What Would Ron Do ...

The Brewers deserved to win last tonight's game - up until the 11th. Heck - with the Reds SS dropping an easy pop-up and a HBP - we really should have just won.

But they blew it - and deserved too.

The Brewers just didn't seem to hustle. Games like last night make the rest of the world's assessment seem true (the rest of the world says the Brewers are just the best of the crappy teams).

All those years the Twins made the play-off with a strategy like ours ... except they hustled. Ron Gardenhire would let 'em have it if they didn't. In public - on the bus - in their hotel room.

Back to the game ...

11th inning

JJ Hardy hits a routine pop up behind 2nd base - DROPPED by the Reds. JJ gets first - but looking at the replay: had he been hustling: he gets 2nd.

Next play - he scores on Braun's single. Instead he only got 2nd.

11th inning again ...

Johnny Estrada doesn't hustle down the line - and the Reds turn the 1-2-3 double play (pitcher, to home plate to first base). If he had hustled and beat the throw - the bases would have been loaded when Jenkins got HBP in the next at-bat. Again we would have scored.

We're not the Twins of the past few years ... they hustled or Ron Gardenhire kicked their butts. Ned needs to embarrass one of these loafers like Billy Martin did to Reggie Jackson back in '77.

If he won't do it - I sure hope a veteran like Damian Miller steps up.

Saturday Morning Quarterback

I buy officially licensed MLB clothing.

I see the banner ads behind the batter.

In other words - I have paid my freight as a baseball fan and deserve to do some arm-chair quarterbacking (is there a baseball metaphor as good as this one? I cannot think of one).

Carlos Villaneuva walks three batters in a row with 2 outs to load the bases. They weren't close 3-2 counts that ended up as walks. There was something like 5 or 6 balls in a row.

He was in trouble. He was left-in.

Why? This isn't triple A Milwaukee baseball anymore. The Cubs won. We needed to win to keep our 3.5 game lead. We have an 8 game road trip ahead (including a double-header).

I wanna hear Ned say YEAH, We're in a pennant race and I'm watching the scoreboard.

Why?

Because it's the truth. It better be ... otherwise leaving Villaneuva in was resorting back to last year's "let them develop" mentality.

If we don't make the play-offs by a game ... remember Friday 7-20-07.

Bonus Coverage

Before I sleep on tonight's Brewers loss and get mad (I'm too tired to be mad right now) ...

Derrik Turnbow versus Barry Bonds was cool.

It's too bad it had to be with a 'couple of ducks on the pond" ...

But a 99 mph fastball did the trick.

Okay - Ryan's Klesko's RBI single down the right-field line that immediately followed sucked.

But it will be the Bonds at-bat everyone is looking at tomorrow.

** 4 walks given up by Milwaukee pitching scored. I am going to be in a bad mood tomorrow.

Behind The Music

Kudo's to the Plain White T's - there really is a Delilah. Great "behind the music" story. Double click on the picture to make it large enough to read.

First Half Report Card Time

Here we go with the rest of the season for the crew. Technically they are past the half-way point, but today begins the 2nd half ... kind of they way Memorial Day begins summer. Here is my assessment of each moving part of the puzzle:

FIRST BASE: A+

We could not ask anything more of Prince. MVP in the clubhouse, the field, the team and so for the National League. Thank goodness for "Billyball" or Prince would be an Oakland Athletic.

SECOND BASE: D+

This is Ricke Weeks spot and he has been a disappointment. He defense got better (but not kudo's for fielding your position like an average big leaguer), but his batting average is atrocious and he seems to be this year's rally killer. When he is up when we need a hit - it's not there. The only reason I gave the position a + is that when Tony Graffinino or Craig Counsell is playing that position - they seem to shine: Only when playing that position.

SHORT STOP: A

JJ Hardy is having a career year - ALREADY! He's great with the glove and clutch hit. I also like the way he works pitchers (ala the All Star Game).

THIRD BASE: A-

The minus is only for the first month when Counsell and Graffinino were splitting time. That would have been a D for sure. But Braun may turn out to be the MVP for the Crew this year. Considering he's a rookie and was thrown right into the 3 hole - he gets my highest grade: The Ralphie A++++.

