David Riske has been placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to April 10. Recalled
LHP R.J. Swindle from Nashville (PCL).

Courtesy of yahoo sports

By BRETT HUSTON, STATS Writer Apr 17, 12:29 am EDT



No pitcher who logged at least 170 innings had a higher ERA than Livan
Hernandez's last season, so when the New York Mets signed him to be their fifth
starter, they weren't expecting much.

After one start, they certainly can't complain.

Hernandez will look to build on his solid season debut Friday night in the
opener of a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field, where
the Mets have dropped two of their first three contests.

Hernandez (1-0, 2.70 ERA) ate innings last year in 31 combined starts between
Minnesota and Colorado, but he was much more of a hindrance than his 13-11
record would indicate. Hernandez posted a dreadful 6.05 ERA in 180 innings, and
the 257 hits he gave up were by far the most in the majors.

Those numbers didn't stop the Mets (4-5) from offering him a minor-league deal
in February, and with a strong spring—he posted a 2.55 ERA in six games—
Hernandez was named New York's fifth starter.



Aside from Johan Santana's 13-strikeout effort over seven innings on Sunday, no
Mets pitcher has recorded a better start than Hernandez did one day earlier. The
veteran right-hander gave up two runs and six hits over 6 2-3 innings in New
York's 8-4 win in Florida, which remains the Marlins' only loss so far in 2009.

"When you have a veteran like Livan who commands his pitches and can put a
little on and take a little off, he can be tough for a young,
aggressive-swinging team like that," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "He was
able to throttle back and forth, which made him very effective."

Hernandez is 0-3 with a 6.87 ERA in three starts against Milwaukee over the past
two seasons.

New York could use another effort like Hernandez's latest outing considering
their starting pitching at Citi Field have been less than impressive. The Mets
have gotten an average of 5 1-3 innings and a 6.75 ERA out of their rotation at
home thus far.

John Maine was given a three-run homer from Carlos Delgado in the first inning
on Thursday, but he gave up six runs in five innings in a 6-5 loss to the
Padres, New York's second in three games of its first-ever series at Citi Field.

"We continue to put ourselves in good position to win but we haven't been able
to finish," Manuel said.

The Brewers (3-6) have been the victims of some disastrous pitching early on —
their staff has a 5.92 ERA—and Dave Bush (0-0, 6.14) hasn't been without fault.

But while Bush gave up two runs in an inning of relief on April 7, he looked
much better as a starter Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. He gave up three
runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings, and was in line for a win until
Milwaukee's bullpen blew a late lead in a 6-5 loss.

Bush gave up six runs over five innings in a 9-2 loss to the Mets at Miller Park
on Sept. 3.

The loss in Bush's last start was the first of four in a row for the Brewers, a
stretch in which they yielded 27 runs. Milwaukee's pitchers fared well on
Wednesday, though, and Mike Cameron had three hits—including two homers—to spark
a 9-3 win over Cincinnati to avoid a sweep.

"I think everyone in here knows that we have a good team," said Cameron, who's
hitting .370 with three homers. "It's just a matter of going out and executing."

Cameron is hitting .233 (10-for-43) in his career against Hernandez, but has
four homers.

does anyone have tickets to seel for the june 28th giants game or mets game june
29th? im interested in anything near 1st base. thanks

RHP Trevor Hoffman was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March
26, with a right oblique strain. In his absence, RHP Carlos Villanueva probably
will handle closing duties. OF Tony Gwynn Jr. was placed on outright waivers and
cleared, then was sent to Class AAA Nashville. That means OF Chris Duffy won a
bench job. And 3B Mike Lamb was released, with INF Casey McGehee claiming that
reserve role.

ROTATION:

1. RHP Jeff Suppan

2. RHP Yovani Gallardo

3. LHP Manny Parra

4. RHP Braden Looper

5. RHP Dave Bush

ROTATION ANALYSIS: Some wondered why manager Ken Macha would go at the top with
Suppan, who slipped badly at the end of last season. But Macha doesn't want to
put the pressure of "No. 1" on Gallardo or Parra, two young pitchers who have
that potential down the road.

Looper fell behind early in camp with an oblique strain, and RHP Seth McClung
was stretched to serve as his substitute if necessary. But Looper appears on
target to be ready for the start of the season, so McClung will shift to a
relief role.

BULLPEN:

RHP Carlos Villanueva (closer)

RHP Seth McClung

LHP Mitch Stetter

RHP David Riske

RHP Todd Coffey

RHP Jorge Julio

RHP Mark DiFelice

BULLPEN ANALYSIS: The Brewers signed RHP Trevor Hoffman during the offseason to
fill a huge void in the ninth inning, but he strained an oblique early in camp
and missed much of the exhibition season. He appears will open the season on the
disabled list, which means either Villanueva or McClung will get a shot to
close.

Riske, who had elbow surgery in September, looked awful in exhibition play,
leaving some to wonder if he was healthy. Coffey and Stetter had solid springs,
but Julio was up and down. The relief corps in general had club officials
nervous.

LINEUP:

1. 2B Rickie Weeks

2. SS J.J. Hardy

3. LF Ryan Braun

4. 1B Prince Fielder

5. RF Corey Hart

6. 3B Bill Hall

7. CF Mike Cameron

8. C Jason Kendall

LINEUP ANALYSIS: The Brewers are in the unusual position of having all eight
position players back, a rarity in the big leagues. Hall evolved into a platoon
player last year because he stopped hitting right-handed pitching, but manager
Ken Macha said Hall would get the chance to prove he should play every day.

