Thank You WSSP - AM 1250 & The Doug Russell Show

Want to thank the folks at AM 1250 for the great prize pack. I called in this morning on my way into work to be a contestant on "Are you Smarter than Doug Russell", on the Doug Russell Show. Category was winners of the British Open since 1976.

Doug Russell goes with Tiger an obvious pick. I chose Mark O'Meara for a correct answer, and the other caller gets a wrong answer. Russell gets the next one wrong, choosing Vijay and I win the prize pack saying Justin Leonard.

Prize pack included 2 tickets to Simpson's movie premier, 2 tickets to Hot Rod movie premier, and 2 tickets to Wisconsin State Fair.

Thanks for the prizes and keep up the good work at AM 1250 Wisconsin's Sport's Radio!!!

Trade Dealine Approaching for Brew Crew

With the trade deadline in sight, some wonder if the Milwaukee Brewers will make any moves. Middle relief might be needed, and now with Sheets and Hall down, do they need any help at either one of those positions.

Dayn Perry of Foxsports.com writes about each MLB teams needs and possibilities of teams making any moves.

Milwaukee Brewers

What They Need: Nothing

The sum of all Brewer fears has come to pass, as Ben Sheets could miss six weeks or more with a sprained finger. Sheets was having a Cy Young-caliber season, but his penchant for injury has fouled things up. With that said, top prospect Yovanni Gallardo is ready to step in and should thrive in Sheets' stead. No need to panic in Milwaukee.

Read more from Dayn Perry's look at all MLB teams as the trade deadline comes close here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7032434

UW men's basketball: Texas 7-footer commits

The University of Wisconsin men's basketball team made a big addition -- literally -- to its 2008 recruiting class Tuesday night.

That's when Ian Markolf, a 7-foot, 260-pound center from Churchill High School in San Antonio gave an oral commitment to UW coach Bo Ryan, according to Markolf's high school coach Randy Schuster.

Markolf could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

"I know we have a lot of explaining to do over the next couple months in Texas as to how we let a 7-foot kid from Texas get out of the state," Schuster, a Marshfield native, said good-naturedly.

Markolf rounds out the Badgers' four-player recruiting class for 2008, joining 6-1 point guard Jordan Taylor of Benilde-St. Margaret's (Minn.), 6-10 center Jared Berggren of Princeton (Minn.) and 6-4 guard Robert Wilson of Garfield Heights (Ohio).

Schuster said Markolf, who took an unofficial visit to Madison in June and received a scholarship offer shortly thereafter, chose UW over Kentucky, Iowa State and Baylor.

"I think he felt maybe most at ease with Wisconsin and the approach they had with him," Schuster said. "He felt like Wisconsin was the best fit for him."

Markolf averaged 13 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots per game and shot 56.7 percent from the field as a junior, according to Schuster.

"He's pretty strong and powerful around the basket," Schuster said. "He runs the floor well, he's got really good lateral movement with his feet, good hands, and good decision-making. He's got a real good savvy for the game."

Markolf's commitment was first reported by wishoops.net.

Courtesy of Jesse Osborne in today's Wisconsin State Journal:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=201771&ntpid=2

Sheets Injury In-Depth Look

Crew rolls to fourth straight; Sheets out longer than expected

Another victory at home. Another tense one-run decision.

Continuing their trend of winning the close ones, especially at home, the Brewers nipped the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2, at Miller Park to claim their fourth consecutive victory.

By winning four in a row by one run, the Brewers tied a club record. And, with the Chicago Cubs finally losing to snap their own four-game winning streak, the Brewers moved to 4 ½ games on top of the NL Central.

"That's the name of the game - score one more run than the opposition," said manager Ned Yost, whose club boosted its home record to 34-14, tying Cleveland for the top mark in the majors.

"That's all that matters."

Closer Francisco Cordero has pitched in all four games of the white-knuckle streak, saving three and holding a tie in the other. He notched his major league-high 30th save against the Diamondbacks, working around a two-out single by Orlando Hudson.

"It's a sign that we're pitching well and playing well," said Cordero. "The way we're playing, there's going to be a lot of save situations."

The bullpen usually plays a key role on nights when Claudio Vargas pitches, and that trend didn't change. Vargas has yet to make it past six innings, and this time he didn't get that far. Finding immediate trouble in a two-run first, Vargas somehow kept Arizona off the board for the next four innings before departing with a 100-pitch count.

