In a given year, a 32-year-old player hits 15 home runs in about 600 at-bats, or roughly one every 40 times up, not counting walks. That winter perhaps he goes in for weight training, or maybe the next year he's just a little lucky and the wind blows out during a few more of his at-bats, because he adds three more home runs in slightly less playing time, so he hits 18, or one every 31 at-bats.

Our player is now heading into his age-34 season. He should be on the downslope of his career, but he just keeps getting better. In the third year he adds another eight home runs for a total of 26, bopping one every 22 times at bat. He's nearly doubled his home-run rate in just three seasons, and no doubt folks are starting to get suspicious. Rick Reilly is warming up his typewriter. Bill Madden is foaming at the mouth. Guys just don't improve like this in their mid-30s.

It's still hard to think of this aging player as a slugger, especially as he turns 35, but his team keeps him on hoping for a soft landing. Instead, he takes off again. Although a minor injury keeps him out for 18 games, he sets a career high with 41 home runs, leading the league. His home-run rate is a ridiculous one every 13 at-bats.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Clearly this player is dirty. He's also dead. His name was Cy Williams and he played for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies from 1912 to 1930. He hung around the majors until he was 42, leading the league in home runs four times, including in 1923, the year he hit 41, and again in 1927, when he hit 30. No doubt he was juicing -- with alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, nicotine, and possibly goat testicles.

A little closer to our time, the Brewers had a spectacularly annoying outfielder named Ben Oglivie. Oglivie was never the same player twice. Playing at 29 years old in 1978 he hit 18 home runs in 469 at-bats. He jumped up to 29 in 514 the next year, going from hitting one every 26 at-bats to one every 18. In 1980 he led the American League with 41, hitting one every 14 at-bats. The next year he hit only 14 in 400 at-bats, bounced back up to 34 in 1982, then down to 13 in 483 at-bats in 1983.

Phil Rizzuto, all 5'6" of him, was clearly juicing when he hit .324/.418/.439 in 1950. He said it was that he switched to a heavier bat, but I don't believe him because he was back down to .274/.350/.346 the next year despite presumably sticking with the heftier lumber. Why was Howard Johnson only good in odd numbered years? Tell me why Miguel Dilone hit .341 in 1980 but was an instant out for most of his career? And  let's not even talk about Mickey Vernon.

Or we could just forget about all these old-timers and look at what Domonic Brown is doing this year, or what Josh Hamiltonisn't doing. Radical changes in production happen quite frequently in baseball, with or without the intervention of magic biochemical formulae, radioactive spider-bites, or giant contracts.

(Wikimedia Commons)

You want pitchers? You can do the same thing with pitchers, any era. Christy Mathewson had ERA+ seasons of 133, 230, 88, 123, 168, and 222 from 1904 to 1909. He was on and off the stuff, of course. What stuff? Possibly Coca-Cola with actual cocaine it. Why was it Mike Morgan had a 4.89 ERA before coming to the Dodgers and a 3.06 ERA in three years thereafter? Why did Cole Hamels go 1-9 with a 4.86 ERA through the end of May this year and post a 2.85 ERA thereafter? Is there something he's on now that he wasn't on then?

Players are generally consistent within certain broad categories; power hitters hit for power year after year, strikeout pitchers have high strikeout rates, the good stay good and the bad stay bad. But on an individual basis, they're all over the place. So when someone like Jack Clark says of Justin Verlander:

"Verlander was like Nolan Ryan, he threw 97, 98, 100 miles an hour from the first inning to the ninth inning," Clark said on the air. "He got that big contract, now he can barely reach 92, 93. What happened to it? He has no arm problems, nothing's wrong. It's just the signs are there.

"The greed ... they juice up, they grab the money and it's just a free pass to steal is the way I look at it."

Just remember that you can cast aspersions like this at virtually every ballplayer in history. Sure, some of them will stick, but most of them won't. It's your choice as to whether you go through life paranoid and suspicious, unable to enjoy what you're seeing because of the chance that you'll be right one percent of the time.

As for me, I'm off to go figure out why I was able to write so easily earlier this week but today it's like pulling teeth. Could be I forgot to take my vitamins -- or something heavier. There are rumors about that some enterprising pharmacologists down Mexico way have patented some language-enhancing drugs. "Dr. Johnson in a Can," they call it. I'm going to get me some and write some really erudite stuff. Or maybe I'll just study hard and do it anyway. You may note the improvement, but you'll never know if it was me or the bottle.

More from SB Nation:

• Brisbee: What's the best team in baseball?

• Scouting report: Ryan Raburn, relief pitcher

• Man trapped under tarp in Philly dot GIF

• Waiting for an Alex Rios waiver trade, or lack thereof

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer

This weekend isn't really about the actual games being played for the Mariners organization. If you've watched any games on television over the past few weeks, you've surely seen the repeated commercials for Ken Griffey Jr's Mariners HOF induction ceremony, the fireworks night, or the bobblehead promotion. Not that the Mariners get Hisashi Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez on back to back nights, or that the Mariners get to play the Brewers in Seattle, which according to our friends at Brew Crew Ball, it hasn't happened since Kyle Seager was nine years old.

Instead, this weekend is all about Junior. Nathan is writing a piece about how he feels about the whole situation tomorrow, so I won't totally spoil it. We had an interesting conversation about how Junior probably did the Mariners a favor by leaving when he did, and Mike Cameron was quite a bit better than Junior was with Cincinnati over the four years Cameron spent with the Mariners. Nevertheless, it's still an interesting topic that is more about irrational emotion than it is logic and reason. Saturday's game is the actual ceremony, and they'll cap it off with a fireworks display at night. It's sold out or close to it, because you know this city can't resist a promotional night or a chance to relive the past.

The Brewers find themselves at 49-66, which is good for 5th in the NL Central. In the aftermath of Ryan Braun's suspension, the focus has turned to the team's new superstar, Carlos Gomez. It's August, and I'm still completely stunned every time I see what Gomez is doing. He's at 5.5 WAR through 108 games, providing plus plus defense and plus speed to go along with his excellent bat, where he has posted a wRC+ of 135, just a touch better than Kyle Seager, at 134+. Gomez's WAR of 5.5 is good for 5th among all position players. It's higher than Chris Davis. Carlos Gomez is super good.

Gomez's ascent is especially noticeable because of the power he's developed. Even after 2012's breakout, his extension in March was met with some healthy skepticism, as Eno Sarris investigated whether the deal would be worth it or not. Sarris noted the upside and the negatives, but pointed towards signs that indicated he was truly finding himself as a hitter. Despite swinging at more and more pitches, Gomez continued to hit more fly balls every year, and the power surge was a natural progression.

In 2013, Gomez has turned more of those fly balls into line drives, and is now posting a career best ISO of .238. He's still a hacker, swinging at 55.5% of all pitches, 38.3% out of the zone. His swing profile looks almost identical to the year before, so his success has been a result of harder and better contact, despite his aggressive approach.

Gomez's extension is dirt cheap for his production level, and he'll earn just $24 million through 2016, after which he'll be entering free agency at 31. There's a pretty good chance he's going to be more valuable than Ryan Braun is to the Brewers through that time period, which brings me to my next point. It's a sensitive topic that I probably shouldn't rosterbate over, but I'm going to do it anyways.

What if the Brewers traded Ryan Braun?

Braun has limited no-trade rights included in his deal, but given his perceived betrayal to the fanbase, is a divorce something that both sides would consider? It seems reasonable to speculate. The Brewers owe Braun a minimum of $117 million over the next 7 years, but it's a deal that was widely considered somewhat of a bargain given escalating costs of retaining elite talent. The contract isn't back-loaded, and actually decreases in the last few years of the deal. Braun is only set to make $10 million in 2014 and $12 million in 2015, and it doesn't really get expensive until his age 32-34 seasons at $19 million each. The commitment runs through Braun's age 36 season.

There's really only one thing at play when considering a possible trade of Braun. What kind of player is he like without PEDs, and is he worth the salary? Even though his salary isn't totally through the roof, there's a pretty good chance he could still be a pretty good player. Now entering his 30s next year, it's fairly safe to assume that Braun's best years are behind him. How severe will the drop in performance be when coupled with Braun exiting his prime years? How long has Braun been juicing?

Nobody has the answers, which is exactly why the Brewers might consider getting out of that contract. He's the face of their franchise, but is it a face they still want to represent them with everything that's transpired? Braun's teammates are upset with him. There's a chance, albeit small, this offseason could get really interesting for Ryan Braun.

More from Lookout Landing:

• Michael Saunders and the impact of a shoulder injury
• The evolution of the sacrifice bunt
• Rhymes with Farquhar
• The evolution of the sacrifice bunt: Part 3
• 53-61: Mariners snap broom, stab Blue Jays with it

The action has moved a few hundred miles up the west coast, where tonight the Brewers open a three-game set in Seattle.

Tonight at 9:10 the Brewers will face veteran lefty Joe Saunders (4.58 ERA, 4.51 FIP). The former Angel, Diamondback and Oriole is making his 24th start of the season, and his first since allowing two runs on eight hits over six innings against the Orioles on Sunday. He threw 115 pitches in that outing.

Despite playing in a pretty notorious pitchers' park, Saunders had had an issue with the long ball this season. A career-high 13% of all fly balls hit against him have left the ballpark in 2013. He also relies pretty heavily on the defense behind him, striking out just 5.2 batters per nine innings. He'll throw a 90 mph fastball about 55% of the time, with the rest of his pitches spread out over his changeup, slider and curve.

Having spent most of his career in the American League, Saunders has only faced the Brewers twice and hasn't seen them since 2011. The only active Brewers who have faced Saunders ten times or more are Yuniesky Betancourt (.273/.314/.424 in 35 PAs) and Carlos Gomez (.286/.286/.500 in 14 PAs).

He'll face 13-year MLB veteran Kyle Lohse (3.23 ERA, 4.16 FIP) in his 24th start as a Brewer. Lohse pitched five innings against the Nationals on Sunday and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Not counting a rain-shortened outing, Sunday's start was Lohse's shortest appearance since May.

Since June 1, Lohse has pitched a quality start in ten of his last 13 outings (including the previously mentioned rain-shortened start). He's also already allowed 20 home runs this season, though, which is the most he's given up in a year since 2007.

Lohse has made ten appearances against the Mariners in his career, but none since 2007. Four active Mariners have faced him ten times or more:

As of this writing I haven't seen tonight's lineup. If you have, please drop it in the comments.