Hardy and Hart were having huge springs, and they provide nice pop at their
positions. Weeks has been an underachiever in the leadoff spot and might be
heading into a make-or-break season. This lineup has power, but six of the
starting eight also struck out at least 100 times last season.

RESERVES:

C Mike Rivera

INF Craig Counsell

INF Casey McGehee

OF Chris Duffy

OF Brad Nelson

RESERVES ANALYSIS: McGehee and Duffy played so well, the Brewers decided to keep
them instead of OF Tony Gwynn Jr. and INF Mike Lamb. Gwynn cleared waivers and
was sent outright to Class AAA Nashville. Lamb was released.

ROOKIE WATCH: With all eight regulars returning and no rookie pitchers ready to
contribute in the majors, the Brewers had no sure-fire rookie of the year
candidates as the season approached. But SS Alcides Escobar showed once again in
camp he is a fabulous fielder and constantly improving player destined to arrive
in the majors in the not-so-distant future. If things go awry at third base,
Casey McGehee also could step in and make an impact.

MEDICAL WATCH:

RHP Trevor Hoffman (right oblique strain) went on the 15-day disabled list
retroactive to March 27.

LF Ryan Braun (intercostal tightness, bruised thumb) was banged up as spring
training ended but will be in the starting lineup nevertheless.

INF Craig Counsell (torn meniscus in right knee) opted not to have arthroscopic
surgery and will remain on the active roster.

Copyright (C) 2009 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.

Do you love baseball? The come join us the UBL.

The United Baseball League (UBL) is a Roto League organized in 2007. We
are set to begin the 2009 season in a couple of months and we're
looking to expand by two teams.

We're a traditional 5x5 league and we are a keeper league. The league
fee is $40 but the first three teams win money at years end. The
Champion gets cash and a trophy. This will be our third season under
this format and we have a great group of guys.

Please email me at the email address below if you are interested and I
will send you a link to join our yahoo group as well as our league
constitution.

Thanks very much!

B.R. Wells
sacfly62@...

Hi all,

Sorry for not postinganthig in such a long time.  No real excuse for
it but all I can say is other things in my life have become more
important than baseball recently.

That aid, I have to admit that I am impressed with what the team and
the management has done so far this season.  I have been a Brewers fan
all of my life and tonight after the team pulled off a season sweep of
of the Giants I got to wondering if thy had ever done that feat before.

For some weird reason I keep thinking that they swept the Rangers all
season back in 81 or maybe 82 but I am not having any luck finding
confirmation of that on the net.  Does anyone now for sure?

Randy

Teammates, fans and the pitcher himself excited about trade

By TOM HAUDRICOURT
thaudricourt@...
Posted: July 7, 2008

CC Sabathia expressed a somewhat unusual concern for a pitcher making
the switch from the American League to the National League.
98964Brewers/MLB

CC Sabathia will make his Brewers debut Tuesday night against the Rockies.


Tom Haudricourt, Anthony Witrado and Emmett Prosser bring fans the
latest news, inside dope and links from around the Web.

"I'm more worried about my (batting) average going down," he said.

Yes, Milwaukee fans, the big left-hander can swing the bat a little,
sporting a career .300 batting average with two home runs and seven
runs batted in. But that's not why the Brewers acquired him in a
blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Indians.

The Brewers are counting on Sabathia's arm, not his bat, to lead them
to their first playoff berth since 1982. General manager Doug Melvin
offered a succinct reason Monday morning for his dogged pursuit of the
best pitcher available on the market.

"We're going for it," Melvin said.

Sabathia said he'd be more than happy to help the Brewers end that
drought, even if he bolts afterward for bigger dollars through free
agency. While expressing some sadness over leaving the Indians after
eight years with the club, the reigning American League Cy Young Award
winner said he was excited to join the surging Brewers.

"I know this is a good team," said Sabathia, who arrived in the late
afternoon and was introduced to local media before the Brewers' game
against Colorado at Miller Park. "And a good clubhouse, I hear."

Sabathia, 27, is expected to add to the team's chemistry,
well-documented as one of the best atmospheres in the majors. The
gentle giant - all 6 feet 7, 290 pounds of him - is beloved by
teammates, past and present.

"He gets along with everybody," said Brewers reliever David Riske, a
former teammate in Cleveland. "He'll fit in perfect. He has so much
respect for everyone, no matter who you are."

The Brewers' staff was impressed at how quickly Sabathia made his way
to Milwaukee after returning home from the Indians' weekend trip to
Minnesota. Sabathia said he wanted to join his new club as soon as
possible and will make his Milwaukee debut tonight against Colorado.

If the action at the Miller Park ticket offices meant anything, fans
overwhelmingly approve of the team's newest acquisition. The Brewers
sold more than 27,000 individual tickets Monday, nine times the usual
action , including 9,000 tickets for tonight's game.

When Sabathia was introduced to the crowd Monday night before the
bottom of the third inning, those in attendance rose for a prolonged,
standing ovation. He acknowledged the fans with a sheepish smile and wave.

With a near-sellout crowd expected tonight and expectations at an
all-time high for both the club and the pitcher, Sabathia was asked
how he'll keep himself grounded when he takes the mound wearing No. 52.

"I'm not going to say I'm not going to be excited, because I am," he
said. "But I know I have a job to do. Just go out and compete, stay
under control.

"I'm just coming in and trying to fit in and do my job. Baseball's
hard enough to play without added pressure. That's something that I
don't think about or worry about."

One of the first players Sabathia met in the clubhouse was first
baseman Prince Fielder, who at 5 feet 11 and 270 pounds is no longer
the biggest man on the roster.

"When I first walked in, he asked me if I needed to borrow some
(uniform) pants," Sabathia said. "He's probably the only guy with a
pair I'd fit in."

