Harry Lyerly and the Denver Brewers of the WPK

[HerbD]

That's what I love about baseball...impossible to predict what will happen on any given day. Scharden throwing a perfect game was not much of a surprise to anyone but Hiatt throwing the second one at this stage of his career...no one could have seen that coming.

[stevem810]

Good stuff going on here. Nice!

[BirdWatcher]

After the humiliation in Charlotte, the Brewers head down to Phoenix to take on their historic arch-rivals. This is a match-up, of course, of the the two teams who were expected to duke it out for MGL honors this season, but who have thus far disappointed.

In game 1, the Brewers bats wake up again and they take out a bit of their frustrations from the last 3 games against the Sting. Chad Brown (.292/.318/.390) led the way, going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI in the lead-off slot. Brown hit 2 doubles to get to 19 for the season. Another nice game from rookie third baseman Mike Foster (.302/.318/.413) who went 2 for 5 and hit his 2nd HR. Steve Green got the start the Brewers and went 7 1/3rd innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. With the Brewers easily prevailing 7-2, Green improves to 6-4 with a 3.09 ERA. He also went 2 for 3 at the plate, hitting his first 2 doubles of the season.

The Brewers prevail 5-4 in the second game to win the short series. Matt Helm got the start for the Brewers and pitched quite well- giving up 2 runs (unearned) on just 2 hits while striking out 7 and walking 5. Helm improves to 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA. Andrew Kennedy (.288/.317/.385) went 3 for 4 with an RBI and hit his 17th double of the season. Bobby Erbakan (.280/.354/.393) went 2 for 5 and hit his 20th double. Dave Duncan gave up a few runs late, bending but not breaking, pitching 2 innings and getting the save, his 1st of the season.

The Charlotte Sting remain hot and the Brewers, now in 3rd place behind only Charlotte and the Brooklyn Aces, remain 12 games out of 1st place. Phoenix, meanwhile, is 7 games under .500, sitting in 6th place, 19 1/2 games out.

[BirdWatcher]

With the trading deadline approaching and things heating up on that front in the WPK, one of the more interesting trades happened today between the two last place teams in their respective leagues.

And if you ask me, the MGL's Portland Wild Things definitely got the better of this deal with the Boston Berserkers. Boston gets an established 26-year old starting pitcher in Brad Graus, one who is having a pretty good season for a losing club. On the other hand, there are serious questions about Graus durability as well as his character. Rumor has it that he is highly unmotivated, neither terribly smart nor a hard worker.
The Portland club, meanwhile, gets a young man who should be a solid big league second baseman in Aaron Rains. Granted, Rains has been putting up his gaudy minor league numbers at a more advanced age than most of the players around him, having been picked in the 1971 draft as a 21 year old collegiate star in the supplemental 1st round (26th overall). But with his great speed and good overall tools combined with a reputation as a hard worker who is very adaptable, Rains should move up the Wild Things system quickly and could well be their starting second baseman within the next two seasons, if not sooner.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers next take on the 7th place Oklahoma City Diamond Kings in a 3-game series in OKC.

The Brewers rally for 5 8th inning runs in game 1 to get a narrow 5-4 victory. Justin Peacock wasn't great in the start, allowing 4 runs on 10 hits in 6 innings. But the offense and the bullpen bailed him out. Chad Brown (.295/.320/.399), on fire at the plate of late, was 3 for 5 in the game with 2 RBI and hit his 20th double of the season. The also hot Andrew Kennedy (.295/.326/.391) went 3 for 4 in the game. Jordan Stephens worked a solid 2 innings for the win, his 1st of the season against no losses, and improves his ERA to 0.73. Miguel Solis pitched the 9th for his 7th save (1.71 ERA.)

With southpaw ace Erik Sloan on the bump in game 2, things were a bit easier for the Brewers as they prevailed 5-1. Sloan, now 3-1 in a Brewers uni and 11-4 overall, worked 8 innings, giving up the 1 run on 7 hits, striking out 5 and walking 1. He got in a bit of a jam in the 9th and was pulled with runners on 2nd and 3rd having not recorded an out, but Jose de los Santos came on and struck out the next 3 batters to earn his 11th save (1.99 ERA.) Ryan Rodgers (.293/.408/.366), having recently returned from the IL and a rehab assignment at AAA Chester, had a nice game, going 3 for 4 with a walk and his 4th double of the season. Gold Glove catcher Kevin Curtis (.194/.329/.325) also contributed at the plate, going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and hitting his 14th double of 1972.