In the bullpen:

• John Axford pitched two innings (33 pitches) last night.
• Rob Wooten pitched one inning (eleven pitches) last night.
• Alfredo Figaro pitched two innings (34 pitches) on Wednesday.
• Michael Gonzalez pitched one inning (17 pitches) on Wednesday.
• Burke Badenhop pitched one inning (10 pitches) on Wednesday.
• Jim Henderson and Brandon Kintzler last pitched on Tuesday.

After a week in San Francisco, the weather in Seattle sounds downright tropical. Expect a game time temperature around 78 tonight under mostly sunny skies with winds blowing from left to right.

The hits just keep coming for the Milwaukee Brewers.  Just minutes ago, news on Rickie Weeks broke on Twitter:

Rickie Weeks out for the season, expected to need surgery for his hamstring injury. Details to come at #Brewers .com.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 9, 2013

Weeks returned to Milwaukee after sustaining the injury on Wednesday, and the MRI revealed that he would need surgery to repair the damage done to his hamstring.  After seeking a second opinion, he has decided on surgery.

Weeks is the fifth of the Brewers expected Opening Day starters to sustain an injury, and the third that is done for the season.  Ryan Braun and Corey Hart are also done for the season, and Aramis Ramirez and Yovani Gallardo are currently on the DL.

It has been a rough year for Rickie Weeks.  He batted .183/.285/.280 over the first two months of the season with 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 23 walks, and 59 strikeouts in 175 AB.  He rebounded in June by hitting .355/.429/.677 with 5 HR and 9 RBI, but slipped again in July and August with a line of .168/.271/.301.

Weeks is still under contract with the Brewers for 2014, though this injury will put some doubt on his option for 2015.  He can still guarantee his option if he gets 600 PA in 2014 and finishes the season healthy.  The Brewers can also choose to pick up that option themselves.

UPDATE: According to Todd Rosiak, the injury is a torn tendon, and that it's a 50-50 call on surgery vs. rehab.  Prognosis is good for Weeks, as it is very likely he will be ready for the start of spring training next season.

A half-off coupon: Kyle Seager (.228 WPA)

Moldy bread you're stuck with because you ignored the expiration date: Joe Saunders (-.597 WPA)

I'm going to let the game thread speak for this one. Below are screengrabs and inning summaries following everything that happened through this game:

First Inning:Joe Saunders and Kyle Lohse were perfect, retiring the first three batters they faced.

Second Inning: Saunders and Lohse still perfect, combining for three strikeouts and three contact outs. Slow game, lots of Griffeygasming from the ROOT Sports crew.

Third Inning: Saunders gets into a little trouble, first watching Scooter Gennett reach after a throwing error by Nick Franklin, then advance to third after allowing a single to Martin Maldonado on a Kyle Seager error, and finally score with Maldonado after Norichika Aoki hits a ground rule double. The infield error narrative continues, and though Saunders gets out of the inning with only two, stomachs turn. The Mariners answer readily moments later, however. Justin Smoak draws a leadoff walk, and Condor hits a single right afterward. The bases are soon loaded after a Brad Miller single that is quickly cloned after Nick Franklin hits into a forceout at home, putting him on first. In comes Kyle Seager, who draws a 6 pitch at bat to finally single into centerfield, scoring both Saunders and Brad Miller after Carlos Gomez bobbles the ball after the catch. Not a Raul Ibanez bobble, but a bobble nonetheless. It felt wonderful. The game was tied, and even Bill Krueger's get-off-my-lawn-ing couldn't ruin the vibes coming out of the M's dugout.

Inning 4: The fourth inning was quite interesting. First, we saw Garlos Gomez single. Gomez is fast on the basepaths, so after Yuniesky Betancourt (more on this crap later) whacked a double down the left field line scoring Gomez, the game was quickly 3-2. But wait! Some lonely fan reached out to grab the ball and deflect it into left field. The umpires quickly gathered together, and decided to reverse it, sending Betancourt to 2nd and Gomez to third. The run was saved. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke ran out of the dugout and tried to reason with the umpires. You've seen Eric Wedge scream his face into a beet. You've seen Lou throw bases into the outfield. Here is what Roenicke looks like:

Seriously. Look at this man. Here was his conversation with the umpires:

Ron: Now, now. Gentlemen, please, I beg of you, reconsider. Let me present my case:

Umpires: Um

Umpires: Well...I guess...

Ron: Clearly, we can look at the precedent set by the fan interference rules, but this ball was arguably not stopped by the fan in question. Why then, friends, should we rule this fair-hit ball as a double if its trajectory was not stopped? I say this with the utmost respect, fine sirs.

Umpires: Sit down.

Ron: But

Umpires: Now.

Ron: ...

Umpires: ...

Ron: Fine but I'm out of Metamucil.

Then Jeff Bianchi scored Gomez so none of this mattered. Also, Martin Maldonado hit a double scoring two. Justin Smoak then walked and the inning was over. 5-2 Brewers.

Inning 5: Alright, look. Fuck the 5th inning. Jean Segura singled, then stole second after Nick Franklin played a great throw too far off the bag. Gomez and Khris Davis walked. The bases were loaded. Then yeah, yeah. Yuniesky fucking Betancourt hit a goddamn home run and fuck that. He trotted around the bases like Bryce Harper and did a little dumb dance when he scored. Bill Krueger said a bunch of stuff about what happens in old school baseball and for once in the night, I was on his side. Of course, they didn't hit him the next time he came up. And the Brewers came out of the inning with 5 runs after Erasmo Ramirez (seriously) entered the game and gave up an RBI single to Norichika Aoki. Oh yeah, the Mariners batted too, and Brad Miller hit a double. That's all that happened there.

Inning 6: Nothing happened outside of 6 outs because ugh screw this game.

Inning 7: Second worst inning of the game: Yuniesky Betancourt didn't get hit after Carter Capps came into the game, and Michael Saunders scored one run on a Nick Franklin single (finally!). Of course, it was one run that made it 3-10 Brewers so ughhh. Now, I'm not necessarily advocating for retribution here, or that they should have pegged Betancourt. Violence in baseball isn't the answer. But tell me it wouldn't have given us more than this to talk about:

Inning 8: Man, I don't know. Carter Capps remained in the game, getting out of the inning with only 11 pitches to Aoki, Segura, and Jonathan Lucroy. Kyle Lohse was finally pulled for Brewers reliever Alfredo Figaro, and the Mariners did a little bit of damage following a Justin Smoak homer scoring Raul Ibanez, who reached on a throwing error. The one exciting thing about all of this is that Raul Ibanez is nine hundred years old and still tries to reach first like it's the last boat out of town. It paid off here. Well, sortof, because it didn't actually matter. The game started to get blurry here, and I'm pretty sure everyone watching poured another drink, took one look at their Ken Griffey Jr. jersey, and hung their heads in shame. Some of us started paying attention to the insane high desert Mavericks' game instead. It might have been the wisest decision of the night.

Inning 9: Welp.

On this day in 1989 the Brewers beat the Indians 10-3 at Cleveland Stadium. Robin Yount had four hits in the game and DH Joey Meyer drove in five runs, but Meyer's exit from the game might actually be more historically significant.

Meyer was intentionally walked in the ninth inning (despite the fact that the Brewers were already leading 9-3), and the Brewers responded by pinch running for him with outfielder Greg Vaughn. Vaughn advanced to second on Charlie O'Brien's RBI single but was later stranded in his major league debut.

Vaughn got his first major league plate appearance, hit and RBI the next day, going 2-for-2 with a double. A week later he hit his first home run. Over eight seasons as a Brewer Vaughn went deep 169 times, which is still the eighth highest total in franchise history.

With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

• Helena Brewer Anthony Banda, who turns 20.
• 1996-97 Brewer Chuckie Carr, who turns 46.
• 1996-97 Brewer Gerald Williams, who turns 47.

Today is also the fifth anniversary of Gabe Kapler's 13th inning walkoff home run in 2008 and the 26th anniversary of Paul Molitor extending his hitting streak to 25 games in 1987. We covered those events in this space two years ago and last year, respectively.

Minor League Player of the Day– Scott Van Slyke (Albuquerque) - 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI

AAA– The Isotopes were in the winning column on Friday night with an easy 6-1 win over the Tacoma Rainers (Mariners). The highlight could have been Brian Wilsonmaking another rehab appearance with an inning of perfect work. But instead the light shined on one of Wilson's former teammates, Jonathan Sanchez won his 5th game, pitching 6 innings, giving up 1 run, 8 hits and 2 walks and 8 strikeouts. Scott Van Slyke homered and singled with 2 RBI. Tony Gwynn, Jr. also had 2 hits. Justin Sellersalso homered.

AA – The Lookouts and Stars of Huntsville (Brewers) had their game suspended in the 1st inning. That game is scheduled to be resumed today.

HiA – The Quakes saw the Storm (Padres) put up 5 runs in the first on their way to a 9 -3 victory over Rancho Cucamonga. Geison Aguasviva led 5 Quakes pitchers in their ineffectiveness, giving up 6 runs and 8 hits in 4 innings. Noel Cuevas got 3 hits in 4 at bats, scoring 2 runs and hitting a double.

LoA– The Loons were shut out by the Hot Rods (Rays) 3 to 0. Miguel Sulbaran started for the Lookouts, he gave up a run with 2 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Kevin Taylor got the only hit of the day for the Loons.

Rookie Ogden– The Raptors took one on the chin by the Owlz (Angels) as they lost 10 to 5. J.D. Underwood gave up 6 runs in one inning of work. Jesmuel Valentin and Adam Law each had 3 hits. Jacob Scavuzzo and Joey Curletta had 2 hits.

DSL – The Dominican Dodgers only had 2 hits in a weather shortened loss to the Indians 5 - 0. Kevin Guzman pitched 4 innings, with 6 hits, 3 runs, a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Transactions:RHP Brian Wilson sent to Albuquerque Isotopes on rehab assignment; Chattanooga Lookouts placed C Dashenko Ricardoon the 7-day disabled list and also placed 3B Osvaldo Martinez on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to August 8, 2013. Great Lakes Loons activated RHP Ralston Cash from the 7-day disabled list and placed RHP Alan Garcia on the 7-day disabled list.

Coming up– Brandon Martinez starts for the Loons, Matt Magilltries for another win for the Isotopes. Victor Araujo gets the ball for the Raptors and Gustavo Gomez throws for the Quakes. And Zach Lee toes the rubber for the Lookouts.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Dominican Dodgers Box Score (DSL)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

The Biogenesis evidence was much more solid than we thought.

