Brewer Paradise Lost

Yovani Gallardo wants to pitch in the World Baseball Classic next month but is waiting to hear back from the Brewers to determine how comfortable they are with the idea before Gallardo makes his final decision. He would pitch for Mexico, naturally, and final rosters have to be sent in by the 24th, so final decisions have to be made by then.

Gallardo should be back to near 100% from his torn ACL which he suffered in a game last year and has only pitched four innings ever since. He says the knee is back to 100%, and by now he should be ready to start pitching with a moderate to full workload, as a knee problem for a pitcher isn’t nearly as concerning as an elbow or shoulder problem.

I’ve always been a proponent of the WBC, even though it doesn’t get nearly the amount of media attention that it should. Huge stars like Albert Pujols tend to exaggerate injuries and treat the WBC as if it’s a second priority with the WBC, and with the exact science of workloads that pitchers are bound under, most pitchers are discouraged from pitching in order to ensure that during MLB’s season, that player can be healthy and productive for the maximum amount of time. The only risky pitcher I can think of off the top of my head who is going to risk his overall health is perennially-gassed pitcher Justin Verlander. Gallardo doesn’t seem to be the type of pitcher who’s often injured or fatigued, so I’d encourage him to play in the WBC.

With that said, it’s still going to be fun to watch. Even if it interferes with spring training.

Hey, check this out. Here’s Jayson Stark:

Before the Phillies signed Ryan Howard to a three-year, $54 million extension, the two sides talked seriously about a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $110 million.

I don’t think I could name one other player in the majors today who’s so grossly salivated over in the media than Ryan Howard. Chicks obviously dig the long ball, but let’s run a few comparisons, “mystery game” style. Check it out, using 2008 statistics:

Player A: .270/.341/.500, 25 HR in 492 AB, 123 OPS+, UZR/150 -7.1
Player B: .251/.339/.543, 48 HR in 610 AB, 124 OPS+, UZR/150 2.6
Player C: .276/.372/.507, 34 HR in 288 AB, 128 OPS+, UZR/150 -8.7
Player D: .247/.377/.494, 31 HR in 290 AB, 127 OPS+, UZR/150 3.8

Check out how similar these players are — you can’t guess who’s who without specifically looking up the statistics first. Without doing that, rank these players from who you’d most want and why, and I’ll lay out the same (putting contracts in mind) on my next post and explain why the three players who aren’t Ryan Howard are more desirable to have on your team than the big slugger himself.

Just for the record, if I were looking at these statistics by themselves, I’d rank the players, from best to worst, 4-2-3-1. Let me know what you think.

Tomorrow, I’ll be making a post about music. I’ll give you mix upon mix to download (legally!) and share with yourself or your friends. Sorted by genre. Hours and hours of sweet nectar.

Lastly, this is the funniest thing you’ll ever see:

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Brewer stuff, milwaukee brewers by Cody