Brewers pitcher Yovanni Gallardo throws second consecutive shutout and hits another home run. Could he become the next Brewers pitcher to throw a no hitter?

Could Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Yovanni Gallardo throw the second no hitter in Milwaukee Brewers history? More likely the questions are becoming when and why not? Now seriously throwing a no hitter or perfect game is very hard and takes some luck in addition to pitching skill. Just ask Brewers pitcher Dave Bush who nearly pitched a no hitter last week before having it broken up on a home run in the eighth inning. And there was the game last year where CC Sabathia should have had a no hitter if a ball that couldn’t get out of his glove was called a hit instead an error.

So what about Youvanni Galardo who’s quickly becoming the Brewers new ace pitcher. A home run, the first ever off almost 300 game winner Randy Johnson, two consecuctive shutouts with a complete game win at Houston last week and a 1-0 two hit shutout Wednesday afternoon against the Pirates where the only run of the game came off Gallardo’s bat with another home run in the seventh inning.

Yes Gallardo can hit home runs, he is pitching great and fast becoming the Brewers new ace pitcher. And he also wears the same number 49 as the Brewers greatest Mexican pitcher in their history, Teddy Higuera. So could he become the first Brewers pitcher to throw a no hitter since Juan Nieves threw the only Brewers no hitter to date against the Orioles in April 1987? As I said before time will tell and a no hitter requires a lot of luck as well as skill, but I think Yovanni Gallardo has the stuff and makeup to do it. We’ll see what happens but it is exciting to watch him pitch and I’m glad the Brewers have found a new ace pitcher and we’ll see where it goes from here. Thanks as always for reading and talk soon. Best wishes. badgerbratwurst

NFL Draft, NBA & NHL Playoffs and Major League Baseball: What interested me on this four sport weekend.

As I’ve been saying it was a four sport weekend for the major sports in this country with the NFL Draft, the NBA & NHL Playoffs and the last weekend of the first month of the major league baseball season. What I’m going to do in this blog is base those four sports around my interests in them so my apologies if you have different thoughts or opinions.

In the NFL Draft the Grren Bay Packers took defensive end BJ Rahi with the ninth pick. The Pittsburgh Steelers took defensive tackle Evander Hood with the 32nd pick. And the Steelers also took Kraig Urbik, a Wisconsin Badgers guard as a third round pick. Hopefully they’ll do great for their new teams as well as the much bigger names that were picked in the draft that most of us know well and are paid quite well also.

In major league baseball the Milwaukee Brewers are playing better, almost back to .500 with a 9-10 record after taking 2 of 3 games against their Texas division rival, the Houston Astros in Houston. My other favorite team, the Boston Red Sox are pretty hot having won 11 in a row after a 2-6 start, sweeping the New York Yankees at Fenway Park over the weekend and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury stole home in the Sunday night which is a rare feat in today’s game.

In the NBA the San Antonio Spurs, my favorite team are on the verge of elimination down 3-1 to the Dallas Mavericks with Game 5 at San Antonio Tuesday night. I’m not that into the rest of the NBA Playoffs although the Boston Celtics & Chicago Bulls series is pretty good at 2-2 with exciting overtime games like a 121-118 double overtime Bulls victory over the Celtics in Chicago this past Sunday.

The NHL Playoffs excite me a little more even though my favorite teams are out of the playoffs. First the games are exciting with sudden death overtime games and there are two seventh games tonight in the first round compared to the basketball playoffs which have been pretty predictable and boring. Also last night the San Jose Sharks, the team with the best record in the league during the regular season was eliminated by the eighth seeded Anaheim Ducks. I like the aspect of unpredictability which for some reason seems to exist more in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs than it does in the NBA Playoffs where the top seeds often win and most people are waiting and hoping for a LA Lakers with Kobe Bryant vs the Cleveland Cavaliers with Lebron James final.

I am a fan who likes to see every team have as much of an equal and fair chance to win unlike the networks, media and even the sports league that seem to favor certain teams to win because of public interest and how many dollars they will make. I’m not saying the games are fixed or at least I hope not, and I understand business is business but most regular fans just want to see great games competed fairly no matter who plays or wins.

