No. 6 pick Yi finally signs with Bucks

After all the talk, the media circus, and the frustration by Bucks fans, Yi Jianlian finally signed Wednesday night in Hong Kong to a multi year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Yi played five games this summer with Team China Basketball in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He averaged 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots. He had a team-high 23 points against Memphis, and 20, including the game-winner against Cleveland.

"We are happy that Yi will be playing with the Bucks to further develop his skill and his contribution to both the Chinese National Team and the NBA," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

"There has been a genuine excitement throughout our city and state, as well as internationally, following our selection of Yi in the NBA Draft," Bucks owner and team president Herb Kohl said. "We all anticipate Yi's arrival and welcome him and his family to Milwaukee. We look forward to a successful relationship for many years to come."

Curtesoy of Associated Press

Awful Brewers lose to 1st place Cubs

It's been so painful to follow the Brewers of lately. They dropped the 1st game against the Cubs yesterday and have now dropped to 3rd place in the division after a Cardinal win. Maybe next year is the year!!!!

Vikings sign Ferguson

Robert Ferguson ended up in a place with multiple ex-Green Bay Packers. It just wasn't Houston, like most folks expected.

Instead, the veteran wide receiver signed Tuesday with the Minnesota Vikings, joining former teammates Ryan Longwell and Darren Sharper in getting a chance to play against his former employer twice a year in the NFC North.

"That's definitely icing on the cake," Ferguson said. The actual cake is the role Ferguson could play for the Vikings, whose wide receiver corps are, to put it politely, inexperienced.

A less polite description? Bad.

The Houston Texans, with ex-Packers coach Mike Sherman as their offensive coordinator and a host of Sherman-picked ex-Packers on the roster, were thought to be the frontrunners for Ferguson, who is a Houston native and makes his offseason home there.

"Obviously once I found out I was released from Green Bay, that was the number one team that came into mind," Ferguson said. "But things changed dramatically once I visited here and got to talk with the coaches and talk with the teammates here."

A disappointment in Green Bay as a 2001 second-round pick, Ferguson joins Minnesota's 12-receiver group as the wideout with the most NFL experience (six years), most games played (60), most starts (26), most receptions (116), most yards (1,577) and most touchdowns (12). Bobby Wade currently is the Vikings' No. 1 receiver, while drop-prone Troy Williamson is No. 2 and rookie second-round pick Sidney Rice is the No. 3 receiver.

By the Vikings' Sept. 9 opener against Atlanta, Ferguson, who according to an NFL source signed a one-year, $700,000 deal that includes incentives that could boost the contract's value to $1.3 million, could work his way into the starting lineup.

But don't discount the revenge factor. "He has the same feeling I did when you leave Green Bay," Sharper said. "You want to play those guys twice a year."

Courtesy of Jason Wilde from today's Wisconsin State Journal:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=206534&ntpid=4

Brewers continue to slide

Still barely hanging on are the Milwaukee Brewers to a 1/2 game lead over Chicago. After last night's 8-0 loss and sweep by St. Louis, the Cardnials now pulled to within 2 1/2 games and are considered a legitimate contender.

The Brew Crew are 14-25 in their last 39 games. They lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games. They've even lost four straight at home.

Ferguson is Done in Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers' patience with Robert Ferguson finally ran out Thursday.

Around 5 p.m., about 90 minutes before the team took the field for its final night practice of the summer, Ferguson was informed by coach Mike McCarthy that an attempt was being made to trade him to another team. If a trade can't be made, then he will in all likelihood be released.
"Robert will no longer be a Packer," McCarthy said after the night practice. "We're going to go in another direction. We're just moving on with the other guys and that's where it stands right now. I'll have more definitive information for you tomorrow."

McCarthy said the Packers were in discussions with several teams about a trade for Ferguson. It's possible they have a firm offer for the 27-year-old receiver and are trying to see if they can do better.

If released, Ferguson, a six-year veteran, would not be subject to waivers and would be free to sign with any team in the league. Players with four or more seasons of pension credit are exempt from waivers until the end of the trading period Oct. 16.

It's unlikely the Packers will be able to get a lot for Ferguson - probably a low-round pick at most - and it's questionable whether a team would be willing to take on his $1.8 million base salary.

One potential suitor could be the Houston Texans, where former Packers coach and general manager Mike Sherman is the offensive coordinator. Sherman was influential in the Packers selecting Ferguson over Wisconsin's Chris Chambers in the second round of the 2001 draft and it's possible Ferguson, whose off-season home is in Houston, might be willing to adjust his salary in order to play in his hometown.

