Brewers Take Serious Approach to the Pitching Situation

Milwaukee Brewers fans know that pitching and defense wins baseball games. It's nice to have hot bats, and the Brewers certainly have that already. When the pressure is on, you need pitchers that can shut down a team, or a bullpen that can keep the game close. The Brewers now have both.

Brewers Sign Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke

First, we see that the Brewers signed Shaun Marcum. That was a nice start as Marcum was happy to land in a city that was closer to his home town of Kansas City. He finished 2010 with a record of 9-7. From there, the rumors were that the Brewers would use prospects to fill the final starting rotation. To the surprise of everyone, Milwaukee signed Zack Greinke. Greinke was supposed to go to a big market, big city team. He might find Milwaukee to be a forgiving and baseball loving city. The night that Greinke signed the deal, Brewers tickets started selling at a brisk pace.

With two spots open in the bullpen, the Brewers signed Takashi Saito. Saito is one of the best set up men in the game, and he signed a one year deal. From here, one would expect that the Brewers will see which of their nine prospect pitchers will shine in spring, and win that final spot on the roster. Could this be the year that Milwaukee goes deeper into the playoffs? My fingers are crossed.

Brett Favre Are You Finished Yet?

I'm glad that I recorded last night's game between the Vikings and Bears. After another night of holiday shopping, it was nice to crawl into bed to watch Monday Night Football. Favre started the game, to the surprise of many. I get it. He's got the smarts to know what do on the field, but the dude has no parts left. He couldn't even raise his right arm in celebration when he threw what will surely be his last touchdown pass.

To see Favre get slammed to the turf by some rookie lineman was not fun. He didn't move for about three or four seconds, and that made me sick. Call it a career Brett Favre. We loved you in Green Bay. We don't like you in Minnesota, but after Rodgers swept the Vikings this season, it hurts a lot less to see you wearing purple. Walk off under your own power. Go take a few months off, heal, and think about sportscasting, or fly fishing, or riding the most tricked out lawn mower on your property in Mississippi. We don't want you back in uniform because it makes us nervous.

When Favre walked to the sideline, face smeared with that turf powder, cheeks burning red, and a far away gaze in his eyes, I felt compelled to turn off the game. Favre was finished for the night, so I kept watching. There was no glorious comeback for the Vikings. The Bears are NFC North champs, and Green Bay needs big help to get a Wild Card spot.

Local Milwaukee Music Takes Over when Winter Sets In

I would guess that big time touring bands don't want to do cold winter tours. Would you want to come to Milwaukee in December? We're about to have our first snow storm of the year. It might not be a big one, but it will certainly snarl traffic. The first one always does. I'm hoping to head down to Turner Hall tomorrow night to see a Smiths tribute band. If that is a bust, I might sneak over to see Tim Cook and the Riverwesterners at the Uptowner. Heck, there are a bunch of great local Milwaukee bands playing this weekend. Beatallica is on at 11pm tonight. Screw the big time tour monsters, just get to a local club for local people.

Milwaukee Brewers Coaching Staff Takes Shape

As the new coach takes over for the Milwaukee Brewers, the question of who stays and who goes is starting come together. Dale Sveum is said to be staying on with the Brew Crew, so below is the current list of who is coming and who is going at Miller Park.

Milwaukee Brewers Managers On The Way Out

Willie Randolf, Bench Coach

Rick Peterson, Pitching Coach

Milwaukee Brewers Managers On The Way In

Jerry Narron, New Bench Coach

Rick Kranitz, New Pitching Coach

Jeremy Shelby, yet to be named Coach

Yes, most of these guys have a connection to the Orioles. We will see if this new staff can get the Brewers above .500, and into playoff contention in their first year. They have to, because we will most likely lose Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks to free agency in 2012. Get a couple of hot pitchers, and this team will rise to playoff level. Is that stating the obvious. Yes, I think it is.

Packers VS Cowboys | Randy Moss Waived By Minnesota Vikings

I'm still laughing about the Randy Moss debacle that just ended in Minnesota, but I need to focus on the upcoming Packers VS Cowboys game. This is one of those games that should end in a victory for our Green Bay Packers, but on any given day.

Green Bay held the Jets to zero points yesterday afternoon. That had not happened since 1991. The defense may be working with second stringers, and our offense is missing key players, but to hold the Jets to the "goose egg" was sweet. Does that mean the Cowboys will find a way to win? Will our guys keep up their level of play, and end up with a 6-3 record by next Monday morning? We will see in due time.

Randy Moss was just waived by the Vikings. Cleaning house, or just getting rid of the bad smell?

