Ray Rice's Meaningless Suspension.

Ray Rice is not a good man. He is shown on video knocking his then-girlfriend, now fiance, unconscious with his own fist. Not once all summer did the National Football League media call Rice a 'distraction' to the Ravens, the new favorite buzzword for the National Football League. Johnny Manziel parties too much therefore he is a distraction. Michael Sam is a homosexual thus a distraction. But Rice beats the living hell out of his significant other, and yet somehow he isn't a part of this new distraction-based fraternity. The NFL has a serious problem on their hands, and it is unclear how they can fix it. 

NFL decided to suspend Rice a mere two games. That's all. Two out of the 16 games meaning Rice will be suspended for only 12.5 percent of the season. Ben Roethlisberger and Pacman Jones were both suspended more games for being accused of doing something versus actually getting charged with a crime. NFL is suspending players for more games when it comes to smoking marijuana versus clear and present domestic violence abuse. That's the thing about this whole Rice ordeal, this isn't a 'He said, she said' debate with a domestic violence dispute rather a video of  him actually doing it. It makes little to none sense why the NFL decided two games was the proper punishment. 

I called for a half-year suspension a couple months ago because it fit the crime. He violated the personal conduct policy which drew a six-game suspension with Roethlisberger then adding a two games for the disgusting nature of the violation. Two games is nothing. That's a simple brush off the shoulder. And it sends a message that domestic violence is okay with their players. They could drag their wives across a hotel floor and only get suspended for 12.5 percent of the season. If they suspended him for half the season taking away his pay and his livelihood, NFL presents a clear message that this cannot be tolerated in the sport. Instead, Roger Goodell now needs to answer a boatload of questions regarding women and football. 

Scarborough Research shows 45 percent of the football fans are women. 33 percent of the viewing audience is women. That's a major chunk of their fanbase. They need to tread lightly here in this situation. NFL now has a Public Relations disaster on their hands. NFL needs to find a way to fix things even if that task is likely impossible at this point. Adam Hatlak, a SnoTap contributor, mentioned to me 'I wish they wouldn't have suspended versus just giving him two games.'  Adam has a point. If you're going to be tone deaf about the ordeal, do nothing rather than give him a couple meaningless games off that will not even affect the Baltimore Ravens in the long run. NFL thought they were showing awareness by giving Rice a couple games. 

I have no idea how the NFL recovers from the entire issue with Rice. People in the media and around the NFL will act like nothing happened by October when the NFL supposedly honors women by wearing pink. 

Novel idea.  

Charlie.

The Redemption of Ryan Braun

At the start of July, questions were raised about Ryan Braun. People didn't think he had it anymore in the same way he did before his suspension. Many started to consider Braun a second or third banana of the team with Jonathan Lucroy submitting an Most Valuable Player-like season, same with Carlos Gomez. Braun became an afterthought as the team was winning without the strong play of their once-leader. Just when people thought Braun was another player, he tears through the month of July like a hellcat and making everyone remember his name.

Braun is having the best month of his season thus far, and an argument could be made for him to win National League Player of the Month.  Braun is currently hitting .356 with an OBP of .405 as he has three home runs in the month with 10 of his 21 hits being extra-base variety.  Braun is currently on a 12-game hitting streak with only two games this month where he didn't have a a hit.  The strikeouts are down as well with only 14 in July. In five of the last six games, Braun drove in at least one run which means he is not producing meaningless hits, he is making them count every night out.  Last night in a 9-1 victory over New York Mets, Braun hit a massive 432 foot home run to left-center something we haven't seen all season.

ESPN's Buster Olney wrote an article on Tuesday morning where he pondered about Braun's pulling ability. Basically, the numbers showed Braun didn't have it like he did before his suspension. Olney did infer about not taking the PED's factored in to the Brewers slugger not being able to... well slug anymore. Braun did take the PED's not to make himself better more so to cure the lingering injuries that would be bother him although it is unknown how long Braun was a user. The national media made the assumption he did for his entire career versus one-time during an MVP run. I like to believe the latter yet I am not ignorant if that makes any sense.

Braun's injuries are the exact reason why the numbers were down this season, not the lack of PED usage. These are all the injuries Braun dealt with this season thus far... Oblique, hand, thumb and back injuries plagued him all season. All of those injuries directly involve his swing, most notably his ability to pull the ball hence why Braun's numbers to opposite field are off the charts. It is more impressive Braun found a way to change his complete approach at the plate amid all of the injuries and still be a productive player. Instead, we are staying up late at the night wondering why Braun isn't a power hitter and inferring it had something to do with special pills.

Ryan went Stone Cold Steve Austin on the haters with two middle fingers chugging beers on the way. That blast on Thursday night was a 'I am back, and you're all in big trouble.'  When the pull power isn't there, you don't hit 432 foot blasts. Braun has went through hot streaks in his career, and I feel we are on the verge of another one. This 12-game hit streak is child's play right now for what Braun is going to do in the the coming weeks.  It is almost like Braun wants to throw his name into the ring for MVP consideration. It is not ridiculous think about if he gets uber-hot for the next two weeks where the ball is flying out of the park, and his average gets around .320, he will need to be in the conversation.

Braun is back and his demise was greatly over-exaggerated.

Charlie.

Tap's Hangover Cure: Carlos Gomez, The Ninja Turtle

Carlos Gomez is the clubhouse jokester without question for the Milwaukee Brewers team. He loves to have fun with the guys and always seems to do weird things. So it shouldn't come as a surprise when Gomez dressed up in a full Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume to bother Mark Reynolds doing an interview with International Talk on MLB Network. The reason Gomez has the full costume is for his son, Yandal, who loves the Turtles like any four-year old. But apparently he wanted to meet Donatello, not Leonardo.   You have to love this stuff as a Brewers fan and a baseball fan really, the team is having fun again and it seems like the rain cloud that hovered over them  (WATCH THE VIDEO HERE, my browser can't support iframes, I guess)

Also Reynolds's 'Count' shirt with Garza's name and goatee on it is a must-have. I need it badly.

Charlie.

Highlights-Lowlights: Reds-Brewers

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game

Highlights
Wily Peralta - The young Brewers pitcher continue to dazzle in the last couple outings. He pitched great against Cincinnati going seven innings strong with three hits allowed, one run earned and five strikeouts. Peralta seemed in full control all game long with great command and did not face many problems all game long. In the last two starts, Peralta pitched 15 innings only allowed six hits and striking out 10 batters. The last part is key, it seems like Wily is pitching more to contact than anything else which is important.

Ryan Braun - I wanted to write a longer blog post about Braun, and I might do it on Friday regardless of how he plays against New York. Braun seems fully healthy for the first time all season. He had another great series against Cincinnati. Braun went 5 for 12 in the series driving in five runs with a home run as well. He is in complete control of his swing whether it be pulling the ball or taking to the opposite field.

Zach Duke - When Milwaukee signed Zach Duke in the offseason, I didn't think much of it. Personally, I thought Duke wouldn't be on the roster by this time, or I would hate him like I did Mike Gonzalez. Duke is the best left-hander in baseball in terms of ERA. He struck out the side in the eighth inning of Tuesday night's game. Duke also came in to get out Billy Hamilton in the seventh inning with two outs and a runner on second.  He is one of the MVP's of the Milwaukee team thus far.

Mark Reynolds - Honestly, I had no idea if Mark Reynolds still existed with this Brewers team. He went radio silent for two months of the season then came through in a major way on Wednesday afternoon. Reynolds hit two home runs pushing the Brewers ahead by two runs and then added a solo shot in the eighth putting Milwaukee up by four runs and ensuring Francisco Rodriguez didn't have pitch for a third straight game. Hopefully, this is one of Reynolds' hot streak for the next couple of weeks.

Jean Segura - For the first time in a long time, Segura made an impact in a baseball game on the offensive side of the game. Segura had two hits on Monday night, one being a triple where he ended up scoring on a bad throw by the Reds defense, and he ignited the inning in the fourth scoring on Carlos Gomez's ground-rule double.

Lowlights
Instant Replay - If Major League Baseball is going to have instant replay, they need to use it right. Zach Cosart attempted to bunt the baseball to move the runners over, but the ball hit the bat plus his hand to go with it. The umpiring crew thought Cosart was hit by a pitch when in reality, it was a foul ball. Umpires felt sorry for Cosart because he had an injury. Simple as that. MLB needs to call it like they see it instead of trying to aid the player because he got hurt on the play. It doesn't mean shit, he still swung at the baseball.