What is certain is that Ferguson had little chance of making the Packers' roster. The writing was on the wall after receiver Carlyle Holiday clearly outperformed Ferguson on special teams in the exhibition opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Read More here from Tom Silverstein's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=648472

Photo/Mark Hoffman

Jones makes a big-time impression

Last year, a second-round pick who lacked big-time name recognition coming from Western Michigan, justified his selection from the very first practice and, had he not suffered a midseason ankle injury, might've put up a 1,000-yard season as a rookie. His name? Greg Jennings.

Don't look now, but it appears to be happening again, this time with third-round pick James Jones.

"It's crazy, I'm only in my second year, and he kind of reminds me of myself," Jennings said Tuesday. "He's doing everything that people don't expect a rookie to do."

Added Driver, who watched Jones from the sideline during the first three days of practice: "I think he has what the coaches look for — confidence and comfort in the offense. When I came in in 1999, that's what I wanted to do right off the bat, come in and prove that I could play with anybody, regardless of who they were."

A reach?

Jones has caught virtually every ball thrown his direction, including two beauties on Tuesday morning, when he skied over No. 3 cornerback Patrick Dendy to reel in a touchdown from Aaron Rodgers, then went up and got a high Paul Thompson pass for another TD in the back of the end zone.

"That's why we drafted him," wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson said matter-of-factly. "We knew he could do that."

Perhaps, but when the Packers took Jones with the 78th overall pick in April, the selection caused some head-scratching. Most of the pre-draft know-it-alls had Jones pegged as a second-day pick, as low as the sixth or seventh round, so he was considered a reach by many.

Plus, in some ways, the Packers opted for Jones' long-term potential over the short-term help a trade for Randy Moss could have provided. Moss went from Oakland to New England for a fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall), and general manager Ted Thompson could have dealt the pick for Moss had he wanted to.

Instead, Thompson opted for a guy who caught 70 passes for 893 yards and 10 TDs in 13 games as a senior at San Jose State last year after catching just 56 balls his first three college seasons combined.

"You definitely want to make a real good first impression. You want to open some eyes as fast as you can so the coaches start looking at you," Jones said. "I just go out there and make the most of my chances."

Learning curve

While Jones' ability to pluck the ball out of midair has gotten everyone's attention, coach Mike McCarthy cautioned that, unlike Jennings, who picked up the offense almost instantly, Jones "is thinking (a lot) right now. You can see when he breaks the huddle, he's thinking about the formation, he's thinking about the play."

Or, as Robinson put it, "Things came easy to Greg. I don't think they necessarily come as easy to James, in terms of the scheme. But he's handling it pretty well to this point.''

Indeed, while veteran cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson have been supportive of the rookie, they're also holding him to a higher standard after seeing what Jennings did last year in camp.

"From what I've seen, he's got real good hands. But this is camp," Woodson said. "It was kind of different with Jennings last year, there was just something with him that everybody could just kind of see. Jones, he catches some good balls, but I've got to see him in the game."

Added Harris: "I wouldn't quite say he's like Jennings was, because Jennings, he really caught on really fast. He was real smooth in his routes. James works hard, and he's got very strong hands. He caught a slant on me the other day where he ran a good route. He just needs to do that more often — sell his routes better, be crisper. But he catches the ball very, very well. I haven't seen him drop a pass."

And that might be the best part of Jones' strong first impression: He isn't getting swept up in his early successes. While his highlight-reel catches have been a staple of the local news stations' 10 p.m. sportscasts, he's acutely aware of how far he has to go. Told of Woodson and Harris' comments, he simply nodded in agreement.

"Definitely. I need to improve on a lot of parts of my game," he said. "I can run routes better, I can read coverages better, I can understand the game a lot better — I can do a lot of things better to elevate my game. That's why we're practicing, and that's what we're here for, to practice the things we need to get better on.''

Courtesy of Jason Wilde, Wisconsin Sports Writer of the Year from today's Wisconsin State Journal:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=203629&ntpid=1

UW football: Beckum back for more

Take a moment to digest the numbers.Travis Beckum set University of Wisconsin records last season for a tight end, with 61 receptions for 903 yards and five touchdowns.

Now, consider the consequences.Beckum is a former defensive player who just moved to the position in the previous spring and admittedly didn't start to feel comfortable until the Big Ten Conference opener against Michigan.

Finally, contemplate the future. Just how good can Beckum, a junior, become with a full year at the position under his belt?"Travis improved so much as the season went along as a football player, but also as a person, as a student, as someone who can maybe help us lead a little bit on the field," UW coach Bret Bielema said after the spring game."

And the competitive nature he has — I always kid him about being pretty and being fast and all this. I said, 'I want you to become a football player.

I want you to use your hands when you block, I want you to stay in good football position.' It's been steady (progress) over time, little doses here and there, and he's continued to develop."Given everything Beckum accomplished last season, it's easy to overlook senior Andy Crooks, another former linebacker who also made the move to tight end in the spring of 2006.

