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I haven't seen too many Korean feature films this year (or ever.. let's be honest) and this film that I just happened to watch totally by chance was one of the most powerful Korean films I've seen. I walked into the screening about 30 minutes into it and I didn't know a thing about the film. I was asked at the last minute to interpret the GV after the screening.
That's the thing about Busan. Other film fests usually ask me to do Q/As with filmmakers and actors and it's great for me because I get to watch all the screeners and meet the people in person and, though brief, actually share my thoughts on their work and stuff. But Busan has been asking me to interpret press interviews for two years in a row, which are also nice because you don't have a theater full of people staring at you and it's very intimate and that's when I get to meet really really famous people. (I interpreted an interview for Juliette Binoche last year and she was simply graceful.) But the thing is when doing press interviews, I'm always behind the scene of the festival and don't get to watch ANY of the films. (AND they make the staff pay for the tickets if it's not related to your work!) So although my day was supposed to end about 2:30pm, when they asked me to fill in for the Gest Visit session for 4:30 showing, I was more than happy to oblige.
It's called Jesus Hospital in English. But in Korean, the title is Mink Coat, which is kind of an old-fashioned feminine symbol of wealth in this culture. Extreme Evangelicals meets euthanasia meets money. there you have it. It's about a hardcore Christian family whose siblings are fighting over whether they should put their dying mother in a coma off of the respirator. Obviously, the movie is very heavy and the cinematography is mostly close-up and roughly edited, which I loved, but the themes of the movie are also very serious. Hypocrisy of people of religious faith and how their religious values nearly justifies their judgmental attitude, class issues, premarital pregnancy, euthanasia, mistrust and dishonesty between family members, and how money makes people do some twisted corrupt shit in desperate situations.
For a low-budget feature film, i thought it was one of the most powerful films that anyone that has a family can relate to. It could come off as a religious movie (or about extreme evangelical christians who literally pray in gibberish and stuff - i'm sure there's a word for the gibberish praying but i can't think of it now). But the film connects the religious hypocrisy to the real-life crises that can happen to anyone and shows how cunning, frivolous and easily corrupt a human will becomes when faced with seriously conflicting dilemmas involving money, misguided religious beliefs and having the choice of enabling death and life. ALL cast was simply BRILLIANT with their acting, especially the one who plays the main character, a middle-aged milk delivery woman who is looked down upon and constantly cheated by her siblings and has not much to live for except her pregnant daughter and gibberish prayers. The script, which was flawlessly written, was based on the real experience of one of the co-directors. The dialogues were truly raw revealing the rock bottoms of the human nature. I swear a lot of the audience really took it to their heart. I myself was bawling because I see so many families including mine go through similar disputes and dilemmas in reality. (minus the gibberish prayers in my family's case.)
Anyway, I don't wanna give away too much, but so far this is my pick of Korean feature film at BIFF 2011 this year. I wish I could post the poster here, but I couldn't find any online and neither of the staff and actors were carrying a flyer so no scanning here, but I will try to mention it again in the future because this film will seriously make you think hard about the everyday dilemma involving family issues.
First of all, I understand they're trying to follow the standardized romanization by changing the name of the city from Pusan to Busan, which is actually more accurate in terms of pronouncing the word. But, that turns the acronym for the festival from PIFF, which was kinda weird, to BIFF, which is even weirder to say it. I'm just saying.
So there're not as generous as last year pay-wise(i'm assuming the budget cut was due to the addition of the new building where i'll be working for the most part of my three day stay here). So I resorted to taking the subway to Haeundae Beach from KTX station, which I didn't mind because taking a subway in a different city is always a cool experience. Anyway, Busan Metro is smaller in scale with only four lines and the stations of the line 1 was actually smaller in size (much lower ceiling!) than a typical metro stop in Seoul. I found it rather cute and quaint. The line 2, which goes to Haeundae, was actually much newer. Anyway, I had to walk about 10 minutes to get to my hotel and it was already dark (around 6:20pm!) so with carrying all my bags, finding my way to the hotel was a bit of work.
BTW, I literally passed AT LEAST 40 love motels on the way to the Hotel. (i say it without exaggeration because i was actually counting) Haeundae man.. i guess it is the place to get your freak on…
Anyway, back to the story, I got a phone call from one of the BIFF staff(doesn't that sound funny to you??) on the way to the hotel and I was a bit frustrated because I thought I was lost and the staff was no help in directing me. After a bit of asking around I finally found the place and checked in and I'm just kinda lying down trying to unwind and relax a bit. About 20 min. later, I get a phone call - Busan area code. I thought it was the BIFF calling about tmrw's schedule and stuff so i picked it up and it was a foreigner woman speaking in English with an accent. She said she picked up my wallet on the street and wanted to give it back to me. At first I thought it was some sort of scam because I was sure I had my wallet in my bagpack, where I looked only to find everything but my wallet. While on the phone with the staff with my bags slipping off my shoulders, all frazzled and lost, I must've dropped it and didn't realize it. I thanked her a million times and went to her hotel lobby to meet her. She turned out to be a producer/director from the Philippines and was here with her husband, also a director and an editor, to promote a film he directed and she produced called Amok
I took them out to dinner and we were talking about this and that. lovely people. I find people who are in the production side of the film industry generally really chill and down to earth. Anyway, it turned out they were taking a little walk around the area, the beach and other venues and whatnot and went into small streets and ended up getting lost, which was when they saw my wallet. There was a man walking ahead of them and the man didn't see the wallet. But the producer lady saw it and her husband, having missed it also, nearly stepped on it he said. They looked through my wallet, in which I had my business cards and since they didn't have a local cell, they went through the trouble of asking their hotel front desk to make a call to return it to me.
So, Lawrence and Krisma Fajardo. Thanks for getting lost (karma baby!) and thank you thank you thank you for making the effort to return my wallet and thank you for being wonderful company for dinner and thank you for keeping me hopeful and optimistic about this world where there are people who are nice and civil enough to not take the things that are not theirs. It was my pleasure to treat you with a nice dinner, which was the least I could do. If I had lost the wallet, I would've been so royally screwed especially when I'm on a biz trip and you guys totally saved me a world of trouble.
Go see their film if u get a chance. Here is the poster and a link to the review. If you're at BIFF (burrr..), you can catch the showings on the 12th(10AM) and 13(4PM).
Hopefully my schedule won't be too packed (11pm and still interview schedule unconfirmed…ㅡㅡ;;) so that I can squeeze in some time to walk on the beach tomorrow.
It turned out it's a thank you letter for attending a funeral for this man's father. The reason I opened it was because it was clearly directed to a specific person and yet it was not sealed and the letter was sitting there for like days. there was another envelop that looked exactly the same and I didn't see much harm in opening a mail that's got a duplicate right next to it. i guess i kinda feel bad for taking someone's mail (abandoned if i may remind u again), but the content was so sincere and now i know what kinda expressions to use for a thank-u-for-attending-my-parent's-funeral letters. a future reference.
부친상 조문에 진심으로 감사드립니다.
머리 숙여 감사인사 올립니다.
평생 그리던 아버님이 황망 간에 소천하시면서
가족들이 큰 슬픔에 잠겼으나
명절 와중에도 먼 길을 마다하지 않고 찾아주시고
마음으로 같이 해 주신 형님 두 분께
진심으로 감사의 말씀을 드립니다.
아울러 그 소중한 발걸음과 위로의 말씀이
온가족이 아버님을 평안히 떠나보내는데
큰 힘이 되었습니다.
보내주신 따뜻한 마음과 위로, 격려의 말씀 가슴 깊이 새기며
아버님의 빈자리를 조금이라도 메울 수 있도록
최선을 다하며 살겠습니다.
일일이 찾아뵙지 못함을 송구스럽게 생각하며
우선 짧은 글로 고마움을 표시하고
형님들의 애경사를 찾아뵈며
이번에 받은 소중한 은공을 보답하겠습니다.
모쪼록 건강과 평안한 나날이 되시길 빌겠습니다.
거듭 감사드립니다.


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This Supercharged GT-500 Mustang is loaded with all the goodies that Ford/Shelby America offered and only has 5,516 miles on it. It is in... More
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subset: commoncrawl


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Some Possible Causes of Shoulder Pain
As a former athlete, one thing that I have had to deal with is shoulder pain. I was a wrestler, and I remember times that I would go into a meet and not be able to lift one of my arms because my shoulders hurt so bad. I found out that a lot of things can cause shoulder pain, and it does not necessarily have to be anything physical or some type of injury. Once I realized what types of things can cause it, I was able to deal with the pain a lot easier.
One of the first injuries I ever sustained in high school was a torn rotator cuff. That was shoulder pain like I never imagined I could endure. I really could not do anything when I had that injury, including work out, wrestle or even so much as comb my hair without enduring intense physical pain. I finally got it operated on by a specialist, and after several months and numerous sessions of physical therapy, I was able to get over that pain. Trust me, though, if it is a torn rotator cuff, you'll know!
Another thing that can cause shoulder pain is kind of at the opposite end of the spectrum, and that is too much stress. I know that when I am really stressed out, I will sometimes feel like my shoulders are extremely tight and sore, and I will have to ask my wife to give me a massage to alleviate the pain. I can always tell when it is shoulder pain brought on by stress because it does not all come on at once. It develops over the course of the day and it is worst at night!
There are several other factors that can cause shoulder pain, such as overuse of the shoulder muscles, sleeping in an awkward position or not having an ergonomic work station at the office. This last one can cause a lot of other types of pain and discomfort as well. These things are usually treatable with some simple over-the-counter medicines and rest, and they usually do not require a trip to the doctor. I have experienced all of them, and while unpleasant, they are not the worst things one can have.
Shoulder pain can take many shapes and forms, and most of the time is only temporary. The most important thing is to see how long it lasts, and if it continues for more than a couple of days, have it checked out by a doctor. If it is a serious injury, it is something to get checked out earlier rather than later.


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Bilingual speakers in the lab: Psychophysiological measures of emotional reactivity (2004)
Download Links
|Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
|5 - 1 self
author = {Catherine L. Harris},
title = {Bilingual speakers in the lab: Psychophysiological measures of emotional reactivity},
journal = {Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development},
year = {2004},
pages = {223--247}
Bilingual speakers report experiencing stronger emotions when speaking and hearing their first language compared to their second. Does this occur even when a second language is learned early and becomes the dominant language? Spanish / English bilinguals who had grown up in the USA (early learners) or those who were first exposed to English during middle childhood while residing in a Latin American country (late learners) listened to words and phrases while skin conductance was monitored. Stimuli included taboo words, sexual terms, childhood reprimands ('Go to your room!') and single words which functioned as a neutral baseline. Consistent with the hypothesis that a second language is less emotional for the late learners, emotional expressions (i.e. reprimands) presented in the first language elicited larger skin conductance responses than comparable expressions in the second language. For the early learners, no such difference was obtained, indicating that age of acquisition of the second language and proficiency modulate speakers ' physiological reaction to emotional language.


