparent when Prince Fielder blasted a 2-0 offering to deep right-center field, marking the beginning of the end of Milwaukee's playoff drought.

*Capps pitched 8 seasons with a 3.52 ERA in 439.2 innings.

The forgotten heroics of Jason Kendall were especially important to me because when that ball hit the outfield grass I truly believed the Brewers were going to make the playoffs. After being let down for so many years it was a delightful shock to realize that it's not impossible for the Brewers to get a big hit in a playoff race.

Looking back five years after the fact, Kendall's hit is a reminder of how rich baseball memories can be. It never just the home run, it's the good take that leads to the hanging slider. Or in this case, the gritty slap hitter getting a hit while down to his final strike.

Agony is better than apathy

The Brewers have nothing left to play for this season. They will not make the playoffs nor will they finish .500. A win or a loss has very little significance to this team, and yet I found myself, good and bad, hanging on every pitch in the late innings of the games on Friday and Sunday.

Worse than being resigned to losing is being resigned to losing, only to come back and be in prime position to win, and then become re-resigned to losing, and then losing. The 9th and 10th innings of Friday's game illustrate this well-known phenomenon. After Matt Adams hit a no-doubter against Jim Henderson to give the Cardinals a 6-4 lead in the top of the 9th the Brewers battled back and positioned themselves to win against none other than John "It's Amazing How A New Uniform Can Change Your Attitude About A Guy" Axford.* After Aramis Ramirez tied the game on an infield single I was certain Carlos Gomez would end the game, and he would have if it wasn't for that meddling third baseman. The Cardinals wasted little time taking the lead for good in the top of the 10th, and this left me with a delightful feeling of agony.

*I still like the Ax Man, but in this case I was rooting for the granny. 

I enjoy getting emotionally involved in Brewers games, even if that means I'm a sad panda for a an hour or two. The worst feeling is no feeling at all. In this case I was frustrated the Brewers once again let a winnable game against St. Louis slip into the loss column, and I felt a sense of dread knowing the loss made a pennant more likely for the Cardinals. It would have been nice playing a direct role to force them into the Wild Card. That did not happen in heartbreaking fashion, and yet I would still rather ruminate over this bitter ending than not have the Brewers amongst my thoughts.

The good news is my baseball watching on Sunday ended with a hearty pump of the fist. After watching the Packers have their annual early season meltdown* I was relieved to watch Henderson strike out Adams to seal the "W." And yes, I did have visions of a go-ahead three-run homer going through my head before every pitch in that at bat. Fortunately these premonitions did not materialize and I got the feel rare thrill that comes with a win against the Cardinals. 

*McCarthy's teams always seem to blow at least one winnable game early in the season. In 2009 they allowed 21 4th quarter points to the winless Buccaneers and last year they allowed Indianapolis to come back from 21-3 in the second half to steal a victory.

Hanlon's Razor: A Primer

 Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

-Hanlon's Razor

The conventional wisdom is Wily Peralta intentionally hit Justin Morneau as retaliation for Andrew McCutchen (apparently) admiring a home run just a little too much. If years of watching baseball have taught me one thing it's that pitchers do not like being shown up. In all of sports there are few, if any, better ways to demonstrate ownership of another player than hitting a baseball over a fence hundreds of feet away. People don't like being owned, nor do they like said ownership being emphasized. For this reason Peralta beaned Morneau, or so they say.

Human beings frequently do bad things on purpose. More frequently, however, humans make mistakes. These mistakes are often difficult to fathom and usually have negative consequences, so it's easy to assume the agent is acting maliciously. But what if the act is a simple error? In the case of the recent Pirates-Brewers feud, how do we know Peralta tried to hit Morneau? The alleged villain denied intent and it's impossible to know exactly what he was thinking. Fortunately there is evidence to work with, and it suggests Hanlon's Razor was at work.

Wily Peralta has a 4.51 ERA, 1.431 WHIP, and 3.4 BB/9. In other words, he is not Greg Maddux. If it all goes right one day Peralta will be known for his pinpoint control, but that day is not today. (Nor was it Wednesday.) Given our inability to read minds and the evidence at hand, I'm inclined to believe Peralta intended to pitch Morneau up and in, but he missed his spot because he's not very good at locating baseballs. This does not make Peralta stupid, keep in mind incompetence is interchangeable in Hanlon's Razor.

In my experience life is more relaxing when you attribute bad actions to basic human fallibility. This might make you naive and it might cause you to miss out on compelling conspiracy theories, but it saves you a lot of stress in the process. More importantly, you're usually right.

Nice work, Buccos

From 1993-2004 the Brewers and Pirates had one undesirable thing in common: their last winning season was in 1992. That season the Brewers finished four games out of the playoffs while the Bucs finished one out away from the World Series. It was the last hurray of relevance for either franchise, though between Sid Bream and 20 years of futility I think the Brewers' decent into irrelevance was much more palatable.

Putting together 20-consecutive losing seasons is a difficult feat to accomplish. So difficult, in fact, no other team in any major American sport has come close. Even more remarkable are the final two years of the streak. The Pirates were 53-47 at one point in 2011, only to finish with a 72-90 record and the following season they were an impossible-to-screw-up 64-50 on August 12, only to go 15-33 the rest of the way. To be a Pirates fan after last season was to feel total, pure despair; the type of hopelessness Brewers fans can relate to.