After months of news reports, rumors, and a lot of reports that the suspensions were about to be handed out, the big day finally came on Monday.  Thirteen players received suspensions on Monday, with twelve getting 50 games and the thirteenth (Alex Rodriguez) getting 211 games.  Three other players were also named in connection to the clinic, but were not suspended since they already served one.  All twelve of the players receiving 50 game suspensions accepted them and began serving them, but Alex Rodriguez is appealing his suspension that will most likely continue into the offseason.

Many of us wonder why these players would risk their careers to take banned substances like performance enhancing drugs.  On Monday, Kyle looked at the case of former Brewer Nelson Cruz, who had been struggling for years before having a career revolution with the Rangers.  He doesn't ask for sympathy for Cruz, just to understand what was at stake for him and why his choice made sense.

The Brewers are still trying to make some trades.

We're past the non-waiver trading deadline, but there's still a month left to make trades.   In the past week, the Brewers began placing players on revocable waivers to see what they could get in trade value, or if the players would clear completely.  As usual, we don't hear about all of these moves, though a few reports have come out in regards to some of the players who have been put on waivers.   Mike Gonzalez was one of the first players to end up on waivers, getting placed on the waiver wire over the weekend.  We haven't heard if he was claimed or not, which is common in these situations.

Later in the week, more reports came out, this time that Kyle Lohse had been placed on waviers.  Lohse has been one of the hotter names out there, so his name generated a lot of discussion.  However, later in the week, more reports came out that Lohse had been claimed.  Doug Melvin didn't see a potential match with the claiming team, so he pulled Lohse back off of waivers.  It's possible that Lohse will be traded one day, but it's not happening before the end of the season.

Yovani Gallardo isn't the only player who has been worse since 2009.

Even though Yovani Gallardo is currently on the DL, the analysis on him keeps coming in.  Over the weekend, Noah compared Gallardo to over players with velocity drops, and found that Gallardo isn't the only player that has faced a velocity and effectiveness drop.  Several other players have also faced similiar problem.  Reports are that he should be ready to return as soon as the minimum 15 days on the DL.

Carlos Gomez deserves consideration for MVP

With the Brewers out of contention, the chances of them having an MVP candidate are small.  However, they still have some players who should at least be discussed.  The best player for the Brewers in 2013 has been Carlos Gomez, and on Wednesday, Kyle began making a case for Gomez as MVP, and looked at his case compared to others in the MVP discussion.  Gomez has a lot of work to do to earn MVP, and even with an amazing finish to the season, the state of the Brewers may prevent him from winning the award.  However, he definitely will have a shot at getting a Gold Glove this season, which would be the first award for Milwaukee since 1982.

Jean Segura has had an excellent first year in the league.

Last year's big acquisition just before the trade deadline was Jean Segura.  He came in and has solidified the shortstop position, which had been in flux for the past several seasons.  On Tuesday, Segura had his one year anniversary of his Brewers debut.  To mark the occasion, Jordan looked at the last year for Jean Segura, comparing him to other shortstops around the league and the shortstop position in general.  He's been one of the better shortstops in the league, and he's only 23 years old.  If he continues to improve, he could become one of the best (if not the best) shortstop in the league.

The praise for Jonathan Lucroy just keeps coming.

While he hasn't received the same level of praise the Gomez and Segura have received, Jonathan Lucroy has been just as important and valuable for the Brewers as those two, even if his name isn't known as well.  Earlier this week, Fake Teams looked at Lucroy as one of the more unusual players on a hot streak.  Going even further into the numbers, Disciples of Uecker really went in-depth into Lucroy's performance and found that the Brewers are getting a lot of value from his contract.  Lucroy has also been constantly praised as a great pitch-framer, and he discussed that with FanGraphs yesterday.  Before Lucroy came to the Brewers, the catcher position had been a rotating door for several years.  With him, the Brewers have that position nailed down.

The Rickie Weeks injury clock finally hit zero.

In what has almost become a yearly tradition, the day has come where Rickie Weeks sustained an injury.  In Wednesday's game, he tripped over his bat as he was running to first base.  He had to be helped off of the field and his injury was classified as a hamstring strain.  He went back to Milwaukee to be reevaluated, and an MRI revealed that one of his hamstring tendons had separated from the bone.  As a result, Weeks chose surgery over rehab and is out for the remainer of the 2013 season.

With Weeks injury striking again, and another rough season over for him, there are questions about his future with the team.  He is still under contract with the Brewers for the 2014 season, and has an option that can still vest for 2015 if he reaches 600 PA in 2014 and ends the season healthy.  The Brewers will have to reevaluate their situation in the offseason, and whether Weeks is their best option at second base, or if they need to go in a different direction.

Another Brewers great was lost on Friday.

For the second straight week, the Brewers organization lost another great.  Former Milwaukee great Johnny Logan passed away on Friday at the age of 86.  He played for the Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1961, and was the shortstop on the 1957 World Series championship team.  He was still involved as a scout with the Brewers in recent years, and was loved by many people around the organization and around baseball.  Bob Uecker had some comments looking back at his life, and there are a lot of people who will miss him.

It is Sunday, July 31st, 1994. Chicago's afternoon sun blankets the city with a musty 85 degrees, and on the city's south side, flanked by I-90 and an ocean of cold, metallic industrial warehouses, Jay Buhner is hitting a double to Comiskey II's deep centerfield, scoring Felix Fermin from second. Lou Pinella doesn't notice. No. He is writing something on his clipboard at the end of the dugout, unintelligibly. In fact, Lou doesn't even know what he is writing. He just wants to look like he is in control of something, and at the moment, well, this is all the guy has got. He bites his lip and turns his eyes upward to meet the bright sunlight like the other half of a duel at noon. The Mariners are on a 6 game losing streak. August 12th is less than two weeks away. The day of the impending strike. Lou Pinella doesn't want it to end like this, and he knows what the chatter is like around the front office, from ownership, in the papers. He knows what lies ahead of him. But he doesn't care. He bites his lip again and it tastes like metal. The Mariners are out of the inning and it's time for Jim Converse to pitch.

It is Saturday, August 10th, 2013. The Seattle Mariners had thrown an emotional festival honoring one of the best players to ever play the game of baseball, and the sellout crowd in Safeco Field is clutching onto their Ken Griffey Jr. Bobbleheads and cold beers trying to forget everything that had happened for the past 12 years. Tonight is about baseball, and if they had just learned anything from the hour-long ceremony, it was that baseball is a lot bigger than a few years of struggle and irrelevancy.

So they watch as Hisashi Iwakuma takes the mound to face the Milwaukee Brewers--fitting that it is the former Seattle team on this of all days--seeing him dispose of Norichika Aoki and Jean Segura before he gives up a 5-pitch single to Jonathan Lucroy. But Kuma gets Carlos Gomez to fly out on the first pitch of the at bat, and makes it through the next 5 innings giving up only a walk to Juan Fransisco in the 2nd, a single to Jonathan Lucroy in the 4th, and a two out double to Jean Segura in the 6th. It looks like the good Iwakuma is back. Chatter is faint, spirits are high. Someone knocks over little Timothy Olsen's Pepsi with light ice, spilling the sugary liquid down three rows into a group of college students too drunk to notice their shoes now sticking to the concrete facade. Timothy's father promptly flags down a vendor to purchase a refill. Can't ruin the night, he thinks. Not this of all nights.

It is July 1994 again. Joey Cora is sliding home after a deep fly ball into right field. Lou Pinella watches as Cora gives a few high-fives and promptly returns to his home Chicago White Sox dugout, clad in white pinstripes. He watches with envy. The game is reset at 1. Pinella doesn't even think about the six game losing streak as he walks to the other end of the dugout to greet Ken Griffey Jr, taking the day off before a trip back to California to face the Angels. Lou doesn't want to play Griffey today, but losing streak be damned--if he needs him to hit he'll ask him. Pinella watches as first the second, third, fourth, and even fifth innings go by with no change in score. Tino Martinez has the only hit here, a weak single in the top of the second, and it's blanks with a few walks here on out. Lou could see how tired everyone was in the dugout, sick of losing, sick of traveling, sick of being a joke in a city that apparently doesn't even deserve baseball in the first place. Hell, they can't even play in their own damned stadium, what with the roof caving in. He thinks about that for a second, wishing it was a figure of speech. It isn't.

The sun is setting in Seattle on August 10th, 2013. It is the sixth inning, and the Mariners have three hits: a Michael Morse single in the bottom of the second, and two Dustin Ackley hits. Yes! Dustin Ackley, who screams a line drive in to left-centerfield in the second and rockets a double in to very much the same area in the bottom of the 5th. Little Timothy is excited about this, and even though his dad is trying to get him to understand why he bought him a Ken Griffey Jr. shirt before the game, his hero is Dustin Ackley, and Timothy is happy just to get to watch the man play baseball in person today, let alone see his two hits.

But then the top of the seventh rolls around, and before anyone can start drinking the beers they ran to purchase before the taps close, Hisashi Iwakuma is in trouble. It has been such a great pitchers duel up to here, hasn't it? First, Carlos Gomez reaches first after a stupid bunt that Justin Smoak barely misses tagging him with. Next up, Caleb Gindl, who singles and sends Gomez to third. Khris Davis sends a grounder to Kyle Seager, who can't get Gomez on the throw to home, and Humberto Quintero falls to the ground, having slammed his knee into the scoring Brewer runner. Quintero rolls on the ground for a moment and quickly looks to the Mariners' dugout, locking eyes with Henry Blanco. Quintero thinks about Mike Zunino and he thinks about Kelly Shoppach--or at least he thinks it was Kelly Shoppach--whichever catcher it was that broke camp with the Mariners this spring. Quintero realizes that his job for the rest of the season might depend on him not being hurt, not leaving games. He gets back up. He is in pain. The damage continues.

First, a Juan Fransisco double, scoring Gindl. Then, of course, who else but Yuniesky Betancourt, scoring Davis. And finally, Iwakuma gives up a home run to Scooter Gennett, and before you can blink your eye it's 6-0 Brewers. Iwakuma goes another two hitters before getting pulled for Yoervis Medina and the night is officially colored with a rotten taste in the mouths of the 46,000 baseball fans in Safeco Field. Timothy has broken the bat off his Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead, which he has just now taken a liking to, much to his dad's frustration. He doesn't cry at first, but lifts it up to his father using both hands to show him the pieces, and he is met with a Well We Can't Get A New One Of These Now Can We? His father is upset. Now Timothy cries.

