C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers; Post-Game Buffets Cower in Fear

The Brewers look poised to get Indians south-paw C.C. Sabathia for the low, low cost of Matt LaPorta (whom the Cubs skipped over in the 2007 draft in favor of Josh Vitters), pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson and a fourth player, that could end up being third basemen Taylor Green. Only one of those players was among the top ten Brewers prospects to start the season, according to Baseball America.

Adding Sabathia to the Brewers along with Prince Fielder means they're a lock to win a sumo wrestling match, the NL Central remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, an impressive shot across the bow by the Brewers and one that will undoubtedly be answered by the Cubs...we hope.


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imagine if Gallardo hadn't gotten injured. You'd possibly be looking at a Sheets/Sabathia/Gallardo/Parra rotation in a short series. As it is, the '08 Brewers remind me a lot of the '07 DBacks minus the strong bullpen. Even with the stench that is Eric Gagne and disappointment of Riske, the Brewers are still 19-8 in 1 run games(best in the ML) which of course was the '07 DBacks secret of success. And like those '07 DBacks, they have a lineup chalk full of hackers.

they have a lineup chalk full of hackers

That would be "chock" full of hackers. Just an FYI.

(Sorry. One of my writing pet peeves.)

I believe at 510 pounds of fun (player weights according to Baseball-Reference.com), Fielder (250 lbs.) and Sabathia (260) would be the heaviest National League teammates since the 1994 Phillies duo of Jeff Juden (265) and Bobby Munoz (252).

I bring this up so as to distract myself from the fact that a talented division rival has just acquired the American League Cy Young winner without giving up a body on its Major League roster.

Just checked Tom Haudricort's trade report at jsonline.com. It says the big lefty weighs in at 290 lbs.! In other words, Sabathia has chunks of guys in his stool bigger than Juden or Munoz.

That's impressive.

Boy, throw in Kruk with Juden and Munoz and you've got yourself nearly a half ton of fun.

Hard to believe the Indians didn't shop Sabathia around more than this. Hard to believe Shapiro settled for so little. Hard to know what kind of "answer" the Cubs can retort with.

Harden? Burnett?

laporta is faaaaaaar from a minor addition.

he don't have the press cuz this is really his first full settled in season in-progress (in progress in AA, btw). yeah, he's a DH/1st type, but he's still got enough youth to play OF a while if needed. his arm isnt really junky, either...not awesome...not bad. laporta does project for a 30-40+HR guy who's a pretty natural hitter.

rob bryson is kinda like ceda...kinda not...but bear with me...electric stuff, but really needs to do something with his secondary. killer fastball...ordinary change and a semi-cruddy slider. he's not a guy who brings it 98mph or anything, but its a good fastball. he gets a sharper secondary pitch or refines the control of his slider/change and you got a ballplayer. he's also really f'n young.

i dunno crap about zach johnson...

"i dunno crap about zach johnson..."


2007 Masters champion, sang Take my out to the ball game Sep 4th at Wrigley. Good old Iowa boy...

now the guy the brewers just traded, i know crap about him also...

One factor might have been that CC intends to test the free agent market after the season.

yeesh...was checking out #s on bryson and johnson...decided to see what brownlie was up to since he got signed by WAS (dubois was also signed preseason and cut later by them).



you know...at least 1 of them was supposed to be an impact pitcher...it was predicted 2-3 of those guys could/would be in the rotation within 3-4 years. haggarty and clanton got injured almost immediately and never recovered. blasko got injured pretty badly and his return with the O's went horrible.

sigh. this was the cubs "coup" draft, btw. the one where the cubs walked away looking like the homecoming king. damn you 2002.

at least jones still has SOME chance...with the twins, that is.

for reference...that draft also yielded rich hill, dopirak, billy petrick, HOFFPOWER, cherry, and adam "i'm a big leaguer now...ow" greenberg.

Browlie and the former #22 both make Sports Illustrated cover story on Tim Lincecum. The article discussed Lincecum's strange delivery that was honed by his dad, a former pitcher.

They discuss how Prior actually had poor mechanics, not the flawless mechanics everyone talked about. (They said he had his torso fully turned toward the catcher while his elbow was above his shoulder. The result is that his arm is responsible for all his velocity, unlike Lincecum, who uses the rotational forces of his delivery.)

Brownlie gets a mention as a guy who's supposed to be like Lincecum. They reference Rick Peterson, who said he almost became physically ill while watching Brownlie. He said he could predict his injuries and did.


wow...nice article.

oddly topical, too.

According to Will Carroll, he "heard" a random rumbling that the Cubs were going to answer quickly to any moves the rest of the NL Central made; by the way, add another name to the list of pitchers who can throw harder than Maddux.

@Cubnut: I'm slightly concerned about the Brewers, but I still don't think they'll make the playoffs. Sabathia will pitch like 13 more games for the Brewers and unless he goes completely Rick Sutcliffe on us, it shouldn't make the difference. Hopefully they won't sign him after this year and they'll have sacrificed a big piece of their future for a failed attempt at the playoffs.

I still say Bowker is Balcer. I swear I saw that somewhere.

I love Pestilence's state of denial. If there is a God, the Brewers will trade for him and we'll sign him next year.


The first and second times I read this, I thought you were saying the Brewers would trade for God, then we'd sign Him next year. I got pretty excited about that.

no worries, the cubs have club control of fontenot for a few more years.

Ha...that's how I read it too.