Despite Vargas' travails, he has become something of a good-luck charm, in a tantalizing, slow-as-molasses sort of way. The Brewers are 13-3 in his 16 starts, which no manager in the galaxy would complain about.

"I've become accustomed to his style and how he pitches," Yost said. "For a fifth starter, a lot of clubs would jump up and down to get him, with the success he has had."

As for Sheets, a dynamic ultrasound test confirmed what an MRI revealed the previous day. Sheets has a partial tear of the band of tissue that connects the tendon to the bone in the middle finger of his pitching hand.

Sheets was under the impression a partial tear meant he'd have to miss only a couple of weeks. But, after consulting other physicians, the Brewers' medical staff decided Sheets would not throw a baseball again for 10 to 14 days. He then would progress by throwing with a splint on the finger.

Based on that information, assistant general manager Gord Ash said Sheets probably would miss four to six weeks. Sheets, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after injuring the finger in his outing Saturday night against Colorado, was not counting on an early return.

"I'm going to plan on six (weeks)" he said. "If I come back before that, that's good. But I don't want to set a four-week guideline and then at the end of Week 5, if I can't pitch, I'm all (ticked) off."

Ash admitted the timetable with Sheets was open-ended, with no target date for his return.

Read More here for more on Brewers victory last night courtesy of Tom Hardicourt from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=634747

For more on Sheet's injury click here:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=634361

The Yi Circus Continues

Chen Haitao, the owner of the Guangdong Tigers, was quoted in Tuesday's Beijing News as saying Yi would "definitely not" play for the Bucks next season.

"This is not - as media reports have said - because Milwaukee, as a city with very few Chinese people, is not good for Yi's commercial development," Chen said. "Rather we want to find a team suitable for Yi's growth. That's the root of the problem."

Chen said he was concerned that that the 7-foot Chinese national team player would have trouble getting into the lineup with the Bucks.

Yi plays as a power forward, a spot where the Bucks struggled with injuries last season and at times had undersized Ruben Patterson playing the position.

Returning at power forward is 6-11 Charlie Villanueva, who is coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Seven-footer Andrew Bogut, the top pick in the 2005 NBA draft, is now firmly entrenched at the center position and plays a much different game than Yi, who is more perimeter-oriented and often faces the basket.

Bucks general manager Larry Harris would not comment directly on Tuesday but indicated Bogut, Villanueva and Yi are versatile players and could be on the floor at the same time.

Harris and coach Larry Krystkowiak met with Yi in Las Vegas earlier this month and tried to assure him he would get plenty of chances to play in the team's young frontcourt.

Now they may have to do more convincing.

"The national team and the Olympic Games are now our key considerations," Chen said. "If Yi goes to a team where he can't compete, that would be being irresponsible to the national team."

The 2008 Olympic Games will be played in China, and Yi and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will play together on the Chinese team's front line in the basketball competition. The Chinese team placed eighth in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

It is important to Chinese officials that Yi receive significant playing time in his first NBA season. Both the Guangdong team and CBA officials would have to approve Yi's release to the NBA.

Yao was the first pick in the 2002 NBA draft and averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds as a league rookie with Houston. He played in all 82 games and averaged 29.0 minutes per game.

Yi's Guangdong team won three straight Chinese Basketball Association championships before being dethroned by the Bayi Rockets this year. During the past CBA season, Yi averaged 24.9 points and 11.5 rebounds, and he was selected sixth overall by the Bucks in the June draft.

An NBA spokesman said the league would have no new comment on the situation. He said NBA Commissioner David Stern was still monitoring the situation with Bucks officials.

I think it's time for Commissioner David Stern to step in and help the Bucks. No player should be able to reject playing for a team. This has visions of Elway, and even most recently Eli Manning. Players do not get to pick where they want to play, and this circus needs to end soon.

Read more here from Charles Gardner and Don Walker's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=634614

Bucks are close to bringing back Desmond Mason

Desmond Mason felt angry and betrayed when he left Milwaukee less than two years ago. In a radio interview at the time of the deal, Mason called Harris "a snake in the grass" and said he "flat out lied to my face" about the chances of being traded. But that seems like so much ancient history to both sides now.

The 29-year-old free agent isn't harboring resentment against the Bucks any longer and is poised to agree to a multiyear contract with his former team after playing the past two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets.

"We've had some really good talks with Larry (Harris)," said Mason's agent, Roger Montgomery, on Monday. "We're optimistic that Desmond can return."