It is once again 1994, and Lou Pinella watches as first the Mariners walk in a run, and then give up a grand slam to White Sox Centerfielder Lance Johnson. Ken Griffey Jr. is quiet at the end of the dugout, flicking sunflower seeds through the rails like paper footballs. Lou Pinella walks out of the Comiskey dugout and tags his left arm, jogging to meet Jim Converse on the mound and tears the ball out of his hands like it was his last dollar. Later, as the Mariners yet again bleed a bucketful of runs to the White Sox, Pinella picks up his clipboard and starts writing again. He is tired of shouting profanities and tired of kicking batting helmets in disgust. The score is 8-0 White Sox and the season is going to end in 12 days and the Mariners are terrible. They have been terrible, and for the first time in franchise history, they were 2 games out of the lead in the AL West thanks to the new divisions that had been drawn up just that year. The team is finally doing something, and it's all going to be torn out of his hands in 12 short days. Lou looks down at his clipboard to see he had been drawing a letter 'L.' L for loss. L for Losers. L for bad Luck. L for dammit, who gives a shit. He realizes he has been writing so hard that the paper has broken and the ink has spilled down into the pages of the following day's games. To hell with it he thinks. Won't matter then, anyway.

It's the bottom of the seventh in Safeco in 2013 again, and Justin Smoak hits an inning-ending popup that is dropped by Brewers first baseman Juan Fransisco. E6. Inning continues. Michael Saunders makes it all the way to third after this play, but Dustin Ackley strikes out to end the inning. Medina has a fast top of the 8th, inducing a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play with the help of Quintero, who throws out Gindi at second after Medina gets Khris Davis swinging on a 3-2 fastball down the middle of the plate. Lucas Luetge comes into the game for some reason and proceeds to give up a single to Juan Fransisco, who advances to second on a wild pitch from the Mariners' lefty. But Luetge escapes the inning unharmed with a Yuniesky Betancourt strikeout, and the Mariners are up to bat.

Nick Franklin hits into a nice two-out single in the bottom of the eighth, thankfully not striking out and even making it to second after Kyle Seager walks right after him. But the threat dies when Kendrys Morales grounds straight to Yuniesky Betancourt, and the Mariners would never again threaten in the game. No, no they wouldn't. For just as little Timothy looks at his Ken Griffey Jr. Bobblehead with its new removable bat feature, Lucas Luetge is on the mound again and proceeds to give up a singles to Scooter Gennett and Norichika Aoki. Jean Segura flies out, but then the damage comes in droves and droves. Jonathan Lucroy singles in Gennett. Carlos Gomez doubles in Aoki. Some of these are on the first pitch and fall like they are spades in a game of 52 card pickup. Carter Capps comes into the game and leaves the vein open, only getting Carlos Gomez out on a Khris Davis sac fly, but finally ends the carnage a few batters later. Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, and Justin Smoak all do nothing in the bottom of the ninth. Game over. 10-0 Brewers.

The air is thin in Safeco, and fans are trying to think about the incredible thing they got to witness before the game started. It's not working for everyone though. A couple of middle-aged men in Seahawks jerseys behind Timothy mention something about how the Mariners still look the same as they always have, and boy, we sure didn't miss much in the 6 years its been since we've been down here. But Timothy looks at his bobblehead and feels something funny. He thinks about how much his dad was talking about Ken Griffey Jr. and he thinks about the Dustin Ackley shirt he wore to the ballpark. He thinks about how much he likes coming to baseball games and how much fun it is when the Mariners win.

Timothy hasn't seen a lot of losing from the Mariners. Well he has, but he doesn't quite realize it. It's only been in the past two years that he has even been able to pay attention to the players' names and memorize what positions they play. So when Timothy is a little older and the very same players he saw tonight are playing meaningful baseball in late September, he won't remember much about his Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead, or even this night at all. He wont remember what it was like when the Mariners lost a lot of games because even his dad doesn't quite remember what it was like when Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez lost a lot of games, even though they did. No, when Timothy asks his dad about watching the Mariners when he was a kid, all he hears are the good stories. The playoffs. He thinks he understands, but he doesn't. And that's okay. He doesn't even have to. We'll do it for him.

It's 1994 again, and Lou Pinella has left all of his stuff in the dugout, having stormed back to the visitor's clubhouse following the 8-0 loss that spearheads the Mariners' 7-game losing streak. They wouldn't play a game in the Kingdome again that year, and for all Lou knew, baseball was going to be over for the year in less than two weeks. It would be. Junior and Buhner are in the dugout, picking up Lou's papers and jacket, strewn about the concrete floor and bathing in the puddles of tobacco and sunflower seeds. Buhner picks up the game's lineup sheet and sees a sharp figure drawn on the bottom of the page. Wait..what? He thinks. For the life of him, he can't figure out why Lou had drawn a shape of a corner on the bottom of the page. A corner. But for a second, he realizes that it might mean something more, something he had yet to understand and yet to experience. Something that was coming. That was in July of 1994.

Minor League Player of the Day– Zach Lee (Chattanooga AA) pitched 6 innings picking up for Chris Reed in the suspended game from Friday. Lee only allowed 3 hits and a walk while striking out 8 in his scoreless appearance and got his 9th win of the year.Lee just surpassed his 2012 total innings pitched and he now has pitched 124.2 innings. He'll have 4-5 more starts this year as the Lookouts don't look to make the playoffs this season.

AAA– The Isotopes lost to Tacoma Rainers (Mariners) 7-6 on Saturday night. Matt Magill started and pitched reasonably well, 6 IP, 3 runs, 6 hits, 8 strikeouts but also 4 walks. A surprise relief appearance by Stephen Fife did not help much, Fife went 2 innings, allowed 2 runs, 5 hits and a walk. And the third Dodger/Isotope pitcher in this game, Peter Moylan did Fife one better, allowing 2 runs in one inning. Scott Van Slykeand Alex Castellanos homered. But the rest of the Isotope offense couldn't string much together.

AA – The Lookouts and Stars of Huntsville (Brewers) played two games today, starting with the game that was suspended on Friday night, Zach Lee pitched 6 strong innings and led the Lookouts to a 5 -1 victory over the Stars. The Lookouts were fortunate that the 3 runs they scored before the game was suspended were part of this game but Zach Lee's 6 shutout innings may have not needed it anyway. Chris Reed was the original starter and he pitched 1 scoreless inning. Brian Cavazos-Galvez and Angelo Songcoeach had 3 hits, Songco had a double as part of his three hits and drove in 3 runs.

The Lookouts tried the same formula for the second game, taking a first inning 2 run lead but the Stars scored 2 in the top of the last inning (7th) and they beat the Lookouts 3 to 2. Andres Santiago pitched great for six innings, giving up just a solo home run. But then Yimi Garcia, who had 12 straight scoreless appearances, blew the save, giving up 2 runs for the loss. Brian Cavazos-Galvez had two hits but it was J.T. Wise, who hit a 2-run home run, that was the offensive star in this game.

HiA – The Quakes saw the Storm (Padres) score a run in 11th inning for the 5-4 win. Gustavo Gomez started for the Quakes and he gave up 4 runs (2 earned) in his 5.2 innings. The next two pitchers held the Storm scoreless until Matt Shelton gave up the winning run the 11th. Chris Jacobs (4 for 4) and Bobby Coyle (3 for 4), each homered.

LoA– Thirty years ago, a great moment occurred at Dodger Stadium which I was reminded of when I saw that the Loons squeezed by the Hot Rods (Rays) 2 to 1. With two out in the bottom of the 9th, back to back singles plus an defensive in difference put runner on second and third. James Baldwin beat out the bunt as the winning run scored. Brandon Martinez had an excellent start, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 in 5 innings.

Rookie Ogden– 3 Raptor pitchers gave up 13 runs (12 earned) as the Owlz (Angels) as they lost 13 to 6. Jesmuel Valentin had 2 hits as well as Jacob Scavuzzo had 2 hits. Pitchers Victor Arauljo, Jordan Hershiser and Jackie Mateo gave up the 13 runs.

Rookie Arizona - The Brewers scored 7 runs in the late innings with 4 in the bottom of the 8th as they beat the Dodgers 8-5. Greg Harris pitched a strong 5 innings, giving up only one run. Wascar Teodo lost the game by giving up the 4 runs in the 8th. Josh Henderson and Tyger Pederson led the offense with 3 and 2 hits respectively

DSL – The Dominican Dodgers defeated the Indians 7 - 2. Wellington Serrano pitched a nice 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and a walk. Franklin Perezand Jose Escudero pitched 2 innings apiece to secure the win. Johan Mieses had 3 hits to lead the offense.

Transactions:N/A

Coming up– Julio Urias, who has pitched 10 innings total in his last six "starts" (since July 10th) begins the game for the Loons, Red Patterson is on the hill for the Isotopes. Zachary Birdgoes for the Raptors and Ross Striplingthrows for the Lookouts. And Lindsey Caughel toes the rubber for the Quakes.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score Game 1 (AA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score Game 2 (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Arizona Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Dominican Dodgers Box Score (DSL)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

So there's this Felix Hernandez guy in Seattle.

Heard of him?

Probably not. Let me inform you. Felix Hernandez is an O-K pitcher on the Seattle Mariners. Today he pitched, and he was just that: O-K. I mean, he could've been better, really. He could have pitched another perfect game. He could have struck out 27 batters in a row. He could have even pitched a no-hitter. Hell, if he was really good he would have pinch-hit a home run in place of Raul Ibanez in the 5th inning and then gone the rest of the game without a left fielder because he didn't need one afterward. But no, he's only human. Just a boring ol' pitcher on a boring ol' baseball team.

Instead, Felix "O-K" Hernandez lasted a mere 8 innings and gave up 4 whole hits. 4 is a lot more than 0. He only struck out 9 Brewers batters, enough to solidify his name as the 2013 AL Cy Young Award frontrunner, but not enough to convince the voters to cave in and hand him the award today instead of waiting until after the season like they have done in every other year since its inception in 1956. Mediocrity, folks.

Instead of lasting the full 9 innings, Felix went 8 with 108 pitches, and could only muster 96 on his fastball. Look at this 8th-inning strikeout from Jeff Bianchi, and notice it wasn't a one-pitch strikeout, which is a real thing, and much more efficient than needing 8 pitches to get your man swinging.

