The men's hockey schedule was released. 22 home games, 11 games against 2010 NCAA tournament teams and they end the season at home. Of note should be the games against new WCHA team's Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State. Also, the lack of a Badger Hockey Showdown Between Christmas and New Year's. Instead the Badgers will host UMASS and Canisius. The team will also be taking part of a season-opening tournament.
DAY DATE OPPONENT All Times Central
ICE BREAKER TOURNAMENT (St. Louis)
Friday Oct. 8 Boston University TBA
Sunday Oct. 10 Notre Dame/Holy Cross TBA
FRIDAY OCT. 15 ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE 7 P.M.
SUNDAY OCT. 17 ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE 1 P.M.
Friday Oct. 22 at Denver* 8:30 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 23 at Denver* 8 p.m.
FRIDAY OCT. 29 MICHIGAN TECH* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY OCT. 30 MICHIGAN TECH* 7 P.M.
Friday Nov. 5 at Minnesota* 7 p.m.
Saturday Nov. 6 at Minnesota* 7 p.m.
FRIDAY NOV. 12 NORTH DAKOTA* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY NOV. 13 NORTH DAKOTA* 7 P.M.
FRIDAY NOV. 19 MINNESOTA DULUTH* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY NOV. 20 MINNESOTA DULUTH* 7 P.M.
COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE
FRIDAY NOV. 26 MICHIGAN 7 P.M.
SATURDAY NOV. 27 MICHIGAN STATE 7 P.M.
Friday Dec. 3 at Alaska Anchorage* 10 p.m.
Saturday Dec. 4 at Alaska Anchorage* 10 p.m.
FRIDAY DEC. 10 BEMIDJI STATE* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY DEC. 11 BEMIDJI STATE* 7 P.M.
THURSDAY DEC. 30 MASSACHUSETTS 7 P.M.
FRIDAY DEC. 31 MASSACHUSETTS 7 P.M.
FRIDAY JAN. 7 CANISIUS 7 P.M.
SATURDAY JAN. 8 CANISIUS 7 P.M.
Friday Jan. 14 at Minnesota Duluth* 7 p.m.
Saturday Jan. 15 at Minnesota Duluth* 7 p.m.
FRIDAY JAN. 21 MINNESOTA STATE* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY JAN. 22 MINNESOTA STATE* 7 P.M.
Friday Jan. 28 at Michigan Tech* 6 p.m.
Saturday Jan. 29 at Michigan Tech* 6 p.m.
Friday Feb. 11 at Nebraska Omaha* 7:30 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 12 at Nebraska Omaha* 7 p.m.
FRIDAY FEB 18 MINNESOTA* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY FEB. 19 MINNESOTA* 7 P.M.
Friday Feb. 25 at St. Cloud State* 7 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 26 at St. Cloud State* 7 p.m.
FRIDAY MARCH 4 COLORADO COLLEGE* 7 P.M.
SATURDAY MARCH 5 COLORADO COLLEGE* 7 P.M.
Fri.-Sun. March 11-13 WCHA Playoffs (Campus Sites)
Thur.-Sat. March 17-19 WCHA Final Five (St. Paul, Minn.)
Fri.-Sat. March 25-26 NCAA East and West Regionals
(Bridgeport, Conn., and St Louis)
Sat.-Sun. March 26-27 NCAA Northeast and Midwest Regionals
(Manchester, N.H., and Green Bay, Wis.)
Thur.-Sat. April 7-9 NCAA Frozen Four
(St. Paul, Minn.)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Doug Davis to DL
Doug Davis was scratched from his start for the Brewers tonight due to the inflammation of the lining around his heart.
According to reports, he had chest pains yesterday that he initially treated as heartburn but when it didnt get better, he Googled his symptons and headed to the hospital, afraid he was having a heart attack. Several tests later, the doctors had no answer and Davis was getting worried.
Turned out a cold virus in his system was able to get into the lining of his heart. The condition is not life threatening, but does require complete rest and lots of anti-biotics. He was placed on the 15-day DL and Adam Stern was recalled to take his roster spot.
The whole situation developed today, so there's been no word as to how this will affect the pitching rotation - though it's possible Jeff Suppan or Manny Parra could be moved from the bullpen to a starting role.
According to reports, he had chest pains yesterday that he initially treated as heartburn but when it didnt get better, he Googled his symptons and headed to the hospital, afraid he was having a heart attack. Several tests later, the doctors had no answer and Davis was getting worried.
