Tom_Pipines' Blog

     I have to admit, Eric Gagne has been a ten million dollar BUST for the Brewers-so far.

     He knows it, Manager Ned Yost; you Brewers fans are aware of it.

     That's why Gagne's been taken out of the closer's role for a "bullpen by committee" approach.

     The team brass still has faith in the once dominant righthander.

     Yost says Eric's been struggling with mechanics.  He adds that it's easy to fix.

     That had better happen-or mark my words-the Crew won't win the division.

     The bullpen is set up nicely with the likes of Mota, Torres, Riske and Shouse. 

     But, after his "break", Eric Gagne has to get back up on the ninth inning bike and pedal.

     If he can't do the job-G.M. Doug Melvin's gamble will have failed.

     AND, in all liklihood, the Brewers will be watching the post-season party on tv--again.

     Dick Vitale-the "face of college basketball"-talks about diaper dandies.

     Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillispie takes that term to a whole new level!

     Gillispie isn't the only one-just the most recently publicized-to recruit eighth and ninth graders.

     In fact, he just received non-binding committments from a couple of 'em.

     Call me "old school", because you can argue that there isn't great harm in such a move. 

     But let me ask you-would you want a gifted young son (or daughter) of yours to make a decision on where to spend their college years (or year, as might be the case) when he's barely into his teens?

     So much can happen before their junior and senior years in high school.

     Plus, all the hype can lead to unrealistic expectations and pressure.

     Absolutely NO WAY would I ever allow it.

     To his credit, Billy Gillispie says he will honor the youngsters scholarships if they go from being "men among boys" as eigth and ninth graders-to "boys among men" in college.

     I say everybody involved in the process needs to GROW UP!

     OK, let's count 'em up.

     The Brewers have suffered five straight losses-all on this road trip.

     If they don't win tomorrow (Thursday night), Ned Yost's boys will have been swept in back to back three game series.

     After enduring a 22 inning scoreless streak, the Crew finally broke through when Rickie Weeks walloped a two run homer in Florida-his fifth of the season was like the other four-a BOMB!

     But, instead of igniting the anemic offense, Weeks blast was the only noise all night.

     They lost, 6-2, to some rookie named Burke Badenhop-the kid came into the game with a fat earned run average of seven point two zero!

     At 16 and 17, the Brewers fell below the five hundred mark for the frist time since August 30th of last year.

     I won't blame Manager Ned Yost-I'm just not in that camp.

     But I know that Big Boss Mark Attanasio expects a lot more bang than he's getting for his buck right now. 

     I'm also aware that he's holding EVERYBODY accountable in a year of high expectations.

     Local prep basketball fans probably could have walked into the Custer High School gym with me the other night and recognized some of the standout players who were hooping it up.

     But their presence on Coach Marc Mitchell's team was about much more than their abilities on the court.

     Each young man had to raise a minimum of 400 dollars for the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer).

     One of the players raised 15 hundred dollars-and expected more to come in!

     Another raised a grand.

     On Friday, the team will travel to Madison to meet with sick youngsters.

     On Saturday, they'll play a bunch of former college all-stars at Homestead High School in Mequon.

     The game figures to be a challenging one (If you can stop by and support the MACC Fund and the players efforts, please do).

     Win or lose, the prep stars took a big step in their growth as men-as role models-and as encouragers for those less fortunate.

     To use the basketball vernacular--that's good STUFF!      

     PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has every right to be concerned about horses being raced at ages younger than three, and problems with breeding, medication, the use of the whip and dirt-versus synthetic tracks.

     But to single out jockey Gabriel Saez for the way he handled Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles is wrong.

     In the wake of the filly's death, a PETA representative said that the jockey should have sensed that Eight Belles was having problems and not used the whip.

     WHAT?!

     In reality-and this comes from the filly's trainer-Saez did the right thing by using the whip to prevent the hosre from crashing into the rail.

     NOBODY could have foreseen Eight Belles having to be euthanized after breaking both front ankles, following the race!

     I don't question PETA using the "big stage" to bring up valid points about the sport of horse racing.

     But to call out the jockey was flat out irresponsible.       

     I've had friends and colleagues say that Brewers Manager Ned Yost made a bunch of bad moves in the disastrous three game series in Houston-where the 'Stros swept the Crew-a first for Milwaukee this season.

     What did he do wrong?

     On Sunday, his pitchers blew a four run lead-ditto Friday night.

     Eric Gagne gagged on a ninth inning save for the fifth time this season.

