Some things to read while not getting scammed.
It was a largely quiet off day for the Brewers yesterday but they did make one relatively minor roster move, claiming shortstop Hector Gomez off waivers from the Rockies and designating reliever Brandon Kintzler for assignment (FanShot).
Gomez is a former top prospect who has been derailed a bit by injuries over the years. He's a 24 year old .268/.306/.425 career hitter in the minors, but has already played seven minor league seasons and has only appeared in more than 100 games one time since 2007. The Brewers have assigned him to Brevard County.
Kintzler, meanwhile, will almost certainly clear waivers and remain in the organization. He posted a 3.68 ERA in the majors before getting injured in 2011, but has a 5.24 mark between Brevard County and Huntsville in 2012.
Those transactions probably won't move this needle very much: This week's BCB tracking poll shows that just 30% of voters think the Brewers can still make the playoffs. That number was at 64% just two weeks ago.
Elsewhere in recent roster moves, Todd Rosiak (behind the paywall) has a story on Livan Hernandez and the immediate "veteran leader" role he's assumed in the Brewer clubhouse. Hernandez has certainly had his share of troubles over the years, with this April report saying his wages have been garnished this season, but the story makes it sound like he's eager to help some of the Brewers' young players.
Now that we've covered past and present roster moves, we might as well move on to potential future transactions: Jon Heyman is confirming that a Rangers scout was in Cincinnati to see Zack Greinke last night but says he's "not available yet."
We won't know the actual All Star selections for a few more days, but you can add Ken Rosenthal to the list of people expecting Ryan Braun and Zack Greinke to represent the Brewers. Adam McCalvy talked to Ron Roenicke about his favorite All Star moment, which came last season. Roenicke, by the way, was in Appleton to watch his son Lance play for the Timber Rattlers last night.
The Brewers open a three game series with the Diamondbacks tonight but won't be seeing former team broadcaster Daron Sutton. Sutton had been suspended by the Diamondbacks for insubordination, and now Bob Wolfley of the JS (behind the paywall) is reporting that he's also been removed from tomorrow night's national broadcast on Fox. Supposedly this whole thing is over Sutton's insistence on calling games in suits instead of the team-mandated polo, but that seems too ridiculous to be true.
In the minors:
- The affiliates went 1-5 last night with the lone win coming from Wisconsin, where right fielder Ben McMahan had a three-RBI night to power the Timber Rattlers to a 7-3 win over Peoria. You can read about that and more in today's Minor League Notes.
- Rattler Radio has highlights from Wisconsin's win.
- John Sickels of Minor League Ball raised some early concerns about first round pick Clint Coulter, noting that he's already allowed five passed balls and seven stolen bases in his first three Arizona League games at catcher.
- @Mass_Haas is reporting that 32nd round pick Nick Anderson expects to sign soon.
- Nashville reliever Jim Henderson will represent the Sounds in the AAA All Star Game after posting a 1.93 ERA in 24 first half appearances. Nashville broadcaster Jeff Hem interviewed him about the honor.
- The Brevard County Manatees have a story on John Dishon, Seth Harvey and Jason Rogers, three players promoted from Wisconsin during the All Star break.
- Jeremy Warnemuende of MLB.com has a story on Helena pitcher and UW-Milwaukee alum Eric Semmelhack.
In power rankings: Yahoo has the Brewers 24th, down two spots.
If you'd like more Brewer coverage today but you're sick of reading, I'll be making my weekly appearance on The Home Stretch on 95.3 FM/AM 1570 The Score in Appleton at 2 pm today. Justin Hull is off this week so I'll be in studio with Joey D taking your calls and answering Brewer questions.
Finally, congratulations are due out this morning to 54438Crew, yesterday's winner in our SB Nation Pick 6 contest. Here's the full leaderboard:
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54438Crew | 87.7 |
| 2 | ObiBraunKenobi | 67.8 |
| 3 | arails4 | 67.4 |
| 4 | MadtownTim | 67.2 |
| 5 | -JP- | 65.9 |
| 6 | PCLOUSE7 | 61.3 |
| 7 | MadisonWino | 60.4 |
| 8 | mamaro68 | 59.0 |
| 9 | BrewCrewBrian | 56.2 |
| 10 | Beaver9 | 55.6 |
There's still plenty of time to make your picks for today if you haven't already. Also, a new series means a new set of Prognostikeggers.
Around baseball:
Orioles: Placed first baseman Nick Johnson on the DL with a wrist injury.
Phillies: Designated pitcher Chad Qualls for assignment.
Red Sox: Signed third baseman Andy LaRoche to a minor league deal.
Yankees: Placed pitcher Andy Pettitte on the DL with a fractured ankle.
This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History marks the 27th anniversary of Moose Haas throwing a one-hitter against the Yankees in 1985. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that it's also been 7000 days since Graeme Lloyd became the first Australian pitcher to win a major league game.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to shower.
Drink up.