Muse Tonight at Bradley Center Milwaukee

I'm heading down to the Bradley Center to see Muse, after all the Passion Pit fans leave the floor. Sorry, I'm not a big Passion Pit fan. Will Muse fill the Bradley Center? I hope so.

Farm Aid 25th Year Celebration at Miller Park Milwaukee

Farm Aid will celebrate its 25th year at Miller Park in Milwaukee. The announcement was made live, via webcast. John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson will be among the yet to be announced musical stars of the day. Farm Aid 25 will be on October 5. The roof may or may not be open.

Brewers VS Nationals at Miller Park

The Brewers VS Nationals series is coming up at Miller Park. Both teams have a similar win/loss record. The nationals have one not so secret weapon: Stephen Strasburg. This young pitcher throws a fastball at 100+ MPH. He's brought fans to the park as well.

Strasburg will not be pitching at Miller Park though. He's not scheduled to take the mound until after Washington moves on. Our Milwaukee Brewers will face Craig Stammen. Stammen is 2-4, with an ERA of 5.5.

Milwaukee will see Chris Narveson on the mound tonight. Narveson is 8-6. Game time is set for 7:10pm. I hope that the Miller Park roof is open. It's going to be a muggy night in Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun Makes The Hightlights on All Star Night

I love that catch by Ryan Braun in the fourth inning. He laid out for that one, and nabbed it. As for his batting, he's now 0-7 in All Star play. The National League won this one. It's going to be a while before we see our Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. The road trip starts tomorrow.

John Salmons and Milwaukee Bucks One Step Closer to a Deal?

John Salmons announced that he's "opting out" of his final year. Does that mean the Milwaukee Bucks are one step closer to signing him? This does make Salmons an unrestricted free agent. Milwaukee, all hope is not lost. Salmons is trying to land a three-year deal and we're all for that. Pay the man!

Brewers VS Twins at Miller Park | Summerfest Fans Gather in Milwaukee

Chris Narveson is 5-4 with an ERA of 5.79. He's the man on the mound for game one in this Brewers VS Twins series at Miller Park. This first game is a 7:10 start. Game three is also on the first day of Summerfest. Game time for that contest is 1:10pm.

Where do the Brewers stand? Do we want to look? Dare I talk about it? No, lets talk about great upcoming games instead. Milwaukee has a nine game home stand here. They play Houston, Seattle, and Minnesota, in reverse order of what I just put here. Milwaukee is going to be a crazy place in the next few days. With the team in town, and show at the Lakefront, there is too much to do. Summerfest fans look out. The Brewers are in town.

Summerfest Milwaukee 2010 Milwaukee's Gem

I'm stoked that Summerfest Milwaukee 2010 starts this week. I have tickets to the Tom Petty Show at the Marcus Amphitheater. I'm going to show number two. My wife is a big ZZ Top fan, and I think I am too. I don't know if I'll stay for the encore for Petty. Better to get my butt out of the venue before it's too late.

The other night that I'm certainly going to hit the lakefront is July 4. DEVO is performing at one of the free stages. So far, we have a group of eight for that night. The 40 somethings will be there in big numbers. That's the last night of Summerfest, so hopefully, it will be less crowded. DEVO released their new album last week. Well, they "released" it to an exclusive group of cats and we humans got to watch and listen via webcast.

Ryan Braun Hits Grand Slam | Milwaukee Brewers Playing Better Baseball

When was the last time we saw Ryan Braun hit a grand slam? I can't recall. The Brewers went on to crush the Angels 12-2. There were two innings where the Brew Crew scored five runs. Randy Wolf managed to stay in the game for seven innings. After an early two-run multi hit, mini melt down, Wolf settled into his game. It didn't hurt that the Brewers had a nice lead for most of the game. How about that Casey McGehee home run? The ball pops out of Torii Hunter's glove and bloops over the fence.

If anyone wants to say that McGehee's slide into second was a payback hit for getting smashed in the ribs by a pitch, just watch the video. It was a clean slide to break up the double play. He's not thrilled that Aybar left the game in pain.

Milwaukee Brewers At Miller Park Lose All Three VS Phillies

The Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park have been struggling. They lost three in a row, VS the Phillies. I realize that Philadelphia is a great team but to get swept at home is not cool. Why didn't Ken Macha just use up the bullpen in an effort to pick up a win on Saturday? The team had a chance that night, but Ken was thinking too much about Sunday.

