Goat of the Game Blogs

I’m not sure why I came to the conclusion that the Brewers needed a new look. -Perhaps being in last place in the division triggered it.

The problem I have with the current uniforms is they are just too plain looking. The Blue is so dark that it amost looks black, and the gold outline is so thin that it isn’t noticable at all.

So I deceided to throw a few new color schemes out there. If you have any ideas for color schemes, please let me know and I’ll put it together.

One thing I think that needs to be changed eventually, is putting ‘Milwaukee’ back on the road uniforms. I also wouldn’t mind seeing an all knew logo.

I think the 1982 uniforms have run their course. The completely different set of colors (compared with the regular uniforms) looks silly. It looks like two different teams really.

I realize that these uniform templates leave something to the imagination. Hopefully you all have one of those. Ha ha. I started making some more detialed images, but came to the conclusion that I’d be working on them until 2012.

I’m not sure if new uniforms would spark and change in play for the Brewers, but it sure couldn’t hurt at this point. -Look what it’s done for the Tampa Bay Rays!

The latest from Brew town is that Bill hall, and his .220 batting average is unhappy about platooning at third base. He was quoted as saying he’d be “under pressure” to get a hit whenever facing a righty now because if he doesn’t, he’ll probably not be allowed to face them anymore.

He made that seem like a bad thing, but it worked so far - He got a single vs right-handed reliever, and former Brewer, Jeff Bennett today.

I can’t sit here and say that a platoon with Russell Branyan is that much better than Hall starting every day. Branyan struck out 4 times yesterday in as many at bats.

Other news includes the signing of Julian Tavarez. If there was one guy I wished would never slip on a Brewer uniform it was him. ..Well, him, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens I guess. No steroid link that I know of with Tavarez, but he is just an unlikeable chap.

Ned Yost is still hanging on by a thread. I ‘ve been saying all along that as long as we win once in a while and avoid the huge losing streak that Melvin won’t have the balls to dump him.

Tonight’s come-from-behind win won’t help rush him out of town either.

It’s sad when you find yourself almost routing for losses, but how much is one win every 3 losses really helping? We need new leadership in there if we ever want to fix this.

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In my mind, Ned Yost is to blame for the current record and current results on the field as much as any one player. But for this rant, I’m going to stick to the players themselves. Too many of them are under-performing and playing like they have no real purpose out there.

PRINCE FIELDER:I’m starting with you because you’re supposed to be the leader of this team. -You’re not anymore; Braun is. Last year you played with fire, with intensity. Last year you put up numbers and wasn’t afraid to speak your mind. This year you’re doing none of those things. You’re hitting .259 with 6 homers and look like a zombie out there. You commit a costly error and chuckle about it. There is no intensity whatsoever.

Is it a contract issue? If you are putting in anywhere under 100% because you want a bigger paycheck then you really are as dumb as Cubs fans say you are. In case you aren’t aware, putting up terrible numbers will NOT help you in future contract negotiations, no matter WHAT club you’re talking to.

If this is a attitude issue, then perhaps you should play out your contract here in AAA. ..maybe even AA. We ARE in last place. What harm could it really do?

If you don’t want to be the team leader anymore, then fine. But you still have to hit the ball.

WEEKS:You have no business being in the Major Leagues at this point much less leading off every game. You have current management to thank for your playing time. With a couple of hits last night you finally reached the .200 mark in batting average. .200!! -And you’re our lead-off hitter?? 

Look, we all like your potential..your speed…your power..but despite what Corey Hart may say, you are NOT Rickey Henderson. In my mind, you should still be in AAA until you learn to hit for some average. At that time, you should be recalled and should be batting down in the order.

JJ HARDY: is it any coincidence that you’ve played like complete garbage ever since you made that soap opera appearance? I tend to think that you’re a little caught up in the partying and the ladies and have let your game slip. I’m sure it might also be the case, as many say, that you were just playing over your head in the first half of last year and have now come back to earth.

