Highlights-Lowlights: Rockies-Brewers (6/26-6/29)

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 - Big weekend for Ryan Braun. I don't want to be like 'BRAUN BACK' and go all crazy because he owned Colorado's pitching which is as easy as finding a drunk underage Milwaukee suburbanite at Summerfest. Braun came through with his first walkoff hit in three years giving Milwaukee the win on Friday night. Braunie also added his eleventh home run in a loss on Sunday. In the last five games, Braun has two hits in four of them as well as driving in seven runs getting his average back to .290.

Kyle Lohse - Good start for Lohse on Friday night and probably deserving of the win, but things happen plus wins are silly. Lohse pitched well for seven innings working out of one jam that allowed a run, but nothing more. In the last two starts prior to this one, Lohse had allowed three runs and this one he only let one through seven innings with four strikeouts only yielding four hits. Good to see Lohse bounce back and hopefully the longish layoff will not affect him.

Lyle Overbay - I have said it before and I will say it again, I made a mistake with Lyle Overbay. He delivered a big sixth inning hit in Saturday's game driving in a vital insurance run which Milwaukee would need as Colorado slowly started to bang down the door. He added another hit in his only appearance for the weekend but came up in a big way. It has been really good to have Overbay on the roster plus I felt very comfortable with him playing defense for Matt Garza on the mound.

Carlos Gomez - He didn't really have a great weekend, but the three-run home run to lead off Saturday's game was ideal. Colorado obviously mad about losing to Milwaukee six straight times with the Brewers getting a walk-off the night before then BAM!  Carlos hits a homer. Also worth nothing since Gomez had his 0 for 6 night on Tuesday, he has one hit in each games putting him at four-game hitting streak meaning he has hits in 22 of his last 23 games.

Jonathan Lucroy - At this point, we are out of things to say about Lucroy, but once again, he came up big with some timely hitting driving in key runs in all three runs. Lucroy tied up the game Thursday night with a single after Wily Peralta gave up a grand slam. He put the Brewers ahead on Friday with the first run of the game in a tight pitcher's duel and added a RBI groundout on Saturday. Lucroy is a national treasure.

Lowlights
Injuries - Cramps, Face injuries, etc - Not a great weekend for the Brewers when it came to injuries. Jean Segura had to leave Saturday with cramping issues putting him out for Sunday's game, but it appears he will be back for Tuesday's game. Carlos Gomez had a collision with Braun leading to a face injury which could be described by the scene in Tommy Boy at the diner. Hopefully, Gomez will be back for the weekend. I don't really expect him for Toronto but with two days off this week, no reason to send him to the Disabled List.

Yovani Gallardo - Yeah not a great start for Yo, but I am not worried about it. There seems to be a vodoo hex over why Yo cannot beat the Rockies, the only National League team he hasn't beat for his career. It started off bad for him, and that's always how Yovani gets beat up is if he struggles early. I am a little worried about his seven-day layoff too.

Francisco Rodriguez - It was an up and down week for Frankie as he did get saves in both Thursday and Saturday's game. But he did blow one on Friday giving up a home run to Josh Rutledge. I am not worried at all about Frankie, but four runs in his last 10 appearances plus two home runs in the last week is never good.

Brewers schedule this week - Man, this sucks. We got two day games during the week which doesn't affect me too much but then we don't get a day game on the Fourth of July which is ludicrous. Further, they only play five games on which is a bummer, but Brewers do get some much-needed time off.

Jason Kidd, a Do or Die Decision for Milwaukee's New Owners

Milwaukee Bucks seems to have some momentum building in the last couple of months. They had new ownership. They added a top draft pick with Jabari Parker whom received standing ovations all over the city of Milwaukee over the weekend. Everyone really liked what Milwaukee was doing, but then they went for the remix by trading for Jason Kidd as their head coach. Larry Drew is now out as the head coach something he just found out today which is not the way to do things in coaching circles. Kidd made a power move and it worked, but at the same time, there are a great deal of consequences if this doesn't play out in Milwaukee's favor although there is always a chance this will work out for everyone.

Many people are wondering why people are coming to the defense of Drew, a head coach whom won only 15 games, the answer is simple. Drew got taken out back and drilled in the back of the head instead of being done the right way. It was a ruthless decision. Sure, it happens all the time in the business world, but Milwaukee flexed its muscles like the 5'6 bro tank-wearing guy at an O.A.R. concert wanting to start a fight with a 6'6 mountain of a man. Bucks have zero muscles to flex with their owners, General Manager and everyone else involved. That's why the furor is there from people. It's not what the Bucks did, rather how they handled the situation given the position they are currently in.

Bucks are not one of the best five organizations in the NBA. They are an organization with an arena and attendance problems. Some could argue they belong in the bottom five. If this thing blows up in their faces, Milwaukee could be left in the dust. What coach wants to come to Milwaukee if this is how they treat people? Not many will see the job alluring if you combine the lack of winning, the arena issues and the mob mentality of the organization. Sure, two out of those three could be fixed, but at the same time having people live in a perpetual state of fear isn't always the best business practice. Many people can make the argument Drew deserved to be fired given only winning 15 games out of 82, but at the same time, he is at least owed some respect instead of looking like a complete clown.

 If Milwaukee's owners knew this was going to happen, they should have told Drew to skip everything involved with Parker. The fact the Bucks trotted him out with their owners talking to Kidd without his knowledge makes him look like a puppet in a scheme. Some can say Drew looked like it was coming but there is not a chance in hell he realized his new boss was the Frank Underwood of the NBA. Anything to get what he wanted and attempt to take this team to the top. Marc Lasry was Kidd's financial advisor and now he's Kidd's boss, the head coach will have more protection than the President of the United States. Even though this thing went down in the dirtiest way imaginable, there is a chance it works out for Milwaukee and their ownership.

Kidd is not a bad coach based off one year. That's unfair. People cannot immediately claim he is terrible. Further, a first-year coach dealing with a team full of guys like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, Deron Williams were all his peers at some point in his career. Kidd is coming to a Bucks organization where most of the guys watched him play throughout his career and may have looked up to him. He could do wonders for a guy like Brandon Knight. And most of these players are going to listen to Kidd and instill his beliefs as a coach even if many people from outside Milwaukee will want to see this Bucks team fail given what happened this weekend. Kidd gets a team full of young guys which I have always argued is easier on new coaches.

If Kidd brings the Bucks a Central Division title in the next three years, all will be forgotten. Even if Kidd leads the Bucks to consistent playoff appearances where they are higher than the seventh seed, I think people will be happy. No one will remember this little incident if the Bucks are winning basketball games. I don't know if Drew would have been better with this crop of talent or would have gotten fired mid-season if Milwaukee struggled again. If the latter would have happen, maybe it's better this way even if it did not happen in the greatest of circumstances.

The last concern for all Milwaukee basketball fans is Jason Kidd does whatever Jason Kidd wants. He has one of the biggest egos in the NBA and really does not give one damn about whom he hurts on the way. Kidd could easily find a better job in two months and tell the Bucks, he is moving forward. The man has consistently burned bridges throughout this entire career, both playing and now coaching. Hopefully, Milwaukee doesn't give him a need for gasoline and matches.

Charlie.

Re-Cupping The World Cup: Brazil Survive, Dutch Flop, & James! James!

We are going to do a short blog each weekday about the World Cup. There will be a little more on United States obviously, but when it comes to the other games, we will talk about the different games in short recaps like we used to do with the NBA. I am no expert, don't pretend to be, but I want to compile a blog featuring some tweets, GIFs, videos and a couple thoughts from yours truly. If you hate it, let me know or think you could do it better, you know where to find me @SnoTap12 

Brazil 1 Chile 1 (Brazil 3-2 penalty kicks) - In all sports, there are teams where they inflict pain on the opposing team in all sorts of fashion. Chile has now been eliminated four straight times in the knockout round by Brazil. This one might have been the worst.  Chile had the game-winning goal in extra time in the 119th minute before a ball hits the post and doesn't go in leading to penalty kicks where once again the posts were not nice for Chile. Brazil went up one and Chile needed a goal to survive yet once again, the post became their cruelest part of the game. Brazil is lucky to be playing in the Round of 8. Neymar's thigh injury has to be a concern for Brazil moving forward. They are fortunate to have five days off before their next match, but a non-100 percent Neymar might hurt Brazil.