LEFT FIELD: B-

Jenkins is his typical hot and cold. He's not a drag on the team batting 7th - leave him there. Mench never saw a pitch he didn't like to swing at! I would give Mench a B and Jenkins a C, so let's settle on B-.

CENTER FIELD: B-

This one pains me - because Bill Hall is my favorite Brewer. I think he could be a franchise player. I think he would be the first to say the whole moving to center field thing is no excuse for a drop-off at the plate. If we didn't compare him to last year - we would be a whole lot happier. But we have too. We need Billy to either hit more dingers - or make more contact. A home run drought combined with a lot of K's really hurts. I sure love the effort he gives in the field.

RIGHT FIELD: A

Corey Hart rules! I still with we could play "Sunglasses At Night" when he comes to bat! He hits, runs and fields like a lead-off guy. He just doesn't look like one. Looks can be deceiving. I get the feeling he may be one of the smartest players on the squad too (again - deceiving looks). He just has great instincts.

CATCHER: A-

Johnny Estrada is a big streaky - and that is the only reason for the minus. He's an amazing asset for the Crew behind the plate and Damian Miller may be the best back-up catcher in the league. What a HUGE difference from the Henry Blanco, Chad Moller days.

BENCH: B+

Tony Gwynn Jr. may be my second favorite Brewer. I want more Gwynn more often! I'd give him an A for his .300 + average as a non starter and amazing talent in center field. I like Gabe Gross - but only as a pinch hitter. Graffinino and Counsell are okay as subs.

STARTING PITCHING: B+

Sheet is finally having his career year. Soup has been a disappointment - but still a solid # 3 guy in the National League. It's Cappy that's gotta have a spectacular 2nd half to get this number up.

BULL PEN: A-

Coco looks tired - and I hope Ned didn't over use him: but we have to expect he will still be as effective. Turnbow has gotten rid of (or at least quieted) those voices in his head. Shouse is a good one man choice - and Matt Wise is sort of like old reliable.

Are You A Jerk At Work?

Fun little quiz - unless you fail ...

Answer each one of these questions true or false. . . and give yourself one point for every time you answer "true".

*#1.)* You feel surrounded by incompetent idiots. . . and you let them know the truth every once in a while.

*#2.)* You were a nice person until you started working with the current bunch of jerks.

*#3.)* You don't trust people around you, and they don't trust you.

*#4.)* You see your coworkers as competitors.

*#5.)* You believe that one of the best ways to "climb the ladder" is to push other people down or out of the way.

*#6.)* You secretly enjoy watching other people suffer and squirm.

*#7.)* You're jealous of your colleagues and find it's hard to be genuinely happy for them when they do well.

*#8.)* You have a small list of close friends and a long list of enemies. . . and you're equally proud of both lists.

*#9.) *Sometimes, you just can't hide your contempt toward the losers at work.

*#10.)* You find it's useful to glare at, insult, or even, sometimes, yell at some of the idiots at work. . . otherwise, they never seem to shape up.

*#11.)* You take credit for your team's accomplishments. . . I mean, you should, they'd be nowhere without you.

*#12.)* You like lobbing "innocent" comments into meetings that have no purpose. . . other than to make the person on the receiving end humiliated or uncomfortable.

*#13.)* You're quick to point out other people's mistakes.

*#14.)* You don't make mistakes. . . when something goes wrong, you always find some idiot to blame.

*#15.)* You constantly interrupt people because what you have to say is more important.

*#16.)* You're constantly buttering up your boss and other powerful people, and you expect the same treatment from the people you manage.

*#17.)* Your jokes and teasing can get nasty sometimes. . . but you have to admit, they're pretty funny.

*#18.)* You love your team, they love you. . . but you're all constantly at war with the rest of the company. You treat everyone else badly because, if they're not on your team, they don't matter or they're the enemy.

*#19.)* People seem to avoid eye contact when they talk to you, and they often become very nervous.

*#20.)* You have the feeling that people are always very careful about what they say around you.

*#21.)* People keep responding to your e-mails with hostile reactions, which often escalate into LOTS of angry e-mails back and forth.

*#22.)* People don't want to tell you personal information.

*#23.)* People seem to stop having fun when you show up.

FIGURE OUT YOUR SCORE:

21-23 POINTS (answered "true" to 21 to 23 questions): You are DEFINITELY a jerk at work. It's time to take a big step back.