Turned out a cold virus in his system was able to get into the lining of his heart. The condition is not life threatening, but does require complete rest and lots of anti-biotics. He was placed on the 15-day DL and Adam Stern was recalled to take his roster spot.
The whole situation developed today, so there's been no word as to how this will affect the pitching rotation - though it's possible Jeff Suppan or Manny Parra could be moved from the bullpen to a starting role.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Preview of the Braves series
I spoke to a Braves blogger and we exchanged questions about our squads.
Here's my answers to his questions that are posted at TalkingChop.com
1. The Brewers will come into the series with a record of 15-16. What has gone right and what has gone wrong in 2010?
This team is extremely inconsistent. It feels as though it's either go big, or don't go at all. This is a team that scored 26 runs this past weekend, but only scored one run in the four-game series last weekend. Clearly the Brewers have a lot of offensive power in their lineup, but sometimes it just doesn't show up. There hasn't been a long enough stretch of no scoring for anyone to seriously discuss is as an issue - a 17-run game makes you forget pretty quickly - but at some point the feast or famine offense is going to be an issue, I think.
Pitching is what has gone wrong. His most recent outing aside, Doug Davis has struggled. We had Jeff Suppan in the starting rotation. No one has been able to go deep into games. The bullpen is getting a lot of work which will likely be a problem near the end of the season. Right now we're very heavily relying on the Brewers to use the "we'll just score a lot of run so it doesn't matter how bad our pitching is" theory. That's only going to work for so long.
2. Braves fans know all about Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and how good they are at the plate, but who besides these 2 have contributed the most on offense?
Casey McGehee. He's the best player that no one has heard of. We claimed him off waivers from the Cubs after the 2008 season and that was a total steal. He got a chance to get on the field when some other guys struggled and basically continued to prove he belonged there. He led all rookies in RBI last season and should have been more talked about for ROY. He literally came out of nowhere.
No one knew if last season was a fluke or not, so we're super excited about him hitting .304/.385/.536 with 6 HR and 28 RBI. Adding him to the already potent 3-4 punch of Braun and Fielder has really opened up our lineup.
Also, he has a son, Mack, who is affected by cerebral palsy and he's damn adorable. Last year Mack threw out a ceremonial first pitch before a game and Casey got a pinch-hit, go-ahead home run in that same game.
My favorite Casey moment was a game last season where Casey made an error at third, dropping a really easy pop-up. He made up for it by hitting his first career grand slam in the same game. That's the kind of player Casey is.
Star-divide
3. Yovani Gallardo has been fantastic for the Brewers this year and will likely pitch Wednesday against the Braves. What makes him so good and where would you rank him among the NL's most elite pitchers?
I'm not sure if you can rank Yovani Gallardo as an elite NL pitcher yet. He has the talent but hasn't reached anything near his full potential.
The biggest knock on Gallardo right now is that he's getting high pitch counts early in games and seems to lack the killer instinct. He's a nibbler and it costs him and the team at times. He had a beautiful outing Friday, allowing just two runs and notching 10 K's, but was out of the game after five innings because he was over 100 pitches. In the other two games where he threw 10 or more strikeouts, he lasted five and seven innings. Until he can figure out how to lower his pitch totals, he's going to stay in the "potentially great" category.
What makes him good is that he makes batters miss. He's a strikeout pitcher and a command pitcher. He does not get flustered or show much emotion. His fastball is mid-90s and he's got a better than average curveball.
There's a security factor with Yovanni. The team is comfortable with him on the mound. He just signed a long-term deal, putting him at ease within the organization. Those two factors mean that team's are facing a pretty formidable foe every five days. He's not trying to pitch his way in to anything. He's doing his job and he makes the eight guys behind him confident enough to do there's.
4. Take your pick for the next 5 seasons: Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo and Alcides Escobar or Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson and Yunel Escobar. Why?
I'd take the Brewers trio.
Though Hanson is clearly the better pitcher right now, I'm convinced we haven't seen all that Gallardo has to offer. Both Hanson and Gallardo are big talents and I think I'd call that one a draw.
Alcides is an above-average fielder and has great foot speed. He's young and makes some stupid throws, but that should settle down and I still think he is an upgrade from J. J. Hardy. He has shown some impatience at the plate and the Brewers would really like to see him settle down and become a true #2 hitter in the batting order. A healthy, productive top 5 of Weeks, Escobar, Braun, Fielder and McGehee would be potent and would include a lot of speed on the bases. While we have yet to see a full season from Alcides, we have no reason to believe he won't improve or that we should be worried about injuries. With Yunel, you've seen struggles and injuries and he's a talent who's true depth you haven't been able to see yet.
