Now is the Time!

[Pokerbrat2000]

This has been somewhat of a frustrating season as a Brewer fan. All started when DISH TV pulled the plug on FOX and no longer carry Brewer games. So I have resorted to the Radio and highlights. I love listening to games on the Radio and nothing like the occasional calls by legend Bob Uecker, but I do miss being able to watch them live on TV.

Been frustrating for the Brewers in the fact that they just can't keep a good winning streak and momentum going lately. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have found their groove and have slowly pulled away from both the Cubs and Brewers. It is going to be tough to catch both of those teams and at this point, I think the Brewers are playing for one of the one game play in wildcard spots and they are currently tied with Philly for the 4th (of 2) spots.

The good news for the Brewers, the Cubs and Cardinals still play each other 7 more times, so that should allow us to leapfrog one of them, if we start playing good baseball and start winning 6/10 or 7/10.

Now is the time Brewers, 21 games left! 8 at home and 13 on the road. Let's do this!

 

[Packer Fan in SD]

I doubt we catch the Cards but we can catch the scrubs.

 

[Zartan]

Taking 3/4 from the Cubs is a good start. They still have a good chance of getting the WC spot. They have a on paper easy schedule coming up with teams ahead of them in the WC having harder schedules.

They are currently 2 GB with 20 games left.

If they just keep winning they will make the postseason.

 

[Pugger]

If they Cubs keep playing like they did this weekend they will have problems making the playoffs. They still have 7 games against the Cards coming up. We have to keep winning and hope AZ, the Mets and Philly falter to get that WC spot.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Looking ahead over the final games for all the teams still in the playoff hunt, the Brewers have what appears to be a pretty "easy" schedule. While 13 of the 20 are on the road, the only contending team they will play is the Cardinals. Otherwise, the other teams are all but eliminated at this point and may just be playing out the season and also looking at a lot of new prospects....something which fans don't frown on in MLB like some do in the NFL.

• @Marlins (51-91) 4 games
• @Cardinals (81-62) 3
• Padres (66-76) 4
• Pirates (62-81) 3
• @Reds (67-77) 3
• @Rockies (60-84) 3

 

[Mondio]

baseball and football are vastly different in the game and the approach. What it takes to get thru 162 games vs 16. The approach to practice and development is different and a more relaxed approach can be beneficial in a sport like baseball.

and seeing how Player B responds when put in the lineup doesn't really affect the way the QB, WR's, RB, TE's and 4 other offensive linemen operate when you put in a new RT to see how he does.

sending a message you're giving up on a season sends a bad message to a locker room IMO and practices and focus need to be much more refined in football than baseball. Not to say focus isn't important in baseball, but if they tried to maintain a level it takes to be successful in football on a day to day basis they'd be burned out by June.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

LOL, I knew it wouldn't take you long to find my little "dig".

While I understand Baseball is a longer season, I don't really see much of a difference with eliminated teams playing prospects in Baseball during the final 20 games of a season and an NFL team that is out of the playoffs doing the same thing in the final few games of their season. In both cases, you aren't playing your best players and little Johnny who saved up his paper route money to see Christian Yelich or Aaron Rodgers play, might be disappointed to come to the game and find out, they are sitting out this game.

I would also disagree with the "keeping your starters playing together in the NFL is important" in those final games. How many of those starters are even on the team the next year? Are they really out there trying to "build for next year" or just going through the motions, trying to avoid a major injury and just get to the off season? If anything, I would view preseason games as more important for establishing your starters chemistry, final games of an eliminated season, not so much. Let's give the young guys a good look and see if they fit the team's needs for next season.

I know you and I will never agree on this topic, but I will make a bold prediction. As NFL salaries keep rising and keeping players healthy for games that count become more emphasized, I think we will see fewer and fewer marque players on the field at the end of the season for teams that are eliminated. The last thing a guy, that is due for a $50M contract, wants to do is suffer a major injury playing out a lost season. While a guy that is fighting for his career, would really like to get out there and prove what he can do.