Netherlands 2 Mexico 1 - El Tri looked like they were finally advancing into the Round of 8 as they have been denied in the last five years with Giovani Dos Santos' great goal, and Guillermo Ochoa playing his ass again.  But Netherlands wouldn't be denied as Wesley Sneijder broke through with his first goal of the World Cup. In the Extra Time, things got weird as Arjen Robben dove in the box and got the call leading to a penalty kick from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to put Netherlands up late. I don't understand why Robben apologized for the dive after it. I mean it is not going to make the Country of Mexico ecstatic because he said 'Oh my bad dudes.' Like own the dive, whatever it happens in soccer and other sports. Netherlands got the call at the right time and won the game.

Costa Rica 1 Greece 1 (Costa Rica 5-3 penalty kicks) - If Greece had any sort of offense, I don't know the Ticos are advancing. Costa Rica played with 10 men from the 66th minute on, and it did allow one goal making it a tied game. But Costa Rica and its goalie, Keylor Navas held strong being able to hold on in penalty kicks. There are so many great stories, but Costa Rica might be the most improbable story of them all. No one expected them to get this far, and they are playing with house money. The teams the have beat is an impressive list with Uruguay, Italy and now Greece. Netherlands will be their toughest test.

Colombia 2 Uruguay 0 - Somebody cue up the 'I'm So Paid' theme music for James Rodriguez because that's happening this transfer season. He will be the sexy pick without question. Rodriguez has been all sorts of magical for the Colombia side helping them advance against Uruguay for a showdown with Brazil. Both of his goals on Saturday were great,  and he is now the leader for the Golden Boot. Rodriguez leads this Colombian bunch as another team not many people expected to be in the Round of 8, and honestly, they are dangerous enough to get through to the semifinals without question.

Jabari Parker: A Peek Into Milwaukee's Future

Milwaukee Bucks fans have waited for Thursday night since the start of the new year. It was evident Milwaukee headed for the top of the draft lottery given their struggles in the 2012-2013 season. For months, people debated whether Milwaukee would draft Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid. At times, everyone wanted Wiggins. Other times, it seemed like Parker became the choice. Embiid had his moment in the sun as well. But when the dust settled, Parker became the newest member of Milwaukee's professional basketball organization. 

Everything that he is doing is a perfect recipe for Milwaukee. Allegedly, Parker said he wanted to be a part of the Bucks organization due to its proximity to his hometown of Chicago, and he supposedly tanked the workout with Cleveland to ensure they would draft Andrew Wiggins. Whether that's true or not, causal Bucks fans all wanted Parker because it finally seemed like a player wanted to play for Milwaukee. You don't see that often. Todd Day said 'Mil-wauuuuuuk-ee, damn' when the Bucks drafted him in the mid-90's. Milwaukee once drafted a player in Yi Jianlian whom despised the idea of coming to the Cream City. Parker is a breath of fresh air. 

This is exactly what the Bucks want right now as an organization with new owners, trying to build a new arena and trying to start a future. If a small-market team wants to be a contender, they need to build through the draft. Brandon Knight, John Henson, Larry Sanders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Parker are all top-20 picks (Knight drafted by Detroit). O.J. Mayo once was a top-five pick, but he doesn't count at this point. This is a smart foundation for the future. Milwaukee will be an outside contender for a playoff appearance next season. It could be a true transition year, but the Bucks are inching closer to being a top-tier contender in the Eastern Conference.

The great thing about the Eastern Conference is anything can happen honestly. With the West, it is a complete dogfight and could take years to come back to prominence. In the East, we have a team like Toronto going from a top 10 lottery pick to being the three seed this year in the NBA Playoffs. I am not saying Milwaukee get that fortunate, but anything is possible for Milwaukee next season. And if things go to hell again getting another top notch lottery pick isn't the worst thing in the world even if it sounds like the worst thing ever at this juncture. 

For years and years, we have waited for the Face of the Franchise for Milwaukee Bucks, and it feels like this team now has two of them with Giannis and Jabari. This could be the next great duo in the NBA. Sure, Wiggins and Kyrie Irving could be great, yet at the same time, there is some uncertainty if Irving will be there for very much longer. More so than 2010 when Brandon Jennings made a little push, this is the most exciting time it's been to be a Bucks fans in quite a long time, probably since 2000. This is the start of something special. 

When it gets closer to the season, we will talk about managing expectations for this team and Parker, but right now, let's relish in the fact Milwaukee is in a great spot. 

Charlie.

United States' Group of Death Survival Kit.

United States soccer didn't need a win to get into the knockout stages. United States didn't need a draw to get into the knockout stages. They just needed some help from Portugal, and U.S. got it as Portugal won 2-1 against Ghana including a game-winning goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. The United States lost 1-0 and finished 1-1-1 in the Group of Death. But the fact of the matter, they are through to the round of 16. No one expected it to happen. People thought this team was too young to get through the Group of Death, but they are through ready to make some noise against Belgium. 

It was pretty evident by the second half of the game that playing in Manaus wore these guys out. They seemed pretty tired and it's really fortunate the only allowed on goal against the attacking German team. Additionally, the fact, they only got three days to prepare instead of Germany's four, didn't probably help things either to the struggle with the United States legs. But they got through and now have five days off before taking on Belgium, the dark horse of the tournament. What should be realized is now things can get completely crazy, and everything is up for grabs.

It shouldn't be lost on people is the United States played well in this game. The goal they gave up would have been scored on any team left in the tournament. It was a clinical finish by Thomas Muller, one of the best players in the world.  Other than that, United States' defense held strong for most of the game. Omar Gonzalez worried a bunch of people when Jurgen Klinsmann put him into the starting eleven, and Gonzalez hung in there pretty strong for the United States. Brad Davis in the back was another story, but for the most part, the United States play a pretty clean game. The other positive is Jermaine Jones, arguably one of the best players for the U.S. thus far, did not pick up a second yellow. Further, Kyle Beckerman was dangerously close to getting a second yellow late in the game, and he held strong. Hopefully, the U.S. is at full strength for Tuesday. 

The only way where they are completely at full strength would be having Jozy Altidore on the starting eleven or available to come off the bench. We are three weeks removed from the hamstring strain. That's right around the heal time depending on how severe the strain actually is plus we do need to factor in the weather as well. I feel like there is a small chance that he starts the game for the United States, but I feel 50/50 he might be able to go in as a substitute which could be a huge card to play for the U.S. late in the game against Belgium especially if the game is tied or the U.S. is trailing in the game. Altidore could give them a much-needed boost. 

Do the United States have a shot in this game?  You're damn right they do. Belgium is full of talent, but like the U.S., they are very young and haven't been on this stage before. The first 20 minutes of the match will be huge for each team. If Belgium gets off to a quick start, they could be off and running feeling good. Belgium has been terrific defensively in the group stages only giving up one goal, and the goal came off a penalty kick. But Algeria, South Korea and Russia are not a group of world-beaters here. It is not like they were dealing with Group D or even Group C. They played in one of the weakest groups therefore it is hard for us to judge this team right now. 

The knockout stages are more like the NCAA Tournament than anything else. It is a winner take all match with a chance for overtime goals and penalty kicks. Things are going to get very tight when watching the United States as well as other teams left in the tournament. You thought your nerves were bad in a game against Portugal. Imagine them being 100 times worse on Tuesday afternoon. If the United States finds a way to win, they have a probable Round of 8 matchup with Lionel Messi and the boys from Argentina which would be another story.  

Survive and advance. 

Charlie. 

Rockies-Brewers Preview: 6/26-6/29

Pitching Matchups & TV Times
Thursday: Christian Friedlich (0-1 6.00 vs. Wily Peralta (8-5 3.02) 7:10 pm FSNWI
Friday: Tyler Matzek (1-2 5.19) vs. Kyle Lohse (9-2 3.20) 7:10 pm FSNWI
Saturday: Jhoulys Chacin (1-6 4.84)  vs. Matt Garza (4-5 4.01) 3:10 pm FSNWI
Sunday: Jorge De La Rosa (7-6 4.78) vs. Yovani Gallardo (5-4 3.23) 1:10 pm FSNWI

Five Things to Watch 
1.) Rockies are still struggling - Only took one game against the Cardinals this week before facing the Brewers. Losers of eight of the last nine.

2.) Aramis Ramirez's hot bat to wake up against Colorado pitching? - He struggled against Washington but Colorado's pitching could be the recipe.