Thanks as always for reading, I hope you enjoy the games and I look forward to your thoughts and comments when you have them. Take care, best wishes and talk soon. badgerbratwurst.

Brewers pitcher Dave Bush had near no hitter against Phillies. NFL Draft, NBA and NHL Playoffs. A Four Major Team Sport Weekend

Hey Sports Fans. It’s a four major team sport weekend which is only possible in October but with the NFL Draft this weekend we’ll make an exception because it’s almost covered like a game by the fans and media with the exception that the new drafted players won’t be running out of the tunnel onto the field Saturday or Sunday.

Anyway on the field the Brewers pitcher Dave Bush almost pitched the second no hitter in Milwaukee Brewers baseball history on Thursday before giving up a homer to the Phillies Matt Stairs with one out in the eighth inning in a game the Brewers went on to win 6-1. The only no hitter in Brewers history was pitched by Juan Nieves in April 1987 against the Baltimore Orioles during the Brewers major league record 13-0 start that year. Now the Brewers head to Houston for my favorite rivalry series, living in Texas against the Astros.

In the NBA Thursday night the Spurs my favorite NBA team lost 88-67 to the Mavericks who now lead that series 2-1. Also the Celtics crushed the Bulls 107-86 in Chicago to go up 2-1 and the Jazz beat the Lakers 88-86 in Utah to cut the Lakers series lead to 2-1.

In the NHL the Red Wings advanced to the second round by sweeping the Columbus Blue Jackets winning 6-5. Also the Flyers beat the Pengiuns 3-0 to cut the Penguins series lead to 3-2. The Devils beat the Hurricanes 1-0 to go up 3-2 in the series and the eighth seeded Ducks in the West went up 3-1 in the series over the number one seed Sharks who had the best regular season record in the league this year. It’s always fun to see a possible upset unless it’s against your favorite team, but even then it’s dramatic to watch.

Well have a good four major team sport weekend along with all the other sports you watch and we’ll talk soon. Take care and best wishes. badgerbratwurst

Hey Wisconsin Sports fans: If you had to contract and eliminate a team from Wisconsin which would it be and why. Packers, Brewers and Bucks.

With troubled times for the economy, we hear about cutbacks, job losses and what should be eliminated. The other day on sports talk radio I heard talk about contraction of sports teams because of decreased attendance and sometimes interest in a team or sport.

I thought it would be interesting to ask my panel of fans which teams they would eliminate or stop watching if they had to make a choice. I am directing this at the Wisconsin pro sports teams, (Bucks, Brewers, Packers) but it can be any pro sports team.  While I hate to see contraction or moving happen in any situation in sports, it has happened before and will happen again so here’s what I think about the Wisconsin teams situation in particular.

First of all the Green Bay Packers in NFL football, the most popular pro team in Wisconsin and community owned. It won’t happen and no one will let it happen. I don’t know what kind of situation would cause the Packers to disband.  The Milwaukee Brewers are a small market baseball team and have struggled financially and with attendance in the past, but they have a beautiful new stadium in Miller Park, they have had a few winning seasons the last few years and a playoff appearance in 2008 and win or lose they have given Milwaukee sports fans a place to go and watch baseball in spring and summer tailgating and all so no I wouldn’t contract the Brewers.

Finally the Milwaukee Bucks and NBA Basketball. The Bucks were once a good and succesful franchise but they have struggled the last 20 years with only one deep playoff run in 2001. Unlike the Brewers and baseball where there is no salary cap , the NBA is a league with a salary cap where any market size can win. Look at San Antonio which has a comparable market size to Milwaukee, but they have found a way to win four NBA titles the last decade. The Spurs in San Antonio are kind of looked at like the Packers in Green Bay and I just don’t see that kind of interest in Milwaukee at this time. Plus college basketball has become bigger in Wisconsin with UW, Marquette and some other college teams doing well. So why should we keep the struggling Bucks?

In conclusion no I don’t want the Bucks or any pro sports team to leave their area. But remember the Seattle Sonics of the NBA left Seattle for Oklahoma City last year when they didn’t get a new arena. Lets hope the Bucks who need a new arena as well according to experts. don’t leave as well. But it’s also a state of the economy and times.