 

[Mondio]

It's not really a bold prediction, it's already happening. You can insert player Y in baseball and not much else factors into it. But Offensive lines get better playing together, offensive lines get better when they know how their QB reacts in situations, WR's build rapport with QB's by playing with them. it's why we'll see ours get better by week 5 over their first game.

Linebackers that play together down after down play well as a team, how DB's react and play etc, there are many, many more moving parts on a defense or offense in football than baseball and games and practices matter. Most of a team is around the next year, teams in transition are the only ones that have high turnover in starters.

Start giving your starters a third of the season off, you'll see a decline in overall play all over the league.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Like I said, I think "team chemistry" is much more important to establish before the season starts, not at the end of the season. I'm not saying that Reps at the end of a lost season might not help #12 and his WR's for the next season, but some of those WR's may not even be on the Packers. Toss in the possibility of a major injury to any of those players potentially jeopardizing their availability for the next season and I just don't see the benefits out weighing the negatives. I would much rather see Manny Wilkins or Alex Light tear an ACL in the final game of the year, than AR or Bahk.

I truly believe that the only reason (singular) we see teams playing starters at the end of a lost season is for many of the reasons you point out and they can be lumped into one word, "perceptions". Perception of throwing in the towel. Perception of giving up on certain players, perception of tanking for the draft. Perception of not giving the fans what they paid for. If you get rid of those perceptions, I firmly believe following what MLB does and start auditioning players and giving them valuable playing time actually has a longer range benefit to the team. This idea of it builds momentum for next season or greatly improves players (starters) who have been practicing and playing in live games together since August doesn't hold a lot of water with me. But meh...what do I know.

 

[Mondio]

It's not about building momentum, it's about building the team. What you can do in practice is so much more limited in football than it is in baseball. I can work on my hitting and benefit the team, but so many nuances in an offensive line are built by practicing and playing together. things that take seasons to build upon.

You aren't practicing with your starters and then playing your back ups. and if it takes 2-3 years of playing together to really come together, why are you trying to do it half a season at a time? Physcially, the season length, the style of play, mental game, everything has to be so much tighter and precise in football than baseball.

Start tossing in the towel and that team will be tanked in terms of play on the field and people in the stands in a couple seasons. It fosters a losers mentality, a good reason to take a break. Baseball is more forgiving in that regard by the very nature of the game.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's not about building momentum, it's about building the team. What you can do in practice is so much more limited in football than it is in baseball. I can work on my hitting and benefit the team, but so many nuances in an offensive line are built by practicing and playing together. things that take seasons to build upon.

Yet at the start of every season, we are talking about how rusty the offense is because they didn't get enough playing time in the preseason together. Yet, they got ALL that time at the end of last season. I still think your perception of how valuable those end of year snaps are is over-inflated. You are also discounting just how valuable those snaps could be to building the depth of your roster for the next season.

 

[Mondio]

They're rusty because of game speed, not game experience. If it takes a good offensive line 3 years to come together playing together, why do you think you can do it 1.5 years and giving them a reason to check out for half a year? Those back ups are what are churned through every year, how many of THOSE will be with you?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Great start to the "20 Game Run"!

Brewers win.

Arizona and Phillies both Lose!

AND....I scored a 20 yard line ticket for the Packer game on Sunday!!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Big win tonight!

However, holding my breath.....Yelich fouled a ball off his right knee in the second inning. Was down for 2 minutes before walking off the field and leaving the game. No word yet on how severe the injury is, but they can't lose Yelich!

<INSERT EDIT ON YELICH NEWS>

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[greengold]

While Christian suffered a mighty blow being out for the rest of the year, I’m not giving up on this team. They are suffering his loss, but, let’s see what they do.

A F ton of young, unproven, but dynamic talent was added to this roster. They could surprise the bejeezus outta many teams.

Don’t stop believin’!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Another W for the Crew tonight! Happy Birthday and GREAT game Moooooose!

• D-Backs lost
• Phillies lost
• Cubs lost in the 9th last night

Brewers are 1/2 game away from tying the Cubs for that 2nd playoff spot and the Cubs have 7 games with St. Louis ahead of them! The Brewers have now put 2 games between them and the other teams that are chasing them and the Cubs for that 2nd spot.