Yet, when offensive coordinator Paul Chryst was asked this spring to evaluate some of the potential leaders on his side of the ball, Crooks was the first player mentioned."He was a lot of our (offensive) personality, I felt like, last year," Chryst said.

With both Beckum and Crooks back this year, tight end is one of the strongest areas on a deep and experienced team.Beckum and Crooks proved to be such an effective combination, the double tight end formation became a staple in UW's offense.

The versatility of Crooks, who can also line up in the backfield, allowed the offense to overcome injuries to fullbacks Chris Pressley, who missed the entire season with a broken ankle suffered in fall camp, and Bill Rentmeester, who was in and out of the lineup all season with a shoulder injury. Crooks had 19 catches for 206 yards and four TDs and was also the team's best blocking tight end.

Even in passing situations, Chryst often preferred to use two receivers and two tight ends, rather than three receivers and a tight end, or four receivers."I want the offensive coordinator to call plays to our guys, but they have to merit that," receivers coach Henry Mason said in the spring. "It doesn't make any sense to take Travis Beckum off the field in passing situations."Crooks missed spring practices, following post-season shoulder surgery and third tight end Sean Lewis was also out with an injury.

That allowed Beckum extra reps to concentrate on his blocking, the weakest part of his game."With Crooks and Sean being gone, (I'm) kind of getting all the blocks down — down blocks, zone blocks," Beckum said in the spring. "Last year I was kind of limited in what blocks I did. I think that's good experience for me to be able to do all the blocks."

Former quarterback John Stocco used to joke that Beckum didn't always know where he was going, either. So, Beckum was working on polishing his route-running skills, too.

But it's hard to find another tight end nationally who impacted games — and defenses — as much as Beckum. In Big Ten games only, Beckum ranked second in the conference in receiving yards, averaging 75.1 per game.

Even with defenses increasingly focusing their coverages on him later in the season, he still caught five or more passes in each of the final five games, counting the bowl victory over Arkansas."I expected it," Beckum said of the different coverages he faced, including bracket coverage, with a linebacker underneath and a safety over the top. "It's just something I kind of look forward to."

If defenders are going to bracket me and put more defenders on me, it's going to leave other players open. Once that happens, we can have a complete offense."The popular perception, going into the season, is Beckum will be a better all-around player, but might not put up the numbers he had last season.

But given his extraordinary talent and competitiveness, don't rule out an even bigger season."That was kind of a point for me, to have an even better season this year," Beckum said. "The numbers I put up were kind of large last year. I definitely think I'm capable of doing it."

Courtesy of Tom Mulhern from today's Wisconsin State Journal:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=203605&ntpid=4#

UW football: Swan catches on

That's OK if you have underestimated University of Wisconsin senior wide receiver Luke Swan in the past. He's used to it.

Swan, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, came to the Badgers as an unheralded walk-on from Fennimore, who supposedly was too small and too slow to be a receiver in the Big Ten Conference.

So, when Swan went into fall camp a year ago listed atop the depth chart, it seemed like a nice story, but almost no one expected it to last. It was supposed to be only a matter of time before Swan was overtaken by one of two true freshman receivers, Isaac Anderson or Xavier Harris.

Despite missing part of camp with an injury, Swan not only held on to the starting job, he finished third on the team with 35 catches for 595 yards, an average of 17 yards per reception that topped the team. He also tied for the team high with five touchdown catches.

Once again, most fans figured Swan had reached his glass ceiling, as a nice intermediary complement to tight end Travis Beckum and deep threat Paul Hubbard.

But Swan defied the popular opinion again, taking his game up another notch in the spring.
"He's a better player right now than he was at the end of (last) season," receivers coach Henry Mason said in the spring. "He's really got a feel for things."

In fact, Swan was so good in the spring, offensive coordinator Paul Chryst started thinking of ways to feature him in the offense. Chryst took it a step further when he compared Swan to departed quarterback John Stocco.

"The thing you appreciate — and you try to get others to understand — you know what you're going to get (with Swan),'' Chryst said.

" 'Swanny,' maybe, is like 'Stoc' at quarterback, not real sexy, but you're going to win with him. If he should be open, he'll be open. He's a heck of a competitor. There are some of the same qualities."

If you're keeping track at home, that means Swan has gone from walk-on, to starter, to receiving a scholarship, to being a featured receiver, all in the span of a little more than one year.

The stability Swan and Hubbard — fifth-year seniors who spent all last season as starters — bring to the position is crucial with the recent news the Badgers will be without the popular Mason, who was hospitalized with back problems and replaced by interim coach DelVaughn Alexander for the season.