The primary reason Cleveland put Sabathia on the market was because he
turned down a four-year, $72 million offer for a contract extension
and said he didn't want to negotiate further. In baseball parlance, he
is considered a "rental," because he'll probably stay with the Brewers
only until the end of the season.

Asked where he stood on free agency after being traded, Sabathia said,
"Same place. It's hard enough to play this game as it is, let alone
any other distractions. I'll focus on that when it comes."

Sabathia said he expected to be traded, but he wasn't certain what his
new destination would be. When he learned the Brewers won the
sweepstakes with a package built around top prospect Matt LaPorta,
Sabathia said he smiled.

"When I found out Milwaukee had a chance to get me, I was excited
because I know some of the guys in the clubhouse and how good the team
is."

Melvin said several factors converged to prompt the pursuit of
Sabathia, who pushed the Brewers' payroll toward $90 million with the
remainder of his $11 million salary. The club's climb into playoff
contention convinced him that the addition of a premier arm could push
the team into post-season play.

"It encouraged me and gave me the confidence to make this deal,"
Melvin said. "A lot of times you're basing this stuff on instincts and
how your club is playing.

"We just felt that we needed to go for it. There's a lot of baseball
left, and we're playing well right now. We feel good about the team."

Owner Mark Attanasio said the money being put in the team this year
probably would result in the Brewers finishing in the red after
generating profits in 2007. But Attanasio said he felt committed to
make the best possible move for a supportive fan base expected to
reach the 3 million mark in attendance.

"I look at this at trying to do what's right for the team and not get
all caught up in renting a player or whatever. The fans put us in
position to do this as well. We're trying to give something back to
them as well."

The only controversy of the day involved the proper spelling of the
name of the Brewers' prized acquisition. Word came that no periods
were to be used with his initials.

Sabathia, whose given name is Carsten Charles, insisted he had no
preference, however. So, how does he spell his name?

"If I have to spell my name, actually, I use Carsten," he said. "Very
rarely do I write CC Sabathia."

That's OK. Manager Ned Yost will be happy to do so tonight when he
fills out the Brewers' lineup card.

Get out and get voting, We want three all stars I voted 60 times
already..... We maybe a small city but let show them what we can do. Go
Brew Crew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ive been extremly busy and i have had like NO time to get on here to
update stuff. im sorry. ill TRY tonight, but i might not be home.
otherwise ill update monday afternoon.

GO BREWERS!

thanks,

Andy

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "mike h." <sportsguymike@...>
> Bill Hall's agent told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he believes it
> would be best for both the Brewers and his client if Hall is traded
> to another club where he could play regularly. Hall made it clear he
> was unhappy when the Brewers called up Russell Branyan.

When told that Hall's agent was doing the talking for him, one of the
sports radio guys here in Madison asked if the agent was going to be
hitting for him, too...

Brad

Bill Hall's agent told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he believes it would be
best for both the
Brewers and his client if Hall is traded to another club where he could play
regularly. Hall
made it clear he was unhappy when the Brewers called up Russell Branyan.

For those of you that missed the press conference, Ryan Braun was
signed to an 8-year, $45m contract.

Now we just need Prince...

1975 Hostess Hank Aaron Uncut Baseball Card Panel NM
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150243818276

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Rays addressed a need for help in
the outfield Tuesday, when they acquired Gabe Gross from the Milwaukee
Brewers in exchange for minor league pitcher Josh Butler.

Gross was batting .209 with no homers and two RBI's in 16 games this
season. He went 2-for-4 and scored three runs, including the game-
winner, in Milwaukee's 9-8 victory over St. Louis earlier Tuesday.

Butler was 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in three starts for Class A Vero Beach
this season.

-------------- Original message ----------------------
> By Jon Heyman, SI.com
>
> Veteran right-handed starter Jeff Weaver has agreed to a minor-league
> contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, SI.com has learned. As part of
> the deal, if Weaver is not called up the major leagues by June, he
> can declare free agency.

So basically he has about 6 weeks to show something.  Seems like a
reasonable gamble to me, given the uncertainty of the #4 and #5
spots in the rotation.

Brad

By Jon Heyman, SI.com

Veteran right-handed starter Jeff Weaver has agreed to a minor-league
contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, SI.com has learned. As part of
the deal, if Weaver is not called up the major leagues by June, he
can declare free agency.

Weaver, 31, pitched for the Mariners in 2007, going 7-13 with a 6.20
ERA. He has pitched for the Tigers, Yankees, Dodgers, Angels and
Cardinals. In 2006, he won the clinching Game 5 of the World Series
for St. Louis. Once considered one of the game's top pitching
prospects, he has had just one winning season, going 14-11 for the
Dodgers in 2005.

He is the older brother of Jered Weaver of the Angels. The two were
teammates briefly in 2006 before Jeff was cut, partly to make room
for Jered in the rotation.

The Brewers' interest in Weaver was first reported by the Milwaukee
Journal-Sentinel.

Starter retires 16 in a row; trio of homers foil Mets ace Santana
By Adam McCalvy / MLB. com
Photobucket

_______1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - R H E
MIL (7-4) 0 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 - 5 7 1
NYM (5-5) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 3 5 2

WP: Ben Sheets (2-0, 1.

17)
LP: Johan Santana (1-2, 3.

05)
Save: Eric Gagne (2)

HR: MIL: Bill Hall (5), Gabe Kapler (3), Rickie Weeks (2).


HR: NYM: David Wright (2).



