7/28, Brewers (Rusch) vs. Mets (Seo)

[Al the Thinking Man]

.

[batman]

Is it just me, or is there about 200 people at this game?

 

Yikes.

 

~Bill

[Al the Thinking Man]

2000 might be pretty accurate. Even the "prime" seats are extremely empty.

[Diskono]

Royce Clayton has a hit and Glendon Rusch is pitching a one-hitter. WHAT IS GOING ON

[biedergb]

Our pen better bail us out. I mean the Mets are only 2 games ahead of us for the race for the #1 pick next year. Oh, please bring in Vizcaino soon.

(Sarcasm is both free and partly based in reality)http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[igor67]

Well I don't know if it will be enough, but Glendon has had 3 out 4 good starts and the other was merely not good. One can hope.

[clancyphile]

Deadline deal?

 

Please let there be a deadline deal...

[rotoherb]

Rusch has a 3.15 ERA since coming back up from AAA. Could that be enough to convince some team to trade for him.....

[brewmann04]

Some team somewhere who in the Pennant Race might have been watching Rusch Lately.Hopefully there was some scouts within the 200 fans tonight.

 

Any thing is possible i guess

 

BTW starting to like Estrallea and Kolb combo

[GenoSeligPrieb]

In the 9th inning, when Ueck and Jim Powell were mentioning the bad attendance tonight at Shea, the discussion ran toward all the problems the Mets were encountering in 2003, including Glavine complaining about the media, and Piazza possibly seeking a trade.

 

Bob U.: "How come nobody wants to leave the Yankees? Why is it like this with the Mets?"

 

Jim P.: "Because they're LOSERS!"

 

I can't really add much to this except to ask, since the Mets have 2 World Series titles, 4 pennants and a better record than we have, what does that make the Brewers then?

[950opsLHcatcher]

Battlers.

[xisxisxis]

I can't really add much to this except to ask, since the Mets have 2 World Series titles, 4 pennants and a better record than we have, what does that make the Brewers then?

 

Amen Geno. If you ask JP he'd go on one of his baseball economics ******** tangents and imply the only reason the Mets are better than the Brewers is because of a bigger bankroll. JP is too busy being a company tool and attacking other teams so that Brewer fans don't pick up on FACTS like the ones you just quoted Geno.

[molitor fan]

Sorry to disagree guys but Jim Powell is one of my favorites. He is smart, analytical and is a fan without being blind. I mean, seriously - give me a freaking break, he was obviously bantering with Uecker - having fun - and wasn't comparing records......to go off on such a tangent against him is just typical Geno stuff....self-pandering aggrandizement that only serves to tear down a part of the Brewers that actually gives a rip....

 

Actually now that I think about it, I am not so sorry to disagree.

[guy2058]

Amen Geno. If you ask JP he'd go on one of his baseball economics ******** tangents and imply the only reason the Mets are better than the Brewers is because of a bigger bankroll. JP is too busy being a company tool and attacking other teams so that Brewer fans don't pick up on FACTS like the ones you just quoted Geno.

 

Yeah, either that or he's just having a good time and letting his audience (brewer's fans) have fun at another team's expense.

[batman]

I can certainly understand your position, Geno (and David), but I don't think Jim Powell is an appropriate target. He hates the Mets, no doubt, but it's not because he wants to divert attention from the "FACTS" (which, apparently, are very important; important enough to be capitalized). JP has talked about the press room, the food, the atmosphere, the airplanes, and lots of other things about Shea Stadium that he abhors for as long as I can remember. And really, what's wrong with that?

 

As for the 6,000 fans comment, and the "FACT" that JP called the Mets losers, what's so wrong with that? They've got a huge payroll and yet they are on equal footing with the Crew... is that not a "FACT"? Yes, it might not serve any real purpose to criticize another organization when your own is in such poor shape (the glass house argument, perhaps), but it doesn't make JP a "company tool".