Rickie Weeks is Mr. Hot and Cold. Right now, he's Mr. Cold. I think Rickie is having trouble seeing the ball right now. Perhaps he's got to get back to basics. Learn to love the ball Rickie, and hits will follow.

Corey Hart doesn't want to take a walk. You won't see that guy at the plate with a 2-2 count on the jumbo tron. He's just swinging away. Meanwhile, Macha is thinking way too far ahead. Sometimes you have to do what it takes and use up the pitching staff. We're going down in flames here Kenny.

If I'm going to spread a bit of blame, let's talk about Ryan Braun. He went 2-12 on this home stand. Yes, he was hit by a pitch last week. I'm sure that hurts. He's gutsy to stay with it, and get in there to play against the Phillies. But Ryan, if you need some time to heal, take a seat. The pitching staff will probably blow any lead you help create. You might as well let that elbow ge back into shape. Prince Fielder didn't do much better, going 3-12, but he hit two home runs in the series. In his past ten games he bat .350. That's great, but Prince had only four RBI's in those ten games. Guess who's not getting on base?

Summerfest Milwaukee 2010 Bands at Classic Rock Stage

The M&I Classic Rock stage has announced the Summerfest Milwaukee Bands for 2010. The list below threw me for a loop. Are these Summerfest headliners cover bands or for real? The M&I rock stage is so huge, that I can certainly see Yes and the B52's playing there. The Moody Blues have played the Marcus Amphitheater before, and their fans will crowd the current venue for sure.

June 24 Night Ranger

June 25 Think Floyd

June 26 Uriah Heap

June 27 B.B. King

June 28 Blue Oyster Cult

June 29 Weird Al Yankovic

June 30 Moody Blues

July 1 B52's

July 2 Yes (No Jon Anderson)

July 3 Peter Frampton

July 4 Average White Band

Latest Flame Releases Fu*kFace CD Miramar Show 7/10/10

Latest Flame Records has just released the long lost Fu*kFace recordings. Their mini-tour is scheduled for July. Fu*kFace surfaced in the Milwaukee music scene back in 1991. As the years went on, they acquired members of Die Kreuzen, Boy Dirt Car, The Crusties, and more. This eight member band had a very unique way of providing sounds.

Step one: Put three drummers in the band
Step two: Take away all the snare drums and cymbals
Step three: Add a metal "percussionist" who plays scrap iron, aluminum, and steel
Step four: Play music that is dark, so heavy that it makes the room shake, and so out there that some just don't want to try to understand it.
Step five: Do not compromise by changing the name as the band gains popularity
Step six: Go out in flames after five years and bury the master recordings of an album in a vault
Step seven: Wait fifteen years, get Latest Flame Records to release the recordings, call all the members back together (not easy, as they live in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cape Cod, and Wisconsin)
Step eight: Hope that the band gets along, play the shows, and have a good time

Fu*ckface plays with ifihadahifi at the Miramar on July 10. See you there?

Summerfest 2010 Devo at Miller Oasis

The best Summerfest 2010 show at Miller Oasis has just been announced. That would be Devo. Yes, it's a stretch to call it the best show of the season, but I'm a huge fan. Devo has been around since the early 1970's. Their radio friendly hit was Whip It, but I am a fan of the first two albums.


Mark Mothersbaugh had success in children's cartoons, and very interesting art, on top of being the lead singer and front man for Devo. Gerald Casale, Bob Lewis, and drummer Alan Myers were the true core of the band. Alan Myers left the band as he felt the creativity that made Devo so unique had been tapped out. Skyline Electric is where you will find Alan Myers now. The most devout music fans felt that Alan Myers was the best percussionist to play in Devo. I know that he certainly inspired drummers like Paul New of Fu*kFace.

Milwaukee Bucks Playoff Tickets for Bradley Center

I should have guessed that the Milwaukee Bucks playoff tickets for the Bradley Center would go fast. They weren't supposed to win game five of this series, on the road, against a strong team like the Hawks. They pulled it off in style. Down 13 points in the fourth quarter, I was tempted to turn off the TV.

That three-pointer by Carlos Delfino that put Milwaukee up by four points with just over one minute to go was the spike in the heart of the Atlanta Hawks. Prior to that, the Hawks lead by as much as 13 points late in the third quarter. They thought that the game was all but over when they lead 73-63 with 9:30 left in the game. Milwaukee sank some key shots, got the call on the other side of the court when Crawford was called for a charge. The Bucks were down by just one point, and got the ball back. Milwaukee scored five unanswered points, and it was game over.

The Hawks come back to Milwaukee's Bradley Center tomorrow night. The odds are in favor for Milwaukee to win the series, but nobody is counting Atlanta out. They will come to Milwaukee angry and hungry.

