Considering that your Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs for the first time in 26 seasons, I am genuinely crushed that I can't talk reasonably and rationally about the team this week.  From "They suck" to "Their horrible" to "They suck", it seems to be the only conversation I can have about the Brewers this week.

First the set-up...  I have a week or so of vacation days left and three months in which to use them.  So when it was announced that the Brewers were playing Wednesday afternoon, I immediately took a half-day vacation and invited everybody that I knew that fit into one of these categories:

1. Unemployed
2. Retired
3. Work from home
4. Worker bees with possible vacation time to burn

Unfortunately (which goes to my true popularity) other than myself and My-Sugar-Na, only three others showed up; my bowling uncle UJ, my aunt, and my friend (formerly known as "My good friend, I'll call him Joe", but from here forward will be known as "Ray Sunshine").  I popped a coupla Nick N Willie's in the oven, poured my guests a Diet Coke with Splenda and started watching the game.

Without rehasing the entire game, the turning point was clearly the third inning when Bill Hall bobbled a bunt from the pitcher, and instead of getting the lead runner he instead had to throw to first to retire the batter but Rickie Weeks dropped the ball.  Shortly thereafter, a Mike Cameron misjudged a major league fly ball in a thunderstorm, and in giving a professional baseball team 5 or 6 outs, the score was 3-0 in favor of the Phillies.

So for the next six innings, I wanted to talk about "the worst part of the fielding problems is that Yovanni Gallardo had to throw 20 more pitches", or that "the wind is really playing havoc with the fielders."  Instead, Ray Sunshine kept hammering....

• "These aren't major leaguers"
• "Rickie Weeks is a collosal flop who should be released"
• "Oh, no!  Why is (fill in the blank) warming up?"
• "Major league teams play defense"
• "Ned Yost never stressed fundamentals"
• (If a Brewers batter looks at strike one) "I could have hit that!  You've got to be agressive"
• (If a Brewers batter made out swinging at the first pitch) "Come on!  You've got to know how to work the count"
• (After Weeks was removed in favor of Craig Counsell as part of a double-switch) "Great, replace one .220-hitting-bobble-glove with a .220-hitting-no-range-old-man"
• And so on, to the point where My-Sugar-Na actually said "Well you're just a ray of sunshine today!"

I then watched the Dodgers beat up the Cubs, and the homestanding Angels lose to the Red Sox, and I said to myself that the Brewers didn't look any worse than the Cubs or Angels - both superior teams.

Then on Thursday, before I left for bowling I watched part of the game.  I left after CC Sabathia gave up the grand slam to Shane Victorino.  When I got to the bowling alley, Sabathia was still struggling and there was action in the bullpen.  Ray Sunshine, who conveniently bowls with me, went on and on and on about how a struggling Sabathia is still better than the rest of the Brewers bullpen, and that Dale Sveum didn't get the team ready to play, etc.

And when that game ended with the Brewers on the short end of a 5-2 decision, my good friend, I'll call him Scott, said "Now that this garbage is done, can we turn on something that matters to the gambling public?" which turned out to be the South Florida / Pitt college football game.

Rounding out my long-winded set-up is an E-mail that I received a few weeks ago from my good friend, I'll call him John from New Berlin...

He said "All season I have been witness to the total ignorance of the football people who purport to be baseball fans because the team is suddenly in contention.  Now and here’s proof that the players know the fans are ignorant also.  Corey Hart made the out-of-right-field assertion that the Brewers were glad to go to Philadelphia -- a place famous for ornery fans -- to escape the boos.  "It actually felt more like a home game than playing at Miller Park," said Hart, who finished 1-for-3 with a double. "We didn't hear the boos that we have been. That's the way it goes, everybody is expecting to win and it's been a battle. ... Obviously, it's not for a lack of hustle or a lack of effort. It's just one of those things that if a guy makes an error or a guy strikes out and you have your hometown booing you, it makes you ready to get out of there and go somewhere else.”