NEW YORK -- The Brewers hit three home runs off Johan Santana to back
Ben Sheets, who surrendered a run for the first time this season but
was good enough to beat the Mets, 5-3, at Shea Stadium on Saturday.



Bill Hall, Rickie Weeks and Gabe Kapler homered as the Brewers fought
back from a 2-0 first-inning hole against Mets left-hander Santana
(1-2), who made his first home start and was booed as he left the
mound after Kapler's two-run homer in the seventh inning.



Sheets (2-0) entered with 15 2/3 scoreless innings this season, but
surrendered a pair of runs on three hits in the first inning before
locking down. He worked around a walk and a hit in a scoreless second
inning, getting David Wright on a groundout for the first of 18 Mets
retired in order.



Wright ended that streak with a bang in the eighth inning, when his
two-out solo home run cut Milwaukee's lead to 5-3. Sheets walked the
next hitter, Carlos Beltran, but reliever Brian Shouse fielded a
Carlos Delgado comebacker to end the inning. Shouse has stranded all
eight of his inherited baserunners this season.



Brewers closer Eric Gagne worked the ninth for his second save.



Sheets also notched an RBI thanks to Corey Hart, who wisely broke for
home when Santana threw Sheets out on a second-inning sacrifice bunt.
Hall tied the game at 2 with a solo home run leading off the fourth
inning, and Weeks put the Brewers ahead with a 425-foot blast in the
fifth.



Kapler's two-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning chased
Santana from the game. The Brewers snapped a three-game losing streak.



Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB. com.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or
its clubs.



Next 5 games:

Tomorrow: @ New York Mets (5-5) at 12:10 PM on FSN
Tuesday: @ St.

Louis Cardinals (8-3) at 7:15 PM on FSN-HD
Wednesday: @ St.

Louis Cardinals at 7:15 PM on WMLW 41
Thursday: @ St.

Louis Cardinals at 12:15 PM on FSN
Friday: @ Cincinnati Reds (6-5) at 6:10 PM on FSN

Courtesy of Yahoo



Inside Pitch

Francisco Cordero said the Brewers blew their chance to keep him as
their closer by not working out a contract extension before the 2007
season.


Cordero, who set the Brewers' franchise record with 44 saves last
season, signed a free agent deal with Cincinnati in November for $46
million over four years. The Brewers had offered $42 million over the
same term.


Cordero said it never would have come to that had the Brewers given
him a contract extension in the spring of `07.


"They would have taken a risk and I would have taken a risk," said
Cordero, back in town for the Reds' three-game series against the
Brewers. "They could have had me for less money. They said they
wanted to see me pitch first."





General manager Doug Melvin said the Brewers did offer Cordero a two-
year extension that would have turned into a three-year deal because
his 2007 contract would have been torn up.


"I recall we did make a proposal, but we didn't get a counter
(offer)," Melvin said. "We never reached any type of negotiating
stage. I don't know if they gave us a chance. They never gave us a
proposal.


"They wanted more than that, and I think that's why they never
responded."


After losing Cordero, the Brewers signed free agent closer Eric Gagne
to a one-year, $10 million deal.


BREWERS 3, REDS 2 (10): The bad news is that Eric Gagne keeps giving
up home runs to blow save chances. The good news is that the Brewers
find a way to win anyway. For the second time in seven games, Gagne
allowed a game-tying homer in the ninth, this time to Cincinnati's
Corey Patterson, one strike away from ending the game. But the
Brewers rallied on Rickie Weeks' RBI single in the 10th off David
Weathers, and they have won both games in which Gagne blew saves.


Notes, Quotes

• OF Tony Gwynn Jr. sat out his fourth consecutive game with a
strained left hamstring. Manager Ned Yost gave Gabe Gross his second
start of the season in center field in place of Gwynn.


• RHP Ben Sheets' string of 15 1/3 scoreless innings to begin the
season is the sixth longest in club history and third longest by a
starting pitcher. RHP Jim Slaton went 20 scoreless to begin the 1976
season and 16 scoreless the following season.


• C Jason Kendall has hit safely in five consecutive games and is 6-
for-9 with three RBIs on the Brewers' season-opening homestand.
Kendall already has three multi-hit games.


• The Brewers have scored first in each of their seven games this
season.


• 1B Prince Fielder's six-game hitting streak ended Tuesday, but he
made two diving catches to rob Adam Dunn of hits in the Brewers' 3-2
victory over Cincinnati.


• LHP Brian Shouse has inherited five runners in his two appearances
and stranded them all. Last season, Shouse stranded 60 of 78
inherited runners (76.9 percent).


By The Numbers: 0—Runs allowed by RHP Ben Sheets in 15 1/3 innings
in his first two starts this season.


Quote To Note: "He's a lot easier to catch."—Brewers C Jason
Kendall, when asked if it was nice not to have to hit off Ben Sheets
anymore.


Roster Report

Medical Watch:


OF Tony Gwynn Jr. (tight left hamstring) left the April 3 game and
did not play April 4-8. He is day-to-day.


RHP Yovani Gallardo (arthroscopic knee surgery in February 2008)
opened the season on the 15-day disabled list. He began a rehab
assignment with Class AAA Nashville on April 4. He is expected to be
ready to rejoin the Brewers rotation in mid-April.


LHP Chris Capuano (torn elbow ligament) will try to avoid a second
reconstructive surgery with a month of physical rehab. He went on the
15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21.


LHP Randy Choate (broken left ring finger) went on the 15-day
disabled list March 20. He will be re-evaluated in early April.

By LAURA MEDINA, STATS Writer

While posting their best start in a decade, the Milwaukee Brewers
have capitalized on every opportunity - even in extra innings.