While everyone is high on Jason Heyward, I'd take Braun any day of the week and twice on Sunday. In fact, there are few players in the majors that I would take over Ryan Braun. He's as good as advertised and seems to have gotten better each year we've had him. Something changed with clubhouse philosophy and he's been given free reign to steal bases. He's 8-for-8 so far and it's really added another dimension to the offense. What you're getting with Braun, besides the obvious power at the plate, is a clubhouse presence. He doesn't screw around, he doesn't like to lose and he'll say what he's thinking. Last year he made a comment to a reporter about pitching and our GM responded to the media that Braun could become his deputy. The kid is cocky, but it's mostly controlled and funneled on to the field. You need a guy in the clubhouse like that.
5. What would be considered a successful season for the Brewers in 2010?
Realistically, this the Brewers do not have the pitching to be a contender. Though we know that, I think most folks will be disappointed if they're not even in the race come September. With Prince Fielder's free agency looming, there's been a feeling of "now or never" surrounding this team since about mid-season 2008. Fans aren't going to be happy to see all this young, farm-grown talent come together and not see a decent playoff run come out of it. Losing to the Phillies in four games isn't going to cut it for the general public. The Brewers reached 3 million in ticket sales the past two seasons, but likely won't get there this year. If the front office wants to continue to draw crowds, the team has to produce.
However, after some disaster starts and Trevor Hoffman's blown saves, expectations have gone down a bit. It's always a roller-coaster ride with this team - feast or famine. I'm not sure anyone knows what to expect every time they turn on the TV or show up to the park.
I think if the Brewers are within breathing room of the Wild Card as the season winds down, it will appease the fan base for another year.
Make sure you go over to Brew Crew Ball to see his answers to my questions!
Here's my answers to his questions that are posted at TalkingChop.com
1. The Brewers will come into the series with a record of 15-16. What has gone right and what has gone wrong in 2010?
This team is extremely inconsistent. It feels as though it's either go big, or don't go at all. This is a team that scored 26 runs this past weekend, but only scored one run in the four-game series last weekend. Clearly the Brewers have a lot of offensive power in their lineup, but sometimes it just doesn't show up. There hasn't been a long enough stretch of no scoring for anyone to seriously discuss is as an issue - a 17-run game makes you forget pretty quickly - but at some point the feast or famine offense is going to be an issue, I think.
Pitching is what has gone wrong. His most recent outing aside, Doug Davis has struggled. We had Jeff Suppan in the starting rotation. No one has been able to go deep into games. The bullpen is getting a lot of work which will likely be a problem near the end of the season. Right now we're very heavily relying on the Brewers to use the "we'll just score a lot of run so it doesn't matter how bad our pitching is" theory. That's only going to work for so long.
2. Braves fans know all about Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and how good they are at the plate, but who besides these 2 have contributed the most on offense?
Casey McGehee. He's the best player that no one has heard of. We claimed him off waivers from the Cubs after the 2008 season and that was a total steal. He got a chance to get on the field when some other guys struggled and basically continued to prove he belonged there. He led all rookies in RBI last season and should have been more talked about for ROY. He literally came out of nowhere.
No one knew if last season was a fluke or not, so we're super excited about him hitting .304/.385/.536 with 6 HR and 28 RBI. Adding him to the already potent 3-4 punch of Braun and Fielder has really opened up our lineup.
Also, he has a son, Mack, who is affected by cerebral palsy and he's damn adorable. Last year Mack threw out a ceremonial first pitch before a game and Casey got a pinch-hit, go-ahead home run in that same game.
My favorite Casey moment was a game last season where Casey made an error at third, dropping a really easy pop-up. He made up for it by hitting his first career grand slam in the same game. That's the kind of player Casey is.
Star-divide
3. Yovani Gallardo has been fantastic for the Brewers this year and will likely pitch Wednesday against the Braves. What makes him so good and where would you rank him among the NL's most elite pitchers?
I'm not sure if you can rank Yovani Gallardo as an elite NL pitcher yet. He has the talent but hasn't reached anything near his full potential.