In 2005 the Brewers traveled to PNC Park for the final series of the season needing one win to snap a streak of 12-consecutive losing campaigns. The previous year the Brewers entered the All-Star Break with a winning record, only to have one of the most agonizingly awful second halves in the history of MLB. The cruel collapse made a .500 record in Milwaukee seem like an unattainable fantasy of mediocrity, the kind you only start dreaming of when Steve Woodard is the ace of your staff.

Trailing 5-0 headed into the 6th inning of the opener, the Crew reeled off six unanswered runs and held on for a 6-5 victory. Unfortunately a winning season would have to wait as the Bucs won the next two games, holding the Brewers to a feeble two runs the rest of the way. Even so, by finishing 81-81 (with an 84-78 Pythagorean W/L, thank you very much) the future outlook became much brighter. Now that respectability was established the thought of watching a good team became plausible. Baseball fandom is predicated on hope, and finishing .500 provided that.

This all leads me to the Pittsburgh Pirates snapping the season losing streak by beating the Brewers 4-3 tonight. I enjoy watching the Brewers win, and few things have been as enjoyable as watching them own the Pirates from 2007-2012. But taking a larger perspective on things, I also get great satisfaction watching a perennial loser become a contender, with bonus points if they're from a small market. Furthermore, with but a few choice exceptions I feel a sense of relief when another fan base is given a reprieve from the hopelessness Brewers Nation felt for so long.

So to the Pittsburgh Pirates, I tip my cap. Congratulations on the non-losing season and may win #82 be earned on Friday in St. Louis.

Winner's Remorse

The 9th inning of tonight's game was both frustrating and nerve-wracking. Watching Carlos Gomez hit into a double play when a simple bunt would have sufficed was a textbook palm-to-forehead moment. (Is playing for one insurance run too much to ask?) Without the aid of margin for error, Jim Henderson allowed a one-out double to Andrew McCutchen and did not inspire confidence by exhibiting shaky command. Alas, the tying run was kept at bay and the Brewers won 7-6. This resulted in a fist pump from both me and any Cardinals fan following the game; that last part has me feeling a tinge of winner's remorse.

Baseball games are not played in a vacuum, meaning what happens in Pittsburgh can have implications in St. Louis. This is all well and good until the implications are not exactly what you'd like to see. I feel a tinge of guilt knowing I was rooting for a result that helped the most loathed team in the National League extend their lead in the Central to 1.5 games.

The Brewers will not make the playoffs or finish the season .500. Their role for the rest of the season is to play spoiler, and I expect them to play it well. Unfortunately this may help the Cardinals win the division, and I do not fully support this. While I was never rooting for the Pirates, had they prevailed I would have taken comfort in the silver lining. Of course, being a fan means rooting for your team even when it's not totally convenient, or in this case, in opposition to the greater good.

You're not Jewish unless Jeff Passan says you are

Previously on this blog I wrote about focusing exclusively on the positive aspects of baseball. I need to take a quick break from to briefly comment on the most recent column from every Brewer fan's favorite sportswriter, Jeff Passan:

The greatness of Miguel Cabrera will get its due. In five years, or 10, or 25, or 100, when we’ve rid our minds of the telenovela that is Alex Rodriguez’s life and forgotten that Ryan Braun, who wasn’t even raised Jewish, used anti-Semitic charges to smear an innocent man, Cabrera's amazing 2013 season will be appreciated for what it is, which is potentially one of the best hitting seasons ever.

White it's true Ryan Braun does not identify himself as Jewish, (as his mother stated in 2007) Passan is horribly off base in deciding the conditions of ethnicity. The implication that Braun is not Jewish because he was not raised Jewish is not a particularly accurate thought process, and I'm not sure why he or his editor thought it worth the risk to offend readers to take a potshot at Braun. After all, how you identify yourself is, you know, kind of a personal thing. To set forth such criteria as basis for gratuitously expressing your indignation at Braun is just stupid, regardless of how deserving of scorn you think he is.

This also illustrates how the self-righteous, vitriolic rhetoric of some sportswriters following the Biogenesis scandal have made their work unreadable. If Passan, like me, took 30 seconds to research Braun's heritage he would have written something less inflammatory, such as "Ryan Braun, who doesn't even consider himself Jewish." Better yet, he could have written nothing and simply referenced his recently discredited allegations.  But why should somebody concerned with Miguel Cabrera's 2013 season being overshadowed do that?

Are the Brewers a decent team?

Last place teams are usually last place because they're bad at baseball. In some rare cases a team will be in the cellar due to playing in a brutal division or exceptionally bad luck, but even then it's safe to assume you are what your record says you are. That said, I find myself progressively less disheartened by the Brewers' feeble record.

The month of May was one of the worst in franchise history. When the 28-game dumpster fire ended and the smoke cleared, the Brewers had gone 6-22 and were without hope for the playoffs. However, if, like me, you simply pretend May never happened you'll notice the Brewers are 46-45. Granted, the Brewers are also undefeated if you ignore all of their losses, but stick with me here.

Despite injuries and suspensions the Brewers are 7th in the NL in OPS and 4th in homers. Overall their pitching has been surprisingly effecting, collectively posting a 100 OPS+ and shutting out opponents 10 times since June 15. They've also yet to lose a game when leading after 8 innings, which would have been helpful last season.