3.) Colorado still can't pitch - They gave up eight and nine runs in their two losses to St. Louis after the series against the Brewers.

4.) Can the Brewers win a home series? - They haven't won one since the weekend series against the Cubs in late May

5.) Wounded Animal - Colorado pretty much needs to take two or three games from Milwaukee to keep their heads above water so they could be desperate.

Prediction 
No YouTube video, I am too busy today.  I think the Brewers get three of four against the Rockies.

Highlights-Lowlights: Nationals-Brewers (6/23-6/25)

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
Marco Estrada - He has been the punching bag of this Milwaukee Brewers team for some time now, but he delivered a big start when the Brewers needed him. They were on the verge of getting swept for the first time this season. They are coming off a 16 inning heartbreaking loss the night before meaning the bullpen is completely taxed. Estrada is facing Stephen Strasburg as well. Estrada only gave up two hits, two runs and only walked two batters. And he went for 6 plus innings. Overall a great start for the Brewers fifth starter and hopefully, a step in the right direction.

Scooter Gennett - Look I was wrong about Scooter. I basically scorched the earth when he got called up to replace Rickie Weeks. I didn't want Scooter to fail, but I was convinced he wouldn't be a better player than Weeks. I couldn't have been more wrong. I want to apologize about how much I bungled the whole thing last summer. He's been great for the team. Gennett has the second-highest batting average since August 2013 in all of Major League Baseball. Scooter hit a grand slam and drove in an added run in the only Brewers win this week.

Yovani Gallardo - It continues to be a great month for Yovani, and my assumption would be he will win Brewers Pitcher of the Month. He again pitched great in a no-decision against Washington on Tuesday night. Gallardo only gave up four hits in six innings. If Gallardo is this way for the most part for the rest of the season, Milwaukee can contend with anyone. Whatever he went through in the month of May, he is over it. Gallardo's ERA is now down to 3.23 and keeps pitching strong for the Brewers.

Ryan Braun - In the sixth inning, Braun stepped to the plate with runners on second and third with two outs. He is having a disastrous June for the greater part, but this is a situation where Braun has to deliver the big moment. He did just that with a two-run single giving the Brewers the lead against the tough Jordan Zimmernmann. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the Brewers slugger. It seems like we are just waiting on a Braun hot streak

Mike Fiers - Even though he is hanging out in Nashville for a couple days, he did a great job for Milwaukee on Tuesday night despite taking the loss. Fiers went four innings only giving up four hits with two of them coming in the 16th inning. Fiers also struck out four batters and had no issue with the Nationals bats. He made a campaign pitch to be a starter on Tuesday night.

Lowlights
Carlos Gomez's Extra Inning At-Bats - This was easily the most frustrating part of the whole series. Not the 16 innings, not the lack of hitting in the first two games, but Gomez's at-bats in the extra frames. He had a chance to win it twice and jumped over the first pitch both times when the pitchers were a bit shaky in the first place. Gomez is the biggest first-pitch swinger in baseball so it's understood he would swing at the first pitch a great deal of times. It is honestly hard to be mad at him, but he needs to show a little more discipline in late at-bats.

Will Smith - Another player on the Brewers where it is hard to be mad at, but Smith didn't do his job on Tuesday night giving up a home run to Anthony Rendon. Is it time to push the panic button on Smith? Probably not because he played at such a high level in the first three months of the season. Smith giving up three runs in his last 10 appearances isn't a big deal... yet.

16 Inning Baseball Games - I realized how much I hated late extra-inning games. I like West Coast trips without question because of the late night atmosphere for a night owl, but my goodness, the 16 inning game on Tuesday night was horribly boring. The game dragged on and no one could get a hit to save their soul. Maybe 16 inning games are more exciting when we have teams going back and forth with runs, but Christ, this was bad.

Scary Nats - Brewers thankfully got a game from Washington, but this is a scary team without question. They have front line pitching with Strasburg, Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez. They will be getting back Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos. Additionally, the Nats have a great bullpen. This is a lethal team moving forward.

Charlie.

Bucks Draft: Who Will It Be?

Call it a cop out but I'm not going to make the mistake of trying to predict what will happen in an unpredictable. Rather, I'm going to lay out a few scenarios of what I think might happen. 

The day I've (we've all) been waiting for for the last six months is finally here.

The state of Wisconsin suffered through the worst season in Milwaukee Bucks history, en route to the worst record in the league for the '13-'14 season. They secured the number two overall pick in last month's draft lottery after the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world and somehow ended up with the first overall selection.

It was pretty much wide open as far as who could go where with picks one-three after the NCAA Tournament concluded. It was basically down to Kansas freshmen Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, as well Duke freshmen forward Jabari Parker as the top three.

Then, after Embiid (fairly widely regarded as the best of the three) went down with yet another injury and had to undergo surgery, relatively unknown Australian guard Dante Exum has gone from the outside looking into the top three, to possibly being the third pick in the draft.

I rule out Exum going #1 or #2 because all reports are saying it's down to Wiggins or Parker at number one, then the Bucks will take whoever falls between the two diaper dandies with the number two pick.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford:

Sources: Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wants Andrew Wiggins at No. 1. Front office wants Jabari Parker. http://t.co/vkpjuqT2z4
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) June 25, 2014

Also, new Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry was in Milwaukee this past Monday and spoke to the media. He said the draft got easier because of the Embiid injury.

Lasry is ruling out Bucks taking Embiid. "Our decision got a lot easier, mainly because Embiid got hurt."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) June 23, 2014

That basically all but solidifies what's going to happen, right? The Cavs take either Wiggins or Parker and the Bucks get the "scraps" (I use quotes because they're both great prospects), right?

I don't think it's going to be as simple as that when it's all said and done. Bucks' GM John Hammond said they can't really narrow it down to just two players, which, the way he said it, I didn't think that they were leaning toward taking someone other than Wiggins or Parker. He just kind of stated the obvious and didn't want to lose leverage or limit their options.

Obviously, this is going to be a crazy night trade-wise. The Cavs have apparently been very active in shopping their number one overall selection for more assets or a star. To me, the Cavs have a number of avenues to explore and (once again) don't know what they're doing. They probably want to get LeBron James back but that's a pipe dream. Evidently, owner Dan Gilbert and his front office are split. Gilbert wants Wiggins but the front office favors Parker.

It's no wonder none of the prospects want to go there. Reported dysfunction, an insane owner and a pretty toxic lockerroom with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters hating each other.

Meanwhile, in sunny Milwaukee, things are great. The Bucks have new ownership invigorating the community and a young group of good guys like Giannis, Brandon Knight and John Henson among others.

Who knows who will be left at the beginning of the season?

What we do know, however, is that Parker wants to play in Milwaukee. That's normally filed in the "Shit No One Says" category in NBA discussions but it was reported earlier this week that Parker "tanked" his workout for the Cavs to ensure they wouldn't take him.

Parker doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do such a thing with his strong values and good character. Who knows, though? He's born and raised just down the road in Chicago and would be very close to his family. He did wear a green pin thing on his suit coat during his pre-draft media

What do I want?

I've long been a Wiggins fan over Parker. I've recently warmed more on Parker, especially since he allegedly wants to play in Milwaukee. I believe that Wiggins has more upside and might fill more of a need down the road offensively but fills a need defensively right away.

Parker is considered to be the most offensively NBA-ready but his defense needs a lot of work, not to mention he's a bit of a tweener. I think he's a four in today's NBA. I mean, he's 6'8" 250+ pounds. He should be able to hold his own.

It will be interesting to see what happens tonight. Again, gun to my head, I want Wiggins but I definitely wouldn't root against Parker.

Either way, it's a big night in Bucks' franchise history.

Re-Cupping The World Cup: Messi Shines Again, Swiss Push Through, Iran Chokes

We are going to do a short blog each weekday about the World Cup. There will be a little more on United States obviously, but when it comes to the other games, we will talk about the different games in short recaps like we used to do with the NBA. I am no expert, don't pretend to be, but I want to compile a blog featuring some tweets, GIFs, videos and a couple thoughts from yours truly. If you hate it, let me know or think you could do it better, you know where to find me @SnoTap12 

Argentina 3 Nigeria 2 - Easily, the best game of the day on what was sort of a boring day of soccer. Argentina held on in a hotly-contested match with Nigeria whom also advanced to the knockout stages and will face France.  Four of the five goals of the game happened in the first five minutes of both halves. Lionel Messi had two goals and continues to be a complete terror in this World Cup. He nailed a beautiful goal off a rebound, and then put it into the back corner of the net for a free kick. Ahmed Musa played at a high level as well for Nigeria knocking in two goals. Nigeria isn't going to go down swinging in the next round.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 Iran 1 - If Iran did enough, they could have slid into the knockout stages. I wouldn't want to say they puked all over their shoes, but they pretty much did. Bosnia wasn't like some of the winless teams in the World Cup as they play Argentina and Nigeria close, but still Iran could have capitalized here in a major way. They gave up only one goal in two games, and then find a way to give up three to Bosnia. The moment was too big for the boys.