I went last Sunday afternoon (in early-Sept) and had a “discussion” with a guy who insisted that Prince Fielder should be bunting more often.  He also insisted that Washington was an American league team.   Another fan stated that Yost continually took some pitchers out too soon and left others in too long.  I wonder how just he developed that knack to know exactly when a pitcher should be taken out of a game and never made it as a baseball manager in life.  How do you discuss baseball with someone of such an intelligence level?

If I were a player here I would NEVER come out for a curtain call just for the reasons stated above by Hart.  I’m sure Sabathia has duly noted the way his teammates are treated by the “adoring” throngs if they leave runners on base or commit an error.  I swear that 90% of these new fans never played hardball in their lives and think that it works about the same as softball with just a few rule changes.  In some ways I long for the days of 78-84 because you knew real baseball fans were there, especially in September."

John from New Berlin won't believe this, but I was mentally forming this blog for weeks before he sent this to me.  But he fact is that as a city, Milwaukee has lousy baseball fans.  Fans that don't know the game, and fans that think because guys like Narciso Elvira, Izzy Alcantara, Jimmy Osting, Tom Brunansky, Charlie Hayes, Bill Pulsipher, Joe Winkelsas or the Mouton boys couldn't propel the team into the playoffs when they played, that it is acceptable to boo Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks or Joe Dillon because YOU'RE frustrated.

One bone of contention with so many people that I talk to is who the leadoff hitter should be.  Personally, I like Corey Hart in that position.  Yost liked Rickie Weeks, and Sveum has tabbed Mike Cameron.  But everybody with an opinion on whomever is currently the leadoff hitter all agrees that THAT player shouldn't be leading off.  The judge of a good leadoff hitter is mostly On-base percentage (OBP) and Stolen bases (SB)  Let's look at these 2008 stats (these are for the year, not just the month of September when everybody stopped hitting at once)....

• Corey Hart - Batting Average (BA) .268 / OBP .300 / SB 23 out of 30 attempts
• Rickie Weeks - BA .234 / OBP .342 / SB 19 out of 24 attempts
• Mike Cameron - BA .243 / OBP .331 / SB 17 out of 22 attempts
• Entire Brewers roster - BA .253 / OBP .325
• Every leadoff hitter in the National League - BA .274 / OBP .342

This tells me a lot.  It tells me that Hart is the best hitter of those three Brewers, but if he doesn't get a hit, he isn't getting on first base.  Weeks doesn't have as high of an average, but must work the count and take a lot of walks.  He is also quite good at stealing base.  Mike Cameron is in the middle.  Clearly, for a leadoff hitter, Weeks and Cameron are better choices than Hart, and that is why Yost was and Sveum is a major league manager and I am not.

But look at that last line.  The average OBP of every leadoff hitter in the league is exactly the same as Weeks.  That tells me that Weeks is average, not "useless" like Ray Sunshine insists.  The only three other 2008 Brewers with a higher OBP than Weeks is Fielder (.372, and he ain't leadin' off), Craig Counsell (.355 OBP) and Ray Durham (.369) and both Counsell and Durham are old platooners.  Other than that, there is NOTHING.  Now, if you (or Ray Sunshine) want to argue that the Brewers need to upgrade the leadoff hitter, you can win that one easily.  But don't be down on Weeks or Cameron because they are the best of a motley lot.

I could go onto the bullpen (which, by the way, ranks FOURTH in the National League in ERA, and in eight innings in the playoffs have not allowed one run.)  But the common fan couldn't get past Eric Gagne blowing a save in Game 1 against the Cubs in April, or Guillermo Mota and Salomon Torres blowing a 5-0, 9th inning lead in Arizona in July.  But trust me.  I would win that arguement.

Look, my intent is not to knock all 3 million that paid $12 to $85 a game to watch the Brewers perform.  God knows that there were many times in the mid-90s when John from New Berlin and I were the only two in the entire stadium.  And it is you 3 million people that are paying Sabathia, Sheets, Gagne, etc,. and without you the team will be nowhere near the playoffs.