Not only do Swan and Hubbard have experience in the offense, they complement each other perfectly, along with Beckum.

"Swan, he's the precision route-runner," Hubbard said. "Me, I've got the speed, so I can open it up, I can blow the top off, give Swan some room to work in traffic. Travis, he's both. He does what he needs to do, to make the play."

Swan's face lit up when told Chryst was talking about featuring him more in the offense.
"That's a great thing to hear," he said. "That means he's got confidence in me, that I can be a playmaker. That gives me confidence to go out and make more plays."

Hubbard, 6-4 and 213 pounds, proved to be a playmaker, too, catching 38 passes for 627 yards and five TDs, but his lack of consistency was maddening at times. He was plagued by drops, a result of inconsistent route running and hands.

He didn't seem to change much in the spring, either. At the end of last season, Mason said Hubbard, in terms of physical talent, could be one of the top receivers in the Big Ten.

"It just hasn't happened yet," Mason said in the spring. "Right now, looking at him, you can pull 25 plays off the spring tape, you watch them and you say, 'He might be top 10 as far as receivers in the country.'

"There's another 20-25 plays where you say, 'I don't see it, it's not there.' He's got to be able to close that gap. He's got too many negative plays."

The other big issue in the spring was the failure of a third receiver to emerge.

Redshirt freshman Maurice Moore made the biggest jump, but he's a converted quarterback who still has a long way to go.

Anderson is a burner who can't seem to stay healthy. Harris left the team in the spring and returned home to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for personal reasons, but he is back and will be ready for camp. However, Mason said Moore has bypassed Harris.

Junior Marcus Randle El could be the favorite for the No. 3 job, but he was limited in the spring after returning from reconstructive knee surgery. The coaches won't know what Randle El can do until camp opens.

Courtesy of Tom Mulhern from today's Wisconsin State Journal:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=203442&ntpid=2#

Injury will keep Morency out at least two weeks

It will be at least two weeks before Vernand Morency returns to the practice field, and when he comes back, the gap could be narrowed between him and the rest of the pack in the competition for the Green Bay Packers' starting running back job.

Morency's injured knee turned out to be worse than originally thought, and although coach Mike McCarthy said surgery wouldn't be needed to repair it, the third-year back will be sidelined "a couple of weeks." McCarthy wouldn't reveal any details about the injury and Morency did not make himself available to reporters in the locker room after practice.

On Sunday, general manager Ted Thompson described the injury as a bruise, but after further examination from the team doctor it was determined to be more than that.

"Pat McKenzie just thinks it's a little more serious than he initially thought," McCarthy said. "It's going to be a couple of weeks."

Morency injured his knee in the first practice Saturday. He's unsure exactly when it occurred, but McCarthy said there were two consecutive plays where Morency put stress on his knee.

"The one where he had the hard cut to the left, he kind of fell a little bit there, and there was a play, I think it was actually prior to that, where he was in a situation where his legs got crossed up on the pass protection that he was blocking on," McCarthy said. "I think it happened on one of those two plays."

Morency's injury raises some flags about his durability. He has never been a full-time starter in the National Football League and has had some injury problems, including a lower back ailment that forced him to miss two games last year and limited him to 11 carries in the three games after that.

If he's out only two weeks, Morency will still have three exhibition games to make his case for the starting job, but if he's out three, he'll be cutting things close. The third exhibition game is always the most important because of the amount of time the starters play, so if anything, he should be shooting for the Jacksonville game Aug. 23.

"I think it's for precautionary reasons," fullback Brandon Miree said. "I don't know what everything is. They just want to make sure he's healthy. We need him for the entire season. It's one of those things we don't want to take any chances with."

In the meantime, the Packers are introducing some added competition to the race. Since Morency went out, rookie Brandon Jackson and second-year pro P.J. Pope have been first in line to audition for the job.

But seventh-round pick DeShawn Wynn is gradually coming back from a stomach virus that caused him to lose 10 pounds and miss the first two days of practice, and rookie free agent Corey White is getting an extended look. Because nothing is settled in a backfield without a clear-cut starter, there will be an opportunity for someone to prove he's more reliable than Morency.

Courtesy of Tom Silverstein from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=639830

Brewers 1 of 3 teams able to trade for Gagne

The Yankees grew discouraged about their chances of landing Rangers closer Eric Gagne on Tuesday morning, an indication that the reliever could be headed to one of three other teams trying to acquire him — the Red Sox, Brewers or Mets — or nowhere at all.


The Mets and Brewers are among the 12 teams that can acquire Gagne without his permission, according to major-league sources. The Red Sox are not.