Switzerland 3 Hondorus 0 - Big question here... Was Hondorus the worst World Cup team?  Like Hondorus... They showed up. Switzerland got the job done to send them on to the next round for a meeting with Messi. The Swiss got a hat trick from Xherdan Shaquiri to push them through to the knockout the stages. After their blowout loss to France, I have to give credit for Switzerland for bouncing back in a major way.

France 0 Ecuador 0 - I am not saying France mailed this one, but it had a feel of a Week 17 NFL game in this one for France. They just wanted to hang out and have a good time maybe have a little wine on the sidelines. I do think France is in a fight with Nigeria. I really do but I am no soccer expert by any means.

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 94

Tapping The Keg Podcast is back with a loaded podcast with Charlie and Mitch. We talk about a great deal of things starting off with Summerfest. We talk about the idea of it as well as how it is cooler to be an underage kid there along with highlighting the headliners we would like to see in the next eleven days. It continues with talking about the World Cup with Milwaukee's presence on Sunday along with some talk about U.S. Soccer's chances tomorrow. We talk a little bit about Milwaukee Brewers and why Washington Nationals could be a scary team in the next couple of months. Around the 34 minute mark, we start diving into the NBA Draft covering all topics as to what Cleveland might do, why either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins is fine with us and much more.

Charlie.

The Return of Tiger Woods

As of now, Tiger Woods has not follow up what was a successful 2013 season albeit not winning any majors, with a good 2014 campaign. He is hampered by a bad back and missed both majors this season. Woods decided to come back for the Quicken Loans National, a tournament hosted by Woods himself. Some people are critical of the move thinking Woods is doing for his sponsors. But Tiger believes he can get himself ready for the Open Championship in a couple weeks and needs practice in preparation for the final two majors of the season.

Woods might not be ready to play this week but looking at the upcoming schedule for the PGA season, this is his best option. It happens to be his own tournament which is a major factor in all of this plus Congressional is a major-like golf course giving him a good challenge. The Greenbrier Classic next weekend has a significant payout, but the course doesn't present as much of a challenge as what the players should be dealing with this weekend. Additionally, Woods' sponsors would have been irate had Tiger spurned this tournament for Greenbrier therefore it is a no-brainer for Woods to use this tournament as a tune-up. Although I wouldn't be shocked if he played Greenbrier next week.

Tiger isn't one of those guys whom always plays in back-to-back weeks, but if he feels good or feels like he needs more preparation against competition, he will be in The Greenbrier Classic as well.  Then he gets two weeks off before heading overseas for The Open Championship, a tournament he hasn't won since 2006 at Royal Liverpool Club, where The Open is taking place this season. Further, Woods finished third in 2012 and finished sixth in this major tournament. It could argued this is one of Woods better major tournaments in the last five years. It is obvious he wants to try to capture the magic again even though he's battled a back injury all year, and it could be a thorn in his side.

Woods claims he will be changing his approach to the game. ESPN's Farrell Evans described him as 'relaxed' and 'laid-back' talking about how he wants to change how he plays citing Michael Jordan as the player he looked towards in terms of changing it up. Now we heard this before from Phil Mickelson this year at the U.S.Open, and Phil went away from it on Thursday afternoon so until we actually see some change from Woods,  it is not a given Woods will actually change things. Another thing to watch is if Woods struggles with new stuff, he might revert back to his old ways which is exactly what Mickelson did at Pinehurst. Now for the horrible play on words... It is hard for a tiger to change his stripes.

My expectations for Woods is he will play all four rounds and not be threat to the leaderboard. I could see him getting cut this weekend, but a part of me wants to believe he will play well enough to hang around all weekend. If he ends up near the top five, it will cause an avalanche of overreactions. But Woods seem poised to make a run at getting his first major win since 2008.

Charlie. 

Just Pick Baby - Milwaukee's Easy Draft Slot

When it comes to the final week of any draft whether it be the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB, there are all sorts
of smoke screens that happen.  People want to try to throw off the scent of the other team. There were rumors of Duke forward Jabari Parker tanked his workout with Cleveland Cavaliers in order to get picked by the Milwaukee Bucks. Now it has moved to Cleveland being 50/50 on whom to pick between Andrew Wiggins and Parker. Dante Exum is starting to gain some momentum as well. It is officially the time where nobody know anything.

With Joel Embiid's latest injury picking second was the best thing to ever happen to Milwaukee's professional basketball team. Milwaukee doesn't have to decide to between Wiggins or Parker. They just have to pick the one Cleveland decided to pass on. It is that simple, no need to overthink things and do something stupid. Exum could definitely help the team, but international players this early have been costly for teams in the past. Milwaukee isn't going to do something crazy like trade out of the 2 position to help their team right away. All they need to do is pick the best player on the board.

Cleveland looks like they are going to make a pick. My assumption would be the asking price for the number one pick would be astronomically high. If they decide to trade the pick, all bets are off with what happens in this draft. After the first two selections, this draft might be one of the craziest ones we have seen in quite some time. There are so many different things that could happen after Wiggins and Parker are taken. If the Cavs trade the first pick, it will be a complete madhouse. Cleveland wants to make the playoffs therefore trading the pick might make sense, but at the same time adding a player like Wiggins or Parker could easily make this team a playoff contender in the weaken Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee gets to sit back and relax watching the world burn. They might work on trying to get another top 10 pick in the draft possibly from Sacramento or Philadelphia. Sacramento will have several offers to trade out of the top 10 with the latest rumor about Josh Smith getting traded then trying to get his buddy Rajon Rondo to California's capital (If this happens, we need a Hard Knocks of this team immediately). That package will not compare with anything Milwaukee has to offer tomorrow.  But at the top of the draft, Milwaukee only has to pick the guy left. That's pretty damn easy instead of all the different rumors happening with Cleveland in the past couple of weeks.

I know completely nothing, but it seems like Milwaukee would like to get back into the first round. If it is not Sacramento, it will be another team, possibly Phoenix, a team with two picks in the first round. Milwaukee seems like they would like to add to their arsenal by getting another first round pick in case the four second round picks don't pan out. Further, I believe Milwaukee will also take someone overseas that they can store for a couple years like they did with Zaza Pachuila and others since they have a mass quantity of picks in the second round.

This is the single most exciting day in the last couple years for the Bucks. They have been hanging around the eighth seed for the last couple of years and finally bottomed out like every Milwaukee fans hoped for in years past. Now, it's finally here. We will discuss the expectations and what might come with it in the coming days, but right now, it is time for Bucks fans to enjoy this moment.

Charlie.

Re-Cupping The World Cup: Bite Heard Round The World, Rodriguez Sparkles, Greece? Greece!!!

We are going to do a short blog each weekday about the World Cup. There will be a little more on United States obviously, but when it comes to the other games, we will talk about the different games in short recaps like we used to do with the NBA. I am no expert, don't pretend to be, but I want to compile a blog featuring some tweets, GIFs, videos and a couple thoughts from yours truly. If you hate it, let me know or think you could do it better, you know where to find me @SnoTap12 

Uruguay 1 Italy 0 - No one really wants to talk about the fact another European soccer club has been eliminated from this year's World Cup. No one really wants to talk about Italy's coach quitting immediately after the game. Everyone wants to talk about Luis Suarez taking a bite from Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder. It set Twitter on fire. Everyone is pissed off at Suarez again calling it unprofessional and things of that nature. I don't know why people are so upset. I guess biting a guy isn't a good thing to do per say, but people are acting like Suarez punched Chiellieni in the face and the balls. Let's settle down a bit boys.