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Results tagged ' Prince Fielder '
Brewers Wall of Honor Unveiled Today
The Milwaukee Brewers will formally unveil the "Brewers Wall of Honor" at Miller Park today. The Wall of Honor will commemorate Milwaukee Brewers players that meet a set criteria based on service to the club. A total of 36 former Brewers players will attend today's ceremony, marking the largest single gathering of Brewers alumni in team history, surpassing the 31 players who came in for the final game at County Stadium in 2000.
A private ceremony for inductees, their families and special guests will take place at 4 p.m. and the wall will be available for viewing to the general public beginning at 6:35 p.m. A pregame ceremony honoring the inductees will take place on the field prior to the game.
The Wall of Honor will be a permanent display outside of Miller Park on a wall on the North side of the ballpark. Players on the Wall of Honor will each have a plaque with their photo and a brief synopsis of their playing career. The plaques are designed by Matthews International, designers of the plaques for the National Baseball Hall of Fame as well as the plaques on the Milwaukee Braves Wall of Honor at Miller Park.
Players who meet any of the following criteria while wearing a Brewers uniform will be inducted into the Wall of Honor:
- 2,000 or more plate appearances
- 1,000 or more innings pitched
- 250 appearances as a pitcher
- Winner of a major award (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, or Fireman of the Year)
- Manager of a pennant-winning team
- Individuals recognized with a statue on the Miller Park Plaza
- Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who have played for the Brewers
Currently, there are 58 persons who meet the above criteria and will be recognized on the Brewers Wall during the 2014 season. In addition to the 58 members of the inaugural class, there are seven active players in Major League Baseball that meet the criteria. Upon retirement, players who meet the criteria will be added to the Wall of Honor.
A total of 38 honorees are scheduled to attend the event six honorees will be represented by family members. The complete list of players who will grace the Brewers Wall of Honor at the unveiling ceremony today is as follows (attendees subject to change, those who will be present for the event are in BOLD, those who will be represented by a family member at the event are in ITALICS and those not able to attend the event are in PLAIN text):
Hank Aaron
Jerry Augustine
Sal Bando
Chris Bosio
Johnny Briggs
Jeromy Burnitz
Mike Caldwell
Bill Castro
Jeff Cirillo
Jim Colborn
Cecil Cooper
Craig Counsell
Chuck Crim
Rob Deer
Cal Eldred
Mike Fetters
Rollie Fingers
Jim Gantner
Moose Haas
Bill Hall
Darryl Hamilton
Teddy Higuera
John Jaha
Geoff Jenkins
Harvey Kuenn
Sixto Lezcano
Pat Listach
Mark Loretta
Davey May
Bob McClure
Paul Molitor
Don Money
Charlie Moore
Jaime Navarro
Dave Nilsson
Ben Oglivie
Dan Plesac
Darrell Porter
Ken Sanders
George Scott
Kevin Seitzer
Allan H. "Bud" Selig
Richie Sexson
Ben Sheets
Ted Simmons
Jim Slaton
B.J. Surhoff
Don Sutton
Gorman Thomas
Bill Travers
Bob Uecker
Jose Valentin
Greg Vaughn
Fernando Viña
Pete Vuckovich
Bill Wegman
Bob Wickman
Robin Yount
Note: John Axford, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks are the seven active players that, as of today, qualify for induction into the Wall of Honor following their retirement. Active players closing in on the thresholds include Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez.
MLB Network's Top 100 Players Right Now Entering 2014
As I did last year, and the year before, I'll be keeping a running list of the Top 100 Players Right Now as they are revealed on MLB Network, eventually compiling the entire list.
They will have revealed all 100 by the end of Friday, February 21st. I'll update this same space as they reveal the remaining entries.
As always, I will understandably highlight the Brewers players on the list. There were six Brewers on the list entering 2012. Rickie Weeks was 83, John Axford was 77, Yovani Gallardo was 72, Aramis Ramirez was 66, Zack Greinke was 64, and Ryan Braun was too low at number 9. Last year, the Brewers only had three players featured on the list (at the time it was revealed). Yovani Gallardo repeated his position at 72, Aramis Ramirez jumped all the way up to 32, and Braun settled in at 6. Kyle Lohse made last year's list as well.
My early prediction? The Brewers could have six (6) this year (Braun, Ramirez, Kyle Lohse, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, Jonathan Lucroy) but I think Garza falls short for sure. (UPDATE: Looks like the Brewers will only have three again. Ramirez and Lohse both fall off the list and Lucroy gets no love either.)
The criteria for the list remains the same:
- Emphasized stats from the last three (3) seasons, weighting 2012
- Projected 2014 performance
- Defensive position
- Accolades
- Intangibles
Here now are the Top 100-1* Players as listed by MLB Network:
100. Derek Jeter – SS – New York Yankees
99. Brandon Phillips – 2B – Cincinnati Reds
98. Torii Hunter – RF – Detroit Tigers
97. Andrelton Simmons – SS – Atlanta Braves
96. Shane Victorino – RF – Boston Red Sox
95. Ian Kinsler – 2B – Detroit Tigers
94. Gerrit Cole – SP – Pittsburgh Pirates
93. Shelby Miller – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
92. Michael Wacha – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
91. Trevor Rosenthal – CL – St. Louis Cardinals
90. Patrick Corbin – SP – Arizona Diamondbacks
89. Clay Buccholz – SP – Boston Red Sox
88. Matt Cain – SP – San Francisco Giants
87. Josh Donaldson – 3B – Oakland Athletics
86. Joe Nathan – CL – Detroit Tigers
85. Matt Wieters – C – Baltimore Orioles
84. Billy Butler – DH – Kansas City Royals
83. Jon Lester – SP – Boston Red Sox
82. Koji Uehara – CL – Boston Red Sox
81. Chase Utley – 2B – Philadelphia Phillies
80. Albert Pujols – 1B – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
79. Pedro Alvarez – 3B – Pittsburgh Pirates
78. Salvador Perez – C – Kansas City Royals
77. Carlos Santana – C/3B – Cleveland Indians
76. Josh Hamilton – RF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
75. Eric Hosmer – 1B – Kansas City Royals
74. Hunter Pence – RF – San Francisco Giants
73. Michael Cuddyer – RF – Colorado Rockies
72. Justin Upton – LF – Atlanta Braves
71. Anibal Sanchez – SP – Detroit Tigers
70. Jason Kipnis – 2B – Cleveland Indians
69. Gio Gonzalez – SP – Washington Nationals
68. Madison Bumgarner – SP – San Francisco Giants
67. Greg Holland – CL – Kansas City Royals
66. James Shields – SP – Kansas City Royals
65. Matt Carpenter – 3B – St. Louis Cardinals
64. Brian McCann – C – New York Yankees
63. J.J. Hardy – SS – Baltimore Orioles
62. Ian Desmond – SS – Washington Nationals
61. Jose Reyes – SS – Toronto Blue Jays
59. Matt Kemp – CF – Los Angeles Dodgers
58. Alex Gordon – LF – Kansas City Royals
57. Cole Hamels – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
56. Jordan Zimmermann – SP – Washington Nationals
55. Hisashi Iwakuma – SP – Seattle Mariners
54. Cliff Lee – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
53. Allen Craig – RF – St. Louis Cardinals
52. Adrian Gonzalez – 1B – Los Angeles Dodgers
51. Jacoby Ellsbury – CF – New York Yankees
50. Jose Bautista – RF – Toronto Blue Jays
49. Jayson Werth – RF – Washington Nationals
48. Ryan Zimmerman – 3B – Washington Nationals
47. Carlos Beltran – RF – New York Yankees
46. Prince Fielder – 1B – Texas Rangers
45. Freddie Freeman – 1B – Atlanta Braves
43. Wil Myers – RF – Tampa Bay Rays
42. Shin-Soo Choo – LF – Texas Rangers
41. Matt Holliday – LF – St. Louis Cardinals
40. Victor Martinez – C/DH – Detroit Tigers
39. Edwin Encarnacion – 1B – Toronto Blue Jays
38. Zack Greinke – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
37. Stephen Strasburg – SP – Washington Nationals
36. Jay Bruce – RF – Cincinnati Reds
35. Aroldis Chapman – CL – Cincinnati Reds
34. Joe Mauer – 1B – Minnesota Twins
33. Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers
32. Adam Wainwright – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
31. Yu Darvish – SP – Texas Rangers
30. Chris Davis – 1B – Baltimore Orioles
29. Manny Machado – 3B – Baltimore Orioles
28. David Ortiz – DH – Boston Red Sox
27. Dustin Pedroia – 2B – Boston Red Sox
26. Craig Kimbrel – CL – Atlanta Braves
25. David Wright – 3B – New York Mets
23. Yasiel Puig – RF – Los Angeles Dodgers
22. Bryce Harper – LF – Washington Nationals
21. Adam Jones – CF – Baltimore Orioles
20. Giancarlo Stanton – RF – Miami Marlins
19. Chris Sale – SP – Chicago White Sox
18. Jose Fernandez – SP – Miami Marlins
17. Buster Posey – C – San Francisco Giants
16. Hanley Ramirez – SS – Los Angeles Dodgers
15. Evan Longoria – 3B – Tampa Bay Rays
14. Yadier Molina – C – St. Louis Cardinals
13. Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies
12. Max Scherzer – SP – Detroit Tigers
11. Carlos Gonzalez – CF – Colorado Rockies
10. David Price – SP – Tampa Bay Rays
9. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B – Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Joey Votto – 1B – Cincinnati Reds
7. Felix Hernandez – SP – Seattle Mariners
6. Adrian Beltre – 3B – Texas Rangers
5. Robinson Cano – 2B – Seattle Mariners
4. Andrew McCutchen – CF – Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Miguel Cabrera – 1B – Detroit Tigers
2. Clayton Kershaw – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
1. Mike Trout – CF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
So that's the list! Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think. Did your favorite player make the list? Was he too high? Too low?
MLB Network's "Top 10 Right Now" Rankings Entering 2014
Each year I compile MLB Network's "Top 100 Players Right Now" which airs annually before the regular season begins.
This year, I decided to supplement those rankings by giving you a place to find all of the Top 10 Right Now positional rankings as well.
I'll add to this post as the episodes air on MLB Network over the next few weeks.
On Friday, January 10, 2014 the rankings for both Centerfielders and Shortstops were revealed. (See them below.) On Friday, January 17th both Starting Pitchers and Right Fielders were unveiled. Friday, January 24th brought us Left Fielders and First Basemen. Relief Pitchers and Second Basemen were revealed on Friday, January 31st.
Catchers and Third Basemen will be revealed on Friday, February 7th, so look for a couple more Brewers to make it.