The Mets, who are unwilling to trade Carlos Gomez, also are pessimistic about their chances. Meanwhile, two of the Rangers' other potential center-field targets — the Red Sox's David Murphy and Brewers' Tony Gwynn Jr. — might not be everyday players.
For the Red Sox, time is running short.

Their chances of landing of White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye are fading, according to sources. And, with the non-waiver deadline fast approaching, the Sox need to not only reach a trade agreement with the Rangers, but also persuade Gagne to waive his no-trade clause to Boston, perhaps by guaranteeing his remaining $3.65 million in potential bonuses for games finished.

Even if they did that, Gagne still might balk at the deal, preferring to close rather than set up for Jonathan Papelbon


Courtesy of Ken Rosenthal from Foxsports.com:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7072074

Woodson returns to form

Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson would rather take the chance he might have to wear a shoulder harness again this season than let a surgeon cut him open.

So, instead of allowing team doctor Patrick McKenzie to explore what it was that was causing Woodson so much pain the second half of the season last year, he decided to treat his right shoulder the same as he treated his ailing left knee.

During the off-season, Woodson went to Houston as he always does and began rehabbing both injuries with the intent of being ready for the start of training camp. So far, he thinks he did the right thing.

"The knee was fine pretty much a month after the season," Woodson said. "It took the shoulder a little longer, I'd say well into June before it was where I wanted it to be. It feels good right now. I have full range of motion. It's not sore at all. I haven't really hit anybody, but it feels good for the most part."

Woodson said he doesn't know if there are floating bone chips around the shoulder or some other ailment that caused him so much pain he had to play with the harness last year. He only knows that he was able to get back to health without having to go under the knife.

"They said the only way to find out was to actually go in," Woodson said. "I wasn't too thrilled about that. I figured I'd just play with it and if anything comes up with it again, I'll put the harness back on and continue to work."

Woodson gutted it out for all 16 games last season despite the knee injury, which he suffered in the St. Louis game Oct. 8, and the shoulder injury, which appeared after the New England game Nov. 19.

He led the Packers with eight interceptions and also was the team's primary punt returner, fielding 41 kicks for an 8.9-yard average.

During the first two days of practice, Woodson has resumed his role as the primary punt returner and seems set on doing it again despite the risk of injury. So far, coach Mike McCarthy has shown no hesitation in allowing Woodson to field punts, although that could change when the games start.

Courtesy of Tom Silverstein from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=639619

Couch Comeback

We haven't seen anything like this since the Jeff George Experiment 2.0, 3.0, & 4.0.

Quarterback Tim Couch, whose career appeared to be over after undergoing two major shoulder surgeries, is scheduled to work out for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, sources said. The Atlanta Falcons also have called to set up a workout with Couch.

Couch, the No. 1 pick of the 1999 draft when he was taken by the Cleveland Browns, is trying to get back into the NFL after three years out of the league. He has been working out near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and recently directed his agents to contact NFL teams to let them know he is healthy and prepared to play again. He turns 30 next Tuesday.

The Browns released Couch after the 2003 season and he developed shoulder problems during training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 2004. The Packers cut him before the 2004 season started and Couch subsequently underwent two shoulder surgeries, the last in July 2006.

Attempts to reach Couch for immediate comment were unsuccessful.

Courtesy of Josh Peter from Yahoo sports

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AuBvXq4s0_HTXznAUO7kH26G2bYF?slug=jo-couch072807&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

BLEW - ERS..........road woes continue

I really don't even have to go into detail and actually it's too painful after this weekend. Brewers lost both games in a doubleheader and lost miserable game yesterday to the Cardnials. Sadly enough the Brewers were for the most part winning everyone of those games and surrendered 5 runs, 6 runs, and end up losing the lead.

And just on the horizon, the Mets one of the best teams in MLB is up next for the Crew. At least we don't have to worry about Bonds bringing his "juice" to town.

Brewers need some help, need some life, need to start winning again!!!!

Brewers send 3 pitchers to Padres for Linebrink

In turnabout in trade philosophy, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired reliever Scott Linebrink from the San Diego Padres for three minor league pitchers on Wednesday, hoping to bolster their unexpected run at the playoffs.

Linebrink will be a setup man for closer Francisco Cordero, who has converted 32 of 35 save chances.

"I wasn't surprised. I knew I was getting close to the deadline and hadn't heard anything," Linebrink said. "It's usually when you don't hear anything that happens. Last year my name was thrown out plenty and nothing happened. When it goes quiet there is usually something in the works."

The Padres acquired right-hander Will Inman, a third-round pick in the 2005 amateur draft; left-hander Steve Garrison, a 10th-round pick in the same draft; and 25-year-old left-hander Joe Thatcher.