96 on pitch 7. Followed up immediately with a 13MPH drop on a curveball. Meh. He's just read the pitching manuals. Look at Mr. Hernandez's fastball velocity chart over the years and try not to fall asleep:

So the guy's velocity has been down. So he can still reach back and get a little extra on his fastball late in games. Whatever, I know another pitcher who does that sometimes and he has some silly award too. He's also on the cover of a videogame, so tit for tat. After the Mariners won the game, reporters were surrounding Felix's locker and asking him about needing a couple extra pitches in the 8th inning to strike out Bianchi and Martin Maldonado. Felix smiled, and shook his head in defiance. See, he explained, he didn't want to end these at bats in groundouts. He could have. But he specifically wanted to strike them out. Felix wasn't just pitching for the game, or the outs. Felix wanted to make these batters look silly, he wanted to catch them swinging, buckling at the knees. Meh. Sounds like a reckless ballplayer, folks. Too dangerous to have on your ballclub. Fun? Well...Competitive? Feared? At the top of the game? Hold your horses there, bud.

And the rest of the Mariners helped out Felix Hernandez too, I guess. In the 3rd inning, Dustin Ackley hit a second-pitch double up the middle and was sent to third on a Brendan Ryan groundout. Brewers starter Wily Peralta threw a wild pitch here, and Ackley scored with room to spare. Then, in the 5th inning, Justin Smoak deposited a second-pitch Peralta Fastball in the right field bleachers for his 13th home run of the season. Peralta wouldn't get out of the inning without giving up singles to Brendan Ryan and Henry Blanco, but Blanco was caught at second trying to stretch his to a double and the inning was over.

Oh, yeah and it looks like the Mariners might have a new closer for the rest of the season. No--don't worry, I'll wait for you to finish yawning, casual non-Seattle baseball fan. His name is Danny Farquhar and here is an at bat from his 9th inning today:

Looks like somebody wants to be Mariano Rivera with a curveball. What? He was a former Yankee? Worked with Rivera? He's only in his mid-20's? Still bored. Excuse me? FIP? What's a FIP? I don't care if his is only 1.87. You say that's 5th best in all of baseball including starters? And he's third best in xFIP? Better than Craig Kimbrel and Matt Harvey? Haha. "FIP." Come back after you've faced real hitters in the clutch, buddy. This 96-78 MPH curveball thing you've got going here looks nice but I've got a Rangers game to catch.

So here we are, back talking about Felix Hernandez again. I mean, the guy is good, I guess, but hell-ooo...how about the Detroit man, riding 17 wins? Headed for the playoffs? Now that's a real pitcher. I don't see this "King" Felix making his starts in a real city like New York or Los Angeles. And signing a back-loaded 7 year contract to stay on a losing baseball team just because you "like the city" and "want to win" there? Pfft. Who is this guy?

And look at this (if it ever becomes available):

Yeah. I mean, neat, fancy defense. "Best defensive shortstop in baseball." Hasn't started since whenever and can still pull a play off like this without a second's hesitation. Brendan Ryan wouldn't even need to be doing this if Felix struck the guy out. So have your fun, folks. Whatever.

If the national baseball media has taught me anything, it's to be wary of games like this, coming from a team such as this. And you know what? It doesn't really matter--it's not real baseball and it probably doesn't even count in the record book like this afternoon's Tigers/Yankees game. Did you see that? Now that's real baseball. Or how about those Nationals? You know, the Cubs and Cardinals played yet another game in their decades-old rivalry. And did you hear about Adam Wainwright?

Yeah, I thought so. Have fun with your "Mariners," fans. I would say see you in a couple of years, but we all know that isn't going to happen.*

*on the off chance it does happen, please ignore this entire article and remember that I was there to tell you that Felix Hernandez is the best pitcher in baseball, and that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik sure has built up a nice youth movement here. But most importantly, remember that I was right all along and knew exactly what was going to happen before it happened.

Yesterday, the Giants looked like they were going to win against the Orioles only to completely melt down over the last two innings. Also, a tumultuous ninth inning between the Tigers and the Yankees featured three home runs and two Meltdowns! And Clayton Kershaw continued his case for the National League Cy Young and MVP awards with his bat and his pitching against the Rays.

The Smallest Sample Size -- Game Results for 8/11/13

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports

Tigers 4, Yankees 5

Justin Verlander looked like he's starting to get back on track but stumbled yesterday, giving up four runs and two homers in seven innings. Andy Pettitte continued to allow a ton of baserunners but only gave up one earned run in his four and a third. But the real excitement of this game came in the ninth inning. Mariano Rivera (-28% WPA) melted down again, this time giving up homeruns to Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Even after Miggy's dinger, the Yankees win expectancy was still 83.5%. Prince Fielder lined out to third and then V-Mart changed the game with a clutch homer to tie the game (34.9% WPA). With the game tied and all the momentum seemingly with the Tigers, the Yankees still had a 56% win expectancy. And, of course, they won it on a Brett Gardner walk-off home run with one out to go. Jose Veras (-36% WPA) registered his first Meltdown since May 28th as a result.

Angels 5, Indians 6

The Angels had a 96.8% win expectancy with a five run lead in the sixth until Jerome Williams gave up a pair of two-run dingers (26.7% WPA). Then, unfortunately, the game had to be handed over to the Anaheim bullpen. Carlos Santana started the seventh with a home run off J.C. Gutierrez (-29% WPA) and Nick Maronde (-18% WPA) allowed an inherited runner to score by giving up a single to Michael Bourn. Justin Masterson wasn't at his best, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks in just over four innings but the Indians were able to fight back against Williams and the miserable Angels bullpen.

Athletics 6, Blue Jays 4

A.J. Griffin clearly didn't have his best control yesterday, giving up three runs (two earned) over five and two-thirds with six walks and five hits but the Athletics were able to fight back. First, they were finally able to get to R.A. Dickey in the sixth, tagging him for three runs on three hits, one of which was a two-run dinger off the bat of Brandon Moss. Dickey was able to have perfect inning in the seventh but gave way to Darren Oliver. Oliver melted down and ended up giving three runs back to Oakland with one out left in the eighth (-42% WPA). Alberto Callaspo was able to provide some clutch hitting from the eight-hole in Oakland's lineup, contributing 36% to their win expectancy. Grant Balfour made things interesting in the ninth by allowing a run on three walks and a double but was able to keep the win intact.

Padres 2, Reds 3

Yesterday's 13-inning affair between the Padres and the Reds featured a back and forth tug-of-war in win expectancy. The Padres were in line for the win thanks to some dominant pitching from Ian Kennedy. But he faltered in the eighth and gave up a two-run pinch-hit homer to Xavier Paul (40% WPA) that tied the game up. Mike Leake was in line for the loss (#killthewin), despite only giving up one earned run over seven innings and nine baserunners. Once Paul hit the game-changing home run in the eighth, the Padres had multiple opportunities where they were projected to win but couldn't capitalize. They were even able to advance runners to third and second on a balk! Yet all of the baserunners that the Padres had in extra innings were stranded. Then, Tim Stauffer came into the game and loaded the bases with a walk, double and hit batter. Obviously struggling with command, San Diego had already used four other relievers and instead chose to roll with Stauffer (-37% WPA) against Joey Votto, who hit a game winning sacrifice fly to left.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Marlins 4, Braves 9

The Braves hiccuped Saturday and saw their win streak snapped by those pesky Miami Marlins but they quickly started a new one on Sunday. Mike Minor gave up four runs on seven baserunners over seven innings but was bailed out by a late inning surge against Dan Jennings and A.J. Ramos. Freddie Freeman provided 44% of the Braves win expectancy thanks to a clutch three-run dinger, another hit and two walks in five plate appearances.

Red Sox 3, Royals 4

This game looks a lot closer in the box score than it actually does in the win expectancy chart. James Shields spun seven innings of three run ball (two earned) on ten baserunners and five strikeouts. The Kansas City bullpen was able to nail down the remaining six outs with Shutdowns from Aaron Crow and Greg Holland. John Lackey was bested by Shields but still had a pretty good game himself. The core of the Boston lineup just couldn't seem to get anything going as Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Daniel Nava amassed -23% WPA in 11 plate appearances.

Greg Holland has a 1.18 FIP/1.45 xFIP/1.4 SIERA while striking out over 42% of the batters he's faced in 46 innings. Absolutely incredible. Who do you think has had the better season for a reliever this year: Holland or Craig Kimbrel?

Twins 5, White Sox 2

Jose Quintana (-19% WPA) fell apart in the fifth inning of yesterday's game and completely gave it away on two home runs to Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer. Kevin Correia (31% WPA) didn't have much trouble throughout the game (.79 pLI), shutting out the White Sox over seven innings with seven strikeouts. Although they would eventually score two runs off of Casey Fien, the White Sox lineup only had one better that provided a positive amount of winning probability.

Rangers 6, Astros 1

Dallas Keuchel was looking to be a hard luck loser yesterday, having only allowed two runs over eight innings against the re-energized Rangers offense. But he unraveled in the ninth and gave up four more runs (three earned) on back-to-back singles from Jurickson Profar and Leonys Martin. Despite scoring six runs, the Texas offense only had three batters contribute a positive amount of winning probability. Martin Perez (51% WPA) was downright dominant, hurling a complete game with eight strikeouts and six baserunners. The lone run came from a Chris Carter homer with one out to go in the ninth.

Cubs 4, Cardinals 8

The Cardinals were in control throughout most of this game, only hiccuping in the sixth as Joe Kelly ran out of gas and Seth Maness (-23% WPA) gave up inconvenient singles to Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney that scored two runs and tied the game up at four. Edwin Jackson (-21% WPA) showed signs of having a much improved second half but has fallen apart over his last couple starts. Yesterday, he gave up four runs on six hits and three walks in just five innings. After Pete Kozma put St. Louis back on top in the bottom of the sixth, the Cardinals were never in doubt of winning the game as their lowest win expectancy was 69.6% from there on out.

Orioles 10, Giants 2

Despite the box score, San Francisco actually was in control for most of this game. Going into the seventh inning, the Giants had a 72.3% win expectancy with a 2-1 lead. Chris Davis led off with a double off of Matt Cain. Then, after a Matt Wieters flyout, J.J. Hardy homered to take the lead, plummeting the Giants' win expectancy to 29.7% after just three batters. In the eighth, Jose Mijares and Sandy Rosario struggled and combined to give up four more runs. Barry Zito, now a full-time reliever, gave up a three-run dinger to Adam Jones in the ninth to make it 10-2. Matt Cain only gave up three of the ten runs and allowed just six baserunners over seven innings but was handed the loss.

