Big League Stew

It's good to be Brewers owner Mark Attanasio. Not only is his team back in contention and in possession of last year's AL Cy Young winner, his Crew is also dominating what seems like every post here on the Stew this week.

So have at it, amateur Internet copywriters of the world. How should the caption to this photo of Attanasio at the CC Sabathia press conference read?

(Extra points go to the captioners who sidestep the obvious waistline and keister size jokes ... Not that we don't want to a few good ones of those, though.)

Follow the jump for winner's from last Thursday's C-a-C (which now seems like eons ago): Read More >>

• 21 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

Using the best technology available to us today, The SlumpBot .200 identifies five players who are currently having a bit of trouble and then offers solutions for performance recovery.

It is powered by BLS contributor Nick Friedell and does its work every Tuesday.

Paul Byrd, Indians

Data: 3-10, 5.53 ERA

Malfunction: Byrd has lost five starts in a row. Over that time, he has gone just 25 and 1/3 innings, surrendering 24 earned runs and 36 hits.

Diagnosis: "This has been as tough a month and a half that I've ever had in the big leagues," Byrd said. "My arm feels great, like I have a good fastball, but I'm just not able to get through the game without giving up a lot of runs. I can't figure it out. I'll have to talk to (pitching coach) Carl (Willis), possibly change some things up, try to figure out why the hitters are seeing the ball so well." (CantonRep.com)

Reboot Directions: Byrd has to start ordering better room service. In 10 starts on the road this season, the right-hander is 1-8 with a 7.21 ERA, compared to a decent 2-2 record and a 3.40 ERA at home. The good news for Byrd is that he faces the Tigers on Wednesday, the only team he has beaten this year on the road, going seven innings and giving up just two runs to earn the victory.Read More >>

• 3 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

So this is what it must be like to watch the first salmon make it up river before the hundreds of others arrive to spawn. The fine folks at The Boston Herald are reporting the story of a woman angling for the obvious Playboy spread an ex-stripper who claims to have had a couple of pinch-hit appearances with A-Rod. Globe Magazine actually reported this feel-good story last year, but I'm expecting it might spur a few more women to come forward as A-Rod's divorce proceedings go forward. 

To be honest with you, though, I'm not very interested in this whole A-Rod divorce story. As I told my boss yesterday, ring me up when we hear the dollar amount that Cynthia Rodriguez will receive in a settlement. An astronomical sum like that that would seem interesting to me.

But a ballplayer having extra-marital affair?

I'd rather run with news that the bishop likes to pray.  

So until we see something completely out of the ordinary, Clemens-McCready style, I won't care much for the US Weekly- and TMZ-generated headlines about A-Rod and a possible relationship with a pop icon everyone's been with already anyway. At this point, it's a fireworks show that I'm already wishing would end.

Anyone else out there feel the same way?

A big BLS head nod goes to Sox & Dawgs for the tip.  

• 5 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

Back in the early '70s, when my dad was a college student, Milwaukee was a mecca. The drinking age was still only 18, County Stadium served their beer by the bucket and the ushers would let him in for free if he presented the ticket stub from that afternoon's Cubs game.

Almost 40 years later, he still talks fondly about cruising up I-94 for a Brewers' night game.

Thing is, apart from the beer being a lot more expensive and actually needing a ticket to gain entry, not much has changed with a few decades and the Brewers' move to Miller Park. The tailgating is still great, the people are just as friendly and Milwaukee is again home to a competitive baseball team.

On my list of favorite things to do, a summer road trip to Miller Park ranks right near the top. I'm going to drop some video showing just how fun a trip to The Good Land can be a little later. But until then, check out how to experience Miller Park like a local ... 

For an insider's look at visiting Miller Park, follow the jump. To submit tips on your home ballpark, e-mail 'Duk at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com. Upcoming parks on the schedule include Dodger Stadium, Petco Park and Yankee Stadium. Read More >>

• 3 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

Since I was expecting to find a picture of female Cardinals fan with an actual goatee — like they'd be that hard to find in St. Louis (/hearty chortle) — I wasn't planning on linking to Joe SportsFan's fan of the week. 

But since so much of the blogosphere is already agog over the sight of this face-painted Aaron Miles fan, I thought, what the heck? If the readers want pictures of a goateed woman, then you give them the goateed woman.

Wonder if P.T. Barnum ever said that?

Elsewhere in the baseball blogosphere ...

•  Barry Zito's Fathead poster is selling for 80 percent off, which seems about right, considering he's pitching at about 20 percent of what the Giants were expecting. (That math work for you, Frosty?) [Home Run Derby]

•  Speaking of Zito, this Giants fan would just be happy with him being like a $126 million version of Kirk Rueter. [McCovey Chronicles]

•  I'm not necessarily on board with this idea of an unpunctuated CC Sabathia, but I sure do like the new nickname Sooze coined for Mr. Carsten Charles — El Capitan Chorizo. [Babes Love Baseball]

•  Milton Bradley joins the "as-told-to" blogging ranks. [NYT Bats Blog] Read More >>

• 6 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

Ah, yes, the Internet message board. It's a place where even the dimmest among us are allowed an equal say, even if it means making the rest of the educated world wonder exactly where it all went wrong for the less fortunate.