MLB Network's "Top 10 Centerfielders Right Now"
- Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Andrew McCutchen – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Carlos Gonzalez – Colorado Rockies
- Jacoby Ellsbury – New York Yankees
- Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Carlos Gomez – Milwaukee Brewers
- Austin Jackson – Detroit Tigers
- Adam Jones – Baltimore Orioles
- Dexter Fowler – Houston Astros
- Coco Crisp – Oakland Athletics
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Centerfielders was Darryl Hamilton. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Trout, McCutchen, Ellsbury, Gomez, Gonzalez, Jackson, Jones, Kemp, Desmond Jennings (TB), Leonys Martin (TEX)
James: Trout, McCutchen, Jones, Ellsbury, Gomez, Gonzalez, Jackson, Michael Bourn (CLE), Jennings, Denard Span (WAS)
Hamilton: Trout, McCutchen, Jones, Ellsbury, Gomez, Kemp, Jackson, Crisp, Gonzalez, Bourn
MLB Network's "Top 10 Shortstops Right Now"
- Troy Tulowitzki – Colorado Rockies
- Jose Reyes – Toronto Blue Jays
- Hanley Ramirez – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jhonny Peralta – St. Louis Cardinals
- Jean Segura – Milwaukee Brewers
- Ian Desmond – Washington Nationals
- Elvis Andrus – Texas Rangers
- Andrelton Simmons – Atlanta Braves
- J.J. Hardy – Baltimore Orioles
- Alcides Escobar – Kansas City Royal
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Shortstops was Bill Ripken. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Tulowitzki, Ramirez, Reyes, Desmond, Andrus, Peralta, Derek Jeter (NYY), Simmons, Segura, Everth Cabrera (SD)
James: Tulowitzki, Hardy, Reyes, Jed Lowrie (OAK), Simmons, Andrus, Segura, Ramirez, Erick Aybar (LAA), Escobar
Ripken: Tulowitzki, Ramirez, Hardy, Simmons, Desmond, Segura, Stephen Drew (FA), Lowrie, Andrus, Reyes
MLB Network's "Top 10 Staring Pitchers Right Now"
- Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Cliff Lee – Philadelphia Phillies
- Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners
- Chris Sale – Chicago White Sox
- Jose Fernandez – Miami Marlins
- David Price – Tampa Bay Rays
- Hisashi Iwakuma – Seattle Mariners
- Adam Wainwright – St. Louis Cardinals
- Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers
- Max Scherzer – Detroit Tigers
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Starting Pitchers was John Smoltz. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Kershaw, Verlander, Lee, Hernandez, Wainwright, Yu Darvish (TEX), Scherzer, Fernandez, Madison Bumgarner (SF), Sale
James: Kershaw, Scherzer, Lee, Wainwright, Verlander, Zack Greinke (LAD), Sale, Jered Weaver (LAA), Hernandez, Darvish
Smoltz: Kershaw, Fernandez, Hernandez, Scherzer, Darvish, Verlander, Jon Lester (BOS), Stephen Strasburg (WAS), Wainwright, Price
MLB Network's "Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now"
- Yasiel Puig – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers
- Jose Bautista – Toronto Blue Jays
- Giancarlo Stanton – Miami Marlins
- Allen Craig – St. Louis Cardinals
- Carlos Beltran – New York Yankees
- Jayson Werth – Washington Nationals
- Shane Victorino – Boston Red Sox
- Hunter Pence – San Francisco Giants
- Jason Heyward – Atlanta Braves
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Right Fielders was Mark DeRosa. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Braun, Stanton, Puig, Heyward, Werth, Bautista, Craig, Jay Bruce (CIN), Wil Myers (TB), Pence
James: Braun, Bruce, Stanton, Heyward, Pence, Bautista, Victorino, Beltran, Puig, Torii Hunter (DET)
DeRosa: Beltran, Stanton, Bautista, Werth, Craig, Pence, Bruce, Hunter, Puig, Michael Cuddyer (COL)
You read that correctly. Mark DeRosa doesn't Ryan Braun in his Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now despite Brian Kenny and Bill James both ranking Braun #1 and the Shredder ranking him second. DeRosa says Braun "should be 1″ but since he has to earn back the respect of fans, his teammates, etc. DeRosa "hopes" he comes back and performs and is #1 next year, but he couldn't discount other guys.
As for the Shredder, Brian Kenny said he was shocked not only that Braun wasn't first but that Puig was. I'm guessing Braun was dinged by the Shredder for how many games he missed last year. That'll happen in an algorithm.
MLB Network's "Top 10 Left Fielders Right Now"
- Matt Holliday – St. Louis Cardinals
- Bryce Harper – Washington Nationals
- Alex Gordon – Kansas City Royals
- Justin Upton – Atlanta Braves
- Shin-Soo Choo – Texas Rangers
- Starling Marte – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Daniel Nava – Boston Red Sox
- Carlos Quentin – San Diego Padres
- Josh Hamilton – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Brett Gardner – New York Yankees
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Left Fielders was Eric Byrnes. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Harper, Choo, Holliday, Marte, Upton, Gordon, Gardner, Yoenis Cespedes (OAK), Domonic Brown (PHI), Khris Davis (MIL)
James: Choo, Holliday, Gordon, Gardner, Nava, Harper, Upton, Brown, Cespedes, Hamilton
Byrnes: Holliday, Harper, Upton, Choo, Alfonso Soriano (NYY), Gordon, Marte, Hamilton, Nava, Brown
MLB Network's "Top 10 First Basemen Right Now"
- Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers
- Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
- Paul Goldschmidt – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Adrian Gonzalez – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Joe Mauer – Minnesota Twins
- Mike Napoli – Boston Red Sox
- Chris Davis – Baltimore Orioles
- Freddie Freeman – Atlanta Braves
- Prince Fielder – Texas Rangers
- Edwin Encarnacion – Toronto Blue Jays
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the First Basemen was Sean Casey. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Cabrera, Votto, Goldschmidt, Freeman, Mauer, Fielder, Davis, Encarnacion, Brandon Belt (SF), Ad. Gonzalez
James: Cabrera, Goldschmidt, Votto, Davis, Mauer, Freeman, Encarnacion, Ad. Gonzalez, Napoli, Eric Hosmer (KC)
Casey: Cabrera, Votto, Goldschmidt, Freeman, Davis, Fielder, Ad. Gonzalez, Mauer, Albert Pujols (LAA), Encarnacion
MLB Network's "Top 10 Relief Pitchers Right Now"
- Koji Uehara – Boston Red Sox
- Craig Kimbrel – Atlanta Braves
- Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Greg Holland – Kansas City Royals
- Joe Nathan – Detroit Tigers
- Aroldis Chapman – Cincinnati Reds
- David Robertson – New York Yankees
- Glen Perkins – Minnesota Twins
- Luis Avilan – Atlanta Braves
- Joaquin Benoit – San Diego Padres
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode also provides three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Relief Pitchers was Dan Plesac. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Kimbrel, Holland, Jansen, Chapman, Uehara, Trevor Rosenthal (STL), Perkins, Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon (PHI), Benoit
James: Kimbrel, Jansen, Chapman, Uehara, Holland, Nathan, Papelbon, Perkins, Rosenthal, Mark Melancon (PIT)
Plesac: Kimbrel, Holland, Chapman, Uehara, Jansen, Nathan, Jim Johnson (OAK), Perkins, Jason Grilli (PIT), Rex Brothers (COL)
MLB Network's "Top 10 Second Basemen Right Now"
- Robinson Cano -Seattle Mariners
- Dustin Pedroia – Boston Red Sox
- Ben Zobrist – Tampa Bay Rays
- Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians
- Chase Utley – Philadelphia Phillies
- Ian Kinsler – Detroit Tigers
- Howie Kendrick – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Neil Walker – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Aaron Hill – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Marco Scutaro – San Francisco Giants
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode will apparently also provide three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Second Basemen was Harold Reynolds. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Cano, Pedroia, Kipnis, Utley, Hill, Zobrist, Kendrick, Kinsler, Walker, Omar Infante (KC)
James: Cano, Pedroia, Zobrist, Kipnis, Utley, Brandon Phillips (CIN), Kinsler, Infante, Jose Altuve (HOU), Kendrick
Reynolds: Cano, Pedroia, Phillips, Kipnis, Kendrick, Utley, Kinsler, Scutaro, Infante, Walker
MLB Network's "Top 10 Third Basemen Right Now"
- Adrian Beltre – Texas Rangers
- David Wright – New York Mets
- Matt Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals
- Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays
- Josh Donaldson – Oakland Athletics
- Pablo Sandoval – San Francisco Giants
- Aramis Ramirez – Milwaukee Brewers
- Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals
- Chase Headley – San Diego Padres
- Manny Machado – Baltimore Orioles
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode will apparently also provide three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Third Basemen was Mike Lowell. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Wright, Longoria, Beltre, Carpenter, Donaldson, Machado, Zimmerman, Headley, Kyle Seager (SEA), Martin Prado (ARI)
James: Longoria, Beltre, Wright, Carpenter, Zimmerman, Headley, Machado, Prado, Donaldson, Seager
Lowell: Beltre, Longoria, Wright, Machado, Donaldson, Ramirez, Headley, Carpenter, Zimmerman, Pedro Alvarez (PIT)
Neither Brian Kenny or Bill James included Aramis Ramirez in their personal Top 10.
Best line of the show? Kenny asked James why he put Longoria over Beltre and Wright. James' response: "Probably fear." He then admitted that he might be biased by working for the Red Sox.
MLB Network's "Top 10 Catchers Right Now"
- Yadier Molina – St. Louis Cardinals
- Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants
- Salvador Perez – Kansas City Royals
- Carlos Santana – Cleveland Indians
- Jason Castro – Houston Astros
- Jonathan Lucroy – Milwaukee Brewers
- Carlos Ruiz – Philadelphia Phillies
- Miguel Montero – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Wilin Rosario – Colorado Rockies
- Wilson Ramos – Washington Nationals
The rankings above are from MLB Network's "Shredder" which takes into account a multitude of statistical factors with no human bias. Each episode will apparently also provide three additional lists: One from Brian Kenny, one from Bill James, and one from an MLB Network analyst, who for the Catchers was Dave Valle. Here are their individual Top 10's.
Kenny: Posey, Molina, Santana, Brian McCann (NYY), Perez, Lucroy, Castro, Ruiz, Russell Martin (PIT), Montero
James: Posey, Molina, Perez, A.J. Pierzynski (BOS), Matt Wieters (BAL), Santana, Rosario, McCann, Lucroy, Jarrod Saltalamacchia (MIA)
Valle: Molina, Perez, Posey, Wieters, Ramos, Martin, McCann, A.J. Ellis (LAD), Lucroy, Castro
So there you have it. All 10 positions worth ranking in MLB by the Shredder and the MLB Network personalities.
There are five Brewers among the 100 names listed by The Shredder. They are: Carlos Gomez (CF, 6th), Jean Segura (SS, 5th), Ryan Braun (RF, 2nd), Aramis Ramirez (3B, 7th), and Jonathan Lucroy (C, 6th)
MLB Network's Top 100 Players Right Now Heading Into 2013
As I did last year, I'll be keeping a running list of the Top 100 Players Right Now as they are revealed on MLB Network, eventually compiling the entire list.