Game 3, more of the same. Cheol-han Lee took the hill on this day and the Brewers hitters were even more potent as the visitors win easily, 8-2. Cheol-han improves to 10-4 with a 2.03 ERA. Joe McPhillips (.223/.338/.376), who has been on a prolonged slump at the plate, had a good game, going 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and an outfield assist (threw runner out at 3rd base.)

With the 3-game sweep the Brewers have now won 5 straight, and with the Charlotte Sting suddenly struggling a bit (4 straight losses), the Brewers have narrowed the gap to single digits at least, as they remain in 3rd place but now are 9 games behind Charlotte and 5 games behind the second place Brooklyn Aces.

[BirdWatcher]

Rumor has it that the Denver Brewers have made it clear that they are willing to entertain offers for their veteran right fielder Antonio Puente and that chances are pretty good they might try to trade him prior to the trading deadline, which is coming up in a little over a week.

So when an announcement of a multi-player trade involving the Brewers came out today many thought it might be a block-buster trade involving Puente.
It wasn't.
Instead it was all about minor leaguers, with the Brewers sending 3 to Pittsburgh for 3 others.
For the Brewers the main goal was to give 24-year old first baseman Adam Hall a chance to play in the bigs, given that he was completely blocked by Bobby Erbakan on the Brewers roster and was extremely unhappy playing at AAA Chester. Hall is a very good defensive first baseman (actually, he would probably make an excellent third baseman and could be an acceptable middle infielder as well) with a very good eye at the plate and a borderline hit tool.
In addition to Hall, the Brewers sent starting pitchers Tomas Lara and Bryan Coupal to Pittsburgh. Lara was at one time a catching prospect for the Brewers, having been chosen in the 3rd round of the 1966 draft. But he also had some pitching skills and it did not appear that he was ever going to be able to improve his contact skills enough to ever become a big league hitter, so he was moved to the bullpen and eventually moved into minor league rotations. He has an excellent change-up and a solid fastball to go with a mediocre curve-ball. It is thought he will develop very good control but his stuff is thought likely to never be anything more than average and he should give up a lot of home runs. Lara has also long had the reputation of being unmotivated. He was not thought to have any hope of ever making the Brewers roster. The 21-year old Coupal was having a fine season at A Bainbridge but isn't expected to ever develop the movement or control needed to pitch at the WPK level. He is a very knowledgeable young man though and might surprise, but the Brewers decided to let him try elsewhere.

In return the Brewers received 23-year old John Conner, who profiles similarly to Coupal but might benefit from a change of scenery. At the very least he is considered durable, has good stamina, and is a humble, likable guy who should add to clubhouse cohesion.
The Brewers also got 22-year old center fielder Chris Kim. Kim was a 4th round draft pick by Pittsburgh in last year's draft. He has great range, a decent arm, but is a bit error prone in the field. He has plus speed and is a good base-stealer. And he has a decent hit tool with possible above average power potential.
The best of the 3 players the Brewers picked up, as our scouting staff sees it, is first baseman Jacob Kieft. The 23-year old Kieft was the 2nd round pick of the Road Runners in the 1971 draft. Kieft is just an average (at best) defender at first and does not have the defensive skills to play any other position. But he has a great hit tool with already well developed contact and gap power abilities and above average potential to develop home run hitting ability. He takes a very good approach at the plate and is expected to draw a good number of walks and strike out at least a big less than average. Of course, Kieft is up against the same problem Hall was. That would be Bobby Erbakan. But Kieft was playing at single A for Pittsburgh and has been assigned to AA Nashville by the Brewers, so at least there is a little time to let him develop a bit more before any big decision must be made. It is always possible that Erbakan may be moved to another position, with his great skills set, or at the very least Kieft's stoc may rise making him very attractive trade bait in the next few years.

As for Puente? Well, time will tell.

[BirdWatcher]

The surprising Brooklyn Aces, currently in 2nd place in the MGL and trailing the recently slumping Charlotte Sting by just 3 games, made a trade today that should enhance their chances of over-taking Charlotte and winning the league pennant for the first time in franchise history.