Greece 2 Ivory Coast 1- HOW DO YOU LET THIS HAPPEN LES ELEPHANTS?!?!?! Seriously. I thought we were done with Greece, and now somehow we get another team from Europe in the knockout stages. I have some Greek friends, but man oh man, this is boring soccer. They would run the Greek tapes when they talk about why people hate the game in America. Georgios Samaras hit the penalty kick when it mattered in extra time with an obvious penalty occurring to draw the shot. Greece moves on to face Costa Rica in game that will feature two teams no one probably expected to still be here.

Colombia 4 Japan 1 - Colombia keeps the machine moving as they dominated Japan in all facets of the match in the second half. Japan tied the match right before the half, but the second half, it was all about James Rodriguez, one of the biggest stars of this World Cup thus far. Rodriguez had two assists setting up Jackson Martinez whose been struggling of late and then he added a goal of his own right around stoppage time with a glorious chip-in. Just how dangerous is Colombia? They will play Uruguay in the next round whom will be missing Suarez likely and then a probable showdown with Brazil. (H/T The Big Lead) 

Costa Rica 0 England 0 - Not much from this game honestly, but Group D is the reason we love the World Cup. They feature Italy, England, Uruguay and Costa Rica, no one expected Costa Rica to win the group unless you actually live there. Add to the fact, Italy and England are now eliminated too is absolutely wild. Group D isn't the Group of the Death, but it's damn near close.

Charlie.

SnoTap's Song of the Day: Often - The Weeknd

It has been quite awhile since we have heard something from The Weeknd, but it's perfect music for this time of night. This one is a little more of the baby-making music so if you have that opportunity tonight, think about turning this one on. Although the whole idea about turning on music with a lady or man friend is a little weird to me but I digress. This is pretty good stuff from The Weeknd though. A little different from him with a bigger beat and there is definitely a catchy chorus aspect to it which isn't something you expect when it comes to listening to The Weeknd.  Have a good night Tappers.  

Charlie.

Could Milwaukee Handle an MLS Team?

h/t @BennyHutch

For years, people have said Milwaukee should have a National Hockey League team. Many people believe
this team could support hockey team even though they really do not support a basketball team in the winter months, but I digress. Given the massive crowds at Brady Street this past Sunday for the World Cup, it makes one wonder could Milwaukee or the Milwaukee suburban area could support a Major League Soccer team. There are some realistic areas where it could be built plus provide a low-cost option for fans to support yet obvious hurdles exist all over the place.

It was estimated 15,000 people came down to Brady Street to support the United States Soccer effort with a great deal of passion and excitement. That number would fill up a majority of MLS Stadiums.  Milwaukee is more of a soccer city than people might think it is despite not being around the top 10 in the television ratings for the World Cup. There has always been a great deal of soccer love in the city with support of UW-Milwaukee and Marquette's soccer team along with a rich tradition in high school soccer. Milwaukee once had a professional team named Milwaukee Rampage where they did not draw very well, but this was a long team ago before the preceived leap soccer is making right now. 

Miller Park will be hosting a friendly with Swansea City and Chivas USA during the All-Star Break for the Milwaukee Brewers. If that draws well, it should be a push in the right direction for adding an MLS team in the future. This is not something where Milwaukee should do it in the next five years because the city needs to get the Bucks a new arena before everything else. Once they have that in place, the next step should be trying to add an MLS team with a new stadium somewhere in the City of Milwaukee. If the expansion of Milwaukee grows in the right direction adding a soccer team might not be the most ridiculous thing in the world. Further, it is time to think outside the box with the stadium and how to build Milwaukee as a city. 

Imagine if they put it around the old Pabst buildings right around the courthouse. There is a clear relationship with Pabst Blue Ribbon and soccer and if the Pabst sign looming in the background as they play soccer, it would be a thing of beauty. They could add around Miller Park in the golden triangle which we have talked about countless times for the Bucks. If Milwaukee does not work, putting a 15,000 seat stadium in the suburbs of Brookfield, Mequon or Franklin is not a terrible idea. All the sudden, there is a new place to host outdoor concerts and could create a whole new revenue stream for the entire area. Although there are many hurdles they will have to go through before actually making this a reality. 

Currently, the MLS has 18 teams with four teams coming through in the coming years. At some point, MLS will probably cap how many teams they want unless they go the route of European leagues and have a secondary division. Further, Minneapolis has an even better soccer reputation than Milwaukee and nearly got a team last time around. It might be hard to see all three cities, Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis, all have MLS soccer teams. Another city that might cut Milwaukee's chance to get a team is Indianapolis which could bring more to the table. 

Another big concern for the MLS addition in Milwaukee would be the Green Bay Packers. Now, there are 10 teams with NFL teams in the same city and in fact, New England Revolution plays in Gillette Stadium. My argument would be if New England can deal with having a soccer team, Milwaukee could deal with the Green Bay crowd. Same goes for Washington D.C. The other thing about is it would be much cheaper to see Milwaukee's MLS team versus doing anything else in the city.  There might be too much going on with the Brewers as well when it comes to September plus let's not forget about Wisconsin Badgers either. Milwaukee is a big small city and things might be spread too thin yet all of the options for the sports fan of Milwaukee would be tremendous.  

It will be interesting to see if this gains any momentum. I am all for the idea of adding new professional teams to the City of Milwaukee. Nothing wrong with getting on the bandwagon for Cream City FC or Milwaukee Futbol Club.   

Charlie. 

Quick Tap Podcast Episode 13 .

Quick Tap podcast decided to go live for another week. We would love to hear some feedback. If you guys hate this version and want me babbling for 20 minutes alone, feel free to let me know your thoughts. I thought this one was better despite a few technical difficulties on Seth's end. We do a draft of the top five TV characters of all-time which should piss some people off.  We move on to talking about if the excitement would be there for USA Football against the teams of the world like we had on Sunday. It continues with talking about what's more likely...U.S. Soccer not getting out of the round of 16 or Tiger Woods would miss the cut. Our discussion continues with talking about what we would be more successful at golfing left-handed or playing baseball left-handed. U.S. Soccer comes back into play talking about our reaction to the draw and finish with Carmelo Anthony talk.

Charlie.

LeBron's Opt-Out is a Smart, Calculated Decision

A typhoon hit Twitter on Tuesday morning when ESPN had a story saying LeBron James opted out of his contract with the Miami Heat making him an unrestricted free agent. This led to people vomiting overreactions all over Twitter with Photoshop pictures of LeBron playing for different teams as well as wondering how things will all fit. This is the silly season right now about James. He is only becoming a free agent to rework a contract to bring in some high level free agents.  LeBron does have some options outside of Miami, and some team could sweep in with a Godfather offer yet it seems like Miami is still the destination.

 With how the Big Three is structured right now, Miami cannot really afford to get a big-name free agent. They still probably couldn't get a Carmelo Anthony, but if things were structured the right way, they could make a run at a Kyle Lowry which would be a massive upgrade to Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole. The reason LeBron wants to do this in order to have all the options on the table, and he wants control of the roster which is something James deserves at this time of his career. If you call him selfish, remember Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan both did similar things. 

If somebody thinks this is classic LeBron and immediately believes he will leave for another team is a downright sucker. They are the same people whom link out clearly fake stories at least once a month. Sure, it is fun to live in dream world thinking James is coming to your team, but at the same time, it is definitely overreaching to make those sort of assumptions unless a reporter gives you a nugget that might make you think otherwise. Until then, it should be understood LeBron is opting out only to give Miami more choices in the upcoming offseason.  Sorry for being the wet blanket in the situation, but that's how things are going to work until we know for certain LeBron will make a move other than Miami. 

We might never know though which is the problem with all of this drama. James' wife Savannah posted an Instagram photo of the State of Ohio which is going to get blown up even more given it happened only a couple days ago. I can almost guarantee there will be a story coming out whether it be Yahoo! or ESPN will have a story about the dissension between Pat Riley and James which will lead everyone to think LeBron might head out. The only real thing where you could point to LeBron leaving would be if Dwyane Wade decides to bypass his option and play out the final two years of his contract at 41 million dollars, an insane amount of money for the player Wade is right now. 

LeBron will probably not do this but what if he wanted Wade off his roster which would then allow Miami to make a realistic push at Melo?  I mean it would be like Shawn Michaels superkicking Marty Jannetty through a glass window because it would be the ultimate heel move by James. More so than what he did at The Decision. Wade is the stalwart of the Miami roster, and if James would run him out of town,  I am not certain how people would react to something like it. Let's be honest, Wade is not a second banana anymore on a playoff roster. He could be a star on some teams in the lottery, but right now, Wade is half the player of what he was when LeBron first made the decision to be a member of the Heat.