Roenicke's not pulling Jimmy Nelson - With having a sweep, there is not much to complain about truthfully, but the manager of the Brewers had a couple mistakes this week with the pitching staff. Roenicke is damn lucky Jimmy Nelson did not get roughed up in the seventh when he gave up two straight singles then 'hit' two batters allowing a run in. Nelson still pitched great, but he could have really had a start spoiled in the seventh with Roenicke leaving him in too long.

Duke's one-pitch outing - This is another move by Roenicke that I failed to understand on Wednesday afternoon. Duke had only 13 pitches the night before and Hamilton swung at the first pitch. Duke could have easily stayed out for another inning saving Will Smith whose already pitching way too much for a day. Roenicke's logic on Wednesday afternoon baffled me. There is no reason Duke should have came out of the game.

Knowing these aren't the real Reds - I really hate to be a cynic. I really do, but we all know this isn't the Cincinnati team that owned Milwaukee for the first couple months of the season. They are without Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto plus missing some other pieces as well. Still, it is nice to build some momentum as well as a two and a half game lead in the National League Central.

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 97

Tapping The Keg Podcast with Charlie & Mitch graces your ears for another week of fun. We start off the podcast talking about random things in the news or in our life... Most notably, Joel Embiid's Twitter game and pop music. Sports happen around the 10 min mark where we talk about the Brewers sweep, Roenicke's bullpen management and is Yovani Gallardo' trustworthy? We move on to talk about the Bucks full roster with the addition of Kendall Marshall. We do a little Packers training camp before finishing with Tony Dungy and Michael Sam.

Charlie.

Tap's Hangover Cure: Jeff Francouer Gets Pranked... Again

In the first month of the baseball season, one of the videos that went viral was Jeff Francouer, long-time

baseball player, getting pranked by his new team in El Paso. At the time, Frenchy played AAA ball for the San Diego Padres. The team got him real good by making a deaf baseball player out of complete thin air. The whole video is hilarious. 

They struck again before Francouer made his move up to the big leagues a couple days ago. Francouer used the manager's bathroom which apparently a violation of clubhouse rules. This is news to me. I didn't know coaches didn't like when players used their bathroom. Number one manager I would not use their bathroom... Clint Hurdle. I have no idea why that's the first manager I thought of but here we are. 

Charlie. 

Tennis Court - Lorde (Diplo's Andre Agassi Remix)

I feel like as we get closer to the end of the week, I need to provide you with stuff to add to a party playlist. Usually, we cannot find these jams on Spotify therefore I provide a link for something other than the usual playlist action. This comes from Diplo whom decided to remix one of my favorite songs from Lorde, 'Tennis Court' calling it his Andre Agassi Reebok Pump Remix which I can endorse wholeheartedly.  Agassi given his style to begin his career feels like this song belongs to have his name behind it. Pete Sampras Remix doesn't work nor does Ivan Lendl Remix, actually that one really doesn't work. Add this one to the weekend playlist as summer continues its slow whine down. Have a good one Tappers.

Charlie.

Jack White & Questlove: Baseball Fans

There are celebrities at baseball games. That's a known fact. It is summer with nothing to do so there is nothing weird about seeing a couple musicians at a baseball game. It happens all the time. What was weird about last night is it seemed like the cameras shined brighter on Jack White at the Chicago Cubs game and Questlove at the New York Yankees game.

Everyone came with their own joke about how White doesn't look very happy to be there. Guess what, he played in hotbox known as The Rave last night, the guy barely sees the sun and people don't really know him for a happy go-lucky kind of human. Additionally, the Midwest was balls getting stuck to the chair hot yesterday. White probably didn't expect it to be this hot.  Questlove had more fun it seemed like even though Texas and New York didn't score a run until the 13th inning. They stayed for the whole thing which is pretty awesome. Questlove should really be behind the plate every game. It seems like the right spot for him. George H Bush of the Yankees. Let's make it happen.

 Some social media highlights.

Is that Jack White pic.twitter.com/m94sBgqmxT
— Torque Penderloin (@AndrewCieslak) July 23, 2014

My favorite part of the tweet is wondering if it is actually him. All that really needed to happen is for one person to look up his tour schedule and see he just played Milwaukee, I am going to assume Chicago is happening tomorrow.



Need to have some beers with Questlove.

Charlie.

Joel Embiid Moves To Rihanna After Kim K Denial

Joel Embiid is taking over Twitter one day at a time. We have already blogged about him, and honestly, I think I could blog about him all the time. Embiid decided to announce to the world, it was time for a new girlfriend after his conquest for Kim Kardashian failed miserably. He went after Rihanna which isn't a bad move at all. She is single. Loves sports. This isn't a bad play for Rihanna especially since first-round pick James Young sat next to her at a Brooklyn Nets game. It progressed nicely throughout the night. Let's take a look.

BREAKING NEWS: Moving on from kk to Rihanna
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014

Hey baby holla at me!! Dinner at giorgios at 930pm @rihanna????
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014

Not a bad look, he goes with a Spain dinner time with 9:30 pm. I had dinner around 8:30 last Saturday night and I actually enjoyed it more than expected.

More:Embiid’s reaction“You know in life, you need to experience new things and I just thought that I should shift my attention to a new girl
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014

SOURCES: Rihanna is considering JOEL EMBIID’s offer
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014

I honestly believed him here.

RENDEZ VOUS tonight ( that’s actually French words) I bet she will love it when I speak french. They all do actually
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014

All girls speak French? New to me.

Almost 930...... Tonight is gonna fun pic.twitter.com/UoSB7AbRbf
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 23, 2014

I wish I could rock a cardigan but I always feel like my father so nah.

Come here, rude boy, boy; can you get it up?Come here rude boy, boy; is you big enough?Take it, take it baby, baby Take it, take it; love me
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 23, 2014

One of my favorites as well Joel.

Somehow, this hashtag got lost in the shuffle.

I wonder why my name isn’t an option mhmm #Jojokilledalion #WAFA 🔪🔪😽http://t.co/YRCmF5bcB7
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 22, 2014

#jojokilledalion

Charlie.

Tap's Hangover Cure: Yoga Mags

Tim Walsh is a friend of mine from college whose one of the most innovative thinkers I know truthfully. He puts together cool projects all the time, and this is his second Kickstarter project with Yoga Mags. This is an awesome idea for anyone involved with Yoga. It basically is a new mat with all sorts of great ways to help the user experience when people are at the studio. I am not a yogi (I think I got it right), but I have used communal yoga mats in the gym where it has always been a pain dealing with them not staying tight or the smell being repulsive. If you want more information, check it out here. 

Charlie.

SnoTap Song of the Day: The King Of The Fall - The Weeknd

Honestly, I think we all can agree our lives would be better if we could sing like The Weeknd. The man has a way with words and could steal your woman with one fall swoop. He put out another new song on Monday with the 'King of the Fall.'  This one feels like one where he is actually telling you how he is going to steal your significant other. I don't know how I feel about him rapping throughout this one. I know he raps occasionally, but it is not this consistent with a flow. I don't hate it, just sort of unexpected from him.  We are hanging in there this week Tappers, good looks.

Charlie.

Packers Need a Plan For Favre

It is hard to believe there are people around Wisconsin whom still hate Brett Favre. It is hard to believe there are people whom still love Brett Favre like a son they never had. He is an enigma in the State of Wisconsin. There is no doubt in my mind if Favre ended his career in 2008, there would be statue somewhere near Lambeau Field already plus he would have his number retired without any question. Right now, Green Bay and Favre are in a holding pattern to when he will return to Lambeau Field. There are some simpler solutions than a whole jersey retirement right away.

Any game featuring Favre involved will be a huge deal. No one will be talking about the game. Aaron Rodgers could be on a streak where he had six consecutive games with 300 yards or more with three touchdowns per game at MVP-like level yet all of the attention would be on Favre.  Green Bay could be undefeated midway through the season yet all eyes would be on Favre. Fans wearing his jersey (PS if you still think it is not okay to wear his jersey, you are the Packers fans I don't like to associate with tbh) and it would be the top headline in the National Football League. That's how big of a deal it would be to have Favre back in Green Bay getting his jersey retired. This is why the first time back in Lambeau needs to be complete surprise and then have the ceremony in the following year.

The element of surprise could be a beautiful thing for both sides of the aisle. Imagine a game against Chicago or Detroit at Lambeau where the FOX, NBC or ESPN cameras pan to the field seeing Rodgers and Favre chatting it up before the game. Social media explodes, it becomes a must-watch game all of the sudden and yes, the attention goes to Favre yet in a much smaller time frame meaning it will not be as much as a distraction. Everybody goes nuts and it becomes a different game on the schedule. Favre probably does a little television with either any of the networks talking about his time with Green Bay. Everybody would be fully into it and start building the bridge back between Favre and the Packers.