 

He has participated in a chat with BF.net (and was the subject of an interview), he provides minor league coverage on a daily basis, and he is a very good play-by-play announcer who often has valuable insights to share with his listeners. Sure, he can't flat-out rail against the Brewers... but really, who wants to hear that? If you want to hear people airing their grievances with the club, tune into any local talk radio show. If you want intelligent and balanced coverage of the Brewers, listen to Bob and Jim. Simple as that.

 

There are enough people to hate on without grinding your axe on Jim. He's not a tool, and I (for one) am glad he's with the organization.

 

~Bill

[Kaukauna]

This will be the second instance in the last week that the "In The Minors" portion of the JS Brewer Report features up-to-date scores from both Indy and Huntsville while listing yesterday's score from Beloit. It's very confusing, and I can't imagine it's too difficult to A) just get TODAY's Beloit score or B) mention that this particular score was "from yesterday." I know everyone gets summaries of the minor leagues' performances every day, so they should be able to get things straight.

[PeaveyFury]

JP is too busy being a company tool and attacking other teams so that Brewer fans don't pick up on FACTS like the ones you just quoted Geno.

 

Ok David, true or false: the Mets have a losing record this year?

 

The defense rests. What about Jim's statement was incorrect?

 

David and Geno have had some sort of a hatred for Jim Powell for as long as I recall simply because they feel he's doesn't openly criticize the organization on the air as much as they feel he should.

 

Not sure what type of work the rest of you do, but if I openly criticized my employer for every bad move they made, I'd be fired. But they'll say 'Uecker's criticism of the team is refreshing.' Yeah, and who in the front office is going to fire Ueck?

 

Do you guys openly criticize your employers in an arena where they can definitely hear what you said?

[rluzinski]

While it was obvious Powell doesn't like the Mets, it was also VERY obvious that his LOSERS coment was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek.

 

The Brewers are in their position because of mismanagment of the farm system more than anything else, but economics still plays a large roll. The Mets are going to lose 95+ games when they basically had an open check book. If it's going to cost them 50 million more to win 5 more games than the Brewers, who really are the losers? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[JaNelson52]

Do you guys openly criticize your employers in an arena where they can definitely hear what you said?

 

Bob Uecker and Jim Powell are NOT directly employed by the Brewers...they are employed by Journal Communications, who has the radio broadcast rights to Brewers games. The Brewers could not directly fire either if they wanted to.

 

Not sure what type of work the rest of you do, but if I openly criticized my employer for every bad move they made, I'd be fired.

 

Bob Uecker and Jim Powell are supposed to be broadcasting a baseball game over the radio...they are a part, perhaps the biggest part, of the media that gets out Brewers games to the general public. If they don't paint a true picture of the kinds of things going on out in the field, what does that do to their credibility? Bob and Jim should criticize when the time is right, along with give props when the time is right, because ITS THEIR JOB TO. They are not supposed to be cheerleaders in the booth for the Brewers.

 

Geno does have a point, and I feel its valid. I mean, for the pair in the booth to kinda poke fun at the attendance when the Brewers likely wouldn't have drawn much more on a Monday night is kinda silly...and then to say that the Mets are "losers" is kinda over the top. It may have indeed been in jest, but Jim should know better to not even go there...after all, as it was pointed out before, I believe the Mets have done more in terms of pennants and playoff appearances in the last decade than the Brewers have done in their history.

 

I give a hell of a lot more criticism to the TV pair, which I feel is the WORST TV pair in major league baseball...and I've heard enough of the rest to make that claim very comfortably. Daron Sutton seemingly never shuts his mouth, and I think his next critical word of a Brewers player will be his first this season. Likewise, any good play or good thing done by a Brewer is portrayed by Sutton as some sort of "play of the year" or a play that is gonna win the Brewers the World Series. I just simply can't stand Bill Schroeder, for reasons that would take me much too long to type here.

 

I like Ueck and Jim very much, and for the most part, I think they do a good job. But I think they have been incredibly "soft" in criticism of a team 20+ games under .500.

[GenoSeligPrieb]

One at a time here...

 

"to go off on such a tangent against him is just typical Geno stuff....self-pandering aggrandizement that only serves to tear down a part of the Brewers that actually gives a rip..."