They will have revealed all 100 by the end of Tuesday, February 26th. I'll update this same space as they reveal the remaining entries.
As before I will understandably highlight the Brewers players on the list. Last year there were six Brewers on the list. Rickie Weeks was 83, John Axford was 77, Yovani Gallardo was 72, Aramis Ramirez was 66, Zack Greinke was 64, and Ryan Braun was too low at number 9.
Based on what has been revealed, it would appear a safe bet that Rickie Weeks has fallen off of the list. And how about John Axford? Could he really be in the Top 40 or did he fall off too? I'm guessing he fell off despite his fantastic 2011 season.
Looks like the Brewers will only have three this year.
The criteria for the list remains the same:
- Emphasized stats from the last three (3) seasons, weighting 2012
- Projected 2013 performance
- Defensive position
- Accolades
- Intangibles
Here now are the Top 100 Players as listed by MLB Network.
100. Ryan Howard – 1B – Philadelphia Phillies
99. Sergio Romo – CL – San Francisco Giants
98. Yu Darvish – SP – Texas Rangers
97. Elvis Andrus – SS – Texas Rangers
96. Chase Utley – 2B – Philadelphia Phillies
95. Adrian Gonzalez – 1B – Los Angeles Dodgers
94. Jacoby Ellsbury – OF – Boston Red Sox
93. Victor Martinez – C/DH – Detroit Tigers
92. Jordan Zimmermann – SP – Washington Nationals
91. Michael Bourn – CF – Cleveland Indians
90. Aroldis Chapman – P – Cincinnati Reds
89. Adam Wainwright – SP – St. Louis Cardinals
88. Jon Lester – SP – Boston Red Sox
87. Mike Moustakas – 3B – Kansas City Royals
86. Brett Lawrie – 3B – Toronto Blue Jays
85. Michael Morse – 1B/LF – Seattle Mariners
84. Allen Craig – 1B – St. Louis Cardinals
83. Torii Hunter – RF – Detroit Tigers
82. Carlos Beltran – RF – St. Louis Cardinals
81. Carlos Ruiz – C – Philadelphia Phillies
80. Brian McCann – C – Atlanta Braves
79. Miguel Montero – C- Arizona Diamondbacks
78. Curtis Granderson – CF – New York Yankees
77. Jim Johnson – CL – Baltimore Orioles
76. Jason Motte – CL – St. Louis Cardinals
75. Ian Desmond – SS – Washington Nationals
74. Chase Headley – 3B – San Diego Padres
73. Adam LaRoche – 1B – Washington Nationals
72. Yovani Gallardo – SP – Milwaukee Brewers
71. Madison Bumgarner – SP – San Francisco Giants
70. Alex Gordon – LF – Kansas City Royals
69. B.J. Upton – CF – Atlanta Braves
68. James Shields – SP – Kansas City Royals
67. David Freese – 3B – St. Louis Cardinals
66. J.J. Hardy – SS – Baltimore Orioles
65. Kyle Lohse – SP – (FREE AGENT)
64. Wade Miley – SP – Arizona Diamondbacks
63. Johnny Cueto – SP – Cincinnati Reds
62. Jonathan Papelbon – CL – Philadelphia Phillies
61. Mariano Rivera – CL – New York Yankees
60. David Ortiz – DH – Boston Red Sox
59. Jason Heyward – RF – Atlanta Braves
58. Austin Jackson – CF – Detroit Tigers
57. Zack Greinke – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
56. Chris Sale – SP – Chicago White Sox
55. Billy Butler – DH – Kansas City Royals
54. Bryce Harper – LF – Washington Nationals
53. Derek Jeter – SS – New York Yankees
52. Starlin Castro – SS – Chicago Cubs
51. Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies
50. R.A. Dickey – SP – Toronto Blue Jays
49. Gio Gonzalez – SP – Washington Nationals
48. Matt Wieters – C – Baltimore Orioles
47. A.J. Pierzynski – C- Texas Rangers
46. Roy Halladay – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
45. Matt Cain – SP – San Francisco Giants
44. Pablo Sandoval – 3B – San Francisco Giants
43. Josh Willingham – LF – Minnesota Twins
42. Yoenis Cespedes – LF – Oakland Athletics
41. Matt Holliday – LF – St. Louis Cardinals
40. Ian Kinsler – 2B – Texas Rangers
39. Edwin Encarnacion – 1B – Toronto Blue Jays
38. Joe Mauer – C – Minnesota Twins
37. Jered Weaver – SP – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
36. Jay Bruce – RF – Cincinnati Reds
35. Justin Upton – LF – Atlanta Braves
34. Dustin Pedroia – 2B – Boston Red Sox
33. Paul Konerko – 1B – Chicago White Sox
32. Aramis Ramirez – 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
31. Brandon Phillips – 2B – Cincinnati Reds
30. Carlos Gonzalez – LF – Colorado Rockies
29. Ryan Zimmerman – 3B – Washington Nationals
28. Jose Bautista – RF – Toronto Blue Jays
27. Craig Kimbrel – CL – Atlanta Braves
26. Stephen Strasburg – SP – Washington Nationals
25. Jose Reyes – SS – Toronto Blue Jays
24. Yadier Molina – C – St. Louis Cardinals
23. Adam Jones – CF – Baltimore Orioles
22. David Wright – 3B – New York Mets
21. Buster Posey – C – San Francisco Giants
20. Cole Hamels – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
19. Cliff Lee – SP – Philadelphia Phillies
18. CC Sabathia – SP – New York Yankees
17. Andrew McCutchen – CF – Pittsburgh Pirates
16. Evan Longoria – 3B – Tampa Bay Rays
15. Giancarlo Stanton – RF – Miami Marlins
14. Albert Pujols – 1B – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
13. Adrian Beltre – 3B – Texas Rangers
12. David Price – SP – Tampa Bay Rays
11. Prince Fielder – 1B – Detroit Tigers
10. Josh Hamilton – RF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
9. Joey Votto – 1B – Cincinnati Reds
8. Robinson Cano – 2B – New York Yankees
7. Felix Hernandez – SP – Seattle Mariners
6. Ryan Braun – LF – Milwaukee Brewers
5. Clayton Kershaw – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Matt Kemp – CF – Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Miguel Cabrera – 3B – Detroit Tigers
2. Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers
1. Mike Trout – LF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Totals by team:
- Philadelphia Phillies – 7
- St. Louis Cardinals – 7
- Washington Nationals – 7
- Detroit Tigers – 6
- Atlanta Braves – 5
- Cincinnati Reds – 5
- New York Yankees – 5
- San Francisco Giants – 5
- Texas Rangers – 5
- Toronto Blue Jays – 5
- Baltimore Orioles – 4
- Boston Red Sox – 4
- Kansas City Royals – 4
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 4
- Los Angeles Dodgers – 4
- Milwaukee Brewers – 3
- Arizona Diamondbacks – 2
- Chicago White Sox – 2
- Colorado Rockies – 2
- Minnesota Twins – 2
- Seattle Mariners – 2
- Tampa Bay Rays – 2
- Cleveland Indians – 1
- New York Mets – 1
- Chicago Cubs – 1
- Oakland Athletics – 1
- Miami Marlins – 1
- Pittsburgh Pirates – 1
- San Diego Padres – 1
- Kyle Lohse – 1
Ryan Braun Starts Fourth All-Star Game, Records First Hit
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has been elected to Major League Baseball's All-Star Game in each of his five full seasons in the big leagues.
The first three games saw Braun reach base exactly zero times in seven at-bats. He struck out three times to boot. (Braun's fourth election resulted in him not playing in the game due to injury.)
Earlier tonight though, Braun started his fourth Midsummer Classic for the National League, playing left field, and hitting third in manager Tony La Russa's lineup. Following a one-out single by San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, Braun dug into the right-handed batter's box.
On a 2-1 count, Braun took a 98-MPH fastball from American League starting pitcher Justin Verlander over the head of starting right fielder Jose Bautista for an RBI double, giving the National League a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Braun would later score from third base on Pablo Sandoval's bases-clearing triple, but the run he drove in held up the entire way as the National League shut out the American League be a final score of 8-0!
In the fourth inning, with two outs, Ryan Braun then tripled into the right field corner. (He was stranded there when Joey Votto grounded out to end the inning.) That second hit was the first time a Milwaukee Brewer has ever recorded two hits in the same All-Star Game. A little piece of history is always a good thing.
Braun contributed on defense as well during his four innings in the field, tracking down two deep fly balls on the warning track and catching another in much shallower left. But the crowning moment was a leaping catch while running at full sprint to take away a double from Home Run Derby champion Prince Fielder to end both the fourth inning and Braun's night of work.
Offensively, Braun finished 2-for-3 with a double, triple, RBI and run scored. Without a tremendous diving catch by Jose Bautista, Braun could have been 3-for-3 and again, his RBI was the game-winning RBI! Ryan Braun is the also only the fifth player to hit a double and triple in the same All-Star Game. He joins Earl Averill, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, and George Brett.
All things considered, it was an extremely positive All-Star break for the reigning National League Most Valuable Player.
Congratulations to Ryan!
Congratulations are also in order to Brewers manager Ron Roenicke who was named to Tony La Russa's staff after the Brewers made it to the National League Championship Series in 2011.
Milwaukee Brewers Uniform Number History: #28
Wondering who wore a certain uniform number all-time for the Milwaukee Brewers?
The Brewer Nation has got you covered. If you found this list on its own, head back here for the full repository after checking out this one.
Sandy Valdespino ('70)
Roberto Pena ('70-71)
Wilbur Howard ('73)
Von Joshua ('76-77)
Vic Harris ('80)
Jamie Easterly ('81-'83)
Rick Manning ('83-'87)
Odell Jones ('88)
Jeff Peterek ('89)
Tom Filer ('90)
Franklin Stubbs ('91)
Doug Henry ('91-'94)
Jack Voigt ('97)
Mike Myers ('98-'99)
Valerio De Los Santos ('00-'03)
Prince Fielder ('05-'11)
Gerardo Parra ('14-Current)
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #1 Corey Hart
Ladies and gentlemen it has happened.
The Brewers flight from Arizona got back to town late yesterday evening. That's right, to be a bit corny: "The boys are back in town!"
There's no word whether the team boarded by jersey number, but if they had then today's final profile subject would have been the first one on.
He is the starting right fielder and will bat fifth tomorrow at Miller Park, despite not exactly piling up the at-bats this spring.
He wears the number one on his back. He is:
Corey Hart.
Standing 6'6″ tall and weighing an official 235 pounds, Jon Corey Hart came to camp in 2011 poised to continue making good on an off-season contract extension negotiated with the club before the 2010 season.