If they went with this strategy, the Favre jersey game would not be the biggest thing of the NFL season for a likely playoff contender and probable Super Bowl contender. It still would be a massive game with tickets prices being in the thousands. But this might take things down a notch slightly. It would probably also mean no one is booing him. Although the fact people are even worried about Favre getting booed at the place where he reigned supreme in the 90's and most of 2000's is utterly ridiculous.  If Favre gets booed, it would be by the one percent of the fanbase and also the same people in their 30's whom still think their high school rivalry is worth a damn.

Whether they go with a jersey retirement ceremony this year, a surprise visit or two or nothing at all. It will happen at some point with Green Bay embracing one of their golden children with open arms.

Charlie.

Need, not Want, a Marquette Throwback

Odds are Marquette's Spirit Shop are completely out of the throwback jerseys already. Why you ask? They are complete sizzling fire. I need one of these jerseys so bad. I cannot remember the last time I had a basketball jersey, but that's besides the point.  I also really don't know when I would wear it even though I have been doing wonders in the gym and would actually look okay in one of these jerseys, no big deal. If I had to rank the jerseys I need, it would be in this order.

1.) Top middle (Road Jersey, 1969-1972). The stripes might not work with me aesthetically but whatever, we will make it work

2.) Bottom right (Home Jersey, 1981-1983) I am not a camo guy at all. Like I have nothing that is camo and this is about as close as I would get to it.

3.) Bottom left (Away Jersey, 1971-1974) I really like these jerseys. It makes you feel like a superhero or something the font.

4.) Bottom middle (Away Jersey, 1976-1979) This is the National Championship jersey so a part of me thinks this should be higher than four, but whatever, life moves on.

5.) Top right (Home Jersey, 1973-1976) I am not really feeling these too much. I kind of like the design and think they will be popular given the native designs have been real popular in fashion of late.

6.) Top left (Home Jersey, 1968-1973) - I realize this is a classic for Marquette, and there is great tradition with them yet still they don't do much for me.

Charlie.

Brewers Need a Cautious Trade Deadline Approach

In life, there are times where we do things just because society tells us we are supposed to do it. For example, most Saturday nights are when people go out and get drunk off their minds during the college stages of their life. Fear of missing out on a good time sets in and even if a person doesn't want to go out, they end up spending money and getting drunk because they would be judged otherwise by their friends. That next morning might feature a hangover, maybe a 'I'm Sorry' text to a person from the opposite sex and the last thing you are doing is checking the bank account. This can happen in sports too. Milwaukee Brewers need to avoid FOMO and only make a trade if the player will vault Milwaukee into the playoffs. 

There are multiple needs for the Brewers right now. First base is still a nightmare even though Lyle Overbay has been an adequate option for a left-handed platoon. Brewers could use some more help off the bench in other regards as well. They also could really use a bullpen pitcher whether it be a middle reliever or an eighth inning guy as Will Smith's regression train continues to motor on in July. There are obvious needs for the Brewers team, but honestly, they shouldn't make a move just to say to the media and fans, 'Hey!  We did something before July 31st, check it out!!!'  

If Milwaukee doesn't make a move, many people will be upset at management, but where the frustration should be is with Major League Baseball's parity. Eight teams are within eight games of the American League Wild Card's second spot with Houston and Texas really being the only two officially out of the race. The National League is a complete mess with all three divisions featuring ties at the top of their standings with Miami and New York still hanging on by a thread.  Parity also means there will be many more teams wanting to be sellers when it comes to making trades. They aren't going to be many fire sale teams, and the one team who might do it, Philadelphia, doesn't have the greatest deal of parts. 

Currently, the two names brought up for the Brewers so far have been Jake Peavy and Ryan Howard which is like feeding me a well done steak. Both do not add much value to the Brewers current team plus they both cost a great deal of money even though it is likely to acquire either player will not take much.  Either of those players would be moves just to show their fans and media they are making a push towards the playoffs. It is likely Peavy is off the table given Boston becoming red hot of late which also means Koji Uehara is off the table making me a sad teddy bear.  If Milwaukee wants to talk about acquiring Steve Chisek or Ryan Dunn from Miami, I am more interested in a move like that versus a sexy, high-profile name. 

The other thing that needs to be recognize is the trade deadline is really at the end of August. They do the waiver claim situation at the end of August where teams can claim players for the long haul. There is a chance Milwaukee might not make a move in July, but could end up still adding a player or two in August.  People will be ready to raise their pitchforks at Melvin for not making a move, but in all honesty, the making moves process is not over until September 1st. 

Milwaukee's name will come up in plenty of trade talks in the next two weeks, but it doesn't mean every single one of them is coming to Milwaukee, good and bad.  Trade deadline season is here and it is much more fun to be buyers than sellers. 

Charlie. 

Tap's Hangover Cure: General Mike McCarthy

I am really really glad Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy didn't take a ton of flak for what he said to a local news station when he went up in a World War II B-17 bomber jet saying 'Alright, let's bomb Chicago.' The major reason is McCarthy doesn't usually make jokes. It is like seeing a blue moon or a girl flash her boobs at the bar. We need McCarthy jokes in our life especially before the season is starting therefore I am glad no one jumped to their computers to act like idiots. I am actually shocked with how slow sports is right now. There is a reason SnoTap is all over the place these days.

Charlie.

SnoTap Song of the Day: Do You Feel The Same - Hercules & Love Affair

I am going to try and get back to doing songs each night. I cannot make any promises though. My schedule is quite busy for the next three weeks or so meaning there will be some nights where I am not near a computer at all.  Anyways, this is a song that your Uncle Dougy sent to me last night by a band called Hercules & Love Affair. It is pretty much perfect. If you are still on a 'Latch' kick but tired of the overplaying of it on the radio, this is a perfect solution.  There is an extremely catchy beat to go along with some upbeat lyrics. It also doesn't sound like the same thing you are hearing every day.  We also need an EDM remix of this song badly.

Charlie.

Reds-Brewers Preview (7/21-7/23)

Yes, your Brewers previews are back in full force. We have kind have been lacking on it during the month of July and honestly, I get real busy in the coming month so hopefully they will continue, same with highlights/lowlights.  

Monday:      Mat Latos (2-1 2.79) vs. Wily Peralta (10-6 3.72         7:10 pm FSNWI
Tuesday:      Homer Bailey (8-5 4.21) vs. Jimmy Nelson (1-1 5.40)  7:10 pm FSNWI
Wednesday: Mike Leake (7-8 3.63) vs. Kyle Lohse (10-4 3.16)      1:10 pm MLB Network

Five Things to Watch
1.) Figuring out Cincinnati - If there has been one team in Milwaukee's side this season, it is Cincinnati. The Brewers have not won a series against their division rivals yet this season. I believe they are the only team this season to take two road series from Miller Park. This is a different Cincinnati team that Milwaukee played earlier this month. Reds will be without Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips leading to their offense go silent this weekend against New York as the Yankees swept them.

2.) Mat Latos' dominance against Milwaukee - In two starts this season, Latos controlled the Brewers bats pretty well. In 14 innings pitched, Latos gave up only six hits and two total runs in two starts versus Milwaukee this season. Ryan Braun is the hottest Brewer on the team right now, and he struggles mightily against Latos only having two hits in 20 at-bats against the tatted up righty. Therefore it really doesn't matter that Latos never beat Milwaukee at Miller Park. It would be great to see the Brewers break through against Latos early and often. Latos' last start featured Pittsburgh jumping on him pretty hard with two home runs and five runs surrendered in five innings.

3. Johnny Luc looking for a spark - One of the things flying under the radar is Jonathan Lucroy is having a horrible month along with the team. Lucroy only has five hits in 38 at-bats. It is hard to think what's wrong with Lucroy right now. The book may have changed on Lucroy a bit where teams have figured him out slightly. I wonder if Lucroy will start doing things a little differently, or possibly Ron Roenicke mess with the lineup again putting Lucroy second ahead of Braun. He needs a good week to rite the ship, I don't think it is cause for concern.

4. Jimmy Nelson the sequel - This will be the second time with Nelson starting in the rotation. I don't think this is a do or die start for Nelson even though Marco Estrada pitched adequately on Saturday. Nelson faced a buzzsaw in a hot St. Louis team going up against a top five National League pitcher. Nelson will now face a Reds lineup that features a couple big bats in Jay Bruce, Devin Mesoraco and Todd Frazier yet not dealing with Votto or Phillips help him a little bit on Tuesday night.

5. Reds Road Losing Streak - All of the sudden, Cincinnati has lost six straight games on the road. They were terrible this weekend in New York. This is a little bit of a do or die series for the Reds. If they were to get swept, Cincinnati heads towards .500 again but if they were to win a couple games, the Reds build a little momentum trying to make a run at the NL Central Division title. Cincinnati only scored six runs over the weekend with three walks and 51 strikeouts. It could be Milwaukee's time to strike.