Brooklyn sent 25-year old catcher Joe Merritt and 21-year old minor league pitcher Bobby Radin, who in spite of an above average fastball is thought to be a long-shot to ever make the big leagues, to Phoenix for veteran closer Benni Heregger, one of the best relief pitchers in the WPK and the career leader in ERA in WPK history with a sparkling 1.47 ERA in 7 1/2 seasons. In addition, the Aces also received 23-year old second baseman Chris Murphy who is renowned for his leadership skills, even at his young age, and who looks like he could turn into a very fine WPK player.

It's hard to see what Phoenix beyond freeing up some payroll space, but given that it is almost impossible at this point (the Speed Devils are 44-52, 17 games out of 1st place in 7th place) that they will achieve the success predicted for them this year, that may have been the entire point as they look forward to 1973.
As for Brooklyn, this looks like a strong move for a team doing its best to contend this year, and beyond.

[stevem810]

Agree with you on the Rains/Graus deal. It brings into question notion of 'the improved A.I.' Looks one way to me.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by stevem810

Agree with you on the Rains/Graus deal. It brings into question notion of 'the improved A.I.' Looks one way to me.

I have to admit, though, that to a certain extent it comforts me when there are imbalanced trades between AI teams. It makes me feel a bit less guilty that some of the trades I pull off might be a bit imbalanced in our favor.

Plus, there is always the question of what the scouting teams of each team see when they look at the players involved. I am, of course, basing my opinions upon my own scouting staff's perception of these players.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers return home to Denver to take on the 4th place Los Angeles Spinners in a 4-game, 3-day set.

Game 1 was another fine outing for Harry Lyerly, who gave up just 1 run on 3 hits (he had a no-hitter through 6 innings) in 7 1/3rd innings pitched, striking out 6, walking 4, and once again not giving up any HR's. The Brewers won 4-1 and Lyerly improved to 8-4 with a 2.77 ERA. Bobby Erbakan (.280/.352/.390) went 2 for 4. Andrew Kennedy (.294/.325/.390) went 1 for 2 with a walk and his 18th double. The Brewers scored all of their runs in the bottom of the 7th, the big hit being Pat Rondeau's (.290/.313/.353) 2 RBI double. Miguel Solis pitched the 9th and got his 8th save (1.65 ERA.)

The score was reversed in game 2, the Brewers losing 4-1. Steve Green wasn't bad in the start- working 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, striking out 8 and walking none- but the Brewers bats were shut down by Spinners' ace Jason Wilson. With the loss Green falls to 6-5 with a 3.13 ERA. Bobby Erbakan finally hit his 5th HR of the season after a long homer-less drought. Chad Brown (.296/.323/.401) went 2 for 3 in the loss, hitting his 22nd double.

The Brewers also failed to get much offense in the first game of the Sunday doubleheader, spoiling a fine start by young lefty Matt Helm, who worked 8 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits (6 K, 2 BB). The Brewers lost 2-1 and Helm dropped to 4-4 but with a very respectable 2.58 ERA.

Rookie third baseman Mike Foster helped the team get a narrow victory in the night-cap to secure a series split. Foster (.310/.330/.393), who has been very impressive at the plate and solid in the field, went 3 for 4 in the game and drove in 2 runs. Chad Brown continued his hot hitting, going 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, hitting his 23rd double, and also stole 2 bases to put his season total at 16 (with 7 CS.) Brown, who turns 26 in about a month, is on pace to have his best big league season.

With the series split the Brewers stay in 3rd place, 7 1/2 games behind the Charlotte Sting, who have dropped 7 straight, and 4 1/2 behind the Brooklyn Aces.

Quick Ruben Souffront update: Ruben started the 2nd game of the Sunday doubleheader against his former team, but went 0 for 3 (though he did draw 1 walk) and made a big throwing error that allowed 1 run to score and contributed to a 3-run 2nd inning for the Brewers. Ruben isn't playing much for the Spinners and his numbers are not good. He is only signed for this season and perhaps will get a chance to try to resurrect his career with another team in 1973.

The Brewers are now 2nd in the league in runs scored and 2nd in runs allowed. Their current run differential of +62 is now the best in the MGL, just ahead of Charlotte at +60 and Brooklyn at +56. There is a lot of season left and the feeling in the Brewers clubhouse is that a 4th straight MLG pennant is still well within reach.

