Some teams gain a good rapport with their fans by doing all the right things and then sit back, enjoying (not to mention pointing to) their successes.  Others look to fans to find more ways to improve their baseball experience even more. 

The Milwaukee Brewers and Miller Park are good examples of the latter.  The Brewers team has already gained acclaim by getting ranked 7th out of all 122 major league sports franchises for “Fan Satisfaction”.  They’ve also were ranked #3 in “Affordability” and “Stadium Experience”. 

Yeah, surveys whatever… what matters to me is that every friend of mine who’s been to Miller Park, (no matter what team they root for) tell me that ballpark is one of the best. 

Well, they’re not stopping there, it seems.  After soliciting feedback from the fans, the Brewers are making more improvements to Miller Park.

Work has already started on the Terrace Level where the team is renovating the existing merchandise store to create a new “Brewers Team Store on Terrace Level.”  The store, which is modeled (on a smaller scale) after the award-winning Team Store by Majestic on the Field Level, will be upgraded to improve customer flow and overall visibility.  The renovations will consist of an expansion of the current footprint as well as new lighting, signage, cash-wraps, store fixtures and floor design. The Brewers will also feature a variety of new merchandise in the store, which is scheduled to be accessible during home games when the Miller Park gates are open.

They are also making improvements to the clubhouse interior and parking lots will be renamed after “the city’s baseball legends” (I take that to mean they will include some of the Milwaukee Braves too). 

Kudos to the Brewers for catering to the baseball fan.  The rest of MLB can take a lesson from the Brewers and Miller Park here. 

Tags: brewers, miller park, stadiums

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Posted in: stadiums by The Baseball Zealot
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Back in the middle of September I was assigned the task of predicting who would win the rookie of the year awards.  Now two months later the winners were announced, Oakland A’s reliever Andrew Bailey in the American League and Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan.  I had predicted Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler in the NL and Rangers SS Elvis Andrus in the AL.

In 2008 the A’s converted Bailey from a starter to a reliever in AA Ball in 2008.  Andrew immediately experienced success in the bullpen, carrying that success over into the 2008 Arizona Fall League, and on into the 2009 regular big league season.  He finished the season with 26 of 30 saves, a 6-3 record, a 1.84 ERA, with 91 strikeouts & 49 hits allowed in 83′ innings, and was Oakland’s lone All Star representative.

Chris Coghlan also enjoyed a conversion that enabled him to star in the big leagues, the former infielder was moved to leftfield.  He brought his bat out to the outfield with him, batting .321 with a .390 OBP, with 31 doubles, 6 triples, & 9 home runs, as the Marlins leadoff hitter.

Elvis Andrus, my choice for AL Rookie of the Year, the Rangers 21 year old shortstop out of Venezuela, finished 2nd in the balloting behind Bailey.  Elvis batted .267, with 33 stolen bases, 72 runs scored, & 128 base hits, with a very impressive range factor in the field of 4.86.  Right on the heels of Andrus was Detroit’s 20 year old righthanded starting pitcher Rick Porcello (14-9 & 3.96 ERA).  The 6′9″ Tampa Bay’s righthander, Jeff Niemann (13-6 & 3.94) was next, he was 17-0 with a 1.70 ERA as a Junior in 2003 with Rice.  Then came The Sporting News choice for Rookie of the Year, the White Sox very own, thirdbaseman Gordon Beckham (.270, 28 doubles, 14 homers, 63 RBIs).  Rounding out this crop of AL rookies was another pitcher from Oakland, southpaw Brett Anderson (11-11, 4.06 ERA, & 150 strikeouts in 175′ IP).