I am just now watching the Cubs game and I don't care if I get flamed for this. But Rick Ankiel is one fucking hell of a ballplayer.

Or is it Ankle?


soriano to NOT play, but at aram's urging he's gonna "hang out" for the festivities.

also, dumpster wants to play...wants it bad...and has a legit excuse with it being his "bullpen/throw" day.

also there's mention of today's nice r.hill AZL start...good stuff vs. a bunch of scaled down 18-22 year olds. now get your ass back to AAA, do it there, then i'll consider whether i'm happy...heh.

I'm not sure why the Milwaukee Journal chose to run with this online when their source can only be someone on the Milwaukee side of this deal. Cleveland is in the driver's seat, not Milwaukee. They own the rights to CC. And Cleveland GM said there was no deal Sunday night.

The definitive article on the trade so far is buried on the MiLB.COM site. Where, in the wake of the Milwaukee Journal "scoop" MLB.COM reporter Adam McAlvey writes (updated at 1:32 A.M. ET)....

"Brewers general manager Doug Melvin did not return a phone call on Sunday, and while Indians GM Mark Shapiro said the sides had made "some progress," he denied Sunday evening that a trade was in place. That ran contrary to numerous published reports, including a post on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Web site, citing a Brewers source, that said a deal was done, "contingent on the paperwork being done and medical records exchanged."


they got confirmation of a deal in principle from a brew's official. that's enough for any editor to run that story.

shapiro comments are interesting.

"Milwaukee's WSSP radio reported that Triple-A Nashville left-hander Zach Jackson would go to Cleveland along with LaPorta, while the Wisconsin State Journal reported that Class A West Virginia right-hander Rob Bryson and one other player also would be included."

...also interesting.


Only in the age of the internet where rumor rules.

Remedial News Reporting 1 --- you must have two confirmed independent sources before you run a story.

so change the end of the italicized sentence to "from two Brew's officials" and you probably have exactly what happened.

yeah, horrible job by that Journal Sentinal writer in reporting an accurate story.


"Remedial News Reporting 1 --- you must have two confirmed independent sources before you run a story."

that's a bit idealistic.

kinda like believing in the "3 branches of government" and "checks and ballances" are the only things pushing and enforcing laws in the nation. i mean, they do teach that in school and all.

post-game buffet to include:

fried chicken for cc, fried* onion rings for the Prince.

(* in vegetable oil)

Which are the real Chicago Seven?

Great historical reference...

How should we answer this broadside by the Brew Crew?

Are any pitchers out there better than Marshall/Gallagher? I think Burnett might be, but I have heard Randy Wolf's name, and I am not sure that is an improvement. It's tough, because we really need a top of the rotation guy, and there aren't many out there.

Is Neal Cotts the real deal? If he is, we may not have to acquire a LOOGY. That looked like a need a month ago, but if Cotts keeps pitching like this, we can cross that one off the list.

this "neal cotts" guy ive been seeing recently...hmmm...well...

when did he start throwing low-mid 90s with a slider in the *mid-high* 80s? he was absolutely unreal filthy yesterday. i've never seen him throw so hard so effortlessly and im impressed he can actually get good break on a high 80s slider...

either he's been hitting some hot radar guns or he's got "something" new. he's been absolutely unreal filthy either way.


last 8 games...(starting Jun 24, BAL series)

6.2ip 5h 0bb 12k

Interesting thought on Cotts and his new

I was thinking that about the Cardinals and how all the players they get off trash heaps turn around and have great years or contribute.

Which is not a far stretch since LaRussa has had more pharmicists work for him than a CVS in Florida.

I am not sure his name has been bantered around much but I have to wonder if Aaron Cook is available? I think that is a name I can get excited about and he would come for a far cheaper price than a high profile answer to Sabathia (Bedard, Burnett)would.

As of last week Rockie GM said "Cookie" is untouchable.

Brewers get CC, today begin a 4-game home series against the Rockies (who are sporting a 12-31 road record), and just completed a 3 game sweep of the Pirates at home. They have to be feeling pretty good right now.

Plus, they have still played six more road games than home, and have the home/away edge vs the Cubs for their remaining series.

Thank goodness for their 6-run 9th inning meltdown against the D-Backs.

Until Sheets has his annual breakdown, they will be very tough.

Hopefully, the Cards will fade along with the Todd Wellemeyer mirage.

I also like Aaron Cook (and Sean Lowe) gotta love power sinker pitchers in Wrigley but as long as the DBacks lead the west as a sub .500 team (Rockies are now healthy and only 7 games out), I doubt anyone there (well maybe the Padres) would be sellers.

Chris Young (he of the broken nose) anyone? Would DLee have a fit with that one? Don't know when he's due back though.

so what kind of draft picks do the Brewers get if CC leaves as a free agent at the end of the year?

(the silent added value to this trade)

As if they need them. This trade didn't even dent the Brewers' AA farm team much less their system.

Huntsville put 10 players on the Southern League mid-season All-Star Team.

a first and a supplemental between the first and second, unless the team that signs Sabathia has a top 15 pick, then it would be a supplemental and a second round pick.

Sheets is also a FA after this season. 

Any one think about how many bunts will be laid down between CC and Fielder?

And the comedy that will ensue?

If they bunted hotdogs, I guarantee CC would get to it first everytime.

easy now, Rick Reuschel was graceful as a butterfly...

Grounders to Fielder with Sabathia covering first will look like this:


(sings)"Pink elephants on parade..."

(another Disney ref)

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