But if you are going to spend all that money, shouldn't you have some clue what you're talking about?  Understand the team's limits.  Their overall batting average isn't very high, they don't bunt, run or field better than most teams, and well, the starting pitching depth isn't great.  Gang, enjoy this.  This is the first time in 26 years the Brewers made the playoffs, and if they lose Sabathia it may be 26 more.  Have fun, and I'll see you at this weekend's games (that's right, I'll be at BOTH games!)

I might have a line on a ticket for myself for tonight's Brewers/Cubs game at Wrigley.

Refreshing everybody's memory, the Brewers are now 4-3 at Wrigley, and I have been to two of the Brewers losses there in April.  Also, I have been to four Brewers/Cubs games this season, and the Brewers are 0-4 in those four games.

Anyone want to pay me NOT to go to the game tonight?

On Tuesday evening, September 9th (Side note; coincedentally, I was at County Stadium exactly 16 years earlier watching Robin Yount get his 3000th hit), I took (Sponsor's Name Here)'s Official Son, Mitten to the Brewers game.  It was a cool but comfortable evening, but with the Miller Park dome closed, it was a great night for baseball.  And except for Jeff Suppan and some guy that I've never heard of going to a 3-1 count on every batter before every batter started fouling off pitches, we had a great time.  (Side note; on Saturday, September 6th, My-Sugar-Na and I watched the Brewers beat the Padres in 2 hours and 7 minutes.  By comparison, at 9:14 PM on Tuesday, we were in the top of the 6th inning.)

As the game meandered on way past Mitten's bedtime, Ray Durham (who clearly doesn't respect a child's need for sleep) hit a game-tying 3-run home run in the 7th inning, and the hapless Reds and ice cold Brewers played on into the night.

In the top of the 11th, the crowd (well, at least Section 215) was awakened by a foul ball by one Mr. Edwin Encarnacion of the Reds.  The ball hit off of the facade between the 2nd and 3rd decks (it actually hit the ribbon scoreboard, but facade is a much cooler word).  The rebound of the ball hit the armrest of a seat in our row, and ricocheted off my cheek (the one on my face, guys...) and harmlessly onto the concrete steps.  Enter Mitten, who was sitting in the aisle seat. 

As the ball rolled down a couple of steps, there was this young boy, we'll call him Poor Timmy.  Poor Timmy was struggling to stand up, what with his leg braces and crutches and all.  Poor Timmy had just about managed to scoop up the errant ball when Mitten - using a shoulder block learned by watching years of soccer and football - flung Poor Timmy about four seats into the row.  As Mitten was holding the ball over his head in triumphant glory, Poor Timmy was battling for his life because his crutch acted like a lever and had flung Poor Timmy perilously towards the railing in front of the first row.  Luckily another ballpark patron, we'll call her 92-Year Old Gladys, broke his fall with the back of her neck.  The force of the Poor Timmy vs. 92-Year Old Gladys collision resulted in 92-Year Old Gladys hitting the railing square in the mush.  There was a real casualty in all of this, however, as 92-Year Old Gladys' husband, we'll call him 89-Year Old Aloys, lost his bratwurst over the railing in the excitement.  Rumor was that he lost something else, too, except somebody admitted to spilling a beer under 89-Year Old Aloys' seat.

All this so Mitten could get an $8 baseball.

Once again on Thursday, autos were streaming into the yard between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM.  I have concluded that it is because the neighbors are not yet home from work so our unpaid, underage staff gets a jump.  We parked nine cars (although one was my cousin, although she paid double the rate) before the signs came out in the neighborhood.  My-Sugar-Na and I stayed out until about 6:30, and decided that was long enough to head to the Fair ourselves.

Last year when we went to the Fair, My-Sugar-Na was ahead of the curve by buying her ticket from a nogoodnik in front of Walgreens (who had sold her a used ticket).  This year we had taken advantage of the Brewers Doubleheader Deal and had our tickets in hand since early-June.  We made that laborious trek quick hop, step and jump from our house to the Fair, and the fun began

Upon entering the Fair, we didn't even waste time with dinner... it was onto the cream puffs.  With sticky fingers and faces, we then started milling the grounds aimlessly.  I did get to Ruben's BBQ, and although I saw someone gnawing at Rib Tips, I decided to have the Hot Link so we could continue strolling the Fairgrounds.  It was nice and spicy, but the sweet BBQ sauce offset it nicely.  It was a well-spent fin.