[BirdWatcher]

With the trading deadline coming up in just a few days and with the Brewers showing signs of being able to contend this season (will report on later, but most recently the Brewers took 2 of 3 from 2nd place Brooklyn to narrow the gap a bit more, and Charlotte continues to struggle), there are a number of big questions the team needs to answer for this season and especially for next season.

Let's start with the veteran players who might be gone next year (or sooner.)
1- Antonio Puente, right fielder. I've detailed this one pretty well already but just a few more facts to consider. First of all, one of the owner's requests this year was to upgrade at right field. And thus far, with all of his struggles at the plate, somehow Puente is ranked among the top 4 right fielders in the league. Which makes the owner happy. Do I keep him until the end of the season just to appease the owner and then unload him? Possibly. On the other hand, he continues to not hit home runs (which is his best skill as a hitter, presumably) and to strike out way too often. With Ryan Rodgers having returned from the injured list, I'm finding myself sitting Puente more and more just to get playing time for Andrew Kennedy, Pat Rondeau (both of whom are having fine seasons) and youngster Joe McPhillips. Would it be better to just unload Puente now and give Rondeau the starting right field job for the remainder of 1972? Maybe.

2- Miguel Solis, closer. Solis, now considered a fragile pitcher and age 32, missed most of the second half of the last two seasons due to serious arm injuries. And yet, he's pitching fantastic again this year, as he always has in a Brewers uniform. As team prankster he also helps keep the clubhouse loose. His contract expires at the end of this season. We have a plethora of good relief pitching prospects hanging around at AAA and AA, several of whom have been bouncing back and forth between Denver and Chester (AAA). I've been finding myself throwing him out there as often as possible just to see if he might suffer another major arm injury (not really wanting it to happen, of course) that would make the decision for me. We'll probably let him walk at the end of the season. But it's a tough decision to make.

3- Daniel Torres, starting pitcher. Torres, the winner of the last two ERA titles in the MGL and one of the most consistently good pitchers in Brewers history, is 37 years old and looking much diminished this year. He is under contract for one more season but the team has a buy-out option for 1973. We'll probably use it. Reluctantly. He is a team leader and one of the early rocks of the franchise. He will be missed.

4- Abel Pennington, starting pitcher. Pennington has been the Captain of the team for years. And a decent pitcher, as a number 4 or 5 guy. He was lost early this season to a serious arm injury and not expected to be healed until the off-season. This is his last year of arbitration eligibility. Catcher Kevin Curtis seems to be doing a great job taking over as the team leader, and young lefty pitcher Matt Helm is considered a captain. With Andrew Kennedy also a strong leader, Pennington is probably expendable at this point. Likely he will be non-tendered and allowed to test free agency.

5- Eric Singer, relief pitcher. Singer is a fan favorite and still a very talented reliever, even at age 34, and is under contract for the next 2 seasons, though the club has a buy-out option for 1974. On the other hand, Singer hasn't performed that well this year, was out with an injury for awhile, and is just now finishing up a rehab stint at AAA Chester. Most importantly, as mentioned above, we have a bunch of solid relief pitchers waiting for their chance to shine. Singer makes 200K per year. We could probably get about the same results out of 3 or 4 of our young guys making 20K. Seems silly to keep Singer at this point.


Having said all of that, here is one possible vision of what the roster looks like in 1973.

Starting rotation: Cheol-han Lee, Erik Sloan, Harry Lyerly, Steve Green, Matt Helm and/or Justin Peacock.
That gives us two bonafide aces, one righty (Lee) and one lefty (Sloan.) Lyerly, if he keeps doing what he's doing is a pretty great #3 guy. Green shows signs of potentially developing into a top of the rotation guy but is still a bit inconsistent at this stage of his career. His biggest weakness seems to be the long ball, which is odd given that all indications are that he should be solid in this area and that his teammate Harry Lyerly, who should give up a ton of HR's has been pretty darn good in that area this season. The young lefty Helm has shown good potential this year and likely would be the primary back-end of the rotation guy. But rookie Justin Peacock, with his 5-pitch repertoire, has at times been very good too and should be given a chance to compete for a rotation slot and/or settle into a long-relief role in the 'pen.