The Brewers have also benefited from outstanding individual performances. Carlos Gomez leads the NL in WAR (6.2), Jean Segura leads the NL in hits (144), Jonathan Lucroy is a Jedi master at framing pitches and is batting .309/.357/.547 with 13 homers since May 15. On the rubber, Kyle Lohse is earning his paycheck with a 3.26 ERA and Wily Peralta has made an unlikely transition into a pitcher you're excited to watch, posting a  2.62 ERA in his last 75.2 IP. The performances by the core talent are being supplemented by capable baseballing from Juan Francisco (126 OPS+ with the Brewers, we'll forget about the defense for now), Caleb Gindl, and Scooter Gennett.

Though I'm nowhere near declaring the Brewers title contenders for 2014, I'm also no longer bracing for a 1993-2004 stretch of futility. They have a promising collection of core players and depth that, when paired with health and better fortune, should be pretty fun to watch. All things considered (except May), the Brewers are the most deceptively decent team in majors. Good luck finding higher praise than that.

The series I've been waiting for

It's difficult to attend Brewers games when you're a 1,991 drive from Miller Park, so having the Brew Crew play a weekend series in Seattle was made this task just a tad easier. I've only been to a pair of games since moving to the Pacific Northwest, including a drought encompassing the 2010, 2011, and 2012 seasons. The 2013 campaign has been exceptionally rough, but that did not hinder my excitement in the slightest. Now that the series is over I can do a rare deed: write a recap from the perspective of someone that was there.

1) Figurative fireworks are even better

Injuries and such have prevented the Brewers from being the wallbangers of seasons past. This has largely put the kibosh on the figurative fireworks we've come to expect from their bats. Having the likes of Yuniesky Betancourt is often an indicator of offensive futility, though that was not the case on Friday (or in 2011 when the Crew led the NL in homers). Leading 5-2 in the top of the 9th, Yuni B terrorized his old team by hitting a grand slam that effectively clinched the game.

Even tragically bad seasons such as this have beautiful moments, and I'd classify Yuni's salami as one of them. I never expect Betancourt to do anything good at the plate, but what often causes frustration will occasionally beget something twice as gratifying as it otherwise would be. For example, if you see Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, Jay Bruce, or Jose Bautista hit a big home run you're not caught off guard. But the shock of seeing a .598 OPS hitter blast a grand slam is cause for pure excitement. For this I tip my cap in the general direction of wherever Yuni B is at the moment.

Also: The literal fireworks show was really cool.

2) There's a reason I've not embraced the Mariners 

The start of Saturday's game was delayed due to a terrific ceremony inducting Ken Griffey Jr. into the Mariners Hall of Fame. SafeCo Field was packed with 46,027 people waiting to celebrate...and then the Mariners lost 10-0 while managing four hits. As much as this outcome made me happy, a 10-9 Brewers victory would also have been acceptable. The Mariners are like a band you really want like because they were really good ten years ago. Occasional they'll produce decent songs, but are now seemingly incapable of writing hooks that keep you listening. I really want to embrace the Ms as my AL team, but until they have more than a fantastic stadium and Felix Hernandez, that's not going to happen.

3) Are F9 home runs a thing?

SafeCo Field is one of my favorite parks because of the dozens of unique vantage points available to anyone willing to explore the stadium. In the top of the 7th I found myself in the center field concourse, directly in line with the right field fence. There were few spots where you'd have a better view of Scooter Gennett's homer that bounced off Michael Morse's glove. Unlike Lucroy's homer that was assisted by Giancarlo Stanton, this would have cleared the fence. That said, it still makes me wonder if the Brewers practice the right fielder-assisted homer.

4) Wily Peralta is turning into a beacon of hope

On Sunday Peralta pitched the second complete game of the season, for both himself and the Brewers. It's a shame he got the loss, though I won't complain about seeing a tidy, 2:11 pitchers duel with a rising young pitcher and Cy Young winner. This might be baseless conjecture, but I would not be surprised if the rest of the Brewers feel the same way.

For the first time since Yovani Gallardo I'm legitimately excited about the long term future of a young pitcher on the Brewers. Speaking of Gallardo, if he can rebound in 2014 and Lohse can repeat his performance and Peralta keeps developing and Hart comes back, next year is shaping up to be pretty fun. It'll be even better if the Brewers are scheduled to play four games in the Pacific Northwest.

Two final (for now) thoughts on Ryan Braun

The past few days have been miserable times for Brewers Nation. Dropping 3 of 4 to the Padres did not help, but most of the misery can be pinned on Ryan Braun. There is not much more to be said until he tells his story, so until then I have two final thoughts on the matter.

1) Prediction: Ryan Braun will win back Milwaukee

Braun's victory speech has evolved from a triumphant display of innocence to a severe indictment of character. However, what hasn't changed is the quality of the speech. He was passionate, eloquent, and convincing. I, along with many others, believed every word he said even though in retrospect there was strong evidence to the contrary. He may have lost the public's trust, but his public speaking skills are still present. I expect him to give a sincere and detailed press conference before the 2014 season that will reclaim a significant portion of the goodwill he completely lost. I also expect him to rake and help the Brewers win games, which won't hurt.

2) Let us never boo again

Both statements about John Axford are true: 1) He's one of my all-time favorite Brewers, and 2) He was a primary culprit in the Brewers missing the 2012 playoffs.