The Brewers will try to extend their successful season-opening run
when they continue their three-game series against the Cincinnati
Reds on Wednesday night at Miller Park.

Milwaukee has won six of its first seven games for the first time
since 1998. Another win Wednesday would give the Brewers their best
start to a season since opening 17-1 in 1987.

The Brewers won Tuesday's series opener 3-2 on a 10th-inning RBI-
single from Rickie Weeks. Weeks' heroics gave Milwaukee its fourth
straight win, and bailed out closer Eric Gagne after he gave up Corey
Patterson's game-tying homer in the ninth.


Gagne, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract in the offseason,
has blown two saves in three chances. He entered 2008 with just 10
blown saves in 187 career opportunities.

While Gagne struggled, the Brewers' offense - averaging more than 10
hits and six runs per game - continued its success at the plate.

Shortstop J. J. Hardy had three hits and scored two runs, while Bill
Hall hit his third homer of the season.

"We won, that is the most important thing," said starter Jeff Suppan,
who limited the Reds to one run and six hits in seven
innings. "That's our favorite letter of the alphabet, the W, any way
you can get it."

Dave Bush (0-1, 10.13 ERA) looks to follow up Suppan's strong
performance after a rough start to 2008. The right-hander gave up six
runs and six hits, while walking a career-high five batters in 5 1-3
innings of a 6-3 loss to the Cubs at Chicago on Thursday.

"I'm going to give up quite a few hits. That's always the case," Bush
told the Brewers' official Web site. "As long as I can limit my
walks, I'm all right. When I put guys on base in front of those hits,
I make it a lot more difficult for myself."

Bush is 1-2 with an 8.64 ERA in seven career starts against the Reds
(4-4).

Tuesday's loss was the second straight for Cincinnati, which will
send Josh Fogg (0-1, 13.50) to the mound Wednesday.

The right-hander struggled at home against Philadelphia last Friday,
yielding six runs, five hits, and three walks in four innings of a
rain-soaked 8-4 loss.

"You can't control the weather," said Fogg, who was making his Reds
debut after spending the previous two seasons with Colorado. "I just
made poor pitches. I didn't get strike one, and I put my team in a
hole. It's hard to come back when you're down three in the first."

Fogg is 6-4 with a 3.74 ERA in 15 career games against the Brewers.



Series at a Glance
Cincinnati 2
Milwaukee 3
Tue, Apr 8 - Final 10th

Cincinnati at
Milwaukee
Wed, Apr 9 - 8:05 pm ET

Cincinnati at
Milwaukee
Thu, Apr 10 - 1:05 pm ET

The Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets were partners in misery last
season, with each missing the playoffs despite holding what was once
a comfortable lead in their respective divisions.

The teams, both with redemption on their minds this year, meet for
the first time in 2008 on Friday, when they kick off what's expected
to be a rain-soaked series at Shea Stadium.

The young Brewers were among baseball's biggest surprises in 2007,
jumping out to a 24-10 start and leading the NL Central for most of
the season.

But what was once an 8 1/2 game lead disappeared as the Chicago Cubs
instead took the division, with Milwaukee going 36-46 in the final
three months of the year.

"Now they've gone through it. There's nothing I need to tell them,"
Brewers manager Ned Yost told his team's official Web site. "They're
prepared. They understand what it feels like, what it smells like.
That's a huge bit of experience for a young team."

Series at a Glance
Milwaukee at
NY Mets
Fri, Apr 11 - 7:10 pm ET
Milwaukee at
NY Mets
Sat, Apr 12 - 1:10 pm ET
Milwaukee at
NY Mets
Sun, Apr 13 - 1:10 pm ET
The Mets aren't quite as young, but their well-documented 2007
collapse stung even more. New York led the NL East by seven games
with 17 to play, but surrendered the title to Philadelphia on the
final day of the regular season.

New York's struggles have carried over to this year, as the Mets (4-
4) dropped four of their first six. They also lost Pedro Martinez
last week to a hamstring injury, and Nelson Figueroa will make his
first start in his place on Friday.

Figueroa (0-0, 9.00 ERA) hadn't pitched in the majors since 2004
before making two relief appearances this year, and he hasn't earned
a win in the big leagues since beating the Brewers (6-3) in August
2003.

In the meantime, the right-hander pitched in the minors and in
professional leagues in Mexico and Taiwan.

"I got the chance around the world to let my talent shine without
being worried about getting sent down," Figueroa said. "I can only
pitch wherever you put me. Give me the opportunity to be on your team
… so I can prove to you that I can do it."

Figueroa will be opposed by Manny Parra, another player trying to
make the most of his chance in the majors. After making nine
appearances and two starts last year, Parra (1-0, 3.38) earned a spot
in the starting rotation in spring training - and earned his first
career win against San Francisco last week.

The left-hander threw five no-hit innings against the Giants before
having his bid broken up in the sixth, and ended up allowing two runs
on three hits with seven strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings.

Parra came out of the bullpen to throw 6 1-3 innings against the Mets
last Aug. 1, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out
eight in an 8-5 Brewers loss.

Both teams have seen their fortunes change in recent games. Milwaukee
had won four straight before dropping its last two to Cincinnati,
including Thursday's 4-1 loss.

The Mets had lost three straight, but they won their last two to take
their series against Philadelphia. They won Thursday's game 4-3 in 12
innings on Angel Pagan's RBI single.

"The way that we won I think gives us some momentum and hopefully we
can use that going forward," third baseman David Wright
said. "Everything was extremely negative after that first loss. To
come and take this series after dropping that first one hopefully
gives us some confidence."