Bullpen: Jose de los Santos, Liann-wei Hua, Dave Duncan, Jaden Francis, Sam Pruiett, Jordan Stephens.
With the exception of closer/stopper de los Santos (who has been really mowing them down of late), this is a largely young and inexperienced group, but with good potential. Lefty Hua is quickly emerging as another potential stopper and at the least a very good set-up man. Jaden Francis, having been sent down to AAA earlier in the season after getting off to a horrible start, has returned and is doing a very fine job. Dave Duncan, in his limited opportunities last year, and in the 'pen all year thus far in 1972, has pretty much wowed with his great stuff and ability to avoid the long-ball. He struggles with control at times, but thus far it hasn't really hurt him. Pruiett has been waiting far too long for his opportunity, having had just a few brief periods of time on the active roster. Pruiett looks like he might be potentially the most talented of this group (other than de los Santos and Hua) and has been the name most often mentioned in trade proposals received leading up to the deadline. (Andrew Kennedy's name has come up quite a bit too.) Stephens is probably the least developed of this group but does have great potential should he develop his curveball to the extent thought possible. But perhaps more to the point is that Stephens is a fine hitter with some of the better HR power potential on the team and can play an acceptable third base. This makes him a very versatile component and greatly increases his chances of sticking.

Catchers: Likely nothing will change here. Multiple Gold Glove award winner Kevin Curtis (almost surely will get another at the end of this season) and Spencer Wilson make a fine combo. Wilson isn't quite the defender Curtis is, but he's no slouch in that area and is a better hitter overall. But they both can draw walks, both have good gap power and will hit their share of doubles, both are great character guys. Curtis is quickly emerging as the primary team leader and is a real fan favorite. Should anything happen to either of these two, we have several catchers at the higher levels of the system who could step in and likely do a good enough job, including AAA catcher Alex Hernandez, and Zacarias Martell, currently at AA and probably our best prospect at this position.

Infield: 1B- Bobby Erbakan, 2B- Jonathan Koch, 3B- Mike Foster, SS- Chad Brown. Utility/defensive specialist: Oscar Vargas.
The rookies- Koch and Foster- have shown great potential this season. Koch is a premium defender at second base and while his hitting has tailed off a bit after a good start, he still shows good skills and should at least be a useful bottom of the order bat. Foster, meanwhile, has surprised with the bat, hitting much better than could have been hoped at this stage of his development. He has good contact skills, good gap power, and flashes some above average HR power as well. His defense, especially given his cannon arm, is a plus too. Erbakan and Brown, of course, are pretty much the best position players on the team, great in the field and at the plate. Vargas remains a defensive wizard and while he is not much of a contact hitter he has good speed, good gap power, and will hit the occasional dinger.

Outfield: LF-Ryan Rodgers and Andrew Kennedy, CF- Joe McPhillips, RF-Pat Rondeau (and Andrew Kennedy).
Rodgers is the true superstar of the team and still very talented at age 33, but missed much of the first half of the season and hasn't really produced that much since. He does remain a very gifted defensive outfielder. Kennedy is a pure hitter with great gap power and just a little occasional pop. He is a solid defender both in left field and at first base and can play an acceptable right field as well though his arm is a bit weak for that position. McPhillips has often struggled at the plate this season, but is a premium defender, possesses great speed and running skills, and shows flashes of being a very dangerous hitter once he cuts down on his strikeouts and increases his contact skills a bit. He's young, he's learning, and he's a potential superstar in the making. Rondeau is arbitration eligible at the end of the season for the last time (rumor has it that a contract extension for 1973 is in the works as we speak). He is a great fielder, a great runner, a good contact hitter who can spray hits into the gaps and run all day. He won't hit many home runs that aren't of the inside-the-park variety. And he won't walk often. He's not a long-term answer as a starter and likely won't be with the team beyond 1973. But for now he is a valuable role-player.

As laid it out here that leaves a few roster spots up for grabs.
Likely this would mean one more back-up infielder and a fifth outfielder. If there is one thing the Brewers have plenty of it is young outfielders who could play at the big league level right now. Paul Mackins, who filled in for Rodgers the first half of this season, could be back. Josh Schaefer, the highest rated prospect among outfielders in the system, and a natural right fielder could certainly earn his first chance in Brewers purple. Troy bin Nadeem, who has had such a great season at AAA this year, certainly has at least earned a September call-up this year to show what he can do and audition for 1973. And, honestly, there are at least 3-5 more who could qualify.
As for another infielder, the guy who has earned it the most is third baseman Jose Careaga. He probably isn't going to be able to jump over Foster as our starter at this point, but he could be a starter on many WPK teams. He is a solid defender with a strong arm, an average hitter but one with a great eye and approach at the plate and a bit of pop in his bat, and a very hard worker. But he really only can play third and with Vargas very good at that position and reliever Jordan Stephens also a good option to fill in for Foster it is hard to see how Careaga fits. As far as versatility, minor leaguer Joe Willemse shows great promise as a tremendous defensive player at all infield positions other than first (just too short) and above average defensively in the outfield as well. Willemse is also very fast but unfortunately not a good base-stealer and just a slightly above average base runner. But he is also potentially a very good contact hitter (albeit, basically a singles only guy) who will rarely strike out. While Willemse profiles as a potential second-division starter he would likely be a very valuable super-sub and might eventually take over the role Vargas currently holds on the team.