Hart had posted career-worst numbers in 2010 in several categories but negotiated his way in an arbitration hearing to a $4.8 million contract. I blasted Hart in this space for that situation, and was happy to be proven wrong to a degree in 2010.
So when he got hurt in Spring Training however and started the year on the disabled list, people had cause for concern both about missing his production and whether his long-term outlook would be affected.
He only played 130 total games after beginning the season on the DL with an oblique strain and, he would later admit, it shouldn't have been that many. Hart told members of the media that he rushed back because he felt he could help the team even at less than 100%. It didn't work well, and Hart realized that he should have stayed in minor league rehab games longer than he did.
When he was on the field in 2011, Hart continued two recent trends: increased power and greatly decreased speed.
His final statistics totaled:
130 G, 492 AB, 80 R, 140 H, 25 doubles, 4 triples, 26 HR, 63 RBI, 51 BB, 114 K, 7 SB, 6 caught stealing, .285/.356/.510
Hart had played in 15 more games in 2010 than 2011, and had gotten 64 more at-bats which resulted in better counting stats, but the rates of certain stats were up and with better health, Hart probably would have at least equaled his 2010 in many categories.
Two numbers that were exactly the same were Hart's steals and caught stealings. It continued to be disconcerting because despite his 6'6″ frame, Hart was always a benefit on the bases. Hart stole 23 bases in both 2007 and 2008 before falling to 11 in 2009 and just seven the next two years.
Hopefully his realization about carrying the extra weight and subsequently dropping that weight will help Hart regain some of that lost quickness.
But has it made a difference? In a Spring Training where Jonathan Lucroy was running wild on the basepaths, how many stolen bases did Hart attempt? And what was his success rate?
We don't know if Hart's speed was positively affected in game situations because he only played in two official Cactus League games. And therein lies the x-factor for the Brewers in 2012: health.
In any season where position players stay healthy and are able to answer the bell 150 times or more, there is a lot of luck involved. For the second straight spring, the only kind of luck Hart had was bad luck.
While hurrying to Ryan Braun's press conference at Maryvale Baseball Park this spring, Hart was wearing his spikes and slipped on some cement, damaging his meniscus, requiring surgery. While he was rehabilitating his knee, Hart was injured again in the weight room when a metal bar hit him in head, requiring eight stitches.
Having a good sense of humor about it all, Hart hit the nail on the head when he stated that he needs to just report to camp with about a week to go in Spring Training so as to limit his exposure to the perils of Arizona.
Four weeks to the day following knee surgery, Hart was back on the field playing. It's quite a remarkable recovery in some respects, but Hart worked hard at his rehab to get himself ready.
In the two official games he played this spring, Hart was 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. He also ran well in the outfield. Hopefully he can hit the ground running tomorrow afternoon.
Hart did have plenty of highlights in 2011 though.
He tied franchise records with a three-home run, seven-RBI game against the Washington Nationals. Hart produced five lead-off home runs after moving up the lineup following Rickie Weeks' ankle injury in July. He put together an 18-game hitting streak which started on August 18th, during a month for which Hart would later earn team Player of the Month honors.
Hart also recorded a pair of home runs in the postseason while batting .244 (10-for-41).
As for 2012, if Hart's knee remains healthy, I'd like to project a solid year at the plate. And if his conditioning changes are a benefit he'll increase his value to the team both on the basepaths and in right field.
With the departures of Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee in the off-season, all the talk has been of how the combination of Aramis Ramirez and Mat Gamel will need to be able to make up the lost production. But if Hart adds 20 games to his register this season, hitting in the fifth spot in the order and coming through in RBI situations, that will combine into those offensive totals and significantly affect the outcome of several games.
But it all finally starts tomorrow at Miller Park.
We'll see you there if you're going, and we'll see 25 of the men who were previewed and reviewed throughout the weeks leading up to tomorrow.
I've had a fun ride with this series and hope that you learned something along the way.
Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned all season as the articles and analysis will be here.
Batted .285 with 26 HR and 63 RBI in 130 games…..made 123 starts, all in right field…Established a career high in walks (51)…Committed only 2 errors the entire season for the second consecutive season…Missed the first 22 games of the season after suffering a left oblique strain in spring training….. was on the 15-day disabled list from 3/30-4/25, retroactive to 3/22…Appeared in 5 games at Triple-A Nashville from 4/19-4/25 during a rehab assignment…Batted .324 (69-for-214, 13hr, 32rbi) over his last 53 games of the season, raising his overall batting average from .255 to .285…Batted leadoff in his last 62 starts (77-for-256, .301, 15hr, 36rbi)…..had previously not started a game in that spot in the order since 7/22/09 at Pittsburgh…Hit 5 leadoff home runs: 7/19 at Arizona, 7/30 vs. Houston, 8/3 vs. St. Louis, 8/22 at Pittsburgh and 8/31 vs. St. Louis…..now has 7 career leadoff homers…Produced 3 HR and 7 RBI on 5/23 vs. Washington, tying franchise records…..the 3 HR marked his first homers of the season (22nd game)…..became the 10th player (15 times) in franchise history to hit 3 HR in a game…..joined Ted Kubiak (1970), Jose Hernandez (2001), Richie Sexson (2002) and Damian Miller (2007) as the only Brewers with 7 RBI in a game…Tied his career high (3x) with 4 hits on 7/30 vs. Houston, including a leadoff homer in the 6-2 victory…Was named Brewers Player of the Month for August (.321, 8hr, 17rbi)…Recorded a season-high 18-game hitting streak from 8/18-9/6, batting .359 (28-for-78) with 5 HR and 9 RBI…Batted .244 (10-for-41) with 2 HR and 5 RBI in 10 games during the postseason.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #8 Ryan Braun
Not much desire or time for a poetic open today.
We're eight days away and that jersey wearer had quite an eventful 2011.
He is the Brewers starting left fielder:
Ryan Braun.
When Spring Training opened in 2011, much was said about the off-season training program of the 6'1″, 200 pound right-handed hitter from Mission Hills, California by way of the University of Miami.
The positive results of that training showed in his early Cactus League numbers. He was 5 for his first 15 with two home runs. The negative results then reared their ugly heads…or should I say their ugly intercostals?
Ryan Joseph Braun was pulled from a game on Saturday, March 12 with a strained rib cage muscle. It was the same injury that had cost Braun time in 2010 and Brewer Nation was beginning to worry that it would be a chronic issue for the rest of his career.
Braun would return to the lineup two days later. There's nothing quite like overreacting.
He would end up playing in 150 games in 2011, posting a stat line of:
Braun led the National League in slugging percentage and OPS. He was second in runs scored and batting average. Fourth in doubles and RBI. He ranked fifth in total hits and on-base percentage. And he finished sixth in home runs, seventh in stolen bases, and twelfth in triples.
Those numbers did not go unnoticed.
The accolades for Braun during and as a result of his 2011 season were numerous and significant.
- National League Player of the Week in late April (4/25/11)
- National League Player of the Month for April
- Elected starting outfielder for the National League All-Star team
- Fourth consecutive election
- Was the top vote-getter in the entire league
- National League Player of the Month for September
- 2011 NL Silver Slugger
- Fourth consecutive win
- 2011 National League Most Valuable Player
It was quite the season for quite the ballplayer.
As any Brewers fan knows, Braun has been a well-respected and accolade-laden player throughout his career. He was a Rising Star as a minor leaguer, the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, a two-time NL Player of the Month prior to 2011, and as mentioned above prior to 2011 Braun had won three Silver Sluggers as well as three All-Star Game starts.
He had become wildly popular around the country both for his good looks and due to the popularity of fantasy baseball. As a contributor across numerous categories, fans in all parts of the nation knew name because he helped them "win".
Vastly more importantly is that he helped the Brewers win, a lot. 96 times in the regular season, in fact, with another five victories in the postseason.
It was a franchise record. Braun was justly rewarded with the NL MVP, the franchise's first MVP Award since Robin Yount won his second in 1989.
The day the announcement came down about who had won the MVP was a great day for Brewers fans. There was much rejoicing, sports talk shows in the city of Milwaukee were blowing up with wall-to-wall praises for Braun, the Brewers, and a feeling of validation for the 2011 season despite a finish two wins shy of the World Series.
But what should have been a storybook off-season for Braun turned into a horror novel the likes of which Stephen King would pen.
Okay, perhaps that's being a bit melodramatic but when irresponsible journalism led to a bombshell rocking the baseball world, it certainly felt like the world was caving in around Brewers fans.
It was reported that Braun had failed a urine test taken during the NLDS and that performance-enhancing drugs were the cause. ESPN decided to make the uneducated leap and several of its on-air personalities started saying that Braun had tested positive for steroids. No PED was not ever detected in Braun's urine.
I'm not going to get into everything again in this space because enough has been said about the situation, but for the purposes of a review/preview of Braun, it needs to be made mention of.
That's because Braun was suspended for 50 games because of the urine test. Under the suspension, Braun would miss every game from Opening Day (reminder: 8 days away!!) until May 31st.
Braun appealed the suspension claiming his innocence and telling reporters that the reports were "b.s."
As you know, Braun won the appeal by basing what we know of his argument on something that if proven to be questionable would mean that the suspension could not be upheld. The independent arbitrator ruled in Braun's favor making the three-member panel vote for Braun by a 2-1 margin.
(If you want to read my other thoughts on the Braun situation, I wrote them back in February. You can get to them by clicking here.)
That means that Braun will be in the lineup on April 6 when the Milwaukee Brewers take on the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park for Opening Day 2o12. The reigning NL MVP will lead the defending National League Central Division Champions into battle.
That's great news for the Brewers and not so great news for the redbirds.
Spring Training this year hasn't been great for Braun. He started the Cactus League by playing only every other day while, apparently, nursing a bit of a sore groin that finally flared up and cost him a few days at one point.
Braun is just 4-for-28 in 2012, but he's started to come on lately with hits in three of his last four games (3-for-11, 2 walks). He is confident that when the bell rings in eight days, he'll answer it the same way that he always has.
After all, Spring Training isn't about results anyway for someone with Braun's pedigree. It's about the process to get oneself ready to play. So long as Braun remains confident, the results will be there in the end.
That's not to say that there won't be some differences to Braun's numbers this season. Many people will claim that lineup protection is overrated at best and non-existent at worse, but Aramis Ramirez is not Prince Fielder. That means that in certain situations, you can expect that total of two intentional walks to skyrocket by comparison.
If the lineup produces around Braun, and that production should be less concentrated which should help Milwaukee more than hurt, the left fielder will see plenty of success.
With a full season on tap in Brew City Braun will see an increase in on-base percentage, and if he can stay patient and attack the mistakes he sees (something he's always done phenomenally well throughout his career), the bottom line for Braun is that he'll put up the numbers he can control.
The numbers that are reliant on his teammates? We'll see how that all shakes out when the time comes.
But eight days from now, when we've filled Miller Park and are screaming our collective heads off for our guy during team introductions, just enjoy the moment. And if Braun goes 0-for-4 in the game, don't worry. After all, there's 161+ to go.