Closely behind Coghlan, over in the Senior Circuit, was The Sporting News choice for NL Rookie of the Year out of the University of Northwestern in Evanston, IL, Philadelphia’s lefthander J.A. Happ (12-4 & 2.93).  A distant 3rd was Atlanta’s phenom righthanded starting pitcher Tommy Hanson (11-4, 2.89, & 116 K’s in 127″ IP).  The Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen wasn’t far in back of Hanson, batting .286, 26 doubles, 9 triples, 12 homers, 74 runs scored, to go along with 22 steals, while playing a very good centerfield for the Buccos.  Next up the Brewers thirdbaseman Casey McGehee received some love, .301, 20 doubles, 16 homers, & 66 RBIs.  Interestingly six other rookies received very little support in their quest for league’s top rookie honors.  They were Randy Wells of the Cubs (12-10 & 3.05), Pittsburgh slugger Garrett Jones (21 HRs & .293), Padres SS Everth Cabrera (25 SBs & 59 runs), my choice Dexter Fowler Colorado outfielder (73 runs, 27 SBs, 29 2Bs, & 10 3Bs), Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra (.290, 21 2Bs, 8 3Bs, 60 RBIs), and last, but not least, Cardinals centerfielder Colby Rasmus (22 2Bs & 16 HRs).

Tags: Andrew Bailey, Andrew McCutchen Pirates, athletics, braves, Brett Anderson, brewers, cardinals, Casey McGehee, Chris Coghlan, Colby Rasmus, Cubs, dexter fowler, diamondbacks, Elvis Andrus, Everth Cabrera, Garrett Jones, Gerardo Parra, Gordon Beckham, J.A. Happ, Jeff Niemann, Marlins, padres, phillies, Randy Wells, Rangers, Rays, Rick Porcello, Rockies, tigers, Tommy Hanson, White Sox

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Posted in: Awards by Teddy Ballgame
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The Sporting News announced its National League All Stars as determined by 31 major league general managers and assistant GMs.  St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols (also named Player of the Year), Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun were on the ballots of all 14 NL team executives who voted.

C Yadier Molina has shown that catching is much more than just offensive numbers, he is regarded as the best defensive catcher in the game.  Besides his work behind the plate, Yadier seems to have found his stroke, batting .293 for the Redbirds.

1B Albert Pujols is simply the best, as reaffirmed by him being named Player of the Year.  This year, once again, he posted Albert Pujols type numbers, leading the league with 47 homers & 122 runs, while batting .327 with a .443 OBP (best), while hitting 45 doubles, and driving in 135, leading St. Louis into the postseason.

2B Chase Utley is the quiet Phillie who just goes about his job in the field & at the plate.  Chase hit 31 home runs, and was seven (93) RBIs shy of driving in at least 100 runs for the 5th straight season, he scored 112 times (over 100 four straight campaigns), and stole 23 bases without getting caught, while batting .282.

3B Mark Reynolds is synonymous with strikeouts, but there’s alot more to his game than just whiffs.  Sure Mark broke his strikeout record he set last year (204) with this year’s mark of 223, but he also hit 44 homers, drove in 102, while stealing 24 bases for Arizona.

SS Hanley Ramirez had the highest batting average in the league, hitting .342, with 24 longballs, to go along with 42 doubles, driving in 106, 101 runs scored, and stealing 27 bases for the Fish.

OF Ryan Braun surprisingly this slugger had more hits than anybody in the NL, with 203, he also had 114 RBIs & 113 runs scored, amassing 32 homers, 39 doubles, & 6 triples, he also stole 20 bags.

OF Matt Kemp is a pure athlete and a true five tool player.  The Dodgers centerfielder batted .297 with 34 steals, 26 home runs, knocking in 101.

OF Jayson Werth This gentle giant seems to have found a home in RF for Philadelphia, and he certainly can turn a baseball & a ballgame around in a hurry.  36 longballs, 99 RBIs, & 98 runs scored, all while playing excellent defense in the field.

SP Tim Lincecum The Freak was it at again, repeating as NL Pitcher of the Year, where does that little guy get all that power?  He was 15-7 with an ERA of just 2.48, striking out a league best 261 batters in 225′ innings, allowing only 168 hits.