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports

Brewers 0, Mariners 2

Most of the time that Felix Hernandez is on the mound, all he needs is one run to grab the win for the Mariners -- and he did just that yesterday. Hurling eight shutout innings while only allowing four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts, King Felix (41% WPA) added another dominant outing to his Cy Young case while lowering his ERA to 2.28, FIP to 2.50 and xFIP to 2.63. Milwaukee didn't stand a chance the entire game as they only threatened in the second with Juan Francisco's double. Wily Peralta was the hard-luck loser yesterday, as he only gave up two runs on four hits over eight innings.

Mets 9, Diamondbacks 5

Jon Niese returned from the disabled list and allowed four runs on eight baserunners across six innings. Zeke Spruill (-31% WPA) was chased after giving up five runs (one earned) over three innings that included eight baserunners. The Diamondbacks were able to climb back into this game but just couldn't get over the hump. At one point, they had their win expectancy up to 46.7% in the sixth, but their hopes were doused by back-to-back strikeouts with two men on base. Will Harris (-20% WPA) melted down shortly thereafter and the Mets quickly ran away with the game.

Pirates 2, Rockies 3

Chad Bettis and Jeff Locke were engaged in a battle during the first six innings of yesterday's game. Locke bowed out after five and two thirds, having given up two runs (one earned) on four walks and three hits. Bettis fared a little better, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings. After Bettis was removed, all three relievers were able to record Shutdowns whereas Bryan Morris gave up three hits and the game-winning run over two innings for the Pirates. Nolan Arenado had a clutch double (19.6% WPA) in the seventh inning that put the Rockies on top. Rex Brothers (20% WPA) had the bases loaded in the ninth but was able to escape the ninth unscathed and preserve the win.

Phillies 0, Nationals 6

Stephen Strasburg's first complete game and first shutout came courtesy of the anemic Phillies offense! Best of all, he did it with under 100 pitches, aka a "Maddux."Kyle Kendrick had some terrible BABIP luck yesterday, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits in four and a third. With a dominant pitcher on the mound, the Nationals didn't really need much offense to run away with the win ... but they hit anyway. Strasburg (28% WPA) was incredibly efficient and practically untouchable, only allowing four hits and a walk with ten strikeouts over nine incredible innings.

Rays 2, Dodgers 8

Clayton Kershaw does it all. He shuts down offenses and triggers his own. Kershaw's two-RBI single in the second proved to be the biggest swing in win expectancy (19.7% WPA) throughout yesterday's showdown between the Rays and the Dodgers. Also, it's all he really needed to seize the win for the Dodgers. Tossing eight innings and allowing two runs (one earned), Kershaw struck out eight and only allowed five baserunners. It'll be interesting to see who wins the National League Cy Young this year as Kershaw, Matt Harvey and Adam Wainwright are all very deserving. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hellickson (-28% WPA) struggled again as he was chased after three innings and four runs.

. . .

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

Mike Mulvenna is a writer at Beyond The Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @mkmulv.

More from Beyond the Box Score:

• Regression spells trouble for certain contenders
• Prince Fielder's hitting woes
• The Smallest Sample Size 8/11/2013: Hidden Ball Trick!
• Lineouts! 08/10/13: Chase Utley, Jake Peavy and the Mets are running
• Is it worth it to lose now, and win later?

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 24: The Lost Podcast

Lost podcast, not last podcast. I sat down with Andrew Ball and Daniel Kelley on Thursday night to discuss our recent Midseason Starting Pitcher Rankings, where we discussed Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Kris Medlen, Jose Fernandezand Mike Minor, among others. We also took the opportunity to get into some good ole Zack bashing.

But, due to technical difficulties, some of the podcast was lost, but you can listen to what was recorded in the links below. And here are some of what was lost:

• Jered Weaver│ Both Daniel and Ray think Weaver is being undervalued by the FT staff, citing that he has always outperformed his peripherals and he's finally healthy.
• Francisco Liriano│ Daniel, much like Brian Creagh, has been burned so many times by Liriano that he still can't jump on the bandwagon. Also, Liriano's increased slider usuge this year may make him at risk for an injury.
• Matt Cain and Kris Medlen │ One of the things I really support about Daniel's rankings, even if I don't do it myself, is the fact that he doesn't let a few months of data sway his opinion from the rankings we did in the preseason. Cain and Medlen are both pitchers with track records of success, granted a longer one for Cain, but he is sticking by both of them.
• Mike Minor │ All of us, myself included feel that stripping away Minor's name and simply evaluating the raw numbers makes him an easy top-20 pitcher. Kudos to Ray for the ranking at 13.
• Matt Moore│ Ray thinks Moore is the next Clayton Kershaw, while Daniel is a bit more hesitant citing that Moore is only about a year younger than Kershaw right now. I'm in the middle of the two opinions.
• Zack Smith │ Zack's rankings of David Price at 20, Hiroki Kuroda at 50, and C.C. Sabathia at 16 made all of us say, "huh?"

You can listen to the podcast in two ways:

MP3 LINK
ITUNES LINK (subscribe here)

Minor League Ball: Organization Top 20 Prospects in Review

Minor League Ball's John Sickels is in the middle of reviewing all of his preseason Top 20 Prospects and you can find all of them in the link below:

Organization Top 20 Prospects for 2013

Mike Trout: Approaching the 30-30 Club Again

Angels outfielder Mike Trout is really the only competition Miguel Cabrera has as the #1 fantasy hitter right now and heading into 2014. Last season, Trout hit .326-.399-.564 with 30 HRs, 129 runs, 83 RBI and 49 stolen bases in 54 attempts. This season, he is hitting .329-.424-.572 with 20 HRs, 82 runs, 73 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts. He is one of the more dominating hitters in fantasy baseball. What is amazing is that he is on pace for another 30 home run, 30 stolen base season right now. Well, I cheated. He is on pace for 28 home runs according to ESPN, but I can easily see him reaching 30 home runs this season.

What is really amazing is that in his career, a a career that spans just over 1,100 at bats, he has stolen 79 bases in 88 attempts, a 90% success rate. It makes you wonder why he doesn't run more when reaching first base.

For more on Trout and the Angels, make sure you check out Halos Heaven, SB Nation's Angels fan site.

Matt Davidson called up by Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks called up top hitting prospect Matt Davidson on Sunday to replace the injured Eric Chavez on the active roster. Davidson should see plenty of time at third base for the struggling Diamondbacks and provide some power for his fantasy owners.

Prior to his call up, Davidson was hitting .278-.348-.484 with 16 HRs, 52 runs and 68 RBI in 466 plate appearances at AAA. HIs walk rate has dropped, and his strikeout rate has increased, in the move from AA to AAA, so I worry that he could struggle filling in for Chavez.

For more on Davidson's call up, please read this article from Jim McLennan over at AZ Snake Pit, SB Nation's Diamondbacks fan site.

Round'em Up

Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez had his best day at the plate since coming off the DL last week. ARod went 2-4 with a HR and 2 RBI on Sunday. The home run was his first of the season, off of Tigers ace Justin Verlander.

Verlander pitched well, giving up 4 runs on 7 hits, 2 of which were home runs, a walk and 9 strikeouts over 7 innings of work. The loss moves his record to 12-9 with a 3.57 ERA, an uncharacteristic 1.35 WHIP, and a solid 154-57 strikeout to walk rate in 158.2 innings this season. His performance has not been the usual Verlander-like performance from prior years, and I wonder if all of the 200+ inning seasons are starting to catch up to him.

Rangers starter Martin Perez had his best outing of the season on Sunday against the Astros. Perez limited the Astros to one run on 4 hits, a walk and 8 strikeouts en route to his fifth win of the season, and first complete game. Perez is now 5-3 with a very solid 3.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 47-21 K-BB rate in 68 innings. In his 11 starts this season, he has given two runs or less in seven of his starts thus far.

Royals outfielder Alex Gordon was recently moved to the cleanup spot in the Royals lineup, and yesterday he showed off some of the power he has. He went 3-4 with a HR, double and 2 RBI in their 4-3 win over the Red Sox. Gordon has struggled of late, and is now hitting .271-.339-.425 with 13 HRs, 62 runs, 61 RBI and 8 stolen bases. Gordon hit .317 and .339 in the first two months of the season, but since then has struggled hitting just .188 in June, .226 in July and .214 in August thus far.

Three aces pitched like aces on Sunday. Felix Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg all pitched very well, but Strasburg had the best performance of the three. Strasburg threw his first complete game and first shutout of his career, limiting the Phillies to just 4 hits, a walk and striking out 10. Strasburg moved his record to 6-9 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 153-43 K-BB rate in 146.1 innings this season. Strasburg has been more prone to the blowup start this season, but he has quietly given up two runs or less in 16 of his 23 starts, and has gone 7 or more innings in 14 of his 23 starts this season.

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez might be the favorite to win the American League Cy Young award this season, even with the great season Max Scherzer is having. King Felix shut out the Brewers for 8 innings yesterday, giving up 4 hits, a walk and struck out 9 to win his 12th game of the season. Hernandez is now 12-5 with a 2.28 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 178-33 K-BB rate in 173.2 innings this season. He has given up two runs or less in 18 of his 25 starts so far in 2013.

Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak seems to have turned his career around this season. Yesterday, he went 1-3 with a home run, and is now hitting .270-.367-.450 with 13 HRs, 40 runs, 31 RBI and a 82-45 K-BB rate in 307 at bats thus far in 2013. His .333 BABIP has fueled the rise in his batting average, but I wonder if he can maintain the high BABIP going forward as his line drive rate is in a two year upswing, presently sitting at 23.9% of his batted balls in play.

More from Fake Teams:

• Complete SP Rankings: Week 19
• Roto Roundup: Nathan Eovaldi, Jose Bautista, Zack Greinke and Others
• Minor League Review: How Are Some of This Year's Top Draftees Doing So Far? Part 2
• Around the League - AL and NL
• Low Level Prospect Review: Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds
• Roto Roundup: Josh Reddick, Brandon Beachy, Jed Lowrie and Others
• Waiver Wire: 10 Under 10%

On this day in 1928 Bob Buhl was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He was 18 when the White Sox signed him as an amateur free agent in 1947 but had yet to pitch in the big leagues when he left baseball for two years to fight in the Korean War. He returned to the US in 1953 and made his MLB debut as a member of the Braves that same year.

Buhl was a Brave for most of the team's 13 seasons in Milwaukee, posting a 3.27 ERA over 282 appearances and winning 109 games. His 18-7 record gave him the NL's best winning percentage in 1957 and he made his only All Star appearance in 1960, when he had a 3.09 ERA over 238.2 innings. He also started two games in the 1957 World Series.