 

I'm all about the aggrandizement! But you'll have to explain the "self-pandering" angle. It doesn't fit.

 

Anyway, if you re-read my post, MFan, you'll see that I stayed on the topic at hand (not what anyone could call 'going off on a tangent.') Calling another team "losers" was shameful, even if they were the Devil Rays, who have less of a tradition than even we have.

 

I'm still proud to call Bob Uecker our own, because that's not the brand of rhetoric he'd readily reach for. When Chad Fox and Bernie Carbo blasted the Brewers after their time here, Ueck armored up to defend his team, but I can't think of one instance where Ueck engaged in a war of words for no good reason.

 

Powell may resent the Mets for their spending habits, their buffet table, and their proximity to the Gowanus Canal... But unless the Mets' people showed him some personal hostility that he hasn't fairly shared with the audience, then I'm sure his family, Ueck, his bosses, and listeners would all agree that he would be better served to not initiate a flame war, like some Big Reed of the airwaves. I prefer Brewer announcers when they're responsible and show some class.

 

"Amen Geno. If you ask JP he'd go on one of his baseball economics ******** tangents and imply the only reason the Mets are better than the Brewers is because of a bigger bankroll. JP is too busy being a company tool and attacking other teams so that Brewer fans don't pick up on FACTS like the ones you just quoted Geno."

 

Thanks for the pick-me-up, Dave. Again, unless the Mets singled him out personally, this was really inappropriate...and on the first day back!

 

"As for the 6,000 fans comment, and the "FACT" that JP called the Mets losers, what's so wrong with that?...Yes, it might not serve any real purpose to criticize another organization when your own is in such poor shape (the glass house argument, perhaps)"

 

You answered your own question there, batman. I'm just a 1/2assed fan who's blathering away in some fan forum, so keeping my inner child in check does not reflect poorly on the organization. JP's voice is the voice of the organization, and to some extent, of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. And with that comes a great measure of responsibility.

 

"If you want intelligent and balanced coverage of the Brewers, listen to Bob and Jim. Simple as that."

 

Maybe just Bob, right? JP's intelligent, and he DOES bring a lot to the broadcasts. But as far as "balanced", that's far from accurate. When Jeff Cirillo was here, JP lauded his bat and prowess at the hot corner. But once he was no longer part of the organization with the trade to Colorado, JP in hindsight criticized his lack of speed, his range at 3rd, and said 'we need a bigger bat from 3rd base.' When Lenny Harris was brought in, JP praised him as a 'stabilizing veteran force in our clubhouse that's badly needed.' When he signed with the Cubs, JP said 'clubhouse leadership is overrated.' When Jose K and Burny were here, their staggering strikeout totals were not a problem. But once they were gone, JP pointed to a 'real need to improve that area.' Other deserving targets, such as Royster, Hammonds and Wendy escaped without a scratch. That's hardly balanced reporting.

 

Peavey's turn next:

 

"The defense rests. What about Jim's statement was incorrect? David and Geno have had some sort of a hatred for Jim Powell for as long as I recall simply because they feel he's doesn't openly criticize the organization on the air as much as they feel he should."

 

The defense can't rest just like that, PF. The only way you can allow JP's unprovoked, irresponsible statement, is if he prefaced it with the caveat that the Brewers TOO are losers...for 11 straight years. Ask yourself this: If Jerry Coleman announced at a Padres game that the BREWERS were losers, wouldn't you be upset?

 

Instances like this are the very reason why I cringe at some of JP's announcing. I don't expect ANY announcer to openly criticize his own organization. And I understand that the announcers are, by extension, a PR arm of the team, urging listeners to come on out to the game, and promoting other marketing efforts. But to rip other teams, and flip-flop on your assessment of ex-players once they leave, that's quite another matter. Jack Brickhouse loved the Cubs so deeply when he did their games on WGN for decades, that you could practically hear the rustling of his pom-pons in the booth. But I NEVER heard him stoop to inflammatory words against another ballclub, even during the heated 1969 pennant race. Ueck doesn't stoop to this level either. Harry Kallas, Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell...all legends in the Hall of Fame...none of them practice this in-your-face style of homerism that has sprung up lately with the Ed Farmers of the world.