The bullpen is one of the Brewers' main concerns, in part because of injuries. Reliever Yovani Gallardo had to move into the starting rotation after Ben Sheets hurt a finger on his pitching hand earlier this month.

The Brewers have been in first place in the NL Central since a 25-11 start. Their 8½-game lead has dwindled to only two in the past week, a slide set up by the team's struggling offense.

The deal was a notable change for the Brewers, who are more accustomed to thinking about who they might trade away in July. Milwaukee hasn't had a winning record since 1992.

"It's a change for us competing for the postseason," General Manager Doug Melvin said. "You get to that point and you have to adjust your philosophy and your thinking."

It might wind up as the Brewers' biggest deal before the trading deadline.

"I'm not sure there's anything else we'd do," Melvin said. "This was one of our No. 1 goals. We have versatile players on the bench. We'd like our players on the offensive side to produce the way they did in the first half, when we got ourselves where we are. If they do that, we'll be fine."
Linebrink has been a dependable setup man for the Padres, going 3-3 with a 3.80 earned run average in 44 games this season. Last year, he led the Padres' bullpen with seven wins and 68 strikeouts. He also led the NL with 36 holds.

He's expected to join the team for a weekend series in St. Louis.

Read More here from Joe Kay of the AP courtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070726/GPG0206/707260550/1239/GPGsports

In-Depth look at the Packers D-Line

Obviously the Green Bay Packers D-Line was a position that Ted Thompson saw as very important. He draft Justin Harrell, DT Tennessee with the #16 pick and shocked pretty much everyone including the experts by taking him. Jason Wilde, Wisconsin sports writer of the year and regular on "The World's Greatest Talk Show", with Steve "The Homer" True, takes an in-depth look at the 2007 Green Bay Packers D-Line.

While it's true Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson did next to nothing during free agency to improve his team — hello, lonely cornerback Frank Walker — let's not forget what could turn out to be the club's most important offseason signing.

Or re-signing, anyway.

If Cullen Jenkins, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $16 million on Feb. 26, can come through with a breakout season the way Aaron Kampman did last year after getting his four-year, $21 million deal, the Packers' defense could go from being a decent outfit in 2006 to an elite group in '07.

Of course, there are other issues — whether Marquand Manuel (or his replacement) can prevent receivers from constantly getting behind him tops the list — but Green Bay has a potentially outstanding front seven and better depth on the line than anywhere on defense.

Jenkins registered a career-high 6.5 sacks (despite missing two games with an ankle injury) last season, replacing high-paid pass-rusher Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila as the primary defensive end opposite Kampman for the final four games, starting three.

The Packers won all four games, and the defense, much-maligned for most of the season, showed significant improvement.

The Packers' plan is for Jenkins to continue to play end on early downs because he is a better run defender than KGB, then move inside to tackle on passing downs to allow the Packers to have their three best rushers on the field simultaneously in Jenkins, Kampman and KGB.

Finding another edge rusher — Jason Hunter, perhaps? — would be a bonus.

"Guys like Cullen are very hard to find," defensive ends coach Carl Hairston said. "He's good for us because we can use him at end or tackle and put someone else in because he can play two spots. That doesn't happen often. You don't usually find a guy who can play both positions effectively, which he can do. Once he's inside, he's pretty disruptive there."

The Packers finished last season with 46 sacks, ranking them fourth in the NFL behind San Diego (61), Baltimore (60) and Miami (47), and if reducing Gbaja-Biamila's snaps allows him to recapture his form from 2001 through '04 (49 sacks), their pass rush could be formidable. But the run defense, which finished ranked 13th at season's end, must improve as well.

The run defense will again rely on blocker-eating nose tackle Ryan Pickett, who came over from St. Louis as a free agent last year and, despite relatively unimpressive numbers (92 tackles, zero sacks, one fumble recovery, no fumbles forced) was a difference-maker.

"I felt like I had a re-start to my career," Pickett said. "It was a great year. Next year will be even better."

Who'll line up alongside him depends on first-round pick Justin Harrell, who did not take a single offseason snap in 11-on-11 drills because of the ruptured biceps tendon he suffered in his final season at Tennessee. Harrell played only three games for the Volunteers but the club expects him to be ready when training camp opens Saturday.

Read More Here from JAson Wilde's article in today's Wisconsin State Journal:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=202607&ntpid=1

Gallardo pitches a gem on the road

Every now and then, you get away with one.

To hear Milwaukee Brewers closer Francisco Cordero, he got away with a big no-no - a hanging slider in the ninth inning Tuesday night to Cincinnati slugger Ken Griffey Jr., whose potential game-tying drive was caught at the wall by rightfielder Kevin Mench.

"I don't believe anybody in the ballpark thought that was staying in," said Cordero, who notched his major league-best 32nd save. "I know I didn't. And I looked at Ken Griffey. I know he didn't, either."