Appropriate YouTube Video 


I found this song on my Spotify playlist this morning and I think it fits perfectly for both teams. Pressure by Youngblood Hawke.

Prediction
Milwaukee hasn't won a series against a team not named Colorado since mid-June. It is about time to win a series. Brewers get two out of three.

Charlie. 

Chapel Mil: Marshall Added to Bucks' Roster

Milwaukee Bucks have not done much in the offseason. Last year, they were making all sorts of weird splashes by bringing back the likes of Carlos Delfino and Zaza Pachuila plus giving O.J. Mayo a three-year contract to get fat on the bench. This year, they haven't done much besides what happened in the draft. But after adding Jerryd Bayless in free agency, Milwaukee sneakily claimed Kendall Marshall off waivers this weekend adding another guard to the fold. This is a great low risk, high reward situation taking a chance on the former North Carolina point guard.

After one season with Phoenix, the first-round pick got an opportunity with Los Angeles Lakers as they suffered through one of their worst seasons as a franchise. Marshall did not suffer like the team as he flourished under Mike D'Antoni's system averaging eight points and nearly nine assists a game starting 45 of the 54 games he played for Los Angeles last season after spending a little time in the D-League to begin the 2014 season after being traded from Phoenix to Washington then released. Lakers waived Marshall as they have Jeremy Lin, Steve Nash and Jordan Clarkson, their second-round pick, all as point guards. But Los Angeles thought about bringing him back if Marshall cleared waivers, but it didn't happen as the sneaky Bucks claimed his contract.

This is Milwaukee's first true point guard in awhile. Brandon Knight, Nate Wolters and a couple others are combo guards whom can run the floor but are not really point guards. Bucks now have a pass-first point guard with a great group of wings and post players who could really benefit from what Marshall brings to the table. He might have some of the best vision in the NBA finding the open man all the time. Sure, he is not the most athletic player in the world and sometimes cannot score, but if Milwaukee is bringing him off the bench, do they really need him scoring double figures a game? Marshall also brings another element for the Bucks on and off the court.

If you follow Marshall on social media, you know he is a must-follow on Twitter and Instagram, but one of the things you know is Bucks forward John Henson and him are best friends. Some people wonder if it is good to play with your friends as sometimes, it can get you in trouble. But I argue it is a great thing to have friends especially growing up in the league. Henson and Marshall playing together can only pay off dividends. Marshall will already be comfortable with one of the Bucks post players, and Henson can teach other players on the team how Marshall works on the team making the transition easier for the Bucks. I love Henson and Marshall calling it #ChapelMil and need it on a t-shirt immediately.

.@_John_Henson_ #ChapelMil act tuffff
— Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) July 20, 2014

I am not the biggest Chipolte guy, but this is also funny stuff with the hashtag included.

and lastly, I'd like to thank chipotle. I'm lookin forward to seein what the chipotles in MIL have to offer. #FearTheBeardedDeer
— Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) July 20, 2014

While Marshall will be a delight on social media and with how the Bucks allow their players to be themselves on Twitter, it should be real fun. Another thing about Marshall to Milwaukee is having Jason Kidd as a head coach. He is the ripe age of 22. Marshall grew up watching Kidd play basketball, and Kidd had a great deal of pass-first tendencies early on in his career. There is a good chance Kidd could make a huge impact on Marshall's career in the long-term.

Bucks are building something fun. I know for a couple weeks this summer I worried about losing a ton of games this season, but now, it seems like Milwaukee has quite the fun, young team versus the hodgepodge of misfits like last season. Should be a fun season

Charlie.

Rory Lets a Major Roar at Royal Liverpool

Everyone looked for the next Tiger Woods. Just like people looked for the next Michael Jordan. Like others looked for the next Brett Favre. Golf thought they found it with Rory McIlroy. He blazed through the 2012 season winning four tournaments including a major victory. This became his second major at age 23. People rushed to great overreactions about what Rory could be or would be in his future. He took a major step back in 2013 without any wins and had a great deal in major tournaments. McIlroy started to show signs of life in 2014 again with a European win in May and broke through with another major championship winning the third leg of the Grand Slam of Golf.

Golf is such a tough spot to predict the future for a variety of reasons. One minute, people are predicting Adam Scott will be the next great golfer, or Bubba Watson is the new face of golf replacing Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The next minute, we are talking about Rory being the next greatest thing to come walking through golf's door. McIlroy is a star without question and doing things in majors that almost no one did in golf throughout the years. He has the chance to be the future of this sport, but it is not a given which is what really does make golf great. 

Even with a player of McIlroy's caliber, everyone waited for the bottom to fall out for him on Friday's round. The recent narrative about him has been he plays a great round or two then it all goes to shit in one of the four rounds costing him a shot at the title. This didn't happen with McIlroy at Royal Liverpool as he stayed steady.  What made it more impressive is this leaderboard wasn't a host unknowns in the golf world. It featured former major champions and other great players of the world. It didn't even phase McIlroy. He sliced through the leaderboard like a hot knife through butter. Rickie Fowler had four rounds in the 60's and didn't win the tournament. Hell, he didn't even come very close. Fowler ended up finishing three strokes behind Rory. That's how dominant the performance was for the Northern Ireland product. He completely housed the entire field. 

Speaking about the future and the trends of golf, 2014 turned the narratives completely around. For a couple years, we had first-time major winners and this year features all former major winners.  Another new trend is one player going out and completely dominating for the entire tournament. This trend could end in August for all of us whom enjoy watching on Sunday afternoons with a hangover. Sure, what McIlroy, Martin Kaymer at the U.S. Open and what Watson did at The Masters were all great golf feats, but it is truly boring to watch when we know what the outcome will be at the end of the tournament. Golf has become that predictable television program you keep watching even if it becomes predictable halfway through the episode. 

Is McIlroy the next great golfer?  Who knows. He could be the best in the world for the next decade where Rory gets multiple majors. The attitude is not liked by everyone which makes him a great sports figure. Golfers cannot be loved by all. They need those who root for them and those who cheer for the Sunday collapse. It is one of the many things that makes golf great.  

Charlie.  

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers-Nationals

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game

Highlights
Ryan Braun - Milwaukee might be struggling in the month of July, but Braun has found his stroke at the plate. He added hits in all three games this weekend including a two-run homer on Saturday night amid a blowout. Additionally, at least one of Braun's hits scored a run for the Brewers this weekend. If other parts of Milwaukee can get working with Braunie, it would be a beautiful thing. While his average has not went over .300 yet, Braun still rocking an eight-game hitting streak into their home trip this week.

Khris Davis - A good weekend for the young Brewers left fielder who had another home run against Stephen Strasburg on Friday night and drove in a run on Sunday putting the Brewers temporarily ahead in the game. It might be unknown but Davis currently has a seven-game hitting streak for the Brewers. It is good to see him still being able to handle pitching in July. Davis being a reliable hitter is going to help Milwaukee in a major way.

Ryan Zimmerman - Have we officially put Zimmerman on the known Brewer Killer list? He probably deserves a spot there. He had two hits in each game of the series, drove in two runs on Saturday night and hit a game-tying home run on Sunday. While it is encouraging to see how Milwaukee handled Stephen Strasburg, it is discouraging to see how Milwaukee pitchers cannot figure out Zimmerman. He hurt the Brewers all weekend.

Aramis Ramirez - Clutch is such an arbitrary thing to talk about when it comes to sports. I probably talk about it too much, but it is the one 'old man' thing I still like to think exists in sports so sue me. Ramirez came up with a two-run, two out single putting the Brewers up four runs against one of the league's best pitcher. Rami always seems to come through for this team. He added two more hits in Saturday's blowout.

Marco Estrada - I know he has been a whipping boy for this team, but he saved Milwaukee's bullpen on Saturday night. He pitched nearly six innings and yes did give up three runs yet preserved the pen for a team that doesn't have a day off until July 31st.

Lowlights
Matt Garza - Should we really be mad at Garza for his performance on Saturday night?  I am going to say no. There are a couple factors playing in here.  The first one is Garza didn't pitch since last Thursday. From what I gather he is not one to pitch out of his usual five-day rotation and do it well. The second is all of the hits were bullshit. It wasn't like Garza got hit around like a ragdoll in that inning. He caught some bad luck, and yes, Ron Roenicke should have walked Wilson Ramos to face the pitcher instead Ramos drove in two runs putting the Nationals up 5-0.