Forecasts predict rain throughout the weekend, but this is the
Brewers' lone scheduled trip to New York this

After establishing himself as a full-time starter in 2007, Brewers
Outfielder Corey Hart became one of just five Brewers to hit 20 homers
and steal 20 bases in a single season.

He's also proven his mettle defensively, providing one of 2007's best
highlights. In fact, Corey Hart said that robbing So Taguchi of a home
run last season was his favorite baseball moment.

Join Corey Hart for an online chat on Wednesday, April 9 at 2:30 p.m.
CST.

To join the chat, you'll need a FREE brewers.com account.

__________________________________________________
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By COLIN FLY, AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP)—The Brewers bailed out Eric Gagne again.

Rickie Weeks singled home the winning run in the 10th inning and the Milwaukee
Brewers
beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Tuesday night.

With two outs and two strikes in the ninth, Gagne blew his second save in three
chances
when Corey Patterson hit a homer just over right fielder Corey Hart's leap to
tie the game.

Gagne, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason to close for
the
Brewers after Francisco Cordero cashed in with a $46 million contract with the
Reds, also
blew a save on opening day against the Cubs on Wednesday.

Milwaukee won that game in the 10th and did the same against the Reds.

J.J. Hardy singled to start the inning and pinch-hitter Joe Dillon sacrificed
Hardy to second.
Jason Kendall singled off David Weathers (0-1) to right field to set up Weeks,
who hit it
just past shortstop Jeff Keppinger. Salomon Torres (1-0) got the win.


Gagne's failure overshadowed the pitching performances of Reds rookie Johnny
Cueto and
Brewers veteran Jeff Suppan. Cueto dominated the Brewers with his 96 mph
fastball and
hard slider, striking out eight in 6 1-3 innings to follow up the 10 Ks he had
in his major
league debut and victory on Thursday.

After the Brewers first six hitters started 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts
against the 22-
year-old right-hander, Bill Hall sent a hanging, full count slider in the
seventh inning
deep to the left-field bleachers, giving Milwaukee a 2-1 lead Gagne couldn't
hold.

Cueto left one batter after giving up Hall's homer. He struck Hart for the third
time before
being relieved by Jared Burton. Cueto allowed five hits and has yet to walk a
batter in his
short career.

The Brewers scratched their first run across in the third inning.

After Hardy's slow rolling single, Suppan, batting in the eighth slot, bunted
Hardy over to
second for Kendall, who delivered with a blooper just over the infield to left
that brought
Hardy home.

Milwaukee nearly did it again in the fifth after Hardy singled and Suppan
sacrificed. But
Kendall's single was too hard to right field and kept Hardy at third. Cueto
settled and
struck out Weeks on a slider in the dirt to end the inning.

In the dugout after the K, Cueto pretended to be on the mound, mimicking his
stare down
and pitching motion before busting out with a wide grin and taking a seat.

Suppan, though, kept the Reds from scoring until the seventh by relying on his
sharp
command, allowing a run on six hits and two walks. After Suppan twice worked out
of
trouble, Patterson's hot grounder got past a diving Weeks at second base to
score Joey
Votto. Suppan was done after the inning, finishing with a strikeout.

Cincinnati loaded the bases in the eighth, but it wasn't until Patterson got
back up in the
ninth and was down to his last strike that the Reds struck again.



Series at a Glance
Cincinnati 2
Milwaukee 3
Tue, Apr 8 - Final 10th
Cincinnati at
Milwaukee
Wed, Apr 9 - 8:05 pm ET
Cincinnati at
Milwaukee
Thu, Apr 10 - 1:05 pm ET

www.freebaseballradio.com  it's a fairly decent site they give you several
different links to try
you may need to different links everyday not every link will go to the
respective game

MILWAUKEE -- Former Brewers closer Francisco Cordero returned to Miller Park on
Tuesday and told his side of the story.
Wearing Cincinnati red, Cordero expressed gratitude that the Brewers gave him a
chance
to be a closer again and insisted that there were no hard feelings after he
spurned a four-
year, $42 million offer from the Brewers for a $46 million deal with the Reds.
Cordero also
revealed for the first time that it never should have gone that far, saying he
expressed
interest months earlier about a multi-year extension with Milwaukee but got a
tepid
response.

During 2007 Spring Training, Cordero told Brewers general manager Doug Melvin,
though
agent Bean Stringfellow, that he was interested in a multi-year extension with
the
Brewers, who had acquired him the previous July.

"We would have considered three or four years and it would have been less money
than it
was in free agency," Cordero said. "When you put up good numbers like I did in a
free-
agent year, then you're going to get paid.

"They would have taken a risk, and I would have taken a risk. You don't know
what's going
to happen during the season when you don't get something done in Spring
Training. They
don't know if I'm going to have a great season like I did, and I don't know if
I'm going to
have a great season."

According to Cordero, the Brewers showed little interest.

"They said, 'No, we need to see you pitch,'" Cordero said. "So it was not the
case that they
didn't have a chance to bring me back. They did have a chance. They had plenty
of
chances to bring me back as a Brewer."

Melvin remembers it differently, and pointed out that he never saw any kind of
proposal
from Stringfellow. The Brewers did submit an offer, the GM said, that would have
replaced
Cordero's 2007 contract with a three-year deal that would have nearly doubled
his $5
million salary through 2009. Melvin said he never got a counter offer.

Cordero went on to set a franchise record with 44 saves and won a spot on the
National
League All-Star team. Once he hit the open market, the idea of a hometown
discount was
off the table and things came to a head on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when
the
Brewers submitted their $42 million proposal.

As Cordero understands it, Stringfellow informed Melvin that he had a better
offer, and the
sides agreed to talk again on the Monday following the holiday weekend.