The Bucks have targeted Mason to provide depth at the small forward position, where Bobby Simmons is trying to make a comeback after missing all of last season due to a serious right foot injury.

Mason was traded to the Hornets in exchange for Magloire, the Bucks' 2006 first-round draft pick and cash. In two seasons with the Hornets, the former Oklahoma State star played in 145 games and started 130.

During the past season, Mason started 75 games and might have played in all 82, but he fractured his cheek and nose in a late-season collision with Seattle's Chris Wilcox. Mason averaged 13.7 points, third among the Hornets' regulars, and 4.6 rebounds while playing 34.3 minutes per game.

"We've had good discussions and are optimistic it's heading in the right direction," Harris said on Monday.

The Hornets drafted Kansas small forward Julian Wright in the first round (13th overall) and recently agreed to a contract with free-agent small forward Morris Peterson, so it was clear that Mason would be moving to another team. He spent most of his two seasons with the Hornets playing his home games in Oklahoma City.

"He fits what they're all about," Montgomery said of the Bucks. "It's a blue-collar town, and he's a blue-collar player.

"He fits the Bucks' chemistry, and he is very familiar with the roster and the surroundings. He's good friends with Michael (Redd), and that means a lot."

Montgomery said he thought Mason would have no problem in sharing playing time with Simmons, if the former DePaul star is healthy again.

"They're going to jell real well and play together," Montgomery said. "If the Bucks have their full roster, they're a team to be reckoned with in the East."

Mason played 2 ½ seasons with the Bucks after being acquired in the controversial 2003 trade that sent Ray Allen to Seattle and also brought Gary Payton to Milwaukee for his short and unsatisfying stay.

The 6-foot-5 Mason, nicknamed the "Cowboy" for his time at Oklahoma State, played in 190 games with the Bucks. He delighted the fans with his powerful dunks, and during his last season in Milwaukee in 2004-'05, he averaged a career-best 17.2 points while starting 71 of 80 games.
Mason played in 82 games, starting 31, during the previous season in Milwaukee and averaged 14.4 points.

Courtesy of Charles Gardner from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=633307

Packers miss out on Japanese KR specialist

The Green Bay Packers were 1 of 4 teams to make an offer to Japanese WR and KR apecialist, Noriaki Kinoshita. Along with the Packers, the New York Jets, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons were the 4 teams making offers. Kinoshita just finished up his second straight season earning All-NFL Europa honors as return specialist.

According to Kaz Nagatsuka, of the Japan Times, "Kinoshita's biggest trait is in returning the ball. This season, he gained 175 yards in punt returns and 604 yards in kickoff returns (both second in the league). His punt return average of 15.9 yards ranked No. 1 in the league."

Kinoshita will play along side Joe Horn and Michael Vick in Atlanta this season. The Packers do not play Atlanta this season, but you can catch them on Monday Night Football on October 15th vs. the New York Giants.

Glad to see that the Packers were at least attempting to sign a Free Agent. Green Bay has struggled with their return man since Desmond Howard left the team years ago. Kick and punt returning has never been a strong position for the Pack, but looking to upgrade that position is a step in the right direction. Hopefully a young player will step up and give us that Desmond Howard, Devon Hester, or Donte Hall-like ability.

Courtesy of Green Bay Railbird Central: http://railbirdcentral.blogspot.com/

Photo credit: Kaz Nagatsuka for the Japan Times

US Senior Open begins at Whistling Straits

The day started out hot and sunny, but play was suspended at 5:05 p.m. because of lightning in the area. The course was buffeted by high winds and rain and the round was postponed at 6:15.
Scoring conditions were ideal in the morning, but the breeze picked up in the afternoon.

Twenty-six groups (78 players), the full afternoon portion of the 156-player field, had not finished when play was called. The first round was to resume at 7 a.m. today with the second round scheduled to start at 8.

Eduardo Romero, fired a 6-under-par 66 at Whistling Straits and took the lead in the first round of the U.S. Senior Open on Thursday. Romero lives just a few blocks from Angel Cabrera. this years US Open Champion in Cordoba, Argentina.

Read more about Romero and the US Senior Open from Gary D'Amato's article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629064

Bucks still trying to woo Yi

The Milwaukee Bucks surprised everyone, including Yi Jianlian, when they chose him with the 6th pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Yi had said prior to the draft he did not want to play in Milwaukee and even blocked the Bucks brass from watching him work out.