Our next stop was Mo-Joes (formerly Shakey's).  Not for the pizza, but to check up on (Sponsor's Name Here)'s Official Stepson, Grizzly, who was in the back cutting pizza and stuff.  Did he see us?  Youbetcha he did.  His mother and I waved, and shouted "Hi (Grizzly)" over and over, while he pretended to ignore us.  His co-workers, however, got a big kick out of it.

We did the racing pigs (by the way, I liked Robinson's Racing Pigs way more than the current Hogway Speedway), and the Wisconsin Products hall, and the typical stuff, however almost all of the animal barns were empty.  It is unfortuanate that a wholesale changeover was happeneing while we wanted to visit the piggies and moo-cows.  There were some cows and horses still around, but we got tired of chasing ghosts so we moved on.

After the obligitory stop at Lefty's Milk Barn, My-Sugar-Na still has $20 burning a hole in her pocket.  I think it is goofy to buy stuff from the flea market vendors or the Expo hall... especially if you have to carry it around the rest of the day.  But (Sponsor's Name Here)'s Official Father told her recently that he allows him self one $20 silly impulse purchase each year, thereby sanctioning My-Sugar-Na's shopping spree.  Apparently it didn't count that - when we were in the building with dogs - that she spent not one, but TWO dollars on the Get Kissed by a Dog booth.  The doggie in the booth was cute, but My-Sugar-Na doesn't let ME kiss her that wet and sloppily.

Walking down the Grandstand shopping villiage, I beat her to the punch by buying some 400-thread count, Egyptian Cotten bed linen.  They were $21 (with tax) but I park cars for a living, I've earned that extra buck.  My-Sugar-Na, however, was besides herself.  "I don't see anyone else carrying bed sheets.  Everybody has mops, and I want a chamois, but NOBODY has a bag of sheets".  Personally, I think she is sore that I bought something before she did.

A little while later, while I am eating my Fried Snickers bar with one hand while still grasping my priceless posession in the other, she notices that the Expo hall closes at 10:00, and we only have about 25 minutes for her to spend her $20. 

I never like the Expo hall normally because it gets so crowded, and there are kids (and those damn strollers) all over the place.  But at 9:45, it is quite empty... a lovely shopping experience indeed.  Being emptier than normal, it affords My-Sugar-Na the opportinity to spot the Sham-WOW booth.  Along the way, we found a booth that sold the latest generation of Ginsu knives, and we asked the guy for a demonstration.  He said it was too close to closing time, and since Saturday is Media Day, he couldn't show us how to cut a hammer in half with a knife.  But he did give us two plastic trinkets, and then spent five of our precious minutes showing us how the orange peeler and apple corer worked.  I pull My-Sugar-Na away... we are running out of time.

After racing through the Expo hall, here's the funny part - and trust me, if I tell you in advance it was funny, imagine if you were there! - I counted FOUR booths selling the same linens that I just bought, but we never saw a mop or chamois vendor.  OMG it was a hoot!  "There's a linen guy" I would say.  Then she would swat me in the arm.  "Look, another one".  "Ooooohhhh.  Bedsheets!".  WHAP.

Finally at 10:05 (five minues past closing time... I am just glad that the bunko squad didn't get us for making an after hours purchase) my lovely bride buys a $14 item from a vendor of dog bric-a-brak.  We leave the Expo hall, make one more trip to Mo-Joes to embarass say goodbye to Grizzly and we make our way home.  Four hours of fun.  I kind of wish we had time to go again.  However, I still have spots open on my lawn, and there are still three more days (with outstanding weather forecast) for everybody else to go and have a good time.

No traffic in the neighborhood last night.