"I think [the Brewers] thought it was a bluff," Cordero said. "An hour later,
the same day,
they called my agent and said, 'You have until [Friday] to decide. They put a
deadline. They
wouldn't wait until Monday."

Cordero, who agreed to terms with Cincinnati on that Friday, did not like the
idea of a
deadline.

"Not at all," he said. "Why would I like that?"

Melvin figured as much. But he said the Brewers never intended to go past $40
million,
and after upping their proposal to $42 million were told by Stringfellow only
that Cordero
had another offer from a team within the NL Central that was "significantly
greater" than
Milwaukee's.

When Melvin heard that term, he backed off. Had Melvin known that $43 or $44
million
might have swayed Cordero to stay, things may have ended differently.

"I would have gone to ownership with it," Melvin said.

Cordero's decision forced the Brewers to regroup. They added former Pirates
closer
Salomon Torres in early December, and days later came to terms with former
All-Star Eric
Gagne on a one-year, $10 million deal to be the closer.

"[Losing Cordero] was a little surprising the first day, but then the second day
we went
right to work," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "I just thought that he would
sign here. He
gave me no reason that he wouldn't, but [the Reds] offer was better and I
completely
understand his thinking. He's worked hard to be where he's at."

Cordero has moved on, too. The Reds and Brewers are widely considered the two
top
contenders to unseat the Cubs as reigning division champions, and Cordero said
he's
happy in Cincinnati.

"It was so nice to be a Brewer," he said. "They treated me the right way, they
even gave me
a second chance to get my job back. They put me in the closer's role. They
brought be
back last year [by exercising a club option] without hesitating. That's why I
said early in
Spring Training, 'I want to stay here. I want to stay with the Brewers.'"

But once he hit the open market, "It was open to everybody. There's 30 teams in
the big
leagues that got a chance to sign me. Cincinnati showed a lot of interest, they
went after
me. I thought that the Brewers would have been more aggressive than the
Cincinnati Reds
because I pitched with the Brewers, not with the Reds."

Countered Melvin: "He'll survive. He's going to be happy. We were aggressive,
but there is
a certain point where you have to back off."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of
Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Manager Ned Yost didn't need to watch Mike Cameron for long in spring training
to realize
the veteran center fielder would be missed during his 25-game suspension for
using a
banned stimulant last season.

At the same time, Yost thought he had adequate coverage in center with the likes
of Tony
Gwynn Jr., Gabe Kapler and Gabe Gross.
"We felt good with the guys that we had," said Yost. "Kapler is a very solid
player, as is
Gross, as is Tony Gwynn. We just felt we weren't going to skip a beat."

And that's exactly the way it played out during the first week of the season.
Before being
sidelined over the weekend with a slight hamstring strain, Gwynn batted .571
(4-for-7)
and drove in the winning run on Opening Day in Chicago.

Gross got his only start Saturday and drove in a run plus threw out a runner at
second in
the Brewers' 5-4 squeaker over San Francisco.

And Kapler cut a wide swath through the Giants' pitching staff. He collected
three hits
Friday and drove in two runs in a 13-4 rout, socked a pinch homer Saturday that
proved
to be the winning run and went 2-for-4 Sunday with yet another homer and two
runs
batted in as the Brewers rolled to a 7-0 triumph.

"Mike Cameron is a hell of a ballplayer," said Kapler. "But this lineup is the
kind of lineup
that can have a few missing people and still be successful. It's that deep."

Here's an article from last month:

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/03/13/sports/00lead.txt

Sounds like he still wants to play but only on his terms.

Brad
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Anya Herron <capuanofan@...>
>
> I heard he retired.
>
> "William R. Timmler III" <timmler3@...> wrote: To Damien Miller?
> What's his status with the team or did he retire???

To Damien Miller? What's his status with the team or did he retire???

Brewers not resting on quick start
Milwaukee (5-1) vs. Cincinnati (4-3), Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.

CT
By JR Radcliffe / Special to MLB. com

The Brewers opened 2007 with a now-infamous 24-10 mark before
surrendering their 8 1/2-game lead in the National League Central, so
a 5-1 start to the season won't lead to much self-congratulation.



But it sure is a start.



The Brewers enjoyed Opening Week, taking two of three at Wrigley Field
in Chicago before sweeping the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park,
with superb pitching performances dotting the early-season landscape.
Jeff Suppan, who delivered one of those outings with 6 1/3 strong
innings at Chicago on April 1, will toe the mound when the club opens
up against Cincinnati on Tuesday.



"Anytime you win a baseball game, get off to a great start, that's
nice," manager Ned Yost said. "We just have to take it day-by-day.
[Monday] is an off-day, so we get to sit back and enjoy this one for
two days and then it all starts over. You forget it and take Tuesday
for Tuesday.

"

The Reds employ new manager Dusty Baker and closer Francisco Cordero,
who left Milwaukee in free agency when he signed a four-year, $46
million deal in the offseason. Cordero saved 60 games for the Brewers
over the past season and a half.



Some pundits -- notably Sports Illustrated -- think the Reds have
enough young talent to finish ahead of the Brewers in the Central
standings, with most outlets viewing the Cubs as the team to beat and
Milwaukee second.



"They're a good team, definitely some good young pitching," said
Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun, who has home runs in two straight
games. "Hopefully, we continue to play good defense and continue to
get good starting pitching. We should be in good shape.

"

The Reds had their own fast start, a 4-3 showing that included strong
performances from young pitchers Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. The
latter pitcher will start the opener after a dazzling debut, in which
he threw five perfect innings.