Regarding (2), his epic mid-season meltdown was horrifically painful to watch. It eventually led to boos, embarrassing Twitter spats, and excessive frustration towards someone trying his best. I'm aware players do not get trophies in MLB for playing hard and being generally cool dudes, but they should receive a basic level of courtesy provided they're otherwise ethical people. While Ryan Braun earned the boos he'll hear for the rest of his career, Axford did not. If there's a silver lining to the Braun saga it's that in the grand scheme of things, blowing saves (or otherwise slumping) is not that bad. As fans we're better off remembering this important fact and supporting players when the need it most.

Regarding (1), Axford has a 1.69 ERA since May 1. His recovery from a checkered 2012 and dreadful April has been awesome to watch. I'm thrilled to see him earn his contract and I hope to have him back for 2014. I like focusing on cool stuff like this, and that's what I'm going to do starting at the end of this sentence. Period.

Is Ryan Braun a Bad Person? or: Why the Biogenesis Scandal is Terrifying

It's a rare occasion a person will be as universally reviled as Ryan Braun is right now. The national media, fans, and even teammates are none too keen on Mr Braun. Their indignation is righteous as he both cheated and spent fourteen months lying about it, highlighted by a victory speech which, like Tom Petty's 'Don't Come Around Here No More' music video, disturbs me to the point I will never again watch it. The consensus is Braun is clearly a bad guy. I do not believe this is true, rather, I believe his actions are an inevitable outcome of the human condition. This, I think, is infinitely more unsettling than anything to be found in the Biogenesis scandal.

The world today is unlike anything humanity has ever seen. In particular, there is a 24-hour news cycle with an insatiable appetite for dirty laundry and a series of tubes known as "The Internet," both of which ensure any misstep will documented for billions to see. There is no escape if you're unfortunate enough to be the object of scorn, though it's hard to blame one for trying. Consider the following examples:

1) Rafael Palmeiro: His tremendous career (3020 hits, 569 HR, 132 OPS+) is overshadowed by the following statement made at a congressional hearing" I never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period." Five months later he was suspended for using steroids.

2) William Jefferson Clinton: In 1998 we was both a) Married, and b) the most powerful man on Earth. He had sexual relations with that woman, but told a grand jury he did not.

3) Manti Te'o: His brilliant play for Notre Dame was (allegedly) inspired by a terminally ill girlfriend that did not exist. The 21st century version of "Win one for the Gipper" became one of the most embarrassing episodes imaginable. Te'o never told the truth about the situation, even though he knew his "girlfriend" was fake well after "her" story became nationally news.

4) Ryan Braun: No explanation necessary.

Are all four of these people narcissistic sociopaths incapable of telling the truth when it would be disadvantageous to their current situation? Perhaps. But every additional high-profile case of someone lying when the truth would set them free suggests something much more terrifying is going on.

In Breaking Bad Walter White gets diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and starts cooking the finest crystal meth in all of Albuquerque to provide for his family after his (presumably) imminent death. Mr White's initial intentions, while tragically misguided, were pure. In the same vein of good intentions leading to moral decay, I believe PED users fall into the same trap. They have nagging injuries to heal, want to impress the tens of thousands of people that pay hundreds of dollars to watch them play, or have some other legitimate concern. Unfortunately PEDs are an exit to an inescapable road of lies. This leads us back to Biogenesis.

What Ryan Braun did was bad. The morality of PEDs is, in my opinion, still a debate. However, lying is almost universally wrong. I'm scared when I put myself in his position because I cannot say with certainty I would not follow the same path.* If I take my medicine, own up the unscrupulous activity, and accept the punishment my transgressions will be forgotten in time. But what if there's another option? What if I proclaim my innocence and make MLB prove their case? Better yet, what if they fail and I win the appeal? Now I can say I got screwed by the process and take my chances on everything going away. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? The latter option is irresistibly appealing because of the infinite upside. You beat the wrap and are vindicated forever. The alternative is being labeled a cheater for the rest of your career, even if people care less and less as time passes.

*I like to believe I would never take PEDs, either, but if I had chronic back pain and someone said "Take this, it will make you feel better. By the way, it's 50 games if you get busted with it, but this stuff is almost impossible to detect." I would be very tempted to take the substance.

So what would you do? The litany of case studies suggests you'd proclaim innocence and hope for the best. You're standing on the brink of being hated by millions of people if the truth comes to light. Confess and you'll surely be despised and booed and lose heckled forever. Lie and you just might get away with it. Though lying is the wrong thing to do, the reward is avoiding a nightmare I cannot begin to comprehend.

Is Ryan Braun a bad person? I believe the answer is no. He cheated and then lied with a ferocious intensity. Both things, but especially the lying, are wrong, reprehensible...and exactly what most people would do in his situation. It doesn't make him right, it makes him human. We are all capable of doing what Braun did, and I find that terrifying.

The Allure of Extra Innings

It's not often a team has a chance to shut out their opponent for an entire series. The big question entering this game was if the Brewers could make it happen. But entering the 13th inning with the score 0-0 the question became "would this game ever end?" Much to my delight, the answer to both questions was "yes."

In a small but very real way the Brewers have salvaged the season by developing a recent habit of winning games through exceptionally rare and satisfying methods. Good things come to those who wait, and if you endured 12.5 innings of no runs and ten hits you were treated to an ending that's exciting regardless of the context. I'll get to that in a moment.

Entering the bottom of the 9th inning I thought "The Brewers better win because it's well past noon and I've yet to go outside." As the game went to extras I keep thinking "One more inning and then I'm getting some sunshine." This thought crossed my mind three times before I remembered that extra-inning baseball is like Con Air on TNT: when it's on I'm powerless to do anything but watch. Unlike Con Air, however, extra inning baseball does not guarantee you'll see something inspirational. But being an optimist I'll always stick around for the chance to see a walk off victory.