This is only the beginning with James and the Miami saga. It will get ridiculous and there will be rumors, but 2010 was a fun summer with this nonsense, why not run it back for another time? 

Charlie.   

Re-Cupping The World Cup: El Tri Stays Hot, Oranje Stays Strong & Neymar!

We are going to do a short blog each weekday about the World Cup. There will be a little more on United States obviously, but when it comes to the other games, we will talk about the different games in short recaps like we used to do with the NBA. I am no expert, don't pretend to be, but I want to compile a blog featuring some tweets, GIFs, videos and a couple thoughts from yours truly. If you hate it, let me know or think you could do it better, you know where to find me @SnoTap12 

Mexico 3 Croatia 1 - I realize this is sacrilegious to say as an American, but is Mexico one of the most dangerous teams left in the World Cup. We talk all the time in sports about the hot team in the playoffs and wouldn't it be Mexico right now?  They break out for three goals in 10 minutes including a goal from Chicharito whose been under much criticism. They allowed one goal in the final five minutes of game with a three goal lead. They face another red hot team which we will talk about in a second, but do not count out Mexico in this one. I would have beers with Miguel Herrera without question. I don't care if he is the Mexican coach, whatever, dude is the balls.



Brazil 4 Cameroon 1 - This is the game where we revel at Neymar. Despite having a truly awful haircut, Neymar dominated this game with two goals and being in control of this game until leaving for precautionary reasons. Neymar has four goals already in this World Cup. He looks like one of the best players in the world if not the one whose ready to take the throne from Lionel Messi in the coming years. Even though they beat Cameroon in rousing fashion, I am still not all in on Brazil. They look really good, but something about them makes me think they do not make the semifinals, maybe I am nuts.  (H/T @FlyByKnite)

Netherlands 2 Chile 0 - One of the things I had no idea about was the fact Netherlands had never won a World Cup. They are basically the Buffalo Bills of the futbol world. Netherlands has finished runners-up in three different World Cups in 1974, 1978 and 2010 with a fourth place finish in 1998. But right now, it seems like they are one of the four best teams in this tournament. Arjen Robben is playing at such a high level right now and helped set up Leroy Fer for the first goal of the game. Memphis Depay delivered his second goal of the tournament as a cherry on top of the World Cup sundae. Video quality is terrible, but I cannot find a GIF to save my soul.

Spain 3 Australia 0 - Spanish side have a nice finish to their disappointing trip to the World Cup. David Villa's tears though were a little tough for me. One of the best for the Spanish side in the last five years, and a huge factor for the 2010 World Cup winners.

SnoTap Song of the Day: C.U.B.A.- Calvin Harris

Summerfest is a day away when the clock strikes midnight. This should really just be called 'free pass two weeks' because I swear the city is always chalk full of people on all days of the week plus all of the underagers trying to figure out ways to get beer. Or sneak in their favorite kind of booze (Girls I knew in high school go-to move was through ziplock bags but you didn't hear that from me). Calvin Harris isn't going to be at Summerfest, but it doesn't mean his latest song can't go into your rotation for the upcoming eleven days. Harris decides to go with pretty much no vocals rather just straight filthy production. Harris is on quite a run with Top 40 hits, but I doubt this will make the charts. Still an awesome song.

Charlie.

Nationals-Brewers Preview (6/23-6-25)

Brewers previews to get you ready for the series where we have five things to watch, pitching matchups and prediction. We add a YouTube video in the mix, it could be really anything.   

Pitching Matchups 

Monday:     Gio Gonzalez (3-4 4.85) vs. Matt Garza (4-4 4.02) 7:00 pm ESPN2/FSNWI 

Tuesday: Jordan Zimmermann (5-4 2.95) vs. Yovani Gallardo (5-4 3.34) 7:10 pm FSNWI   

Wednesday: Stephen Strasburg (6-5 3.24) vs. Marco Estrada (6-4 5.22) 1:10 pm MLB Network 

Five Things To Watch 

1.) Happy to be home - Milwaukee has spent 15 of the last 18 on the road. They did pretty well winning eleven of those 15 games including the current four game winning streak the Brewers are on as they head back to Miller Park for the week. The only series they have lost in that time span was the one at home versus Cincinnati. Hopefully, Washington doesn't pose too much of a problem. They won their last two games, and the Nationals beat Milwaukee two out of three last season at Miller Park.

2.) Aramis Ramirez month to continue? - It is the hot topic of the Brewers offense right now. Aramis Ramirez exploded on the West Coast and hopes to keep it going against Washington. He will be facing three tough pitchers with only have real success and experience against Jordan Zimmerman. Ramirez is flourishing hitting behind Carlos Gomez and his hitting streak right now because it always seems like Rami has a duck or two on the pond to drive in consistently. Ramirez being healthy and playing at this level is so important to the Brewers being a deep postseason contender.  

3.)  Jordan Zimmermann returns to Wisconsin -  One of Wisconsin's own returns to the home state which I am sure the folks at FS Wisconsin will talk a great deal about in the coming days. Zimmerman is one of the better pitchers in baseball for the month of June. In four starts, he has only allowed three total runs with scoreless outings in two of them. The last two times through he has seen barely any run support as Washington has only given him one run in the last two outings. Against Milwaukee, he has been virtually unhittable with a sub-one ERA at Miller Park in the last three years. Brewers will have a tall task Tuesday night.  

4.) Time to strike - St. Louis is five and a half games back of Milwaukee currently. Both Jaime Garcia and Michael Wacha are on the Disabled List with shoulder issues. St. Louis is embarking on a three-team West Coast trip where they will be playing Los Angeles and San Francisco. Milwaukee needs to make a dent here in the division. I am not saying this race will be over by any means as Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are hanging around too, but Milwaukee can definitely tack on some games to their lead before the All-Star Break. 

5.) Possible playoff preview - Who knows how the cookie will crumble but these two teams could meet in the playoffs. They see each other again right after the All-Star Break in Washington for three games so a tone can be set. I don't know if winning four of six will really make that much of an impact come October, but it is still nice to know you can beat a team you might see in the playoffs.  

Appropriate YouTube Video


In honor of playing our nation's capital, let's get a little American in this blog post. Also I am emotionally hungover from Sunday's World Cup and need a bounce back.

Prediction 
Honestly, I want to say Milwaukee can get two out of three, but with two great Washington pitchers, I don't really feel comfortable saying they can grab two here. Brewers will have to manage with a one win this week.

Charlie. 

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers vs. Rockies (6/20-6/22)

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
Jean Segura - This is more for his Friday than anything else he did over the weekend, but Segura came into Coors Field with a bang. He doubled his home run total with two dingers, his first multi-homer game of his career. They were important home runs too as Segura hit the first one after Colorado added two runs to pull the Rockies within one early on. Segura's second home run broke a tie and brought the Brewers back from trailing 6-4. He also added an RBI single in the next at-bat to complete the day. Segura can start building off this piece by piece he could get going again on offense.

Wily Peralta - Most people would look at a start where the pitcher gave up four runs and scoff he didn't really do his job, yet I disagree with how Coors Field been playing this season. Peralta went into the eighth inning with full control of the game. One of the things Brewers coaches have been trying to do more with Wily is him pitching to contact versus trying to get the strikeout every time out. He only had two strikeouts and really settled in after a tough first inning. Wily isn't yet an ace, but games like these where he needs to have a different approach shows ace-like abilities.

Aramis Ramirez - RED HOT. HOT HOT HOT. Rami usually does this in June and it is a sight to see really. He added a home run in the last two games, and his average has went from .261 10 games ago to .297. In his last eleven games, Ramirez is hitting .463 with nine extra-base hits. Further in the last four games, Ramirez has at least two hits. This is when the Brewers can really start cooking as Ramirez becomes damn near unpitchable and can win a game nearly by himself.

Scooter Gennett/Rickie Weeks - Good weekend to be a Brewers second basemen. Gennett got it going on Friday night with three hits including two doubles plus scoring on all three hits. The lead-off spot is paying off dividends as Scooter's average is up to .310 on the season. Weeks took over the spot over the weekend and added an RBI triple Saturday plus a two-hit game on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if Weeks gets a third straight start as Milwaukee faces another lefty or if Ron Roenicke will give Scooter a chance against a left-handed pitcher.