Thanks again for reading and please let me know your thoughts. Take care, best wishes and talk soon. badgerbratwurst.

My thoughts on the NBA and NHL Playoffs plus the Brewers, baseball and looking ahead to the NFL Draft this weekend

Well it’s April and springtime in sports so we’re watching several sports with the start of the baseball season and the NHL and NBA Playoffs plus the NFL Draft this weekend. It’s a busy time with important games and playoff games every night. In other words a great time to watch sports.

The NBA and NHL Playoffs are both great and exciting to watch, though they are a little different as well. Both have 16 teams and four rounds leading to a winner. I like the NHL format a little better where they re-seed the competition every round so the highest possible seed plays the lowest possible seed. I don’t know if it’s the way the puck bounces but there seem to be more upsets in hockey which excites me more than in basketball where everyone is already talking about a possible Lakers with Kobe Bryant vs the Cavaliers with Lebron James matchup in the finals. So in that case unless you’re a fan of another playoff team as I am with the Spurs, Celtics etc then you’ll probably be disappointed if that matchup doesn’t happen or at least that’s what the sports media tries to create. Anyway we’ll see what happens with the rest of the playoffs.

In baseball the Brewers are off to a rough start at 4-8, but there’s 90 games left in the season and they’ve had to make pitching and hitting adjustments from last season especially the pitching so we’ll see what happens. Hey even the high priced New York Yankees are having some troubles adjusting to their new billion dollar stadium. Finally the NFL Draft is this weekend and we’ll see who the Packers and other teams pick after the Lions probably take Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first pick.

So good luck to your teams if they’re involved in the playoffs and enjoy the games regardless if you enjoy watching them. Anyway best wishes and talk soon. badgerbratwurst

Brewers, Bucks, Packers, The Masters and Three Tragic Deaths In the Baseball World

It has been a busy, exciting and a sad week around the sports world both in Wisconsin and nationally. The baseball season started last week and the action has been good on the field with less talk of steroids and more talk of new ballparks and the action on the field. The Brewers are off to a 2-5 start, but they’ve had a few nice moments like pitcher Youvanni Gallardo hitting a home run off Randy Johnson, winning the home opener against the Cubs in the bottom of the 9th and having their first ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game, the national cable telecast against the Cubs in Milwaukee for the first time since 1997 when they played the Yankees at the old County Stadium.

It was also a very sad week in baseball first with the tragic loss of 22 year old Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in a hit and run car accident last week. Then Monday there were two more tragic deaths in baseball as long time NFL and Phillies announcer Harry Kalas collapsed and died while in the booth while getting ready to broadcast a Phillies game. And in Massachusetts 54 year old Mark “the Bird” Fidyrich was killed when he was run over by a dump truck. We will truly miss all of them and our hearts go out to their families.

In the Masters golf tournament Argentina’s Angel Cabrera won his second major over Kenny Perry in a playoff. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson made a late charge but could not catch up. Continuing with Wisconsin sports the Milwaukee Bucks are 34-47 with one game left in the season. While they improved this year they will miss the playoffs again. However under the leadership of head coach Scott Skiles I think they are on the right track for the future but they must draft well, stay healthy and make better decisions on and off the court. As for the Packers they are getting ready for the NFL Draft in a few weeks and they need to find some fast athletic linebackers and defenders for their new 3-4 defense which has been run for years by Super Bowl Champion Teams like the Steelers, Patriots and Giants.

In conclusion I am glad to see baseball back and focused mostly on the field. We will miss and remember those who have passed, but we will go on. I’m also looking forward to the NHL Playoffs starting Wednesday and the NBA Playoffs on Saturday. Also the NFL Schedule is released Tuesday night so look for that as well. Take care, have a great day and talk soon. Best wishes, badgerbratwurst.

Mens Final Four Recap and my predictions for Major League Baseball, the NBA Playoffs and the Stanley Cup.

