They’re fun to watch!
A thrill to hear “Let’s go Brewers” chanted at Wrigley Field during Monday’s 7-0 beatdown of the Chicago Cubs. On the way to the best record in all of Major League Baseball, the Crew has scored the most runs; their 645 are 2 better than the Los Angeles Dodgers, 9 better than the NY Yankees — both big home run hitting teams. (Milwaukee ranks only 18th in the long ball.) How DO they do it?
The Brewers get on base at a .333 clip (second only to Toronto) by taking their walks (ranking 5th out of 30 teams). Avoiding the strike-out (7th fewest). By putting the ball in play. They bunt! (ranking 5th in sacrifice bunts and 6th in sacrifice flies). The Crew has perfected the art of the high infield chopper. They steal (ranking 2nd) and take the extra base on the merest bobble. All of which forces panicked defenders to throw wildly, commit errors. We looked but could find no statistic that measures how many errors a team forces — or just lucks out with. Platinum subscriber (and speller) Steve Prestegard confirms our suspicion that the Brewers force more errors than anyone.
Comparing two existing stats takes us to the same place: Although they rank 2nd in runs scored, Milwaukee is “only” 5th in RBIs. You don’t get an RBI on an error. Harder to measure, though, is that centerfielder’s hurried bobble as Joey Ortiz stretches a single into a two-bagger. Ol’ Sparky (our Eisenhower-era mainframe computer) worked up a table showing that no other team in the top 8 of runs scored and RBIs have such a differential — 4 spots in the case of the Brewers, 2 spots for the Cubs and Diamond Backs, one or none for the rest.
Ken Rosenthal (that sideline guy with the bowtie) notes that manager Pat Murphy (could he win another manager of the year award?) pulls players mid-game if they miss the cut-off man or get picked off base. Try that with a Fernando Tatis Jr. or a Mookie Betts!
Can someone please explain why clubs fixate on enhancing pitchers’ fastball velocities and hitters’ exit velocities but fail to properly instruct players on running the bases and hitting the cutoff man? … There’s a lesson here, if anyone in baseball cares to heed it. The lesson is in every ball the Brewers put in play and every runner they advance, every cutoff man they hit and every extra base they take. — Ken Rosenthal
Given up on our public schools?
The Big Beautiful Bill creates a permanent K-12 scholarship program funded through private donations and incentivized by an annual 100% federal tax credit for individuals donating up to $1,700. To qualify for the credit, contributions must be made to a certified Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) – a non-profit organization that awards scholarships to families for a wide range of qualified expenses.
The catch? It’s up to Gov. Tony Evers to opt into the program.
This ’n that:
• Cannot believe the State of Wisconsin is leveling GEFs 2 and 3 but not that brutalist monstrosity, GEF-1. Worked there, had my own office on the top floor, everyone hated it. Thankfully, the bare asphalt of the Brayton parking lot may be developed … Curt Brink’s proposal looks best (few have done more for this city!) — invites you into the Capitol Square’s back streets. Plus, Madison needs more condominiums.
• The Dane County Board of Supervisors declared August as transgender history month.
• News media bias, chapter #3,129: CNN was all a-twitter that they had picked up a hot mic at the White House summit of the President saying Putin would do a deal “for me.” Erin Burnett (that raven-haired hottie!) pestered Finland’s president about it; the statesman completely blew her off.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: As if to say: Trump is doing something important here, girl. Don’t trivialize it.
9 responses to “Another thing about the Brewers:”
The Brewers are #1 in opponent errors.
https://www.teamrankings.com/mlb/stat/opponent-errors-per-game
Well, there you have it! Should’ve known — if they can measure exit velocity … But I was on the right track!
Run differential is an important predictor of success (AI: “Run differential, calculated by subtracting a team’s runs allowed from its runs scored, … generally reflects a team’s true talent level over a long season… Teams with a higher run differential … are more likely to perform well in the playoffs.”). The Brewers currently lead in that department, and it’s not close: 168 to Cubs’ 2nd-place 110, https://www.teamrankings.com/mlb/stat/run-differential.
Right, but I was attempting to explain the team’s ability to score those runs without depending on the long ball.
Yes, and as usual you made the point very well. I should have added that the Brewers run-differential achievement underscores their success in the department you ID’ed (basically, manufacturing runs on an industrial scale). To be sure, we wouldn’t be having this discussion w/o stellar pitching, but that’s nonetheless tangential to your basic point.
PUT THE BROOM AWAY WE ARE DONE SWEEPING. GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
C*UBS WIN AGAIN!!!!!!!! GO CUBS!!!!! YOU MAGNIFICANT BASTARDS!!!!!! KEEP GOING MEN!!!!!!
Long season, it aint over til its over, come to a fork in the road take it. Not sure why cub fans think they will win anything with counsell as coach. The way they disparaged the brewers when he was coach of our team. Cubs are a good team, brewers are a good team. Brewers to me since 2017 have been one of the most exciting well run regular season teams in both leagues. What irks me most is that Manfred bullied the brewers and state to pay for upgrades to a new stadium to keep the team here. Meanwhile Wrigley Field gets a pass for having one of the biggest pieces of crap stadiums and for the most part one of least successful franchises in league. Can also say Fenway is in same boat. It is crap, wrigley has nets holding the concrete fron falling on fans in the concourse. Dont get me started on the white sox.
Release the files. GO NEWSOM!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah: CUBS TOO.