The biggest knock on Gallardo right now is that he's getting high pitch counts early in games and seems to lack the killer instinct. He's a nibbler and it costs him and the team at times. He had a beautiful outing Friday, allowing just two runs and notching 10 K's, but was out of the game after five innings because he was over 100 pitches. In the other two games where he threw 10 or more strikeouts, he lasted five and seven innings. Until he can figure out how to lower his pitch totals, he's going to stay in the "potentially great" category.
What makes him good is that he makes batters miss. He's a strikeout pitcher and a command pitcher. He does not get flustered or show much emotion. His fastball is mid-90s and he's got a better than average curveball.
There's a security factor with Yovanni. The team is comfortable with him on the mound. He just signed a long-term deal, putting him at ease within the organization. Those two factors mean that team's are facing a pretty formidable foe every five days. He's not trying to pitch his way in to anything. He's doing his job and he makes the eight guys behind him confident enough to do there's.
4. Take your pick for the next 5 seasons: Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo and Alcides Escobar or Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson and Yunel Escobar. Why?
I'd take the Brewers trio.
Though Hanson is clearly the better pitcher right now, I'm convinced we haven't seen all that Gallardo has to offer. Both Hanson and Gallardo are big talents and I think I'd call that one a draw.
Alcides is an above-average fielder and has great foot speed. He's young and makes some stupid throws, but that should settle down and I still think he is an upgrade from J. J. Hardy. He has shown some impatience at the plate and the Brewers would really like to see him settle down and become a true #2 hitter in the batting order. A healthy, productive top 5 of Weeks, Escobar, Braun, Fielder and McGehee would be potent and would include a lot of speed on the bases. While we have yet to see a full season from Alcides, we have no reason to believe he won't improve or that we should be worried about injuries. With Yunel, you've seen struggles and injuries and he's a talent who's true depth you haven't been able to see yet.
While everyone is high on Jason Heyward, I'd take Braun any day of the week and twice on Sunday. In fact, there are few players in the majors that I would take over Ryan Braun. He's as good as advertised and seems to have gotten better each year we've had him. Something changed with clubhouse philosophy and he's been given free reign to steal bases. He's 8-for-8 so far and it's really added another dimension to the offense. What you're getting with Braun, besides the obvious power at the plate, is a clubhouse presence. He doesn't screw around, he doesn't like to lose and he'll say what he's thinking. Last year he made a comment to a reporter about pitching and our GM responded to the media that Braun could become his deputy. The kid is cocky, but it's mostly controlled and funneled on to the field. You need a guy in the clubhouse like that.
5. What would be considered a successful season for the Brewers in 2010?
Realistically, this the Brewers do not have the pitching to be a contender. Though we know that, I think most folks will be disappointed if they're not even in the race come September. With Prince Fielder's free agency looming, there's been a feeling of "now or never" surrounding this team since about mid-season 2008. Fans aren't going to be happy to see all this young, farm-grown talent come together and not see a decent playoff run come out of it. Losing to the Phillies in four games isn't going to cut it for the general public. The Brewers reached 3 million in ticket sales the past two seasons, but likely won't get there this year. If the front office wants to continue to draw crowds, the team has to produce.
However, after some disaster starts and Trevor Hoffman's blown saves, expectations have gone down a bit. It's always a roller-coaster ride with this team - feast or famine. I'm not sure anyone knows what to expect every time they turn on the TV or show up to the park.
I think if the Brewers are within breathing room of the Wild Card as the season winds down, it will appease the fan base for another year.
Make sure you go over to Brew Crew Ball to see his answers to my questions!
Way to go T-Rats
Just wanted to say that we enjoyed the Mother's Day brunch with the Timber Rattlers. The alarm didn't go off and we were probably 40 minutes late in getting to the stadium, but there was still plenty of fresh food brought out and mimosas flowing. I was very impressed.
The game was slow and a little disappointing in it's lack of energy, but we still had a great time. Definitely worth the drive up from Milwaukee.
The game was slow and a little disappointing in it's lack of energy, but we still had a great time. Definitely worth the drive up from Milwaukee.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Bucks end of season links
A few links to some season-ending articles on the Bucks -
This yahoo blog has been down this road with Scott Skiles when he was with Chicago and wonders if Milwaukee is going to see the same result.
This AP article points out how this year's team success was a perfect-storm and is unlikely to be replicated.
The Bucks have the 15th pick in the NBA Draft and Channel 12's Dan Needles is hoping they'll pick a PG out of Butler.