Mark Reynolds - I believed in Mark Reynolds to start the season. I wanted him to be 'my guy' and be like 'I told you so!!!' at some point. Hell, I nearly bet my buddy Eric that I would get five dollars every time he hits a homer and give him a dollar every time he strikes out. I am glad I decided against taking that bet. Reynolds has been a shell of himself in the last two months, and Milwaukee is back to looking for a power bat for the next two weeks.

Yovani Gallardo - There are certain things in life where you just don't want to believe it to be true like the Lyla Garrity-Tim Riggins relationship (FNL comparsions are going to be heavy in the coming weeks FYI). Everyone keeps saying how Yo cannot pitch in the fourth through sixth innings. Like everything goes to shit and things change for Gallardo. It happened again on Sunday. Milwaukee had given him a two-run lead only to have it evaporate by the sixth inning. He is a third starter at best, more likely a fourth.

Rob Wooten in the Ninth - I don't really get the move by Roenicke on Sunday afternoon. Tom Gorzelanny hasn't allowed a run since coming back from injury albeit not pitching in the most high-pressure situations. He would have seen one or two lefties and could have handled a second inning if he got through the first one. It stresses the need for middle reliever before the trading deadline.

Charlie.

Tap's Hangover Cure: Kato Kaelin Hates Ron Roenicke

Once again, I am trying something new in the mornings. With the next month being a little crazy and

I am not finding myself on the computer as much at night, this is one way to add a post every morning that will just feature a paragraph, something that happened last night in sports or something dumb on the internet. 

Kato Kaelin is a Wisconsin native. He is originally from the Milwaukee area and we worked at the same campus television station in Eau Claire. Everyone uses their Twitter account differently, and I didn't realize Kato used his to voice frustrations with the Milwaukee Brewers. Basically, a fan like you, me and that psycho whom takes his shirt off no matter how fat he is at Miller Park.  I have to respect that decision even though I cannot remember many times where we are having a discussion about Kato Kaelin over some beers.

Ron Ronoecke must be FIRED. @Brewers idiotic management will never bring a pennant to Milwaukee. Resign and all pitchers on Milw r a JOKE
— Kato Kaelin (@Kato_Kaelin) July 20, 2014

Welp I mean I get mad at Ron too but I think he means well. 

As predicted Gallardo good for 3 innings top. @Brewers is Roenicke insane? Doesn't he realize the pattern for the last 3yrs with this guy?
— Kato Kaelin (@Kato_Kaelin) July 20, 2014

Can't disagree here. 

Matt Garza should be pitching on the Garza strip. 5 runs in 1st inning. Thanks @Brewers
— Kato Kaelin (@Kato_Kaelin) July 20, 2014

Might wanna stay away from that one.

Charlie. 

Brewers-Nationals Preview (7/18-7/20)

Yes, your Brewers previews are back in full force. We have kind have been lacking on it during the month of July and honestly, I get real busy in the coming month so hopefully they will continue, same with highlights/lowlights.  

Friday:     Kyle Lohse (9-4 3.26) vs. Stephen Strasburg (7-6 3.46) 6:05 pm FSNWI
Saturday: Matt Garza (6-6 3.69) vs. Gio Gonzalez (6-5 3.56)         6:05 pm FSNWI
Sunday:   Yovani Gallardo (5-5 3.68) vs. Doug Fister (8-2 2.90)   12:35 pm FSNWI

Five Things to Watch
1.) Return of Jean Segura - Honestly, I throughly believed we wouldn't see Jean Segura in a Brewers uniform until the start of August or even longer than that. I couldn't imagine a person going through something like Segura did with his child dying at only nine months old.  There is no one I am pulling harder for than Segura. Dead serious, if Milwaukee doesn't make the playoffs, but Segura ends up hitting around .275-.280 having a great second half, I am perfectly okay with things. That would be a hell of a bright spot.

2.) Brewers Bounce Back - Even though Milwaukee won their last game before the All-Star Break, Milwaukee is losers of eleven of the last 13 games. This isn't an easy task for Milwaukee to start the second half against Washington with their three best pitchers and a team desperately needing wins as well. Washington is playing solid baseball for the month of July therefore it is very possible to expect Milwaukee to lose two of three games even if the Brewers need a couple wins. Both St. Louis and Cincinnati start off hard with Los Angeles at home for the Cards, and Reds heading to New York against the Yankees. Pirates get the lowly Rockies.

3. Ryan Braun's Unnoticed Hot Streak - He's been hurt for a little while missing a few games in July, but he's having a hell of a month. People are kind of unaware of the fact Braun is near the league lead in a lot of different categories including seventh in Slugging Percentage. Braun getting four days off could do absolute wonders for him and his back injury. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a big-time Braun series because he was starting to feel it against St. Louis last weekend. Braun also has some pretty solid numbers at Nationals Park for whatever it's worth.

4. Strasburg's revenge - One of the weirder things of the last month was Milwaukee trotting out a B-squad lineup, and they scored seven runs on Strasburg.  No one really saw it coming. Everyone expected a sweep. Since that start, Strasburg allowed a total of five runs striking out 26 batters in three starts since his time at Miller Park.  He has been pretty prettay good at Nationals Park so we will see what happens tonight against a fully loaded Brewers lineup.

5. Garza's Hot July - Another thing getting sort of hidden under the radar because everyone is pushing the panic button about the Brewers' terrible month.  Garza only gave up two hits against Cincinnati with no runs scored and carried a no-hitter into the sixth against Philadelphia. Sure things when to shit after that, but most of it wasn't Garza's fault. He has been great lately and it should be a fantastic matchup to see Gio Gonzalez go up against him.

Appropriate YouTube Video 


I am providing some calm music to relax everyone and not freak out if the Brewers drop off a cliff again this weekend.

Prediction
I have a terrible feeling they are going to lose two of three because all three pitchers they are facing are really cooking right now.  But I have a little faith and think they will bullshit their way into two wins this weekend.

Charlie.

SnoTap's First Half National League Awards

I am pretty confident every blog across America has their own awards for the season, but I have to add SnoTap's to the mix. There are some standard awards with a couple different ones in there as well. Check out the American League version that came out this morning.  

NL MVP
Troy Tulowitzki SS, Colorado Rockies - Obviously, I want to give the award to one of the Milwaukee Brewers whether it be Jonathan Lucroy or Carlos Gomez, but it has to be Tulowitzki. He is the league leader in home runs, WAR by a full win mind you, batting average, OPS over 1,000 (Only one in the National League), Slugging Percentage and On-Base Percentage which is stunning .435. It is not out of the realm of the possibilities for Tulo to get the first National League Triple Crown since Joe Medwick in 1937 when he did with St. Louis.

NL Cy Young:
Adam Wainwright P, St. Louis Cardinals - Hear me out, I believe at the end of the year, Clayton Kershaw will be the winner of the Cy Young, but if we are talking about first half, Wainwright deserves the award as his statistics are spread over 19 games versus 14 for Kershaw who battled injury for the first two months. Wainwright allowed only 28 runs during the first half of the season and a WAR of five, the highest for National League pitcher. Kershaw's numbers are damn silly, but for the first half, Wainwright deserves the Cy Young.


NL Rookie of the Year: 
Billy Hamilton CF, Cincinnati Reds - I could make a compelling case for Jacob deGrom of the Mets and I think Gregory Polanco and Kolton Wong (Somehow still a rookie) might be there at the end of it. But Hamilton deserves it thus far. He is the glue that makes Cincinnati go. Hamilton already has 38 stolen bases hitting .285 and leads all rookies in both doubles and triples. It also seems like he only gets better as he scuffled a bit to start the season, but Hamilton has been red hot as of late hitting .407 in the last seven days.

NL Surprise Team:
Milwaukee Brewers - There is the hometown team making an appearance. It had to be the Brewers honestly. Many of the teams that are vying for playoff spots have been there before in the past couple of years. Milwaukee is back to prominence after two years of struggling especially early on in the season. Brewers are hurting right now losing eleven of their last 13 games, but still, no one expected them to lead the National League Central.

NL Disappointing Team: 
Arizona Diamondbacks - The expectations were not there for Arizona like they had been in years past, but truthfully, no one expected them to be this bad. They are 16 games under .500 with a startling run differential of -71. They also have been very immature with their actions against Ryan Braun earlier this year which should surprise no one. Arizona finally needs to start focusing on prospects and start selling pieces of the team not named Paul Goldschmidt.

NL Breakout Player: 
Henderson Alvarez P, Miami Marlins - Miami looks to have a solid front-line pitching staff for the future with Jose Fernandez and Alvarez. He is the ripe age of 24 and came over to Miami in the Toronto Blue Jays mega deal. He had a decent campaign in 2013 with a no-hitter at the end of the year, but he is excelling in his first full season as a Miami starter. He allowed only 35 runs thus far this season yielding to a WAR of 2.7. Marlins are set up real nicely.