But I am intrigued by the scamming of State Fair tickets.

A little backstory... I have spent parts of the past 15 years as what many incorrectly call a "ticket scalper".  In the mid-90s until about five years ago, my good friend (I'll call him Pete) ran a legitimate business called Wholesale Tickets & Tours with his partner Jeff.  Pete is a stand-up guy, but Jeff was always a little shady, and the business collapsed when Jeff died unexpectedly.  As Pete got out of the business, my good friend (I'll call him Scott) basically took his place in the marketplace by starting Brew City Tickets (based in West Allis, by they way).

So having worked with my buddies on the acquisition and sale of tickets (less so in the last few years), I am quite aware of how the business works.  That's why it is so disturbing to find that almost 5000 people have tried to enter the State Fair with used tickets.  For lack of a better term, illegitimate ticket people are hurting those that do this for a living... and do it the right way.

And don't think that any - ANY - venue or promoter doesn't want legitimate ticket brokers.  If Ticketmaster wanted to, they could CRUSH all ticket brokers.  But they don't want to.  In the case of Ticketmaster events, almost all brokers buy tickets from Ticketmaster (either in person or on-line) and Ticketmaster gets their "convenience charge" on every ticket.  They don't always collect that charge if attendees buy their tickets from the box office.  Also, promoters LOVE the buzz of the media when a newspaper story mentions that "Scalpers are getting $400 a ticket".

State Fair is equally complicit.  They get into bed with the Brewers, for example, for marketing tie-ins.  Thousands of other tickets are distributed, and group sales are pushed.  All ticket brokers - real ones and scammers alike - buy State Fair (and Summerfest) group tickets to make a profit.  And State Fair takes their money happily, because that money is important in advance of the event. 

And here is where State Fair folks are in their glory.  They've sold all of these tickets in advance.  They have that money.  Now a few nogoodnicks start screwing around, and now State Fair is telling patrons to only buy from their ticket window.  They are basically trying to sell the same ticket twice.  I would love to be in that kind of business.

Putting my cards on the table, State Fair can do what it wants.  It has the supply - tickets for a ticket only event - and there is demand.  And although it sucks that the legitimate brokers, like Scott, are hurt, they are also parts in the free market cog.  They made a business decision to buy bulk blocks of tickets, and some bad guys are screwing it up for them.  But the blame lies squarely with the morons who are selling already used tickets as new.  They didn't pay anything for the tickets, and they are hurting the ticket brokers.

Feel free to contact Brew City Tickets and help Scott get rid of his inventory that is now poisoned by some crooks.

The way I look at it, the Brewers and Cubs are 4-4 against each other this season.  The two best teams in the National League have played to a dead heat against each other.

A different statistical trend that needs to be watched... the combined score of the Cubs/Brewers games that Knobbleknees has attended with me is 26 to 6.

To all you Cubs fans... I have some vacation time to burn at work, and might be able to be talked into going to Thursday's game...

April 3 at Wrigley Field - Cubs 6 v. Brewers 3

April 30 at Wrigley Field - Cubs 19 v. Brewers 5

July 28 at Miller Park - Cubs 6 v. Brewers 4

The Brewers are 4-3 against the Cubs in 2008, and I have been to all three losses.  See the video below for an idea of what we had to listen to in the parking lot on the way back to the car.

I have bleacher tickets to Tuesday night's game and Knobbleknees will be at her first-ever Miller Park event.  Any suggestions?

First things first - I really, really, REALLY want to throw my comments in about blogging in the 21st Century... about the Buzzy v. Deadspin guy on Costas Now in April... about Ned Yost, Doug Melvin, Jim Powell and others whining about a blogger who said that Nedley was about to get fired... etc.  Clearly, I am on the side of the bloggers, but I wanted to make some bigger picture points.  I just haven't gotten around to it.  I may get there (then again, I may not, what with Cheer Day happening at Casa de James this weekend).  My ten second take is that the internet has made media instantaneous, and that the world had better get used to it.  Some will get paid, I probably won't (Mark, I am still waiting for you to tell me I've been picked up by the Wall Street Journal), but the absolute worst part of internet blogs is the comment section.  Now, I only get about 18 people (up from six a year ago) who read my blog, but if more did, I would have to deal with some horribly stupid comments.  Want an example of the nutjobs I would have to deal with?  Check out the ravings of some depressing soul on this blog entry (you should've seen what I didn't approve!)