Maybe it’s a little of both. You might not ever be an All-Star again, but at least try to put up decent numbers, hey?

BILL HALL: Admitting to not being able to see the ball while not wearing glasses or contacts for 3 straight years has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve heard in a long, long time. How much are you paid to hit and catch a baseball?? No wonder you failed at the move to CF! You couldn’t see the damn ball coming to you! Are you seriously that dumb?

Now you say you’re wearing your “uncomfortable” contacts, but STILL can’t hit the ball. What gives? If your contacts are THAT hard to wear, then try glasses! Sure, it will be extremely unfashionable, but who the F*CK CARES at this point! Your career is going down in flames here and you’re worried about a fashion statement? You’re playing every day (though I can’t imagine WHY) and you’re hitting .207!!!!!

Let me say that again: our starting third-baseman is hitting .207 for the year.

TEAM:C’mon! you’re payed millions of dollars to play this game! With the talent on this team you should be competing for a championship but instead you’re sitting in last place behind the PIRATES! You’re playing like a bunch of mindless goons and you need some blogger sitting back in Wisconsin to make up a story about your manager getting fired to get you to play with any purpose??

That’s seriously what it takes to get you fired up? Well, guess what, I’m a blogger too and I say Ned Yost should have been fired long ago. I also say you all stink. Is that good enough to “INSPIRE” you to win one more time?

By the way, congrats on finally winning a game and taking out your frustrations on a terrible Pirates team. All you’ve done is prolonge the baseball-life of the second-worst (Dusty Baker is still employed) manager in baseball.

Hello again Brewer Fans!

I thought I should probably update my blog before I head out of town. I’m going with the family up north for our first camping trip of the year. I’ll be away from the website Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and most of Sunday. I’m trying to get a fill-in, but because I use a specific program to make changes to the site, this won’t be easy.

If the site is a bit stale at the moment, I apologize. Please feel free to complain in the comments section below. While I’m away, please jump over to the brewers.com message board and post on the GoatofGame thread. If there isn’t a current poll here, then I will award the Goats when I return based on the posts (votes) on that thread.

Maybe we’ll all get lucky and the Brewers won’t lose any games while I’m gone. …yeah right.

Anyway,I thought I’d throw out some trade ideas and open it up to anyone with ideas of their own. Please don’t tell me though that we should trade Fielder and Braun (you know who you are).

Mark A. said recently that the money is there if Melvin can locate a top starting pitcher. The only way that will happen is by trade. I admit that I don’t know a lot about everyone in the minors, but I imagine the Brewers MAY be willing to part with Gwynn Jr. I think it’s safe to say that the Padres would give a high return on Gwynn Jr. They might not be willing to admit it yet, but they are also pretty far out of the race already (10.5 games back and in last place). The only trouble is they currently have 6 pitchers on the DL. -So they likely won’t be willing to lose another at least until someone gets healthy.

Iribarren (sp?) seems like a candidate to go too. The Crew is obviously sold on Weeks as their second baseman and leadoff guy depsite his many shortcomings. They tired moving Iribarren to CF, but he’d be at least 4th or 5th in the depth chart assuming they hold onto Gwynn. Some say that he’s ready offensively.

I can’t think of too many guys who would be readily available. Like I said though, I’m not an expert on our farm system. Maybe someone acn fill me in a little on who would be good trade bait.

Thanks for stopping in to vote! See ya next week!

Back when I played baseball as a younger version of myself, I had a somewhat memorable play. -And when I say memorable, I don’t mean it in a good way.