Carlos Gomez - The hitting and the on-base streak continue as Gomez pushes it out to 18 games with 35 straight on-base. He had multi-hit games on both Friday and Saturday along with driving in a run on Friday. Gomez continues to be one of the best Brewers on the team and continues to prove why he needs to start in the All-Star Game this coming July.

Lowlights
Colorado's Wild Pitch - Since MLB's videos do not want to work on Blogger, watch it here if you haven't already, but it is straight Micky Mouse silliness from the Rockies. I don't know how that happens. It feels like a computer glitch in MVP Baseball or something. It sums up the weekend though for Colorado's pitching staff whom gave up 28 runs over the weekend. These teams will meet again for four games this weekend in Milwaukee.

Marco Estrada - I am still not wild about anything Marco Estrada is doing right now for this team. He gave up seven earned runs on Friday and only three of them came from the home run. He shockingly got the win in the game against the Rockies, but there is really no reason for Estrada to be starting for this team. Estrada is the one problem for this team and Ron Roenicke will not believe it for reasons I cannot explain.

Francisco Rodriguez - Not the best Sunday for Frankie. Milwaukee held a two-run lead, and would have blown the save if it were not for a baserunning error by Corey Dickerson. Even though this was nerve-wracking, it is important for Rodriguez to have these kind of outings every now and again. I realize that sounds like flawed logic, but K-Rod cannot rest on his laurels knowing improvements are always needed.

Brandon Kintzler - Once again, not a great weekend for him. He battled through Sunday's outing with giving up three hits but finding a way out of the inning. Friday, he gave up a run which would make back-to-back outings. Hopefully, we are not going through another dip for Kintzler because it hurts how Milwaukee manages their bullpen.

Charlie.

Re-Cupping The World Cup: France Flies High, Magical Messi and German Survival

We are going to do a short blog each weekday about the World Cup. There will be a little more on United States obviously, but when it comes to the other games, we will talk about the different games in short recaps like we used to do with the NBA. I am no expert, don't pretend to be, but I want to compile a blog featuring some tweets, GIFs, videos and a couple thoughts from yours truly. If you hate it, let me know or think you could do it better, you know where to find me @SnoTap12 

Friday
Costa Rica 1 Italy 0 - Currently, the Ticos are the most surprising team of the tournament for my money. They take down Uruguay and now put themselves through with a win against Italy. This is a big moment for CONCAF getting a win against a team like Italy. The goal by Bryan Ruiz defined the term "Ball Don't Lie" after being denied a penalty. Costa Rica winning Group D featuring England, Italy and Uruguay is wild.

France 5 Switzerland 2 - Les Blues might be playing the best soccer after two games. A team not expected to do much damage in the tournament could be on the verge of making a lot of noise. They played at such a high level against an upstart Switzerland getting five straight goals before allowing two late in the game. Oliver Giroud and Karim Benzema really played strong throughout the game leading to France's probable advancement to the Round of 16.

Ecuador 2 Honduras 1 - This was the Enner Valencia game with two huge goals in the game to complete the comeback against Honduras. Valencia had two great goals hanging around the net with a great finish with his foot and his head. It gave Ecuador a chance to advance in the World Cup with a win or a draw against France. This is a massive hill to climb given how well France played throughout the first two games of the World Cup, but we have seen some crazier things.



Saturday
Germany 2 Ghana 2 - Might have been the game of the weekend if Portugal and the United States didn't happen because it featured a possible chance Germany would drop a game in group stages something that didn't even seem possible during their drubbing of Portugal. Miroslav Klose saved the team with an equalizing goal in the 71st minute. Thomas Mueller took a big hit leading to blood everywhere around his facial area. Who knows if Mueller will play against the United States.



Argentina 1 Iran 0 - There are games where you know why Lionel Messi is better than everyone else in the world. This game was headed to an improbable tie before Messi made his move in stoppage time netting a goal to put Argentina ahead and through to the Round of 16. I mean Iran didn't screw up really honestly. They had a strong defense on him with not much space, but Messi found enough to put it home. Iran can still advance with a win plus some goal differential help.

Nigeria 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 - Oh man, I felt for Bosnia as they had a couple chances late in the game. They had a perfect opportunity at the very end, but the ball went off the post sending them home from Brazil. Nigeria does have to play Argentina, but they control their own destiny. They could lose and still be in if the goal differential doesn't get out of wack.

Sunday
Algeria 4 South Korea 2 - Honestly, how bad is the defending by South Korea? They looked horrible on Sunday with Algeria attacking the goal consistently. They went up three goals in the first 40 minutes of the game. Algeria looked much more improved from their first game against Belgium. Algeria could get through with a win against Russia and a draw against Russia would probably do the trick as well unless Korea blows out Belgium.

Belgium 1 Russia 0 - The 'dark horse' continues their push into the Round of 16 even if they are not playing the best soccer. I am curious to see how different the results would be for Belgium if they were in a group with stiffer competition. They got a pure goal at the 88th minute, but this game did not leave anything for people to get on the bandwagon for this Belgium team.

Charlie.

The Disappointing Draw: United States Lets an Opportunity Slip By

Faint chants of U-S-A U-S-A begin to be heard at Jack's American Pub on a jam-packed Brady Street in the 95th minute. There are some already tasting victory and advancement to the knockout stages. I am patiently watching the clock thinking it's too early for chants, just finish and then we can celebrate like banshees. All the sudden, Cristiano Ronaldo tears down the wing and puts in a perfect ball allowing Silvestre Varela to score the equalizer in the latest regulation goal in World Cup history. You could hear a pin drop at the one-time rambunctious bar.

Me?  I went into a full squat buried below everyone. I wanted to crawl into the fetal position and not wake up for the next couple of hours. Did that really happen?  There are no words for the first thoughts after the game except for the fact everyone wanted to drink the pain away as quick as possible. A stomach-punch ending with a great game. United States are still second in the group with a lot that can happen. Even though the final result was a nightmare, the game and the atmosphere was perfect.  

It is really hard to think about the positives of the game given what happened at the conclusion. If the United States tied Portugal 1-1, we would probably talk about the variety of missed opportunities throughout the game rather than wondered what Michael Bradley was thinking with the ball and an open field in front of him. If he runs around for 30 seconds, Portugal cannot muster an attack and the United States is through to the Round of 16. Instead, United States will be fighting for their lives in hopes their trip to Brazil last longer than just a mere two weeks. Bradley had a better game, but it seems more and more like he is developing into the goat of this World Cup for the United States team. 

He had the horrid game against Ghana, and Sunday, Bradley played some better balls yet still had the massive brain fart in the final minute, something he did as well against Ghana. Bradley also had a wide open net with just a defender to beat and instead of delivering a swift kick in, he finessed the ball leading to Portugal preserving their one goal advantage. Bradley is one of the best players on this United States roster, but it seems like the moment is too big for him. He cannot handle being the second star next to Clint Dempsey. Bradley needs to play with more composure especially in the late parts of the game.

Bradley wasn't the only one whom had trouble in Manaus. Geoff Cameron really had a poor game having responsibility for both goals. Cameron had a horrible ball allowing Nani to get an opportunity for goal in the early goings of the game. Further, he lost Varela allowing him to slip behind and lead to the shocking header. Cameron will probably not get pulled from the lineup, but a case could be make he doesn't really deserve to be in the starting eleven after his performance on Sunday afternoon.

Bradley and Cameron might have had bad moments, but let's not take away from how well the United States play today from the 6th minute to the 94th minute. United States attacked more and had more shots in the first half than they did for the entire game against Ghana. Unlike Bradley, Jermaine Jones has been one of the best players for the United States, and he finally made his scoring presence felt with a great strike to equalize the United States. They didn't stop with one goal. U.S. kept attacking leading to DeAndre Yellin starting the break that led to Clint Dempsey getting his second goal of this World Cup putting the United States ahead in the 81st minute. All they had to do was hold on like that Wilson Phillips song and they would be in the final 16. 

As noted, they were denied that opportunity, and once again, a friendly reminder that sports can be the bane of our existence leaving us wonder why we care so much about grown men kicking around a black and white ball.  The equalizing goal and the go-ahead goal feature the complete opposite reaction and why we love sports. It cannot always be rainbows and unicorns. Hardships are involved all the time and usually you would like to avoid them being public. That being said, one of the best decisions I made was to find my way to Brady Street for the game amid a terrible hangover and staying out til 4 AM the night before. 