Something tells me Braun will be just fine when those games are in the books.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #13 Zack Greinke
We're a lucky 13 days away from Opening Day 2012.
(First of all, Happy 30th Birthday, Corey Hart!)
Moreover, it's the second-to-last weekend without regular season baseball for the next six months.
Please excuse me for a moment while I reread that sentence, smile and exhale contently.
Where were we?
Oh right…
Toward the end of the 2010 season, the writing seemed to be on the walls at Miller Park.
The Brewers were limping to a 77-85 record and a third-place finish in the National League Central.
Littering the roster were players the likes of Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, Doug Davis, Jody Gerut, Chris Smith, Adam Stern, Joe Inglett (knuckleball notwithstanding), and other players that have at best moved on to a different team and at worst are now out of the game altogether. Wasting space on the bench along side them was manager Ken Macha too.
And arguably the team's best player received a standing ovation in his final home game because fans realized that what made the most sense for the future was probably sending Prince Fielder to a different team in order to get some return for him before he would inevitably leave town after the 2011 season anyway.
In short, the system was no longer working in Cream City, though you could argue that perhaps it never had because no World Series title had come home. All offense and minimal pitching wasn't getting the job done. It was time for a change.
That change came by way of two off-season trades to acquire starting pitching. One was already discussed five days ago when we previewed #18 Shaun Marcum.
The other shall be discussed now because he wears #13. His name is:
Zack Greinke.
It was nearing Christmas in 2010 and Brewers fans were happily examining Shaun Marcum's career statistics and wondering how he would perform following Yovani Gallardo as the number two in the starting rotation.
Then, all of a sudden, an acquaintance of mine started tweeting one night about another trade that he had caught wind of. If it went down, it would change the game in the NL Central. If it came off, it would turn the division on its ear.
Needless to say, it went down.
Doug Melvin sent four young, talented ballplayers to the Kansas City Royals as a return for one "shortstop" and one Donald Zackary Greinke.
A former Cy Young Award winner coming to Milwaukee? That reminded a lot of people of the 2008 acquisition of CC Sabathia. That led to a playoff appearance. That was a good thing.
We all know now that 2011 ended with a trip to the NLCS, but it didn't quite start out so happily.
Pitchers and Catchers reported to Spring Training in 2011 to expectations and hope among fans. Fielder was not traded, Greinke and Marcum were on the mound, John Axford was ready to slam the door on nearly any game with a late and close lead…in short, optimism abounded.
Then news began trickling out about a pickup basketball game, a hard fall, and a cracked rib.
The newly-acquired ace was shelved. He wouldn't be with the team on Opening Day. He wouldn't make a start in the entire month of April or maybe more. How would the team survive?
Greinke's first start was on May 4 in Atlanta against the Braves. Greinke lost that start, only going four innings and allowing five runs (four earned).
Well, then worry turned to panic for some.
The team was 13-17 after Greinke's first start. The cries were roughly the same. They gave up too much for this injury-prone bum. This guy can't pitch even though he is "healthy". They're paying him how much to pitch this poorly?
Greinke won four of his next five starts, but allowed 16 earned runs over 30 innings.
The sky was officially falling.
"Maybe we can trade him." "What a bum!" "Cy Yuck!"
It's like it was "Jump to Conclusions Mat" night at Miller Park.
The only thing keeping the critics somewhat at bay was that by the end of May the team was 30-25 overall. In fact, from the first game Greinke pitched through the end of the season, the team played 33 games over .500 baseball.
Something about getting that piece back in the rotation calmed this team down. It helped Marcum, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson all perform better by way of bumping them to lesser opponents. It helped challenge Gallardo to be at his best each and every time out.
Greinke made everybody around him better. That's an incredibly difficult thing to do in a sport like baseball. You are so self-reliant at times in this particular team game. Every at-bat is a one-on-one battle until wood hits leather, and even then there's usually something that prevents a defender from being involved. Foul balls into the stands, home runs, come-backers…there's a lot of aspects of the individual battle inside of the team sport.
But somehow Greinke had that effect.
He had an 11-0 record at Miller Park in 15 starts. His peripherals were solid despite some of the traditional stats not looking as good.
There is a statistic called xFIP which stands for expected fielding-independent pitching. To put it crudely, it measures what a pitcher's ERA would be if the defense wasn't a factor. Greinke's was a 2.56 which was the best mark in baseball. (Gallardo, for the record, was tenth in all of baseball with a 3.19 xFIP.)
Greinke finished the season with a 16-6 record, 3.83 ERA, having allowed 161 hits and 45 walks (1.20 WHIP), 82 runs (73 earned), an opponents' batting average of .245 and recording 201 strikeouts…in just 171.2 innings pitched over 28 starts. Yeah, 201 strikeouts after missing an entire month of starts.
Greinke wasn't very good on the road, and he struggled in the playoffs, but those things (and perhaps the looming visage of free agency on the horizon) have made Greinke hungry though. He has spent Spring Training 2012 healthy which has allowed him to find a delivery which increases his control without sacrificing velocity. He's also working on a new pitch.
A guy who struck out 201 and only walked 45 feels that he'll have better command in 2012. He's also put a cut fastball in his repertoire for the new season. In his most recent start of this writing, Greinke threw 76 pitches, over twenty of which were cutters. The results speak for themselves: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K.
Do you think he's ready for the season to begin? So does Ron Roenicke.
There has been talk this spring about a possible contract extension between Greinke and the Brewers. I, myself, reported on initial contact to that end happening last December during the Winter Meetings.
If the 2012 Cactus League is any indication, it would certainly behoove the Brewers to lock Greinke up sooner rather than later. If he has a season that lives up to his 2011 peripherals while having the traditional stats more in line with his ace persona…it could cost the Brewers a pretty penny to retain his services.
Working in Doug Melvin and Mark Attanasio's favor is that Greinke has praised them both in the media throughout the tenure of his employment in Milwaukee. He is allowed to scratch his itches, like attending a college baseball game to scout a player, for example. Milwaukee understands his social anxiety and allows Greinke to excuse himself from long meetings to take a quick mental break before getting back to work.
The environment has been wonderful for Greinke, and we fans are a big part of that. He loves playing in front of us and the support we show him is paramount in the Brewers' attempts to retain his services.
In short, one more time, this relationship has been wonderful to this point and could very likely be wonderful for a few more years at least if a deal can be struck.
Greinke is working without an agent, though news came out today that he's been consulting with Ryan Braun on some pitching comps as far as contracts that have been signed. No telling if anything will come of it, but at least for now it appears to be all positive.
For the Milwaukee Brewers to continue competing in the window which they've opened for themselves, quality pitching is a must. And when that quality is of such a high level and is already in town…
Well, it just goes to show you how important these negotiations are…assuming the sides are even actively talking at this point.
Short-term, however, and as a matter of opinion, 2012 is looking like an amazing opportunity for the Milwaukee Brewers to not only repeat at NL Central Champions, but also to possibly advance at least one more step into the World Series.
Once you're in, anything can happen.
And should Greinke decides to stay in a Brewers uniform beyond 2012, anything might be possible over the length of that deal.
In short, as fans we should be so lucky.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #16 Aramis Ramirez
We're just over two weeks away from Opening Day.
Despite being a first-year Milwaukee Brewer, today's subject is well-known to Brewers fans already by virtue of having spent his entire career in the National League Central.
The 33-year-old's career began with the Pittsburgh Pirates the same year that the Brewers made the move to the senior circuit from the American League. That was 1998, of course.
Also, of course, the person that I'm talking about is:
Aramis Ramirez.
Coming to Milwaukee from Pittsburgh by way of Chicago for parts of nine seasons, Aramis Nin Ramirez was brought in to do two things. Both of those things are offense-related.
Before we get into that, I wanted to relate a quick story.
So many of these players are simply assigned a number when they're first called up to the big leagues. They become a part of their identity, but they aren't always their own choosing.
Ramirez is different.
When he came to Milwaukee the number he had worn his entire career (#16) was owned by backup catcher George Kottaras.
Former all-stars usually get what they want when pitted against a backup catcher, but this wasn't a simple exchange of something for a number. Ramirez wanted to wear 16 not simply because he always had.
Instead, Ramirez first wore 16 when he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates at the behest of his father. Mr. Ramirez never told his son why he wanted him to wear the number, and unfortunately passed away a few years ago.
But the ballplayer honored his father's request and continues to do so to this day.
No matter what you may think of the stories of Ramirez' lackadaisical attitude or perceived laziness at times on the diamond…
That's a pretty cool reason to prefer a number. Kudos to Mr. Kottaras for not standing in the way of Mr. Ramirez or his son.
Anyway, it's no secret that Ramirez is an average-on-his-best-days defender at this stage of his career. He doesn't have great range, even for the hot corner, and his while his throwing arm is still plenty strong enough, his throwing accuracy is at times found to be wanting.
Despite popular belief to the contrary, the starting third baseman last year wasn't bad defensively. Casey McGehee had solid footwork, accuracy and got to his share of balls. Ramirez should handle the routine play fine, but it is likely that there will be plays this year which Ramirez won't make that Brewers fans will be wondering "why not?" because last year they'd have been converted into outs.
And defensively, the most important thing you can do is to convert outs into outs.
That brings us back to the plate which is where Ramirez will look to earn the $36 million guaranteed over the life of the contract which he signed with Milwaukee this past December.
Ramirez is a notoriously slow starter at the plate, and he contributes a good portion of that to the weather he dealt with while playing his home games outside in the usually cold Aprils at Wrigley Field these last several years.
Hopefully the climate controlled environment of Miller Park will help to alleviate some of that and Ramirez will start off like he tends to finish seasons.
Regardless of his start, he stands to finish much better than Brewers third basemen did at the plate last year.
McGehee in 2011: 155 G, 546 AB, 46 R, 122 H, 24 doubles, 13 HR, 67 RBI, 45 BB, 104 K, .223/.280/.346, .626 OPS
Ramirez in 2011: 149 G, 565 AB, 80 R, 173 H, 35 doubles, 26 HR, 93 RBI, 43 BB, 69 K, .306/.361/.510, .871 OPS
Now, for the record, I fully believe that 2012 McGehee will also outperform 2011 McGehee, but I don't think he'll reach the numbers Ramirez has averaged over the course of this career.
But that's how Ramirez compares to third base. McGehee batted fifth or lower in the lineup for manager Ron Roenicke last year. I mention that because the other thing Ramirez was brought here to do was to fill the cleanup spot in the lineup vacated by the departed Prince Fielder.
There are many analytical types who will tell you that lineup protection is a myth and that there is absolutely nothing that has been able to quantify the effect one player hitting behind another has on that first player.
Much the same, there are many baseball people who continually bring it up as a matter of fact.
Regardless to which side of that fence you're on, it can be argued that a superstar player finds himself pitched around in certain situations when there isn't somebody behind him that can make the opposing team pay for that tactic.