Larry Harris, Milwaukee Bucks GM called their bluff took Yi, and still has yet to have talks with their top pick. Yi and his "handlers" are asking for a trade, and a disappointed Yi waits to see what his future will be. Meanwhile, Yi is in Lss Vegas playing for the Chinese National team in the NBA Summer Leauge. Larry Harris and Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak vwill get a chance to see Yi in action, and are hoping to get a chance to sit down and finally talk with their top pick.

If Yi refuses to play for the Bucks and they do not trade him, he could sit out a full year and not play professionally with his Guangdong Tigers club or anyone else.

Such a move would allow him to re-enter the NBA draft. But that does not seem a desirable option, with the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the horizon and Yi hoping to benefit from a full year of NBA experience prior to next summer.

Yi has had little to say about his National Basketball Association future since being selected by the Bucks with the No. 6 overall pick in the June 28 draft. His representatives, including his Chinese agent, Zhao Gang, have said they hoped the Bucks would consider trading Yi.

On Tuesday, Zhao was quoted in the China Daily newspaper as saying, "We are considering Yi's future at the Bucks and are looking at trade possibilities."

But Harris has repeatedly insisted he does not want to trade Yi and hopes to convince him to join a young Bucks frontcourt that includes third-year center Andrew Bogut and third-year forward Charlie Villanueva.

Read more here from Charles Gardner's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629139

Hall forced out after severely spraining ankle during Brewers' loss

Bill Hall went down yesterday with a severely sprained ankle in the Brewer's loss to Pittsburgh. Some might say that a broken ankle would have been better, since the sprain can linger the entire season. So now what do the Brewers do??? Tony Gywnn Jr. was recently sent back to AAA could come up and fill in. He seemed to fall out of likely with Brewers skipper Ned Yost for whatever reason, but he becomes option 1.

The Crew could look at trading a few players to get help in the Outfield, a position many thought the Brewers had too many players. The platooning seemed to be working fine, but Yost must make a decision, what to do.

Tom Haudricourt's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel takes a look at what happen last night and what the Brewers will do.

The Brewers could opt to play a man short in the final series before the all-star break but a more likely scenario would be to call up outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. from Class AAA Nashville.

Gwynn, whose primary position is center field, played for the Brewers until June 18, when he was sent to Nashville to make room on the roster for second baseman Rickie Weeks to come off the disabled list.

Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy suffered a high ankle sprain in a collision at the plate last season and was out for several weeks. When the sprain finally healed, a tendon started snapping out of place and Hardy underwent season-ending surgery.

Hall said he expected to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test at some point to look for any tears in the ankle.

"I guess we'll wait until tomorrow to see how much swelling there is," he said.
"If you look at football players, I hope it's not a high ankle sprain. That's usually four to six weeks (sidelined). Hopefully, it won't take that long. I hope it's just a regular sprain."

Read more here from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629111

Green Bay Railbird Central Special Teams breakdown

Courtesy of http://www.railbirdcentral.blogspot.com/, here's an interesting article on the Green Bay Packers Special Teams breakdown with the Pack's 2007 draft picks. Thanks railbird!!!



If you're a regular reader of Railbird Central, you may have heard this before but it bears repeating. It is amazing how much emphasis the Green Bay Packers put on special teams during the 2007 draft.As early as the second day of the draft, Railbird Central noted how general manager Ted Thompson's drafting of special teams standouts was becoming a common thread.


Special teams always seems to be the oft-ignored yet crucial aspect of football that people just take for granted.The Green Bay Packers have finished dead last in the NFL in special teams the past two seasons according to the Dallas Morning News's special teams rankings, which factor in 22 categories including all aspects of kick returns, kick coveage, punt returns, punt coverage, field goals, and extra points.


Is it any wonder the Packers haven't made the playoffs the past two seasons?In the 2007 draft, the Packers first two draft choices were spent on defensive tackle Justin Harrell and running Brandon Jackson. Obviously these are two players who will likely make meaningful contributions to the defensive and offensive side of the ball respectively.


From the Packers' third draft choice onwards, all players look to make an impact on special teams play. Let's take a look...

• Third round pick, wide receiver James Jones of San Jose St. - New Era Scouting notes that Jones, "Is also able to return punts and averaged 11.5 yards per return." Scott Wright's Draft Countdown says James "can also long snap." The fact that this wide receiver can long snap is amazing in of itself.