15-20 POINTS: You are PROBABLY a jerk at work. Think about how you're treating people, and try to calm down.

10-14 POINTS: You MAY BE a jerk. Sometimes you are. . . it's erratic.

5-9 POINTS: You AREN'T a jerk...but occasionally you have mood swings or snap at people.

0-4 POINTS: You are NOT a jerk. You're probably beloved around the office, and around any place you've ever worked

I watched some of the LIVE EARTH show over the weekend and enjoyed many of the performances. But I hear how many people have a negative feelings toward the whole show. To me it's just music - but I totally understand the hypocrisy.

To me, what celebrities think is irrelevant - just as irrelevant as whether they like Hillary or Obama. Or which 90210 kid was seen at the national convention.

What are real folks wondering when Bo Jovi's on stage for Live Earth?

They're wondering how many of this weekend's performer's flew commercial airlines to the event? When was the last time any of them checked a bag? They answer is very few ... and not for a long time.

They see all of the dazzling lights and wonder how many kilowatts it's all eating up?

They read in Salon about edicts saying that limo's were to be hidden - so bloggers couldn't publish pictures.

But it wasn't always this way.

At first, we all were stunned and impressed with Michael Jackson's "USA For Africa. Mellencamp blew us away with his farm-aid. You could see the man's passion - those were HIS people he was helping. It was personal.

But since Farm-Aid #1, there hasn't been a single "cause" concert that captured the public's imagination. I don't know if we're all that smarter. But we are not surprised that Akon had to be educated on what being "green" means ... or that Sting flew in a private jet.

Do you realize how much waste would be saved if the entire CD manufacturing process was scrapped for digital downloads?

Less waste. Less profit for Sheryl Crow (CD's are HUGE mark-up items)

No wonder so many musicians like politics - they make great bedfellows!

In my household, we are as green as we can be. Not because some hypocrite who just flew home in a private jet encouraged us to be ... but because we care about our kids future.

We always check our bags too. No use in cramming stuff in the over-head bins - right?

Mr. Fielder Goes To Washington

After the disasterous trip to Pittsburgh, the Crew needs a big weekend in DC. We need some good 'mojo' going into the break - remember what has happenened the past 3 years after the break?

BTW: Ripping things off in sports is not big deal. The Braves ripped off the "chop" from Florida State. The Nat's ripped off our sausage race with the racing presidents.

I gotta tell you - I think this one is awesome: I laugh every time I see it.

The racing sausages have the heritage and are the standard for mascot racing. But the Nat's get kudo's here for taking an idea and making it fit their city and fan base.

What's In A Label?

I had to post this e-mail exchange with a listener - that was more like an IM session:

Dear Mr. Walker - I read today WKTI switched to Top 40. When did you do that?

Dear Kelly - We flipped to Top 40 in 1974.

Dear Mr. Walker - Why would someone say you flipped to Top 40 if you didn't?

Dear Kelly - You'll really have to ask them.

Dear Mr. Walker - It was another station quoted in the newspaper.

Dear Kelly - Again, you'll have to ask the other station.

Dear Mr. Walker - Did the newspaper ask you?

Dear Kelly - No - and please call me Bob.

Dear Bob - I am a media student and this has all peeked my interest. Sorry to be a pest, but I am trying to understand why the paper would say you flipped to Top 40 without even calling to ask you.

Dear Kelly - Again, you will have to ask them. If you want to check for yourself, check with the magazines that cover radio. We have always been a top 40 station for adults. What changes is the music that qualifies as top 40. This is nothing new. When WKTI began playing REO Speedwagon and Journey, there were people who screamed "That's Rock!". When we started playing big top 40 hits like Let the Music Play and Like A Virgin, there were those who screamed "You've flipped to Dance!" In the 90's when we started playing Spin Doctors and Third Eye Blind, there were those who screamed we had flipped alternative.

With today's blend of hits coming from a variety of artists like Rob Thomas, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, and Gym Class Heroes - the best common label is top 40. There is just such a great variety of sounds for us to play.

BTW: If you did check Billboard or R&R (Radio and Records), you will see they classify our play-list as Hot Adult Contemporary.

I like Top 40 better.

Thank you for taking the time to claify this all - Kelly.