With that bit of good fortune, the Brewers hung on for a 5-3 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park, a rewarding turnabout from a tough 12-inning defeat the previous evening.

The victory allowed the Brewers to maintain their three-game lead in the NL Central over Chicago, a 4-3 winner in St. Louis.

"You can't get freaked out (by tough losses)," said manager Ned Yost. "You better stay steady. They have convinced me they have that trait. I don't worry about it anymore."

Right-hander Yovani Gallardo, already impressive in so many ways, gave yet another reason for the Brewers to believe he'll hold up to the scrutiny of replacing injured ace Ben Sheets.

Gallardo did not have his Grade A stuff and found himself rushing in the early going, but he made adjustments as if he were a 31-year-old veteran, not a 21-year-old rookie.

"The first three innings, I was in too much of a hurry," said Gallardo (3-1), who nevertheless kept the Reds off the board until the seventh inning. "I was trying to do too much.

"After that, I got back in a rhythm and made quality pitches. By the fourth inning, I kind of settled down, relaxed a little and pitched my game."

Behind 6 2/3 innings of gritty work by Gallardo, the Brewers bolted to a 4-0 lead against Cincinnati starter Matt Belisle. It took a great catch by Griffey in right field in the second inning to hold Damian Miller to a sacrifice fly and the Brewers to one run.

Griffey also made a diving catch in the corner in the third to turn a potential run-scoring, extra-base hit by Craig Counsell into a double play.

"Griffey saved them two or three runs," said Yost. "I mean, they were great catches, not routine catches. You almost catch yourself saying bad words when he makes those catches."

The Brewers scored three times in the fourth to knock Belisle from the game. Ryan Braun led off with a single and scored when Prince Fielder tripled high off the wall in left, a drive that barely eluded leaping Adam Dunn.

Kevin Mench went down swinging, but Geoff Jenkins yanked a double into the right-field corner to collect his first RBI since July 5 in Pittsburgh. Miller walked, Tony Gwynn Jr. bounced into a force at second and Gallardo helped his cause with an RBI single to center, chasing Belisle.

Brian Shouse helped bail Gallardo out in the seventh after Scott Hatteberg put the Reds on the board with a run-scoring double. But Derrick Turnbow found nothing but trouble in the eighth, allowing a two-run homer to Dunn and retiring none of the three hitters he faced.

But Carlos Villanueva, another impressive young right-hander, took over and retired the side, striking out the last two hitters. Villanueva had scuffled of late (11.00 ERA in six outings) but was glad to pick up Turnbow and keep his club on top.

Read More Here from Tom Haudricourt's article in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=637652

Jenkins Enjoying That Winning Feeling

Ken Rosenthal caught up with Milwaukee Brewers OF Geoff Jenkins. Below is the interview on Foxsports.com

No member of the Brewers has been with the franchise longer than outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who joined the club in 1998.

In his first nine seasons, the Brewers averaged 91 losses, finishing .500 only once. Yet in 2004, he signed a three-year, $23 million contract extension with a club option for '08.

Jenkins, who turns 33 on Saturday, wanted to experience what it would be like to play in Milwaukee on a competitive team.

It took a while, but the moment finally has arrived.

The Brewers lead the NL Central by 3½ games entering this weekend's series against the Giants at Miller Park (Saturday, 3:55 p.m. ET, MLB on Fox).

In a phone interview Thursday, Jenkins reflected on the Brewers' past, present and future — and the possibility of finally playing in the postseason.

Q: What is different about the atmosphere at the ballpark this year?

A: We're winning ballgames. I've been here for a 10-year period. They (the fans) have seen a lot of losing. There's a lot of excitement around the club with the great season that is going on, the success of the organization, these young guys coming up and producing. When you see people come to the ballpark, they're excited to be there. Obviously it shows in the ticket sales. I just think overall, people are more excited.

Q: Is it louder? Is it a different feel?

A: Yes. You can definitely hear the crowds. Usually in the past, for a weekend series, we'd get maybe two good crowds. Then on that Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday it was just brutal. But now there are good crowds for every game. It's exciting to play in front of big crowds. Not that it makes the other team nervous or play different. But it matters when you have a big crowd out there supporting you. Everyone feeds off of that.

Q: How much have you thought about what it would be like to play in the postseason?

A: I've thought a lot about that. When I re-signed here a few years ago, that was basically the thing I said at my press conference. I knew all these young guys were coming. They were hungry. They were good players. And they had won all the way up through the minor leagues. If we could just get 'em up here and produce the same way we'd have a chance.

Obviously we're not a team that can throw out $150 million or $200 million on the payroll. We had to have that occur to be successful. Definitely we're seeing the reward from these young guys finally coming up here and producing. I don't see that changing. This is a great core group of guys for the future of the franchise.