Let me put it this way, when Roenicke, principal owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Doug Melvin met this off-season to discuss Roenicke's wants, several positions were presented as needs by Melvin.
Roenicke's simple response: "Cleanup hitter."
He didn't know which position on the diamond that would necessarily come from at that point, but Roenicke was clear in his desire for someone to bat in the lineup behind Ryan Braun. There's something to that.
I offer now a profile that was written by my Brewer Nation Podcast co-host, Cary Kostka.
This was originally posted at his Sport Profiles blog: http://sportprofiles.wordpress.com.
Career to Date
Aramis Ramirez, born on June 25th, 1978 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 7, 1994 and made his major league debut on May 26th, 1998 with the Pirates. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs (with Kenny Lofton) on July 23rd, 2003, where he remained until he opted out of his contract with the Cubs and signed a three year, $36 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in December 2011.
Ramirez played in his first full season in 2001, finishing with a .300 BAV, 34 HR, 112 RBI. Over his major league career (6 years with the Pirates, 9 years with the Cubs) Ramirez has averaged .284-30-108. Ramirez was an All-Star in 2005 and 2008 and won the N.L. Silver Slugger award at third base in 2011. He has only once finished in the top 10 for MVP voting (2004) despite have 6-100 RBI seasons, 4-30 home run seasons, and 9-20 home run seasons. Although healthy for most of his career, Ramirez missed a large portion of the 2009 due to a dislocated shoulder suffered against his current team (Brewers) on May 8th. He has also suffered a number of calf and hamstring injuries that has led to him only being able to play 140 games twice since 2006, and only once (2011) since 2008.
At The Plate
Ramirez had a TPR (total player rating) of 77.2 in the hitting department during the 2011 campaign. As the numbers above show, he can flat out rake when at the plate.
Ramirez's' batting stance allows him to generate power by moving his back hip into the pitch. When he swings, his hips rotate ahead of his hands to give strength to his core muscles, increasing bat speed. The back shoulder rotates with the back leg and hips which increases the leverage of his swing.
He is able to keep his swing short by keeping his front knee bent forward when his back toes comes down, then straightening the front knee as he moves closer to the contact point of the bat with the incoming pitch. This has the added effect of increased bat control, allowing him to easily adjust in mid swing.
Base Running/Speed
Ramirez's running TPR comes in at -12.2. He has below average speed and is not a base stealing or base running threat when he is out there. He is not very aggressive on the base paths, which while minimizing base running mistakes has drawn some frustration of both the organizations he has played for and the hometown fans when he fails to take an easy extra base.
Defense is definitely Ramirez's weak point, checking in with a fielding TPR of -35.2. As his career has progressed the number of mental mistakes he makes on the field have come down to almost zero which has improved his defense overall, according to the SABR zone rating. His biggest asset on the field is his arm; it is both strong and accurate.
He has an overall lack of range and seems out of position at times. The lack of range has led to speculation that the Brewers, should Mat Gamel fail at first and Taylor Green show he is ready for third, would entertain shifting Ramirez to first. The cause for Ramirez to appear of position could be more of a coaching/managerial call than Ramirez himself. I feel this will be proven this season, as Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke loves positioning his fielders to give them better chances of being successful with the glove.
Early in his career Ramirez was seen as being a lazy, immature player but has worked his way towards shedding those early career observations, becoming a more humble, but competitive player. While he is not a gym rat, he has put forth more effort in recent years as he struggled with a number of injuries since 2008. The only incident I could find was a dugout fight with Cubs teammate Carlos Silva, during a spring training game on March 2nd, 2011 after Silva started blaming his teammates for their lack of defense.
As mentioned earlier, Ramirez has only once appeared in 140 games since 2008, making his recent injury history concern #1 for not only himself, but for his new team, Brewers fans, and fantasy baseball players.
Most of Aramis Ramirez's community works comes as a part of MLB-DDA (MLB Dominican Development Alliance) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development), which provides and supports for a number of programs, including "The Bank Of Hope", "There Is Power In Learning", Hope and Life", and "Spaces To Grow".
Baseball Outlook
Ramirez's hitting method should allow him to remain a productive hitter into his 40's, with an expected slow slippage of power. His defense at 3B will eventually make it necessary for him to move to first, or will send him to the A.L. as a DH. He will continue to be an above average player if he stays healthy.
Bottom line for Ramirez in 2012 is that he'll hit cleanup, man the hot corner, and hopefully drive in plenty of runs.
The Brewers need his bat to perform to successfully defend their National League Central Division championship.
After spending his entire 14-year career in that same division, Ramirez has only been a part of three such teams (all with Chicago in 2003, 2007, 2008) but without a World Series appearance to show for it, let alone a ring.
He wants that chance and the Milwaukee Brewers would be more than happy to give it to him.


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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) – The Supreme Court of Missouri has reversed a jury's verdict in favor of the Kansas City Royals Baseball Corporation in a lawsuit alleging a flying hotdog thrown by mascot Sluggerrr caused eye injuries to a spectator.
Judge Paul C. Wilson delivered the June 24 opinion, with all judges concurring.
The Missouri Supreme Court held that the trial court erred when it allowed the jury to decide whether injury resulting from a flying hotdog during a customary activity is an inherent risk in watching a sporting event. It therefore vacated the judgment favoring the Royals and remanded the case back to the trial court.
While the court has concluded in the past that baseball teams cannot be sued for injuries caused by stray balls and bats, as such risks are unavoidable and oftentimes desirable at baseball games, it has now held that stray hotdogs are not typical objects to watch for.
"The risk of being injured by Sluggerrr's hotdog toss, on the other hand, is not an unavoidable part of watching the Royals play baseball," Wilson wrote. "That risk is no more inherent in watching a game of baseball than it is inherent in watching a rock concert, a monster truck rally, or any other assemblage where free food or T-shirts are tossed into the crowd to increase excitement and boost attendance."
"Sluggerrr may make breaks in the game more fun, but [the plaintiff] and his 12,000 rain-soaked fellow spectators were not there to watch Sluggerrr toss hotdogs; they were there to watch the Royals play baseball," he added.
Wilson concluded that it is up to the jury to decide whether Sluggerrr injured Coomer by hitting him with a hotdog, and whether Sluggerrr was negligent in doing so.
Plaintiff John Coomer, a longtime baseball fan, brought his father to see a Royals game in Kauffman Stadium on Sept. 8, 2009.
The ballpark was somewhat empty because it had rained a majority of the day, Wilson explained.
Because the crowd was small, Coomer and his father left their assigned seats early in the game to sit in a pair of empty seats six rows behind the visiting Detroit Tigers' dugout.
Coomer said he has attended about 175 Royals games prior to this game and admitted that he has watched Sluggerrr participate in the customary Hotdog Launch.
Not long after the seat change, Sluggerrr climbed on top of the visitor's dugout to begin the Hotdog Launch, a Royals tradition since 2000 that takes place between innings. As part of the spectacle, Sluggerrr tosses hotdogs by hand to fans seated nearby and then uses an air gun to shoot hotdogs from the dugout to fans seated farther away, the opinion states.
Taking a break from using the air gun, Coomer said he saw Sluggerrr switch to throwing hotdogs by hand at the game. Then the mascot turned away from the crowd as if to throw a hotdog behind his back. In that moment, Coomer testified that he turned to look at the scoreboard and admits he didn't see the thrown hotdog that allegedly injured him.
He said that a "split second later … something hit me in the face," and described the blow as "pretty forceful," Wilson wrote.
Coomer said he didn't know he had been injured right away and failed to report the incident when it happened.
Instead he said he stayed for most of the game and returned the next night for another thrilling game against the Tigers.
By Sept. 10, 2009, Coomer testified that something was wrong with his left eye.
Roughly eight days after the incident, Coomer visited a doctor and was diagnosed with a detached retina. He had surgeries to repair the retina and to remove a "traumatic cataract" in his eye.
Coomer later filed his two-count lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Jackson County in February 2010 alleging negligence and battery.
The Royals admitted responsibility for the mascot but denied any acts of negligence.
During trial, the employee who portrays Sluggerrr testified that he didn't remember the throw that injured Coomer, but said he was careful when tossing the hotdogs to avoid injury. For example, he said he threw the hotdogs in an arch so they are easier to catch and attempted to make eye contact before making a toss.
Before trial commenced, Coomer said the verdict relies on issues of comparative fault and assumption of the risk, adding that the risk of getting hit by a hotdog at a baseball game is not a risk inherent in the nature of the activity. Judge W. Brent Powell said both questions are for the jury to decide.
When preparing for trial, the Royals sought to add a tail to jury instruction nine; thus, directing the jurors to instruction 11, which asks the jury to decide whether injury from the incident is an inherent risk of watching a Royals game. Coomer objected, but was overruled.
Ultimately, the jury entered a verdict in favor of the Royals, assessing 100 percent of fault to Coomer.
Coomer moved for a new trial based on his objection to the jury instructions, which Powell denied. Coomer appealed to this court.
The court agreed with Coomer, holding that the issues of assumption of the risk and comparative fault are to be decided by the court rather than the jury. As a result, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings.
Wilson explained that if the question of inherent risks is left up to separate juries in each case, a sports team would never know what duty it owes to its spectators.
"The reason courts – not juries – decide what duty a defendant owes is to ensure that all similarly situated defendants are treated equally and, more importantly, to give notice of these duties so that potential defendants will have an opportunity to adjust their conduct accordingly," Wilson wrote.
The opinion defines assumption of the risk, stating that "if a person voluntarily consents to accept the danger of a known and appreciated risk, that person may not sue another for failing to protect him from it."
Noting that the doctrine is easier to define than to apply, Wilson explained that defendants tend to rely on implied assumption of the risk, which is based on a plaintiff's conduct and the surrounding circumstances.
Citing the Gustafson decision, however, Wilson wrote that "when the plaintiff's decision was reasonable, it cannot be used to reduce his recovery because reasonable behavior does not constitute 'fault' under the [Uniform Comparative Fault Act]."
He added that the decision precludes consideration of the plaintiff's conduct when assuming risk except as a partial defense under a proper comparative fault instruction.
Wilson wrote that before the Royals joined the Kansas City Athletics, the court recognized that certain risks come with watching sporting events, adding that the home team was not liable "for risks that are inherent in watching a baseball game based on the team's failure to take steps that could defeat the reason spectators are there at all – to get as close as they can to the action without interfering with the game they came to watch."
However, citing the Lowe decision, Wilson added that a jury can hold a team liable for inherent injuries if a mascot negligently altered or increased the risk, causing a plaintiff's injuries.
"[I]f Coomer's injury resulted from a risk that is not an inherent part of watching baseball in person – or if the negligence of the Royals altered or increased one of these inherent risks and caused Coomer's injury – the jury is entitled to hold the Royals liable for such negligence and, to the extent the reasonableness of Coomer's actions are in dispute, the jury must apportion fault between the parties using comparative fault principles," Wilson wrote.