• Third round pick, safety Aaron Rouse of Virginia Tech - Rouse comes from the special teams powerhouse Virginia Tech, which head coach Frank Beamer always makes a priority. Ted Thompson is quoted as saying, "Like most players at Virginia Tech he's a dynamic special teams player, a heavy hitter in our opinion." Being of amazing height for a safety, Rouse blocked a school record eight kicks in high school.


• Fourth round pick, tackle Allen Barbre of Missouri State Southern - Among the most athletic tackles in the entire draft, Barbre was a gunner on the punt coverage team in college. Let that sink in for moment. An offensive lineman who is a gunner on the punt squad! That's a position normally reserved for speedy receivers and defensive backs. Barbre made seven special teams tackles in his senior season alone. Barbre says of his unusual special teams skills, "I ended up doing pretty good at it. I played gunner the whole year and made a lot of plays. I just really enjoyed it."


• Fifth round pick David Clowney of Virginia Tech - Clowney also comes from special teams standout Virginia Tech. His best asset is his speed and he could factor into the return game. Clowney averaged 23.8 yards per kick return in college and has already been practicing as a kick returner in the Packers' organized team activities.


• Sixth round pick, fullback Korey Hall of Boise State - Hall was a two time WAC defensive player of the year, but he is moving to fullback with the Packers. And while he might be a backup fullback, make no doubt about it that Hall was drafted with the intention on playing on nearly every special teams unit. Head coach Mike McCarthy has said Hall "was an extraordinary special teams player in college, and we're counting on him to make an impact on our special teams here in Green Bay." Hall, himself, is quoted as saying, "I play hard between the whistles, and it's the same thing on special teams. A lot of playing special teams is being mentally tough, and I think I am as a special teams player."


• Sixth round pick, linebacker Desmond Bishop of California - New Era Scouting says, "Bishop should immediately be a force on special teams."


• Sixth round pick, kicker Mason Crosby of Colorado - Considered by many to be the best kicker in the 2007 draft class, Crosby obviously is a special teams weapon. He is known to have an outstanding leg even outside of the high altitude in Colorado. The thin air obviously helps, but even so "he continued his high touchback rate on kickoffs, finishing his career with 137 in 200 kickoffs," writes Mike Spofford on the Packers official website. He can punt in an emergency too.


• Seventh round pick, running back DeShawn Wynn of Florida - Wynn is one of the few players drafted with limited special teams experience. Although if he were to make the roster, one would have to assume he'd have to contribute on special teams somewhere if he isn't in the running back rotation. He did record one solo tackle for the Gators in 2005.


• Seventh round pick, tight end Clark Harris of Rutgers - Harris can long snap. With veteran Rob Davis nearing his retirement age, Harris may be able to do some double duty with the Packers while also playing tight end. Harris told the Packers official website, "I love to snap. It's something I take pride in, and I practice it as much as I would catching the ball or anything else. Hopefully I can come in and be able to do that here."

Even Brandon Jackson and undrafted rookie fullback Ryan Powdrell of USC have worked in kick return unit during the recent organized team activities.
Look for special teams to become more of a priority this season. And look for the Packers to climb out of the basement of the NFL special teams rankings in 2007.

Brewers Send 4 to the ALL-STAR game

Your first place Brewers send 4 to the 2007 All-Star game. Prince Fielder was voted a starter in a tough field that include Albert Pujols, last year's HR king Ryan Howard, and Derek Lee. Fielder's vote total was surpassed only by Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.'s 2,986,818 for the NL squad. JJ Hardy gets the nod, as does Francisco Cordero, and ace Ben Sheets. Hardy got off to an unbelievable start this year and is well deserving. Sheets is tied for 1st for the most wins in the NL with 10, CoCo leads the NL in saves, and Prince leads the NL in HRs. This is the first time the Brewers have sent 4 players since 1983, the glory years. With four representatives, the Brewers tied the New York Mets for most on the NL team.

Read more here from Tom Haudricourt's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=626806

The Crew Crush the Astros with a 9 run 6th Inning

If hitting indeed is contagious, the shell-shocked Houston Astros were in need of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday night at Miller Park. With catcher Johnny Estrada capping a nine-run outburst with his first career grand slam, the Brewers roared from behind to pummel the Astros, 11-5.

Stop us if you've heard this before, but the Brewers (45-32) have been on a rampage since being no-hit in Detroit by Justin Verlander on June 12. They are 11-2 since that debacle, scoring a total of 90 runs to average almost seven per game.

