Cabin Twelve

20 years from now, people are going to ask you where you were on August 18, 2008, the night CC Sabathia changed the game of baseball forever. So commit it to memory.

I was flipping between games last night, and landed on the Brewers/Astros game on ESPN in the top of the ninth. At the point I started watching again, the Astros had scored a run and Sabathia was rocketing towards 130 pitches after walking Miguel Tejeda with 2 outs. With the score 9-3, the bases loaded and Lance Berkman coming to the plate, ESPN’s cameras flashed to Ned Yost in the Brewers dugout – standing with his arms crossed, practically screaming “I ain’t taking him out! I ain’t taking him out! Fuck all ya’ll!” And with that, the big guy ended up finishing the Astros off.

I had a vague feeling that I was watching something historic last night. That Yost and Sabathia had just turned the corner and were going to change the game of baseball all by themselves. Baseball people were going to start realizing that grown men could throw a baseball more than 100 times a night. That athletes (even 300 pound behemoths) could finish the one 3 hour long game that they start every 5 days. The role of the bullpen was going to radically change. Gone will be the lefty specialist! Setup men? Gone! The hold rule? Forgotten! The bullpen, only in an emergency!

So, mark my words: In a few years, baseball will resemble that old game they used to play in the 40s and 50s. The National Pastime. Stickball I think they called it. Or Cricket. I can’t remember. I read a book about it once though.

Of course, this is all a lie and the Brewers really aren’t changing baseball. They’re just not going to resign Sabathia this off-season, so they’re going to ride their new horse as close to the playoffs as they can. Seems like a reasonable plan. Assuming his arm doesn’t fall off. And he doesn’t get hit by an ice cream truck.

Up until the last week, when I thought about Zack Greinke, I just thought he was a sad kid.

Now though, he gets a little entry in the notebook under “things we won’t forget”. 6 days after getting ejected for drilling Nick Swisher, Greinke is making more enemies in the AL Central. In Delmon Young’s first at bat after hitting a two run home run, and the first pitch after Jason Kubel led off the 6th with a triple, Greinke drilled Young in the shoulder with a high fastball. Given the situation, a runner on 3rd with less than two outs, and a batter at the plate that took him deep in his last at bat, it certainly appeared intentional.

Gardy had this to say: “All I know is, after a leadoff triple, you don’t want to face a guy that’s hit a two-run home run,” Gardenhire said. “You can spin it how you want, I’ll spin it my way — the next pitch is at my guy’s face.”

I’m a fan of the old school ball that requires a little retaliation on the Twins part – however, they’re in a tough spot – still trying to win the division, they can’t afford to lose a player or players to suspension. And, of course, both teams were issued warnings after Greinke’s pitch, so any retaliation this weekend would have ended with suspensions for the Twins. It will certainly be something to watch as the season winds down though, with Kansas City in for 6 games at the dome in September. Jose Guillen, watch your ribs.

The money quote coming from Brewers general manager Doug Melvin in the wake of the C.C. Sabathia trade was “We’re going for it.” The line was also repeated by many of the Brewer players in the days after the trade. “We’re going for it” represents an about face for the Milwaukee Brewers, a franchise that hasn’t seen the post season since 1982, finally finding themselves in a position to make a run at the playoffs and in a position to make a blockbuster trade to help the cause. But, as much as this is about winning baseball games this year and creating excitement about baseball in Milwaukee, its also a very sound baseball and business decision. In fact, I would even argue that its not “going for it” at all, but a rare example of the stars aligning for a historically small revenue franchise in such a way that allows them to make a big move while staying the course. Continue reading »