NL Regressing Player: 
Ryan Howard 1B, Philadelphia Phillies - I know what you are saying, Ryan Howard has been regressing for years. But this is his first full season in the last two years therefore some people might think Howard would have a rebirth. Nope, that didn't happen at all. Howard is hitting a measly .220 with an OPS of .381 and a negative WAR. It is fair to say Howard is done for his career. Maybe he comes back in five years and has one more big year, but it's not happening for awhile.

Most Overplayed Storyline:
Yadier Molina-Jonathan Lucroy riff - I am sick and tired of this garbage. The attack ad was funny then St. Louis blew out of proportion making it a national story. After that, Molina gets hurt and the Cardinals fanbase shines again when Wainwright struggled in the All-Star Game giving up three runs with Lucroy behind the dish. I am done and over with it, let's move on.

Bold Prediction
The bottom will fall out on San Francisco - There are eight teams vying for five spots meaning one or two of them are going to fade off into an abyss. I have a feeling San Francisco is going to be one of them. They had a horrible second part of the first half. On June 8th, San Francisco had a 42-21 record, since then, they have only won 10 games. Five weeks and only 10 games won.

Charlie.

A.J. Hawk Goes Hitstick on Fan at Golf Tournament

I am trying to decide if A.J. Hawk is being a tough guy here or if this guy had it coming therefore deserves to be laid out by the Packers linebacker. Hawk does seem like the type of guy whom would level the shit out of you without any notice. I know people like that, it just comes with the territory. You go out with those type of guys, there is a possibility by the end of the night, you are getting laid out on some grass wrecking your outfit from the night, but I digress. I am going with this guy deserved it. My assumption is these guys were all hammered when they asked Hawk to hit him given the fact they kept yelling and all had their sleeves eaten by the sleeve monster at a golf tournament. If you go cut-off shirt at any golf tournament, you are an asshole, plain and simple. Glad to see A.J. is in form as we get closer to the season. On another note, I started to get an itch for football so I started Friday Night Lights. Watched five episodes last night, clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

Charlie.

SnoTap's First Half American League Awards

I am pretty confident every blog across America has their own awards for the season, but I have to add SnoTap's to the mix. There are some standard awards with a couple different ones in there as well. Look for the National League version to come out later this afternoon. 

AL MVP
Mike Trout OF, Los Angeles Angels - It is finally time to embrace Trout as the MVP of the American League. We could argue all day that he deserved it in the last two years as well. The numbers right now for Trout are pretty solid with him leading the American League in WAR, OPS (Only player over 1,000) and second in runs scored, OBP and Slugging Percentage. Also it doesn't hurt that Los Angeles is one of the best teams this season unlike the last two years.

AL Cy Young:
Scott Kazmir, P, Oakland A's - Yup, King Felix doesn't bring his second Cy Young back to Seattle. There can be a case made for Kazmir whose having a better year than Hernandez in my opinion. He allowed less hits, runs, earned runs than Felix even though Kazmir gets trumped when it comes to WAR and strikeouts. Further, the reason some of his numbers are down is due to having one less start than Hernandez on the season. I think he is worth consideration at this point.  

AL Rookie of the Year: 
Jose Abreu 1B, Chicago White Sox - Just hand him the trophy today. There is no one whom will come close to the season the Cuban sensation is having for the White Sox. He leads the league in home runs with 29, and there is a chance he could hit 50 or more for the season. Additionally, he leads the American League in Slugging Percentage. It is not just home runs either as Abreu is hitting .292 on the season. Not out of the realm of possibilities for Abreu to be considered for the MVP when it's all said and done.  

AL Surprise Team:
Seattle Mariners - Even though it should have been expected Seattle would get better with their free agent acquisitions of Robinson Cano, Corey Hart and others, they still need to win games. We saw with Toronto last season where they brought in all sorts of talent and didn't win. Seattle is seven games over .500 and have 50 wins already. Sadly, they play in the toughest division in baseball. If Seattle would be one or two back if they were in any other AL division, they are the second team in the Wild Card.

AL Disappointing Team: 
Boston Red Sox - This is a no-brainer. The World Series champions have fallen off a cliff from last season. They are nine games under .500 with a run differential of negative 38. It doesn't seem like things will get better for this team. What's weird is they aren't completely out of it in the AL East. Currently, they are 9.5 games back from first place and if they go on some tear, Boston could be right back in the race.

AL Breakout Player: 
Michael Brantley OF, Cleveland Indians - It was between two Indians as to who would take this honor, but I went with Brantley given that he is still excelling while Lonnie Chisenhall has been sort of falling off in the last couple of months. Brantley already has his career-best in home runs with 15 and his average is up to .322, the highest of his career. Further, Brantley is four doubles away from matching his 2013 total.

AL Regressing Player: 
Brian McCann C, New York Yankees - I am not saying New York overpaid for McCann's services, but I am not saying they didn't. McCann is not having an enjoyable experience in the Bronx yet. He is only hitting .239 with 10 home runs on the season. McCann had a terrible June going .198 with only two hits going 17 of 86 for the month. McCann's July has been far different so maybe he will have a second half surge.

Most Overplayed Storyline:
Justin Verlander and Kate Upton - I am over this relationship. People love to talk about it whether it was them going on vacation or being at a basketball game. It is time to retire this being important in our day-to-day life. By the way, Verlander leads the league in earned runs and ERA so that's good.

Bold Prediction
One of the AL West Big Three will miss the playoffs - I don't know how bold of a prediction this but right now, the AL West is the class of the American League. Four teams are four or less games back from Seattle for the second position. Los Angeles seems like they will take the other Wild Card, but we have seen the Angels go into bad swings before too.

Charlie.

Brewers First Half Pitching Grades

This is an annual post here with SnoTap industries where we grade the Brewers offense and their pitching staff.  I would like to think I am a fair grader and some think I am a little too nice to people. If you missed the offense grades earlier this afternoon, check em out.   

Kyle Lohse - Personally, I feel he is the best pitcher on the team thus far. Lohse has been the most consistent Brewer of the bunch. Every now and again, he blows up, yet there have been some stellar performances including a complete game shutout against Chicago. Lohse's career in the last five years or so have been really unbelievable if you think about it, great consistency from him. GRADE: A

Francisco Rodriguez - The return of K-Rod. He probably takes Milwaukee's Cy Young because they had no idea who would close games for Milwaukee. Rodriguez closed the first game, and he continued for the rest of the first half of the season with no signs of slowing down. Most of Frankie's runs have came in non-save situations with only three blown saves on the season. The only thing to worry about a little bit is the amount of home runs he has given up in the past couple months. GRADE: A
G only allowed one run in the last two months and only allowed 15 hits in that timespan as well. He's been as good as anyone in the bullpen. Truly impressive performance from Duke. GRADE: A

Will Smith - It is really hard to be critical of Smith because of a bad month recently with the Brewers. Smith pitched so well for the first three months of the season. He looked like an All-Star for a long-time during the season and then Smith hit the regression wall. It happens to a great deal of players in baseball. If anyone needed the All-Star Break, it was Smith. Hopefully, the two appearances against St. Louis where he pitched two scoreless innings is the step in the right direction. GRADE: A-

Wily Peralta - This has been a breakout season for Wily. The numbers don't really show what Wily did for the 'first half' of the season. He had a real strong start to the season with his ERA getting as low as 2.12 by late May. Peralta had an average month of June despite him winning all five starts, but the glimmer of hope came in final start in a stellar start against St. Louis where he pitched seven innings giving up no runs and three hits. GRADE: B

Matt Garza - What a turnaround for him. Many people were ready to bring out the pitchforks for Garza after struggling for his first two months of the season. Yes, he cannot field his position to save his soul, but Garza is pitching his ass off right now. He had a strong June with having an ERA under three for the month along with some strong outings against Minnesota, Arizona and Cincinnati (Terrible defense from him but whatever). The first two starts in July for Garza, he only allowed five total hits with two runs. If he becomes a front-line starter for the second half, it will be like Milwaukee had made a trade for a pitcher. GRADE: B

Yovani Gallardo - This first half has sort of defined Yovani Gallardo's career. He had some great starts including a strong sart to his season and then he fell apart for awhile then bounced back a little bit. Gallardo's inconsistency continuing to be frustrating for Brewers fans because you see the potential in some starts then it all goes to shit in another one. GRADE B-

Tyler Thornburg - You kind of forget about him because he hasn't played in over a month and a half with his last start being against Pittsburgh in late May. Thornburg came out blazing in the first month of the season proving everyone right when they said 'You know Thornburg could be a great reliever.' He then scuffled in the month of May. Who knows what Throny we will get when he comes back. GRADE: C+

Rob Wooten - It is hard to really judge Wooten's season right now. The reliever's ERA is abnormally high because one blowup appearance against Cincinnati in June. If he can whatever he had in May where Wooten had an ERA of 0.71, that would be ideal. He is not a bad reliever where you worry when he comes in, but Wooten needs to be a little more solid. GRADE:C+

Brandon Kintzler - Here's where my frustration with Kintzler. He seems to choke it up in big, clutch moments. This worries me as we get closer and closer to the month of October plus need clutch outings in August and September. I know this paragraph sounds a little JS Comments-like but he has been on the losing end of a walk-off four times this season already. GRADE: C-

Marco Estrada - It has not been a good year for Marco. He gave up 27 home runs in the first half of the season. What honestly did him to lose his starting position was the month of June. He gave up 24 runs, 30 hits and seven home runs leading to a 7.45 ERA. Estrada could have a totally different second half as the Brewers long relief pitcher. GRADE: D+

Wei-Chung Wang - It is honestly hard to talk about him because it really isn't fair to talk about how he's done so far this season. I am extremely surprised he is still on a MLB roster. GRADE: Incomplete.