Q: Was there a single low point when you thought the team might never be competitive?

A: When we lost 106 games in '02. To me, that was the low point. I actually had that ankle injury that year midway through (Jenkins' season ended on June 17 when he suffered torn ligaments and a dislocation of his right ankle).

We just had a roster full of guys ... you know, making it to the big leagues is supposed to be an honor. Definitely you're happy for everyone that makes it. But we just had so many guys here that didn't belong and that were really not major-league talent. You saw it in the loss column. We just got beat up every day. It was a very frustrating year.

Q: There was a lot of talk before the season that you or Kevin Mench might get traded, that there was a logjam that had to be resolved. How bothered were you then by the possibility of being a part-time player? How has it all worked out?

A: It has worked out fine. We're both helping the team out when we're out there. That was pretty much squashed in spring training. Everyone was communicated to. We knew what our roles were going to be. That was the important thing. Everyone is on the same track.

For me, the frustrating part was, I was here throughout all this losing crap, and then all of a sudden I felt like I was going to be gone and not maybe witness what is transpiring right now. I think it definitely was nice to finally stick around and be a part of a team we knew we could be good.

Q: You're about to turn 33. How old do you feel being around Prince, Rickie Weeks, all of those young guys. Is there a big generation gap between the veterans and youngsters?

A: You wouldn't know it all in the clubhouse. We have so much fun together. I've never seen a group of guys from top to bottom hang out and just mess with each other. That's why there are no egos in the clubhouse. If you do anything wrong, someone is going to get on you. It probably will be two or three guys.

It's really a grounded clubhouse. We stick together. Everybody roots for each other. Everybody is in the same direction. I really believe what is going on in that clubhouse — how we get together, how we talk and hang out, mess with each other — I really believe that is transferring on the field and helping us win games.

Read More Here from Ken Rosenthal's interview from Foxsports.com:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7041676

Braun's start a smashing success

Milwaukee Brewers batting coach Jim Skaalen was working as the coordinator for minor league instruction in the Seattle Mariners' organization in 1994 when a phenom named Alex Rodriguez made his major league debut.

It's important to keep that in mind when Skaalen says he's never seen a hitter adapt to the big leagues better than Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun.

"I was with Seattle when Alex Rodriguez came up through the system and got his first callup and he faltered a little bit his first time or two (in the majors)," Skaalen said of Rodriguez, who hit .204 in 17 games in 1994 and .232 in 48 games the next year before becoming a career .300 hitter.

"That's kind of the normal process. Guys come up here, the game is a little quicker, the command (of pitchers) is a little better, you're playing in front of more people. Call it an intimidation factor, if you want, or an adjustment period."

Braun has been so good so fast he has smashed the learning curve, while somehow exceeding already sky-high expectations after spending less than two full years in the minor leagues.

Since being called up from Class AAA Nashville May 24, Braun has hit a robust .337, with 14 home runs and 39 RBIs. He's third on the team in home runs and RBIs, despite playing in only about half the games of the Brewers' leaders in those categories.


It's not supposed to be as easy as Braun has made it look. His .387 on-base percentage leads the team and his slugging percentage of .648 tops even Fielder, the National League's home run leader.

Braun has emerged as a top contender for rookie of the year honors despite missing the first seven weeks of the season.

If Braun was off to this kind of start while playing in a bigger market, he would probably be a national story already. Instead, he's just another of the young colts in the Brewers' stable. Braun looks at it as an ideal situation, learning from players like Fielder, Hardy and Rickie Weeks, who recently went through the same things he's experiencing for the first time.


Read More here about Braun here from Tom Mulhern's article in the Wisconsin State Journal:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=202345&ntpid=5#

Melvin Squashes Trade Rumors

A local sports talk radio station reported before the game that the Brewers had acquired power-hitting outfielder Adam Dunn from the Reds for reliever Matt Wise and possibly two other players, but general manager Doug Melvin squashed that idea.

Melvin said the report was based on an Internet rumor and had no validity.

Well I know it was not from my site.......see 3 stories down!!!!

Selig will be at Giants-Brewers game

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will be in attendance for the Giants-Brewers game tonight at Miller Park as Barry Bonds closes in on Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, ESPN.com reported.

Selig, who is from Milwaukee and whose office is still here, had been non-committal about whether he'd be in the ballpark for Bonds' pursuit of Aaron's record.

Bonds hit two home runs against the Cubs yesterday in Chicago to pull within two of Aaron's total of 755. Lineups for tonight's game aren't out yet, so it's not certain Bonds will be playing.

The sold-out game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. with Jeff Suppan on the mound for the Brewers.