As for the Brewers' fast start, Yost senses something different than
last year's run.



"I just think this year, we're more experienced," Yost said. "Some of
the things that I see us doing are products of that experience, which
is a really good sign.

"

Pitching matchup
MIL: RHP Jeff Suppan (1-0, 2.

84 ERA)
Suppan got off to a nice start against the Cubs last week, holding
Chicago to a pair of solo home runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. Now he
returns home to Miller Park, where he was 9-3 last season with a 3.87
ERA (versus 3-9 with a 5.38 ERA on the road). Suppan also continued a
trend of starting the season sharp; his career 4.08 ERA in April was
better than any other month.



CIN: RHP Johnny Cueto (1-0, 1.

29 ERA)
Major League debuts don't get much better than what Cueto did in a 3-2
win over Arizona on Thursday at Great American Ball Park. The
right-hander retired 21 of his 22 batters, including the first 15 in a
row. In his seven-inning, 10-strikeout effort, the only hit allowed
was a Justin Upton leadoff homer in the sixth inning. Cueto did not
walk any batters, nor did he even reach a three-ball count at any time
vs. the D-backs. The right-hander blew hitters away with a fastball
that ran inside, often at 96 mph. He also showed effective command of
his hard slider and a changeup.



Tidbits
The Brewers' 25-man roster includes three players who had retired at
one point in their careers -- Gabe Kapler, Joe Dillon and Salomon
Torres -- and all three were coaches in some capacity during their
layoff. Kapler kept his comeback story fresh with his second home run
in as many days Sunday. ... The Brewers have scored first in every
game this season. ... Three different pitchers achieved saves for the
Brewers in the first five games of the year -- the first such
occurrence in club history. ... The Brewers set an attendance record
for an opening series, with 119,800 fans through the turnstiles. The
mark eclipses the 116,752 drawn in 2001 -- the first three games ever
at Miller Park.



On television
• WMLW 41

On radio
• WTMJ 620

Up next
• Wednesday: Brewers (Dave Bush, 0-1, 10.13) vs. Reds (Josh Fogg, 0-1,
13.50), 7:05 p.m.

CT
• Thursday: Brewers (Carlos Villanueva, 1-0, 3.38) vs. Reds (Aaron
Harang, 0-1, 2.77), 12:05 p.m.

CT
• Friday: Brewers (Manny Parra, 1-0, 3.38) at Mets (John Maine, 0-1,
9.00), 6:10 p.m.

CT

JR Radcliffe is a contributor to MLB. com.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or
its clubs.

In 2007 the Brewers got off to a fabulous 24-10 start, only to finish
two games shy of the division title. This year, after one week, the
Brewers are off to a 5-1 start. Will this be a repeat of last season
or are the Brewers for real this time?

In April there were several Brewers playing over their heads (*ahem*
J.J. Hardy), leading to a record that they just couldn't maintain all
season long. So this is my assessment of the guys so far (excluding
starting pitchers, as all but Sheets have only made one start) Some of
them won't maintain this pace, some need to pick it up.

Playing over his head:

Jason Kendall- I'm not quite expecting him to be hitting .467 all
season long. But the way he's handled our pitchers I would be happy
with a .267 average. I expect his play behind the dish to stay about
the same throughout the season, but I'm certainly not counting on
getting as much production out of our #9 hitter as we have so far.

Gabe Kapler- Come on. Nobody expected this out of Kapler. Two homers
already in only sixteen ABs. If he kept playing like he is now, we
wouldn't even want Mike Cameron back. Nevertheless, I expect him to
remain a solid bench player when Cameron returns.

Let's get it going:

Eric Gagne- I'm not expecting a 45 save season from Gagne. I know, I
know, he's past his prime, no more HGH, blah blah blah. But HGH
doesn't create ability that wasn't there in the first place. Barry
Bonds would still have been a great player even without "help." Gagne
is better than what he's shown us so far, although he has only shown
us 2 innings.

Prince Fielder- Don't let the .364 average through week 1 fool you.
He's gotten really lucky with dribblers sneaking through the infield.
Prince has put together some less than fabulous at bats over this
week, and he clearly has yet to find his power stroke. Prince isn't
locked in yet. He'll be better over the course of the season, even
though the average will obviously go down.

J.J. Hardy- Okay, the "I've been sick" excuse will only fly for so
long. He slugged a fabulous .158 over week 1. At this rate, Ben Sheets
will have more RBIs at season's end than J.J. will. He just looks lost
at the plate. I'm not expecting the start he had last season or even
the final numbers he had, but this is not the J.J. Hardy that Brewers
fans expect.

Right where they should be:

Ryan J. Braun- Picked up right where he left off last season. Still
waiting for the steals to come, though.

Corey C. Hart- I continue to maintain that he should be hitting in the
5 spot. Still excelling with runners in scoring position (limited ABs,
I know), very aggressive on the base paths and great instincts.

Who knows?

Bill Hall- Was 2006 a fluke, or was 2007? Personally, I think he
should be somewhere in the middle. He struggled last year because of
his switch to the outfield, where he was clearly not comfortable. Now
that he's back in the infield, I think it's definitely possible for
him to put up numbers similar to his '06 season.

Rickie Weeks- Yeah yeah, potential potential. Still waiting for that
to actually show up. I know Rickie can be great. I just want to see
him show it for an extended period of time. So far he's been doing a
pretty good job getting on base, he just needs to bring that average
up to be a leadoff hitter. Way way up.



Gallardo is supposed to come back mid-late April, Cameron the end of
the month. My prediction: with Gallardo's return, Mota is gone, Bush
to the bullpen. With Cameron's return, Gabe Gross is outta here.