"Even before that, in Texas, we started swinging the bats well," noted Graffanino, referring to a three-game series in which the Brewers scored 18 runs yet lost twice.

Should the Brewers win today and sweep the Astros, they will match their high-water mark of 14 games above .500 reached on May 9. They were 24-10 that day after beating Washington, 3-1, a glorious start tarnished by their downward spiral over the next 30 games.

But those tough times are in the rear-view mirror now for the Brewers, who maintained their 7½-game lead over the surging Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

"Guys were searching; guys were pressing," hitting coach Jim Skaalen said. "But they never panicked. It's been the status quo right now. These guys know they can swing the bats."

Add Houston pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Rick White to the list of converts. Thanks to a two-run homer in the top of the sixth by former Brewers leftfielder Carlos Lee off Claudio Vargas, Rodriguez took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Rodriguez started his downfall by walking the first two hitters, Bill Hall and Estrada. Rodriguez got ahead in the count, 0-2, to unwalkable Kevin Mench (one walk, intentional, in 160 plate appearances) before Mench reached down and punched a low breaking ball into shallow left for a single that loaded the bases.

Rickie Weeks ripped an RBI single to right so sharply that it skipped past Luke Scott for a two-run error, a play that put a damper on Scott's two-homer performance.

"He hit that ball so hard that it skimmed past the rightfielder," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "That set up a big inning for us."

Astros manager Phil Garner replaced Rodriguez with White, who needed only one pitch to find more trouble. Hitting for reliever Matt Wise, who escaped a two-on, no-out jam in the top of the inning after replacing Vargas, Graffanino hit White's first offering for a two-run homer to left.
After batting .169 in May with one homer and three RBI, Graffanino is on a .388 tear in June with five homers and 11 RBI.

"I'm seeing the ball pretty good right now," said Graffanino, who took countless hours of extra batting practice when he was struggling. "I've made some adjustments that are working for me, spreading out, trusting my hands."

And the Brewers weren't through. With one down, J.J. Hardy walked and Ryan Braun, who slugged a two-run homer in the first inning, smacked his second double. White intentionally walked Prince Fielder to load the bases and get to Hall, who took a called third strike.

White bounced two curveballs in the dirt to Estrada, who waved at both and missed. But, inexplicably, White followed with a fastball down the middle that Estrada parked in the second deck in right for the Brewers' fifth grand slam of the season.

Read more here from Tom Haudricourt's article in today's Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=625179

Brewers Farmhand Pitches Perfect Game

ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) - Milwaukee Brewers farmhand Manny Parra pitched a perfect game Monday night, leading the Nashville Sounds to a 3-0 victory over Round Rock in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

Making his second start at Triple-A, Parra struck out 11 and threw 77 of his 107 pitches for strikes against the Express, a Houston Astros affiliate. It was the eighth perfect game in the PCL's 104-year history — but only the third in a nine-inning game. The others came in seven-inning games.

The last pitcher to throw a nine-inning perfect game in the PCL also was a member of the Sounds. John Wasdin, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, accomplished the feat on April 7, 2003, against Albuquerque. Tacoma's John Halama did it in July 2001.

The most recent perfect game in the PCL came when three Portland pitchers combined for a seven-inning gem in the second game of a doubleheader last June.

The 24-year-old Parra was picked by the Brewers in the 26th round of the 2001 draft. The left-hander went 11-2 with a 2.73 ERA for Class-A Beloit in 2003, but had season-ending rotator cuff surgery in August 2005.

He was 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 21 games, including 20 starts, last year with Class-A Brevard County and Double-A Huntsville.

Parra attended American River Junior College in Sacramento, Calif., and was chosen the 2002 National Junior College Player of the Year by Baseball America.

Packers Season Outlook

Larry Weisman of USA Today writes a good article on the outlook for the Packers this season. Projections have us no better than 2nd in the division and no worse than 3rd. There are a lot of question marks this year at TE, S, FB and RB espeically. The short breakdown on positions is:

Quarterback: Favre, the future Hall of Famer, returns for his 17th season. He had surgery on his ankle but should be fully operational by training camp. Backup Aaron Rodgers, coming off a foot injury, is a question mark for camp.

Running back: Vernand Morency is the top candidate to replace the departed Ahman Green as the starter, but the Packers are high on second-round pick Brandon Jackson. Eight other inexperienced backs on the roster will also get a look. Fullback is wide open with William Henderson gone, and Brandon Miree the nominal No.1.