RP Ryan Franklin The 36 year old journeyman relief pitcher came out of nowhere to takeover as the closer for the St. Louis Cardinals, saving 38 games, with a 1.92 ERA.  His 17 saves the year before was his career high.

Tags: Albert Pujols, All Stars, brewers, cardinals, Chase Utley, diamondbacks, dodgers, giants, hanley ramirez, Jayson Werth, Mark Reynolds, Marlins, Matt Kemp, NL, phillies, Ryan Braun, Ryan Franklin, Sporting News, tim lincecum, Yadier Molina

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Posted in: Awards by Teddy Ballgame
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Much is being made now about over-zealous homerun celebrations and the reactions they get from the opponents.  I first came across this article on mlb.com about the Giants getting “irked” about a couple of homeruns in which teams exhibited in the Giants’ opinion, “unprofessional” behavior. 

One was the actions of Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, the other of Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres.  Giants starter Brad Penny, who gave up the four-bagger, thought Gonzalez lingered a bit too long, admiring his work before making the trot.  

I saw the video of the Gonzalez homer and honestly, I didn’t notice it.

Now, USA Today has picked up on the story.  And they have a pretty damning photo of Fielder’s antics to go along with it, too  The story is compelling with good examples etc etc..

But it makes me wonder if this story has taken a life of its own.  Does it merit this much attention? 

Two thoughts that popped into my head regarding this rather unimportant issue (in the grand scheme of things):

One, mlb.com covered this a few days ago.  The same news source that recoils at anything controversial.  Normally, the cynic in me would surmise that MLB is just trying to perhaps generate controversy/interest/rivalry in the midst of a postseason hunt but the teams involved are not near the top of their division. 

Two, god forbid should this story take off to the point that MLB feel that they need to “do something about it”.  Professional baseball has enough regulations already and a lot of them range from unnecessary to a hindrance.

Some of you watch more baseball games from different markets than I.  Is this really a problem?  And why is MLB so worried about it?

Tags: adrian gonzalez, brewers, giants, homeruns, Media, padres, Prince Fielder

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Posted in: Media by The Baseball Zealot
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Tony Gwynn Sr broke the good news to his son, while his son was eating breakfast, the kid was traded to the San Diego Padres. Gwynn Jr grew up in San Diego, following his father all over Jack Murphy Stadium, while the elder Gwynn was starring for the Friars, on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Although the sequel is seldom as good as the original, Gwynn is hoping a fresh start will help his career.

Tony Jr bounced back in forth between the Milwaukee Brewers and the minor leagues, amassing a .248 batting average in 242 big league at bats. With Nashville this season, he was hitting .309 with a .387 onbase percentage, with 15 stolen bases. The Padres sent outfielder Jody Gerut to the Brewers in exchange for Gwynn.

“From what it sounded like, I was going to get an opportunity to play a lot. I don’t know how that’s going to work out,” Gwynn said. “I’m looking forward to coming home and putting that Padres uniform on.”

As for those inevitable comparisons with his father, Gwynn said he’s not too worried about them and that he understands he has to be himself.

“At the end of the day, it’s my job. If you go out and perform, then all of that pressure is eliminated,” he said. “At this point I think people have seen me enough to know I’m nothing like my father. It’s a different style of baseball. I’m going and playing my game.”

Tags: brewers, Jody Gerut, padres, Tony Gwynn Jr, Tony Gwynn Sr

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Posted in: Trades by Teddy Ballgame
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Yovani Gallardo hit a three run homer off The Big Unit and as a result, outpitched him, allowing only two runs over six innings to pickup the victory. It was the first home run Randy Johnson has ever given up to the opposing pitcher in 506 at bats. Johnson tried to get Gallardo fishing on a two strike, two out, high heater, but he didn’t get it high enough, and this big fish was biting. Yovani got all of it & tattooed it out of the park. Gallardo was injured much of last year, but looks good to go!

Yovani Gallardo 1 for 2, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 run scored, 1 SO

Yovani Gallardo (1-0) 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO

Tags: brewers, diamondbacks, randy johnson, Yovanni Gallardo

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Posted in: Linescores of the Day by Teddy Ballgame
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What a conundrum! 