The contributions of baseball player are the purest of any team sport because they are largely feats of individual excellence. As such, their accomplishments are the most enjoyable to celebrate. When Caleb Gindl stepped into the batters box to lead off the 13th inning he had yet to homer in the majors. This changed when he drove a ball just over the left field fence to win the game; his first career home run was a walk off. How cool is that?

As he rounded the bases his teammates, in line with the custom of ignoring a player after he hits his first homer, hustled into the dugout to leave Gindl to touch home without the customary mob of teammates (though Jean Segura was kind enough to give him a high five). Much like the game-saving grab of Carlos Gomez versus Cincinnati, these are the moments you live for as a sports fan. A 13-inning grind became the a long opening act for an unforgettable moment.

The chances of something amazing happening increase exponentially as the innings reach double digits. If you stick around long enough you might see a DH pitch two scoreless innings and get the win, or a rookie hit their first homer in walk-off fashion. I'll admit the latter might not fall under the classification of "amazing," but just the chance to see it happen makes it worth sticking around the ballpark. That's the allure of extra innings.

I Disagree with Jeff Passan

I do not know if Ryan Braun took PEDs. The positive test indicated yes, but his victorious appeal said no. His name is in the books of Tony Bosch, but there's a plausible explanation for why it's there. I'm aware my skepticism of guilt puts me in the minority and I know that believing Braun juiced is a reasonable position. However, some of the arguments levied against Braun reveal a line of thinking that is just plain wrong. Jeff Passan dispenses these arguments like candy:

“I have nothing to hide,” he likes to say. This is funny. For somebody with nothing to hide, Ryan Braun is a fireproof safe inside of an armed vault behind a Scooby-Doo pull-a-book secret door. All he does is hide. When MLB asked him questions about his positive testosterone test more than a year and a half ago, he wouldn’t answer them, and now he’s all Mr. Fifth Amendment again as the league investigates players’ links to Tony Bosch, the alleged PED pied piper of the Biogenesis clinic near Miami. 

What's troubling about Passan's article is it places the burden of proof on Braun when it rightfully belongs to MLB. Even worse is referencing constitutional rights as if they're a bad thing. I agree it ostensibly looks bad to say "I have nothing to hide" and subsequently refusing to answer questions, but that's also making a connection where none exists. Furthermore, saying you have nothing to hide does not mean you have something you're obligated to disclose.

Imagine you're pulled over by a police officer for going 42 in a 35 zone. The officer gets settled by your window and says "I suspect you have drugs in your trunk." Shocked the officer would draw this conclusion, you proclaim "My trunk is empty, I'm not hiding anything back there." The officer remains skeptical and responds "If that's so, why don't you pop it open and let me have a look?" Realizing you live in America, you refuse this unreasonable demand. In this scenario, you've told the officer you have nothing to hide, yet you did not allow him search your trunk. Are you wrong to refuse? Jeff Passan says yes, because if you say you have nothing to hide you're obligated to prove that's true, otherwise you're certainly hiding something.

Outside of the dangerous logic present in Passan's article, being an enthusiastic participant in the investigation is not in Braun's best interest. We know that players have used PEDs in the past and many are probably using them right now. If Braun holds a press conference where he opens his fireproof safe to the world it sets an unfavorable precedent for players that subsequently find themselves in a similar position. Perhaps this is baseless conjecture, but I believe that would make him a pariah. If he cooperates to Passan's liking, future players that don't do the same will be unfairly presumed guilty(er). And let's be real, nothing he says or does will convince the skeptics otherwise. At best he has absolutely nothing to gain.

Intelligent and reasonable people believe Braun cheated. This is a-okay with me. What's not is admonishing Braun for properly handling the situation. Not speaking to people who wish him harm is self preservation 101, not evidence of guilt.. He's allowed to say he has nothing to hide or say nothing at all, and doing (or not doing) so should not raise suspicion. As Stan Marsh once said "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was America!"

Carlos Gomez and the Joys of Rooting for a .409 Team

Nothing is better than rooting for a contending baseball team. Conversely, few things are as frustrating as rooting for a team on place for 96 losses. The high volume of games gives bad teams ample opportunity to do bad things. The 2013 Milwaukee Brewers are exhibits A-Q to this point. The Crew has 74 games left and they'll probably lose the majority of them, however, with Carlos Gomez playing center field each game holds the potential to involve something spectacular.

Never in my life have I seen a baseball game end like it did tonight. Joey Votto, representing the go-ahead run with two outs in the 9th, hit a ball 401 feet to center. With the terrifying Aroldis Chapman lurking in the bullpen, the game was effectively over. Except, of course, that Gomez made a perfectly timed jump and earned free dinner from K-Rod for the rest of the season. This amazing catch won the game for the Brewers and reminded us why baseball is such a rewarding sport it watch (or in this case, endure).

Sure, the Brewers may kick the ball around the diamond, make outs on the basepaths, and treat fans to 2.1 inning starts, but every now and then even the losers get transcendently awesome. With Carlos Gomez the Brewers have a guy that can make catches running uphill, score from first on sacrifice bunts, lose his helmet swinging for the fences, and earn a save without throwing a pitch. Following a bad team is mostly frustrating, but with a player like Gomez you're reminded about how baseball rewards those with the patience of Job. Ultimately it does not matter that the Brewers are now 16 games under .500 instead of 18. What does matter is for a brief moment the 25,341 in attendance were on top of the world. Even .409 teams are capable of giving fans their money's worth and then some...It's just they're more capable if they have Carlos Gomez playing center field.