 

[greengold]

STL lost. Cubs down v SD. Brewers could steal the division & the whole enchilada. THAT’s what i want to see.

 

[greengold]

Great win by the Brewers 3-2. Keep rolling through STL, and all the rest. Win series to the Trophy.

 

[longtimefan]

Pitching had been great...and offense is doing just enough

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Getting Keston Hiura back should help with the Brewers offense. I haven't seen an exact date for his return from his hamstring injury, but he has been running and participating in batting practice, so that is encouraging.

I know its cliche, but the Brewers now control their own destiny for that second wildcard spot and if they keep winning, I feel a legit shot at the Division Crown. The Cardinals have a very "tough" remaining 16 games, facing all teams either already in the playoffs or in the hunt. Whereas the Brewers, I feel have the easiest remaining schedule of all the teams still in the playoff hunt, with the Cardinals being the only opponent they face that is still in contention.

Brewers Remaining Games:

• @Cardinals (82-64) 3 games
• Padres (68-78) 4
• Pirates (65-82) 3
• @Reds (68-79) 3
• @Rockies (62-85) 3

Cardinals Remaining Games:

• Brewers (78-68) 3 Games
• Nationals (81-64) 3
• @ Cubs (78-68) 4
• @ Diamondbacks (75-72) 3
• Cubs: (78-68) 3

 

[greengold]

We are a season high 10 games over .500... Rolling in the right direction at the right time. Go Brewers!

Lowest Team ERA’s in Baseball (Sept)

1. St Louis Cardinals (2.66)

2. Milwaukee Brewers (3.24)

3. Tampa Bay Rays (3.33)

4. LA Dodgers (3.36)

5. Philadelphia Phillies (3.59)

6. Chicago Cubs (3.66)

7. New York Yankees (3.70)

8. Cleveland Indians (3.73)

 

[weeds]

Freekin' Cards... Man, I've despised that team since '82. They're always pee'ing in our corn flakes.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Freekin' Cards... Man, I've despised that team since '82. They're always pee'ing in our corn flakes.

The Cardinals are just a thorn in the Brewers side and 4 players seem to always give them problems and must love Brewer pitching because they are hitting way above their lifetime batting average when facing the Brewers:

1. Paul Goldschmidt: Hitting .354 lifetime against the Brewers with a .633 SLG.....just a killer.
2. Yadier Molina: Hitting .309 against the Brewer and just an all around A-Hole.
3. Kolton Wong: .314
4. Paul DeJong: .313

Might even add Ozuna in there, who has a career .274 average, yet against the Brewers he is hitting .324

Of course when you only can muster up 2 hits as a team, it really doesn't matter.


Brewers need to win at least 1 out of the next 2 games with them and then somehow hope they can catch them, while the Cards are playing 7 remaining games against the Cubs.

 

[weeds]

The Cardinals are just a thorn in the Brewers side and 4 players seem to always give them problems and must love Brewer pitching because they are hitting way above their lifetime batting average when facing the Brewers:

1. Paul Goldschmidt: Hitting .354 lifetime against the Brewers with a .633 SLG.....just a killer.
2. Yadier Molina: Hitting .309 against the Brewer and just an all around A-Hole.
3. Kolton Wong: .314
4. Paul DeJong: .313

Might even add Ozuna in there, who has a career .274 average, yet against the Brewers he is hitting .324

Of course when you only can muster up 2 hits as a team, it really doesn't matter.


Brewers need to win at least 1 out of the next 2 games with them and then somehow hope they can catch them, while the Cards are playing 7 remaining games against the Cubs.

I'm a casual baseball fan but, I despise the Cardinals MORE than I despise the Vikings - the Bears of course are their own special 11th Level of Hell - jumpin' balls 10-0 loss when you're not afforded a whole lot of leeway in the stretch... ugh.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The interesting part of the Brewers VS Cardinals battle, the Cardinals haven't dominated as much as I thought or as much as it has felt the last 3 years. Maybe our hatred goes all the way back to 1982 when they beat us in the World Series?

This season the Cards have a 10-7 edge in the 19 game series.

2018: Brewers won series: 11-8

2017: Brewers won series: 11-8