So, that is what the team could look like without the 5 players listed above. It would certainly be a cheaper way to go but, depending particularly upon how McPhillips develops and whether Koch and Foster can build on what they have done thus far in 1972, it could be a very competitive team again. Not that we really need the cost reduction. The finances are fine, even if not unlimited. But it would help refresh and reload the team without, hopefully, the necessity of going into rebuild for the foreseeable future.

Tough decisions. But that's part of the fun.

[BirdWatcher]

Just a brief follow-up on the previous post.
As I think about this it strikes me that one option right now might be to see what kind of block-buster trade I can make by packaging Singer and Puente.
Given that we are still in contention this year and that youngsters like Koch, Foster, and McPhillips are still getting a feel for the bigs (and don't really expect starting jobs yet) it might not be the worst thing in the world to take advantage of a rent-a-player for the rest of the season. Someone with great skill and a big contract that expires at the end of the season. We can afford the extra salary this year, if we even need to as Singer and Puente's salary should off-set most any large contract (could eat a bit of their salaries and it wouldn't hurt much, too.) Probably means targeting a power hitting right fielder or third baseman or a very high offensive value second baseman.
Again, not looking for a long-term commitment, but if someone wants to unload a high-priced soon to be free agent, that might work for us.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers finish off their home stand with a 3-game series against the 2nd place Brooklyn Aces.

In game 1 the Brewers fall short in spite of a fine start by Erik Sloan. Sloan got a complete game loss, giving up just 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk but the team lost 2-1. Sloan falls to 3-2 as a Brewer (11-5 overall) in spite of a 1.29 ERA since joining the club (1.90 overall.) Chad Brown (.301/.329/.411) was once again the bright spot on offense for Denver, going 2 for 4 with 2 doubles to raise his season total to 25.

It was another low-scoring pitching duel in game 2, but this time the Brewers came out on top, 3-1. Cheol-han Lee lasted 8 innings for the win, giving up just 1 run on 6 hits, striking out 5 and walking none. Lee improves to 11-4 with a 1.98 ERA. Liann-wei Hua pitched the 9th for his 1st save of the season (0.74 ERA.) Rookie center fielder Joe McPhillips (.222/.333/.370) had a nice game, going 2 for 3 and hitting his 10th double. Fellow rookie Jonathan Koch (.233/.269/.375) had one of the game's biggest hits, a run scoring triple (his 4th) in the 2-run 7th inning.

Game 3 ended with the same result- a 3-1 Brewers victory. This time it was Harry Lyerly's term to dominate. Lyerly didn't allow a hit until the 5th inning and didn't allow a run until the 8th, when he gave up a solo HR to Greg Alwardt. Lyerly ended up working 8 1/3rd innings, giving up the 1 run on just 3 hits, striking out 9 and walking none. He improves to 9-4 with a 2.67 ERA. Jose de los Santos comes in with 1 out and a runner on in the 9th and retires the last two batters of the game get his 13th save (1.93 ERA.) Chad Brown (.304/.333/.413), naturally, is one of the hitting heroes, as he goes 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a walk and picks up his 17th stolen base. Pat Rondeau (.285/.308/.353) went 2 for 3 and hit his 5th triple of the season.

With the series victory the Brewers pull to within 3 1/2 games of Brooklyn and are 7 games behind the first place Charlotte Sting.

[BirdWatcher]

In a one-for-one trade of aging WPK stars, former MVP and 4-time All-Star Chris Flaim gets traded from Milwaukee, who signed him to a 1-year contract in the off-season, to Philadelphia for 5-time All-Star slugging right fielder Josh Ackland.