Monday Night in one of the most dominating performances I have seen, North Carolina won it’s fifth NCAA basketball mens title by a score of 89-72 over Michigan State and the score wasn’t nearly as close as it appeared as North Carolina could have easily scored 100 points. Led by senior center Tyler Hansborough,  junior point guard Ty Lawson and coach Roy Williams the Tar Heels steamrolled to victory in the most lopsided NCAA final in performance anyway since UNLV beat Duke 103-70 in the 1990 NCAA Championship Game.

Also Monday or Sunday Night actually, the 2009 Major League Baseball Season started and these are my predictions for the divisions, wildcard winners and the World Series. In the American League I like the Red Sox to win the AL East, the Indians to win the AL Central and the Angels in the AL West. And for the AL Wildcard I pick the Yankees. In the National League I like the Dodgers to win the NL West, the Cubs to win the NL Central, the Mets to win the NL East. And for the NL Wildcard I pick the Phillies. Finally in the World Series I am picking the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cleveland Indians.

As for my NBA Playoffs and NHL Stanley Cup Playoff predictions. In the NBA I think Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to get back to the NBA Finals where they lost in 2007 to the San Antonio Spurs. Last year Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers lost in the Finals to the Boston Celtics. This year the Cavaliers with homecourt advantage will play and beat the Lakers to give Lebron James and the Cavaliers their first title. It will also be Cleveland’s first pro championship since the Browns won the NFL Title in 1964 before the was a Super Bowl.

Finally in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals I like the Calgary Flames with 1994 Stanley Cup winning coach Mike Keenan (with the New York Rangers and Mark Messier), star player Jerome Iginla. and goalie Mikail Kippursoff to play Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Finals. Ovechkin is one of the best players in hockey and I would like to see him and the Capitals against the Calgary Flames one of the best Canadian teams where hockey is huge as a sport in that country. And after three Canadian teams, the Flames, Oilers and Senators failed to win the Stanley Cup earlier this decade, I am picking the Flames to return the Stanley Cup to Canada this year after beating the Capitals. A Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens won their last Cup in 1993.

So those are my predictions for the upcoming baseball season and playoffs in baseball, basketball and hockey. Thanks so much for reading and please let me know what you think. Best wishes, take care and talk soon. badgerbratwurst

Two JC’s are currently big sports stories: John Calapari gets the Kentucky basketball coaching job while the Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is being shopped around to be traded.

Ironically two sports personalities with the initials JC are big news in the sports headlines currently for different reasons. Former Memphis basketball coach John Calipari has been hired by Kentucky one of the most prestigious college basketball programs for 32 million dollars over eight years. But it’s not the money which makes it most exciting for Calipari except for his bank account. Calapari has been a winner at smaller college basketball programs such as Massachusetts from the late 1980’s through the mid 1990s and most recently at Memphis where he has been since 2000. He led both programs to the Final Four with Massachusetts in 1996 and Memphis last year when his team barely lost to Kansas in overtime in the championship game. In between his two college jobs Calapari also coached for four years in the pros with the New Jersey Nets and led them to a playoff appearance as well.

So that being said it is exciting and intrigiung to see a coach with Calapari’s status make the move from a good job at Memphis where he has much success in a smaller conference such as Conference USA to Kentucky which is in a major conference in the SEC and as I said is one of the most prestigious programs in the country of all time in college basketball. So there will be success or failure and that will be fascinating to see as we follow Calipari and Kentucky’s progress over the next several years.

On the other hand we don’t currently know where the other big JC in sports, the Denver Broncos starting quarterback Jay Cutler will be playing football in 2009.  To summarize the story Cutler got his feelings hurt a few weeks ago when the Denver organization tried to have him traded for fellow NFL quarterback Matt Cassell who played with New England last year and ended up going to Kansas City. The trade fell through and Cutler had friction with his new coach Josh McDaniels and Broncos team owner Pat Bowlen. That’s business, but after several weeks of discussion led to a stalemate it has been decided that it would be a good idea to trade Cutler. My thought is if someone isn’t happy, no matter how talented the person is, then it is time to move on and that is business and emotion all together.  So we’ll see what happens to Jay Cutler and congratulations again to John Calapari. I think change and memorable experiences will be ahead for both men. We’ll just have to watch and find out. Best wishes, badgerbratwurst