But until I get around to blogging about blogging, you will have to settle for what I cobble together below.

Thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, promotions and dumb luck,  I was able to get to three consecutive Brewers games this weekend (bringing my season record to 4-5).  This was the first time I've ever been to three consecutive Brewers home games.  Here are a few comments on the Brewers and the Miller Park experience.  Note that I don't want to come across as too snarky, but if some of these issues can be addressed, I may just move to Miller Park. 

• Why are Rickie Weeks and Mike Cameron at the top of the line-up?  Neither get on base enough to be on the top of the line-up, and I don't think they've ever gotten on base in the same inning.  When it is Braun and Fielder's job to drive them in, it gets kinda difficult when they're not on base.  My preferred line-up would have Corey Hart leading off and Weeks batting second.  It would still require Weeks to take a lot of pitches (which is why Yost is forcing us to watch him lead off).  I would also put Cameron batting eighth (after the catcher).  Cameron is still a great fielder, but he is a black Rob Deer.  Let Cameron hit a homer before the pitcher makes the third out of an inning.
• Why is Bill Hall complaining that he was benched?  He is hitting in the mid-.220s, and his grace period ends at a year and a third (that would be the "I changed positions so I'm not concentrating on my hitting" grace period.)  Granted, too many players (including Messers Weeks and Cameron) are also hitting under .250 (notice that Kendall has slipped into the .250s?) but Hall was the only player with a replacement doing anything in AAA Nashville.  Hall should do his Derrick Turnbow impression - take his $4mil and be happy he signed a big contract at the end of the career year).
• In taking a quick look at Turnbow's stats in Nashville, he has a 10.13 ERA in 8 games, and has issued an astounding 23 walks in 8 innings.  Those 8 innings include TWO STARTS.  This guy'll be a roofing contractor in three years.
• It is amazing that when the Brewers starters go deep into a game, how reliable their bullpen is.  In their last 15 games (ending after tonights 7-1 win against Arizona), the Brewers starting pitching has had 12 good starts.  Their record in those 15 games is 11-4.  The new Derrick/Koko/Gagne, Salomon Torres always seems fresh, the bullpen hasn't blown a lead in three weeks, and the good pitching is keeping the games close for when the Brewers bats finally wake up.  A brilliant, brilliant blogger mentioned that the 2007 Brewers starters were the cause of the lousy bullpen.  That guy should get a contract to write his blog.
• In the three games that I attended (Sat, Sun and Mon), the Star-Spangled Love Song was sung twice, and a trumpet proudly played our National Anthem once.  We've got to continue to try to reverse those numbers.  The Star Spangled Banner is NOT a love song.
• What is up with the Brewers "at bat" tunes?  Do we realize that we've raised an entire generation of now-young-adults that don't acknowledge that what passes for popular music isn't exactly music?  The top seven spots in the order are brutal, with the worst offender being JJ Hardy.  The words to his tune appear to be something like "Finss Manna Hey / Finss Manna Oh".  The best two come from - go figure - the oldest players... Jason Kendall has Dragula from Rob Zombie, and Craig Counsell has "Along the Watchtower" from Jimi Hendrix.
• Remember the olden days, when you'd listen to the postgame show on the radio, and in the background you would hear a "popping" sound?  That was the sound of youngsters finding the waxed paper cups, placing them face down on the pavement, then stomping on them.  While walking around the stadium Sunday before the game started, I found a beer vendor that actually poured a beer into one of those cups.  I swear, I bought a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy just to drink from that cup.
• The Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again.  A byproduct of the Brewers current status as a "hot" thing to do - something cool to do - are the tens of thousands of people in attendance that wouldn't know a beautifully executed hit-and-run from a pommel horse.  I sat in the bleachers on Saturday with a total crowd of over 42,000.  About 74 of the 42,000 acted like they've ever been to a game before.  It was all about drinking, getting the next drink, trying to start the wave, calling their friends in a different part of the ballpark (then standing and waving their beer so their friend can see what lousy seats they have) and acting like a big shot to their significant others when they know that "Ryan Braun is a pretty good player".  As hard as I tried, those type of antics made it hard to actually enjoy the game.  It was very distracting, and I spent more time muttering to My-Sugar-Na than watching the game.
• Conversely, my new favorite time to attend a game in less-than-premium seats is a Monday night.  At the door, we got tickets on the fourth level right at 3rd base in the fourth row.  Average age in our section?  62.  The older men and women alike knew the game, and was a joy to watch a pitchers duel with fans that appreciated it.
• Robb Edwards, the PA guy, is back from his bypass surgery... relegating Gene Mueller to morning guy on WTMJ-AM.  I have never been a fan of Edwards, even when he had Mueller's job 20 years ago.  Gene Mueller did a great job on the PA, and when Edwards retires, I think the job should be handed off to Mueller.
• If the Brewers aren't within 6 games in mid-July, watch how fast they trade Ben Sheets.  Despite what I said above, Sheets is the only bankable starter, and he is a cracked fingernail away from yielding his spot to Zach Jackson.  Sheets current record could net him $15 million a year, and he will want more years than a pitcher should be given (in comparison, the brutally mediocre Jeff Suppan gets just under $11 million a year, and has-ben Eric Gagne gets $10 million a year).  I know the Yankees (and their unlimited payroll) and the Mets are both desparate for starting pitching.  Hell, the Mets are an outpost for former Brewer pitchers this year, having started both Nelson Figueroa and Claudio Vargas.  You think Sheets might be an upgrade?
• Finally, I've been invited to another Brewers game in Wrigley Field, this time on September 17th.  As blogged previously, the Brewers are 4-2 in Chicago this year, and I am 0-2 in games that I've been to at Wrigley this year.  Bet with the trend, folks.