Summerfest Milwaukee 2010 Shows

Since my last Summerfest Milwaukee 2010 shows post, all but one date for the Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater has been booked. Here is the list as of today.

• June 24 Tim Mcgraw with Lady Antebellum & Love and Theft
• June 25 Tom Petty with ZZ Top
• June 26 Tom Petty with ZZ Top
• June 27 Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston
• June 28 Eric Clapton and Roger Daltry
• June 29 Brooks & Dunn with Gary Allen and Keelie Pickler
• June 30 Usher
• July 1 Santana with Steve Winwoood
• July 2 TBA
• July 3 Rush
• July 4 Carrie Underwood
• As you can see, we have one more open date for Summerfest 2010. Who will it be?
  

Justin Bieber Summerfest June 27th Show

It's official, Justin Bieber will headline Summerfest on June 27th at the Marcus Amphitheater. This 16 year old pop star will be hard pressed to fill the first three sections of the venue! Either way, this pop sensation is coming. It's a Sunday night, so I guess that it makes sense to put a barely famous pop singer on the Marcus stage. This headliner is making Verge Festival so much more attractive. If you want to rock, don't go down to Summerfest on June 27th.

Bradley Center NCAA Tournament 2010 | Will the Badgers Represent Wisconsin?

Milwaukee plays host to the NCAA first and second round basketball tournament games at the Bradley Center. Marquette will not be allowed to play there, because the Bradley Center is their home turf. The Wisconsin Badgers could certainly be playing in Milwaukee, as the venue is not their home court. It's the next best thing, seeing that the Badgers fans will travel the 67 miles to Milwaukee.

Badgers basketball tickets for the tournament includes other games, so be prepared to spend some time in the Bradley Center. The Badgers just downed Iowa, and now they play in the Big Ten tournament. If they win a few road games in the tournament, then they can acquire a better seed. Go Bucky!

Milwaukee Bucks 2010 Playoffs | Is There A Chance for the Bucks?

Milwaukee Bucks 2010 Playoffs are still a possibility. John Salmons was traded to the Bucks on February 18. In return, the Chicago Bulls get Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick. Milwaukee also picks up a pair of second round draft choices.

John Salmons was literally out of place for most of his first night on the court for Milwaukee. He was getting some serious on-the-job training from Bogut, Jennings, etc. He didn't have a good night, but sank a very important three-pointer with just seconds to play. That score put the game out of reach. Salmons ended the night with 19 points in the Pistons game, and sent Detroit packing.

The next night, he scored another 19 points, and Brandon Jennings did the same. The Bucks are in the midst of a three-game win streak. They have the eighth spot in the playoffs at the time of this post. They are selling extra Bradley Center tickets for the upcoming game, just because of the win streak and Salmons acquisition.

Turner Hall St. Vincent Show Milwaukee

St. Vincent played the way you would expect a touring band to play, tight, perfectly, easily. They performed at Turner Hall last night, and I must say that the crowd was receptive, and polite. It took about six songs to pass before some dude shouted "We love you Annie." That was followed up by "Marry Me." Ok, one drunken jerk to my left was not going to be a buzz kill. He stopped generating laughter after the third "WOOOOOO."

Annie Clark gave us the usual "we love you Milwaukee," and "thanks Milwaukee." My favorite was when she said "Milwaukee is the gem of the Midwest." That's when my friend turned to me and said "It's February."

The band played all the songs from their second disk. Ms. Clark sang a couple solo numbers, one being an Ice Cube cover. Their encore numbers included a song from her first disk, but by that time I had been standing for almost three hours. It was time to move to the back and soak up the atmosphere of the entire venue.

We stuck around for a chance to get autographs. The drummer, wearing a sport coat and bow tie, was kind enough to sign my disk, even though he was not on it. Finally, the violin player came out and I managed to get him to help me with autographs from the rest of the band. It was totally worth the wait. They play the sold out Metro tonight, in Chicago.

Black Eyed Peas General Admission tickets Bradley Center

The Black Eyed Peas general admission tickets at the Bradley Center on March 11 are the way to go. I planned to get a seat for that show, only if I could get on the main floor. The catch is that the main floor for the show is "GA." There are no chairs on the Bradley Center Main floor.


After thinking about it, I'm happy to stand all night long. If people are going to stand anyway, why not get the chairs out of the way. How many shows have you gone to where you stand all night long? I can't think of any show where I didn't stand for most of the night. Even a show like Harry Connick has crazy fans that want to stand all night long. Aren't the fans going to dance all night at Black Eyed Peas?

