All You Need to Effing Know
>> Monday
People of Wisconsin wondering why the Brewers are going through a wicked late-season collapse: look no further than the following statistic.
Milwaukee Brewers Team OBP: .326
That's 19th in Major League Baseball. The old schoolers will tell you that speed never slumps, but I think the more appropriate adage for the modern era would be that discipline never slumps. This team, from top to bottom with the exception of the extremely unlucky Rickie Weeks and Jason Kendall (on occasion) does not take walks.
For comparison, the Brewers' main contenders for the WC and the NL Central:
Cubs: .359
Cardinals: .348
Phillies: .330 (I'm surprised by this, actually)
Astros: .324 (Not as surprised, but they've been ridiculously hot since the AS Break)
Add to this that the Brewers have actually outperformed their Pythagrean W-L by about 5 games (luck? Better bullpen performances than you'd think? Vinnie?) and you start to see how frustrating this actually is. If the Brewers had consistent OBP guys in the lineup, it's possible we wouldn't be seeing this September swoon.
Ok, I'm done ranting. Also, the Packers are 2-0.
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Oh, and also: Thank you to Carlos Zambrano, for throwing a no-hitter in my stadium for the fucking Cubs, thus providing the requisite groin kicking necessary to punctuate the failures of the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers.
And yes I know I'll look like an asshole if the Brewers rally back, and I hope they do and I'll still watch all the games, but I'm just pissed right now.
Discipline never slumps. I like that. Very true.
What was also ironic about the Z no-no was that it caused ESPN to cut away from the Sox-Tigers game. I think that was fate's way of saying, "Hey Brewers and White Sox--You can't get out of the Cubs' shadow for a second. Suck on that."
I don't know what's sadder, the fact that no Cubs hitter had thrown a no hitter in 36 years, or the perfect storm (no pun intended) of nigh-unrepeatable bizarreness that led up to it.
A hurricane cancels the games the Cubs were to play that weekend and not the games that say...the Mariners were to play that weekend.
Out of any of the 15 MLB parks not in action on Sunday, games are moved to Miller Park, because it's the House that Selig built, and because of the almighty dollar. However, this has the undeniable side-effect of home-field advantage for the Cubs. (Which oddly enough, before Sunday didn't mean anything, "since it's about executing" or some coach-speak like that, but once the 'Stros got no-hit, THEN it became unfair.)
Big Z in first game coming back from injury to discover his arm is stronger than ever a la Henry Rowengartner.
Any Brewers fans at the game forced to make impossible choice of rooting FOR the Cubs or AGAINST the Brewers' postseason self-interest.
Cubs take quick flight up from Chicago after two days off. Astros fly from Houston on the other side of the country.
One thing people are forgetting is the fact MLB wanted the Cubs and Astros to play a double header Friday and a game Saturday in St. Louis. The Astros owner objected, as he felt the Cubs should fly into Houston before Ike hit, take shelter in some hotel and then play Sunday.
Any complaining by the Astros should be directed at their jackass owner.
Also, homefield advantage in baseball is ridiculously overblown.
You are spot on, man. To be a total moron but to be all sports-analyst-like, the Brewers are like the college basketball team that gets to the Sweet 16 by launching a bunch of 3's but ends up folding because they have no shot selection.
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