Witness this post from North Side Baseball, which encourages other Cubs fans to actually try and get GM Jim Hendry on the phone to tell him to try and trade for a pitcher to pair with Carlos Zambrano, a la Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia.

You know, as if Hendry weren't already sitting in a board room, comparing the pros and cons between Erik Bedard, A.J. Burnett, Rich Harden and every other single pitcher he think he might be able to acquire.

Besides, everyone knows the best way to influence your local general manager is to start a blog.

From Sweet Swinging Billy:

I just called (well, probably 45 min. ago) Jim Hendry's office to encourage him to work out a deal for Rich Harden. I know I'm crazy but what can I say? I'm a die-hard Cub fan (45 yrs. plus).

His secretary said he was in the office but he was currently in a meeting (maybe with other scouts and personnel working on a deal?), so he couldn't take my call. Hendry's secretary was very nice and I just left a message saying that I know Jim will do his best to swing a trade that will counter the Sabathia trade. I reinterated (sic) that I'm hoping that Harden will be that player. His secretary thanked me for my comments and said that Mr. Hendry would appreciate my kind words.

In case none of you have this number, I'll give it to you. Call the Cubs at (773) 404-2827 (Cubs). Just remain on the line, ignoring all the prompts and then you will eventually hear a pre- recorded message telling you to "make your selection now or remain on the line and a operator will assist you". When the operator comes on, just ask for Hendry's office.

Give Jimbo and call and tell him to do whatever it takes to land Rich Harden (or someone else for that matter). Man, I love this time of year! Every year I look forward to the trading deadline and what the Cubs might do.

If you think it can't get any better than this, you're wrong. Halfway through the mocking in the five-pages-and-counting thread, Sweet Swinging Billy then tries to make everyone feel bad by telling them he has cancer. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Mr. Sweet Swinging is a troll, but I don't think that's the sadly hilarious case here.

A big BLS head nod to friend-for-life Sledd for passing this along.  

• 16 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

I'm taking a look at the 10 players who are up for the two Final Vote All-Star spots  and I'm a little surprised at the small amount of creativity the participating teams are showing through their vote campaigns.

So far, in Milwaukee, there's the solid and NL vote-leading "I (Hart) New York" effort for Corey Hart.

And in New York, there's the mildly clever "Vote Wright Now" for David Wright and the furlip-fueled "Support the 'Stache" movement for Jason Giambi, complete with the backing of the American Mustache Institute.

But apart from a couple of customized "Vote (Blank)" logos for Jermaine Dye, Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand, every other marketing team is dropping the ball on what is a great opportunity to build on a following for their players, if not get him elected to the game at Yankee Stadium.

So let's do their work for them. In the comments below, leave your best campaign slogan for any or all of the eligible players and I'll name the best in a post later this week. If you're bored at work and inclined to fool around with Photoshop a bit, don't be afraid to whip something up and send it to bigleaguestew@yahoo.com for posting.

BLS contributor David Brown has already sent along a contribution for Evan Longoria — "Desperate for Votes" — and I'm going to suggest "Vote Or Dye Trying" for Jermaine Dye and the White Sox, who had a similar team slogan back in '05.

Have at it, folks.

• 49 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

Actually, I think Bada, this Korean pop star, was technically wearing a skirt at a recent Doosan Bears - LG Twins game ... if you want to go ahead and call it that.

However, in the interest of international diplomacy, I'd like to extend an invitation to Ms. Bada to visit America and throw out the first pitch at the MLB ballpark of her choice. If there's one thing American baseball needs, it's mound dance routines with furry mascots before the game.

Whether or not the first pitcher should be wearing pants while doing so will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The above video ends before she actually throws the ball, so click here for the second part and listens as the crowd goes bonkers as she delves into her extended behind-the-back windup.

I don't think I need to tell you where the ball ends up, though.

UPDATE: Follow the jump for a picture and a link to more images of this momentous event. Read More >>

• 6 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry

This and every weekday a.m. let's rise and shine together with the most recent and decent major league happenings. Today's Roll Call starts inside Tropicana Field, where John Buck and Mike Aviles each hit an extra-inning homer to really put a damper on runaway Rays Fever. We had won seven in a row, too.

Game of the Day: Royals 7, Rays 4 (10 inn.)

CarlSpackler.com: Focusing on some details makes it easier to ignore a defeat to the Royals, who weren't supposed to win outside of the NL (I thought that was the deal, no?). I've always kind of wondered why Carl Crawford never started in center and this might be a hint: He said he was "lackadaisical" on a single up the middle that cost the Rays a run when Mark Teahen scored from first. That's not how we got to 55-32, Carl.

Achy breaky bod: The Royals rested Mark Grudzielanek because of "body soreness" which I understand but had never heard diagnosed so explicitly (until I did a search). Jose Guillen had the day off so he could go to Busch Gardens with Bob McClure and then maybe campaign a little for AL vote-in votes.

Nitroburningfunnycar!: The Rays were 1-for-19 with RISP but Joakim Soria blew a save on a ninth-inning homer to Carlos Pena. "That fastball caught just a little too much of the plate," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "It was kind of right in Pena's nitro zone and he got it out of the ballpark."

* * *

Feelin' Rundown (Monday's other games):Read More >>

• 13 Comments
• Permanent Link
• Email this Entry