 

"Geno does have a point, and I feel its valid. I mean, for the pair in the booth to kinda poke fun at the attendance when the Brewers likely wouldn't have drawn much more on a Monday night is kinda silly...and then to say that the Mets are "losers" is kinda over the top. It may have indeed been in jest, but Jim should know better to not even go there...after all, as it was pointed out before, I believe the Mets have done more in terms of pennants and playoff appearances in the last decade than the Brewers have done in their history."

 

Thanks, Jason. I sincerely hope JP reads this here, and/or if it's pointed out to him, perhaps he can issue some sort of retraction tonight. It's also possible that his bosses or Kent Summerfeld may already have given him a heads-up about this. I hope so...

[xisxisxis]

Yeah, either that or he's just having a good time and letting his audience (brewer's fans) have fun at another team's expense.

 

Yeah it's true the only way Brewer fans can have a good time is by making fun of other teams. We can't make fun of other teams by comparing records, or playing games, or comparing team historys, or comparing team starts, or anything. I think it's pretty clear that the Brewers are a truely pathetic organization.

[xisxisxis]

Geno, I'm glad I erased the 2 pages I wrote while you were writing your post since I wasn't comfortable with what I was saying. You, however, said it perfectly.

[endaround]

I'm sorry, but if the Brewers would want either Powell or Ueker gone, they would be in a second. Its an accounting thing more than anything else. Which pretty much puts them into the same league as the rest of the broadcasters in the nation. They are there to promote the home team.

 

And if you think that there are not huge entanglements outside of this between the Brewers and Journal Communications you are sadly mistaken. It was just conicedence that the MJS (on the editoral and sports page) and WTMJ talk radio supported a new stadium when said radio talkers need to bash the MJS whenever else convienent? That a MJS sports columnist, one whose area was only occassionally baseball, was able to get a job with MLB's website? That the current president of the Brewers also sits on the board of Journal Communications?

[1992casey]

JaNelson52 wrote:

Bob Uecker and Jim Powell are NOT directly employed by the Brewers...they are employed by Journal Communications, who has the radio broadcast rights to Brewers games. The Brewers could not directly fire either if they wanted to.

I believe Powell is employed by WTMJ (Journal Communications) while Uecker, Daron Sutton, and Bill Schroeder are employed by the Brewers.

 

I think the Brewers should expect the announcers to criticize the team as long as it's not overboard or unreasonable. Remember when the Braves wouldn't let their announcers travel with the team a couple of years back when they simply reported facts?

[PeaveyFury]

Ask yourself this: If Jerry Coleman announced at a Padres game that the BREWERS were losers, wouldn't you be upset?

 

Honestly no.... because there's nothing incorrect or unfair about that statement. We are losers, and have been for 11 years.

 

OK Geno, this:

 

Instances like this are the very reason why I cringe at some of JP's announcing. I don't expect ANY announcer to openly criticize his own organization.

 

Preceeded by this:

 

But as far as "balanced", that's far from accurate. When Jeff Cirillo was here, JP lauded his bat and prowess at the hot corner. But once he was no longer part of the organization with the trade to Colorado, JP in hindsight criticized his lack of speed, his range at 3rd, and said 'we need a bigger bat from 3rd base.' When Lenny Harris was brought in, JP praised him as a 'stabilizing veteran force in our clubhouse that's badly needed.' When he signed with the Cubs, JP said 'clubhouse leadership is overrated.' When Jose K and Burny were here, their staggering strikeout totals were not a problem. But once they were gone, JP pointed to a 'real need to improve that area.' Other deserving targets, such as Royster, Hammonds and Wendy escaped without a scratch. That's hardly balanced reporting.

 

So if you don't expect anyone to criticize the organization, then wasn't this paragraph contradictory to that?

 

But I NEVER heard him stoop to inflammatory words against another ballclub, even during the heated 1969 pennant race.

 

I heard this part of the broadcast and didn't think it was the big deal that you're making it out to be. I took it all in fun, and that's probably how it was meant to be taken.