Including Wednesday night's debacle, I went to five Brewers games in April, and they were 1-4 in those five games (including the only two games that the Brewers lost at Wrigley this season).

Therefore, I pledge this to my eleven readers...

I will not go to another Brewers game in April 2008.

Peace.

Belated Happy birthday Sis, two years younger than me, but somehow she is quite old, while I am quite distinguished... Can someone explain that with the prices of corn and wheat, fuel, steel and copper - as well as a down housing market and scads of homeowners nearing foreclosure - how we aren't headed for a massive recession?... The Michael Buble concert on Tuesday night was way cool... My-Sugar-Na really liked Buble's opening act, Naturally 7, an a capella soul group... Since my January surgery I have been cold a lot... My elbow isn't at 100%, yet (gettin' a little worried), and thanks for asking... Derrick saved the day Wednesday... All four of my kids are well past middle age if they don't get their schtick together... My home computer won't let me blog.  Mark?... Speaking of New York City, I am flying into LaGuardia and staying in Central Islip on Long Island and just learned that Long Island may as well be on a different planet than Manhattan... No, My-Sugar-Na won't let me eat my way through New York; "The Port Authority Bus Terminal is just ONE of the sights I came to see"... I am more excited at going to Albuquerque in July... XM Radio doesn't play enough Metallica, but they are too giddy about U2 and Lenny Kravitz... If NASCAR didn't have sponsorships, left turns or sheep, it would be a park and ride... This is underrated... So is this... Guess what, Time Warner's new Navigator software stinks... Eight more months until Christmas...  The office biddies are fretting about the IBM Selectric that isn't working right, apparently it is 1978 in that end of the office...  In February, I had a trivia question and nobody even hazarded tried to guess the answer of Henry Aaron and Warren Spahn... I couldn't have said it better myself... I broke the driver's seat in my car, I now have a rocking chair... Check the playlist, then get yourself Paul Anka's "Rock Swings" CD... I'd like our dogs better if they didn't bark... The last night of bowling league was last night, I haven't bowled competitively since November and I finally get paid.... Ciao.