On Yuni B...

I have a love/hate relationship with Yuniesky Betancourt. Part of me loves the story of the man, while the other part hates watching the baseball player. This conflict is insignificant, but it does make watching Brewers games slightly more complicated. Allow me to elaborate on the two sides of the Yuni B coin.

1) Yuniesky Betancourt is the embodiment of the American dream

What we know is Betancourt escaped Cuba in 2003. The official story is that he came to the United States via raft, though amendments to the story claim he was smuggled out of Cuba through unknown channels. The details of his sojourn to America are not as important as the fact he escaped the oppressive poverty of communism and parlayed his ability to play baseball into a lucrative career in Major League Baseball* once he arrived in the Land of Opportunity. Furthermore, the world is likely a better place because he became a major league baseball player. We know he helped his mother and grandmother get to America from Cuba, and I'm sure his wealth is helping/will help people in need. He's a reminder that there are more important things in life than baseball.

*$15,755,000 according to Baseball-Reference.com.

2) Watching Yunikesky Betancourt play baseball often makes me want to vomit

This part of the post is 100% inspired by him grounding into a fielder's choice leading to the Rickie Weeks being thrown out at home and the Brewers losing the game. It was both an awful pitch to swing at and the worst realistic outcome of the play. You can argue this play is not Betancourt's fault because he should not even be on a major league roster, especially considering he currently has a 55 OPS+ and is hitting .164 since May 1. However, he is on a major league roster and it just so happens it is that of my favorite team. I do not like this one bit because he's bad at what he's paid to do. (In his defense, he deserves kudos for some game winning hits this season).

Conclusion

The story of Yuniesky Betancourt is a great one. I'm happy he's made the most of his opportunities and in a very real way he's an inspiration to us all. With that said, I'm counting the days until he no longer plays for the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Vic Rattlehead on PEDs

Will Leitch wrote a column today that pretty well sums up my thoughts on PEDs in baseball:

...fans have made abundantly clear their views on players who have been connected to PEDs: They don't care.... Fans don't want it thrown in their face like with Bonds and company, and they're for drug testing and the suspension of those who are caught, but in a default scenario, they'd just as soon simply watch the games, thanks.

I have an out of sight, out of mind attitude towards PEDs. My preference is players adhere to the spirit of athletic competition and refrain from juicing, but I'm also aware this will never totally be true. I am not bothered by this reality and I do not care if some cheaters never get caught. While there is an "ignorance is bliss" element to my opinion, it mostly stems from a belief that most athletes are honest in their methods and only a small minority will always go too far while looking for an edge. Like a department store factoring theft into their budget, I accept the latter faction as an inescapable reality of sports. I don't care much about this because the degree to which I should is outweighed by other problems I'd rather worry about.

As long as some form of testing is in place and appropriate punishments are levied I don't believe any additional action is needed. The current system in MLB is sufficiently comprehensive and strict enough to provide a strong disincentive for those with a spotty moral compass. It's not going to catch everyone or prevent all juicing, but who cares? Let the hardcore cheaters do their thing and focus the rest of your resources on improving your product. Sometimes performing your due diligence is good enough.

Note: The Brew Crew Project will be off until next Friday as I'll be on the East Coast. I put the over/under on Brewers wins in my absence at 3.5. They have seven home games against the Phillies and Marlins. To demonstrate my homerdom, I'm taking the under.

The Ryan Braun Saga in 9 seconds

As a fan of the Brewers and Ryan Braun, the recent news about Tony Bosch agreeing to talk with Major League Baseball has me feeling a bit like Chief Wiggum at the Kwik-E-Mart. The analogy is perfect because, when you think about it, the two circumstances are almost identical.

Ryan Braun either took PEDs or he didn't. If he juiced then somewhere there is evidence of wrongdoing. Like a perpetually moving hot dog roller, Major League Baseball has been working around the clock  looking for proof that Braun violated the league's substance abuse policy. Presumably, they've found the tie they've been looking for with Bosch agreeing to provide testimony. This is problematic for Braun unless Bosch does his Johnny Tightlips impression or Braun is innocent. I have two thoughts on the matter.

First, if Braun cheated and there is evidence proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, then it is impossible to defend him on a moral level. Furthermore, it will be hard to argue against a suspension in practice because the collectively bargained rules are clearly in place. A justified suspension would be devastating for the Brewers because it would be the ultimate downfall for the supposed cornerstone of a long-suffering franchise. Needless to say, I hope Braun walks away from this.

Second, I do not like the extent to which suspected PED users are investigated, and this extends outside of baseball (i.e. Lance Armstrong). The presumption of innocence is of paramount importance in all facets of life, but especially when you are accusing people of wrongdoing. It's troubling how athletes are investigated for crimes long after the alleged dirty deeds were relevant (Roger Clemens) and what's going on with Ryan Braun is far too similar to double jeopardy for my liking. To protect the rights of the players MLB should be restricted in their opportunities to suspend them. In the case of Braun, he failed a test and won the appeal. That should be the end of the story unless there is overwhelming evidence against him (which there very well might be). I'd rather players be presumed innocent and get away with cheating then presumed guilty and suspended due to the words of a disreputable PED peddler.