While admitting that the case is not a baseball rule case because the object at issue is not a ball or bat, the Royals further argued that the Hotdog Launch is a common sense activity and shares the same essential characteristics as other inherent risks at a baseball game.
The court disagreed, stating that "some fans may find Sluggerrr's hotdog toss fun to watch between innings, and some fans may even have come to expect it, but this does not make the risk of injury from Sluggerrr's hotdog toss an 'inherent risk' of watching a Royals game."
Addressing Coomer's argument that the jury instructions were prejudicial, Wilson wrote that the trial court erred when it allowed the Royals to include the instruction directing the jury to Instruction 11.
"Instruction No. 11 not only puts an issue (implied primary assumption of the risk) to the jury that must be decided by the court as a matter of law, it created an unacceptable risk that the jury found the Royals negligent but then did not assess at least some percentage of the fault to the team because that is what the introductory phrase to Instruction No. 11 told the jury to do," Wilson wrote.
Therefore, the court concluded that the judgment should be vacated and remand is proper, adding that if the case goes to trial for a second time in the lower court, it will be the jury's duty to decide whether Sluggerrr injured Coomer by hitting him with a hotdog and whether he was negligent in doing so.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Heather Isringhausen Gvillo at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Link reblogged from love is like a suit of armor. it makes you strong. with 2,447 notes
I'm a Brit living in New York. The one that always gets me is the American need to use the word bi-weekly when fortnightly would suffice just fine.
But bi-weekly implies twice a week! That's not the same as fortnightly!
Source: nightline
Photo reblogged from my past is none of your business. with 1,274 notes
England looks even more depressing to me now. I don't want to live here anymore.
see the last bit is totally why i love england
Source: babeyouarefuckingperfect


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Additions and/or corrections to the database are encouraged! Simple Add/Edit Procedure.
|BIG Map |
|Driving Directions |
|Data Source - USGS GNIS FID: 2469126
Brentwood, MO
(< 0.1 mile)
Richmond Heights, MO (1.4 miles E)
Maplewood, MO (1.4 miles SE)
Clayton, MO (1.4 miles NE)
University City, MO (2.4 miles NE)
Rock Hill, MO
(2.4 miles WSW)
Warson Woods, MO (2.7 miles WSW)
Lake Junction, MO (1.4 miles SSE)
Benton, MO (1.9 miles ESE)
Ellendale, MO (1.9 miles SE)
Wydown Skinker, MO
(1.9 miles ENE)
Hi-Pointe, MO (1.9 miles E)
Clayton-Tamm, MO (2.4 miles E)
Skinker, MO (2.7 miles NE)
Skinker-De Baliviere, MO (3.1 miles NE)
Cheltenham, MO
(3.1 miles E)
Rock Springs, MO (3.4 miles E)
The Hill, MO (3.4 miles ESE)
West End, MO (3.6 miles NE)
De Baliviere, MO (3.6 miles ENE)


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Lana Clip Fascinator
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A small, elegant swirled sinamay clip fascinator in a pretty colourway. Perfect for when you don't need a fascinator but would still like to add a finishing touch to your special occasion outfit. Sits easily on the side of the head with a clip fastening.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JustinScott said...
Blizzard will never do away with old Vanilla content, although it does seem like they do forget about it once in a while. If they ever "erased" all the old vanilla content, then it wouldn't give new players the same ability to fall in love with the game the way it did for some of us who have been playing since beta :)
JustinScott said...
Im talking about before Outland was even introduced into the game. And with all the new lvling changes blizz is making, it'll make lvling thru vanilla content much more manageable.
"He claims that if Blizzard really wants to speed up the 1-50 leveling process, they should just destroy Old Azeroth as we know it, and just have all the new characters start at level 50."
I find this to be a horrifying thought, as the "vanilla" wow was the part of this game I fell in love with so-many years ago. Its a home away from home. Exploring all the nooks and crannies, feeling like I was in a living breathing game world (when wow was new anyway...) full of mysteries is what I enjoyed most about WoW and continue to enjoy (as much as possible) with every new expansion that reveals more of the land.
Arenas have never done this for me, Repeating dungeons and BG's over-and-over has never done it either. I was and always will be an explorer and a wallwalker. Its has always and consistently been the WORLD of warcraft that I play for, and always hope the best for. Years later these lowbie areas still have stories that need to be told, their unfinished content- finished, and their secrets revealed.
WOW would be a sadder place, without its WORLD.
It would be interesting for Blizzard to create a second old-world area for those with the expansion, a world affected by this "Cataclysm" (not just the Maelstrom). Then allow players with level 90s, or whatever, the chance to make new characters start at a higher level and begin in this altered Azeroth.
Ofc, this would create problems with an under-populated old world, and issues with travelling back to the old world as a high level.
There were hints at something like this, phasing in the old world, back in the day.
I honestly wouldn't be suprised to see the old world get a huge remake with the cataclysm.
What if in the battle versus arthas, this happened?
What if, the final world even of wrath was the Death of Arthas. In 3.3 we weakend him somehow, then the world comes together in the world even, and the night of the launch, the world goes 'boom' because of his death, thus creating a new world.
That would be awsome.


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Rhymetime for under fivesToday
Music and Rhymes every Wednesday at Abingdon Library.
Pilates for Mixed AbilitiesToday
Pilate sessions led by a Physiotherapist. All equipment provided.
Practical Gardening: Follow On - Day School02/10/2014
By exploring how to create a beautiful garden by choosing plants that thrive in your particular setting, you will be able to plant your garden for success with the time and resources available. This is a follow on to a previous Day School, but everyone is welcome.
90 Day Business Planning Workshop02/10/2014
When was the last time you made a business plan that was purely for you, not for the bank or someone else? So why a 90 day plan? Because it's long enough to do something significant within but short enough to keep you totally focussed.
Books Aloud Audio Book Group02/10/2014
Books Aloud Audio Book Group - meets first Thursday of every month at Abingdon Library
Stitch and Sew02/10/2014
A great workshop for anyone wanting to pick up old sewing skills or learn new ones.
Chinese Qi-gong Meditation Class02/10/2014
FREE Chinese qi-gong meditation classes for stress relief, to energise and gain peaceful feeling.
Reinterpreting Abingdon's Lost Abbey02/10/2014
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Oyster Nights at The Bear03/10/2014
Friday and Saturday nights are Brixham Oyster Nights at The Bear!


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Sparkling Wine
Conti Faina Senatore Zeffirino vino spumante di qualità
Name of wine: Vino Spumante di qualità - BrutLearn More
Blend: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Procedure: Charmat method
Production area: Collelungo di San Venanzo
Altitude of vines: 500 metres above sea level
Soil type: Medium-textured and stony
Cultivation technique: Spurred Cordon
Number of vines per hectare: 5.000
Harvesting period: Last ten days of August
Vinification: Fermentation at controlled temperature, without skins
Production: Produced with grapes carefully selected from the vine
Colour: Straw-yellow with pale green highlights
Perlage: Elegant and persistent
Aroma: Ranging from hazelnut notes and nuances of mature fruit to aromas of white flowers and citrus fruits
Flavour: Very well developed and lingering, keyed to acidic and citrus contours
Serving temperature: 6 - 8°C
Gastronomic pairing: Ideal as an aperitif accompanying fish-based hors d'oeuvres or fresh cheeses€11.90
Lambrusco Secco Terre Verdiane
Vines: Lambrusco Maestri e MaraniLearn More
Alcohol content: 11% vol
Serving temperature: 8°/10° C
Denomination: Emilia I.G.T.
Color: Red
Quantity: 0,75 l
Production: Cantine Ceci, Parma, Italy€13.50
Lambrusco Amabile Terre Verdinane
Vines: Lambrusco Maestri e MaraniLearn More
Alcohol content: 7% vol
Serving temperature: 8°/10° C
Denomination: Emilia I.G.T.
Color: Red
Quantity: 0,75 l
Production: Cantine Ceci, Parma, Italy€13.50
Otello Nerodilambrusco - Gold medal Vinitaly
Vines: Lambrusco Maestri
Alcohol content: 11,5% vol
Serving temperature: 8°/10° C
Denomination: Emilia I.G.T.
Color: Red
bottle: 0,75 l
Gold Medal Vinitaly best lambruscoLearn More€13.50
Tre Spumante 0,75L - Cantine Ceci
Typology: sparkling white wineLearn More
Alcohol content: 12% vol
Serving temperature: 6°/8° C
Denomination: Extra Dry Sparkling Wine
Color: White
Product packaging: 0,75 l
Manufactured from the finest aromatic grapes of our territory, obtaining its sparkle from the old Martinotti method. Extraordinary to the nose for the floral sensations of roses and hawthorn and for the fruity scents of apples and peaches. It leaves an evident freshness on the palate bringing out a totally balanced taste, masterfully enhanced by a good final mellowness. Excellent as an aperitif, yet this wine is also an ideal companion of delicate salami and cold pork meats and fish dishes.€13.50
Fortana Spumante 0,75L - Cantine Ceci
Typology: sparkling red wine
Alcohol content: 10% vol
Serving temperature: 7°/10° C
Denomination: Demi Sec Sparkling Wine
Color: Red
Product packaging: 0,75 l
By selecting the best Fortana grapes, a typical autochthonous vine from the lower part of the Parma area that has been cultivated since 1500, we have created a Demi-Sec sparkling wine with a very low alcoholic content. Its extraordinary quality and the perfect matching with the best salami and cold pork meats from Parma beget a unique and remarkable product, excellent also when combined with dry cakes and sweets made with fruit.Learn More€12.90
Prosecco Extra Dry - Guerrieri Rizzardi 0,75L
Vineyards: Farra di Soligo, on the hills of ConeglianoLearn More
Geology: Light soils of volcanic origin
Grape variety: Prosecco
Vines density per hectare: 2,500 to 3,000
Production per hectare/ acre: 13 tons / 5.7 tons
Winemaking process: Destemming, crushing and pressing in a pneumatic press and then fermentation in stainless steel vats
Secondary fermentation method: Charmat
Ageing in cellar: 2-3 months in stainless steel vats€15.00


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1122 North Milpas Street has a Walk Score of 52 out of 100. This location is Somewhat Walkable so some errands can be accomplished on foot.
This location is in the Lower Riviera neighborhood in Santa Barbara. Nearby parks include Franceschi Park, Peabody Stadium and Hillside Park.
Nearby schools include la Cuesta Continuation High School, Santa Barbara Senior High School and El Montecito School.
The closest grocery stores are Khalili & Family Inc.'s, Victoria Market and Salud Mas Vida.
Nearby coffee shops include Dons Net Cafe, The Shop Cafe and China Bowl & State Street Cafe. There are seven restaurants within a 15 minute walk including Sal's Pizza, Taqueria El Buen Gusto and Shang Hai.
1122 North Milpas Street is near Antioch University - Santa Barbara.