This article combines the end of the season with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's excitement about going to South Africa for the World Cup
Picking up John Salmons before the trade deadline was crucial to Milwaukee's success. Now, less than a week from the season end, the Bucks are already in talks with his agent to sign a contract, says the J-S.
This article from Sydney, Australia talks about how Andrew Bogut's All-NBA third-team nod is the first for an Australian in the NBA. Bogut received the honor despite missing part of the season.
This yahoo blog has been down this road with Scott Skiles when he was with Chicago and wonders if Milwaukee is going to see the same result.
This AP article points out how this year's team success was a perfect-storm and is unlikely to be replicated.
The Bucks have the 15th pick in the NBA Draft and Channel 12's Dan Needles is hoping they'll pick a PG out of Butler.
This article combines the end of the season with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's excitement about going to South Africa for the World Cup
Picking up John Salmons before the trade deadline was crucial to Milwaukee's success. Now, less than a week from the season end, the Bucks are already in talks with his agent to sign a contract, says the J-S.
This article from Sydney, Australia talks about how Andrew Bogut's All-NBA third-team nod is the first for an Australian in the NBA. Bogut received the honor despite missing part of the season.
Zaun's throw-back issues make news
You may remember last Monday night when Gregg Zaun was having difficulties throwing the ball back to pitcher Yovani Gallardo. It was later reported that Zaun was having shoulder spasms and therefore had little feeling in his harm. A quick treatment between innings solved the problem and the story probably should have gone away, except the situation got major press play and poor Zaun's pathetic throws made headlines in some major places:
Yahoo Sports
New York Daily News
Baltimore Sun
Around the Horn blog
Yahoo Sports
New York Daily News
Baltimore Sun
Around the Horn blog
Spoiled baseball fan
The Brewers are neither completely sucking nor riding the high tide, and I feel like there's nothing to write about. Sad, isn't it? If there are few things to cheer or few things to whine about, I'm stuck. Rough spot to be in, the Astros fans sarcastically say to me. I know it, I'm spoiled.
The best thing over the past few days?
Jeff Suppan didn't suck. He came in in relief in tonight's game and threw two scoreless innings, giving up one walk while notching one strikeout. Be aware - the apocalypse may be neigh.
But there has been some good:
While he was slumping to start the season, Gregg Zaun was on a lot of fan's Do Not Want lists, but his bat has heated up every since. Though he started 0-21, he is now batting .367 (18-49) during a five-game hitting streak. He was responsible for two of the three RBI tonight. Despite that awful beginning, he's hitting .270 - better than every regular starter but Braun and McGehee.
The bad? Despite getting out of it with no runs scored, Claudio Vargas once again struggled and loaded the bases with no outs. While he does seem to find a way out of these jams, that luck's only going to hold out so long.
With Trevor Hoffman's struggles at closer, some fans were calling for LaTroy Hawkins to take the closer's role. At the time Trevor gave up the two saves, Hawkins was just one decent appearance removed from his own pitching problems. Tonight, we were reminded why LaTroy wouldn't have been an upgrade. He, too, loaded the bases, but unlike Vargas, he gave up a game-winning, walk-off Grand Slam.
The best thing over the past few days?
Jeff Suppan didn't suck. He came in in relief in tonight's game and threw two scoreless innings, giving up one walk while notching one strikeout. Be aware - the apocalypse may be neigh.
But there has been some good:
While he was slumping to start the season, Gregg Zaun was on a lot of fan's Do Not Want lists, but his bat has heated up every since. Though he started 0-21, he is now batting .367 (18-49) during a five-game hitting streak. He was responsible for two of the three RBI tonight. Despite that awful beginning, he's hitting .270 - better than every regular starter but Braun and McGehee.
The bad? Despite getting out of it with no runs scored, Claudio Vargas once again struggled and loaded the bases with no outs. While he does seem to find a way out of these jams, that luck's only going to hold out so long.
With Trevor Hoffman's struggles at closer, some fans were calling for LaTroy Hawkins to take the closer's role. At the time Trevor gave up the two saves, Hawkins was just one decent appearance removed from his own pitching problems. Tonight, we were reminded why LaTroy wouldn't have been an upgrade. He, too, loaded the bases, but unlike Vargas, he gave up a game-winning, walk-off Grand Slam.
Badgers Joe Pavelski kicking major NHL butt
Make sure you go here and read my Ladies... Post about Joe and his amazing post season stats.
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