I wrote about this on my MilwaukeeBrewers.com profile, so I’ll just copy and past from there:

I was playing baseball back in the 8th grade and the girl I liked just showed up and was watching me at SS from the sidelines. I was beggin for the ball to be hit to me (as I usually do only this time it seemed more urgent). I got my wish. It was a sharp grounder between short and third. The third baseman was about 300 lbs (not kidding) so he had no chance. I put everything into diving to at least knock it down and that’s exactly what i did. I hopped up but couldn’t find the ball. For a moment I panicked until I finally found it right under me. I quickly snatched it up and fired a side-armed strike to my friend playing first base. –It was just in time to beat the runner. I knew I had just impressed the girl and I felt so high. I was cool as a cucumber as i got up and turned to return to my position when i hear the cheering turn to a big “OOOOH!” I spun back around and saw my friend scooping the ball up off the ground. -the umpire emphatically signaling “SAFE”! The jerk caught the ball and then while he was trying to perhaps steal some of my thunder he flipped the ball out of his glove and failed to catch it with his bare hand. The ump took it as a sign he never had control and my play (and future sex life) was ruined. Needless to say, we went on to lose the game after they rallied behind that play. I never got the girl and later tore a muscle in my shoulder knocking me out of baseball forever. I could also link global warming and poverty in general to this very play, but I’ll let you use your imagination for that.

I bring this story up now because I had a somewhat similar experience today. I was playing ball with 3 guys who were at the park (I butted in). There was one out, and the infamous ghost runner at first base. This tall, lanky guy was taking his turn to hit and had been hitting (and scoring) for a while now. (With only 3 fielders with one bing the pitcher, it’s difficult to record outs).

So, as I said, one out, runner on first, and he hits a hot grounder up the middle. Without thinking much (my calling card), I range over to my left and dive, snarring the ball in my glove. I landed akwardly and rolled over onto my left thigh which happens to put me sitting on second base. One out. I continue the rolling motion and somehow throw on to first base without Ryan Braun-ing one. It was kind of a stiff-armed, from-my-backside, while-rolling-over throw that I thought would be so far from first that it would be an embarassment, but it wasn’t. I stopped rolling in time to see it bounce in and out of the first baseman’s glove just before the lanky kid crossed the base.

These being strangers to me, I didn’t say anything but his 2 friends gave him an awful time about it (probably still are). They went on about hiw he screwed up my would-be double play and web gem. My only consolation I guess was that they witnessed it, and my wife, who was at the park did also.

Afterwards I strutted up to my wife and “casually” asked her if she happened to see my play.

She replies: “You mean when you hit the ball far?”

“No. That’s not what I mean at all. I mean when I dove, rolled over, threw to first….(with hope in my voice)”

“No. I was talking to this cute little girl”

Ugh. This is the story of my life. Do something great and someone screws it up. Figure at least someone noticed your effort and they didn’t.

I suppose the lesson here is either a) install hat-cam to record life in case I do something worth remembering…or b) don’t put guys who can’t catch a ball at first base.

Nedly might not be the worst manager in baseball (cough dusty cough baker), but he sure isn’t the best. I think 90% of the people watching the game (and this even includes the females) knew Carlos was done once he gave up a HR to hunter Pence in the 5th and a single to the opposing pitcher.

 He ended up getting out of the inning with a double play on a very hard hit ball. Nedly didn’t notice what 90% of the rest of the world did though and sent him back out to get shelled in the 6th. Back to back to back homeruns later and Nedly finally woke up from his daydream and pulled him. -By then it was too late.

I’m sure Villy will get some votes because his pitch count was relatively low when he imploded out there, but I think Nedly has to be able to see these things coming. He’s proven time and time again that he doesn’t know how to handle a pitching staff.

It will be very interesting to hear his post-game comments. I’m fairly certain he’ll use the old “I was trying to get him through the 6th” excuse. -It actually makes some sense as you’d like to save the pen for the rest of the series, but you don’t want to throw wins out the window like Nedly so often does.

In other news, I finally have my paintings up at the New Moon cafe here in Oshkosh. I have a few offers to buy as well which surprised me a bit. If you’re in the Oshkosh area (which you probably aren’t), stop by and see them.

Otherwise, see them here.

Thanks for stopping in to vote!