Charlie.

Brewers First Half Offense Grades

This is an annual post here with SnoTap industries where we grade the Brewers offense and their pitching staff.  I would like to think I am a fair grader and some think I am a little too nice to people. Pitching grades are coming later. 

Jonathan Lucroy - Easily, the MVP for Milwaukee thus far this season and maybe the MVP of the entire National League. Lucroy is having a fantastic year. He had a rough July so far with his average dipping 20 points, that's okay because he is still at .315.  Lucroy has 42 doubles and only 42 strikeouts. Really strong start to the season for Johnny Luc. GRADE: A

Carlos Gomez - I nearly downgraded Gomez to an A- because I am a little concerned about his swing rate where he is a little too aggressive with pitches lately, yet it has been a banner year for Gomez again netting him an All-Star starting appearance. Currently, Gomez has a six-game hitting streak and starting to get warm again which is an encouraging thing for Milwaukee.  GRADE: A

Ryan Braun - Some people might think this grade is a little high, but there are couple reasons behind when Braun got the third-highest grade on the offense. First, Braun started the year with everyone wondering about where his head might be with all of the Biogenesis stuff. Second, he is starting to heat up in a major way which is going unnoticed given Braun is battling all sorts of injuries, he is hitting .364 for July with six hits in his last three game. GRADE: A-

Aramis Ramirez - You have to be impressed with what Rami is doing this season. He battled through an injury that kept him out nearly a  month, but before that, he had his hottest April ever then came back to give Milwaukee a much-needed lift. Ramirez had a torrent June month hitting .348 with 31 hits including six home runs. Ramirez is also playing solid defense at third base for Milwaukee as well. Even though he notched an All-Star appearance, I think the best is yet to come. GRADE: B+

Scooter Gennett - We have went over a couple times about how wrong I have been about Scooter. He is having a good season, and some of it had to do with moving to the top of the order. Gennett hit nearly .400 for the month of June with big extra-base hits as well as getting on-base. He bounced back nicely after having a terrible May where I called for his head as Rickie Weeks was excelling. Gennett is doing work for the club. GRADE: B+

Khris Davis - This has been a really impressive start for Khris because he had a great deal of pressure going into this year. He needed to replace the production of Nori Aoki in a different way. Davis hit the skids hard to start the year, and people wondered whether there was a needed platoon. He went on a complete tear for the next month and a half plus currently leads all Brewers in home runs with 15. Davis scuffled a bit in the last month, but he's been hitting around .260 before then which is encouraging. GRADE: B

Rickie Weeks - Even though he is a bench player and his run with the Brewers might be done soon, I am happy for Weeks. He had a good season after a terrible 2013 thus far. The run in May brought me back to the old Weeks days when he would have two great weeks hitting everything in sight. Hopefully, they keep him around until the end of the year.  GRADE: B

Lyle Overbay - I went back and forth whether I wanted to give Overbay a B or B-, but it ended with a B. People didn't expect much from Overbay this season, and many people wanted Juan Francisco over him. He is hitting .243 with an OBP of .322. That's nothing to be mad about honestly. Sure, you want more from first base, but it's been better than what Milwaukee had last season. GRADE B

Mark Reynolds - For the first couple months, it seems like the relationship with Brewers and Reynolds would be a wonderful one then he completely fell off a cliff in the last two months. Reynolds only has two home runs since the start of June and currently, he is hitting .100 for the month of July. What's the use for him if he is not hitting home runs. GRADE: C

Jean Segura - This might be a tough grade for him, but I am hoping he finds his stroke again. No greater story would be Segura having a massive second half of the season  as he is dealing with the death of his young son. Segura has been pretty tremendous defensively and right there for a Gold Glove even if Troy Tulowitzki will win it. GRADE C-

Charlie.

Drake Does The ESPYs

From everything I read people liked Drake at The ESPYs, I personally watched without any sound in maybe one of the weirdest moves by bars across the Milwaukee area on Wednesday night. I happened to be out all night hence why we don't have blogs yet. Every TV had The ESPYs on without any sound which is terrible, just have something else on. Drake did a song called 'Side Pieces' with Brian McKnight. I thought it was pretty funny and who knows maybe they can make into a legit song. We also had Drake get in the thirst trap with Skylar Diggins. But in case you're curious, Louis Nix lets us know that Sky has no interest in Drake. (H/T @CorkGaines for the first vid)

We all know @Robert87Rains back stage. #AintWorriedBoutNothing
— lOUIS NIX III (@1irishchocolate) July 17, 2014

Charlie.

The Summer of Joel Embiid Continues

Some people believe Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks will regret not taking Joel Embiid with the first or second pick of the draft. I, as a casual Bucks fan, already am regretting not getting Embiid solely for his personality on Twitter. The guy is absolutely owning the rookie social media corner and finally got me to follow him which I should have done a long time ago.  Embiid started the summer by trying to recruit LeBron James to Philadelphia, telling everybody how well-endowed he is and now he makes a move on Kim Kardashian.

Hey I want you to come slide in my DMs @KimKardashian
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 16, 2014

Oh I didn't know you were married sorry @KimKardashian just saw it from the fan's tweet... have a nice day
— Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 16, 2014

Also if you missed his interview with Dan Patrick, A-plus stuff.



Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 96

We are dealing with some audio issues here at the SnoTap studios so I apologize for that one. Tapping The Keg podcast with the same old crew.  I recap my trip back to Eau Claire which is filled with some great stories in there including the greatest taxi driver ever.  We really only spend time on two topics so if you think about the podcast is split into about  15 minutes of baseball talk where we discuss the Milwaukee Brewers and the NL Central race then some All-Star Game talk.  The other 15 minutes features us talking about the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League struggles along with the possibility of Jerryd Bayless being a Buck and the ridiculous rumor about Milwaukee interested in J.R. Smith. Other NBA talk finishes us off with free agency talk including some laughable moments about Channing Frye.

Charlie.

MLB All-Star Game: Brewers Shine, Waino Misstep, Jeets & No Tony Gywnn Tribute?

When All-Star Game happen no matter what the sport is, the recap of it is usually a pretty light one. We discuss a little bit about the game, but mostly, the discussion is about the plays that happen or one inning where all of the action took place. Moreover, team beat writers are talking about how their guy or guys did out there versus having any sort of reason to write about controversy. This year is completely different. There are so many storylines emerging from the All-Star Game and you wonder if it's due to social media or just a weird year?

Milwaukee Brewers were fortunate to get three players starting in the All-Star Game with Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy, two of them made an impact for the National League on Tuesday night. Ramirez added two hits including a double scoring the first run of the game. Lucroy was the first catcher since Mike Piazza to get two doubles and two RBIs. Anyone whose a baseball fan should be happy for Luc as people begin to focus on how he is a great baseball player not just the whole issue with the faux rivalry with Yadier Molina. 

St. Louis Cardinals found a way to screw up the All-Star Game. I didn't even know that was possible but here we are. Mike Matheny's arrogance was the start of it and Adam Wainwright finished it with the fanbase sprinkled in. Matheny wanted his guy to start the All-Star Game. Despite Clayton Kershaw's tremendous two-month stretch, Wainwright was the option even though he started on Saturday.  The first batter he faced was the legend Derek Jeter who hit a double off him. It led to a bad first inning for Wainwright as he gave up three runs including a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera. Unlike a normal game, the players are available to the media earlier than usual, and Wainwright gave his thoughts on the first inning.