At 37 and 38, respectively, Flaim and Ackland are both clearly on the down slope of their careers. But perhaps a change of scenery will lead to a bit of a resurgence for one or both of these celebrated WPK stars.

Flaim won the MGL MVP award in 1967 as a member of the Phoenix Speed Devils when he led the league with a .360 batting average and in hits with 225. He won a Gold Glove award as a second baseman in 1965 and won Silver Slugger awards his first 3 seasons (1965-1967). And while his 1972 batting statistics are not spectacular, he led the league in doubles (42) in 1971 with a solid slash line of .293/.329/.460 and 2.9 WAR. Although his offensive skills still look to be useful, his defense at this point makes him a liability in the middle of the infield.

The slightly older Ackland, not as celebrated as Flaim, is also a liability in the field, although his arm remains a real weapon. He is, on the other hand, still potentially a prodigious power hitter and also has a very good eye at the plate. Ackland led the league in HR's in 1965 (41) and 1968 (26) and in RBI in 1968 (94). Interestingly, his league-leading 26 HR's in 1968 is his lowest season total thus far in his career with the second lowest being the 29 he hit last season. He has hit only 3 this season, but he's also only had 53 plate appearances thus far.

It should be interesting to see if either of these aging stars can recapture a little lost glory as they head towards clearly imminent retirement.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers headed off to L.A. to face the 4th place Spinners in a 3-game series.

In game 1 the Brewers got a narrow 4-3 victory thanks in part to rookie second baseman Jonathan Koch (.239/.273/.397) who hit a solo HR in the top of the 9th to break a 3-3 tie. Koch went 2 for 4 in the game. Steve Green got the start for Denver and gave up 3 runs in 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, striking out 8 and walking 3. He did not get a decision. The win went to reliever Miguel Solis who pitched the final 2 innings, getting the six outs with just 18 pitches thrown. He improves to 3-3 with a 1.51 ERA.

The kid Koch was a big part of the game 2 win also, as his 8th inning bases-loaded 3-run double to break another 3-3 tie and the Brewers went on to win 7-3. It was Koch's 10th double of the season. Fellow rookie Mike Foster (.290/.308/.380) also had a good game, going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and hitting his first triple of the season. Erik Sloan got the start but not the win. He worked 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 8 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks. Jaden Francis got the win, pitching an inning but giving up a run on a hit and a walk. Francis is now 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

The Brewers won the series but were denied the sweep when the Spinners prevailed in game 3, 5-3. Cheol-han Lee pitched probably his worst start of the season, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in just 5 1/3rd innings pitched. He falls to 11-5 with a 2.19 ERA. The bullpen was solid after that and the offense tried to rally in the 9th but they fell short.

After winning 2 of 3 the Brewers remain in 3rd place, now 3 games behind Brooklyn and 6 1/2 behind Charlotte heading into the last day July.

[BirdWatcher]

August 1st has rolled around and that means it's time for another set of player development reports from head scout Nick Meskill and his crack team.

In spite of his still underwhelming offensive numbers thus far, in the eyes of Meskill and his staff Joe McPhillips is looking more and more like a future superstar in the WPK. I'd love to see some evidence that he is likely to cut down on his strikeouts soon and improve his contact but our scouting staff believes his above average power potential is about to be realized and that his eye at the plate is approaching great excellence.

Another young outfielder showing increased potential is 19-year old Jorge Gonzalez. The talented young Dominican was signed as an international scouting discovery by Meskill in February of 1970, a bit shy of his 17th birthday. He is a line-drive hitter who sprays the ball around the park but also is expected to develop into an above average power hitter and a very fine contact hitter who won't strikeout too often. While his arm profiles as only average, he should be a fine defensive left-fielder. He's still several years away from being big league ready and has a good distance to go before reaching his full potential, but Gonzalez has a chance to be the future Brewers left fielder playing alongside McPhillips eventually.

[BirdWatcher]

In what proved to be a very busy period of trading prior to the July 31st deadline, the Brewers toyed with the idea of a blockbuster trade involving Antonio Puente and Eric Singer but in the end kept the club intact as is, for now.
Rumor has it that a deal was nearly finalized with the San Francisco Velocity that would have brought veteran star center fielder Antonio Sosa plus a marginal starting pitching prospect to the Brewers but in the end the Brewers management team pulled the plug on the deal. One thought was that getting Sosa, who has one more year on his contract after the current season, would have given a bit more time for Joe McPhillips to develop without the pressure of being the starting center fielder. But ultimately the Brewers brain-trust decided that it might just slow down his progress and that McPhillips needs the opportunity, sooner rather than later, to make the position his own.