There are times when the artist has the first few rows of the venue pulled out for one night of dancing. That's also a great idea, but the issue is that the people with chairs right up against the pit get upset because everyone is standing in thier way. Some folks will never be satisfied. Did you ever go to a show where someone is yelling "sit down" from behind you. They need to get a life.

Rascal Flatts Bradley Center Show | Milwaukee's First Big Show of the Year

Yes, when February rolls around, we're well into the new year. It's cold, dark and snowy in February. Milwaukee Bradley Center fans could use a break. Look no further than Rascal Flatts on February 26th.

Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day 2010

It's snowing right now. Groundhogs day is upon us, but I don't believe in the predictions. What I believe is that the Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day 2010 game will be with a closed roof at Miller Park. If you glance at this Miller Park seating chart, and scan over to section 112, that's where I will be seated for opening day.

When I was a kid, I used to get to leave school early, and go to the opening day games. Now, I have to try to get the day off before my coworkers grab it. It's a struggle. Two guys that I work with have gone every year for 20 years. They have a standing order to keep them off the work schedule, so they can see the Brewers on opening day. Most times, we can sneak out and head to Miller Park after the phones stop ringing.

Aaron Rodgers Represents Green Bay Packers in Pro Bowl

I managed to catch one of two Aaron Rodger's touchdown throws. Yea the defensive line just pretends to rush the passer. It was still pretty cool to see a few more throws before heading into the off seasn. When the Green Bay Packers schedule comes out, then we will have something to write about here. Until then, I'm a big fan of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee Brewers Face Pittsburgh Pirates in April, Houston Astros in May

April 26-28 is when the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates come to Miller Park. Opening day is always a sell out for the Brewers. The April games that follow are usually low attendance events. Consider trying to sell Pittsburgh Pirates tickets, for an April series for Milwaukee. That's when you sneak into the lower level and enjoy the view.

A better bet is to buy Houston Astros tickets at Miller Park for May 25, 2010. Houston comes to Milwaukee in May, and the attendance starts to pick up right around that time. College kids are finished with school, and looking to have some fun. By the first week of June, school's out for summer, and the ballpark is filling up nicely.

Dropkick Murphys at Bradley Center Feb. 26 with Milwaukee Admirals

Where will they put the stage? The Dropkick Murphys play after the Milwaukee Admirals game this Feb. 27th. The Bradley Center might be one of the biggest places that the Dropkick Murphys have ever performed in. I know that they have played huge outdoor festivals before, but a 20,000 seat arena? Yea there may only be a few thousand fans lingering around after the show, but you never know. Perhaps the Dropkick fans will come in huge numbers?

New Milwaukee Summer Festival Sponsored By Summerfest

As if Summerfest Milwaukee 2010 wasn't cool enough, there is a new game in town. Milwaukee World Festival Inc, has created a festival of Alternative and Modern rock. The show dates will be June 4th and 5th. The name of the festival has yet to be determined. FM102 will be a radio sponsor. I'll try to keep my cynical views in check until after the lineup is announced.

I must ask one question. Has anyone taken note of the weather in Milwaukee for the first few days of June? It rains. Not only does it rain, it floods. Torrents of water fall from the sky nearly every year in early June. As long as the festival is under cover, it might be ok. With Riversplash mysteriously out of the way, the new festival is the only game in town. Was some back door deal made between city powers and Summerfest, or is MWF a smart cookie?

Milwaukee Bucks Pick Up Jerry Stackhouse as Michael Redd Goes Down Again

Jerry Stackhouse is a 14 year veteran, and most known for his tough nature on the court. This new Milwaukee Bucks shooter, and all around tough guy was twice nominated the All Star roster. He sat out for over 40 games covering two seasons back about four years ago. Since then, he's been in an out with injuries. Still, we need somebody, and I guess that Stackhouse is somebody. Will this move help to sell Milwaukee Bucks tickets?

The Bucks pulled off a win last night. Stackhouse played for 17 minutes. In the past four seasons his scoring average dropped nine points, but you have to understand that in his last stint with the Mav's he played in ten games. Old, injured, but worth the risk, Stackhouse may teach Brandon Jennings some hatchet man tricks.

Marquette plays Providence at Bradley Center

I just spotted one of the Providence basketball players at Cousins subs. He was chatting up some girl while waiting for his sub. I think that Marquette is at the Bradley Center on Sunday. Providence must have come in early to prepare. The Bradley Center will be crowded on Sunday for sure.