     His hitters still leave too many runners on base, and run into outs (witness Prince Fielder messing up a possible big inning by getting caught between second and third on Corey Hart's rbi single.

     I've heard folks say Yost left starters Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra in too long through disastrous fifth innings on Friday and Saturday respectively.

     Look, these young guys have big-league talent.

     They have to learn to work through jams-or the Brewers won't get a sniff of post-season play-especially with Yovani Gallardo gone-probably for the season-with the knee injury.

     Do I agree with every Yost move?

     No; but I don't think he can be blamed for every loss-especially this past weekend.

     His players under-performed in Houston.

     They have to get it together in Florida and St. Louis.

     Ned Yost will be held accountable; in fact, if the team continues to slide at a critical part of the season (namely now), he could be toast.

     But his players have to get over the loss of Gallardo and play better 

     Nobody's asking them to do anything that they aren't capable of accomplishing.

     Miraculous!

     I don't think that description of Yovani Gallardo's staying in Thursday's Brewers game against the Cubs is overstating the matter.

     If you saw the way he crashed to the ground while trying to cover 1st base in the fifth inning of  the Crew's 4-3 win at Wrigley Field, I think you'd agree!

     Gillardo landed awkwardly on his right ankle; it seemed to bend in a grotesque manner.

     After writhing in pain, Yovani got up, took a few warm up tosses, and got out of the inning (he pitched through the 6th).

     Brewers play-by-play announcer Jim Powell saw it first-hand; he thought the injury would be season-ending.

     As important as the brilliant young righthander is to the Brewers staff-imagine the morale of the ballclub heading to Houston, if Gallardo had been seriously hurt!

     Not long after that, Milwaukee rallied for a 4-3 win-taking two out of three on Chicago's northside for the second time this season.

     You've heard the saying, "sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good?"

     In the case of Yovani Gallardo and the rest of the Brewers on Thursday afternoon, it was better to be lucky AND good!

     I put the "?" after the "headline for this blog; because, Derrick Turnbow has a terrific arm-and good stuff.

     But after watching him load the bases full on Sunday against Florida-without getting an out-and then getting embarrassed in Wednesday night's 19-5 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley-it may be time for a change of address.

     What did the legendary Yogi Berra say?

     Ninety-Five percent of baseball is fifty percent mental?

     You get my drift.

     IT'S IN HIS HEAD!

     The fans booing Turnbow at Miller Park has gotten to him; now, he seems to have totally lost any self-confidence!

     Derrick Turnbow's a talented pitcher and a good guy-one of my favorites.

     But for his sake and the Brewers, it's time to cut ties.

     The Crew would be better with Dave Bush back on the roster.

     (He pitched well in a minor league outing at Nashville the other night)

     You hope you can get some value for Turnbow and his fairly hefty salary.

     Either way, he's gotta go, and I say that reluctantly.  

     How about the Brewers debut of Mike Cameron?!

     The versatile veteran had to wait through his twenty-five game suspension to

play in a Milwauke uniform for the first time.

     Cameron made it count in Tuesday night's 10-7 win over the Cubs.

     The centerfielder was the centerpiece from the time he doubled off the wall in his first at bat.

     Mike had three hits, scored twice, and drove home a couple big runs.

     Maybe it was just coincidence that the Brewers pounded out a season high seventeen hits and scored all those runs-this after going 1 for 26 with runners in scoring position, during the three game series against the Marlins (Florida won two of 'em).

     Sure, Ned Yost's young men are going to "hit" their stride eventually-but I think Cameron sparked 'em.

     Keep in mind, the team fell in love with his enthusiam and attitude in spring training.

     Mike Cameron may just wind up being the catalyst that will take the '08 Crew to the post-season.

     I'm on record as saying that if the Bradley Center took on a "partner" for naming rights purposes, I wouldn't be opposed.

     As long as the Bradley Center received top billing, an added source of revenue could help all parties concerned. 

     All parties that is, except for the family responsible for building the B.C.

     I recall the day in 1985 that Jim Fitzgerald said he would have to sell the Bucks.

     Without an updated facility (the old arena just couldn't keep up with the times), it appeared that the team would move out of town.

     That's when Jane Pettit Bradley (and husband Lloyd Pettit) stepped up.

     Their act of charity allowed Herb Kohl to come in and buy the team from Fitz.

     The rest is history.

     If the family was (and is) opposed to the move-then anybody in a position to nix the sponsorship idea needed to respect their wishes.

     That much was a slam dunk.

     That's just what happened.

     In the end, the Bradley Center should suit all of us, just fine.