Wide receiver: Donald Driver and Favre enjoy a terrific rapport, but Driver's the only consistent threat. Robert Ferguson goes into his seventh season with career stats (116 catches for 1,577 yards, 12 TDs) often duplicated in one year by the best players. Greg Jennings showed great skills in his first season, and rookie David Clowney will get a look.

Tight end: Bubba Franks is a declining player coming off a poor season, and Donald Lee should start.

Offensive line: Once a formidable group, this unit is now so-so and young in the interior. Tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, both entering their eighth seasons, have size and savvy. Center Scott Wells keeps growing into the position and has good feet and the ability to lead running plays to the outside. Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz are the guards.

Defensive line: Left end Aaron Kampman is the best of the bunch. The right side features emerging Cullen Jenkins with Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila likely returning to a role as pass-rush specialist. Ryan Pickett and Corey Williams should start inside, but the Packers want to find a role for surprise No.1 pick Justin Harrell.

Linebacker: Probably the team's strength with starters A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett and Brady Poppinga. All of these guys can run and hit. Competition in training camp will be for the backup spots.

Secondary: Starting corners Al Harris and Charles Woodson are fine, but there are questions after that. Newcomer Frank Walker is the likely nickel back. Marquand Manuel played poorly at strong safety last year after coming over from Seattle but may hang on alongside Nick Collins.

Special teams: Kicking game — iffy. Returners — up for grabs. Kicker Dave Rayner will battle rookie Mason Crosby. Punter Jon Ryan will duel David Lonie. Feel the excitement. Neither Woodson (punts) nor Morency (kickoffs) will be in those roles again. Koren Robinson is a Pro Bowl-caliber return man but remains under NFL suspension.

Coaching staff: Mike McCarthy goes into his second season with much of the roster intact. Whether that's good or bad has been the subject of intense debate around Green Bay. With such a young team, this is a great teaching opportunity. But fans (and Favre) want to win now. Joe Philbin, who coached the offensive line last year and tight ends the year before that, is the offensive coordinator. He's a first-timer in this role. Bob Sanders runs the defense for a second year.

Read more on the Packers outlook here:

http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=In+Green+Bay%2C+they%27ve+got+Favre+and+inexperience+-+USATODAY.com&expire=&urlID=22713447&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fnfl%2Fpackers%2F2007-06-14-offseason-report_N.htm%3Floc%3Dinterstitialskip&partnerID=1662

Packers Barnett in trouble after nightclub incident

The fourth-year veteran was arrested Sunday morning in Appleton on battery charges and posted $500 bond. He was not at practice on Monday or available for comment.

The Packers are not only upset about the incident, they are concerned about the consequences. On the day that Barnett signed his six-year, $34.85 million contract extension with the Packers on April 10, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell disclosed his new, tougher conduct policy.

So now Barnett will have to wait for his case to go through the Outagamie County court and see whether he faces additional punishment from the NFL for conduct detrimental to the league's image.

"Obviously we're not looking for our players or any employee of the Green Bay Packers to be involved in that type of situation," coach Mike McCarthy said.

Though the police report was not yet available Monday, more details have emerged from the incident at the Wet nightclub on College Ave. According to Appleton police Sgt. Pat DeWall, two foot patrol officers on duty at 2 a.m. Sunday came upon two people arguing outside the club. One was Barnett but the other has not yet been identified. There, the police uncovered another incident involving Barnett.

"The officers had learned that earlier a disturbance had occurred inside where Mr. Barnett had pushed down a female inside the bar," DeWall said. "Based upon that information, some witnesses and information we obtained from the victim, we arrested him for battery."

The confrontation created a stir in the entertainment district of Appleton, so about a dozen officers arrived at the scene to control the crowd.

Initially, Appleton police said they thought Barnett was arguing with the club's owner. But the owner, Kathy Peotter, denied that, saying she was working and bartending when she saw Barnett exit Wet. It is not clear with whom Barnett was arguing outside the club, but Peotter said Barnett looked unhappy when he left.

Peotter said several Packers were at her club Thursday, Friday and Saturday and she knew Barnett somewhat.

"He's always been a gentleman. I've never seen him drunk or crazy," Peotter said.
Barnett was placed in Outagamie County Jail, where he posted bond about an hour later and was released.

Read more here from Lori Nickel's article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=621198

Yovani Gallardo Shines in his Major League Debut not only with his arm but his bat too!!!!