I joined my first Fantasy Football League in 1993 (while I was working at the now-evil USBC, then called the American Bowling Congress).  One guy in the league had a wife who owned a business, and his team was named for his wife's business.  Seeing that, when asked what name I wanted, I said that I didn't have a corporate sponsor, yet, so I would take (Sponsor's Name Here).  Nobody much got it then.

Fast forward 15 years, and for a few days last winter, as a gag, I had asked the editor of the MyCommunityNOWs to change my blog name to Tomassino Italia' Presents Michael James' Blog.  It was cute and got a few comments for me, but I don't know if my blog reaches enough people for the full message to sink in.  Now, nobody notices it.

In the span of 15 years, we have gone from a society in which product placement and corporate sponsorship's happened and were a big deal, to a society that doesn't even notice that most school cafeterias get money from Coca-Cola or Pepsi to install a vending machine.

Years ago, TV shows had the corporate sponsors in the name of the show, for example, the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports.  In the '70s, TV movies were often preceded with "Hallmark Hall of Fame Presents:...". 

Remember in 1992, when the Milwaukee Brewers (along with the Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers) put rotating advertising boards behind home plate in their stadiums?  Such was the outcry!  People were horrified because these stadiums were desecrated with this advertising.  Now, such teams with licenses to print money like the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees also have this type of advertising.  It is so commonplace that the FOX network superimposes advertising in the studio.  At the games, you see a green screen.  On TV, however, might be an advertisement for the all-new Simpsons this weekend.  It is now expected.  Neilson even monitors that.

And stadium naming rights, don't get me started.

When will it end?  At what point will people wake up and see that the world is being overrun by advertising?  Now don't get me wrong... I am all Mr. Free Market, and I wouldn't stop MLB from selling advertising on baseball bats and home plate.  But part of that free market is the possibility of going too far and screwing up a good thing.  Americans (without the help of government) can start fighting back, if they choose, and start boycotting the companies with the offending advertising.

In researching the links, I came across this.  I don't even know what to say, but if this happened four years ago...

Until that point, my blog name - as always - is for sale to the highest bidder.

I've been told that my grill/FD story made the paper this morning - I'll have to buy a paper now...  Unfortunately, my buddy trumped me... It'll be BO vs. Mc in November, I'm sure I'll pull it together and vote for the RIGHT guy...  It's cold outside...  The lunar eclipse was cool...  Watched the remake of Hairspray; very interesting...  Jesse Martin is leaving Law & Order...  Taking my first trip to New York City in May...  Family didn't die of carbon monoxide poisoning overnight...  I love my job...  I should lose weight...  I miss bowling...  I'm worried about the ice dams on my roof all winter...  American Idol is dopey...  I could spend hours looking at this website...  Trying to get over the fact that Milwaukee lost the USBC Masters...  The cost of every metal I purchase for work is skyrocketing right now...  My birthday is on Holy Saturday this year, and (Sponsor's Name Here)'s Official Daughter, Gooey, celebrates her birthday on Easter Sunday... My car needs a good cleaning on the inside...  Planning on going to Wrigley Field on April 2 or 3 to watch the Brewers/Cubs game...  Our office is buying pizza for lunch tomorrow, I get to pick the sausage off...  I felt it was a good set of comments on my Obama post, aren't you glad West Allis can talk to each other without it breaking down into this or this?

Catch ya later when I have something interesting to say. 

The category is - FEBRUARY

The answer is - Bingo Long's Travelling All-Stars and Motor Kings, The Blues Brothers, The Savages and War Games.

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The question - "What movies did Michael James watch to kill a weekend day in that barren time between the end of the NFL season and the beginning of baseball's Spring Training".

That's when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training!

I mean, this football thing is very nice (notwithstanding the fact that the Packers got key-rushed last weekend in the NFC Championship game).  But baseball is, well, baseball.

The Brewe