All that's left to do now is play the waiting game and compulsively do a Google News search for "Ryan Braun." If Braun is suspended, so be it; but MLB better have one hell of a case against him. If "RB 1500" in a notebook is enough to suspend someone for 100 games, I will have a somewhat harder time being a baseball fan.

On Instant Replay

My opinion of instant replay depends on how the bad call affects the team I'm rooting for. If my team is victimized by poor umpiring I'll support it, but if a bad call goes in their favor I'll tell you that human error is part of the game. After Jean Segura "picked off" Kyle Kendrick in Saturday's game I was not terribly supportive of expanding replay in baseball. However, now that time has passed and emotion is removed from the equation I'm once again reluctantly supportive of expanding replay.

It is important for umpires to get as many calls correct as possible. In the spirit of fair athletic competition you want games to be decided by the relative excellence of the teams on a given day. That said, it's not important for umpires to get every call correct. This is where my reluctance to expanding replay comes in as baseball needs to be weary of measures that will slow the game down. 

The average baseball game lasts about 2 hours and 50 minutes, up from 2 hours and 30 minutes in the 70s. Generally speaking, baseball reaches peak watchability (watchfullness?) when it's played at a brisk pace. Conversely, 3 hour and 30 minute slogs can get rather cumbersome and boring for all parties involved (unless lots and lots of runs are being scored). Major League Baseball needs to take measures to speed up the game and instant replay does not do this. Even so, MLB would be well served to expand replay a tad to weed out the egregiously bad calls. I believe they can do this while keeping a generally constant pace of play by doing two things:

1) Giving each team one challenge per game.
2) Allowing the umpires to review calls in the ninth inning and beyond.

This type of expansion, or some variation thereof, seems like a pretty simply way to take care of what ails the umpires. Bad calls can be reversed and, in theory, time otherwise spent watching managers argue with umpires would be replaced with something that would actually change the call on the field.

I'd like  to see some expansion of replay in 2014, but if baseball never expands it I will not be upset. After all, one of the worst calls in MLB history prevented the Cardinals from winning the World Series. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure we can live without replay.

2/2 Series Recap: This Team Is Unwatchable

The Brewers are not worth your time. They have terrible starting pitching, poor situational hitting, and most importantly, lose a lot of games. I've reached my breaking point with this team because the games make me:

1) Terrible depressed
2) Intensely frustrated
3) Both

It's so bad that I don't even feel good when they win, though I can't be sure because it's been a while since I last experienced a victory and my memory can be faulty about these things. This is a team on pace for 59 wins, and even that seems like a stretch. Life is precious, life is short, and you are doing the miracle of consciousness a disservice to spend even one second paying attention to this team. I will argue this point until I pass out, but it's still not going to stop me from following them; my stance is more of a recommendation for the non-Brewer fanatics out there.

Rant aside, games were played that inspired vitriol to appear on this blog and I would like to briefly discuss them.

1) 19.6% of the homers hit by the Twins have come off Brewers pitching

Keep in mind only 7.8% of the Twins schedule to this point involves Milwaukee. The Twins are one of the worst home run hitting teams in the majors, yet they hit four off Kyle Lohse in tonight's game. This is to be expect as no pitching staff in the NL has as much trouble keeping the ball in the yard as the Brewers'. The lesson here: when a moveable force meets a stoppable object, the stoppable object wins.

2) The Brewers keep you interested so they can frustrate you

This is the crux of why the Brew Crew is so hard to watch right now. They get down 6-0 and then claw within realistic striking distance, only to fail to capitalize on their opportunities. Tonight, down 7-4 in the top of the 4th, the Brewers loaded the bases with two outs. Coming to the plate to spearhead the comeback was...Yuniesky Betancourt. There is no feeling as helpless as seeing Yuni Betancourt -- arguably the worst everyday player in the majors since 2008 -- come to the plate in a big situation.* He grounded out and effectively killed the comeback.

*To his credit, he's had some big hits in his career.

3) Marco Estrada is the current ace of the staff

7 of his 11 starts have gone at least six innings, including 3 of his last 4 (where he went 7 innings). All flaws considered, he's pitching deep into games. It's a sad situation when your de facto ace is someone that simply lasts more than five innings with consistency, but that's where we're at with the Brewers right now.

Looking ahead...

I'm not going to do another series recap until the Brewers win one. This is partially because I am running out of things to write about this team, but more because I want to expand past recaps and broaden my focus. There is a lot about Milwaukee baseball history and baseball in general I want to explore. This blog will still be updated regularly, just with different content.

Also, the Brewers have a series at Philadelphia. I'll still follow the games, because that's what I do...not because it's a recommended use of time.

1/2 Series Recap: Can it get any worse?

Did the Brewers just finish a 2-game home series with the Twins or the home half of a 4-game series? Though I will never be certain of the answer to this question, I do know the Brewers played two games with the Minnesota Twins and lost them both.

The Brewers are now 5-20 in the month of May. To put that in perspective, the 106-loss 2002 squad won at least 8 games each month. Yes, this year's team is on pace to do something the worst team in franchise history was incapable of doing. As bad as things are going, can they get any worse? Let's take look at the last two games and get a better idea.