“We’re working our way through all of the details and we don’t know the answer yet,” (Brewers’ Assistant GM Gord) Ash said. “Major League Baseball has regulations related to workers’ comp and there are procedures and protocols that have to be respected. We’re working our way through those so I can’t give you much insight other than that.”

 

I don’t why but this song popped into my head when I read about this.  Just replace “Maria” with “Ben Sheets”.

 

Tags: ben sheets, brewers, injury

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Posted in: Injuries by The Baseball Zealot
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Why didn’t the Brewers sign Coco Cordero last year instead of going out and pickup up broken down Eric Gagne? Luckily for Milwaukee Solomon Torres stepped into the closer’s job, and did a credible job – 28 saves, then he retired. So now, once again, the Brewers were without a closer, until they reached an agreement with the alltime career saves leader, Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman played his rookie year with the Marlins, but spent the last 15 years in Southern California, with the San Diego Padres. Last year he converted 30 of 34 opportunities, with a 3.82 ERA.

The 41 year old veteran signed a $6 million dollar one year deal, with an additional $1.5 million performance bonuses, based on games finished. Journeyman reliever Jorge Julio was brought in as insurance, but if Julio’s your insurance – Hell’s Bells!

Tags: brewers, Trevor Hoffman

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Posted in: Hot Stove by Teddy Ballgame
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Dan Plesac was a three time All Star, 87, 88, & 89. Plesac recorded his most saves (33) and his lowest ERA (2.35) in 1989. Most of Dan’s success came in his early years with the Milwaukee Brewers, 124 of his 158 saves were recorded in first five years. The highest number of saves after that was 11 in 1996 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 6′5″ lefthanded relief pitcher pitched 18 years in the major leagues, 1,064 games, with a 3.64 ERA. Upon his retirement Dan Plesac became a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, now he’s working for the MLB Network. I have to ask the obvious question, “Why is he even on the ballot?”

	Hall of Fame
	Hall of Very Good
	Why is he even on the Ballot?

 

While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  Read the rest the of the profiles.  

Tags: brewers, Broadcasters, Cubs, Dan Plesac, hof09

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Posted in: Hall of Fame by Teddy Ballgame
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Does anyone think the firing of Ned Yost as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers is a wise move? 

I actually had predicted before the season that Yost would be the first NL manager fired in 2008.  I wasn’t correct of course.  And now that he has been fired, I think it’s a bad move. 

The Brewers are eight games back in the NL Central with little chance to catch the Cubs.  They ARE tied for the lead in the Wild Card race with the Philadelphia Phillies.  They are right in the midst of the playoff race and by firing their manager, the Brewers have introduced an element of extreme chaos. 

If they had a manager-in-waiting with extreme skill and smarts like a Jim Leyland type or perhaps a uber-charismatic-type, maybe I’d understand.  But they’re bringing in Dale Sveum as an interim manager who will in fact finish the season.  Sveum has no managerial experince and boy, he has his work cut out for him. 

General Manager Doug Melvin didn’t seem to sure of his decision either:

"I’m not sure I have all the answers, and I’m not sure this is the right one, either," general manager Doug Melvin said. "But I’m going to turn the managerial position over to Dale Sveum at this time and hope that we can kick-start a ballclub that we feel has a lot of talent."

But who knows?  Sveum may surprise us.  He has already saying things like, "it’s not for two weeks, it’s for six weeks", referring to his interim tenure.

Melvin’s decision seems to have befuddled the baseball pundits but a cursory look at a couple Brewers blogs seem to indicate that many fans of the team welcome the move though they admit it is a bit late in the season. 

A couple other notes worth mentioning:  Bench coach Ted Simmons will be re-assigned.  In his place, Sveum named Robin Yount. 

Tags: brewers, dale sveum, ned yost

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Posted in: Managers by The Baseball Zealot
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