Wainwright said he 'grooved' a couple pitches to Jeter as a sign of respect. This took over the game in the social media realm as everyone rushed to criticize Wainwright for his bullshit attitude towards the whole thing. He acted like 'Ha!  I am a great baseball player, would that inning really happen to me?!' He made an excuse for struggling in his only inning. That's pathetic. Wainwright rushed to backtrack saying it was a joke which many of the media whom were there said, the Cardinals ace didn't joke there. Basically, Wainwright should have kept his mouth shut about the whole thing. There is no need to explain what happened there just say 'Derek hit a good pitch.'  He looked like a complete assclown. Naturally, the St. Louis fanbase believed Lucroy was the reason for Wainwright or Waino as they call him, struggles which is so Cardinals it hurts truthfully. The fanbase is full of world-class idiots and some of the worst in baseball. My favorite was Lucroy distancing himself away from 'grooving' pitches as he explained how the first batter was called. 

The Cardinals weren't the only ones with pie of their faces, Major League Baseball and FOX Sports ended up having a major misfire as well. After the game, people begged the question where was a tribute for Tony Gywnn who died a month ago and is revered as one of the best players in baseball. FOX Sports 1 did do a tribute before the game, but most of the time when baseball or any sport loses one of the best, they find someway to honor them on a grand stage. MLB should have done something Gywnn and Don Zimmer for that matter. Both men cared about the game of baseball so much and loved it dearly. The fact, baseball decided to ignore some of their greats is truly odd and puzzling.

The weirdness increases when you think about how much time MLB and FOX dedicated to Jeter. He is one of the best players to ever live as well as one of the most-respected guys in baseball. The latter is a huge part to why this all happened last night. Deadspin counted Jeter's name said a cool 100 times within the three and a half hour broadcast. I had little to zero problem with all of the Jeter theatrics. The guy deserved all of it. The two at-bats were both hits, he nearly made a great play to get Andrew McCutchen and honored like one of the best of the last 25 years. This is the type of stuff that makes All-Star Games for baseball so cool.

Although it made me pleased Jeter didn't get the Susan Lucci Lifetime MVP award as Mike Trout took home the crown. Trout deserved it as he drove in the first run of the game for the American League and the winning run in the fifth as well. Trout's two hits were a triple and double netting him his first of what will probably be many MVP trophies. On a night where MLB honored Jeter, it was cool to see one of the best young players take home the All-Star MVP.

Now begins the push to the playoffs. For some, this is where baseball becomes fun knowing there might be a chance for October baseball. It also becomes deathly terrifying in that same regard holding on to a slight lead in the division. Just remember Milwaukee was the only team helping the National League on Tuesday thus talking myself into an eight-game winning streak.

-Charlie.

My Continuing Admiration for Soccer

After the 2010 World Cup finished up I told myself I would watch more soccer. Honestly, I started to care about things more often especially when it came to U.S. Men's Soccer but really didn't hop on board with any bandwagons of clubs. The reason why is I never made the commitment to get up early on Saturdays and Sundays to watch English Premier League, La Liga or Serie A matches. Truthfully, I didn't want to pick a team because I like Player A & B and they happen to play for Club X.  If I were to do it, it would be watching games on a consistent basis.

Fast forward to four years to 2014. Personally, I watched more World Cup soccer and grew fond of the sport including more of an understanding of what is going on in the game. Sure, I might not know everything nor do I pretend to be an expert of the sport yet at the same time, I do feel I have grown smarter as a soccer fan at least in International play. Further, it is understood that club play is a little different than what I saw out there this summer.  But my growth as a fan has grown to another level where my hope is to make more of an effort to become a fan of the sport consistently.

It is not tough to do for the most part on Saturdays and Sundays as most of the games get done before College Football and NFL get started. There is some overlap with College Football on Saturday with the 11 am start games for both soccer and football. Usually, 11 am games for college football are not the best of the bunch plus that's the beauty of having a computer to stream one or the other.  What's interesting is I could apply the same logic to College Football to the EPL or any of the other soccer leagues. I really don't have a college football team minus rooting for Wisconsin without any rose-colored glasses yet I still love watching sport every Saturday. Could I do the same thing for EPL?  

There are two major factors in my growth as a soccer fan. One of them being I have more Saturdays off. My current job does not allow that luxury so who knows this might be a pipe dream for awhile. But that's the beauty of a DVR I guess if we are being a group of forward thinkers. The other one is Time Warner's refusal to add NBC Sports Live Extra. This is a major problem during the playoff hockey season when I pretend to  know a great deal about hockey as well. This issue looks right now it is not being solved, but you can still watch EPL games using NBCSN if there are overflow not on their channels. The dream really is to write a diary of watching soccer each day with time, how I feel, mood, everything really to get you inside my head as I watch these games. This could be great blogging, but what the hell do I know.

Now, the other option would be to watch more Major League Soccer. It is in full swing right now, but no disrespect to the sport, I want to watch the premium product. I don't think I am giving myself a fair shake if I begin with the MLS as my go-to league to watch when there are much better versions of the product elsewhere. That might already make a little snobby, but MLS is not what we are getting from some of the greatest clubs in the world.  It is not like I will not check out the MLS now and again, but it is likely I will not get sucked in.

Hopefully, this is the start of a beautiful relationship.

Charlie.

.

Carmelo Anthony: The Unfair Bad Guy of the NBA

Carmelo Anthony is one of the more polarizing athletes in our generation. Anthony doesn't really scream polarizing though, right?  He isn't somebody whom gets into a ton of trouble or do anything which talks about his polarization. But it seems like a majority of the NBA community hates Melo. He seems like a bad guy. It has always been the case since he started with the Denver Nuggets. People were always highly critical of him which never really made any sense whatsoever. Hence everyone went up his ass about taking all sorts of money from New York without any promise of a championship. Anyone ever consider the fact Melo is trying to keep his family happy and believes in the new organization efforts? Or does the NBA community as a whole get blinded by this Melo hate?

The couple of reasons people hate Anthony is he is a me-first scorer and ran his way out of Denver in order to play for New York. These are two of the top things that turn people off from professional athletes. People don't want this from their athletes. They want to all be team players and be happy with whatever situation comes their way. Everyone wants robot athletes where they play the game the right way which is a complete bullshit thing we have spoke on before. Carmelo might be the things he gets criticized for on a frequent basis, but at the same time, he is one of the best players in the league bar none. There is no doubt in my mind Anthony could make all teams in the NBA better despite some of the selfish tendencies. 

There are some obvious problems with the Knicks, but can we at least say, there is a little more promise with this team than there was last season. They cleared out Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler while adding younger guys like Shane Larkin along with some draft picks. Those draft picks netted Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Cleanthony Early is much better than what they had last season. All the sudden, New York has some young talent with a chance of one or two of them hitting versus trying to make it all happen with a bunch of veterans heading towards the twilight of their career. Sure, they still have Amar'e Stoudemire, but I am confident they will try very hard to move him before the season ends with his large expiring contract.

Carmelo stayed in New York because it paid him the most money plus he trusts Phil Jackson to bring the right players. They are going to have a chance at Kevin Love because Minnesota isn't trading him this summer at this point. It will be through trade, but they will have a chance. If they strike out on Love, Kevin Durant is probably going to be available in 2016 to at least explore the option and who knows if the Cleveland thing goes to shit, LeBron James could be out there as well. Anthony knows this isn't a spirit with the Knicks, it is a marathon with the talent pool out there in the coming years. It is reckless to think New York cannot become a contender during the time of Carmelo's contract.

Besides basketball, he took the deal with New York because his wife and kids love the city. He is married to LaLa Anthony whose been trying to get into the acting world and has a reality show. It is very easy to do all of those things in New York City. Carmelo knows he helps her out by staying here. Moreover, he helps the family out majorly by taking a contract where he will be paid 23.6 million dollars a year. Carmelo will have a great deal of money when he is done with his contract meaning he can chase a ring in five years when his kids are grown up and hopefully his wife is successful as an actress. A couple players have done it in the past and it worked out well for a few of them. 

Gary Payton, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley where all players whom didn't have a ring for most of their career. All three of them went to high profile teams at the time to get a ring. Payton went to Los Angeles and then Miami. The Lakers experiment didn't work out, but Miami netted him a championship ring. Malone and Barkley were less fortunate in their short stints with Los Angeles and Houston. Carmelo can do the exact same thing if New York doesn't work out for him in the next five years. Who knows the best team in the league at that point, but Melo can join with them adding a veteran to their bench.

The only way for the Carmelo criticism to stop is if he put up numbers like LeBron James where he contributes in assists, rebounds (He kind of did last season but whatever) and a better defensive player. That's a damn shame. People need to realize Anthony is his own man and his own NBA player.

Charlie.