1) Jean Segura for MVP

The unstoppable hitting machine had another terrific series, going 8-11 with a home run over the two games. He also had six hits tonight, including a game-tying RBI single in the 9th that put the Brewers in prime position to win the game, which they did not do. This inconvenient fact aside, Segura is putting together an MVP caliber season. He currently leads the NL with a .362 average and entered the game #3 in the NL in offensive WAR (2.4). Just when you think he can't hit any better, he does. More importantly, he's becoming a symbol of hope for a rebuilding franchise because he's an exciting young player that shows what happens when your GM makes a savvy trade.

2) How is the starting pitching this bad? 

Brewers pitchers extended their "not getting past the 5th inning" streak to four. Not coincidentally, the Brewers are 0-4 in those games. Wily Peralta allowed four runs in 5IP on Monday and Alfredo Figaro did the exact same thing tonight, though he took a different route by allowing all of the runs to be scored on long balls. Quite literally, these short starts are driving me insane. It's not that they lead to losses, the bullpen being worn out, and are difficult to watch, but they blatantly defy the law of averages. This is to say that given enough starts even a fringe ML pitching talent will have Cy Young caliber outing/stretch. Consider:

-Wayne Franklin threw a 2-hit shutout on 5/21/03 versus the Padres. He finished the season with a 5.50 ERA.

-Ruben Quevedo had a stretch of three games in 2002 where he pitched 24.0 innings and allowed one earned run. He finished the season with a 5.76 ERA.

-Wes Obermueller pitched a CG SO at the end of the 2004 season against the Astros, who at the time were under the brilliant leadership of Scrap Iron. In May of the following season he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning at Washington. He has a career 5.82 ERA.

These are three crappy pitchers that had flashes of brilliance. The were short, unsustainable bursts, but they happened. The current staff seems totally incapable of doing anything remotely like this. However, I do take solace that when this happens the bullpen will blow the game.

3) It's not worth losing if you can't use your bullpen for 9 innings

Few things are more depressing as losses that put you in a position to lose more games. Once again the bullpen was terrific (9IP, 2ER tonight) and once again it did not matter. Doug Melvin might want to trade away some relievers sooner than later because at this rate they will burn out or get hurt.

4) Monday's lineup, woof.

To be fair, 1-2-3 of that lineup (Aoki, Segura, and Gomez) rank in the top 10 in the NL in hits. But what the lineup featured in talent it lacked in depth. Exhibit A: Yuniesky Betancourt batting cleanup.

The AAA lineup had a chance to deal a blow in the first inning when they had the bases loaded and nobody out...and then Betancourt lined out to shortstop and Segura was doubled off. This both killed the rally and let the 38,627 fans in attendance know the Brewers had no chance of winning the game. On the bright side, those that stuck around got to see Segura and Gomez sock a few dingers, presumably distracting them of the terrifying truth of Major League Baseball's clandestine activities.

5) The Minnesota Twins are also pretty bad

Have lost 11 of their last 12, the one team in the majors as cold as the Brewers came into Miller Park to play a pair of games and won them both. This fact tells you all you need to know about how 2013 is going.

Looking ahead...

The only thing changing is the venue as the Crew will play two more against the Twins in Minnesota. For the sake of symmetry it's important the Brewers win their next two games. The implications of imbalance are far too frightening to contemplate...

Series Recap: It could be worse (abbreviated version)

On the bright side, by winning the first game of the series the Brewers extended their "not getting swept" streak to four.

I did not have a chance to watch any of the games this series as I spent a lot of time running around this Memorial Day weekend. As such I do not have much insight for this series recap. I do, however, have a brief rant about the starting pitching.

Mike Fiers and Yovani Gallardo both failed to pitch past the 4th inning on Saturday and Sunday, respectively (Gallardo needed 97 pitches today to allow four runs in four innings). In addition to the pitching being bad there is no relief in sight. The only hope is the Brewers catch lightning in a bottle a la 2012 Mike Fiers or 2005 Rick Helling. It would also be helpful if they could fill three bottles. Until this happens the Brewers will become more of a chore to watch because as a fan I go into every game with little hope of a victory.

The 2004 Milwaukee Brewers were the last truly awful team we've had to follow. However, that team also had Ben Sheets at the height of his powers.* His starts were exciting because he pitched deep into games, stuck out a ton of batters, and gave you hope that you'd see an elusive victory. If not you'd at least be treated to mid-90s heat and the most wicked 12-6 curve I ever did done see. Fast forward to today: Outside of Kyle Lohse getting off to a hot start and a few scattered strong outings (such as Marco Estrada on Friday) there has been almost nothing to get excited about with the starting pitchers. To the contrary, I'm beginning to dread the games.

*Doug Davis was no slouch, either. 

The Brewers do not have a stopper, nor do they have a reliable "slower down-er," a phrase I doubt will catch on. When short starts and big innings become the rule rather than the exception you don't root for the home team as much as you wait for the wheels to fall off. This, dare I say, is just not very fun. It gets worse when you realize there are 114 games left. I'm almost beginning to miss Jeff Suppan. Almost.

Looking ahead...

There is another team in the majors with similar pitching woes, and wouldn't you know they are coming to Milwaukee to start a 2/2 four game series with the Minnesota Twins. On the morbid curiosity scale the appeal of this series is off the charts. If you combined the best starters from each team you'd still have a bottom five rotation. While this may seem depressing, this series could actually be a lot of fun. Bad pitching leads to runs and good old fashion shootouts are high entertainment, even with two crummy teams are involved.

Giddy up!