As Yovani Gallardo walked to the home dugout in the seventh inning Monday night to a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,631 at Miller Park, manager Ned Yost stood on the mound, surrounded by his impressive young infield of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun.Fielder, already the leader of the team at 23, offered an astute assessment of Gallardo's big-league debut.

"Prince said, 'Man, he's cool,'" Yost said. "'He's nice and calm and cool.'
"I said, 'Yep, he's just like you guys. He's a stud.' "

On what was surely the first of many stellar nights to come for the 21-year-old right-hander, Gallardo indeed was impressive in the Brewers' 5-4 victory over San Francisco. He didn't rattle when a shaky first inning lasted a bit longer than everyone hoped. He ripped a run-scoring double in his first big-league at-bat. He fielded his position with aplomb.

What more could you ask?

"Gallardo pitched a great game in his major-league debut," said closer Francisco Cordero, who made things more than a bit interesting with another high-wire act in the ninth.

Gallardo was making the most anticipated debut by a Brewers pitching prospect since Olympic hero Ben Sheets reported for duty in 2001. Finding his stride after the 31-pitch first inning, Gallardo navigated through 6 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three walks and three runs, with four strikeouts.

As a tribute to Gallardo's Mexican heritage, equipment manager Tony Migliaccio issued him uniform No. 49, worn with distinction by Teddy Higuera in the late 1980s. Gallardo never met Higuera but had spoken with him on the telephone, and appreciated the gesture.

"I found out a couple of days afterward (that it was Higuera's number)," Gallardo said.
As might be expected from a young pitcher making his first start, Gallardo had some anxious moments in the first inning. Dave Roberts led off with a single to center and was on second base with two down when Barry Bonds drew a six-pitch walk, setting the stage for Bengie Molina's RBI hit to left on a 0-2 curveball.

Rather than cave in, Gallardo retired Pedro Feliz on a pop-up to short. That out began a stretch in which he set down 15 of 16 hitters.

"In the first inning I was a little nervous but I was able to settle down," said Gallardo, who threw 102 pitches.

It didn't take long for Gallardo's teammates to give him the lead. After Ryan Braun drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the first off lefty Noah Lowry, Prince Fielder launched an opposite-field homer to left, his 26th of the season.

Gallardo provided his own support in the second after Rickie Weeks, getting his first at-bat since returning from the disabled list, hammered a two-out double to left-center. Gallardo, an adept hitter who batted .250 at Class AAA Nashville with three doubles and a home run in 24 at-bats, laced a double into the left-field corner for his first hit and RBI.

"I was very excited about that," Gallardo said. "I love hitting. I look at that as a bonus for a pitcher."

Read more here from Tom Haudricourt's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=621243

Im Back

OK, so it's been awhile since my last post. I've been traveling with my company, spending time with the family, and mostly enjoying the warm Wisconsin Summer.

So lots to catch up about: Brewers are slumping, Packers started their OTA's, Bucks are looking to the off season and upcoming draft, Badgers are preparing to make a run at a BCS game. Lots to talk about and more post to come.

ENJOY!!!!

Rookie Playing Catch Up

Forced to travel to Los Angeles to do promotional work for the National Football League rather than attend the Green Bay Packers' minicamp two weeks ago, rookie Brandon Jackson did what he could to make his trip a productive one from a work standpoint.

So rather than hit the town with his fellow first- and second-round draft picks in their free time - which Jackson said they had plenty of - he instead spent the majority of time in his hotel room, poring over the portions of his playbook he brought with him.

Considering the Packers weren't installing anything new on offense at that point, Jackson wasn't missing much back in Green Bay. Nevertheless, he wasn't pleased with having to be away, considering he's fighting for the starting running-back job with Vernand Morency.

"I was real frustrated," he recounted Thursday, shortly after taking part in the second of 12 voluntary practices the Packers have scheduled in June. "But, knowing what you got to do, I really didn't care after that. I had to go, so I went, did that. That's done and over with. I'm back out here, I'm happy and I'm just ready to go."

It has been a hectic month or so for Jackson since being drafted in the second round, 63rd overall, by the Packers. He took part in a rookie orientation minicamp the weekend after the draft in early May, and aside from his trip to the West Coast has been in Green Bay most of the rest of the time.

Last week was a rookies-only, four-day series of workouts in the weight room, coupled with classroom work. Now Jackson's in the midst of a crucial stretch of practices that will give him his first taste of what the Packers will be running in the upcoming season.

Read more here from Todd Rosiak's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=613339