Will 2020 Be Ryan Braun's Last With Milwaukee?

 As the Milwaukee Brewers wrap up the regular season week, still with a shot at post-season play, you have to wonder if we've seen the last of Ryan Braun.

Granted, the 37-year-old had a stellar final three games at Miller Park (it will ALWAYS be Miller Park to me, no matter which corporate sponsor has naming rights). In the three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals, Braun was at his vintage best.

The truth is, he ain't what he used to be. There's not a home for him in the outfield on a regular basis, and limited time at first base just won't justify the salary. Yes, his contract is up after this season. But he and the club hold an option for an additional $15 million for 2021.

Unless the National League adopts the Designated Hitter rule, after implementing it during this Covid-19 shortened season, I just can't see the club exercising the option. Yes, Braunie is great in the lockerroom, and would be a fine DH for the Brewers. But an every day player? Or a bench player? Probably not.

How To Improve Professional Golf

Caught some of the US Open yesterday from Winged Foot, won by a bulked-up Bryson DeChambeau (the only golfer on Sunday to shoot a sub-par round for the day).

On a 170-yard par 3, for example, DeChambeau hit the green with a friggin' pitching wedge!

And drives of waaaay over 300 yards are become routine for these young guns.

Tired of seeing some of this, as technology changes the game? Here's my suggestion: for at least one tournament, have these guys use the same equipment that Jack and Arnie used.

Wouldn't that be entertaining?

Reading The (Dollar) Signs, Big Ten Shoulders On

 I thought back when it happened that the Big Ten was a little too quick to pull the plug on the season.

Despite all the confusion their on-again off-again thoughts have created, the move to start up college football at the Midwest's major universities is the right move. Although not necessarily for the right reason.

It's clear the Big Ten was swayed by the dollars being left on the table. An Estimated $55 million per school for nearly  $800 to the conference has that effect. Am sure that, with the SEC, Big 12 and ACC playing, the threat (led, no doubt, by THE Ohio State)  that missing the fall would also have an impact on future recruiting had to weigh heavily.

Now, of the remaining Power 5 conferences, the cheese -- in this case, the Pac 12 -- stands alone. Only a matter of time before the Western schools decide that maybe fall football isn't such a bad idea after all.

The proposed Big Ten schedule calls for an 8+1 format. Gotta say, I like it! Eight schedule games, then a final that will pit West Division and East Division against one another (One vs. One, Two vs. Two, etc.), at sites yet to be determined.

Maybe the Big 10 should have come up with this a LONG time ago!

Also, I can see the hesitation coming from Madison officials (likely being echoed in all Big Ten cities) cautioning fans NOT to gather in groups to tailgate, group view, etc., games. Cooler heads need to prevail.

Go Bucky! And On Wisconsin.

Pump The Brakes, Packer Fans

I'm as much a homer when it comes to the Green Bay Packers as the next guy. Even hold a share of stock in team.

So despite the glee that came from besting the hated purple, those Minnesota Vikings, by a 43-34 score, I just have to call for caution (for several reasons).

First off, no preseason games, which leads to a number of questions about schemes, young players and the like.

It was clear that quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Coach Matt LaFleur  were on the same page Sunday. Rodgers was flawless running the offense, his second year in LaFleur's system. Mixing the run with the pass, moving the ball around to multiple receivers. Taking advantage of young Viking defensive backs.

Green Bay will need all of that, and more, this week when the Detroit Lions come to town. You can bet the visitors will do more to take Davante Adams (he of the 14 catches, two for touchdowns, and 156 yards) out of the mix. That means Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard will have to continue to step up.

But. But. But, the defense allowed 34 points and seemed to ease up once the Pack had a big lead. This team, in today's NFL, simply cannot afford to take their boot off the neck of an opponent. The gamble by Jaire Alexander, blitzing to score a safety when the blitz had not been called, paid dividends. But taking chances like that on a regular basis are gonna burn you more times than not.

Losing offensive lineman Lane Taylor for the season (again) doesn't help Green Bay. It will force rookie Jon Runyan from Michigan to step up his growth, again without the benefit of off-season camps or preseason games. Runyan was an eighth grader when the quarterback he is being called on to protect was leading the Pack to the Super Bowl Championship in 2011.