With Singer retained and his allowable time down at AAA on rehab assignment having come to an end, he was brought back to the Brewers bullpen and rookie starting pitcher Justin Peacock was optioned back to AAA Chester for a bit more seasoning.

Whether Puente and Singer will still be members of the Brewers organization come 1973 is very much debatable, but for now they remain to hopefully play their roles in helping the Brewers claim a fourth straight MGL title.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers finish up July and get a start on August with a 2-game series in Brooklyn against the 2nd place Aces.

In game 1 veteran lefty Daniel Torres, in only his 3rd start of the month, pitches a very strong 5 2/3rds innings, allowing no runs on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and no walks and the Brewers prevail 2-0. The Brewers scored the lone runs of the game in the 2nd inning thanks largely to big contributions from the lower portion of the lineup as Jonathan Koch (.241/.277/.395) went 2 for 4 and drove in a run and catcher Kevin Curtis (.189/.324/.311) was 2 for 3 with a walk. Ryan Rodgers (.306/.409/.370), starting to get on a roll at the plate after returning from an extended period on the injured list, went 3 for 4 and hit his 5th double. The bullpen was tremendous again for the last 3 1/3rd innings and Jose de los Santos picked up his 14th save (1.89 ERA.) Torres improves to 5-5 with a 3.69 ERA.

The Brewers start the month of August with a loss, dropping game 2 to the Aces, 4-2. Harry Lyerly once again did not give up any HR's, but did allow 4 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits over 7 innings (5 K, 3 BB) to get the loss and drop to 9-5 with a 2.66 ERA. The Brewers outhit the Aces 10-7 but stranded far too many runners. Jonathan Koch (.245/.280/.400) went 2 for 5 and hit his 11th double. Pat Rondeau (.285/.306/.357) was also 2 for 5 and hit his 6th triple of the season.

[BirdWatcher]

So as we get going in the month of August the Charlotte Sting remain atop the MGL standings but have been showing some vulnerability the last few weeks. They now lead Brooklyn by 4 games and Denver by 7 while the L.A. Spinners have been sliding down the standings. Meanwhile, the team predicted to be the best team in all of the WPK prior to the season- the Phoenix Speed Devils- are starting to show some signs of life and have been the hottest team in the MGL of late. They are still 2 games under .500 and 14 1/2 games off the pace in 5th place but Phoenix fans are starting to sense the possibility that this season isn't totally lost.

In the SJL, two of the perennial powerhouses, Columbus and Jacksonville, are currently tied for 1st, while the surprising San Antonio Keys sit just 1/2 game behind them. The over-achieving (-40 run differential, +8 pythagorean win expectation difference) Seattle Alligators are in hanging in there in 4th place. The pre-season favorite, the Washington Night Train, are a game under .500 and in 5th place, 8 games behind the leaders.

[BirdWatcher]

In an odd (and challenging) bit of scheduling, the Brewers then head all the way to the west coast to take on the San Francisco Velocity in a short 2-game set.

Perhaps it was jet lag, or maybe the effect of playing in the extreme pitcher's park of Bank of the West Ballpark, but whatever the cause the Brewers could not mount any offense in game 1 and lose 2-0. Steve Green pitched a solid game in the loss, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings pitched, with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks. He drops to 6-6 with a 3.14 ERA. Chad Brown (.301/.328/.403) continues to have a fine season and goes 2 for 4 with his 19th stolen base in the loss.

Much the same happens in game 2, which the Brewers lose 2-1. Matt Helm pitched a solid 6 innings, not giving up any runs while allowing 5 hits and 3 walks and striking out 5. The Brewers carry a 1-0 lead into the 8th inning but then Liann-wei Hua gave up a 1-out hit and Miguel Solis allowed a 2-run HR to the first batter he faced to take the loss. Solis drops to 3-4 with a 1.64 ERA. Chad Brown (.303/.330/.404) got half of the Brewers hits in the game (2 for 4) and scored the lone Brewers run.

With 3 straight losses to start August the Brewers fall to 9 games out of 1st place, still in 3rd.