Longtime teammates Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette may be better remembered, but Buhl is one of just five pitchers in the history of Milwaukee baseball to collect 100 MLB wins:

Buhl died in 2001, or he would have turned 85 today. With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday today to:

• Huntsville Star Mark Williams, who turns 24.
• Wisconsin Timber Rattler Austin Ross, who turns 25.
• 1999 Brewer Reggie Harris, who turns 45.

Today is also the third anniversary of Casey McGehee setting a new franchise record with a hit in his ninth consecutive at bat in 2010, and the 14th anniversary of the Brewers firing Phil Garner, the winningest manager in franchise history, in 1999. We covered those events in this space two years ago and last year, respectively.

This is the point in the season where things start to get messy. Doing this the standard way is ugly, doing it with percentages is ugly. The short season players really mess with things this time of year, so I am doing a rating by league and seperating hitters and pitchers.

It's interesting to look at some of these players and compare players from past seasons to players this year. It's amazing how many similar players to Addison Russell have failed. I'll be working on this a lot more this off season. I'm just not sure how to best present it and what other info you guys would like. Let me know in the comments what you would like to see, whether it be comps to other players, MLB projections, odds of reaching MLB, projected length of career, etc..

AAA Hitters

AA Hitters

High A Ball Hitters

A Ball Hitters

Short Season A Ball Hitters

Rookie Ball Hitters (Including DSL/VSL)

AAA Pitchers

Rank Name Team Level Value

AA Pitchers

High A Pitchers

A Ball Pitchers

Short Season A Pitchers

Rookie Pitchers (Including DSL/VSL)

The Chicago White Sox have signed shortstop Tommy Manzella to a minor league contract, a source has confirmed to MLB Daily Dish. The 30-year old will report to Double-A Birmingham after being released by the Blue Jays earlier in the week.

After signing with the Rockies last offseason, Manzella appeared in 32 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs to start the season, and hit .190 with 10 RBI before being released in late May. He signed with the Blue Jays on June 4th, and reported to Double-A New Hampshire. In 53 games between Colorado Springs and New Hampshire this season, Manzella has hit .220 with 20 RBI in 173 at-bats.

Manzella appeared in 90 big league games with the Astros in 2009 and 2010, hitting .224 with 1 RBI. He spent the last two months of his 2012 season in the White Sox' system with Triple-A Charlotte after seeing time in the Brewers and Diamondbacks organizations to begin the year.

Some things to read during naptime.

The Brewers are 4-3 on their west coast road trip after taking two of three in Seattle, but suffered their first-ever loss at Safeco Field in a 2-0 game yesterday. Noah has the recap, if you missed it.

The Brewers missed a chance for a sweep yesterday despite a solid outing from Wily Peralta, who allowed two runs on four hits while pitching all eight innings. He's the first Brewer to record a complete game in a loss since Chris Capuano in 2006 (h/t @joe_block), and one of just eight pitchers to do it since the Brewers moved to the National League in the 90's.

There's no dishonor, though, in having been outdueled by Felix Hernandez. King Felix struck out nine over eight shutout innings, and Martin Maldonado said he's the best right-hander he's ever faced (h/t @AdamMcCalvy).

Other notes from the field:

• Wily Peralta is now one of just eight pitchers across baseball who have made 25 starts this season. (h/t @NoahJarosh)
• Carlos Gomez and Mariners catcher Humberto Quintero collided at home plate on Saturday night, and Quintero was apparently none too happy about it. You can see video of the play here.
• The Mariners inducted Ken Griffey Jr. into their Hall of Fame before Saturday's game, and that fact combined with the awesome drawing power of a home game against the Brewers led to their first sellout of the season (h/t @AdamMcCalvy).
• BrewGIFs captured Yuniesky Betancourt's dance following his grand slam on Friday for posterity.
• The Brew Crew Project was in attendance for this weekend's series and has a recap.

Let's wrap up the Mariners series with a look at this weekend's home runs, with help from Hit Tracker and Larry Granillo of Wezen-ball (Friday and Saturday):

Scooter Gennett started all three games at second base this weekend in place of Rickie Weeks, who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn tendon in his hamstring. The injury wraps up a season to forget for Weeks, who hit just .209/.306/.357 in 104 games. Adam McCalvy talked to Gennett about his newfound opportunity.

The Brewers are off today before heading to Texas to open a brief two-game interleague set tomorrow. Marco Estrada will face Alexi Ogando at 7:05, and Andrew Simon has the MLB.com preview.

Tomorrow night's game should feature the return of Aramis Ramirez, who hasn't appeared in a game since July 6. He'll DH and bat cleanup in the AL ballpark.

Looking further ahead, Tyler Thornburg will make the start in the other game in Texas this week, with Kyle Lohse leading off the Reds series at home on Thursday (h/t @AdamMcCalvy). Yovani Gallardo is expected to rejoin the rotation sometime during the next homestand, and Donovan Hand is heading back to the bullpen.

The Brewers will face right handers in both games against Texas this week, and that may be a good thing. On Friday Adam Wieser of Disciples of Uecker noted that the Brewers were 10-24 this season in games where an opposing lefty received the decision. That record improved to 11-24 when the Crew beat Joe Saunders Friday night.

Tom Gorzelanny bounced back from injury with his best start on Saturday, throwing seven scoreless innings while outdueling Hisashi Iwakuma (h/t @Todd_Rosiak). He's pretty quickly changed his destiny from "bullpen-only" to "potential 2014 rotation option."

Carlos Gomez went 0-for-4 yesterday to drop his batting line to .119/.269/.214 in his last 13 games. High Heat Stats notes, though, that his 6.4 wins above repacement (rWAR) are still the best mark in the NL Central.

Juan Francisco had the Brewers' lone extra base hit yesterday, a double off Felix Hernandez. He's our reigning Brewer of the Week, and the eleventh different player to win the vote at least once this season.

Meanwhile, it's been a while since we've seen or heard from Ryan Braun. Deadspin caught a picture of him hanging out with friends in Venice Beach.

Wily Peralta had a great outing yesterday, but not all the news is good for him today: He also made Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs' list of last week's wildest pitches.

Maybe someday Peralta can make this list, but for now the Brewers are completely unrepresented on Andrew Ball of Beyond the Box Score's list of baseball's best tools.

In the minors:

• The affiliates went 3-3 yesterday with Ariel Pena pitching five scoreless innings in Huntsville's 4-0 win over Chattanooga. You can read about that and more in today's Minor League Notes.
• Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has a recap from Wisconsin's 5-0 loss to Quad Cities.
• Victor Roache hit his 19th and 20th home runs of the season on Saturday for Wisconsin, when Jason Rogers also hit his 20th for Huntsville. @JeffHemPBP notes that the Brewers are one of just six organizations with three 20-homer hitters in the minors.
• Matt Garrioch of Minor League Ball lists Mitch Haniger, Michael Reed, Tyrone Taylor, Orlando Arcia and Jimmy Nelson among the leaders in his GAPPER statistic.
• Nashville broadcaster Jeff Hem has an interview with Sounds pitcher Zack Kroenke.

If you weren't around over the weekend, you might have missed JP's weekly look at what we learned last week. It's a great opportunity to catch up on what you missed while watching preseason football or something.

Around baseball:

Athletics: Designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment.
Blue Jays: Placed reliever Juan Perez on the DL with a torn ligament in his elbow.
Diamondbacks: Placed 1B/3B Eric Chavez on the DL with a left knee strain.
Padres: Placed outfielder Carlos Quentin on the DL with a knee strain.
Phillies: Designated outfielder Delmon Young for assignment.
Rangers: Acquired outfielder Alex Rios and cash from the White Sox for a PTBNL.
Rays: Designated reliever Kyle Farnsworth for assignment.
Royals: Placed infielder Miguel Tejada on the DL with a calf strain, acquired infielder Jamey Carroll from the Twins for a PTBNL or cash and designated pitcher Francisely Bueno and catcher Brett Hayes for assignment.
Tigers: Placed catcher Alex Avila on the 7-day DL with a concussion.

This weekend's transaction was the latest development in an interesting week for Rosales, who has been an A, Ranger and A again in the last few days. Big League Stew talked to Rosales about trying to keep his life in order while his workplace is in a consistent state of flux.

Let's go around the NL Central:

• The Rockies beat the Pirates 3-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep at Coors Field. Pedro Alvarez's 28th home run was not enough to secure a win for Pittsburgh.
• The Cardinals narrowly avoided a sweep of their own this weekend, beating the Cubs 8-4 yesterday. Allen Craig was on base five times with three hits and two walks, and scored two runs.
• The Reds gained some ground this weekend by taking two of three from the Padres, including a 3-2, 13 inning win yesterday. Joey Votto's walkoff sac fly was the difference in this one.
• The Brewers, of course, took two of three from the Mariners but lost 2-0 yesterday.

You can read more about those games and all of yesterday's action in Beyond the Box Score's Smallest Sample Size.

Here are today's updated standings and probables:

The Reds aren't drawing nearly as much attention as the Pirates or Cardinals lately, but they're hanging in the race and are getting healthy: Catcher Ryan Hanigan and reliever Jonathan Broxton were activated off the DL over the weekend and outfielder Ryan Ludwick is scheduled to join them today.

The Cubs missed Adam Wainwright in their series with the Cardinals this weekend, and before that they missed Zack Greinke in their matchup with the Dodgers. You'd think most teams would be happy about the increased chance of winning, but apparently Dale Sveum is taking it as an insult.

Meanwhile, yesterday's weirdest statistical quirk came in Toronto, where You Can't Predict Baseball notes that Oakland walked eleven Blue Jays batters and picked up a 6-4 win anyway. The A's are the first team to walk eleven or more batters in a win since 2009. The Orioles did it to the Brewers in 2008.

Elsewhere in the unusual: If you haven't seen it yet, take a moment this morning to watch Rays infielders fool Dodger third baseman Juan Uribe with the hidden ball trick.

Today in former Brewers:

• Gaslamp Ball noted a TV commercial where Rollie Fingers talks about having served in the Army Reserve for six years.
• Paul Swydan of FanGraphs has a tribute to Dave Parker.
• Baseball Card Vandals had some fun with a LaVel Freeman card.