Never in my life have I seen a crowd of people like that on a street in Milwaukee. The police had to shut down part of the street because so many people were flooding the streets. Nomad had three different places to watch the game, all three were at capacity. According to a guy I spoke with they sold 500 cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Guess the whole racism thing didn't really make a dent in their bottom line, eh? Nomad wasn't the only bar packed as every place seemed to be wall-to-wall with people. It made me think could a Milwaukee Brewers World Series run lead to this type of pandemonium?    

 We found our way to Jack's where people were covered head to toe in American apparel. There were chants, there was happiness. The last time I celebrated something to that effect was Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb in late December. But it was a great feeling jumping up and down celebrating with everyone with chants of USA reigning down and momentarily deafening the in-game audio. The only thing better would have been an actual victory because the celebration would have been going to the wee hours of the night and this blog wouldn't have been posted yet. It is almost like the sports gods giving us a sample of the nectar of pure unfiltered happiness, but not the whole thing. That will have to wait for another time. 

United States needs a draw or a win to move on or a variety of tiebreakers need to happen with Ghana-Portugal for the team to advance. No one is ready to be done with the American soccer experience. It is just getting started. 

Charlie. 

Brewers-Rockies Preview (6/20-6/22)

Brewers previews to get you ready for the series where we have five things to watch, pitching matchups and prediction. We add a YouTube video in the mix, it could be really anything.   

Pitching Matchups 

Friday:     Marco Estrada (5-4 4.82) vs. Christian Bergman (0-1 3.75)  7:40 pm FSNWI 

Saturday: Wily Peralta (7-5 2.98) vs. Christian Fredrich (0-0 0.00)       3:10 pm FSNWI   

Sunday:    Kyle Lohse (8-2 3.09) vs. Tyler Matzek (1-1 3.75)              3:10 pm FSNWI 

Five Things To Watch 

1.) Exorcising Coors Field's Demons - In the last two years, Milwaukee has won one of six games at Coors Field. This is not a place that treats the Brewers well in the past couple years. Brewers have not won a series in Denver since 2005 (To be fair, Milwaukee got a split in 2011 during a four-game series at Coors Field). That was nine years ago! Victor Santos and Chris Capuano were the winning pitchers of the series. WES HELMS hit a home run in the first win of the series. Hopefully, things can change this weekend.

2.) Marco Estrada's Do or Die Start - Everyone expecting the worst with Marco Estrada tonight at Coors Field. I really do believe if Estrada struggles again tonight, Jimmy Nelson will face Colorado next weekend at Miller Park. Estrada has been downright awful in the last month or so. Estrada needs to avoid the walks without question because he will probably give up a home run or two tonight, that's the expectation. Everyone is expecting a dumpster fire so hopefully Estrada will use that as motivation and deliver a complete gem. 

3.) Trying to avoid Troy Tulowitzki - We always talk about Brewers killers, but maybe the most notable and the President of the whole thing is Troy Tulowitzki. Whenever he faces Milwaukee, he mashes against the Brewers. In the last three years, Tulo has 24 hits against Milwaukee with a little over half of them being for extra-base hits including five home runs. This equates to an average of about .358.  For the season, Tulowitzki has 18 home runs with batting .356 having an MVP-like season as well as three of his last seven games featured three hit games.  

4.) Dealing with a no-hit team - The last game Colorado played they did not fare well losing 8-0 with Clayton Kershaw no-hitting them striking out 15 batters. Colorado is come in pissed wanting to make a point. Now, they were swept by the Dodgers where Colorado only scored three runs. Is the regression monster looming given how outrageous their offensive numbers have been this season and Milwaukee catching them at the right time?  Or is this a case of Colorado being a wildly inconsistent baseball team?   

5.) Carlos Gomez hit and on-base streak deserves attention - I don't know why people haven't talked about Carlos Gomez's streaks right now. He reached on-base 32 straight games whether it be on a walk, error or base hit. Gomez also has a 15-game hitting streak going which is the best of his career. Honestly, I believe Gomez can have a field day at Coors Field. It seems like a place where he could completely rake and have a massive series. 

Appropriate YouTube Video


I have to go with the Dumb and Dumber line about John Denver. So good every time.

Prediction 
As much as I want to think the Brewers will reverse their luck here and take a couple games, I have them winning one. Let's go with Peralta's start on Saturday.  Usually when the opposing team has three pitchers with a combined four total MLB starts plus one making their Major League debut would give you encouragement, Milwaukee makes those guys look like Cy Young. Even one win gives the Brewers a .500 West Coast trip.   

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers-D'Backs (6/16-6/19)

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
Aramis Ramirez - It is going a little under the radar but Aramis is starting to turn the corner like he usually does in the summer. In the last seven days, Ramirez is hitting .370 with 10 hits, three doubles and two home runs. He had quite the series in Arizona as well with three hit day on Monday night driving in two runs breaking the 3-3 tie in the eighth. Ramirez added a towering solo home run on Tuesday and sparked the Brewers scoring on Thursday. If Rami gets hot with how this team is already playing, look out National League. It might not be pretty for the rest of them.

Elian Herrera - Got to give Elian some love for the series. He had a good series starting in three out of the four starts. Many people were concerned about Herrera filling in for Carlos Gomez in the first two games, but he did just fine out there. Additionally, Herrera delivered at the plate with two runs driven in plus having a two-hit night on Monday. It really never made sense why the Brewers kept sending him back down to Nashville. He has a pulse at the plate, and he knows how to play multiple positions. Herrera might not be the best option, but he is a quality bench player for this team. Yeah I said it.

Yovani Gallardo - In the last three starts, Gallardo has pitched 21 innings with only giving up two runs. At the beginning of the month, Gallardo's ERA was a little over four and now it is down to 3.34, basically two-thirds of a run in a mere three games. Gallardo had everything working on Thursday as he pitched more to contact than trying to get Diamondbacks strikeouts. If Gallardo pitches this way for Milwaukee, they will be very hard to beat. They do not need to have an actual ace, but if they have pitchers who have ace-like runs for a month, that will pay off in a major way.

Matt Garza - In the last series, Garza made the lowlights, and much of that reason was his horrid defense. But only one run was earned for Garza in that game. He pitched well again on Wednesday giving two earned runs in nearly eight innings of work. It is the first game all season where Garza didn't walk a batter. In fact, he has only one total batter in the last two starts. I don't know whether it was a comfort thing for Garza, or he is finally used to Jonathan Lucroy/Martin Maldonado calling the game. But he has been much improved this month.

Khris Davis - Did you know Khris Davis is from Arizona? I swear I heard that at least 10 times over four games. He had a good series back in his home state with a big three-run homer on Wednesday night providing the only offense for the Brewers. Davis also added two RBIs in Monday's win. He keeps playing his ass for the team. Davis is currently on pace for .261 with 26 home runs this season. Pretty strong first season debut for him. .

Lowlights
Brandon Kintzler - I don't know how upset I want to be at Kintzler. At one point, he has only given up two runs since May 23rd which is pretty damn good given he had a rough start to begin the month of May. But the other part of it is it appears Kintzler struggles when put into tight situations. He blew the game against Cincinnati and Arizona earlier this season in back-to-back outings, nearly lost the game against New York earlier this month and struggled again on Wednesday night. I easily get the most nervous when Kintzler heads to the mound in late-game situations.

Brewers bats against Wade Miley - I don't know what I want to blame on this for the Brewers. They struck out eight times against Miley and couldn't figure out that the home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez was calling the inside corner every damn time. Miley always got a big strikeout when he needed it as he dealt with baserunners all night. Brewers just couldn't figure out the inside pitch which seems to be a bugaboo a little bit for this team.

Crybaby Diamondbacks - All this team does is bitch and moan about everything. We already talked about the whole hitting Ryan Braun thing and why it's stupid, but you should read if you haven't. But seriously, they acted like every strike three was a ball or if a call on the mound didn't go their way, they seemed to be so shocked a call could go against them. Grow up.

Will Smith's 1/3 inning - We need to figure out what happened here. Will Smith, a possible All-Star, basically comes in like he was Ray King or Brian Shouse instead of being the pitcher he has been this season. What made it even more puzzling is Arizona had two left-handers up in the next inning meaning Smith could have easily handled them. The only defense of Smith not pitching an extra inning is the fact he pitched three straight games along with four of the last five.

Charlie.