This is Rodgers' 16th season with Green Bay, a franchise that has been blessed in that regard, since Hall of Famers Bart Starr and Brett Favre also put in 16 years in the Green&Gold.

Best line from the opening NFL weekend came from an unusual source, Coach Bill Belicheck of the New England Patriots. In a lengthy question (to paraphrase "you've seen a football in your years, have you ever seen anything like with with no fans?")

Known more for terse, colorless comments, Belicheck replied "Practice".

Damn, Bill, nice mic drop!

Musings On A Rainy Day

After the Giannis-less Milwaukee Bucks were unceremoniously ejected from the NBA playoff bubble, most pundits around the country started to ask that haunting question: Will Gannis Antetokounmpo forced his way out of Milwaukee, or will the Bucks be able to re-sign their star?

Trust me, if I knew the answer to that question, I would make a lot of money in Vegas!

But, seriously, I think Giannis (aka The Greek Freak) will remain in a Bucks uniform. Granted, Milwaukee was not the same team in the bubble that it was during the pre-Covid season. And having their star injured to the point of missing the final game didn't help the Bucks.

Giannis may well be a back-to-back MVP selection. He certainly is deserving. And from my observations, he doesn't seem like the type of guy that needs to be in a New York or Los Angeles. He has said over and over that he's happy in Milwaukee, and Milwaukee has loved him back.

In order to help the process, though, the Bucks may need to bring in another piece to their puzzle. Sorry, I'm just not all that sold on Khris Middleton or Eric Bledsoe. I'm hearing the name Chris Paul being linked to Milwaukee. Wouldn't be a bad fit. Here's Robin to Giannis' Batman.

WILL THEY or won't they complete the NFL season? It kicks off tonight in Kansas City, and the Green Bay Packers head to Minnesota on Sunday to face the Vikings in a quieter stadium (only 22% capacity or thereabouts).

As much as I WANT the NFL season to go the distance, I just have my concerns that the league can pull it off. But then, I'm surprised baseball has managed to get this far into it's abbreviated season.

AS FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL, well let's just say that's a different beast. While NFL players are working for pretty hefty salaries and know what's on the line for them, college players are still kids who will party, gather and enjoy college life.

Yes, I know the SEC, ACC and Big 12 have said  they'll play this fall. Truth is, while Covid-19 continues to ramp up around the country, I still have my doubts it will happen for a full season.

Lessons From A Reading List

Following up a recent post, dealing with summer reading, just finished one that seems to ring pretty true based on today's atmosphere.

The book, Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye, is a very in-depth biography on Negro Leagues pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige. Even a non-baseball fan would find this an interesting read. Paige growing up in the south, dealing with Jim Crow laws and prejudice. It's a worthy biography written on a guy who was clearly larger-than-life in his heyday.

Born in 1906, Paige pretty much pitched 12 months a year for most of his career, which amazingly wrapped up in his 60s. Loved by the minority he represented, Paige was larger-than-life and denied the ability to compete against the white stars of his day until he was signed, at age 42, by the Cleveland Indians. By his estimation (and keep in mind records and newspaper coverage was spotty at best), Paige says he pitched in over 2,500 games (keep in mind he often pitched 4 innings or less as team owners would rent him out for a game just to help boost attendance), winning 2,000 or so. He said he played for 250 teams and threw 250 shutouts.

I'd believe that, since he played all year around,  heading out to California for winter leagues; playing in Bismark, North Dakota (on a mixed white/Black team long before Blacks were allowed into the MLB. And without issue, it should be noted); playing in Cuba, Puerto Rico...well, all over. Baseball was his job and he did it well.

Throughout the years, he had barnstormed against white stars like Dizzy Dean, Ted Williams, Bob Feller and the like, earning their respect along the way.

But the door to the Majors remained shut. Over and over he heard "If you were white..."

Filling Time During Covid-19

One of advantages of the Covid-19 quarantine, if you can call it that, is having more time to read.

Since I retired, I have made great use of the public library system for both books and films. Hated the lock-down when the library wasn't able to bring in my requests from the southwest regional libraries. Thankfully, even with limited pick-up dates, that has passed.

In no particular order, here's a list of some of my most recent reads.

• Out Of My League by George Plimpton. Plimpton is essentially an Everyman kind of guy. He authored a book from a stint as a quarterback with the Detroit Lions (Paper Lion), fought a few rounds with light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore, played golf with pros, etc. In this one he attempts to pitch to the American League and National League all-stars. This was back before players were making serious money, so the players agreed to it for a few hundred bucks each. Plimpton only made it through the AL -- a half-inning -- before the stunt was called due to his exhaustion.
• Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub and the Summer of '69 by Phil Rogers. The summer of 1969 was one that really got me interested in baseball. After the Milwaukee Braves packed their bags and left for Atlanta in 1966, many tried to fill the baseball void. Bud Selig, trying to get major league baseball back to Milwaukee, talked the Chicago White Sox into playing games at County Stadium. Growing up in Central Wisconsin, the NBC affiliate out of Green Bay picked up the WGN feed for Chicago Cub games. We watched them all season, and this collapse in the final 6 weeks of the season was epic. So when the Cubs traded my favorite player, pitcher Fergie Jenkins in 1973, I washed my hands of the whole organization. Still really haven't forgiven them!
• For The Good Of The Game by Bud Selig. The man who brought baseball back to Milwaukee, and went on to serve as MLB Commissioner lays out a great behind-the-scenes look at his life in baseball.
• Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy by Jules Tygiel. This is part of the reading list for "Baseball And Society Since World War II" as taught at the University of Wisconsin Madison. While I wasn't able to take this as a senior guest student (no room), I did get the reading list. Fascinating read for anyone who is a baseball fan.
• Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Probably the first tell-all book by an athlete that pretty much strips away the veneer from a professional sport. Bouton kept a diary in 1969 of his season with the Seattle Pilots -- the team that, by the next season, was in Milwaukee and renamed the Brewers. This was another book recommended in the UW class, as was
• The End Of Baseball As We Knew It: The Players Union, 1960-81 by Charles P. Korr. A fascinating look at the changes in baseball, many touched upon by Selig in his book. And, if looked on in context, a way to see WHY the players and owners continue to be at odds even in 2020.
• Football For A Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise Of The USFL by Jeff Pearlman. Great look at the league that, essentially, Donald Trump killed (and helps explain why our President hates the NFL).
• Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. This is the only novel in the group and is like an old friend; I've read it probably six or seven times over the years and still find it enjoyable.
• Catcher In The Wry: Outrageous but True Stories of Baseball by Bob Uecker. Yes, it is THAT Bob Uecker, long-time radio voice of the Milwaukee Brewers. Published in 1982 -- and my copy is autographed, so am proud of that.
• Instant Replay and Distant Replay, both by Jerry Kramer. The first is a diary of the 1968 Super Bowl season under Vince Lombardi, his second and the final of his career. The second is a followup, a way that Kramer catches up to his teammates years later. Both are good reads for a Green Bay Packers fan.
• Commander in Cheat: How Golf Defines Trump by Rick Reilly. I'll steer clear of making any political comment one way or the other, but suggest that Reilly, a long-time entertaining columnist with Sports Illustrated who does his homework, presents an interesting picture. It's worth the read.

Celebrate Part Of Baseball's History

It's the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues, the baseball league that began in 1920 to give many great players a chance to play professional baseball.

Long before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, many great (and I do mean GREAT) players were denied the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues.

Players like Buck O'Neil, Josh Gibson, Ted "Double-Duty" Radcliff, "Cool Papa" Bell, even Satchel Paige -- who didn't get a chanced until he was in his late 40s -- all starred in the Negro Leagues, playing for teams that were often owned by Blacks. And players who because Hall of Famers, players like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks, cut their teeth in the Negro Leagues.

The expansion of Major League baseball west, the growth of games on television, economics and more were factors that led to the league's demise.

If you're a baseball fan, and you get down to Kansas City, MO, I suggest making a stop at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Well worth the visit, for sure.

A READER, and yes, I do appreciate any and all, questioned the new change in ending extra-inning games in MLB. So, to help with some clarification, when teams go to the 10th inning, the runner at second base will be the player in the batting order position previous to the leadoff batter of the inning (or a substitute for that player).

So, if the number five hitter is due up to lead off the 10th inning, the number four player in the batting order, or a pinch-runner, starts the inning at second base. Any runner or batter who has been removed from the game for a substitute cannot be used (no re-entry).

That's straight from the MLB itself. Hope that clears up any confusion. Personally, I do like this change for the Covid-19 season, tho also like games that go 12 or 15 innings as well.

Baseball Schedule Woes Grow

Looked at the standings for Major League Baseball this fine, clear Wednesday morning.

Oh my.

Toronto, banned from playing in Canada because of Covid-19, just opened their "home" season in Buffalo. The Blue Jays are 6-8, just 3 1/2 games behind the American League East-leading New York Yankees.

Go over to the National League, where a 7-4 Miami Marlins team leads the NL East over an 11-8 Atlanta team.

And in the NL Central, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs are tops with a 11-3 mark. Milwaukee, scuffling at home with just two wins in seven tries, is in third at 7-8.

Now the amazing stat: the St. Louis Cardinals are right behind the Brewers with a stellar 2-3 mark. That's not a typo, folks. They have won two games in five tries! Every other team in the NL East has played at least 15 games. But St. Louis has been Covid central and has missed series after series after series.

MLB is still clinging to a 16-team playoff picture that will be based on winning percentage. Think maybe that ought to be reconsidered, based on the Cardinals. It's just not fair to the rest of the teams to force them to schedule multiple doubleheaders. Milwaukee is already facing a tentative three after having it's home opening series with St. Louis shelved due to Covid.

We have reached a point, MLB, in which time is running out and Commissioner Rob Manfred needs to say to the Cardinals "Thanks for attempting to play; we have lovely parting gifts. You birds just stay home now..."

DOES THE HOME FIELD crowd make that much difference to professional players? It seems to be the case with the Brewers. Over the last two seasons, both playoff-caliber seasons, Milwaukee has gone 100-62 at home, a winning percentage of 61.73% Clearly, the lads have fed off that home crowd atmosphere.

Those in the know figure that if you win 60% of the time at home, and 50% on the road, you're golden. Milwaukee is now 62.5% on the road, but only 28.57% AT HOME.

Gonna have to turn that round, fellas, and do so with just cardboard cutouts and canned crowd noise.

Sick Birds Shut Down Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers were scheduled to have their home opener today at 1:10p.

Word came out earlier today that, due to positive tests with players on their opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals, the game has been postponed. The Cardinals were told to nest....er, quarantine, in their Milwaukee hotel.

Sucks, for sure. Was really looking forward to baseball in Milwaukee, especially after the team went .500 (3-3) on the road to start this abbreviated season. And a postponed game just gives Christian Yelich, who has won the last two NL batting titles, a chance to sit and stew about his terrible 1-for-27 start to the season.

I'm in the "don't worry, Yeli will turn it around" camp. Stay positive, Brewer fans!

If games start to pile up and baseball turns to doubleheaders, MLB just announced that those games would be seven innings each. Seems like a good decision.

I AM AN odd one, I admit it. I happen to enjoy mowing lawn. I put on headphones and listen to the Brewers if they happen to be playing. Otherwise, it's sports talk radio. Yesterday, while mowing, I was listening to Colin Cowherd. I seldom agree with old Colin, as he is usually just trying to stir the pot and create listeners.

Shock of shock, Colin actually made a point I agreed with: That the Houston Astros get what they deserve if teams are throwing at them.

This stems from an incident the other night, when Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly threw at (and taunted) Houston hitters. Major League Baseball took exception, suspended Kelly eight games, suspended LA manager Dave Roberts for a game and fined first-year Houston manager Dusty Baker.

Aren't these the same Astros who were relaying signs in the playoffs (and in the World Series win over LA) by banging the trash can? And the only penalities were the team firing the manager and general manager after the truth came out. No player suspensions, fines, etc.

So if opposing teams throw at Astros, I'm good with that. After all, hasn't baseball forever taken the "we police ourselves" approach. Teams, and players, never forget.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL may or may not take place this season, but conferences are taking steps to have a season. Schedules are being set. The ACC, for example, dropped it's schedule this week -- and for this season, added long-time independent power Notre Dame to the football schedule (probably on a one-year basis). Notre Dame's other sports, with the exception of hockey (part of the Big Ten) are all in the ACC.

Glad to have them in the ACC. I root for the Florida State Seminoles (thanks to my high school buddy, Charlie) and having the Whinin' Irish on the schedule just gives me one more reason to hate the Golden Domers.