This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History marks what would have been longtime Milwaukee Braves pitcher Bob Buhl's 85th birthday. Plunk Everyone notes that his 37 career HBP are the fourth most ever for a pitcher born on August 12. Here are today's other bits of history:

• Rowland's Office discussed the 52nd anniversary of Warren Spahn's 300th win on Sunday.
• Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that it's been 20000 days since the birth of Teddy Higuera.

Finally, our condolences go out this morning to the family of longtime Milwaukee Brave Johnny Logan, who passed away over the weekend. Logan, a four-time All Star at shortstop, was 86 years old.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm still trapped.

Drink up.

The Brew Crew Ball Tracking Poll is scheduled to remain open through the day Tuesday, with results posted on Wednesday. As always, please vote once.

Second round draft pick Justin Williams has been playing consistently well from the moment he arrived in Phoenix to play in the AZL Rookie League. Williams doesn't turn 18 until next Tuesday yet he has been playing as well as anyone in the league with a .354 average, 32 RBI and an .866 OPS. He was drafted for his power and while that hasn't materialized yet with just one homer on the season, he does have 12 doubles and he isn't striking out at any unusual rate. He has an impressive .408 OBP for such a young player and is really hit of late hitting .425 in his last 10 games with 6 of those being multi-hit games. Last night he went 4 for 4 with 2 more doubles. If he wasn't so young he might have already been sent off to one of the out-of-town rookie leagues. But I suspect that will be on the agenda for next year.

Snake Stars
3 Stars: Justin Williams, AZL Dbacks 4 for 4, 2 R, 2 DBL, 1 RBI
2 Stars:Ross Gerdeman, Hillsboro 7 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 ER, W (1-6)
1 Star:Chris Owings, Reno 2 for 5, 2 R, DBL, TPL, 3 RBI
0 Stars: Daniel Watts, Visalia 5 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 7 R, L (1-4)

Triple A: Reno 12 Nashville 7. Matt Wright wasn't very effective allowing 5 runs in 3+ innings but the offense wasn't to be denied scoring 12 runs on 15 hits. Tyler Bortnick provided the baserunners going 3 for 4 with 2 walks, and Chris Owings provided the RBI with a double and a triple. Ed Easley and Tony Campana each added 2 RBI.

Double A: Mobile 8 Birmingham 3. Bo Schultz provided 5 solid innings and a balanced attack featuring 3 RBI from Sawyer Carroll was plenty to get the win. Nick Ahmed had a nice game going 2 for 4 with a walk, a triple, an RBI, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases.

High A: Visalia 3 @ Bakersfield 8. Daniel Watts got roughed up again as he appears to have found an early ceiling at High A Visalia after shining in Yakima and South Bend. The offense could only respond with 3 hits though Evan Marzilli did hit a 3-run homer, his 2nd.

Low A: South Bend 4 West Michigan 10. Starter Jesse Darrah and the bullpen both got hit around pretty good for 10 runs. 13 hits on offense could only produce 4 runs with Socrates Brito going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and Alex Glenn collecting 3 singles.

Short Season A: Hillsboro 2 Tri-City 0. The Hops offense could only come up with 3 hits again but this time it was enough as starter Ross Gerdeman was stellar throwing 7 shutout innings. Daniel Gibson put up a zero in the 8th inning, and closer Jimmy Sherfy was perfect again getting 2 strikeouts in the 9th for his 5th save. In 9 games covering 9 innings Sherfy has allowed just 3 hits, walked 1 and struck out 17. I think a higher level is in his near future.

Rookie: Missoula 1 @ Great Falls 5.A shaky outing by Carlos Hernandez and a shaky offense led to an uninspired 5-1 defeat. Stryker Trahan went 2 for 3 with a walk and a double.

AZL Rookie: Dbacks 6 Brewers 5. The Dbacks got a walk-off win when Jamie Westbrook singled with 1 out in the 9th to break a 5-5- tie. Ryan Doran had another solid start allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 5 innings while striking out 6. Justin Williams provided a chunk of the offense going 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. Westbrrok went 3 for 5 with a double plus the game winner.

When you look at baseball awards, from the Rookie of the Year at one end to the Hall of Fame vote on the other, the one constant is that voters hate thinking. They'd prefer the numbers to provide a big flashing indicator so that they can avoid taxing their minds. When it comes to the Hall of Fame, if you have 300 wins, like Early Wynn, you're in. If you have 287, like Bert Blyleven, or 288, like Tommy John, a massive chasm opens in the brain that prevents the "Yes" lever from being easily pulled.

Until recently, 20 wins was the same trigger for the Cy Young Award. You can find some of the worst choices -- Steve Bedrosian, say -- in years when there wasn't an obvious option among the starters. Perhaps Felix Hernandez's 2010 award, which came despite a 13-12 record, changed that, but for now it remains the great outlier.

RBI are the dog whistle for position-player awards. Since both leagues began offering an MVP award in 1931, there have been 165 winners between the two leagues (the odd number results from the NL's 1979 tie between Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez). Of these, there have been 143 non-pitchers to win the award. Fifty-five of them, or 38 percent, have led their leagues in RBI. That includes Hank Sauer and Jeff Burroughs and most of the sketchier awards decisions.

Triple Crown or no, Miguel Cabrera's 2013 is special

Cabrera doesn't need to win an MVP or secure a Triple Crown for his season to be historic.

The 2014 NL MVP race may offer another chance for one of those fractured decisions that come along when there isn't a bright-line choice. Over in the American League, it seems as if the voters will have a fairly clear decision between Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout -- several other players, including Chris Davis, are having good years, but there's a clear gap between the frontrunners and the rest of the pack. In the National League the division between those groups is nowhere near as dramatic and the picture has become murkier of late. A few weeks back, with the Cardinals leading the NL Central and Yadier Molina contending for the batting title, the catcher seemed like a very likely choice. Molina hasn't played since July 30, however, thanks to knee problems. Even if he returns on August 15, the first day he is eligible, and plays in six of every seven games from thereon, he would finish the season with approximately 134 games. In recent years, players have won MVP awards with game totals in the 130s (for example, Josh Hamilton played only 133 games in 2010), and George Brett picked up an award for hitting .390 in 117 games in 1980. He is the outlier, however, and should Molina play anything less than 130 games it seems likely that voters would look elsewhere.

Through Sunday, the Cardinals are 11-13 when Tony Cruz or Rob Johnson catches, 56 -37 when Molina does. Still, a player can't prove his value only by implication, he has to actually show up and perform as well.

Where would they look? We can glance at the leaderboards for a hint, beginning with the number-one indicator, RBI. Here is the top five in that category:

Goldschmidt is having an excellent year. He's hit well both at home and on the road. The fielding metrics agree that he's done excellent fielding work. He's even stolen 13 bases in 17 attempts. Before we crown him, however, let's take a look at what wins above replacement says about the NL's best players. On the left, the top-10 players according to WAR (Baseball-Reference version). On the right, position players only.

The Pirates' Andrew McCutchen is not currently leading the NL in any key category. That may yet change; he's currently on one of the torrid streaks akin to last season's .392/.450/.706 from May through July. Through Sunday, McCutchen had hit .357/.440/.608 over his last 40 games, and he's only getting hotter, hitting .483 in his last 10 games. If he finishes strong and the Pirates do likewise, there's little doubt that he would win Pittsburgh's first MVP award since Barry Bonds in 1992 -- coincidentally, that's also the last season the Pirates were over .500.

Carlos Gomez makes for an intriguing choice. His Brewers are dead in the water at 51-67, so he doesn't have the frisson of pennant-race pressure to go with his breakthrough season, but nonetheless, he's having one of those everything-bagel seasons where he has hit for average and power, stolen 30 bases, and played excellent defense. He's gone a bit cold of late; he was hitting .300 as late as July 31, but having slumped to .222/.299/.413 since the beginning of last month, he's down to .286 now.

Brandon Phillips( Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports )

Returning to the RBI list, it's worth nothing what a rough year Brandon Phillips is having in some respects. Ballplayers have two jobs on offense: starting trouble and finishing it. Phillips has been terrific with men on base (.319/.376/.480) and runners in scoring position (.376/.434/.544), but that's only half the job. Phillips has had 478 plate appearances this year. Thanks to Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto, a large number of them, 55 percent, come with men on. The other 45 percent have come with the bases empty, and Phillips has hit only .195/.229/.332 in those situations.

Allen Craig, second on the RBI list, would be an interesting choice in that he's doing everything that Phillips is doing, plus at least some aspects of the other part of his job. He's hit .464 with runners in scoring position and .381 with men on, but also .264/.312/.407 with the bases empty. Craig's defensive versatility has allowed the Cardinals to get Matt Adams into the lineup at times, so that's a plus, but it comes with the price tag of defense that is average at best regardless of where he plays.  Note also Matt Carpenter's presence on the overall WAR list; his OBP in the leadoff spot has made Craig's season possible.

Of course, we can't dispense with the idea that a pitcher will win the award. However, such an award is just only when a pitcher vastly outdistances the position players who are also contenders, though, Justin Verlander did take home both MVP and Cy Young honors in 2011 despite proximity in value to both Jacoby Ellsbury and Jose Bautista. Then again, Verlander also led the league with 24 wins against just five losses, so maybe that helped tip the scales for enough voters. Since McCutchen and Kershaw have been of about equal value so far (and may yet diverge further) that seems uncalled for (and unlikely) in this case, especially since Kershaw owns less than half as many victories as Verlander.

MLB waiver deals: Six players who could move by August 31

In most cases they won't bring a great deal in return, but these half-dozen players might yet make their way to a contender's roster.

As long as the Pirates' return from competitive oblivion remains the story of the season, McCutchen will probably merit strong consideration, and rightly so. He is clearly the team MVP, standing head, shoulders, and dreadlocks above his teammates. Should his impressive stretch drive continue, that will likely serve as the clinching argument for his election. Still, so long as there is no black ink on the back of his baseball card, voters may be tempted to look at more traditional categories for a player they perceive as having been dominant -- and that would lead them back to Goldschmidt.

That might seem unlikely, but think back to all the MVP votes not won by Yankees during their World Series run of 1996-2001. Years in which the multi-dimensional Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter had strong arguments the award went to the likes of Juan Gonzalez. We might be more enlightened than that now, but a lot of us were then as well; the voters remain a distinct and recalcitrant subpopulation.

In other words, keep hitting, Andrew: You might have to win the batting title to lock this thing up.

More from SB Nation:

• Triple Crown or no, Miguel Cabrera's 2013 is special

• Mike Trout wants lifetime ban for PED users

• Roth: A-Rod is still kind of a dork

• Matt Harvey likely to be shut down after 200 innings

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer